Ruckersville Chili Cook-off

Friday afternoon, we took the boys to the park and saw a sign for a chili cook off that was being held on Saturday. We didn't have any plans, so we thought it might be something fun to go to. So, Saturday morning, we got up and ran some errands. We went by Harris Teeter and Evan had a blast pushing his little "shopper in training" cart. Greg took Carter out in the fun cart that has the steering wheel and he had a blast. We split up and got different things and then met up at the checkout. Handling one wild boy in the store is such a piece of cake compared to handling two wild boys. ;)

He loved shopping so much, he was so cute with his little shopping cart.

After our quick trip to the grocery store, we headed out to the Chili Cook-Off. They had several different types of chilis to try, an inflatable slide, the Bounce and Play train, beer, wine, alpacas to pet, cats, face painting, and a ton of other stuff. Carter doesn't like going up the bounce slides without me or Greg, so Greg and Carter went to try chili and I stayed with Evan. As soon as we got there, I found out my camera battery was dead and I had forgot my phone. I was so disappointed. :( Greg gave me his phone to take pictures with, but I wasn't really sure how to work it and it just wasnt' the same.

There was just two other kids on the bounce slide and this kid that Evan is climbing up with was SO sweet. He really liked Evan and was just so cute with him. They'd climb up together and he'd ask Evan which slide he'd want to go down and then they'd go down together.

The slide is pretty high up, and Evan went up those stairs and down that slide a million times!

After he got wore out on the slide, we went over and rode the Bounce and Play Train. There's 3 train cars (or whatever they're called) and they took you on a quick ride around the chili cook off. Evan loved it.

We spotted Greg and Carter on our ride.

There were 3 alpaca there for the kids to pet. I called them llamas the entire time and had the boys saying llamas and then when we were done petting them, I saw a huge sign that said alpacas. oops.

The SPCA had some cats there. Both boys loved looking at the cats and got the biggest kick out of the kittens playing in their cages. They watched them for a long time.

Overall, it was a really fun event. We were there for 2 hours and we were all exhausted. We all took a nap when we got home. After the boys woke up, we ran to Old Navy to get a couple pairs of jeans for the boys. There was two benches with plastic dogs on them for people to sit on, NEXT to the dogs. Well, Evan saw it and thought they were for riding. I got so tickled when he climbed on top of the dog and sat there like it was completely normal.

They both had bouncy balls in their hands because there's a huge dispenser at the front of the store where you put in a quarter and get a ball. Of course, the boys see that the second we stepped into the store.

We had a really fun Saturday. I think sometimes we get into the routine of parks, Yoder's, and Children's museum, so it was nice to do something different. It was really something we all were able to enjoy.

Yoder's and Friendship Bread

Thursday morning the boys had preschool, so I spent the morning cleaning house and making Friendship bread. One of Greg's coworkers gave him the starter. You take the starter, add some ingredients, divide it into 4 ziploc bags and then used what's leftover to make the bread. The 4 ziploc bags you have are starters that you give to 4 other friends. The bread was amazing. It made 2 loaves and everybody in the house loves it. Carter woke up from his nap before Evan, so I tried it out on him to see if it was any good.

He kept saying "Yummy!" and "mommy bite". It's very sweet that he likes to share anything yummy with us.

After Greg got off work, we decided to take the boys to Yoder's. We hadn't been in awhile and I needed to get a few things for my secret sister gift (that I'll share in December). The boys had a blast! It was cold, but it was so worth it.

The boys really love this swing.

this is a rocking picnic table.

We had walked from the side with all the animals to the side with the playgroud and picnic benches. The boys were not really wanting to leave, so greg went and got the van to pull around. We figured it be easy to get them to go if the van was right there (and if not, we wouldn't have to carry two screaming kids very far) Well, the boys wait until Greg has almost got to the car and then both head off that way with me chasing them and then they took a turn and both ran into the store, completely ignoring me telling them to stop. They went and sat at the tables and were so proud of themselves. They knew I was outnumbered and when I tried to go near them to grab them, they'd go in opposite directions. This is what I had nightmares about when I was pregnant, two kids conspiring against me. ;) What am I going to do with those boys? Luckily, after what felt like an eternity, Greg came in to see what we were doing and we each grabbed a boy and left.

Friday, we hung out at the house all morning and the boys played and watched a movie.

After Greg got off work, we took the boys to the park. Then, we came home and Greg fed the boys dinner and played while I went over to a friends house and watched her two sweet little girls. We switch off babysitting so we can each get a date night with our husbands. It's so nice, we each get to go out and it doesn't cost us the money of a babysitter. I had a blast, her girls were so easy and it was so fun getting to see a little girls room with all the dolls and fun girly things.

Greg has a 3 day weekend because Monday is Veteran's day. I love 3 day weekends! I feel like that 3rd day just makes such a difference.

Election Day and Dr. Visit

I'm so glad the election is over and the day after the election--when everybody on Facebook is either complaining or bragging- is over.

I got the boys sweatshirts from Kohl's that said "Voted, World's Best Brother" It was the only thing I could find for their "election day" outfit. Here's a picture of Carter in his.

After the boys woke up and we were waiting on Greg to get off so we could go vote, me and the boys watched the Grinch for the millionth time. Evan loves this movie and asks for it all the time. Carter did like the movie but now when Evan asks for it, Carter screams "NOOOO!!!" haha. But, Carter was a trooper and watched it anyways. He wanted to sit in my lap which I did not mind one bit.

We brought snack, crayons, coloring books, and drinks to go vote. Everything worked for awhile, but towards the end the boys were getting restless. I was so glad to be done, that I forgot to get a picture of the boys with their "Future Voters" stickers. :(

Carter had a pretty bad cough on Tuesday, so I made an appointment with the doctor to see him Wednesday morning. It was a crazy morning and there was no way that I was going to get the boys both dressed, much less out the door and to the doctor, so Greg came home and stayed with Evan while I took Carter. . Carter loves the magna doodles and will play with them the entire time.

He told me this was an airplane. So cute!

Carter was wheezing pretty bad when the doctor listened to his chest, so they gave him a nebulizer treatment and sent us home with one so we could give it to him. There was such a huge difference after the first treatment, he hasn't been coughing hardly at all since we took him to the doctor. I thought he looked so pitiful getting the treatment. But, he was so good, he didn't try and take it off or anything.

He was so good in the exam room and was having such a good time coloring and playing with the magna doodle that he threw the fits of all fits when we left. He also threw a fit when we got there in the parking lot. I guess he didn't realize that Evan wasn't with us and when we got out of the van to go in, he thought I was leaving Evan in the car. He cried and cried. It was so pitiful. Both boys had about a weeks worth of tantrums yesterday. It was a long day, and then about an hour after their nap, they were such angels. They played well, they were being sweet, etc. They were perfect for the rest of the night. It's funny how toddlers can go from making your head about to explode to being so sweet that your heart could explode. These boys definitely keep me on my toes.

Project 365

A little update on one of my 30 before 30 goals. I really wanted to complete a Project 365, where you take a picture a day for an entire year. I take pictures practically every day anyways, so I just needed a way to document them without getting behind. I found an iphone app that places pictures you put on Instagram into a calendar, so I have all my Project 365 documented for me. I just need to remember to post a picture to Instagram everyday, which I usually do anyways. I've been doing now for over two months and I'm so proud that I've been able to keep it up. I really hope that I can continue to do this for an entire year. I'll do another update on some of my other 30 before 30 goals soon.

Catch Up and Today

I have a couple of pictures and a few updates that I never posted, so I figured I'd just throw them in this one.

A couple of weeks ago, I took the boys to Carter's allergy follow up. Alone. Just me and two toddlers. They were such angels..for the first 45 minutes. I couldn't believe how well behaved they were. but, the doctor was running behind and they got a little antsy at the end, we ended up being there for an hour and a half. The doctor was so nice about the wait, and I know those things happen, I wasn't mad, but I'm glad I came prepared with toys and snacks.

I was there to discuss some bloodwork that they had done on Carter testing his allergies. They like to test his peanut allergy every year to see if it's getting better or worse and they tested for a couple of other things. His peanut allergy actually got worse. This broke my heart, I was really hoping that it would get better, even though we were told it was very unlikely. But, we're still hopeful to get him into a study to help him outgrow his peanut allergy. He doesn't have any environmental allergies but he is allergic to cats and dogs. His dog allergy is very mild, but his cat allergy was high. I'm really surprised because we've been to playdates at houses of people who have cats and he hasn't had any problems yet. Thank goodness.

Evan asks for a peach every single day. Every day! So, when we saw that Sam's Club had a case of them, we got them. We brought them home on a Sunday evening and they were gone on Tuesday. Those boys love them some peaches, they had a peach with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Evan especially loves them.

We had a playdate last Monday and the boys got to play with play doh. How nice of the hosting mom to bring out play doh for five 2 year olds to play with! They had so much fun.

That's all the pictures from my iphone that I didn't blog about. On to today. Evan woke up at 5am because of the time change, so we snuggled on the couch and watched "The Grinch". He got Greg's flashlight from his nightstand and insisted on carrying it around all morning.

We met our moms of multiples playgroup at Bounce and Play and it was insane. Schools are out today so it was pretty busy. Plus, the boys were so excited and all over the place. It was exhausting. I didn't even get any pictures! I was too busy chasing after the boys.

After their nap, we played in their room for a little bit.

Greg took the boys to the gym while I ran some errands. I stopped by World Market and got some Biscoff that my friend, Brandi told me about. On the label it says it's the European version of peanut butter and it doesn't contain any nuts. So, I picked up a jar so I would have something to make a sandwich for the boys with. I tried giving the boys spaghetti but neither one would even look at it, so I made them a biscoff and strawberry jam sandwich. Carter loved it! He kept asking for more. Evan liked it too, but not as much as Carter. Biscoff is defnitely more of a treat (it's like Nutella but so much better!) but it's nice to have a peanut butter alternative that's super yummy. I have sunbutter for them too, but it's not as tasty as this.

The boys don't have school tomorrow, so we're going to head to the gym in the morning and then off to vote after Greg gets off. I got the boys "voter" shirts to wear. If they were older, I'd do a fun craft or activity to coincide with the election. I'm a nervous wreck, I hate things like this, waiting on results. I'm not patient and it stresses me out. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to sleep tomorrow night.

Braided Spaghetti Bread

I saw this recipe on Pinterest. I gave Greg a choice of about 5-6 things to have this week and told him to choose two. He chose this as one of his choices. I was a little worried about the bread because I've never worked with bread dough before, but it was super easy. It smelled so good while it was baking and Greg and I loved it. I think it could have used a little fresh garlic, but that's the only thing I'd change. We'll definitely have this again.

Braided Spaghetti Bread

Ingredients

1 Loaf Rhodes™ Bread Dough or 12 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature (I couldn't find this brand of bread dough and didn't want to deal with the dinner rolls, so I just got the Kroger brand bread dough that came in a pack of 5)
6 ounces spaghetti, cooked (I used a whole box)
1 cup thick spaghetti sauce (I used a whole jar)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 egg white, beaten
Parmesan cheese
parsley flakes
1lb hot italian sausage

Instructions

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 minutes. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and let cool slightly. Remove wrap from dough. Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down center of dough. Top with sauce and cheese cubes. Make cuts 1 1/2-inches apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2-inch of filling. Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid. Lift braid with both hands and place on a large, sprayed baking sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Bake at 350°F 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

I made the entire box of spaghetti and sauce, then I measured out two containers for Greg to take some to work for lunches, then I just put whatever was leftover on the bread. I didn't feel like it was too much. I also couldn't find grated parmesan cheese, so I used shaved, which worked out fine.

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was Greg's three day weekend. We didn't really do much, but it still flew by.

Friday morning, we took Evan to the doctor about some eczema he has. We were given some stuff for it and some tips and I think we'll have it under control in no time. They loved playing in the waiting room.

After the boys took a nap, we met some moms from one of my moms group at the park. Greg enjoyed talking to the other moms that were there. I usually only meet up with them while Greg's working and I have lots of mom support from my groups, but he doesn't really have any other dads in the area with kids the same age as ours, so it was nice for us all to sit around and talk while the kids played.

When we got home, the dvds I ordered for the boys had arrived. I was so excited! I put The Grinch in immediately and they did not take their eyes off of it. I wanted to sit down and watch the whole thing with them, but I decided to fold laundry and be productive. :(

Turns out, I didn't miss my opportunity to watch The Grinch because Evan is obsessed, we've watched it about 10 times this weekend. Greg put in the Charlie Brown Christmas, but he was not interested, he just wants to watch the Grinch. I'm fine with that because I love that movie. Here's the boys relaxing on Saturday morning.

We took the boys to get their hair cut. We just went to the same place that Greg goes instead of spending more at the kid friendly place. This place has lollipops and stylists that make a big deal over the boys so they are in 7th heaven.

Evan sits in the chair like a big boy and listens so good. He's such a wild child normally, so it's so crazy to me how still he sits to get his hair cut. And he was excited about it, he couldn't wait to climb into the chair.

Carter does fine, if he sits on one of our laps, so Greg held him while he got his hair cut.

The boys got lollipops afterwards and thought they were something! Evan kept talking to all the people in the waiting room, he definitely takes after Greg. As soon as Carter finished his lollipop, he went and watched Greg get his haircut.

I love that they're sharing a chair even though there were plenty of empty ones and I love how they're looking at each other.

So happy.

After Greg's haircut, we took them next door to Sweet Frogs and got them frozen yogurt with fruit on top. They loved it. Lollipops and frozen yogurt for being good while getting their haircut, no wonder Evan was dancing around the house singing "hair cut" all excited when I told him what we were doing. ;)

I had to take another picture of Evan watching the Grinch. He has never been like this with a movie. There's been a couple that the first few minutes, he'll be interested, but he always will play while he's watching one. He sits still and doesn't move the entire time The Grinch is on. He asks for it and as soon as it's over with, he asks to see it again. It's only a 30 minute movie, so he's not sitting too long, but we'll need to take a couple extra trips to the park to make up for this extra movie watching.

Our weekend was relaxing. It was nice not having anything specific we needed to do at any specific time. Sunday went well with daylight savings time, Evan woke up a little after 5:30, which wasn't too bad. We were able to all go to the grocery store as a family this morning because we were all up so early. I made a new recipe for dinner that I can't wait to share with ya'll tomorrow. I hope everybody had a great weekend.