Logan's First Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our little bear cubs!

After nap surprise!

Semi-homemade bear costume!
{tutorial here}

Enjoying treats!
We were a little on the generous side with saying 5 pieces...
Especially with options like M&Ms or Skittles.
We are thinking 3 will be a better number.

We had Trick-or-Treating and a little Halloween part with close family and friends.  The kids had a blast and we did too.

Hope your Halloween was full of fun!

What did your little one dress up as?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Happy 2nd Halloween!"

And two years ago today: "Happy Halloween!"

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Brotherly Love

Ayden did pumpkin painting at story time today!

When we got home we had lunch and I got Ayden down for his nap. Then this guy and I snuggled up for naps of our own. 

He's a thinker...

We woke after about a half hour then cooed and smiled at eachother until Ayden woke up. 

It was another beautiful day so we went outside to explore. 

"Can we go like this so we can watch him crawling?"

Wooly worm sighting

Mostly brown calls for a mild winter.  Though everyone else says we're going to have a rough one.

 

Logan is starting to show interest in toys!

Brotherly Love

Ayden is already wanting to spend time playing with Logan. It will be fun to see what kind of play mates thy become in a couple of years!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Bad News Bees"

And two years ago today: "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

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Red Head

It turned out to be a really sunny and beautiful Autumn day today!

He heard a plane fly over and said,
"Hi, Dusty! I have worms, Dusty!"
Haha.  Reminded me of Dumb and Dumber

We had some errands to run a town over and it was kind of a long drive. Logan started sucking on his fist a little in his sleep in the Moby but didn't do it when he woke up when I transferred him to his car seat. Since it hadn't been that long since I had fed him last, I assumed he was just kind of pacifying in his sleep. I guess I assumed very wrong because he lost his little mind on the way home. This boy fusses a little, whines and gets fidgety when he is hungry, needs changed or wants cuddles but rarely full on cries. It just takes him a while to escalate and we are usually able to meet his needs before he gets there. Poor little guy, I pulled over as soon as I could, fed him in the car then all was well again. 

That moment when they pull back right when your milk lets down...
He gave himself a milk shower.

When we got home we had lunch. Ayden must be having a growth spurt because he is constantly rummaging around in the fridge and is cleaning his plate at meal times. He ate and went down for his nap and then this happened too:

I nursed him to sleep and was able to slip away.

BOTH boys napped and I was able to get up and get a few things done. It was dance day so I listened to Gilmore Girls while I got dinner in the crockpot, folded some clothes, did some finishing touches on Ayden's bear hoodie for his Halloween costume and got snacks and such packed for out time at the studio. Ayden's nap was going on two hours and I had to wake him up!  

He says he is a nice bear.

I'd like to make him some shoe covers but we'll see...

My sister pulled a wig out of her storage room for me since I didn't have a costume.  Ayden wasn't a fan.

He said, "Mommy... what did Naunie do put in your hair?"
He was relieved when I told him I could take it off.

I don't usually like to shedule things or run errands in the morning on Wednesdays because of dance but we needed a couple of bee supplies and I FINALLY found some jeans that fit my current wider postpartum body comfortably so the trip was worth it. I am feeling it now though!  This mama is tired and looking forward to tomorrow. I enjoy storytime as much as Ayden because of all of the friends we have both made there. Between play group on Mondays and story time on Thursdays, this introverted mama gets just the right amount of fellow mama socialization!

~Sarah 

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Jack-O-Lantern Family"

And two years ago today: "Lil' Pumpkin"

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Thank You, Mommy!

This little one slept hard until 9 this morning!

He was sleeping so hard he woke up with sheet imprints!

He wakes probably on an average of every three hours throughout the night.  Sometimes less, sometimes more.  To be honest, I don't even look at the clock or keep track.  Bed sharing from the start has been AMAZING for how I feel in the morning.  Even though I technically wake up often throughout the night, since I literally go right back to sleep it doesn't leave me feeling like I was hit by a truck come morning (unless David and I stay up too late...).  I know it's not for everyone, it wasn't for me the first time around, but this time it has been one of the best decisions I have made for myself.

Ayden and I kept checking on him to make sure he was okay and he was just snoozing away.

Ayden is always excited to see Logan in the mornings.

Once he was up, fed and dressed...

We did the annual photo with our Jack-O-Lantern family!

Boppy tummy time!  Liiiiiift!!!
(in outfit #2 for the day...)

I had a few errands to run in town today (post office, bank, etc) but before I did that I dropped the boys off with my folks and went to tend to my bees a bit. They needed their entrance reducers and the draft blocking portion of their bottom boards installed.

I just love looking out over our land!

When I got back to my parents' house to pick up the boys it started to POUR down rain so we hung out for a bit.

Milk drunk.

I thought the cool front that the rain was going to bring would happen earlier than it did.  Luckily it was still warm enough for some outside time this afternoon.

My view while Ayden played.
"Thank you for the milk, Mommy!"
He is so unbelievably precious...

After we had dinner, Ayden and David played for a little while before David left to go work on the house.  After he left, Logan was napping so Ayden and I worked on this little project together.

I have been wanting to make him a felt board literally for years and have had the supplies for almost as long.  We went up to our office/craft room to get something and I saw the felt and decided on a whim to just have him help me do it right then.  He enjoyed helping and I am so glad that I can finally start pulling out all of my felt activities from when I taught!

It was another good day.  Adyen and I are really in sync at the moment and I am enjoying him so much!  He's such a cool kid to hang out with when toddler mood swings aren't coming between us.  I'm not sure what flipped the switch (adjusted to Logan's arrival perhaps?) or how long it will last but I'll take what I can get.

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "This And That"
And two years ago today: "Making Strides"

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Two Going On Threenager

Today was play group day. Ayden played hard and then fell asleep on the way home. I got him to bed and then Logan and I napped together. There was so much to be done in the house but I was tired so I just hoped things would fall into place enough later in the afternoon so I could get some housework done. And fall into place they did!  When Ayden woke up I put Logan down. He is usually wakes up when transferred but today was a lucky day. He continued to sleep for two more hours on his own which gave my back a welcomed break!

Jack-o-lantern puzzles!

While my littlest boy slept I got to have some one on one time with my big boy. 

Fall fun activity for the day: Sticker Names
(literacy/fine motor)

Toddler sticker tip:
Peeling off the outer edges makes it a little easier for them to peel off the stickers.
Leave it on for kids 3 and older for a bigger fine motor challenge.

I also got my kitchen cleaned up (it was a wreck since pumpkin carving took the time I usually spend in the kitchen at night) and got caught up on some laundry. We kept peaking in on Logan as he snoozed away and finally we saw eyes. He was just hanging out awake and gave Ayden a big, gummy grin when he went in to say hi. 

After dinner, David headed out to put a couple of hours in on the house.  Ayden played in his sand box for a bit and then we went for a short visit with my dad before we came home for bed time.  

Ayden has really made a toddler breakthrough over the past week or so.  It's like his need to be in complete control at all times has relaxed a bit.  Before, if I asked him to help me clean up something he'd spilled (usually on purpose) he'd say no or ignore me.  I'd have to make an elaborate game of it or "help" him help me by pulling him over and have him pick it up using hand over hand.  It was kind of exhausting to say the least.  Another good example of this change happened at story time last week. I was nursing Logan while all the kids played with blocks and couldn't go to Ayden when he was being rough next to another baby.  I said, "Ayden, come here please" thinking he'd say no or ignore me but he came without even hesitating, even though he knew by the tone of my voice that I was going to talk seriously to him about something.  This shift has really changed the dynamic in our household.  Don't get me wrong, he is still a 2 year old going on threenager but it's like something has clicked.  It seems as though he is realizing that when we ask things of him it is so he can work with us instead of for us.  Now that we are beginning to see the flip side of this behavior, we are gearing up for whatever comes our way next.  Ha.

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Shopping Buddies"

And two years ago today: "Same Ol' Same Ol'"

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Tent Boys

David and Ayden camped out at the farm after the bon fire last night.  I was excited to go back and pick up my camping boys this morning!

They had a good night. David said he woke up a lot to check on Ayden but Ayden slept well (as he always does while camping...) Here's what's left if our wood pile:

I had never seen our house in the morning light.

I'm not exactly sure what has made the difference but I have been starting to daydream about living in it. I think it's because we have pretty much adjusted by now and my mind has the space for that kind of forward thinking. Before I was pretty consumed with what life would be like with baby #2 and such but now that I know I am able to wonder what life will be like in that house. 

We spent some time putting the house back together and, of course, playing!

David fed the bees, mowed the grass and put a few hours in at the house and I finally got to work on Ayden's Halloween costume while Ayden napped. This little guy kept me company. 

When David got home we had dinner and crossed off another item from the Fall bucket list!

We also celebrated this old man's birthday. 

He's eleven years old and in the spirit of the evening he had a special treat of canned pumpkin. 

Though it didn't feel that way at the time, in hindsight today was a pretty packed day. My tired David is cleaning up the kitchen and I am nursing Logan and we plan to have some pumpkin spice smoothies and watch a little Netflix before bed. I am looking forward to the fun of Halloween week!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "5 Happy Things: Life Is Good"

And two years ago today: "Warm And Fuzzy"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

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