Trick or Treat

Nathan was very excited about being a pirate tonight. Multiple times today when people would ask him what he was going to be for Halloween I would say "He's going to be a pirate." And Nathan would say "Yeah, I'm going to put my eye on." Meaning he was going to wear his eye patch. Here are some pictures of our cute little pirate at Trunk or Treat.

Aarrgghh!

Pirate Nathan and Lexi the Cat

Trick or treating with Mr. David

Pumpkin Carvers

Thursday afternoon during Daddy and Nathan time Shane got adventuresome and he and Nathan carved a pumpkin together. At the beginning of the process Nathan wasn't all that into it but when it was all done and we had a Jack O Lantern he was thrilled. Several times today he has wanted to see the Jack O Lantern and play with it.

Hallelujah Hoedown

Last night Nathan and I went to the Hallelujah Hoedown at Parkview. We had lots of fun at the "Cowboy Party." The children's praise team did a short program and Nathan jumped right in singing and dancing along with them. There is just something about seeing a two year old singing and dancing before the Lord. Even if all he knows is to copy the children on stage, I believe the Lord delights in him and his" worship." We also listened to a lady share about how the Lord takes all the yucky out and makes us new. She had taken all the yucky insides out of a pumpkin and "precarved" a happy face. Nathan was fascinated as she pulled the cut pieces out and made a "happy pumpkin." Then we got to "Trunk or Treat" trick or treat. Evidently on Mickey Mouse earlier this week there was some trick or treating because after the show Nathan picked up one of my bags and carried it around saying "trick or treat." Last night when he got to trick or treat for real and got real candy he of course loved it! He couldn't wait to get back in the van and have a sucker. Then the first thing he asked for this morning was another sucker. I don't know what we're going to do with all the loot we pick up at Calvary's Trunk or Treat tomorrow night.

Nathan's First Solo

Sunday afternoon we had a block party for our church neighborhood and it was so much fun. God really poured out his blessings as people from the neighborhood came by to eat and visit and play. The youth praise band sang and during a little break Nathan got up on stage to sing Jesus Loves Me for everyone. We ate hot dogs and burgers and played and played some more. Nathan loved jumping in the moonwalk and running around outside in general for two straight hours with people to talk to and play with.

A Pirate's Life for Me

I've said this before, but again, our little one is all BOY! We let him pick a toy to sleep with and it varies which one he chooses. Today he took a nap with his sword and his Auburn football.

Nathan does love to play swords and he's getting into pirates stories even more with his VeggieTale pirate ship and a new LazyTown pirate episode. So this afternoon when we went to the park we took our swords, paper towel roll telescope and paper hats Shane made us and we played pirates on the pirate ship on the big wooden playground. The hats didn't last very long because the wind was blowing so strong, but we did have fun scoping out the other pirates. In the end little pirate saved Mommy pirate and Princess Mamory (we think that's the little girl's name) from the big pirate and we all lived happily ever after.

Our First Lemonade Stand

Nathan has fallen in love with an old Nickelodeon show "Max and Ruby". As soon as it's over he'll ask to see the bunnies again. His favorite episode is one where Ruby sets up a lemonade stand. The other night we set him up a lemonade stand and he sold lemonade for quite some time. If you're ever on Hillcrest Drive you should stop by. The lemonade's only a nickel and it's "Delicious!" as Max and Ruby would say.

Panama City Beach

Last weekend we got to take a wonderful break and head down to Panama City Beach for a few days with the Yates. We had lots of fun on the beach, in the pool, eating out, shopping and hanging out in the condo. As Sumer said, taking toddlers to the beach is a lot of work but it is well worth it to see them enjoy the sand and the ocean so much.

Chilling with cousin Caleb and our cars on the back porch while Mommy is still sleeping. Aaahhh.

Playing in the pool with Daddy. The water was a bit chilly but both of the big boys (Nathan and Caleb) loved it and squealed in delight. Nathan saw Caleb swimming and decided he wanted to try a little too. We did more kicking than strokes but he was having a blast.

Sumer brought matching outfits for everyone. This is the best of the attempts at the perfect family photo on the beach. Hopefully Shane will be able to work his magic and give us a good one soon.

We spent two days and one evening at St. Andrews State Park. Here Nathan and Silas are swinging away. Below the boys loved being able to run free and explore this old mill there at the park.

There was a perfect spot for young families that had a huge "Sand Mountain" for Nathan to climb on and dig in. There was also a shallow pool area at the edge of the sand that was perfect for Nathan and Silas to play in. Nathan was a little overwhelmed with the big waves out in the water.

Digging in the sand and cruising cars with Silas.

There is an awesome new shopping area at PCB called Pier Park. There are lots of restaurants and shops set up like a boardwalk where you can stroll and browse and eat and play. Caleb was brave enough to try this jump/swing. There was a fabulous place called Popcorn Kingdom that had everyone kind of popcorn you can imagine. We got Rainbow popcorn for Nathan but after a few bites of it he asked for "clean" popcorn. He wanted Mommy's good old fashioned butter flavor. And after our snack the boys rode the train with Aunt Sumer. She said Nathan rode along waving at everyone like a pageant queen on parade. Silas, a man of few words, joined in the excitement with lots of "Choo Choos!"

There are many memories we don't have photos of. One of my favorite nights was eating on the deck at The Boatyard. I got to have my favorite lobster BLT sandwich for dinner with my sweet husband and little boy all the while enjoying the cool breeze and the view of the boats and the sun going down. That was a gift from God as Nathan sat like the perfect little prince and patiently ate his dinner with us that night. Shane and I also had fun just hanging out and playing games with Sumer and Corey after the boys went to bed. When it comes to in-laws I feel like I got the cream of the crop and can't wait to see them again in a few weeks.

Florida Caverns State Park

On the way home we found another fun stop. We went to the Florida Caverns State Park. We picked up a pizza at the Domino's outside the park and put together a little picnic. Nathan loves to have a picnic and Aunt Sumer had packed us a bowl of fruit to go with our pizza so he really got 3 treats in one. By the way Thomas the Train sheets work great as a tablecloth. There was a great little playground and we found a trail with a Nathan size cave that had a tunnel that went all the way through. Shane posted the video in the previous post. Nathan was convinced when we came out on the other side of the tunnel that we were on the Island of Sodor, which is from Thomas the Train. There is a big cave where you pay and take the tour but another couple with a 3 year old advised us that an hour was a little long for an excited toddler to follow a tour guide and not touch anything. We do hope to go back and play there again since it's only about an hour and a half away.

A Few Pictures

Meredith will post lots more of pictures and stories I am sure, but I wanted to drop some of the ones that I think look cool.

Pumpkin Patch

We had a blast with lots of friends from church at Faith Farms on Saturday. Nathan loves to jump on the moonwalk anywhere we go.
And of course the playground is a big hit!
Nathan stood up here pretending to be a pirate forever.
Hanging with old friends and new friends. Jenna's going to be a great babysitter one day and "Joe Joe" is a favorite friend from staying at Mrs. Kelli's house for several months.
Nathan loved the animals. I was talking to someone and Nathan was with some of the older children looking at the camel and the pony. I found him taking their scarecrow display apart. He was pulling wads of hay out of the hay bale and tossing it in for the camel to eat.
Nathan also loved the sheep. The mama sheep would come and stick her head out and let you pet her. She baaaa'd at Nathan a couple of times and he just giggled and giggled. He loved seeing and hearing the live animals up close. Since there weren't any hay bales around he scrounged around on the ground for some pine straw to feed the sheep. He kept saying "Come here sheep. Come here sheep." And just couldn't understand why the sheep wasn't interested in the fake hay.The hayride was a big hit because of the tractor pulling us. I couldn't get Nathan off the playground to go to the hayride and Mrs. Sam walks up and says "Nathan you want to go see the tractor?" Nathan jumped down immediately and took off after her. Sam says I have to learn to talk boy talk. She has a precious little boy named Jay and evidently I have a lot to learn from her.
Nathan picked up the first two pumpkins he came to and claimed them. One for me and one for him. Then on the hayride back I caught him just as he was about to sink his teeth into one. Yuck!
I caught one quick pose but I didn't get much of the scarecrow display behind him.

And one of the best parts. POPCORN at the end. Mrs. Kelli won his heart. She popped popcorn and brought bags for all the kids. That is probably Nathan's most favorite snack or treat right now. He loves popcorn. Football games, outings, or an afternoon snack at home. He loves popcorn. Don't ever mention it around him or you'll have to find some quick!

Cool Summer Treats

I know it's October but it still feels like summer here. Thursday night Nathan randomly asked for ice cream so we took him up on it. We went to Sonic for his favorite ice cream with sprinkles. Which is really a little vanilla ice cream with some of the m&m dust off the top of Shane's m&m blast he orders.

Alligator Morning

This morning when Nathan woke up I went to get him out of his bed and he said "Mommy, I have an alligator in my mouth." I repeated that to him as a question and he said "Yes, Mommy I have an alligator in my mouth. Get it out." Not quite sure how to respond I asked him to stick his tongue out and say aaahhh. I took a look and nope, no alligator in there. We let Daddy have a look and he made a guess that Nathan's mouth was all dry from sleeping with his mouth open. He was right. After drinking some juice the alligator was all gone.

Mover Nate

For those of you who know what Playhouse Disney Imagination Movers is ... here's a cute story for you. Sunday morning while I'm getting dressed for church Nathan is still watching Imagination Movers. All of a sudden he comes running for me hollering "Mommy, I want my blue glasses. I want my blue glasses." So I find his sunglasses and put them on him and he starts crawling around on the floor pretending to be Mover Scott. In the picture he's looking under the table saying "Where are you mouse? Where are you warehouse mouse?"

Hickory Dickory Park

Today I had a doctors appointment in Auburn (check-up) so afterward we went to the park for some playtime. Then we tried a new pizza place Johnny Brusco's which was very good, especially to someone who lives in Eufaula. Nathan also got to go with Shane to two "train stores" while I was in the doctor's office so he had a pretty big day.

Veggie Tales Live

We had a great time at Veggie Tales Live. We think Nathan consumed quite a bit of juice in the nursery Sunday morning and didn't crash from his sugar high in time to take a nap on the way to Montgomery. So about the time the performance started he began to get tired and cranky. But it was a neat experience and Nathan did get in to the show and followed the story some. He would say "There's Larry" and "Oh no where's Bob?" They also did one of his favorite songs "Cheeseburger" and he sang along whispering the words which was pretty cute.

Pirates Here We Come!

Today I had to take Nathan with me to the Trunk Show since Shane was sick. Which turned out not so bad. He limited my spending by limiting my shopping time and he got a great new toy out of it for $3. I was very blessed to find him several good fall things to wear and he found a Veggie Tales Pirates ship. Today was a great day for him to have a new toy to play with since Shane was contaminated and he couldn't play with daddy all day. And also we are going to see Veggie Tales Live tomorrow so that will make tomorrow all the more exciting. He is sleeping with Larry the Cucumber pirate tonight. We'll update about the show tomorrow. Please pray that Nathan and I are still well and don't get the stomach virus Shane had.

Sweet Little Blessings

Sometimes my mornings are hectic - up early to walk with Penny, back home to hear Nathan calling my name from his bed as I step inside, get him out of bed, fix his breakfast and mine, wolf it down, get him settled watching Mickey, jump in the shower, pick out whatever I don't have to iron to wear, halfway dry my hair, brush my teeth, light makeup, hurried goodbyes and blowing kisses, lipstick on in the car on the way to work, pull in the parking lot and it's 8:02. Crap.

But then there are such sweet moments in the midst of all that craziness that I have to smile and give thanks to God. Like when I pick Nathan up out of bed and he just wraps himself around me in a hug laying his head on my shoulder. Thank you God. And most often when he asks the blessing for his food. He is normally a loud child but when he asks the blessings he tilts his head down just the slightest and says in the most timid voice. "Thank you God for the orange milk (milk in the orange cup) and big waffles and the syrup and the bacon, (then there is some looking at the table to make sure he didn't miss anything). Amen." Thank you God for moments like this in mornings like these.

2 1/2 with a FP3

Our almost two and a half year old little boy has his own FP3 (Fisher Price MP3) player. I thought learning to play video games at two was one thing but Shane's really getting him hooked on gadgets early. This was a hand me down from our sweet secretary at the church who keeps passing on some wonderful toys for Nathan. I just hope she's around when he's 13!