Halloween 2008

I think I'm going to need a week to recover from all the Halloween festivities. On Thursday, Hayley had her Halloween celebration at preschool. The morning started with the Trunk or Treat parade for all the classes and I had volunteered my "trunk." I snapped these gems while we were waiting for the children to come out. Now I know why Sissy (Urban Cowboy) always wanted to find her a "real cowboy."


Finally, my cowgirl came by for a treat!

Hayley's 2 year old class

We then ventured inside for the actual Halloween party.

Earlier in the week, the children were each asked what they thought was in the pumpkin.

Hayley first decorated a cookie. This was her first experience with a cookie, or anything even close to an icing topped dessert. She didn't know what to do with it, so she face planted straight into the icing.

You can imagine her thrill when she was told she could EAT the entire cookie.

She then moved on to making slime.

Followed by some songs at circle time.

And then, what was supposed to be a "Mummy Wrap."

All the little "Sprouts!"

Halloween(Friday) morning we woke up for Hayley to help Daddy do some pumpkin carving.

And then we were off for a special Halloween Strollerfit class.

Followed by some Trick or Treating up and down Main Street.

Even Chloe got in on all the "cowdog" Halloween fun.

We then lit our Jack-O-Latern and settled in for a night of passing out candy.

Happy Halloween!

Scary Movie

So far, this has been Hayley's scariest Halloween EVER!!

The Pumpkin Festival

Despite the 80 degree weather, we 're trying to create some "fall-ish" memories for our children. The closest we can get to a fall celebration is the Hunsader Pumpkin Festival that takes place each year here. It's out east... the country... and is about all the "hee-haw" that I can stand for the year. This year we started our morning with my mommyMuscle/ironMommies team as we participated in a one mile walk benefiting a local Downs Syndrome organization. After the walk Hayley got to have her very first pony ride, we watched the Pork Chop Revue pig show, and then spent time in the pumpkin patch all while listening to banjo music. Brian felt right at home! The pumpkin patch featured a live Dorothy and the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately, my childhood adoration for Dorothy was shattered on the way out of the pumpkin patch when I saw Dorothy, apparently on her smoke break. (Brian was very upset that I didn't think to take a picture of Dorothy smokin' it up.)

We had a good time and both of the kids really enjoyed our adventure. Hayley, who is currently obsessed with pumpkins, could have spent all day in the pumpkin patch. Like usual, she was not at all interested in taking pictures.

Hayley waiting patiently for the clown to make her a balloon animal


Getting ready for our 1 mile walk


mommyMuscle/ironMommies


Hayley's pony ride... she kept saying "yee-haw"


The best looking pumpkin in the patch!




Doing our best to keep Hayley still for a micro-second... she's not happy about it!


Stopping to kiss her brother!

Dinner Guest

It's been one of those weird weeks. Nothing particularly bad happened, but it was just one of those weeks where I felt completely out of a routine and things just didn't feel "normal." And then we had an unplanned guest stop by this afternoon.


At first I wanted to let him know that there is no soliciting allowed in our neighborhood.


But after all the effort he put forth to come to our door, I just didn't have the heart.


Don't worry, I know better than to let strangers into my home.


Turtle stew anyone? Just kidding. Brian is incapacitated and I don't go near anything that bites (other than my kids). I'm assuming "Snapper" is making himself right at home in our flower beds. And with the way the week has gone, "Snapper" is probably a she. A very pregnant she.

And rest assured, that isn't the boogie man standing in our front door. It's the boogie husband. Looks like Brian's days as an Ultimate Fighter have come to an end. On Tuesday, he had arthroscopic surgery to repair some torn tendons and clear out some scar tissue and now he'll be in a sling for at least the next three weeks with several weeks of physical therapy after that. I still think this was the extreme route. I mean if he needed a little vacation from his "honey do" list he could've just asked. I'm probably going to need some of his muscle relaxers by the time he gets completely healed and back on full force Daddy Duty.

We Survived the 7 Year Itch

Brian and I just returned from a two night long sabbatical. It wasn't quite as sabbatic as we would have hoped, but we very much enjoyed our time nonetheless. We saddled Nana and Papa with Todd and Hayley while we headed north to St. Petersburg Beach to spend two nights at a beachfront resort in honor of our 8 year anniversary. The beach was beautiful and the resort offered lots of amenities. It would be a great place to stay if you like nightlife. Unfortunately at this point in our lives, we don't. We like sleep. And so we had a rough first night as our room was right next door to a bar with a live outdoor band that played until 2am. Apparently our hotel neighbors must have been over enjoying the live band because they promptly arrived back at their room at 2:15am and brought the party with them. It was like spring break for those that are really too old to still being having a spring break. We did spend Saturday groggily relaxing in a beach cabana before heading to dinner where we both giddily discussed ditching the resort and heading back home to our OWN bed and sleeping in blissful silence. And so, being the rebels that we are, we checked out of the hotel at 8pm and made it back to our quiet, comfy bed by 10pm. I know, we STINK at vacation. Perhaps in another 8 years we'll attempt to vacation again. A HUGE thanks to Nana and Papa though! Despite our woes, we REALLY did enjoy the time away together. We had the longest uninterrupted conversation we've had in over two years and sleeping in this morning was absolutely fantastic.

Yesterday while we were away, Todd celebrated his 6 month birthday! Hard to believe we've had the little guy here with us for half a year already! We'll go to the doctor for stats and a checkup later this week, but for now here is his 6 month comparison picture with Hayley. How did this kid end up with so much hair when his sister had none???

mommyMuscle Races 4 the Cure

Hooray! I survived my first 6.2 miles on Saturday! And the good news is I'm ready to do it again, hopefully better. Brian decided he was going to run the 5k as well, so Friday night we dropped Todd and Hayley off at Nana and Papa's and we headed home for an early bedtime. We got up at 4:30am Saturday morning for a bowl of oatmeal and a banana (and lots of water). We were on the road to St. Petersburg by 5:30am and had no trouble getting parked. We were a little concerned because we'd heard that parking is a nightmare seeing as how 11,000 people turned out for the run/walk. My race started at 7:30am while the 5k didn't start until 8am so Brian headed off to register and I went to find my team, mommyMuscle. There were eight of us running the 10k and quite a few others running the 5k. It was a nice course along St. Petersburg Bay and throughout downtown St. Pete. I kept to a steady 10 minute pace throughout the race as I was really nervous about burning myself out. I'm not sure if it was the adrenaline of the race or not, but my "runner's high" which usually kicks in around mile four, never really happened so by the last mile I was ready to be done. My lesson of the day? Trust my Garmin, not the bystanders. Around 5.4 miles, people along the sidelines started yelling at us that the finish was just around the corner. I couldn't figure that out because my Garmin was saying that that we still had just under a mile, but I listened to the bystanders and picked up the pace only to REALLY regret it once I finally got around that corner and saw that indeed we had a good half mile left. I really had to push to get to the finish and was cursing myself for not trusting my faithful GPS. I think ultimately that last mile added a good minute or two to my total time.

Brian had a good race, although he'd probably disagree. He ran three eight minute miles. Show off! We had a good time and we're now officially "hooked." The winter is prime race season here in Florida and we're looking forward to creating some new PRs.

Half Step From Crazy

Although some would probably argue that I'm much closer than half a step.

We've been potty training in this house. I say "been" because this has "been" a LONG process. Of course I didn't expect it to be. Why? Because "my" child would instantly pick up this whole potty training bit and it never crossed my mind otherwise. Yep, add this to the Eating Crow list. So several months ago I attempted the whole "Potty Train in a Day" idea only to quickly discover that whole concept was just not created for Miss Hurricane. I mean obviously the author has never been formally introduced to Iron Will Roberts or he never would have proposed such a ridiculous idea. So I backed off the whole potty training thing and have decided to let my little natural disaster decide when she was ready to formally accomodate the call of nature. Of course I've dropped plenty of hints and opportunities along the way. I also dropped money on the video "Potty Power." And to this day I am cursing the very day I made this purchase. It is by far, Hayley's favorite video. She has to watch it everyday, which would be great if she actually started doing what the video told her to do. Unfortunately, Hayley thinks she has "Potty Power" just by watching the video and it has become her all-time favorite "dance" video. Nope, not quite the effect that I was going for. Of course I can see why it inspires her to to dance, what with it's catchy tunes like:

"I can do it myself I'm a big kid now, I can do it myself I've got POTTY POWER!!!"
AND
"What can you do when your sittin' on the potty, sittin' on the potty for awhile?"
and of course my all time favorite,
"Wipe Your Bottom" (the chorus of which I will spare you)

The thing I LOVE about this video is that these songs are guaranteed to stay in your head all day long!! And just how crazy has this whole process made me? Oh, just crazy enough to sign my not quite 6 month post-partum buns up to run a 10k.

I'm really not certain how I ended up registered for the 10k. The race is actually the Race for the Cure that is taking place in St. Petersburg this Saturday. As many of you know, I was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha in college. Yep, like totally, I was a sorority girl. Our philanthropy was the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. And being the dutiful Zeta that I am (because you know, once a Zeta, always a Zeta), I didn't think twice about planning to participate... in the 5k that is. This is the first year they are holding a 10k race in St. Pete though and I've been training with a running group and somehow got convinced that I would be ready to take on 6.2 miles. And so one evening in a momentary lapse of judgement I registered myself for the 10k. The good news is that the race course is just minutes from Bayfront Hospital, which is the main trauma hospital in this area, so I should be in good hands.

But really, I "think" I'm ready. Over the past two months, I've been running. A lot. But it's been beneficial and I've learned a lot in the past two months of training. Here are just a few of the things I've discovered:

- I HATE sprints, fartleks, and anything associated with speedwork.
- My body is capable of a lot more than my mind thinks it is capable of.
- Asphalt really does provide a lot more cushion than cement.
- Pushing two kids in a double stroller provides an incredible arm workout.
- I have no desire to take my workouts "up a notch" by pushing a triple jogging stroller.
- Hydration DOES matter.
- Running in Florida means that just because there is not a cloud in sight does not mean that you won't be caught in a torrential downpour at mile 2.
- Todd and Hayley think it is TONS of fun to get "wained" on.
- Changing the battery in an Ipod requires the precision of a brain surgeon and the patience of a Saint.
- I would not make a good brain surgeon or a good Saint.
- I am mood-alteringly addicted to endorphins.
- Todd and Hayley enjoy our daily runs as much as I do my endorphins.
- Chloe? She's not really a "running" type of dog.
- Summers in Florida? They are hot.
- I must be crazy.

If I'm still alive after Saturday morning, I'll post a race report.

Don't Mess With Mommy!

The frog returned... it seemed to take Todd by surprise.


My little guy is O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D with getting around any way possible. Since he was a newborn, I've considered that he may be part monkey because this little boy forms a death grip on anything he comes in contact with. Literally, it takes both my hands to unclench his fists from my shirts. Todd has been rolling for about two months now, but in the past few weeks it has become his mission to roll virtually every waking minute. He tries to roll when I'm holding him, he rolls sitting in his bouncy chair, he rolls all over the great room, he rolls when I'm trying to change his diaper. It's the latter that has become a problem, at least for me. Poopy diapers are bad enough. A squirmy 6 month old trying to roll around in poopy diaper is absolutely where I draw the line. And so like any good Mommy, I give my little boy a warning as I flip him over to his back again. But he's like his sister and so he again tests the waters. "Todd, you must not roll until I get this diaper back on you," I say, as I flip him again. Immediately, the third offense occurs and as any Mom knows, in order for discipline to be effective you must follow through with your threats.

He really didn't think I was serious about posting half naked pictures of him on the Internet. Hopefully this has been an effective lesson for him.

Mommy's Hero

Somehow a big, green frog found it's way into our house (this is Florida after all). Good thing my big, tough son was here to protect his Mommy. (You know I'm really not looking forward to the day when he thinks it's funny to TORMENT his Mommy with frogs.)

"Don't worry Mommy, I've got the situation under control!"


"Take that Frog. Who's the tough guy now?"


"There Mommy! I showed Frog who's boss and he won't be bothering you anytime soon!"

Shopping online is going to be tough...

...considering the fact that I'm pretty sure we have now been blacklisted by UPS. I LOVE to shop online. I find super deals and nothing tickles me more than to save money. It's rare that I buy anything in a bricks and mortar store anymore and if I do it's because I've done the research and know that it can't be bought cheaper any other way. But thanks to my two year old, I'm incredibly worried that one of my favorite pasttimes may have a new layer of complexity.

Friday afternoon I was cleaning up the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Of course Hayley was at the door in a split second and started yelling, "Mommy, a boy." It was definitely loud enough for the "boy" to hear. By the time I got to the door, the UPS man was almost back to his truck and I opened the door to pick up my package. One of our neighbors was also out for a stroll on the sidewalk in front of our house. Before I could get back inside, Chatty Cathy followed me out onto the porch and started frantically waving and yelling, "Goo bye dump truck." Only as you know, dump truck sounds like dumb #%@*. Mortified, I tried to get her back into the house as quickly as possible which only made her even more determined to make sure the "dump truck" heard her yelling "good bye." I'm absolutely certain that our neighbor heard her. I'll have some coffee and cold beverages ready for when child services shows up this week. Most importantly though, is how do I make amends with UPS? I've thought about writing an apology letter and trying to explain to our nice delivery man that "we" do not think he is a "dump truck." But I'd absolutely hate for him to have actually not have heard the flurry of Hayley obscenities and then be offended when I inform him of what he missed. This parenting business IS stressful!

Daddy had to emcee a retirement ceremony on Friday (unfortunately it wasn't his), so he had his dress uniform on and we were able to get a picture with Hayley. Too bad Little Todd had already gone to bed for the evening or I would have had all my favorites in one picture... my favorite man in uniform, my favorite cussing daughter, and my favorite little baby boy!

Twinkle, Twinkle

Here's one guy I WOULD NOT kick out of my bed for eating crackers! Todd, Hayley and I had breakfast with a good (and patient) friend this morning. On the car ride home, Hayley began singing. She's been singing for several weeks now, but I've never been able to figure out exactly WHAT she was singing. However, it was very clear today... a familiar tune at last! (Don't mind the vacuum, ladders, and utter MESS in our house. Brian and I started a home improvement project last weekend that is carring over into this coming weekend. After all, a home improvement project wouldn't be a true Roberts' home project if it didn't take longer and cost more than originally planned!)

Saggy Pants

There has been a lot of talk in the news about cities cracking down and banning saggy pants. I'm all for these bans, because after all, I've never been real excited about the prospect of explaining to my young children why a grown man has his pants around his ankles. As we sat in the Denver airport, waiting for our plane last week, we watched one of these "fashion forward" gentlemen (I use that term loosely) walk by. Hayley turned to Brian and in a loud voice said, "Wook Dad-dy... awww, poo poo pants (as she pointed at the fashion offender)." Guess I won't need to explain that to her after all...

Back to the Grind

It's been the usual eventful week and Hayley excitedly went back to preschool on Tuesday. She's definitely enjoying her two days a week there and seems so much more grown up each time I pick her up. She's earned stamps for being good and seems to understand the order and structure of school now.

I've mentioned before that Hayley is a quick study. She pretty well takes in whatever I tell her on the first go round. Now whether she does what I ask is a whole other issue, but I am sure she "gets it." We have bedtime rules that Hayley will recite before each nap (more like non-nap) and bedtime.
1.) Don't kick the wall
2.) Don't pick your border (those lovely animals that Brian and I spent HOURS pasting to her wall... gone! Little stinker!)
3.) Stay in bed, close your eyes and go to sleep.
4.) Love your Mommy and Daddy
I usually have to go in and tell her at least once a naptime to stop kicking the walls. And when I go into tell her that I usually see a flash of light as she yells, "Oh, no" and bolts across the room to her bed with a handful of picked off border. Yep, she gets it. She's just a rebel.

So apparently in her mind Hayley has created school time rules that she has begun reciting on the way to school each day. In the car I will ask her what she thinks she will do at school for the day. I usually offer up:
1.) Going outside and playing on the playground
2.) Singing songs
3.) Saying the Pledge of Allegiance
It's at this point that Hayley takes over with:
4.) "Obey" (Yes, Hayley, easier said than done I know. At least her heart is in the right place!)
5.) "No kwyin' boys." (Those darn little boys... they just can't follow the "No Kwyin' in Preschool" rule.)

Speaking of boys... Todd is one step closer to becoming a man. Upon our return from Denver, Todd took it upon himself to drop his dreamfeed. I think all the "what a little chunk" comments must have gotten to him. So, we now say goodnight to our big boy at 6pm and don't see him again until 7am the next morning. It's freeing to be able to go to bed whenever we feel like it. Because Brian and I? We like to be spontaneous, to live on the edge... you know, bed at 8:30pm one night and (gasp) 11pm the next! (Gosh, times sure have changed!) But, it's kind of sad to say goodbye to another baby stage, especially this time around when we know how fast our little boy will change.

Todd is 5 MONTHS old today! Here is his comparison picture to Hayley at 5 months. Don't mind his hair. The wind and humidity that we're receiving as a result of Hurricane Ike has wreaked havoc on Todd's hair. What's a guy to do?

Denver Trip

We just returned from an all too short trip to Denver. We had a wonderful visit and two very successful plane rides. In fact, I was complimented in the airport and on the plane by several people on how well behaved my children were. Moi???? Hurricane??? Don't worry, I won't get overconfident. I'm pretty sure a completely mortifying, public tantrum is right around the corner. My little girl likes to be sure to keep me well grounded.

The Guys (and Hayley... fitting)


G-Grams and Todd (G-Grams is 90 years old! Have I got great genes to look forward to or what???)


Apparently Todd crossed Hayley's imaginary line on the couch!


A trip to the Denver Zoo


Hayley had the best view in the house of all the animals!


Hayley and Grandpa on the zoo train


Todd was worn out after the zoo


Obviously, Todd had hair issues in CO. Get this kid some product!


Mimi and company


Getting ready to return home


Apparently the Mile High City agreed with Little Todd as he FINALLY cut those two bottom teeth that have been giving him fits for weeks now. He's now moved on to seeming incredibly bothered by his two bottom side incisors where his gums are swollen. Poor little guy. Hayley never seemed bothered by any teething and one day a tooth just magically appeared. Apparently Todd is bearing the brunt of pain for them both.

The kids are resting up today. They were happy to be back home in their own beds and were worn out from traveling, but definitely miss the activity and people at Mimi and Grandpa's house.

Politics?? In our house? Nah!!!!

She's wise beyond her years...