Motherhood Success

First, I'll start with my mother's success...after a conversation with her shortly after my last post, I feel I need to give her a little more credit (mainly because she told me I did). She is more than a conference disrupting Halloween Scrooge. No, I'm not reneging on the whole Halloween thing. The phone call just confirmed my suspicions that the majority of my childhood Halloween costumes came from clothes she pulled out of my (or her) closet that she somehow managed to convince me could double as costumes.

No, today I'm giving her credit for the packages she sends in the mail. My mom sends the most awesome packages. In college, they were for me. But now, for my children. Halloween, from my mom's end, has greatly improved since leaving the house. We got a great package in the mail this week with the best Halloween PJ's three kids could ask for. Not only were they cute, they were high quality jammies. Complete with matching Halloween candy necklaces and a Halloween book. Way to go Grandma B! The above photo shoot is my kids showing off their new PJ's. I know, they look like models, especially first thing in the morning. Reid even has wet spot on his shirt from where he spilled his cereal down the front.

Now on to my own motherhood success. This is day number five of Spencer back to work. So far every one has:

• been fed...no accounting for nutritional value
• taken naps...with the exception of me
• been dressed...sometimes not until lunch time
• gone without injury...at least nothing permanent or even long term
  
• kept their cool...with a few exceptions (mainly when I'm on the phone)
• watched a little too much TV...at least it keeps the older two from fighting while I'm feeding Gray

I can't seem to get ready for the day before ten or so, but I'm using my early morning time before Spencer leaves for work to exercise. Right now, losing weight takes priority over personal hygiene. I've done laundry, worked on Halloween costumes, and not let the dishes pile in the sink. I even ventured out of the house this morning and no one got lost in the store or hit by car in the parking lot.

It's much easier for me to manage the household with three kids then with two kids and pregnant. I hate pregnancy and am so happy to be on the recovering end of things. Lucky for me, Grayden is an incredibly easy baby. So every thing is good so far. Ask me again in a few months...when Grayden starts fighting for a little more attention...I'm sure I'll be pulling my hair out.

Finally, not a motherhood success story...we went to the annual Circleville Pumpkin Festival last week. It's a big deal thing around here with everything pumpkin. I mean EVERYTHING. They have the normal pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie and pumpkin cookies. But it's much more, with pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin waffles, and even pumpkin burgers. None of which I cared to please my palette with (maybe because it wouldn't be pleasing). They had a 1,500 pound pumpkin there, too, if you can believe it. We had a good time.

The only drawback...the weather. This is the hottest October in the history of Ohio. I see every one's pumpkin patch and farm fall pictures and everyone is dressed for fall..even my California friends. That's half the fun of it. I had to show up to the Pumpkin Festival in shorts and flip-flops.

The boys got to ride a ferris wheel and loved it.

This is the only picture of Grayden at the festival...strapped in the stroller where he slept the whole time. As for the lack of socks...Reid has an issue pulling them off. And the head rests...Gray has the floppiest head a baby could have. My other two were born with such good head control. He is constantly flopped over with his head by his waist in a 'U' shape...in the swing bouncer, car seat, where ever. I thought we had everything we needed for a baby since it's our third, but we had to go out and buy an ugly head rest (for a cute boy).