The Skeptical Shopper

I've always been a skeptical shopper, add the fact that I don't like to shop. It stresses me out. "Retail Therapy" is not my thing. "Why do I need that?" "I already have 1 pair of black pants"

I've always been particularly skeptical about specialty items such as "running shoes" or "insert whatever item here". Maybe it has something to do with growing up in a world where you didn't have much options. You had 1 jacket and that's the jacket you wore all winter when you went outside. You had 2 bathing suits and that's what you wore for all bathing occasions. You had tennis shoes and dress shoes and you had to make those work for everything. Going to the stores you had no choices when it came down things like toilet paper brands. There was one brand. And that's what you purchased and that's what you used. End of story.

When I started running this Summer, I cautiously ventured into this specialty gear world. Mainly because I was having continuous ankle and foot pain, so I figured I needed new tennis shoes, so I got "running shoes". What a difference those made. But maybe it was because they were new, and any new tennis shoe would've done the trick.

Well as of this morning, I am a 100% convert into specialty gear believer. I got ready to go on my run: I put on my shoes, my jacket, hooked up my music, started my app and headed off. Immediately as I started to run, my ankles started to hurt. It was a pretty sharp pinch on both ankles. I only made it 2 houses down the street before I looked down at my feet thinking "what is going on? Surely I will shake this off". And then I noticed I wasn't wearing my "running shoes". WHAT. MY MIND WAS BLOWN.

I went back home, changed shoes, and headed back out. The little skeptical voice in my head kept getting louder and louder telling me that this was totally bogus as I started to run again, and I was just waiting for that sharp ankle pain to kick back in. And it didn't. The pain was not there. At all.

So yes, there is such thing as running shoes, and skii gloves and fishing shirts. They serve a purpose and if we only open ourselves up to them, they make our lives just that bit more pleasant.

Now I can't wait until I get my running earbuds for Christmas!

It Doesn't Count

This morning, Nico got his breakfast on the PAW Patrol Plate. Well, he was feeling quite particular and apparently getting to see "chase" was more important than eating his scrambled egg and waffle (which is a rare instance).

So this is how he "cleared" his plate... by moving all the food off of it so he could see "chase"

Things He Says #102

Norm and I did a Whole30 during the month of October. There was a couple of instances when I had to feed the kids and I wasn't able to eat. Like when we went to the school festival... they ate hot dogs for lunch and I ate when I got home. There was also the time we went to the car show when again the kids ate hot dogs for lunch there and I ate when we got home (I promise we do feed our kids more than just hot dogs).

On the day we went to the car show, we also had a birthday party that afternoon. Again, they both ate at the birthday party and (shocker) I didn't.

When we got home, I put Nico to bed right away because he was losing his mind. Benji then came back downstairs to keep me company while I ate dinner.

Benji (in a very stern voice): Mami, tomorrow, when we go somewhere and we eat, you have to eat.
Me: Ok
Benji: Mami, if you don't eat you not go!!
Me: ...........................

Thankfully the Whole30 ended 3 days later so I don't have to keep getting reprimanded by my 3.5 year old for not eating when everyone eats.

Halloween

Halloween came and went - thank goodness! Here are a few pictures of Benjamin the Firefighter and Jake from State Farm.

Benji insisted on driving his firetruck to go trick-or-treating. So we went to a few house on our street before meeting up with Natasha and her family.

Being the youngest in our group of trick-or-treaters (not counting Nico), he seldom got to the doors first to ring the doorbell. He was so excited when he finally got the opportunity!

Someone was giving away hot dogs! and bottled water! (as well as pamphlets for his church).

Month 18

Well, for a million reasons or maybe none, Nico didn't get a 12 Month recap like Benji did (although I do have to say I am quite proud of myself for having kept up with all the other 11 .. or maybe 10 months for Nicolas).

So to make up, I figured I'd do a Month 18.

This child is such a daredevil. He is fearless to the 79th degree. He climbs the slide in the back yard and goes down by himself as he squeals "weeeeeee". He climbs on things and when he gets to the top of the picnic table, the coffee table, the chair, the bed, the mowing tractor, the whatever it is, he looks at you and says "down! down!"

His favorite thing to watch is Little Baby Bum. The instance any of us (including Benji) say "TV", he says "ba bum! ba bum!" and heads for a chair in the living room. He has so many little songs that he sings throughout the day and does different dances for each one of them. His favorites are "rain rain (go away)" and "sun sun (mr. golden sun)" and "all through town".

He is so, but so so good, at following commands. Some pretty solid ones are "lay down to change your diaper" and "go to your chair to eat". But he understands pretty much everything such as "give that to Benji" or "take your cup to the sink"

Lately, I guess due to the change in weather, he's been obsessed with his jacket. He loves wearing his jacket and holding his jacket. We've started putting his wearable blanket on him at night, at first he didn't want to wear it and I told him it was his sleeping jacket. He got so excited to put it on and fell asleep saying "jacket" "jacket".

He loves his school and his teachers love him. He (thankfully) got over the biting thing... for a while he'd have an incident report every single day we'd pick him up where he'd bitten a friend. One time he bit someone more than once and the school called me. I was confident they were going to kick him out. But they didn't! His teachers are so fantastic!

He never took the pacie and he still sucks on his middle fingers on his left hand. The minute those fingers go in the mouth, the minute you better start praying if you are not already in bedtime or nap mode because all hell is about to break lose.

Whenever he poops he grabs his diaper and says "dai dai".. today he actually said "poo". I'm hoping this is foreshadowing to a smooth potty training experience.

He loves his brother and copies every.single.thing.he.does. Everything. Which is a good thing and a not so good thing. They love rough housing (apparently it's good for their gross motor skills... and self defense). They tackle one another like it's nobody's business. I'd say about half of the time, Nico is the instigator. No wonder when he first started going to school in July, one day I picked him up and one of his teachers says "Nicolas body slams the babies". Great.

He knows when to say no. And he means it. He's always learned to agree, he says "Yea" (and he means it too!)

Talk about copying everything his brother does:

An Afternoon at the Farm

Last weekend we were going to go to the farm after Norm got off work on Sunday. Then his schedule got crazy and we didn't go.

We rescheduled the plan for this afternoon and Norm was going to meet us there, but he got a VIP reservation and wasn't able to leave the restaurant. Considering we had already told Benjamin that we were going to go to the farm and Nico kept making animal noises, and this place has a super short window when they are open to the public, my mom and I went along with the plans.

We had such fun! We will have to see about bringing Daddy Norm along before they close.

Crossing over the bridge to go see the pumpkin patch and visit the animals in the barn:

We found heavy pumpkins! Nico shortly after this picture dropped his and said "Bye pumpum!"

Feeding the chickens!

There was a little pony named Andy that gave pony rides. Benji and Nico went for a ride. I initially got on the carriage with the boys and the handler politely told me that Andy can't haul adults...

There are just so many rides and fun stuff to do!

The corn box was so much fun... we had to do a crash course on how to play with corn, which involves to not throw it at other kid's faces. Don't.throw.it.

Nico took it upon himself to go swimming in the corn:

There is a huge sand pile with shovels and trucks and big tires sticking out of it...

We went for a hayride. Both boys were fascinated with the big hay bales and the tractors. My mom told Benji how his Nonno used to have tractors and fields and use to make bales like those... his little 3.5 year old mind was blown.

Then we found this cow... Benji practice milking it!

We had such a good time, and the weather was perfect, well, it was actually hot and Nico's face started to get red... thankfully I found a little travel sunscreen tube that lives in the stroller... so it was put to use!

All pictures here!

On another note, Norm and I are half way done with our Whole30!

The Concept of Chilly

Two nights ago we were preparing to make it through Hurricane Michael, who actually came through in the middle of the night (which we slept through) bringing lots of rain and 60mph wind gusts. We woke up to no power yesterday, but it quickly came back. Flashlights first thing in the morning was loads of fun!

Thankfully our backyard didn't flood and our fence didn't blow away. We had put everything up to avoid random flying things. Yesterday actually turned out to be a beautiful day in the high 80s with blue skies. 

Today we woke up to 56 degrees and the high only got to be 71. At least it was sunny. Yesterday we were in shorts and t-shirts with no shoes on. Today we were in long pants, jackets and shoes with socks.

Trying to explain the concept of chilly weather was tough this morning. Benji wanted to put on his "globs" (gloves) and hat because "it's about to snow!". So we had an extensive discussion about how when it is "chilly" we wear long pants, short sleeves and jackets and that's it. When it is "cold" then we get out the hat and gloves. When it is "freezing" it's about to snow. 

Happy Fall Y'all!