Jack-O-Lantern

We had so much fun tonight carrying on one of our little traditions that we've started-turning our pumpkin into a Jack-o-lantern! Simms has looked forward to this ever since we bought our pumpkin, so today she was a little beside herself waiting on daddy to get home {he is our carver-I just look on and take pictures}. We made sure after preschool this morning that we had our pumpkin nice and clean, and all ready to go tonight!

This girl was ready! So we started carving before dinner...







This sweet, patient baby didn't understand what all of the fuss was about. Nor why his mama was feeding him then getting up and walking around the kitchen {wiping up pumpkin, wiping up Sister, wiping up THE TRASHCAN..daddy is OCD you know; Cope didn't like the interruptions}


So in order to keep the peace, we gave him something to play with..


We saved these...


And made these {I'm not ashamed to say Dru and I ate them with our supper}..


We took a break to eat supper..


We had bath time before lighting up our Jack-o-Lantern, and here he is!!

A Halloween Party, The Pumpkin Patch and Turning 3

We had a very, very busy weekend! We attended the Kirk's annual Halloween Party Saturday. No need to get confused..Dru wasn't with us. I wouldn't DARE make him miss the Auburn/LSU game to come with us to a family party! JUST KIDDING! I lovingly told him to go..we understood..so he left Friday for Auburn {and what a game}! I mention all of that so that you'll understand why I have hardly any pictures from the fun party! It's hard keeping up with 2 without Daddy! And my parents were even there! I got no pictures of the hay ride, which was so much fun {even if it was during the last 5 minutes of the game. I was one of the few parents that had to go on the ride. The rest of them were cheering on Auburn back at the house. Simms wouldn't hear of me not going though.} We saw horses, miniature horses, fainting goats, exotic birds. Sissy and Drew are very blessed to live on a gorgeous farm, with lots to do and lots to see! There were lots of cute kiddos there, but I won't plaster other's children on the internet.


Our precious cheerleader



Simms was so excited about the "bouncey bouncey"


Of course there is lots of tractor ridin' at the farm! Simms could do this all day long.

Sunday we headed to the Pumpkin Patch after church. This was a local church's patch, and not the one we've gone to the past few years. However, it sure was nice not paying that astronomical admission fee at the other one and being right down the road, and Simms and Cope had just as much fun! All she wanted was a pumpkin anyway, and a pumpkin we got! She and Daddy will do their annual carve tomorrow night. I'm planning on roasting the seeds this year, because Simms' preschool class did that today, and her teachers said she loved them! Odd little girl- she wouldn't eat the cinnamon roasted ones, only the garlic and butter! She's so funny!









And speaking of our little girl...in less than a week she will be turning 3. Am I the only one that gets knots in their stomach when thinking of how fast our children grow up? {I hope not. If so, just pretend I'm not}. I seriously cannot believe she is turing 3! She is having a small party at preschool, then her birthday party is going to be at the bus before the next home Auburn game. Here is a sneak peek at the always incredible work of Robin from Gaddie and Tood. When I discovered G&T before Simms' first birthday, I told Robin I felt like I'd won the lottery. I was so, so excited to have found "different" birthday invitations, hats, etc. Now I use her for everything! Didn't she do a great job recreating a little Simms?

Would you like to see some beauties?

Of course you would!

Beautiful pictures of Mary Margaret and Bennett {taken in Drew's family's antique crib; click on Sissy}:

www.kimfoster.smugmug.com

And a little sneak peak of Lilla's pictures too {Post titled, The Little Details}

www.kimboxphotography.com/blog/

We are so blessed to have such beautiful and sweet nieces and a very handsome and precious nephew!

No Better Place To Be..

..than Auburn! We had a blast this weekend. Sadly, we left the little bubby with my parents so he could have some down-time and keep getting better, but the rest of our little family made the short drive over to Auburn Friday. We celebrated Taylor's birthday with dinner at Hamilton's (delicious.plain and simple) and then Simms and Lilla had a great time outside at the block party. It was fun meeting up with Anne Morgan and Merrill, and meeting 5 day old Charlee Huddleston, who made her debut at the block party too! Simms and Lilla had a "spend the night party" on the bus again, and Gigi had them matching pajamas. What fun that must be for a little girl, to spend the night right outside of the stadium with her cousin and build "castles" on the bus. Saturday was game day, and the weather was beautiful. We had a wonderful time, as did all of the children! Enjoy the pictures and WAR EAGLE!

Simms and Lilla Saturday morning

Simms was SO happy Bennett game to the game!


And Mary Margaret made her first trip to the Plains!

Bennett was pretty smitten with Adeline. Dru asked him if he was nervous while I was taking this picture because he kept cutting his eyes back to look and her, and he said, "Actually Uncle Dru, I just really love girls." He's hilarious. I heard him inviting her to his farm to ride horses. How funny.

Color time!

Finally! Lilla let Uncle Dru hold her. She isn't too sure about him!

These kiddos had so much fun together!

Even though she's better, a lot of the day we had this look on our face due to sheer exhaustion! She had a great time though!

Fall Brings Us...

Beautiful weather, college football, mums, clay pumpkins on the porches {my favorite}

AND APPARENTLY....
Lots and lots of sickness. As in 3 weeks of it. Just a run-down of everything the Goodwin household has suffered from off and on: croup, upper respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections {and EVERYTHING IT ENTAILS}. Combine the respiratory infection with the gastrointestinal infection and you get the adenovirus {we've had it too}, double ear infections, a mild case of conjunctivitis, fevers, 4 top teeth coming in, sleep deprivation, being quarantined {which equals cabin fever}. I am not joking. My mom loves to remind me that we are just getting started with all of this. Well, I'm not used to it. Simms didn't have her first documented sickness until she was 13 months old! The budget has taken a serious hit when you add up all of the co-pays, extra gas to get to our pediatrician who is 1 hour away, and all of the medicines. Don't feel too sorry for us though. Apparently lots are suffering from these nasty bugs these days. I looked at Dru{with tears in my eyes }on Tuesday, at 5 AM, when both kiddos were throwing up, and said, "I know you are staying home with us today." And he did. Love him. I couldn't have done Tuesday alone! I am thankful for family rushing to get Cope at 10 one night as Simms threw up {our first night apart. I was sad. He caught it anyway} I am so thankful too that my children aren't suffering from anything more serious, as so many are. And I am also thankful that my one and only job has been to stay at home and take care of them. I believe {and pray, oh do I pray} that we have turned the corner. Simms at least. Cope may still be battling his ear infections. We will find out Monday when he has his ears rechecked. He weighs 22.12 lbs. by the way. Simms weighed 23 lbs. at 18 months!

So...that is where we have been. Cooped up in our house. Avoiding others as much as possible. And focusing on healing. I am so glad they are getting better! It is so sad to watch your babies suffer.

Here are some pictures of our little sickly children, bless their hearts:

Letters to My Two {9 months & 35 months}

Pictures taken at the Auburn game yesterday! Cope's very first one (not counting A-Day!)He loved it! Simms did well too. She hasn't been in a game in 2 years!

Dear Cope,

Happy 9 months, bubby! 9 things about you at 9 months:
1) You are a crawler now!! And loving every second of the freedom that it brings!

2)You have 3 teeth on the bottom and 1 on top with another one on top pushing through.

3) You are STRONG. Changing diapers, changing clothes, bathing you, is like wrestling a bear. I'm not joking. Your sister always just laid there till I was done. You are the opposite. You are usually halfway across the bed or floor before I can get a new diaper on you. It leaves me breathless for sure!

4) You are still amazingly calm and subdued, but there is a little fiestiness that's starting to come out in you. The first time I saw it I thought, "aaahhh. He is MY child." That is not necessarily always a good thing sweet boy ;-).

5) You wear mainly 18-24 month clothes, and size 4 diapers. I love every squishy part of you!

6) You have several new tricks. You will give me open mouth kisses and will even make your version of the "mwah" sound. You clap now too.

7) You nap twice a day still. The afternoon nap is an easy one for you to go down for. The morning one, not so much. I lay you down awake, and in the mornings I hear you on the monitor and always find you trying to get out of your crib-completely pulled up on the side and smiling at me. Mama works hard to get this nap in though, and you usually throw in the towel and just agree to sleep. I am thankful for that.

8) You will eat any baby food we feed you. I mean, obviously!

9) I am completely enamored by you. I love you so, so much. These 9 months with you have brought us to such a sweet place of love and completeness. We've certainly had some rough patches, and usually have a few crazy moments each day, but you my sweet boy are worth anything and everything!

Love,
Mama

Dear Simms,

You are almost 3!! You are telling everyone 9 though. Time to stop referring to you in months I guess. Sad. You are so excited about your party at preschool and your party at the bus in Auburn!

3 years have gone by very fast. Too fast. Faster than any period in my life. Literally I feel like I blinked the day you were born and here we are now. There have been good, bad and ugly moments. You've cried, I've cried, we always laugh, we always pretend, and I always love you more and more.

I'm so grateful to have a daughter, and so thankful that YOU are my little girl. Thankful to find my shoes scattered all over the house, as well as my clothes, because of your love for dress up. Thankful for all of the little messes that you make. I know I have my hands full with you, but that's OK. You make it worth it!

Lately you and I have such special time together in the afternoons while Cope naps. He usually naps for 2 hours which I try to devote entirely to you now. I had been having this nagging feeling that I needed to be more attentive to just you, apart from Cope, and I'm so thankful we have these afternoons!

I love you sweet, sassy Simms! More than you will ever, ever know.

Love,
Mama