The Dude

Evan! Evan? Evan. What can I say about this kid right now? 3 and 1/2 is killing me! I love how funny he is nowadays, but I don't love how naughty he is. Did you know that at 3 they officially start talking back? He likes to shout "NO!" "You do it", and my personal favorite "Stop it" while pointing his finger. He likes to tell me that I'm not the boss, he likes to yell at Kate like he is her mom, and he even yells at Paul. Time out is proving to be ineffective. Case in point last Wednesday I called Paul and told him he needed to come home so that his boy will be safe. Let's just say after 4 straight rounds of time out I was looking to other options. In all fairness, he did warn me. He woke up that morning and told me that he wanted to be a 'bad guy'. Turns out he wasn't kidding. Bad he was ALL DAY LONG. It's like my sweet boy has been invaded by the aliens. Evan, one day when you read this, just know that I love you. If I didn't you would never have the opportunity to read this. When my sweet boy re-emerges (please bless you do) you will have one grateful and less stressed mother.

The Box

Grandma sent Kate's birthday presents in a box. Little did she know that she might as well have sent an empty box-who needs presents when you have peanuts and a box. Basically, it was a party box! Evan had a great time playing in, out, around and through the box. There were peanuts all over my house for two days. The grand finale came when the peanuts were scattered all over the floor and Evan came through on his scooter. Needless to say if you need any ideas for a gift- don't do a gift. Just send the box!

Pumpkin Patch

This years visit to the pumpkin patch was a highly anticipated event! Evan couldn't wait, and he could not wait to "cut" the pumpkin. We went on a tractor ride, through the corn maze, picked out a pumpkin on jumped on hay bales (the highlight of the trip). always a fun trip!

Summer's End

These are just a few of the many pics I took at the beach this sumer. Since I'm trying to catch up, it's best to narrow down. We had a great time (as usual) visiting our local beaches with friends and family. Kate turned out to be quite a beach baby, and Evan now officially enters the water. He's brave enough to go in and he even gave the boogie board a try (where was my camera then?). Leaving usually means a tired mom, but even more exhausted kids. You can count on Evan falling asleep by the time you hit 5 minutes in the car. Lots of perks living in Southern California- but it never gets better than the beach!

Playin' at the park

Labor Day in the OC

Dear Mandy, Jason, Luke and Etta,
We had a blast! Evan slept like a baby for the next two days. Thanks for hosting us, putting on a great barbecue, letting us crash a Streiff party, and putting up with the mess. We miss you already!

Padre's Game

We took the opportunity to go to a Padre's afternoon game with the Traina's and the Sadlier's. We took up the space on the grass and let Evan and the other kids run wild. Let's just say we didn't watch much of the game! It was fun to be at the ballpark though. Petco park really is a great park. Plus they have a great area for kids to play at a park or the baseball diamond. All in all it was a fun afternoon. Thanks Heather for the pics!