Halloween Festivities

Carving Pumpkins with Daddy


Gage at the costume parade at the library with his friend Elizabeth


At the church's trunk or treat


At DMU halloween party

So, if you didn't know, in Iowa they celebrate what they call Beggars Night instead of Halloween and they kids trick or treat the night before. We also took Gage to the toddler party at the library (last Thursday), our church's trunk or treat (last Saturday), and just because I believe that Halloween should be celebrated on the actual day, we went to DMU today for a trick or treating party (today). Here are some pictures from the past weeks events.
-oh, and he is Peter Pan, NOT Robin Hood, in case you were wondering.

Now that Halloween festivities are over I am ready to go and have this baby. Just not in the next 7 hours, let's at least make it into November!

Like Father, Like Son...

So I should have seen it coming when we took Gage on his first bow hunt before he was 6 months old. Just so you know, I didn't dare post the picture of Gage, Wade and the deer Wade got, let's just say it wasn't a pretty picture.

Any way, back to the point...Gage is just like his dad.

This morning Gage has been walking around the house putting a kitchen spoon into this bubble blower contraption he has, throwing the spoon out at random objects and telling me, "I shot deer!" I kept asking him if he was hunting or if he was really saying other words and he would answer, "Deer, hunting."

Because of school, Wade didn't even go on the bow hunt the past two years; so I guess Gage is a true Christiansen at heart after all. Not that I ever doubted this, and not that it's a bad thing. I thought it was worth sharing.

The Novembers

So there is a group of us right now that are all pregnant and due in November, hence the name, the Novembers. I thought it would be fun to get together for some pictures so the other day my friend Erica took some great and silly photo's of us. So here we all are - windblown, big bellies, and having fun!

We are all pregnant with our second child and are standning in order of due date as well (L-R):
Amanda is due the 16th with a girl
I'm due the 15th with a boy
Allison S. is due the 10th with a girl
Allison B. is due the 3rd with a boy

We think it would be great if we were all together in the hospital at the same time -we even all go to the same OB clinic, so the Dr. on call would only have to show up one time!

Memorial

I would like to ask everyone to take a moment out of their day to remember a dear friend to our family. Hoss.

While many of you might not know him by this name, I am speaking of Wade's dear truck Hoss, whom we sold last night and is now gone from our family. It was a sad night and Hoss will be missed greatly.

For my husband, who reads this blog, a few of my favorite Hoss memories are:
1. Alpine Loop in AF canyon
2. Boating trips with Steph and Greg, who bought the boat but needed Hoss to haul it to the lake.
3. Camping trips and cooking pancakes on the tool box...then leaving the butter out in the hot sun and having it melt all over the place.
4. Before we started dating having you take Tiffany Richins home and secretly hoping that you would drop her off first so I could still sit in the middle with you:)
5. Taking Gage for rides in it during the deer hunt.
6. Stories you would come home and tell me about your door falling off. They make me laugh now!
7. The sad day when you took the Hoss name off, I still am not sure why you did that, but I guess it was time.
8. Seeing Gage "help" you fix it. Then seeing Gage blow a fuse in it so you are stuck without a radio for a month. I'm not sure who will miss it more, you or him!
9. The fun (and sometimes scary to me) camping spots we could find all because you had 4 wheel drive.
10. Rocking out to Meatloaf, Monster Ballads or any of your other good old 80's rock music.

Even though Wade probably doesn't believe me, I really am sad it's gone. More sad that the guy that bought it wants to paint it, and even more sad that I didn't get to take pictures of Gage and Wade in it one last time. It was a good truck and it will be missed. It deserved it's own blog!

Arts and Crafts

So today I let Gage play with finger paints for the first time (well, besides the ColorWonder kind that only paint on certain paper). He had a blast. Maybe it's because a lot of his friends are in pre-school now and I've seen a lot of there fun projects that I felt guilty, or maybe it's because I know in a few short weeks he will not be the only one receiving all of my attention. Either way he got to paint, and paint he did!

First we did two pictures which are now proudly displayed in our kitchen. Then I let him paint on of his pumpkins we got at the pumpkin patch. He would have painted all afternoon! I think this will now be one of his favorite activities and it's a good thing because cold weather has joined us in Iowa.

Two other funny things:
1. He keeps telling me that it is "winding" outside. He says it's raining and winding. Every time I try to correct him he thinks I'm talking about "Wendy" in Peter Pan.
2. This morning we were talking about what we should name baby brother. We have three names picked out, but Gage comes up with new ones every day. This morning he wanted to name our baby Buck.
Totally random thoughts of a two year old!!!

Some Days...

My mom sends me cards of encouragement and comics that she thinks I would enjoy. Today I thought this one was so great I had to scan it and share with everyone. I felt it was appropriate to share!

I need your vote

I went to the Dr. today.....
And while it's not November yet, let's all take a vote:
OB-GYN's should not be able to make a comment about your weight followed by saying "hum" without telling you what they are thinking.

If the vote is unanimous then we should write up a memo and send it to every OB residency program in the nation.

Cravings and Peeves

So when I was pregnant with Gage, I had a definite craving: Arby's roast beef sandwiches. I could eat there 2 or 3 times a day. Sometimes I would get it for lunch and work and then come home and suggest it to Wade for dinner without mentioning that I had ate there for lunch. This took careful consideration too, because I had to visit different Arby locations so not to be embarrassed!

This pregnancy I really haven't had too many cravings, but I do wish that my favorite fast food restaurant - Sonic - was closer to my house...Wade probably is glad that it isn't. I really like their onion rings, toaster sandwiches, tator tots, burgers...ok, who am I kidding, I enjoy almost everything on their menu. Maybe it's a thing from my past; Sonic was the "hang-out" place to be when I was in high school. (We didn't have anything else). My craving for Sonic isn't really because I'm pregnant, I would want it this much minus the extra hormones, but the 15 minute drive to the closest Sonic really makes me upset sometime. So....if anyone reading this has extra money they want to invest, open a Sonic franchise in West Des Moines, Iowa.

As for my peeves, I am now in entering my last month of pregnancy and it really amazes me what people say to you. I had a friend tell me this week that I've "really popped out there and that I look lopsided” It’s ok coming from her, because it was true. However, a stranger at the library told me yesterday that I looked great, besides that my ankles were swelling a little. I really didn't think my ankles had been swollen at all - and since she had never seen them before in her life, I didn't think that was her place to judge!

Sometimes I just have to laugh. Then I buy myself something from Sonic and I feel better.

Today's ten thoughts:

Thoughts I’ve had today:

1. I shouldn’t be offended when my toddler says “Mommy big!!!” I should remember that I’m telling him to eat his food so he will grow big. He is in no way referring to my baby weight.
2. Nesting isn’t always enjoyable. The projects that I’ve started have been a lot more work.
3. Bathrooms should deep clean themselves if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or just breathing.
4. When you think your toddler is being good because he is quiet and watching a movie, it is a bad sign. He most likely (in my case) has colored on things he shouldn’t have, torn all the cushions off the couch and build a fort where he is hiding and trying to eat domino’s….yeah the game kind, not the pizza kind. Or he is standing in front of the TV licking it. Don't ask, I don't.
5. I go to wal-mart way to often.
6. Nap times should be minimum of 2 ½ hours, one hour for mommy to sleep and one hour to scrapbook or read. Half an hour to think about cleaning the bathroom (refer to #3).
7. Babies in utro should not be allowed to kick or stretch that hard.
8. Some days I just want to have a “piratitude”…if you watch Wife Swap you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, it just means some days I just want to be lazy.
9. Coke is good….especially the cherry kind.
10. It’s only 1:30 we still have 5 hours till Wade comes home and 7 till bedtime!!!

Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we went to the Howell Tree Farm and Pumpkin Patch. Wade had finished a test and is starting a new class today and now has 2 tests a week - one every Monday from now until after Thanksgiving...so he wanted to get out and do something with us while he could. The benefit that he can walk now was a BIG bonus.


For $3 you get a tractor ride and to pick a pumpkin from the patch. Gage of course was in love with every tractor that he saw on the farm...there were lots of tractors, but the farmer let him sit on this one!



In pursuit for the perfect pumpkin and picking it.


Gage and Wade taking a stroll through the corn maze.


Waiting to head back to the barn so we can buy our pumpkins. We had to pick two, one for Gage and one for the baby.


Back at the farm we could pet the animals and the goats particularly loved Gage. I think they thought he had food with him, but we didn't. He liked the attention either way.

It was a really hot day to go out to the farm, I think the high was around 90 yesterday, but it was still a fun trip and I'm glad that Wade took some time off to go do something with us. We went last year with just the girls and kids, and I'm sure this year we will head back sometime with the same group, just hopefully with cooler weather. There is also a cool gift/flower shop that is open all year, so if any of you out-of-towners are in town sometime, this is a place you might want to check out!

So no pictures this time, this is just a teaser. We got the package from my mom in the mail today with Gage's Halloween costume in it and now I cannot wait until Halloween!

Gage is going to be Peter Pan, and let just say it's a very handsome costume and he isn't to fond of taking it off! I still have to buy him a few swords, and then it will be REALLY exciting for him. I might break down before Halloween and post pictures, but for right now, everyone has to wait and see! I was just to excited to not say how cute he is going to be :)