End of Summer Fun

Ahhhh, the end of summer!  It is SEPTEMBER already!  So crazy.  Here's a quick update on what we filled our last weeks of summer with. 

Going to the dentist.  I hate dentists, I have horrible experiences every time I go, so I was nervous for them.  Fortunately it looks like they'll have their dad's teeth (ie, no cavities) so it went well and they got new light up toothbrushes.  They thought it was fun!

On a whim the other day I decided the kids should share a room.  I was SO SICK of picking up toys from the living room, and they won't play down in the basement because our sick cat keeps pooping on the floor down there.  So, Otis's room turned into the bedroom, and Ingrid's room turned into the play room.  So far it has been okay.  We have to time the bedtimes strategically so one falls asleep before the other goes in, but we're learning.  Tonight Ingrid went to bed first and Otis fell asleep in our room.  I'll go in and plop him in his bed later.  Whatever works...

 We also took a trip to a local petting farm last weekend.  This place is SO COOL!  Tons of pens of animals you can go in and touch and feed.  They got to milk a real cow, pet baby ducklings, feed chickens, and pet kittens.  I wanted to take all the kittens home, they were so adorable!  And bunnies, too!  I think we maybe need a bunny at some point.

 Yesterday we went to the Beer Garden.  It was a beautiful day and it just seemed like the perfect day to eat a pretzel and have a liter of beer, right?  This place is awesome, there's a playground right there, so we could sit and drink beer and let the kids play.  They have live music most afternoons.  Tons of kids were running around.  Definitely a good place to hang out on a sunny afternoon.

 And lastly, today I had my last show of the summer.  This was the last Maker Market of the season, I also had done July's.  This was definitely my favorite show!  The vibe at these things is just so mellow, I know a lot of the other vendors from other shows, so it's just hanging out and selling stuff while drinking iced coffee and sweating in the sun.  Today's show was my first on using my NEW SIGN!!  In July I sat next to a lady that does the most amazing calligraphy cards, Filthy Freehand.  I loved her style and knew I wanted to come up with a unique logo so I had her do it.  She came up with the coolest ones to choose from, but ultimately I went with this one (I love it!)

 I went right out and had a sign made, it looked so cool hanging up!!  I hope it lasts for other shows.  I'm not sure how many uses it's supposed to get...I also got this cool red suitcase from my neighbor who sells vintage on Etsy.  It worked so well to hold blankets, bibs, and my new price list.  I have a vintage paint by number and then I printed out my prices on a piece of kraft paper and used washi tape.  Love how that turned out, too! 

Kids start school on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I am excited for that!  Ingrid will be all day, Otis will be three mornings a week.  I plan on using that time well, I'm hoping I can get all my errands and sewing done in that time so I don't have to ignore Brendan at night anymore!  This summer has been super fun, but SO BUSY.  I'm ready for a new schedule.

Pumpkin Farm!

It's that time of year again, isn't it?  Time for apples and pumpkins and farms.  We had a gorgeous day yesterday to head up to the Family Farm.  We went there when Ingrid was a baby, too.  Not much has changed!

We saw animals.  Ingrid loved the goats.  Otis cried just looking at them.

We jumped around on some hay bales.  Otis was not too sure if he enjoyed it or not.

It was really hot and kind of smelly, but we had fun.

Pumpkins!

Saturday was insane.  We live a block away from a university football stadium, and Saturday was a big game with the local rivals.  It was estimated that our small little college town had an extra 120,000 people in it!  The game started at 3:30pm but people were tailgating and driving obnoxiously starting at 8am.  There are some serious fans around here...

Anyway, we decided the best idea was to get out of town for the day.  We went to a local pumpkin farm and had another wonderful family day.  It was hot out, and Ingrid was tired, but we managed to have a great time.  They had animals.  They had slides.  They had a big sandbox filled with corn--it was awesome!  What a great sensory game for kids!  They were going nuts and it hit me that most of these kids have probably never been allowed to play in a big bin of corn, rice, lentils, etc.  What they have been missing out on!

After we did the kid's area we got donuts.  Of course!  My favorite part of fall is the donuts and cider.  Ooey gooey cinnamon sugar donuts and tart apple cider, could there be anything better?  I caved and spent three times more on a little plastic pumpkin cup for Ingrid, how dumb is that?  I swear, people know how to get money from parents.

Then it was time for the hay ride.  They had big tractors with wagons hitched up to them, and the ride was the perfect length for Ingrid.  She didn't seem to care about it one way or the other, actually.  But she loved the field of pumpkins!  She had so much fun running from one to the other and rolling them, trying to pick them up, sitting on them.  Fun times!

Fall Time Fun

Today we went to a farm that's by our friend's house.  It was pretty great for a short morning out with two crabby toddlers.  We got cider and donuts that were HOT and gooey and sugary and so yum.  Unfortunately the bees came swarming over and attached themselves to us, so instead of sitting outside in the gorgeous day, we ended up inside.  Oh well.  Better than drinking a bee (they were diving in our cups!  Gross!) or getting stung.

There were pony rides and a little petting area with piglets and goats.  I love goats.  I think I've said it before, I'd love to have a goat or two someday.  And some chickens.  Ingrid liked to pet the goats but when the pigs would come sniff at her she got the most horrified look on her face and then kept wiping her hands off.  She's got a thing about getting her hands dirty lately, MY messy child!

We'll have to go back with Brendan and get our pumpkins--they had huge ones for $5!  Wherever we went last year wanted an arm and a leg for them, so this is a much better deal.  And Ingrid didn't get to ride a pony today because we just didn't feel like it, how's that for lazy?!  Two pregnant mamas with a sassy two year old each, we were all about the donuts, not so much about the horses!

In baby news, our midwife appointment went fine yesterday.  I've only gained 7 lbs in the past five months, which totally makes me see why I'm so tired all the time--this damn baby is sucking me dry!!  I by NO means watch what I eat, I eat all day long it seems like, so there's no reason I shouldn't have gained weight.  I'm not complaining, but it suddenly made sense why I always feel so tired and worn out.  He's kicking like crazy and making my belly all alien like.  It's so funny to watch my belly and see it move, knowing there's a human being in there!  It's like science fiction, people!  And he's only the size of a small banana now, when he's a melon it'll be even worse!