Oh Sweet September

We surely began the month of September with a bang in deciding to take our kids on their first ever overnight camping trip. I had high hopes of enjoying nature with our two little people, especially since they loved the hike we took a few months ago. Surely they would love camping then, right? Jase went into this experience with more realistic expectations (he said, "I wasn't actually expecting to sleep, were you?").

Anyways, We went to Brunswick, MD and stayed at Brunswick Family Campground. They were the only campground around here without a 2 night minimum for the Labor day holiday weekend. It was a nice campground, literally steps from the Potomac river, but also right next to a double train track where trains went by blazing their horns about every 1/2 hour all night long. Brunswick is supposed to only be about a 50  minute drive from here, but it ended up being closer to 1 1/2 hours. Bless this Maryland traffic. Alden screamed (for unapparent reasons we could not understand, nor would he care to communicate) most of the way there. We got there and set up camp and cooked our dinner, etc. That went great, and the kids loved eating hot dogs and throwing sticks on the fire and getting dirty. I love when they like being outside. The real fun started when it got dark and Rachel realized we weren't going home. She thought it was the silliest, dumbest thing in the world that we would even think of sleeping OUTSIDE, ON THE GROUND (granted we were in a tent, with sleeping bags and pillows) when we had perfectly good, empty beds at home. Those were her words. Plus it was really dark, and that really scared Rachel, who is used to sleeping with the closet light on. She eventually consented and fell asleep around 10 (we started bedtime routine around 8:30). Alden was a whole other story. He was completely irrational and totally exhausted but just couldn't calm down. He's used to falling asleep by himself with no distractions, so this was pretty nuts of us to even attempt I guess. Around 11 Jase took screaming little Alden to the car and drove laps around the campground until he fell asleep around 11:30 and brought him back to the tent. Little man woke up around 3:50 and again, couldn't sleep, so Jase did the same thing as before and just slept the rest of the night in the car. By 6 am we were all up and making breakfast. Our fishing pole had manufacturer's defects discovered by Jase at the campsite, so...no fishing. We ended up walking around a bit (Alden called this a hike) and swinging with the kids at the campground park, so that was fun, but we couldn't help but think the swinging, walking, and cooking at a charcoal grill nearby may have been more efficient. Let's just say that I don't think we'll be going camping anytime soon. At least because I've written this down, the kids will know someday that their parents tried to give them good family time out in nature, even if they hated it?

Rachel and Alden adding sticks to the fire.

Jase telling
"spooky" stories

Attempts at a family picture by the Potomac river

Attempt #2 (we never got a great one)

I love back to school time each fall. With the weather cooling and all the new school supplies in the stores, it's just exciting for me. I used to love the first day of a new school year or a new semester, what with the fresh starts and the new books. I even have started to re-read the Harry Potter series this fall since it makes me feel like I'm at Hogwarts going to school again. Too fun. Anyways, Rachel and I started our second year of Joy School. Three other moms and I rotate weeks, which makes the class a nice group of 4 kids--2 boys and 2 girls. So far everything's gone pretty well. The first day at my house was pretty chaotic, but I sort of expected that since none of the other kids had been to our house before. With new surroundings, new toys to play with, and a new mom to meet, attention spans aren't top notch. The second day went great, so I'm sure things will be wonderful this year. It has been good for Rachel to make some more friends here in Maryland, which I think has been a little harder for her since she's so used to things being easy with her Virginia friend group. During Joy School when the other mothers teach, Alden and I have been enjoying long park visits (this boy can swing for an hour straight!), ice-cream dates, and doing errands that are easier to do with one munchkin instead of two. Rachel also started a pre-k gymnastics class for 45 minutes once a week. It's a pretty simple class, but the teacher is awesome. The moms get to look through a little window to watch the action, and it looks like a blast. They do a little stretching, lots of playing/movement exercises with music (pretending to be animals, etc.), and they do little obstacle courses with a small balance beam, soft padded stairs and wedges, etc. She loves going and has a lot of fun every time. Alden desperately wishes he could go into class too, so I think next year when he turns 3 I'll let them do the class together (it's a 3-5 age group).

Rachel's first day of Joy School, year 2!

Alden enjoying some coloring time with Mama during Joy School

Rachel all set for Pre-k Gymnastics

Looking so handsome for church!

My beautiful girl!!!

Probably the biggest news of the month is that we added a little someone to our family. Jase and I have discussed adding a real pet (not a fish or even our little birds) to our family for a long time. Our last apartment wouldn't have been great for a cat or a dog, especially not during the time we were having two tiny ones and in the throes of law school. When we signed our lease here in Maryland, we knew that it said "no pets," but we decided to ask the Realtor anyways since we thought it couldn't hurt. The owner actually came back with a "yes, no problem, one small cat." Adopting a pet is sort of like a decision to have a baby, since a kitten could stick around for 15-20 years of raising, so we really wanted to find the right kitty. We did some prep buying (a crate, bed, litter box, etc.), and then went to Petsmart to scope out the available cats (Oliver is actually from an animal rescue that contracts through Petsmart adopt). We had been the week before, just looking for fun before we knew we could even have a cat. I was with the kids this time while Jase was at work and as I pulled the cart up to the window, Rachel and I saw the cutest little orange kitten through the glass. Rachel and I looked at each other and she said (with tears in her eyes, like she couldn't believe this was really happening), "That's my kitty isn't it?" I was thinking the exact same thing. He was bouncing around in his pen like crazy chasing after a ball. I spoke with the adoption counselor and she agreed he was a great fit for a house with kids. He was 4 months old (we didn't really want an 8 week old baby, what with Alden being 2 and potentially a little rough), very playful and tolerant, and healthy. I got all his records, picked up a few more things, and we brought him home the very hour! Rachel named him right there and proclaimed him to be Oliver. I took him to the vet the next day and he checked out great. He is everything we dreamed and hoped for. More than anything, he loves being near people. He follows me around all day (he even comes and sits by my feet while I do my hair and makeup). He still takes many naps throughout the day, and can sneak away to a spot under a bed or chair and enjoy some space from the kids. He is a great lap cat, and if you're sitting on the couch, he's there right beside you or on you sleeping and purring like a motor boat. I think this is uncharacteristic of most cats, but Oliver will purr for a half hour straight if he's awake and just sitting with you. He's the happiest, sweetest cat. We've had a few near-death scares, what with Rachel and Alden being sort-of (completely) obsessed with finding Oliver and touching him most of the time, but he's no worse for the wear, and sometimes I actually think he likes it. The other day Rachel was "tickling his chin" like crazy and making all sorts of horribly high-pitched sounds. I thought it would annoy him, but it turns out he was purring the whole time and quite enjoying all the attention. Suffice it to say, we love him and are so happy he's ours. His nicknames are Ollie, Ollio, and Oliver the "regal lion."

This guy is IN LOVE with Ollie. 

Cute boy with his white socks and jingle bell (although we've been taking his bell collar off so the kids can't find  him).

Nap on the couch (he crosses his front paws a lot while sleeping...I think it's so cute!)

Rachel is most definitely in love with her kitty. She is always laying on the couch or the floor with him singing the song from Charlotte's Web "There must be something more to us than you and me..."

We also took a Saturday family outing to the National Zoo. We decided to take the metro in so the kids could see what riding was like. They call the metro "the wild choo-choo" since when we first moved here and would drop Jase off to go into work Rachel would say dramatically, "it just looks so wild" (we think this is because it's sort of dirty maybe?). The kids were giddy to ride something so wild, and had a lot of fun going through the tunnels and looking out the windows when we were above ground. A girl who was riding in the same car as us passed Jase a note on our way off the train that said, "You two make a cute couple. Congrats! :)" We thought that was a really nice thing to say. Our supposed 30 minute train ride actually ended up being a nearly 2 hour adventure itself since the red line was partially down (we had no idea) and we had to exit at an earlier stop than we wanted, catch a free shuttle bus to another stop, get back on the metro, exit at the one we really wanted, and then walk several blocks to the zoo. And then walk around the hilly zoo to enjoy it! It was pretty exhausting with 2 kids and a stroller. I could have only done it all with Jase there! We saw so many animals and had a great time though, and a frozen yogurt place across the street gave us free cold water bottles on our way out. The kids were pretty well shot by the time we saw the seals, so we decided to call it a day (we hadn't seen several parts of the zoo yet, but...when you're tired, you're tired!).

Riding the metro like Dad.

Rach and I

So excited!

Rachel was obsessed with this armadillo. We couldn't believe it, but apparently this is her most favorite animal. We spent just as much time watching this little guy as we did with the monkeys, seals, etc. She loved him.

What a sweet ape. 

Totally wiped out. Most days we get our normal nap time routine, but you just have to have some days like this where you have so much fun you just fall asleep wherever you are, right?

In other news, Jase and I are officially dating again (meaning we actually go out, with no children, alone, to do something fun, just for us!!). Getting a babysitter, in our current state, means it's just cost-prohibitive to go on weekly-ish dates (we like to reserve dating money for the actual dates), so we were hoping when we moved to Maryland to find a like-minded couple to switch off with. In the past, we've always swapped babysitting with friends. Jase or I would go sit at their house after their kids went to bed so they could go for a date, and then one of our friends would do the same for us the next weekend (this works still since we all have kids that go to bed around 7). It can be a pain to plan and figure out the times, but it always works out and is worth it. We finally found another couple who were interested in a date-swap, so we've been doing that. We've mostly just gone out to eat and gone for walks in fun areas. Our last date we got frozen yogurt and went for a walk to a Barnes and Noble. It was so much fun holding Jase's arm and holding hands with no little people to carry or to ensure no one gets run over by a car, etc. (bless them still, we love them). We found tons of books we want to buy each other for Christmas, and spent way too much time in the children's section reliving our favorites from when we were kids, and planning which ones to get the kids for Christmas. I forgot how fun a bookstore can be, especially when it's just you and your really cute husband.

And that's a wrap! Happy October!!! It's pumpkin season (Jase makes a mean homemade pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream that I am seriously looking forward to...).