Simple Fun & Ethan's Actual 8th Birthday

Thursday of last week (10/25) was a gorgeous day outside. So, Landen and I got some much needed fresh air.  We took his battery-powered four wheeler down the road.  He LOVES that thing and looks so big when he rides it.  He did really well going down the road but got a little wild coming back.  I had to steer for him as I walked to keep him off of the curb.  Once we made it back to our house, Landen had a ball playing on his swing set out back.  He loves to climb, and swing, and slide.  I couldn't convince him to come in to eat lunch until finally Nannie came over for her weekly visit and he wanted to come inside to play with her in the playroom.  I love days where it's not too hot or too cold and we can get out and enjoy the sunshine!

Friday wasn't as warm and so we stayed inside and I let Landen keep his pj's on until noon.  We played in his bedroom reading, doing flashcards, dancing to Choo-Choo Soul, and working puzzles.  He is such a smart boy!  And so funny, he loves to put the puzzle pieces in the wrong place just to hear me say "No, not there!"  in a funny voice.  He giggles so much when I do that!

 Once Nannie came on Friday, I took cupcakes to Ethan's class to celebrate his birthday. His teacher sat him in her chair and spun him around eight times and then had him take a birthday run around the room while he was still dizzy.  Of course, he LOVED every second of it!

Ethan's actual birthday was on Sunday, October 28th.  He turned EIGHT years old!!  We had celebrated with a party back on October 6th while the weather was still fairly warm and so we had to find other ways to make his big day extra special.  I turned to Pinterest for a little inspiration and this is what Ethan woke up to...

8 balloons above his bed

A "Happy Birthday" sign on his door

And streamer to break through when he left his room

Birthday pancakes complete with a candle

To continue the celebrating, after church we had family over for a late lunch, birthday cake, and of course....Ethan opened a few more gifts!

 Ethan, I hope that you had a wonderful birthday and that you understand how truly loved you are.  The day that you were born is a day that I'll NEVER forget.  You changed my life for the better in more ways than I could ever explain. I am so thankful for you.  I couldn't imagine each day without your sweet smile, or your inquisitive questions, or your exuberant storytelling, but especially without your tight hugs and caring ways.  You are so smart....truly, so very intelligent!  You score above average across the board in your testing at school, you have NEVER had a behavior mark...not a single one since you started school three years ago!  You are in the gifted talent pool at school, you get to take part in Super Saturday at WKU for gifted and talented students, you take the "challenge" spelling test, the reading goal for 2nd grade is 72 wpm and you are reading at 172wpm, you are in the 99th percentile in both reading & math,  and every teacher that you've had adores you.  I could NOT be more proud of you and your eagerness to learn.  You're a wonderful boy with a huge heart and I couldn't be more proud to call you mine.  I love you sweet boy and thank God for blessing us with you!   ~Mom~


On Monday, October 29th, I went with Ethan on a field trip with the other members of your talent pool group to see a review (play) called "Rock the Presidents" at Skypac.  It was a fun show and then we spent the afternoon at the park before heading back to school.  I am so thankful to be a stay at home mom so that I can do these fun things with him!

Fun Fall Activities, Landen's Most Recent Shenanigans, and Nannie's Birthday

Ethan's school has had a lot of Fall festivities going on.  Last Friday night (10/19) we went to the Fall Festival there.  The boys had a blast on the inflatable and playing the games that lined the halls.  Landen's favorite parts were the inflatable slide and the popcorn.  That kid ate the entire bag of popcorn all by himself and then after falling asleep on the ride home he woke up and said "Where's my corn?", LoL!  Ethan's favorite parts were bidding on the prize winning pumpkin that his class decorated (they used their thumbprints to make spiders) and playing the games.  He was SO excited that we won the pumpkin to bring home and had fun with the little prizes that each game station gave him.  Overall, it was a very fun night with my boys!

The boys, just before leaving the festival. (Notice Landen's popcorn, ha!)

 On Monday (10/22), Ethan's class walked to the FUMC pumpkin patch and had lunch on the courthouse lawn.  Landen and I went with them and I pulled him in his wagon.  The boys really enjoyed themselves.  Landen was great, except for not wanting to be quiet during the Spookly the Square Pumpkin movie that they showed at the pumpkin patch and wanting to get a pumpkin when all of the other children were.  I thought ahead and took snacks for Landen to have while the class enjoyed theirs but I didn't think to bring cash with me to buy Landen a pumpkin.  He was NOT happy about that!  It has been unusually warm this week, so the boys wore shorts and short-sleeves and still were hot!  Bring back the Fall weather, please.

Having lunch on the square

Choosing just the right pumpkin...I think it took him longer than anyone!


Landen has became quite the little helper in the kitchen.  He loves to unload the dishwasher, wash fruits & veges, and stir things.  He will get his little stool and say, "Me help, Mommy."  I love it!  Having him in the kitchen with me helps to make cooking and loading/unloading the dishwasher much more fun.  

I can't believe he will be 3 in just 2 months!  I am loving watching him grow and learn!  He counts although not always in order it goes something like "one, two, three, five, six, ten."   One day he did count from 1-6 in order and I got a little over-excited and startled him.  He hasn't done it since, ha!  He knows all of his basic colors and several shapes...square, star, rectangle, circle.  He says SO many things!  Today, we were in his room and he wanted me to read a book with him so he said "Sit, Mom....don't move, kay?", then he chose and book and curled up in my lap.  Love him!  He says "Oh, ma'm" instead of "oh, man" and if you ask him what his name is he says "Name".  He will not say "Landen" for some reason. He calls Slim-Jims "Jim-Jims" and he'll go to the pantry and say "I want junk" because I tell him all of the time..."No, junk" when he wants sweets.  If you ask him what he's going to be for Halloween he'll say "Yayio" for Mario....his brother is being Luigi.  And that boy will do ANYTHING for a laugh.....Tuesday he decided to be my little shadow and put on makeup and hair accessories...

Putting blush on his ear...

seeing how it looks in the mirror...

...now his cheek...

showing me his blushed cheek...

Tuesday night, we celebrated Nannie's (Josh's grandmother) birthday at Cracker Barrel.  She turned 75 and still gets out and does anything she wants.  So thankful for her good health!  These boys love to play with her! 

Happy Birthday Nannie!

Pumpkin Patch & Ethan's 1st Deer

Last Tuesday (10/9) the boys and I took our 2nd annual trip to Just Piddlin' Farm with Grammy to pick out a few pumpkins and have a little Fall fun...

The boys LOVE the corn box.  Landen dove in with his shoes on and I had to pull him back out and take them off.  He fell asleep on the way home and when I pulled his shoes off to lay him down corn fell out, ha!

Exscuse the mark over his right eye.  He got his feet tangled in my foyer rug and his eye met the corner of a square column base :(  I told him I'm going to have to bubble wrap him!

 Landen couldn't decide what to ride...there were too many choices...

....a wagon....

....a tractor.....

....a pedal cart.....

 Ethan was a big fan of the over-sized trikes...

 New this year was a little petting zoo...the boys really enjoyed petting the farm animals....

As always, the slide was a big hit...

I forgot to take a picture of them with our pumpkins.  By the time we left they were exhausted and in a hurry to get to Sonic for the ice cream that I had promised them.  The weather was perfect that evening  for a little fun on the farm!

This past weekend was youth hunt weekend in Kentucky.  Ethan hunted last year for the first time but didn't get a shot at anything.  On Saturday (10/13/12), the first morning of youth hunt, while hunting with his dad and Uncle Derek, he killed his first deer....a 3 point buck!  He was SO excited!!!  He came running out of the truck screaming "Mom, I killed one!"  Josh said he wishes he would have thought to take video of his reaction right after he shot the deer....he tells me it was priceless!  It makes me tear up a little....those are the memories that will last my sweet boy his entire lifetime.  So, thankful for the good men he has in his life!