Thursday, October 27, 2016

Crazy Busy, Y'all...

Seriously.



So.
Very.
Crazy.
Busy.


Once RA and I returned from our get-a-way weekend in Charleston, SC (Labor Day weekend), things went in to super drive in terms of busy for our family.

September 6th - October 24th included...
1. I had to prepare, present, and travel to an education conference mid-September.
2. Deal with both of the puppies having surgery to get them fixed
3. Plan and execute the Homecoming 2016 dance at EHS
4. Travel to Birmingham, AL for a work meeting
5. The boys had Fall Break
6. Another trip to Birmingham to present at a 2-day education conference
7. A trip to Columbus, OH to present at a national education conference
8. A trip to Mobile to pack up the remainder of our stuff in our house in Alabama
9. Selling/Closing on the Mobile house
10. Planning and preparing RF's fourth birthday party
11. Packing for our trip to the NC mountains with the boys this upcoming weekend (SUPER EXCITED!)
12. Mudroom renovation



Luckily, things have calmed down and there is nothing major on our calendar until after the new year.


As usual, photos tell the story best. Enjoy!

An afternoon running up and down the hill outside of daddy's office...


Mr. Sweetness standing on top of the pile of mulch...


Hanging in his swing...


Counting rocks at Nana and Babu's house...


RF attempting to comfort Ellis who had been put in time-out for misbehavior. Ellis turned sat up and swatted at RF (which meant more time in time-out for Ellis). RF then said, "Nevermind, Ellis. I was trying to be your friend, but you're the one in time-out not me. I'm going to play."


My boys swinging...


Hanging out with the pumpkins on the back steps...


Time to count (and re-arrange) the pumpkins...


More counting...


Ellis was interested in (i.e. wanted to steal) RF's pumpkins...little stinker...
 
Such a cool, little kid...


This one is cool, too...


Zinnias are blooming in the backyard...


This kid LOVES his Babu...


Swoon...


Sweet boy loving on his Babu...


Sweet puppies...


A fun afternoon at the park after school...


Covered in Oreos while swinging...


He loves the loopy slide...


Sweating like crazy and happy as can be...


STATIC!


Mr. Gus didn't feel well, so he climbed into my lap...


I don't know if he'll wear it to his school Halloween party, but he sure is a cute pirate...


OMG. So. Stinkin'. Cute.
 
Fall mantle...


Fall decorations around the house...


Presentation in Ohio...


Columbus airport...


The Ohio Union...


O-H-I-O...


Sunset on the flight back to ATL...


Last picture of the Mobile house...


Closing the LAST moving truck...this has been our THIRD trip to Mobile to move stuff. THIRD.


Hanging out in the moving truck once it was back in Covington...


Helping mommy move the cushions for the patio furniture...


He thought the ramp was a slide...


Until he fell down it and scraped his knee...


This is how Mr. Gus sleeps...right up next to my head - on my pillow...

Mudroom BEFORE...

Mudroom floor BEFORE (with the tiles removed)...

Mudroom doorway BEFORE...

Mudroom AFTER...the mis-matched baskets stress me out right now, but until I have time to get matching ones that I like, these will do...

Mudroom floor AFTER with handprint art displayed on the ledge above...

Mudroom doorway AFTER...I like the color so much better than that intense red...

Close-up of their handprint artwork...still need to put up the new blinds and replace the fluorescent light...

Making homemade pizzas with Meme...

He LOVES to roll out dough using the rolling pin...

Mr. Ellis had to get in on the fun...

LOTS of cheese...

More cheese...

RF's on the left and Ellis's on the right ready to be baked...

Pizza outside on a beautiful fall evening...

Chowing down...literally...

We drove up the street to a local pumpkin patch Friday night with Meme.
Me and my sweet boys...

My fall baby loves pumpkins...

Just wandering...

Pumpkin, mama!

This one is flat mama. I'm going to sit on it.

Such a grown up boy...

Pickin' pumpkins...


He LOVES the slide...

So does this little man...

I'm a spider, mama.

A ball pit in a silo on the farm...

Brotherly fun...

More slide time...

He LOVES his Meme...

Ellis's turn at the hay bale slide...

Jumping from hay bale to hay bale...

I love this little boy...

RF the scarecrow...

It's cow train, mama!

Riding off into the sunset...

Those eyes...

He was so proud of his birthday cake. Mama is definitely not a baker, but he liked it and that's what matters...

A train party for his 4th birthday...

Traditional cinnamon roll "4"...

We had his party at 10AM, so we served brunch - breakfast casserole, sausage balls, pigs in the blanket, and cinnamon rolls. YUMMY!

Time for presents! A train puzzle, train car bird house, and new look and find books from Meme...

Ellis showing us what a cow says...MOOOOOOOO!

His read gift...his new favorite book, The Pout Pout Fish...

His wear gift... a new shirt...

His need gift...a new water bottle with sharks on it...

And his want gift...the original 1953 Peter Pan DVD...

Puzzle time with Meme before she had to head home to Mississippi...

How we spent the rest of our afternoon...curled up on the couch chowing down on leftover cake and watching a Disney classic...

Friday afternoon we head to the mountains for a fun weekend in a log cabin, wandering through the Great Smoky National Forest and riding a diesel train to Charlie Brown's Pumpkin Patch! I'll be back next week with a full post detailing our fun!