The Perfect Pumpkins

On Saturday, we woke up to a cloudy and misty October day...perfect for going to a pumpkin patch! We loaded everyone up, and drove to Sauvie Island, about 30 minutes away. To get to the pumpkin patch you take a hayride pulled by none other than a John Deere tractor. We traipsed around the patch until we found our perfect pumpkin.



We rode back and decided to attempt the Corn Maze in the hopes that between 6 adults, we would be able to somehow navigate the way through successfully. We had to stand in line for a few minutes, and Clark had fun playing with grandpa to pass the time.


Ultimately, thanks to some clue cards and the quick intellect of Brianna (Shane and Vonae's 5 year old daughter), we made it through the maze successfully! I think Clark was more interested in eating the corn on the stalks than the maze itself (see picture below), but we had a lot of fun.



Next was the animal barn. Clark made quick friends with the Llama,


while I was observing the two cutest pigs ever!


What is it with me and pigs? I have always thought they are adorable! Maybe I just feel badly for them because they get a bad rap for being messy animals when in fact they are quite clean. Just like me in my family growing up! (If I could just delete that one instance of the beater covered in brownie mix found in my sock drawer).

But by far the cutest thing was the three "pumpkins" having fun together!


It was totally worth the 45 minute traffic jam leaving the island. For more pictures of the day, see Vonae's blog titled Sauvie Island

Fun with Family Part 2!

Tanner's brother Shane and his family came to visit us from Spokane during our first weekend here in Washington. It was so much fun seeing their cute little girls and we had fun the first day on the bouncy castle at the house...




...and taking a little trip to the park where I forgot how much fun a swinging tire is, and even the men got into the fun...


...and Clark did too!

Mr. and Mrs. Nielson Go To Washington

Tanner and I were curious to see how Clark would react to another plane ride for our trip to Washington this time around, since the last time he was on a plane he was 3 weeks old and wasn't really aware of what was going on. While waiting in the Norfolk airport, he quickly made friends and had fun looking out the window at the airplanes while we waited for our first flight to Minneapolis, MN.


We got on the plane and this is what happened:


A good start I would say.
But the fun really began when we arrived in Minneapolis. The airport had a fun little play area for kids, perfect for Clark AND Tanner!



Clark made more friends in Minneapolis while riding the moving walkway.


Clark crawled around greeting everyone before boarding, and as we boarded the plane and walked down the aisle, people smiled and waved at him. The plane was pretty full, and we were some of the last to get on. We approached our seats at 31A and 31B. A lady was sitting in aisle seat 31C and looked up at me as I stopped in front of her. I said nicely "We are in those two seats". A scowl came over her face and she said OUT LOUD one word ... anyone want to take a guess?? It's not like I was expecting a Yahoo! or a Wonderful! but what I got was a big fat "SUCK"! Yep, she said it out loud. This was a lady in her 40s or 50s and I finally understood why my mother always scolded me when I said that word, because at that moment, it really did seem like a swear word. I had that weird emotion suddenly well up inside me when I didn't know whether I was going to burst into tears or slap her. So I did nothing, and just quietly moved in next to the window. Tanner did not hear the comment, and I quickly apprised him of the "situation" once we were seated and I could mouth the words silently to him without her knowing.

I pause here to ask the question: Why is it that she can say SUCK out loud referring to me and my child being in her presence and yet, I had a problem with her hearing me tell the story to my husband. Go figure.

Anyway, back to my story. I told Tanner that Clark was probably getting hungry and I was going to feed him now before he got fussy. There was another lady who sat in front of us and she all of the sudden turned around and popped her head over the top of her seat and says "You know, the best time to feed a child is during takeoff because it REALLY can hurt their ears and they may get fussy". Did I ask for advice? I think Tanner and I looked at her a little stunned and Tanner finally said "We know, and he has a pacifier to help him with that". She turned around and sat down. I couldn't believe that of all the nice people who smiled and waved at us as we got on the plane, that we ended up sitting next to these ladies. Then I had the thought: maybe everyone was smiling and waving because we were passing them by on the plane and they were just happy we weren't sitting near them! I was starting to get really irritated, and I really wanted to keep Clark quiet NOT because I was worried about "Instyle magazine" lady on the end of our row but because I wanted to prove her wrong, my child was going to MAKE her love children! Just before takeoff, Clark started to play with the seatbelt buckle, and it was making a little clicking noise. He maybe did it five times, and Miss Information in front of us turned around and snarled at Tanner "Can you please stop that?" My hero of a husband looked back at her and said "He's 10 months old, he has to play with SOMETHING". She gave him a crusty and turned around. I looked at Tanner and rolled my eyes. I couldn't believe it. But ho and below, fifteen minutes into the flight, this is what happened:


... for the entire 3 hour flight. Clark woke up just before landing, and was Mr. Happy. He kept looking over at 31C and giving her big fat smiles. I was discreetly watching her to see if she would smile back. The first two times she looked at him and didn't do anything ... but then the third time she cracked a smile, and the final time, she busted out a wide smile. Miss Information commented on how quiet he was during the flight. He won them over, and I could not help but smile as we got off the plane.

Fun with Family!

Heath and Stephanie and their family came to Virginia to visit Stephanie's family in Alexandria and also came to visit us in Williamsburg! We had fun visiting together at our apartment the first night and then the next day, Clark and I went with them to Jamestown. We had a lot of fun. Thanks for visiting us!

Gettysburg

This weekend we took a trip up to Gettysburg to see the Civil War battles sites. It rained the whole time during the drive up, but stopped just before we reached Gettysburg. It turned out to be a really nice day, especially with the beautiful fall colors dotting the landscape.

Tanner and I at the Pickett's charge memorial site

Tanner and I on top of Little Round Top

Clark had an enjoyable time as well!

My Superman

Clark has been steadily progressing toward taking his first steps. I would argue that it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I practice with him EVERYDAY because I desperately want him to start walking so I don't have to lug his 27-28 lbs. body around as much, but that would be a lie. Here are some stats for all those accountants out there (yeah, I am talking to you Dad, Tricia, and Dan):

He now exactly 1/4 of my weight, and yet he is only 10 months old to my 303 months (3 percent people...3 PERCENT). I haven't checked his height recently, but when he was nine months old, he was 30.5 inches long....compare that to my 66 inches. So yeah, pretty much at this rate, he is going to be able to carry me around when he's 3 years old (that would be awesome!)

I provide those stats because a) I think they are interesting and b) because I will now use them as an excuse not to go to the gym, my child is my gym, and c) maybe he is Superman (hey, at least we got his first name right).

SKIP-BO!

I don't remember NOT knowing how to play Skip-Bo. The box says "Age 7 & up", but I know I learned earlier. My Grandma Pat taught me, and it was one of my favorite things to do when we would visit. When I was in college, I was delighted to find that my roommate owned Skip-Bo too! I didn't think anyone else knew about the game. I would make all my roommates play with me and we even had a scorecard on the wall of who had the most Skip-Bo wins. I know I love playing it because it reminds me of my childhood days at Grandma's. My roommate bought me my own set of Skip-Bo cards as a Christmas present, and Tanner and I have played it numerous times since we began dating. Tonight it was our Friday night fun after Clark went to bed. I won a game and Tanner won a game...so I guess we both get to go to bed happy (although I wanted to play a tiebreaker....what's the fun in a tie? I like winners and losers!). The cards have changed in quality and color, but I still get that same YEAHHHH feeling when I turn over a SKIP-BO card on my stock pile as I did twenty years ago. How many games can you say that about?

La Boca Grande

Nielson Needs...

Here are some of the Google "needs" that members of my household may have thought this week...

Chez's version of what Tanner needs:

Tanner needs to come clean (about when and if he is EVER going to accept his job offer!)

Tanner needs our help (to stay alive...the man won't eat unless he's fed)

Tanner needs a forever family who will be committed to him and provide him with unconditional love (I am not joking, it really was on google)

Tanner's version of what Tanner needs:

Tanner needs some help around the house (sad but true on some days)

Tanner needs more exercise (after sitting in a chair reading cases ALL DAY LONG)

Tanner needs a place to hide out for a while (when Clark comes to visit him at his desk for the 30th time in 10 minutes...okay okay, AND when I ask him the 30th question of the day while he is studying)

Tanner needs to communicate (on the football field, talking smack with those pesky 1Ls who THOUGHT they could take on the old men (3Ls) and win)

Chez's version of what Chez needs:

Chez needs to write about it. And please trust me on this one- Chez needs an outlet (I LOVE BLOGGING!)

Chez needs a nap (all the time...I love naps!)

Chez needs convenience (who doesn't??)

Chez needs to redirect her energy into something constructive (when I am going on my 10th game of Spider Solitaire)

Tanner's version of Chez's needs:

Chez needs to pick up my laundry (when he opens his underwear drawer...oops no underwear)

Chez needs to be activated to become properly functional (in the morning after Clark wakes up and I am still snoozing in bed)

Chez needs to be more active (Tanner loves to exercise and thinks everyone around him should love it too!)

Tanner and Cherylyn's version of Clark's needs:

Clark needs to be stopped from doing this (crawling in his room and shutting the door and then sitting there blocking it so we can't get in)

Clark's version of what Clark needs:

Clark needs to do some investigative work on his own

The Office

Yesterday, Clark and I went and visited some friends at my old job at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. They have had a lot of changes take place since I left, and there is a lot of stress associated with the upcoming events for Virginia's 400th anniversary. Everyone could not believe how big Clark is, and they just kept saying how well behaved he is...I have to admit that he was putting on quite the show...it was as if he knew he was on display!

My favorite moment of the day was when I was visiting with someone in their cubicle and I heard a group of people laughing nearby, and when I peaked outside of the cubicle down the long hallway, there was one of my former co-workers Debbie, who is in her late 40s, pushing Clark down the hallway in a box with his little head sticking out of the top with a big 'ol grin on his face. How I wish I had my camera with me! Someone came over and said "This is the happiest the office has been in months. Can you come back once a week?" I wanted to say "Sure, can you pay me?" But I didn't.

We ended up being there for over two hours visiting and playing. As I was buckling Clark into his carseat to leave, I replayed in my mind a comment someone made while we were there. They said "you can tell that he is a baby who has his mama at home with him...what a lucky boy he is."

I think I am the lucky one.