Pumpkin Patchin'

Leave it to the Bralys to wait until the last possible weekend to pay a visit to the pumpkin patch! Brett was on call this past weekend, which often means operating on Friday night + Sunday, and just rounding early on Saturday mornings; however, he let me know on Friday that he'd have one, maybe two cases scheduled for Saturday. This meant Mommy would be flying solo for Kaiser's 9:00 soccer game, and maybe for the pumpkin fun to follow. Not ideal, but we're used to rolling with the punches!

When the littles and I woke up on Saturday morning, it was freezing. (Now, I know full well that we moved from a city that usually gets its first snow before Halloween, but it was still pretty chilly for Atlanta!) We loaded on some layers and managed to get out the door and to the fields on time. Our first sign of drama came when Porter realized that one of his mittens had fallen out of his pocket back at the house. No bueno. So, I offered him my gloves, which kept him happy for a while.

Glad to have some "hand gwoves".

Meanwhile, Maloney Baloney was bundled up in her stroller and ready to cheer on her big brother.

Note to self: Buy some winter shoes for this girl!

Kaiser was sporting an additional long-sleeved shirt, a jacket, pajama pants, and mittens. I figured that with as much running around as he'd be doing, he'd keep warmer than us spectators sitting on the sidelines.

Kinda wished I was chasing a ball around out there!

The Penguins played a decent game, though I actually didn't get to pay attention to too much of it. Shortly after they started, Porter started whining about being cold (in retrospect, I should have forced him to wear a stocking cap) and wanting to go home and go to bed (I wasn't surprised that he was tired, as he'd boycotted his nap the day before). Then Malone decided she was mad at the world, too, and wanted everyone to know about it. The raisins and Cheerios I brought along for them to snack on helped a bit, but for a while I was that mom with two crying children in her arms/on her leg and not a whole lot I could do about it. Honestly, I was cold, too, and wanted to be just about anywhere but the soccer fields at that moment. 

By the time it was 10:00, I had decided that I didn't think I had it in me to drag all three kiddos to the pumpkin patch by myself (especially if the temperature stayed that low!). Brett had sent me a text saying that he was still working, and I told him we'd head home and come up with a plan once he was finished. When we got back to the house, I made Kaiser, Porter, and Malone all lay down for 20-30 minutes, because they were so whiney. I thought that they might fall asleep, but knew that was very unlikely. Though no naps were to be had, Mommy got a few minutes of semi-quiet to regroup for the day. (And I needed them.)

We survived the rest of our morning at home -- playing Rescue Bots, eating lunch, making patterns on construction paper with Halloween stickers. When I hadn't heard from Brett after a couple of hours, I contemplated loading the kids up and just going, after all. It was warming up, and I thought that I might be able to swing it. Fortunately, it wasn't long before he called to let me know they were out of the OR and he could leave in half an hour. Definitely worth waiting a bit longer!

We were all so happy to see Daddy's car pull up in the driveway. We loaded in the van and set off toward Berry Patch Farms, a place up north that a couple of people had recommended to us. It took us about 50 minutes to get there, which provided a perfect opportunity for a couple of cranksters to catch some zzz's.

Just resting her eyelids.

Finally passed out the last 10 minutes or so.

Once we arrived, everyone was refreshed and ready for some fun. Berry Patch is a really laid-back place. There wasn't an entry fee (I wasn't interested in spending an arm and a leg, since we were potentially playing with fire by messing with the kids' naptime); you just paid for the pumpkin you selected and a handful of different activities they offered. The first thing we did was hop on the short hayride out to the patch. 

Porter's favorite part. 

The tractor driver dropped us off right by the spot where they were offering pony rides. Both boys said that they wanted to ride, but at the last minute Porter changed his mind. I halfway expected Kaiser to back out, too, but he didn't. It took him nearly 5 years, but he finally got on his first horse!

Trying his darndest not to smile.

Again, keeping that smile hidden.

Gotta practice for our next trip to Jefe's ranch.

Finally flashed a big grin for me.

The ride was super short (quite a lucrative business, at $5 a pop!), but Kaiser enjoyed it and didn't make a fuss when it was time to get off the pony. From there, we walked a ways across a big empty field (which I'm sure at one point was full of pumpkins) to where the ones that remained were gathered.

Stopping to take a look at some cotton plants.

Up until this point, Malone had been riding on Mommy's back in the Beco carrier. As soon as I took her out and set her on the ground, the gal took off running (well, waddling very quickly). She wanted to see what those big orange balls were all about!

PUNKINS!!!

They are oh-so-huggable.

Good for climbing, too.

Of course, I had high hopes to round up the babes for a perfect pumpkin pic. Between the squint-inducing sun and the general level of distraction, odds were not particularly in my favor...

2 outta 3 ain't bad.

On the search for the perfect punk.

Still looking...

Orange as far as her eye could see.

This boy got tired of hunting and was ready to hop a tractor back.

 A certain someone else showed no signs of wanting to quit. 

Sweetest lil pumpkin picker.

After a fair amount of time examining pumpkins out in the patch, we weren't able to find one that we were too excited about. I knew that waiting until the last weekend would mean the selection would not be as great, and many of them were deformed, stemless, or cracked. The ones that were decent were also GIGANTIC, and I didn't really want to pay a hefty price to match the size. We finally decided to stick with the little pumpkins I'd already picked up a couple of weeks ago at the Farmers Market, and climbed aboard the hayride that took us back to the entrance and the other activities. Kaiser and Porter were asking to have their faces painted; we told them they could, as long as they posed nicely with Malone at a cute wagon set up for picture-taking. (That's a perfectly acceptable deal to strike, right??)

 Real smile + fake smile + no smile. Our pumpkin trio.

Lil stinker keepin' her bros on their toes.

A kind stranger offered to take one of our family. 

(Probably won't make the Xmas card.)

As promised, next stop was face painting. Our sons approached the two ladies and each asked to have "OU" put on their cheeks. They were immediately informed that "they don't do that" and told to choose one of the Halloween pictures on the example board. (Sorry, Sooner Daddy!)

Holding ever so still...

He chose a friendly pumpkin.

Tough guy and his "skeleton" cross bones. :)

Then the boys spotted someone eating a cup of ice cream, and asked if they could have some, too. 

Their parents are suckers.

"Hey, lemme in on that action!"

She screams for ice cream -- literally.

Ask and you shall receive.

There were all sorts of other food available -- hot dogs, boiled peanuts, popcorn, fried pies, funnel cakes. Brett and I figured it was best to get home so that we could eat an early dinner (and so that three worn out pumpkin patchers could have an early bedtime!). Before we said so long to the farm, the kiddos spent some time playing on its little playground set.

"Dis swide's not scawy."

There was also a tractor there for children to climb up on (and parents to take advantage of another photo op). 

Farmer Kaiser.

Farmer Porter.

Miss Malone confirmed that it was time to hit the road a little after 4:00. Even though the timing may not have been perfect, I'm so glad our family was able to roll out and enjoy our 5th (?) annual trip to the pumpkin patch. Thanks for helping us make special memories on our Atlanta adventure, Berry Patch Farms!

Soccer Star

On Thursday I received Kaiser's official YMCA soccer photo for Fall 2013. So maybe this boy hasn't scored any goals {yet!}, but he definitely knows how to work the camera...

You'd think his mom was always taking pictures of him or something. ;)

I opted out of purchasing the team photo, but was able to snap this one with my own camera. Check out these cute lil kickers:

The Penguins (minus 3 players who were out of town). 

I can't believe we only have 2 more games left before the season draws to a close. Crazy how quickly these weeks have flown!

Happy + Healthy 3-Year-Old

This past Monday, I took Porter into the pediatrician for his 3 year well checkup. We weren't able to get an appointment with Dr. K, whom we saw for Malone's checkup last month; instead, we met the practice's PA, Miss Joy, who was just as friendly and fantastic with the kiddos. 

Before we were officially seen, Porter had his measurements taken. Surprisingly, the nurse told me that since he was now 3, he didn't need to get undressed for this part. Fine by him! I stayed in the room while she led him out into the hall. Here are our not-all-that-big, but definitely growing, boy's stats:

32 pounds (55th %ile)

36 1/4 inches (20th %ile)

Came back in proudly sporting a Cars sticker.

Looking back at the post from his 2 1/2 year checkup, Porter has put on nearly 4 pounds in 6 months and, based upon the uncertainty I expressed about his previous height measurement, I'd guess almost 1 1/2 inches. He's most definitely come a long way! 

Our visit with Miss Joy couldn't have gone more smoothly. Porter was cooperative and didn't freak out (as he's been known to do in the past) when gently poked and prodded. Miss Joy was happy to hear of how well he has adjusted to preschool and his success with potty training, among other things. The only minor concern I had was his speech (particularly those "r", "l", and "th" sounds with which he still struggles); she said that is still considered normal at this point, and that as long as people can understand 75% of what he says, he is in good shape. (I confirmed with his teacher at our conference the next day that she can understand him more than 75% of the time.) Miss Joy assured me that our boy was healthy and developmentally right on track! 

Before we left the office, we just had a couple more things to take care of. First, the patient had to have a vision test. The girl who performed it was sweet as can be, and Porter was able to identify all of the shapes to prove his eyes were A-OK. Then, it was time for vaccinations. You can imagine Porter's excitement when he found out that he didn't have to get a single poke. No shots, and he is now old enough for the flu nasal spray. Woot woot! A great way to end his first (and, barring any sickness, hopefully his last) visit to this doctor's office!

Totally unrelated to his appointment, but here are a few cute, recent shots of our terrific 3-year-old:

Celebrating his b-day a couple of days late with his preschool friends. 

"Yook Mommy -- I'm Daddy!" (Yep, he NAILED IT!)

Thigh-high rain boots + no pants. It's the latest fashion trend, Y'all.

Seriously LOVE being Mommy to this crazy kiddo.

YaYa in GA

In addition to the countdown that we had going for Porter's 3rd birthday, we had a countdown leading up to something exciting happening just a few days later: a visit from YaYa! This was her first trip to Atlanta, and we couldn't wait to pack as much fun as possible into the three full days that she was here with us. 

YaYa's flight arrived last Wednesday afternoon. Surprisingly, there was enough coverage at the hospital that day for Brett to sneak away early, so he was able to go pick his momma up from the airport. This meant the kiddos were able to get some rest time, which I knew would make for a more pleasant evening with our much-anticipated guest. They were thrilled to see YaYa's face first thing after waking up from their naps! We ate dinner at home and spent the rest of the night playing around with new birthday toys, as well as the toys that YaYa had brought along for them.

All grins from this ham.

Playing peek-a-boo with her brother's lovey.

These two zeroed in on YaYa's iPad.

Obsessed with a new app called "Wee Rockets".

Lil climber showing off her skills after bathtime. 

A round or two of Candy Crush before turning in for the night.

Thursday morning both Kaiser and Porter were headed to school. After dropping them off, I brought YaYa and Malone back home, then turned back around to go to my Bible study. While I spent time with some other ladies at a church down the road, grandmother and granddaughter got some special one-on-one playtime. I swung back by the house to pick them up before preschool carpool began at noon. It was a yucky day outside, so stopping for lunch and playtime at a park was not an option. Instead, I thought it would be fun to take the kids to Leapin' Lizards, an indoor inflatable play space just a few minutes away. It had been recommended to us by friends, and a couple of weeks ago I went ahead and bought a Groupon deal for 10 passes there. As expected, the boys were tickled when I told them where we were headed. They ate in the car and were ready to get to jumpin' and slidin' as soon as we walked in the door!

Let's get this party started!

That smile.

The girls waiting at the bottom.

Here they go again!

Hooked.

Maloney's ready to play, too!

Went down the tallest, fastest slide more times than I can count.

This one stuck to the smaller slides.

Taking Sissy for a ride.

Discovered the awesomeness that is the Sit 'n Spin.

I loved that this place had a special toddler area with an inflatable designated for children ages 3 and under. We stuck our favorite 13-month-old in there to bounce around; to say that she loved it is a vast understatement! You couldn't wipe the smile off that girl's face. She would have stayed in there all afternoon if I'd let her!

"This feels a lot better than when I normally fall on the floor!"

Happy, happy, happy.

Never. Stopped. Moving. 

Attempting to scale the ladder.

On second thought, let's stay down here.

Looks like she's ready to dance.

Compared to the baby bounce house, the regular one was HUGE! 

YaYa helping Porter make a safe exit.

After about an hour and a half of intense play, both of the boys were rosy-cheeked and thirsty. YaYa bought each of them a drink to rehydrate.

Discussing all of the foods he doesn't like. (It's a short list.)

"Hey, where's my juice box??"

Our drink break was taken right beside a hurricane simulator machine. When Kaiser asked if he could go in, I was doubtful that he would like it. YaYa offered to pay the $2 and go with him, though; of course, I stayed outside and caught the experience on camera. :)

Wind's pickin' up speed.

Duck and cover!

Lil Bro decided about halfway through that he wanted in, too.

I was so busy snapping still shots that I almost forgot to get some video footage:

The calm after the storm.

Once the hurricane died down, I told Kaiser and Porter that it was time to start thinking about heading home for naps. They were given permission to make three more runs down the slide, so I told them to make 'em count. 

You're not hardcore...

...unless you slide hardcore!

Leapin' Lizards was definitely a BIG hit with the Bralys, and I can guarantee we will return to bounce again soon! After afternoon naps, our evening was another quiet one (well, as quiet as it can be with three munchkins running around) at home. Daddy arrived after we'd finished dinner, so he joined in on the fun leading up to blessed bedtime. 

Friday was an exciting day for Kaiser, because his school's pre-K classes were headed to Stone Mountain! The timing of YaYa's visit worked out perfectly; she was able to stay home and play with Porter and Malone while I accompanied my firstborn on his first field trip of the year. So that we weren't each driving a half-empty minivan, my friend Mari and I decided we'd drive out there together. Kaiser loved singing and laughing with Mari's son, his buddy Jason, during the 20 minute drive.

Stretching their legs after hopping out of the car.

Once all of the students, parents, and teachers had arrived, we gathered in a clearing, and the kiddos were given paper sacks to go on a little nature scavenger hunt. They were instructed to collect 4 different leaves, a pine cone, a pine spray, a gumball, tree bark, a twig, an acorn, 2 rocks, and maybe a thing or two I can't remember. Everyone spent a good half an hour "searching" (which also included talking/goofing around with friends, climbing up and down rocky trails, etc.) until we had all finally found everything on our list.

Figuring out what to look for next.

Distracted smile from my field-tripper.

Didn't realize we would be right up next to the mountain!

Making his way back down to me.

Lil hop.

Getting his special scavenger sticker from Mrs. M.

Even though it was only 10:30, once the hunt was complete, nearly 50 students and their parents sat down to eat the picnic lunches we'd brought along. When we'd first gotten to the clearing, one of the teachers had enlisted the help of one of the daddies to build a small campfire. After lunch, they pulled out marshmallows for the children to roast. 

Kaiser J was all over that business.

Getting some help from one of his teacher's assistants, Ms. T.

Mommy got a skeptical look from Marshmallow Boy...

...which turned into a big ole smile when Mrs. M wanted to snap a pic with her camera. :)

Once bags upon bags of marshmallows had been roasted and consumed, Mrs. M and Ms. T attempted to round up their class for a group photo. It was a little like herding cats, but with the parents' help, they managed to do it. 

All present and accounted for!

Most of my shots looked like this.

Soon it was 11:30 and time for us to head out. It was a low-key and laid-back field trip, with minimal programming, but we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to enjoy the outdoors, and I am always thankful for some one-on-one time to focus on my boy. After Mari and Jason drove us back to the school to fetch our car, Kaiser and I headed home to see YaYa and his sibs. They had of course had a fun morning together, too. Since lunch was already out of the way and we had some time to kill before naps, we thought it would be fun to take YaYa out to Lake Avondale for a short stroll.

Walkin' buddies.

We accidentally scared these turtles away from the shore, then stood and watched them slowly make their way back.

Turtle-spotting on the bridge.

Racing ahead of the girls.

Showing YaYa their favorite stone-skipping spot.

She loves them so.

He loves her so much it hurts.

The boys wanted to feel how cold the water was.

YaYa had back surgery not long ago; I was praying she didn't hurt herself!

Passed a huge group of turtles (some had already swam away when I took this pic) who were all clustered together, basking in the sun.

Can you tell what Porter's thinking here?

Yep. Goin' in for the hug.

As soon as we got home from the lake, I knew naps were in order -- especially for Kaiser, who had been complaining about being tired since before our trip to Stone Mountain. While the kiddos rested, I showered again (that morning's campfire had left me with the nasty smell of smoke in my hair!) in preparation for date night with my man. Would you believe we've been out 4 times in the last month and a half?!? This is unprecedented, Folks. Brett had asked around at the hospital, and two residents + one tech had independently recommended that we go to a restaurant called TWO Urban Licks. Neither of us had heard of it, but you'd better believe we were pumped for an adults-only dinner!

Peace out, Kids.

Y'all, I don't even know how to describe how incredible TWO was. It's in a revamped warehouse that's hidden from the main road, so you wouldn't know the restaurant is there unless you were looking for it. (I kind of felt like we should need to know a password or a secret knock to get through the door!) The interior is super funky and fun. Brett had made a reservation for 6:30, so it was relatively quiet when we first arrived -- which was nice, since peaceful mealtimes are virtually nonexistent these days.

  

Mr. + His mixed drink.

Mrs. + Her white wine.

And, most importantly, the food? Ohmyword, THE FOOD. I am seriously still salivating at the thought of it. For our appetizer, we ordered these bad boys:

Salmon chips. Get in my belly.

I didn't take pictures of our entrees, but I went with the bronzed sea scallops + gouda grits, while Brett had the skirt steak + spinach. I can't even imagine how ridiculous we looked and sounded as we ate our meals. Both of us were literally stopping every couple of bites to close our eyes, smile, and rave about how delicious it was. I truly cannot wait to take my brother and sister-in-law here when they come to visit us in December. I know they will love it!

TWO Urban Licks, we'll be back!

By the time we finished our amazing dinner, the restaurant was packed. We knew we weren't ready to go home yet, so we drove to the Virginia Highlands to check out the area. We stopped for another drink, walked into some fancy, way overpriced clothing store that had a special event going on (complete with waiters serving mini-cupcakes + drinks and live mannequins in the front window), and stood in an alley listening to some random band play crazy loud music. Soon it was getting close to 10:00, so we decided to just head home and eat some cake we had there for dessert. Not long after we arrived to relieve YaYa, heard about their evening, and said goodnight to her, I found my husband in the living room like this:

Yes, he is kneeling, and yes, he is asleep. 

The tired doctor was out cold for going on 20 minutes before I finally shook him awake and convinced him to go to our bed. Utter exhaustion will make you do crazy things...

Saturday morning we were all geared up for Kaiser's 9:00 soccer game and planning to visit a pumpkin patch afterward. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. Our entire crew was dressed, ready, and loaded in the van; however, just as we were pulling out of the driveway to head the soccer fields, I received a message from our coach that it had ben cancelled. :( When forced to quickly come up with a plan B, we landed upon the Georgia Aquarium. It had been a couple of months since we'd paid this attraction a visit, and the boys were excited to share the experience with YaYa. What made this trip wonderful (besides having all of us there) was that we arrived shortly after the aquarium opened, so we were able to avoid the worst of the weekend crowd. Always a plus!

Maintenance being done in the tank at the entrance.

Making our way through the Ocean Voyager exhibit tunnel.

Trying to spot as many different fish as he can.

Taking some time to kick back at the gigantic viewing window.

Spunky Spice was grateful for a chance to stretch her legs.

Massive and majestic.

Hanging at the shark and ray touch pool.

Wanted so badly to touch a bonnethead shark, but couldn't quite reach.

Admiring the creatures at the Georgia Shores touch pool.

This bully snail was trying to push this urchin around.

Photo op with Deepo the Fish.

Cheesin' it up with the Japanese spider crab.

Sweet boy and his YaYa.

The sea dragon is one of my faves.

Ready to move on the penguins!

Happy Feet.

Popping up for a closer look.

They've spotted us!

When we first arrived, we made sure to get tickets for the 11:00 Dolphin Tales. About 20 minutes before the show started, we made our way into the gallery.

So neat watching them play.

Kisses from Daddy as we walk to the theater.

Once we were inside, Kaiser insisted that we sit in the front -- which, as you may well know, is designated as the "Splash Zone". I was hesitant, and started to say that we'd save that for another time; Daddy and YaYa were game. At first I felt nervous that Malone might freak if she got soaked, but ultimately decided to risk it because I didn't want to miss out!

Can't get over how alike the brothers look in this pic.

Sister is stoked!

Ready for the show to start!

As it turns out, the Bralys found their new favorite spot to sit! Though I'd been prepared to get wet during the performance, in our second-row seats we maybe felt a slight mist, if anything at all. Plus, we got to clearly see all of the action going on underwater with the dolphins and trainers. It made the show way more entertaining, in my opinion. 

After Dolphin Tales, we grabbed a table and sat down to eat some lunch. The little people were already fairly happy, but their moods improved even more when they put food in their tummies. 

A peanut butter sandwich + pear does this girl right.

Enjoying the chocolate muffin YaYa bought to share.

The treat was worth the wait.

Our final stop before heading home was the traveling exhibit "Sea Monsters Revealed". (This was actually a surprise to us, as we thought we were going to see frogs.) This cool new exhibit gives you a look at both the outside and the inside of the bodies of several sea creatures.

"Are we seriously looking at the internal organs of a penguin right now?"

Checking out an interactive world map.

Getting a boost to see the screen better.

Though there were a handful of distractions (namely, a certain 3-year-old throwing a minor fit when told not to climb on a display), the "sea monsters" displayed really were fascinating.

Sunfish...

...squid...

...sharks...

...sharks...

...and more sharks.

Composing and sending a "message in a bottle". 

After a busy morning at the aquarium, we were all in need of some rest time that afternoon. Since it was YaYa's final night in town, we had planned for all of us to go out to dinner. Our first choice in downtown Decatur was too long of a wait, so we opted for another restaurant nearby, Matador Mexican Cantina. The food was great, but unfortunately during our meal it was clear that Kaiser wasn't feeling 100%. (You know something's definitely wrong with our boy when he says that he can't finish his chicken quesadilla.) :( After our meal, we felt the need for somethin' sweet, so a stop at Dairy Queen was in order. 

"I scream, you scream..."

Mooching some of Daddy's chocolate-covered strawberry Blizzard.

Good to the last drop.

By the time we got back to the house, there wasn't much time left before Kaiser, Porter, and Malone needed to be tucked into bed. We let them stay up for a bit goofing around in the upstairs playroom with YaYa. She would be leaving before they awoke the next morning in order to catch her flight back to OK, so this was their last opportunity to see her. Of course, I had to snap a few photos of our much-loved visitor with her favorite kiddos.

Toy bucket + toothbrush were necessary for a semi-successful pic.

I adore this outtake.

YaYa,

We are so grateful you had such a fun-filled first trip to Atlanta! You always spoil us silly, and this time was no exception. Thank you for loving your son, daughter-in-law, and grandbabies so well. We love you and hope to see you again in these parts next spring!