A Pumpkin Carvin' Good Time

Last Halloween Noah was too young to care much about pumpkins, and to be perfectly honest, I don't even think Ryan or I thought about carving one. However, this year is a different story! We wanted to participate in all Halloween festivities, so a pumpkin carving had to be done. My dad and Danette took Noah to the pumpkin patch (see above) while we were away at the Bourbon Chase. He picked out a PERFECT pumpkin, and I couldn't wait to carve it!

We started out with Noah in his high chair. I just love this picture of Noah looking up at Ryan. It's the classic son looking up to his father picture. Gets me every time!

Once Ryan cut off the pumpkin stem, Noah was ready to get his hands dirty! I was surprised at how well he actually cleaned out the pumpkin seeds and goo. Of course we had to have Charlie Brown on in the background!

We moved the carving party to the floor, and Noah continued to help clean out the pumpkin. Before we had gotten started, Ryan bought a great pumpkin carving kit for us to use. Although it might be surprising to some, I had never used a carving tool set before! We were old fashioned, I guess, just using my good steak knives! Now I understand how people can carve out elaborate designs...these little knives are the key! As much as I wanted to carve a Twilight-themed pumpkin, I didn't feel like it was fair since the pumpkin was technically Noah's. :) So, Ryan picked out a fun haunted house & ghost stencil. We were really happy with how it turned out!

Trunk-N-Treat

Tim & Ronda cracking us up!

The teens leading a sing & dance-a-long

We've been attending Emmanuel Church of Greenwood for about 2 1/2 years now, but this was our first time participating in Trunk-N-Treat. This is just an extra Halloween event that allows kids to dress up one extra time to go treat-or-treating. It's also an opportunity to invite other people who don't attend our church to visit and do something fun with their families.

Daddy & Noah watching the festivities

Mommy & Noah having a dance party!

After registering inside the newly refurbished children's wing, Ryan, Noah, and I went to the auditorium where some of the adult staff members were putting on a fun show for the kids! Our friend Tim was hilarious on stage!! Then some of the teenagers led everyone in some singing and dancing. I felt like I was in one of those made-for-kids educational programs. Noah was CRACKING UP and loved dancing with me (surprise!).

Meaghan & Noah - She takes care of Noah every Sunday!

Noah and Evelyn - Best Buddies

After the program was over, everyone went outside where dozens of cars were lined up with their trunks decorated in various themes. Kids and their parents lined up for trick-or-treating. We took Noah around to see each of the trunks and visited with friends along the way. We didn't collect any candy - we just didn't feel right doing that when we're not going to let him eat any of it. I mean, he's only 18 months old! :) It got pretty chilly, so we stayed just long enough to make our rounds and visit for awhile with some friends and family. We had a great time, and I'm sure it will become part of our Halloween tradition for years to come.

Snacking on some teddy grahams on our way out

Date Night with Friends!

I'd like to introduce two of Ryan's and my favorite people in the world, Abigail and Devin (above)! We all met at Hanover - Abigail was my sorority sister (and roommate for a year), and Devin was Ryan's fraternity brother. Before Noah was born, we used to get together with them about every 4-6 weeks to just hang out and do something fun together. For example, one year on New Year's Eve, we had dinner together and then went ice skating downtown. We've seen lots of different movies over the years, too. Our time together is always really laid back, and we usually end up laughing most of the night. We even went on vacation to Destin, FL a few years ago and had a BLAST (see below)! Yeah, it was pretty much paradise.

About a month ago, Abigail and I made plans that we would all get together over Fall Break. So on Saturday, Ryan's parents came down to stay with Noah for the night. After visiting with John and Gloria for a bit, we were off to Abigail and Devin's house. We hung out for a bit and then headed to a Japanese Steakhouse...yum...one of my favorites! It was so nice to just have some time with friends away from Noah. Don't get me wrong - I love him so much - but Mommy needs time for herself and for her marriage, too! :) Whenever we spend time with Abigail and Devin, it's just so relaxed...not stressful...and laid back. I never want to leave at the end of the night because I'm always having such a good time. But wait a minute...I'm getting ahead of myself.

So here Ryan and I are at dinner waiting for everyone's sushi to be delivered. Yeah, I went ahead and passed on the sushi. It's just not my fav! After the sushi course, we were served the infamous Onion Soup and salad with ginger dressing. I am definitely going to try to make both of these recipes in the next week! One bowl of each just isn't enough for me. :) I ordered the filet and scallops, and my mouth was watering while I watched the chef make the delicious fried rice and vegetables. Everything was so incredible! Can you tell I love food? I honestly LOVE watching Food Network and dream of dining at various restaurants all over the country. I really need to make a list so I don't forget where I want to go.

Anyway, I'm really dragging out this story. My filet and scallops did not disappoint. I nearly ate every bite and left the restaurant feeling SO full and SO happy! We went back to Abigail and Devin's to change clothes before heading to the...HAUNTED CORN MAZE! AHH!!! I hadn't been to a corn maze in years and was really excited to participate in some real Halloween activities. Can you tell I don't get out much? It was FREEZING Saturday night!! Devin had never been to a haunted house/maze, so it was fun being with him that night. Haunted places are hilarious to me. I LOVE being startled, and even when I see someone coming at me, and I know they are going to jump at me, it still makes me scream! The creepiest one was this little kid - probably 8-10 years old, who was completely covered up in a costume and mask. He was walking along with two older and taller people. The two older ones just walked by, and at the last second, the little one jumped at us and said "AHH!" really quickly and totally freaked us out! It was hilarious!

After surviving the corn maze, including the guy with the chain saw at the end of the maze, we went back to Devin and Abigail's for some wine (one of my favorites - Bricco Riella Mocasto di Asti), cheese, cookies...and you guessed it...Twilight Scene-It! :) The poor guys didn't stand a chance. Abigail has probably seen the movie 10 times and has noticed every single little thing in each shot. This girl knows her Twilight!!! She and I were on a team for our first round, and we almost beat the guys in five minutes. We let them have a turn so they didn't get bored, so it actually took about eight minutes to beat them. Then we all played against each other the second round. We kept drawing these "Fate Cards," where you had to read the card aloud, and then you had to follow the directions. It was HILARIOUS hearing Devin and Ryan say things like, "All the boys want you to go to the prom with them..." and "Edward comes to pick you up from school, move ahead 2 spaces." We were cracking up!

A bottle of wine, several cookies, lots of cheese, and many laughs later, it was nearly midnight. As usual, I was sad to go because we were having such a great time! Ryan had an early morning at church, and Devin was fading fast. I have never seen anyone like Devin get so tired so quickly at night! We said farewell, and the night ended. I really need nights like this - it just really fills my cup to be with good friends! I am also reminded that while I am a mom and a wife, I am more than that, too. Does that make any sense? It sounds strange when I write it down, but it's truly how I feel. Ryan and Noah are the two most important people in my life, and in order to keep balance in my life, I really LOVE LOVE LOVE this kind of time with friends! Thank you, Abigail and Devin!!

Ink in Your Dryer?

Last Sunday I was finally catching up on laundry after our race. Our nasty clothes had already been sitting there for a week, but I am in a good laundry groove where I only have to do it once every two weeks. It is a full day of laundry, but I'd rather do that than wash, dry, and fold clothes every day or two.


Anyway, I came home from a half day of work with laundry on the brain. I had already finished a few loads and had about four more to go. I fluffed some clothes in the dryer, and when they were done, I was shocked to find that an ink pen had EXPLODED all over my dryer and the entire load of khaki/green clothes inside. GRR!! I had just bought new American Eagle khakis, which I badly needed, and they were completely covered in ink.

Immediately, I'm out to figure out whose fault it is. I am really bad about that! Ryan teases me about it, but it truly is a bad habit that I need to overcome. I NEVER put pens in my pocket - I mean - what girl does? So of course, I'm thinking, "Grr Ryan!" I am also panicked because the ink is everywhere inside the dryer, and I'm worried that we'll have to buy a new dryer. I tried Lysol wipes, a magic eraser, and alcohol wipes, and nothing worked. Uh oh...

So I checked out the next best thing. I love this website! You can learn how to do anything. I read to follow these steps:

1. Put a half gallon of bleach and a half gallon of water inside a bucket.

2. Soak two large white towels in the bucket and ring them out.

3. Put the towels in the dryer and dry for 30 minutes.

4. Check the dryer. If more ink remains, dry for longer.

5. Once satisfied with the removal, wipe inside of dryer with a wet cloth to remove residue.

I followed all five steps and had to actually let the towels dry for 90 minutes total. The dryer went from being stained with ink to looking like this:

Not too bad, huh?! Thank you eHow!!! By the way, when I told Ryan that I pen exploded in our dryer, he said, "It wasn't mine!" He tried to blame it on Kya and Noah, so I went upstairs and recovered the pen. As soon as he saw it, he said, "Oh yeah, it's definitely mine!" Then he quickly added, "My mom always checked my pockets!" It's a good thing he was trying to be funny and not serious... :) I just wanted to post this in case any of you ever deal with exploded ink pens in your dryer!

New Firsts

When you have a baby under 12 months, it truly seems like your child is doing something new every single day. Now that Noah is closer to 18 months, his "firsts" are happening at a slower rate. In the past few days, Noah has started doing two new things...one really CUTE and the other is...well, more practical. :)

Before almost every meal, Ryan or I will pray before we eat. It's just a good time to center and refocus on what is truly important, thanking God for everything He provides for us. Last Friday, we put our hands together to pray and looked over, and Noah also folded his little hands to pray. Ryan said the prayer, and when we were done, Noah even said, "Amen", which sounded more like, "Ah-meh". SOOO CUTE! Now, even when he is sitting down to eat breakfast, he folds his little hands and waits for me to pray. It is the sweetest thing! I can't wait for the day that he can pray at night before bed by himself. I am so interested to see what he says to God and for which things he thanks God.

The second new "first" was Noah learning the word "poo". Not only did he learn how to say it, though. The same day that he learnd the word, he came up to us and said, "poo." When we didn't really react, he said it a few more times. Come to find out, he was telling us that he had a dirty diaper! He has consistently told us "poo" everytime he has had a dirty diaper. Sweet! I don't know when Noah will actually be potty trained, but my hope is that by the end of next summer, before I go back to work, he will be potty trained. We will see!

Noah playing in my reusable Kohl's shopping bags

They are the best!

Zoo Boo

When we bought our Indy Zoo membership in May, we were really excited about taking Noah to Zoo Boo in the Fall. I feel like I blinked my eyes, and Halloween season was here! We put off buying a costume for Noah. I'm just really picky, and yet, I didn't want to spend a lot of money. We still aren't even sure what we'll do on Halloween. This is my dilemma...I'd like to take him around the neighborhood because I know he would enjoy it. However, it seems strange to go up to houses saying "Trick or Treat" and collect candy that Noah will never eat. The same applies to our church's Trick or Trunk event. I think it would be fun to go, and yet, collecting candy for Noah doesn't make sense. If you have/had little ones his age, what did you do or are you doing this year?

Jill and Aaron's little boy, Jake, is Noah's age, and we hadn't all gotten together since vacation this summer. Zoo Boo seemed like the perfect time to catch up and go do something fun together! I had never been to Zoo Boo before and wasn't really sure what to expect. They decorated the zoo with various Halloween-themed items, and there was a tent with Halloween music, a bounce house, etc. There was a bit of trick or treating here and there, but nothing like I thought it would be.

So, last Saturday after Noah and Jake woke up from their naps, we packed up and headed to the zoo! It was a pretty day, sunny but brisk. Our friends, Tim and Beckie, let us borrow a really cute frog costume...I really love it! I love those big bulgy eyes and that cute little red tongue!

When we first got there, we watched the seals for a bit while one of the zoo employees talked about their care and habits. The boys seemed to really like watching them! It is amazing to see how much more engaged Noah is now at the zoo in comparison to how he was in May when we first started taking him. We went to see the sharks and then stopped by the penguins for a great photo op. Jake was in the cutest penguin costume...the body was really puffy and so adorable! Here are Jill and Jake posing with the penguins.

I was really hoping to get a shot of the boys together, and with all the penguins swimming around to distract them, it was an easy one to snap. How cute are they?!

After leaving the water animals, we went to visit the farm animals. I think Noah's favorite were the donkeys. :) There was a demonstration happening with the elephant, so we checked that out for a bit, too.

While at the elephant show, Noah spotted the carousel. My Dad and Danette took him to the Children's museum while we were competing in the Bourbon Chase, and he LOVED the carousel there. So, we weren't too surprised when he got really excited to ride another one.

Noah rode on a big polar bear while Ryan held onto him. It's moments like these that I just don't want to forget. Seeing the two of them together seriously makes my heart just melt.

We took the opportunity to grab a quick family photo, too (Thanks, Jill!). Those frog eyes just crack me up!
I should also mention that Jill and Aaron treated us to the carousel and then the train afterward, so thanks again you guys! We jumped on the train, and they had a Halloween theme for it, too. I think the music was written in the 1970s or 80s, as it had a real "Reading Rainbow" kind of sound to it. All along the way, the train made different stops to see disappearing acts (that never reappeared...hmm....), the Wicked Witch (which was surprising decent), the Little Mermaid, and Dumbledore. Noah was really antsy and cried some to most of the time. :) You gotta love those moments when you're trapped, riding on a moving vehicle, and there is no way to escape while your child is crying. Awesome. :) On the flip side, Jake really seemed to have a good time! I love this picture of Aaron, Jill, and Jake - he has a great little pouty lip sticking out even though I think he was enjoying himself!

After visiting the giraffes, lions and tigers (who were exceptionally social), wild dogs, etc., it was time for dinner. We said farewell to our friends and grabbed a quick bite to eat at the zoo. Noah wasn't interested in eating anything except for crackers and fruit, so Ryan and I polished off some chicken fingers, cheese fries, pizza, and a hot dog like we hadn't eaten in days.

Lately, Noah has been doing different things to get our attention and make us laugh. The ride home was no exception. He kept putting the pumpkin bucket on his head and then taking it off to peek at us. He thought he was pretty funny...well, and so did we. :) Zoo Boo 2009 was a hit, and Noah slept like a baby that night. Goodbye, animals. See you at Christmas!!

Driving the Mini Coop

Check out the video! Noah and I go for a ride on his mini coop everyday. It is hilarious!