HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

At some point last month, I had an afternoon of just me and Grant. We plans to get a snow cone and then play some baseball at a park. In between those two we stopped at Party City so I could check out their costumes. Grant is loving many things right now but I think superheros have moved to the top of the list. He looked at their wall of costumes and said something like this: "I want to be Iron Man! No, I want to be Buzz...no, Iron Man. I want to be a pirate! No...I want to be Iron Man. Iron Man. I want to be Iron Man." Of course, he wanted the puffy one that looks like muscles (aka more expensive) so I humored him...thinking it would be too small. Wrong. Fit and he loved it...and it went home with us, but only after finding the matching gloves as well.

It was a smart decision. My work schedule got cuh-ra-zy after that weekend and I was glad we went shopping at a time when the selection was good. Also, Husband loved it. I think he may have even called it "bad ass". And of course, Grant loved it. He couldn't wait to try it on for Daddy and informed us that "I'm not gonna take this off. Not ever." He's asked often if he can wear it "just for a minute" or show people when they come over or sometimes just asks to wear the gloves. It's the little things, right? 

Trick or Treat!

I took some pictures of him a while back so we could sent out some Halloween cards to family. Grant was only too happy to oblige. He loves to stick out his hands and make a noise like Iron Man shooting something or, as he likes to call it, "getting power". 

This is his "Tony Stark" pose...so I couldn't
resist adding a goatee :)

I couldn't resist playing with this one either.
When I showed Grant he gasped, looked at his hands,
and said "Oh my gosh, I have power in my hands! But I can't
fly because I don't have power in my feet."

So today is the big day! He gets to wear his costume at school for their Halloween celebration and then trick-or-treating tonight. He's so excited! I'm glad the costume is a little big so he can play with it after we're done with it tonight. Now I just need to keep him from saying "Trick or Treat! Smell my feet!" when we tour the neighborhood tonight...

You know you want to give that face some candy.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Pumpkin Hunting

Where has October gone?! I wonder that every year because I don't really get an October. I had mentioned that two weekends ago, while I was working at the State Fair, Husband had to take Grant to urgent care...for pneumonia, as it turns out. Well, medicine (and rest) is a beautiful thing! The very next day, Grant was able to go to a pumpkin patch down the road for a little pumpkin hunting.

Just about every weekend in October, a local farm has been doing a "pick your own pumpkin" thing where they pretty much turn you loose in their field. Porter Farms has a couple locations and one happens to be about 10 minutes away. We've never actually taken Grant to a pumpkin patch...typically I pick our pumpkins up at the grocery store because that's what I have time for...so this was a first for him! The whole way there he was all "We're gonna get a big BIG pumpkin! Except me. I need a little one 'cause I'm little. You don't need a little one. But I do." Conveniently, pretty much everything they had was enormous.

He couldn't wait to take off in that field!

"I'm gonna find my pumpkin."

Grant went through several that he "needed to take home". Though none of them actually ended up in the truck.

Burning off some energy! You'd never know he was sick.

After getting him to pose on some of the bigger pumpkins, he was obsessed with climbing on them. He ran through the field then catapult himself onto a huge pumpkin. He had a blast that day. I don't think he would have cared if we didn't even get a pumpkin.

"I'm gonna get it. Oh...it's too big."

We ended up picking one that was pretty huge. Big enough that Husband had to go get the pumpkin people to pick it up in their truck for us. I think I may have been more excited than Grant. I've never gotten a pumpkin this big before!

Heading up to get the pumpkin picker while I marked our territory :)

Grant with our pick of the pumpkins!

High Five for Friday

This week I never thought Friday would get here! So today I'm linking up with Lauren to share some of my favorite stuff from the past week.

1) Last Friday night, Grant came out of his room having to use the bathroom and then told me that something came out from under his bed. Eventually it came out that it was a monster and he couldn't go back to bed until we thoroughly checked for monsters under the bed. It was our first monster hunting expedition.

2) On Saturday, while I was went to the fair for work, Husband took Grant to urgent care where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. He's doing much better now, the medicine starting helping quickly. While that is not one of my favorites from the week, this picture is. Grant has been absolutely attached to Jazz Bear lately and they've been taking Grant's breathing treatments together.

3) On Sunday, with Grant showing much improvement and me having a precious day off, we went to a pumpkin farm down the road that was having a "pick your own" weekend. Grant had the best time exploring the pumpkin patch and we came home with a giant pumpkin. Grant requested a "big BIG one!" and this is easily the biggest pumpkin I will try to carve (if I ever have time).

Grant and our giant pumpkin

4) Grant helped me fix dinner one night this week. I love having his help in the kitchen!

5) I went for my first run of the fall! I've been doing some inside exercising over the summer but now that the weather is finally getting cooler I'm looking forward to more of this. It wasn't much but it felt good to get out there and get back at it. 

Happy Friday!

Have a great weekend!

Grandfather Mountain - 2013

In my last post about our mountain trip, I mentioned that we went to Grandfather Mountain. It was our first full day in the mountains and it was a Thursday so we assumed (correctly) that it wouldn't be that busy. But still, we asked Grant what he felt like doing that day. "Go see the bears!" So that was that.

At the entrance to Grandfather Mountain they give you a CD to listen to on your way up the mountain about landmarks and little stories and what-not. Grant was fascinated. I have no idea why but he loved listening to it. He even asked to listen to it on our ride home a few days later. Anyway, we listened to that throughout our day and learned some stuff in between our stops.

Our first stop was Sphinx & Split rock on the way up. We stopped there for pictures last year too, the views from Grandfather Mountain are amazing! 

Grant saw us taking pictures of the view and immediately asked for his camera. I'm glad I thought to bring it with us. Initially I didn't think he cared much for his little camera. I was wrong.

Tiny tourist.

And he obligingly posed for some pictures too :)

Holding up the rock "like the Hulk"

After that we headed to their museum and animal habitats (with Grant repeatedly asking when we'd see the bears). We had lunch there, too, on their deck so we could see all the birds.

Family picture before lunch :)

On to the animals!

I think the eagle might have been my favorite.

The bears were very active that day!

The otters...not so much.

The cougars weren't feeling friendly either.

Pretty views from the bear habitat.

Side story from seeing the bears: We got there just in time to see them doing an "enrichment activity" with them and there was an employee available to answer questions. Grant was absolutely enthralled by the bears and I was having fun watching him (sitting on husbands shoulders for the best view possible). I was half listening to the question and answers. Then was a lull in the questions and it got quiet. This was when one bear chose to take a very long pee and I knew where this was going. Grant says "Uh oh! Oh no! He peed! He peed on the floor! He made a mess!" Which was very amusing to those in attendance...then we made our exit.

Onward up the mountain! 

At the very top of Grandfather Mountain is the "mile high swinging bridge". It's one mile above sea level so not too imposing but if you're scared of heights I can see how it might be a little off-putting. Grant loves bridges but we weren't sure if he'd want to cross this one or not. 

So we get out of the car, point out the bridge to Grant who immediately exclaims "IT'S THE BRIDGE!!" I think Husband was hoping to stay behind with him...Husband not being a fan of heights or anything that swings when you walk on it. No such luck.

Grant couldn't wait to go across. He wasn't a daredevil about it or anything but he definitely wasn't scared either. We got to other side just in time for him to say "I gotta go pee...", we snapped one picture, then beat feet back down to their gift shop area (thankfully not far from the bridge) that had a bathroom.

It was such a fun day. Grant was so excited about everything he saw that day, it was great to watch. Maybe we'll go back next year too :)

P.S. Part of Forrest Gump was shot at Grandfather Mountain. I think it was a part when he was running across the country. Fun, huh?

2013 Mountain Vacation

Just about 3 weeks ago we took another trip up to the mountains like last year. We stayed at the same resort, we're kind of in love with the place. We honestly could have stayed anywhere though. Summer was stressful with my stomach issues, then surgery, Grant being sick constantly (currently recovering from pneumonia)...we needed a vacation.

On the way up, we spontaneously decided to jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway randomly pulling over to admire the gorgeous scenery and take pictures.

The mountains are the best!

Our longest stop along the parkway was a Price Lake. It was so pretty there! We just got out and wandered for a bit. Grant had a great time throwing rocks in the water (he doesn't have fantastic aim and was forced to stop after beaning me in the head).

I'm pretty sure he could have done that for hours.

Mountain roads are curvy, yes? The Parkway is no exception. Husband seemed to find these curvy roads to be a dare of some sort. Not long before our destination, Grant started gagging and crying in the backseat. Husband's maneuvring of the mountain roads was not appreciated by all. Nonetheless, we made it. Without vomiting.

Our room looked similar to last year, though our view was better :)

View

We took Grant to the pool a couple nights after dinner but that was really the only amentity that we managed to take advantage of this time. There is never enough time when you're on vacation, huh?

Our first full day there, Grant wanted to "go see the bears at Grandfodder Mountain" [Grandfather Mountain], so I've got some pictures coming about that. And the only other thing we had planned was to go see Nate's aunt who lives a little ways away.

Nate and Grant took advantage of the pond area and how close we were to it taking a lot of little fishing trips.

Wainting patiently for Daddy to get his fishing pole ready

My fishermen

Excitement over their catch

We did some shopping and checked out local places for dinner and hung out a lot in our room just to relax. One of the things we rarely do on vacation is relax! And we visited Nate's aunt and Grant had so much fun playing with her!

Baseball in the backyard!

I was sick on vacation with some crud I'd had for weeks so our last two nights there I wasn't able to take Grant to the pool. I just didn't have it in me. However, the bath tub in our room was enourmous and Grant had quite a good time in there :)

It definitely seemed to go by too fast but we had a good time. We're already making plans to go back next year and visit one of their places at the beach!

Next up: Grandfather Mountain