Pumpkinville

Nana is here for the weekend and despite an insane work schedule and the utterly ridiculous fact that we had snow and freezing rain all day yesterday, we have had a fun weekend with the boys.  On Friday we had a great hour at Pumpkinville right before they closed.  Here's some of the fun:

Devilish

Connor had a football game vs. the Spiders this afternoon.  The Blue Devils crushed those arachnids!  And they had a great little mascot to give them some inspiration.

Punkins

We headed out to Hamilton for the fourth year in a row to visit Wegmeyer's Farm for some prime pumpkins. It was a bit disappointing this year....the pumpkin field was pretty picked over. But it is later in October, I think, and its been a bad year for pumpkins. Many farms entire crops rotted due to the rain. I assume that Weg's fared better because they plant their pumpkins on a pretty radical hill--so it drains away from the crop. Nevertheless, we got a few nice Cinderella (white) pumpkins, one of which Connor will be using in a school project to paint the routes of the explorers on. I love fall. It is so much fun.

My big boy.  Wow.

Connor couldn't wait to get Palmer up on those hay bales.

Where's Waldo?

Gosh, he's cute.  But he needs to eat something.

Palmer runs the hayride.

In the patch.

Nicest shot of the day...taken by Connor.

Entering Creepy Hollow!

Oh My, Orlando-Day 3

Luckily, the weather broke in time for our advance tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. This year, we went in t-shirts with our favorite Disney character's in Halloween style instead of full costume. We needed a little break! And it was a good thing because it was kind of muggy. The most exciting point of the night was when the Haunted Mansion broke down just before we entered. After waiting 15 minutes at the door with no communication whatsoever from any Cast Member, we bailed and went through a gate marked "Emergency Exit". Another family went as well. After following a winding path that continually was marked EXIT, we ended up....in an employee parking lot. We think it was somewhere behind "Its A Small World". We had to turn back and return to the Haunted Mansion and by then it was operating again anyway. But we got a glimpse behind the veil!

I look dorky and Connor looks like he smells something bad.  And notice that Palmer has a death grip on his balloon weights!

Now that's a jaunty style!

Skeleton Band in the Boo To You Halloween Parade

Red Velvet Cake Pop Stupor!

Oh My, Orlando-Day 2

Due to the torrential rain, Day 2 was a bit of , well, nothing too special.  We wandered around a mall with a giant Bass Pro Shop and a Sheplers Western Wear anchoring it.  Due to the recession, I'd say about 70% of the mall's stores are empty.  It was somewhat disheartening.  The big boys played glow in the dark putt putt while Palmer and I roamed.  Then I got a a green pedicure for Halloween.  Basically, a whole lot of not too much but no one complained.

Just the thought of this frightens me.

Bob never lets us down, does he?

This little car was stuck in ON mode and Palmer rode it for 15 minutes.  In and out, up and over.  He even laid down on the floor and checked the undercarriage in true Pop Pop style.

Later that night we found a great, non-chain Mexican restaurant using Yelp (I love Yelp when I travel) and it was awesome.  We agreed that Agave Azul will not be missed EVER on any trip to O-Town.  Definitely up there with the best Mexican ever.   GIANT bowl of ice cold (really, the coldest and most refreshing) cilantro laden guacamole and they had a very unique item called Salsa Crema which was served with the regular tomato salsa and chips.   It was white and cold and somewhat spicy.  I have no idea how to make it but I plan to find out because this is how my baby felt about it:

Oh My, Orlando-Day 1

You know we Taters love us some central Florida. The theme parks, the pools, the weather. Well, the weather MOST of the time, anyway. We took a quick Columbus Day weekend trip down there and were met with the vacation weather of most people's nightmares. This is what it looked like as we drove to the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday morning. Nice, huh?

No matter. We made the most of it and enjoyed the Space Center and then headed to Cocoa Beach (where we never actually saw the beach) and went to the famous Ron Jon's surf shop.  Here's just a touch of the magic...

Connor has become quite the intrepid traveler.  Here is is hauling bags just like his parents through National Airport.

Day 1--Our visit to the Kennedy Space Center.  One of the Space Shuttles is in there right now being decommissioned.  And, that's the largest painted US flag in the world.  I know because the bus driver said it, I don't know, four or five times. 

Here's Connor touching an actual rock from the Moon!

They have an awesome Star Trek exhibit and here's Connor looking terribly comfortable in a Klingon commander's chair. 

And here's a great shot of the Apollo 11 moon rocket.  The whole thing was very cool and very interesting.  The Tater's were not bored...and that's quite an acheivement. 

And I just wanted to point out that the fine scientists at NASA are to be commended for this little invention...an automatic step stool for the public restroom sinks.  BRILLIANT.  If they got that idea from something they worked on during a space program, I'll fully support them going forward!

Mama!

Finally!! At nearly 17 months of age, today, Palmer finally said it.

MAMA! Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma!!

Its been a WAY long time coming and I love the sound of it. 

Source: myspoiledeggs.blogspot.com via Michelle on Pinterest

This is the best baby announcement ever.  I'm sorry I didn't see it before Palmer arrived.  I might have to get my fallopian tubes un-soldered or adopt just so that I can use it. 

Milestones

Its been really really really busy.  Not the least of it is all the sports.  On top of that, I've gotten another temporary assignment at work.  Which really means a third uncompensated job.  Because of that, I haven't posted much lately.  But the boys each passed important milestones this weekend and I don't want to miss saying so.

First, Connor swallowed his first big pill this weekend.  Not figuratively.  Literally.  He has a double ear infection and downed a 500mg tablet as if it were nothing.  I was surprised.  I remember how hard this was for me to do the summer after third grade when I, too, had a raging ear infection.  My mother was forced to grind the tablets up into grape jelly.  It was repulsive.  He's ahead of where I was, certainly.  He amazes me.  "It's no big deal, Mom." 

As for Palmer's acheivement, well, its a big one in our house.  In someone else's house, not so much.  But here, it is.  He went to sleep by himself last night in his nest next to our bed.  He normally sleeps with us, but last night he was having nothing of it and fussed and fussed to get down.  Once he did, he nestled up in his little spot (where I lay him in the morning as I get ready--our bed is too tall to leave him in it alone) and fell asleep.  Happy as can be.

Milestones aren't the destination.  They're measurements of progress and direction.  They're proof that others have forged the same path.  So, in passing them we note our success and nod thanks to those that marked the way.   Thanks, Mom, for grinding up those amoxicillin in 1975, and thanks all of you for not mentioning that your baby slept through the night, alone, since the day you brought him/her home from the hospital.  I appreciate it.

Rainy Afternoon Nap