Fall/Halloween 2010

I love fall. The weather is usually good (it was a little warmer than usual this year) and there are a lot of fun activities to do. A couple weekends ago, we made our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch. This year we went to Thies Farm for the first time. It was actually hot and the bright sun was too much for Rocco's eyes. In addition, he had a cold and it was during his nap time. So most of my time was spent sitting on a hay bale under a tarp with him napping on me. But we did get a few pictures of him with the pumpkins and the rest of the Meyer grandchildren. And when I looked at the pictures, I couldn't believe how much less like a kid and how much more like a teenager Graham is beginning to look.

Nathan said they look like brothers on the cover of a rap album or something. Graham has attitude and Rocco has a cockeyed hat like a gangsta! :)

Someone did not want to held in the family picture!

What a montley crew!

Rocco loved feeling the pumpkins!

Naptime!

Here are some pictures of Rocco in his skeleton pj's:








Last week we took the boys to Boo at the Zoo. We went on a weeknight so it wouldn't be so crowded (it was easier on Rocco's eyes too and not so hot). It was the first time we went and a fun time. We even ran into our friends, the Bakers, while we were there. (BTW, Rocco is a chunker compared to their son, Matthew, who was born a few days after Rocco! Matthew is in the 10th percentile and Rocco is in the 95th percentile!)

Graham isn't a big Halloween fan so he didn't want to dress up for this event.

The night before Halloween, Nathan and I went to a Halloween party at our friends, Amanda and Jason's, house. It's always a good time with a DJ and most people dressed up in costumes. I didn't want to spend any money on our costumes so I just donned some devil ears and a tail and Nathan went as Allan from the movie, The Hangover.







On Halloween, we went over to my in-laws' house. They had games for the grandkids to play, Halloween-themed food and desserts and goodies for the kids. We went trick or treating at a few houses also. Afterwards, we went over to our friends', Jim and Chrissy's, house and went Trick or Treating with a bunch of our friends and their kids. It was a good time and Rocco hung in there like a champ!

The kiddos wrapped as mummies

They had to eat a marshmallow without using their hands

Gail handing out drinks from her smoking cauldron.

Trick or Treating

Most of the kids at Jim and Chrissy's house

I can't believe it's Nov. now and I'm looking forward to the holidays! If anyone has any suggestions on what to get an 11 year (almost 12 year old), let me know! :)

-Dawn

I lasted 9 months but feel like a quitter

While I was pregnant, Nathan and I discussed using cloth diapers. I agreed to try it out and see how it goes. We picked a diaper service to use because I had no intention of washing the dirty diapers myself - I barely have time to do our normal laundry and I did not want poo floating around my washing machine. It was an adjustment and took some getting used to but we consistently used cloth diapers for the first 9 months of Rocco's life. (We would use diposable if we went out of town so we didn't have to carry around dirty diapers.)

As of this week, we've made the decision to switch to disposable diapers. Rather, I should say that I made the decision to switch. After a few nasty poos where I had to dip the cloth diaper in the toilet to get rid of the poo while Rocco was at my feet and trying to pull up on the toilet and then I had to get the soaking wet diaper back to his room to put in the diaper pail, I declared that I am through with cloth diapers. In addition, they were making it hard for him to fit into some daytime and bedtime clothes because he's so long as it is and then he need extra lenght to fit over the diaper and diaper cover. I felt like this 9 month old child should not be needing 18 month old clothes already! The bulky butt contributed to that a lot.

Some of the cons of switching: Disposable diapers will cost us a little bit more each month. Disposable diapers wick away the moisture so Rocco can't tell when he's wet and therefore may be a little more difficult to potty train. Dispoable diapers are not good for the environment and may cause Rocco to get diaper rash - something he's never really had up to this point. Disposable diapers are not what Nathan wants to use and his comments plus my own guilt about the whole thing sucks!

But I've made this decision and I'm going to stick with it for now. We can always go back to cloth diapers, right? It has made diaper changes a little bit easier already so we'll see. . .

-Dawn

The Magic House

A couple of weeks ago my work hosted the employees for a night at the Magic House. I haven't been there since I was a kid and we were looking forward to taking the boys. It was a fun night. Here are some pictures from the night. (Graham was very busy playing and exploring that we didn't get as many of him as I would have liked.)

Rocco's hair stood up alot but it's hard to see in this picture!

Graham's hair - not so much!

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

First Cardinal game. The sun was too much for his eyes -even with the hat & sunglasses!

Rocco and Aunt Kathy

Me and Rocco - 9/2010

I can almost get this glass vase!

What? I'm not doing anything!

Our new shower!

The old shower

Get me out of here, stat!

When is the food comin'?

Extreme close-up!

I am too cute for words!

The Meyer cousins (Allison is missing though)

Family Portrait

You talkin' to me?

NOT happy!

Hope you enjoyed!