Halloween!!

This year, for Halloween, Grammy and Grumpa were up for the weekend.

That Sunday, I picked up some pumpkins and we spent the afternoon carving some Paw Patrol characters.  Charlie picked out Chase and Zuma, and Lauren decided that she wanted to create her own face.   It was touch and go for a bit, but with some careful carving by Grumpa and myself, I think they turned out pretty good!!

           

 Lauren had school and hockey practice on Halloween, and then we had to hurry home to get the kids in their costume.  This year, Lauren decided that she wanted to be Kion, from The Lion Guard, and Charlie wanted to be Chase, from Paw Patrol.  They looked adorable!!

They walked around with Grammy and Grumpa, and met up with Sam and Gideon, Lauren's neighbor friends.  I handed out candy, and after a while, Chad met up with the group and walked around the neighborhood with Lauren.  Charlie gave up after walking up and down our street and helped me hand out candy.  Lauren stayed out until nearly 8:30.  She walked pretty far.  But most importantly, both kids picked up quite a bit of candy. 

The kids were so excited to check out their stash, and I was glad to come inside where it was warm.  It was a successful Halloween.  Lauren and Charlie are already planning their next costumes and neighborhood routes, and I am looking forward to many more successful Halloweens in our awesome neighborhood!!

Camp Nelson

       

This fall, Rick and Beth Nelson invited the whole gang over for a fun overnight camp out on their large property.  They live outside Columbia, MD and have a great spot, near a creak, to hitch up some tents.  We had talked about "Camp Nelson" for a year or two and could not wait to go!!

Once we got there, we unloaded our car, set up our tent, and began unpacking food/chairs/drinks/etc.  The kids gathered up some kindling for our fire and we had a great time catching up with all of our good friends.  The Shafers, Uncle John, the Bloughs, and Rick's sister, Amanda, were also there.

 We roasted hotdogs and bacon, kept warm around the fire, enjoyed some great adult (and kid) beverages, and hung out.  The kids had fun playing in the dark, with their lanterns and flashlights before bed.  Soon, it was time for the kids to curl up in their sleeping bags and get some rest.  Lauren and Charlie did great.  I wasn't sure if they would stay in the tent, but as soon as they climbed into their sleeping bags, they fell fast asleep.  It helped that Chad put a cot and an air mattress inside.  I have to admit, it was quite comfortable!!

This was our first camping experience as a family.  Everyone seemed to sleep well, and we stayed warm in the cold weather.  Chad and I are already looking forward to another Camp Nelson weekend!!

(The kids gave it 2 thumbs up!!)

Side note:  That night, Rick and Beth's dog, Ilio, got really sick and unfortunately they had to spend a lot of the evening in the animal hospital.  Ilio passed away the next morning.  He was a sweet dog and we were all very sad about his passing, but hopeful that we could bring a little happiness to Beth and Rick during such a tough time!!  

Charlie At 3 And a Half!!

Charlie is growing up way too quickly.  It seems like he has sprouted into a big boy over night, and I am not sure how I feel about it all!

Charlie is currently:     41  inches
                                       38 pounds

He has consistently been a inch and a half to two inches taller than Lauren was at the same age.  Somehow I have a feeling he will be a tall boy!

                           

Charlie's daily schedule looks like this:

7:45 am - Wake up & Breakfast
8:30 am - Take Lauren down to the bus stop (with Mom of course)
9:00 am - Play Time
12:00 pm - Lunch Time
1:00 pm - Nap Time
3:30 pm - Wake Up
4:00 pm - Get Lauren off the bus (with Mom of course)
6:30 pm - Dinner
7:30 pm - Bedtime

Charlie's vocabulary has really increased tenfold the past 6 months.  He still speaks a lot of gibberish and we usually need Lauren to translate, but I have seen such an improvement.

Some of his favorite words:

"No like"
"Oh, I see"
"MooMaw" (his personal nickname for Meemaw)
"Jammy" (his personal nickname for Grammy)
"I do myself"
"Estudo" (Testudo!!)


Some of his favorite movies/tv shows:

Anything Cars (Cars 1, Cars 2, Cars 3)
Tom & Jerry
Rescue Bots
Super Wings
Paw Patrol
Mickey Mouse

Some of his favorite toys & things to do:

Transformers
Legos (Duplos)
Cars characters
Matchbox cars/race tracks
Playdough
Kinetic Sand

CLIMB on anything and everything (thank goodness Chad bolted down most of our furniture)

Visit Dad at his office

Hug his big sister, DiDi (sometimes they do like each other)!!

Watch Chad play hockey!!

Help his mommy vote in the Virginia elections!!  He loves feeding the ballot into the scanner.

Some of his favorite foods are:

Doughnuts
Pasta
Pizza
Chicken Nuggets
Fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples)
Cheese (sliced cheese, shredded cheese, string cheese, etc)
Mushrooms
Hummus (roasted garlic)
Cheetos (we have to hide the bags)
Fruit smoothies

Activities:

Charlie has been taking swim classes through Swim Kids, the same place Lauren went.  He is lucky enough to have a one-on-one class with an amazing teacher, Coach Angela.  She is very patient with him and always finds ways to keep him engaged and learning.  He can be a handful in class, many times climbing out of the pool and refusing to get back in, but she always finds a way to coax him back in to the pool.  He is still a hesitant swimmer, but has started putting his face under water, on his own, and he is doing really well on the back float.  We still have a ways to go, but I have a feeling Charlie will be swimming in no time, thanks to Coach Angela's guiding hand.

We have not put Charlie into an independent ice skating class yet, because we are not sure he will pay attention or participate.  However, Chad and I still try to get him out on the ice as much as possible.  He was lucky enough to get to participate in the "Try Hockey" program, because Chad was one of the coaches for the course.  Charlie still enjoys falling down, a LOT, but I feel sure that once his confidence grows, he will be zooming by me before I know it!!

   


Charlie's Big Boy Bed!!

This fall, Chad and I decided it was finally time to transition Charlie to a big boy bed.  He was doing well with his toddler bed, and had successfully slept in a grown up bed at both Meemaw's house and Grammy's house.  We had previously purchased the necessary rails, so Chad began the process of changing the bed, while Charlie and I went out to pick out a new comforter and sheets.

We also needed to purchase a new mattress, but we decided to give it to Lauren, and move Lauren's older mattress to Charlie's room.  We were sure he would be a bit rough with the mattress, jumping up and down, so we gave Lauren the newer one.

So far, so good.  Charlie was very excited and has been a big boy bed champ.  When did my little baby boy get so big?!?!?!

All in all, Charlie is a typical 3.5 year old boy.  He can be rambunctious, silly, sweet, and cranky in a matter of minutes.  He likes to rough around with his sister, he loves to climb up in my lap for hugs, and he pushes the boundaries every day.  If we say No, he tries it anyway.  If we ask him to quiet down, he yells louder.  We are always prepared for that epic meltdown, that is simmering just below the surface.  And just when we think we cannot handle anymore "3 year old" behavior, he cracks a smile that gleams with sweetness and a touch of mischievousness, climbs in our laps, and gives the worlds best kisses and cuddles!

       

Charlie frequently tests our parenting skills, and I know that we are better parents because of it.  I pray that he always keeps that inquisitive nature, that he never stops pushing the boundaries in life, and will never be too old to give his mom a hug and kiss!!!

Fall Fun!!

This fall, the grandparents were all able to come up over multiple weekends for some outdoor fun. 

Meemaw and Grandpa came up in the beginning of October so that Chad and I could go out of town for a Foo Fighters concert (more on this later), and to head to the Plains, VA for our annual corn maze adventure. 

First, we stopped by Bull Run Winery to help Ali Ackermann celebrate her 40th birthday.  It was a beautiful fall day and it was nice to see everyone for a little while.  The kids especially loved getting to play together.

Afterwards, we headed west to the corn maze in the Plains, VA.  This has become an annual tradition in the Fisher house and is always one of my favorites.  This year, the weather was beautiful, we played around a bit, and then we headed in to the maze.  We did a great job this year, getting out in less than 45 minutes!!

           

                               

           

That Monday, Lauren was off to school, Chad was off to work, and the rest of us headed out to the National Battlefield.  Grandpa and I needed to get in a little training run for our 2nd attempt across the Bay Bridge, so Meemaw and Charlie took off for a little walk/bike ride.  After our run, we met up and played around in the fields.  I love walking around those hills and Charlie had fun in the reeds.  

On the last month of October, Grammy and Grumpa came up for a visit.  They met Lauren as she got off the bus and we headed back to the house.

That evening, Grammy, Lauren and I headed to her school for Bingo Night.  Lauren did not win a game this year, but she had a fun time dressing up in her Halloween costume and playing with her friends.  Grammy and I were happy to have survived the noise and craziness!!

The next day, Chad and I headed to another Winery, this time in Maryland, to celebrate Laura Blough's 40th birthday.  It was a cute place, up in the mountains, and we had a lot of fun!

Chad and I had to leave early so we could get back to the neighborhood in time for the annual Halloween parade.  We made it just as the kids were walking down the street, towards the playground.  Chad dropped me off (there was football on at home), and Grammy and I watched the kids enjoy some playtime with the neighborhood kids.  They had a blast.  I was ready for a nap!  =)

That evening, Uncle Ryan came over to watch some football and we decided to make a big batch of Knaidels, a Fisher Family favorite!!  It was all hands in and we quickly made a huge batch.  They were delicious and did not last long!

 The following Monday, Lauren was off to school, Chad was off to work, so Charlie, Grammy, Grumpa, and I headed up to Leesburg to hit up the Animal Park.  We had a fun time petting the goats, llamas, sheep, donkeys, etc.  Grumpa and Charlie even headed in to a feeding pen and a little goat escaped when they tried to get out.  It will forever be known as The Great Goat Escape 2017!  Luckily, we were able to coerce the little guy to go back inside the pen.   Everything was fine!  Nothing to see here!!

                               

 After the petting zoo, we went down slides, climbed castles, ran through obstacle courses, took a haybale ride, and picked out baby pumpkins!  It was a great way to spend the morning!!

           

           

 We always love when the grandparents come to visit.  We are very lucky that they are not too far away and we can get some time to go on adventures together.  Here is to many more fun weekend visits!!