Early Thanksgiving

We had fun with family this weekend for our early Thanksgiving.  It was as cold as January.  The snow birds from Arizona did not care for this.  The Minnesota travelers thought it was balmy.  I thought the snow was beautiful, the kids thought it was fun,  I think Jason cried a little.  The turkey was delicious!

Halloween

Snow and sleet were on tap for Halloween, but we braved it anyway.  Layla got a load of candy at every house. So few kids were out they were giving her handfuls!  Jayden loved trick or treating but got cold really fast, he and Jason headed home after only a handful of houses to make the first fire in the fireplace of the season. 

Run, Beth, Run

......and I'm off!  My second 5k is going to be a chilly one this weekend, the Hot Chocolate 5k:  http://www.hotchocolate15k.com/chicago/

It's projected to be about 37 degrees at race time in the morning so we will definitely be running as fast as possible to the hot chocolate at the end of the race.  I am raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities if you are interested in supporting my efforts, every dollar counts.

https://ramracing.enmotive.com/registrations/fundraising/52d6b9ac-5a64-4244-a485-7079c0a86524

Jayden is 2!

Jayden is 2 and I have very few pictures to show for it.  He had 2 cute cakes, one on his actual birthday, chosen by his sister and an ice cream cake for his family birthday party.  It was very cute with train tracks and Thomas on it and I did not take a picture!

JJ scored big with a lot of trucks and trains and he is a very happy boy.  Finally, he has some things of his own to play with that are big boy toys, not baby stuff or princesses.

On his birthday Jason was at a golf tourney in WI, so the kids and I had a fun morning at gymnastics, then open gym at school and Mickey pancakes for brunch! 

 The spider cake that Layla picked out for JJ at Whole Foods.

 He loved it and it tasted DELICIOUS!

 Walking the balance beam solo.

The ice cream cake, can you see it?

Pumpkin Patch

Jayden's favorite saying this fall was "punnnnnkinnnn patch", with enthusiasm! Jason was in Arizona for a baseball tournament so it was just the kids and I.  We decided to try out a new place in the western suburbs called Goebbert's.  It's similar to the place we have gone before but less carnival and more things to explore and more animals.  I liked it much better and I think the kids had a good time, especially when it came down to the business of getting the actual pumpkins.

Pony rides, natch. 

 Feeding giraffes and all kinds of other animals.

Te pumpkin eating dinosaur is the most kitschy thing they have.  Here he is taking a brief break from pumpkin smashing (and burping). 

Pig Races!