more fall fun!

It has definitely been a while since my last post. We have been super busy, having lots of fun! After the birthday party at Didier Farm, we painted our pumpkins. It was so much fun making our pumpkins colorful for everyone to see!

 On October 9th, we had the family over to celebrate Syd and Ben's birthday. Everyone had a lot of fun. I  am bummed that I was too busy to take pictures of all the kids playing together. Although, I did get some pictures of them enjoying their birthday cake. I had it decorated with each of their favorite things. They loved it!

 We also took another trip back to Didier Farm. Everyone was so exhausted after the party, that we didn't get to take advantage of all Didier has to offer.We knew we were going to have to go back and I am glad we did!  Sydney and Ben had so much fun on the rides. They especially loved the trucks. They rode them twice, and we had to practically pull them out kicking and screaming.

 We also took a trip to another (much smaller) Pumpkin Farm with our friends (minus Dad because he had to work). We rode the barrel train, looked for gold and played in the giant bouncy house. There were also some animals there and the kids enjoyed getting up close to look at them.

We have definitely been taking advantage of all the fun things the fall season has to offer. We are hoping to try a few other places and activities, but it all depends on the weather. Either way, we are  going to make Halloween Cookies and ghosts this week.

What kinds of things do you do to enjoy fall?

Syd and Ben's 2nd Birthday Party

I have always LOVED the fall! The leaves changing colors, everything is apple and pumpkin flavored, the cooler weather, Halloween and Thanksgiving! What is not to love? But over the past 2 years I have had a new reason to love the fall. It was October 9, 2009 that my two beautiful babies were born! Sydney and Ben have been the greatest gift that I could ever ask for. I look at them everyday and I do not remember life without them. I cannot even begin to describe the love that I have for them, although I am sure a lot of moms know what I am talking about!

It was only fitting that I had fall babies. Now I can take advantage of all the things I love about fall. This year is no different. On Saturday, we celebrated Sydney and Ben's second birthday at Didier Farms. We took a hayride, went in a straw maze and picked pumpkins.

Sydney and Ben had such a fun birthday party! It was a beautiful fall day, full of fall fun!

It's Time To Dance!

On Sunday. we went to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live. Anyone who knows Sydney, knows that it is her favorite show! When we waited in the lobby, there were life size cut-outs of all of the characters. Sydney would get excited when she saw them, but then would not get close. I was a little nervous that she would be afraid once the show started. On the other hand, Ben would touch the cut-outs and practically knock them over.

Boy was I wrong! When the show started, Sydney had a HUGE smile on her face. She was so amazed to see all of her favorite Gabba characters in person! She was calling them out by name. She spent most of the show in the aisles dancing and singing a long to all of her favorite songs. Ben the  was not sure what to make of the whole thing. We had a few tears, but then he watched the show from the comfort of either Mommy or Daddy's lap.

 

We are definitely all still recovering from the busy, fun filled day. Sydney has not parted with her new "Foofa" doll since we bought it for her before the show! I have to keep explaining to her that she doesn't need to feed Foofa her food and Foofa doesn't need a bath. I wonder how long this is going to last?!?!?

Trucks!

Like most almost 2 year old boys, Ben has an OBSESSION with cars and trucks. So we took him and his sister to a Touch A Truck event over the weekend. There was everything from police cars to cement trucks. They had fun not only looking at, but also climbing in and out of all the different types of trucks.

 Let's just hope we never see him in the back of one of these!

Their uncle would be so proud!

Apple Picking

Yesterday we went apple picking at Apple Holler in Wisconsin with our friend Cindy, her daughter Elisa, Aunt Erin and Cousin Mason.  It is one of our favorite places to visit during the fall. We went last year but Sydney and Ben were not even a year old. I had to push my stroller up and down the rows of apples, it was a workout. What a difference a year makes! This year the kids were running up and down the rows themselves and I could push them around in the wooden wagon. They loved eating the apples that we picked off of the trees. It was the perfect fall day for a tractor ride and some apple picking. We had a blast! Can't wait to go back again next year!

Tot Shabbat

On Friday, we started a Mom and Tot class called "Tot Shabbat". Since Sydney and Ben miss the deadline, it was important to me that we get into some sort of classroom setting and start learning school routines. They will be almost 3 when we start traditional preschool.

The class was very cute. The kids started off by having circle time, followed by free play, snack and then coming back together to end as a whole group. Sydney and Ben's cousin Mason is also in the class! The kids seemed to really enjoy themselves and I was really impressed with the teacher.

Here are a few pics from the first class:

 Playtime

Snack time

It's going to be a fun year!

Labor Day BBQ

This Sunday we went over to a friend's house for a BBQ. It has been a LONG time since we have all gotten together. We used to all hang out often and things sometimes got a little crazy. Here are some pg-rated pics from the past.

Our get togethers have really changed a lot, especially over the past few years. We have all been busy raising the next generation of trouble makers. I have to say, it is a lot of fun to see our kids play and have fun together. We even were able to get a group photo of all of the kids (which was amazing, given all the chaos).

I also was able to take a great photo of the guys.

Everyone had a great time and now it's our kids causing a  ruckus... well most of the time:)

BFFs

The "Terrible Twos" are in full force in our house. We have biting, hair pulling, running away, and now Syd's favorite word... "no".  Don't get me wrong, not everything is all madness around here. We have laughing, hugging, learning and exploring. Even when the kids are misbehaving, it can be sweet sometimes. For example, watch the video below ( I pretended to not notice, long enough to document this moment).

 Just when I think I am going to lose it, I get to witness these tender times between best friends that make me smile:)

My New Obsession...

Chicken Cesar Pitas

Now I cannot take all of the credit for this one,  my neighbor told me a while ago how she makes these for her family. You can use so many different ingredients to make it your own! I have to say, that I loved this meal so much that I ate it for dinner two days in a row!

First, I marinated chicken breasts in Italian Dressing. It caramelized the outside of the chicken when I grilled it and gave it lots of flavor. After the chicken was grilled, I sliced it into small pieces. I cut up Hearts of Romaine and Red Onion. I stuffed the chicken into a Pita (I prefer the pitas that have the pockets you can stuff). Then I poured on some Cesar Dressing ( I used the fattening stuff, but I am sure any brand would work) and sprinkled some shaved Parmesan cheese on top. Then I topped it with some Romaine and Red Onion. It was that simple but so delish!

Chicken Cesar Pitas are super easy to make.They are the perfect summer meal. You could cut up cucumber, hard boiled eggs, sun dried tomatoes, croutons and even throw in some pasta. You could even toss all of your ingredients in the dressing before stuffing it in the pita. The possibilities are endless! Pair it with your favorite glass of wine, and you are in for a treat!

Publish Post

Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary!

I cannot believe that 5 years ago today we were celebrating our wedding with Family and Friends. It was everything that I dreamed it would be.... I had the perfect dress, beautiful flowers, an amazing band and so much more! It was my dream wedding!

After we said our "I do's" we topped off our dream wedding with our dream honeymoon. We took a trip to the Greek Islands. Trust me when I tell you, they are as breathtaking as they look in photos.

We have accomplished a lot over the past 5 years. We both worked hard and received Master's Degrees. We both started new jobs; Scott landed his dream job as a Manager of a Slot Machine Company and  I left an amazing teaching job for the ideal part-time job, and then recently quit to stay home with the kids. Our biggest accomplishment to date is our family. We are so lucky to have two beautiful kids!  Words cannot begin to express how much I love them!

Happy Anniversary to a wonderful Husband and Father! I look forward to the next 5 years and many more!!!!