My Boys

So we brought up the next stage of toys for Jameson to start playing with. I don't know who is more excited about it, Jameson or Brody!

Yes, that's right...somehow Brody still fits his little buns into the bumbo! 

Indian Summer (can I say that anymore?)

I don't know if it's politically correct, but we enjoyed ourselves some fabulous Indian Summer in New Hampshire over the weekend. We packed up the kids and headed to the beach. It was so beautiful that we decided to have a sleep over with Uncle Pat and Auntie Ev at their house in York! It was awesome to all be back under the same roof even though an impromptu sleepover with a four year old and a 6 month old proved to be a bit challenging! I think our beach days for 2011 are officially over. Now we're just hoping for healthy Fall and Winter days so we can enjoy the falling leaves and soon-to-be falling snow!

Enjoy

Beach Brody!

Having a snack

Jameson is very into zurberts right now. He thinks they're hilarious and so do we!

Lucky baby sleeping at the beach!

Brody went in the water - all the way in - and decided that the best way to warm up was to roll in the warm sand!

 Brody is big enough to write his name in the sand all by himself this year!

Who's that stud?...oh wait, that's my Ryan! I'm one lucky lady!

And you can see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Look at that physique!

Playing in the waves with Mama!

Happy Us!

Jameson's ready to try out the water for the first time. 

Contemplating the vastness of the ocean or just numb from the ocean temp?

LOVE 



To Jameson

Just in case you wondered kid, you are loved...
incredibly
wholeheartedly
remarkably
unimaginably
loved...

Only in New Hampshire

Ok, this probably happens in other places too, but I was driving down the road the other day, minding my own business when I see this...

Anyone know what it is? How about a closer shot...

 That's right, it's a giant pumpkin! Crazy!~

Yesterday I got Lost in the Circus

OK, so the Deerfield Fair was a bust this weekend because of the weather. Ryan had really hyped up the fair to Brody and he was disappointed that they weren't able to go. I personally could care less about the fair. The noise, the crowds, the smells...ugh, I can do without. The only things I personally find enjoyable about fairs are the fresh squeezed lemonade, those curly, shaved french fries that they peel from one single potato (mmm, wish I had me some of those right now), and the occasional Made in New Hampshire craft tent. But even those things usually don't tempt me enough to want to go to a fair. Brody and Ryan are like carnies though, only pouring rain with a chance of yet more rain can keep them from going.

Well, apparently Ryan felt bad about not being able to go because, as I was cleaning the little boy pee off of the third toilet in the house (I mean seriously, can Brody just pick one toilet to use), Ryan came up to me to inform me that he was getting tickets for Bro and I to go to the circus. The conversation went something like this.
Me: Grrr (grumbling about cleaning toilets).
Ryan: (giddy with carnie delight). I'm getting tickets for the circus for you to bring Brody.
Me: uuhhh...I would rather you bring him.
Ryan: You always say that you never get to do anything just you and Brody.
Me: Ummm...o.k. (I reluctantly agreed as I thought of the creepy circus music, the brightly colored polyester costumes, the freakishly happy clowns).

So we went. And who-wudda-thunk-it, Mama enjoyed the circus. More than the circus, I enjoyed the rare - I mean so rare that we thought it was extinct - Mama and Brody date.  We decided that our favorite parts were the tigers and elephants, and the motorcycles that rode around in a metal ball - weird, scary, but very cool. It was magical to watch Brody take it all in. A few Brody circus quotes...

"Can we have some of that treasure?"
"Is she going to hang by her hair?" (funny because he verbalized my exact thought...and yes, she did indeed hang, suspended far above the ground, by her hair!
"Are those real superheros?" (about the flying trapeze guys who were dressed like Captain America.
and finally, my favorite and least politically correct...
"Mama, did you see that tiny grown up?"

God, I love that kid. And I am grateful to my husband for giving me time alone with my Brody.

Taking it all in.

tigers...

I just thought it was hilarious that after the tigers they made these poor donkeys and goats stand up on boxes. 

Ok, I know PETA will probably hate me, but these elephants were so cool. I just kept telling myself that they were rescued from poachers and the circus saved them and after the shows they get an all you can eat peanut buffet or whatever elephants love to eat. This elephant was particularly adorable. It picked up a dog in a basket.

I must admit that I spent a lot of the circus looking at this...just to watch Bro's reaction to everything. This was when the flying trapeze guys were starting...

And this was the look on his face right before he asked me if they were real super heros!

In his defense, it really did look like they could fly!

More elephants because, how cute are they that they hold on to each others' tails?!!

And this is some trick!

We don't know what these guys were supposed to be, but they were fun to watch

And the best part, spending time with my biggest, little man!

And the leaves that are green, turn to brown

It's October! Our tastebuds seemed to have changed with the season and Brody woke up the other morning asking for apple cider. We thought "Not a bad idea!" and so on Sunday morning we packed up the kiddos and headed to Carter Hill Farm. Our front porch was in need of some pumpkins so we figured we'd pick a couple of those up as well!

Brody embarking on his pumpkin finding mission... 

A bit overwhelmed by all the choices...

Found it! The perfect pumpkin...and bigger than Jameson's! 

 The boys...

My attempt at a family picture...I seem to have cut Ryan's head off.

Telling him to get shorter doesn't seem to have produced a better picture. Oh well!

Somebody isn't too happy about our choice of activities. Along with Brody, Jameson seems to have inherited his father's eyebrows. If Jameson would just learn to nap, he might not have to give the stinkeye so often!

Seriously, this was the best picture we could get of me and the boys. It's hard to believe how difficult it is to get everyone to look at the camera at the same time without blinking. What's even more difficult to believe...I have two children. Holy crap...when did that happen?  

Smooshy love to Jameson...who can resist those cheeks? Sorry Ry, I seem to have cut your head off again!

Jameson thinks pumpkins and apples are for the birds - his fingers are the tastiest treat. 

And what's a trip to the orchard without a few pushes on the incredibly thick rope swing...I mean, where did they get this rope?