Getting the kids ready for bed is no easy task. Our target time for getting k into bed is 7 p.m. This entails us starting the bedtime routine before 6:30. There are baths to be given, teeth to be brushed and flossed, a diaper to be changed, pajamas to be changed into, help to be given with the toilet, books to be read, a water bottle to be refilled and prayers to be said. These things are much easier if D is around to help. Then, after that, there is feeding time for n, and putting him to sleep. This can take anywhere from 15-45 minutes. How quickly this can be done determines how much “me time” I get, so it is easy for me to get testy when things don’t happen on schedule. Fortunately (knock on wood) tonight everything went fairly smoothly. I was able to watch my Tivo’d The Hills and The City episodes while folding a basket of laundry without interruption! Earlier in the day I was able to clean our room for a couple of hours while my parents watched the kids. It was quite satisfying (although there is still a lot more to be done). Funny how the things that you get excited about change so much once kids come into the picture.

k got this tunnel from Ikea as a present for her 2nd birthday. However, we kept it at my parents’ house since there wasn’t too much room in our condo. Now that we have some more space, k wanted to try it out again. n got in on the action too! I’m thinking about getting the Ikea igloo tent, too.

Yes, it is really starting to feel like Autumn around here. We even had a little wind and rain last night, and it was so cozy! Need to put the flannel sheets on the bed. In the past two days I’ve made two apple cakes. Next up will be sour cream apple pie. 🙂

80’s revival.

I bought these headbands for k in preparation for Halloween, thinking she could also wear them on regular days. However, just like all of her other barrettes and bands, she has declared, “I don’t like this. It hurts me.” She was willing to “put it on by myselves” and have her picture taken, though.

Meanwhile, n is busy crawling around everywhere and putting EVERYTHING in his mouth. He also has an insatiable need to crawl toward the computer in our room and reach for the blue power button.

A couple nights last week he slept 8 and 9 hours. However, since he went down around 7, this still didn’t mean 8 or 9 hours of sleep for me. I am really looking forward to that day…can’t believe it’s been almost 7 months since that has happened!

Also, Happy Anniversary to my parents today!

Haven’t been updating lately, but there hasn’t been any fun stuff going on. Instead, I had my flu shot, took k to the dentist, and had the plumber fix our leaking shower. We’re dealing with k’s cold/cough, n’s eczema/sneezing and my cold that I can feel coming on.

I don’t like being sick, but I think I dislike when k is sick even more. She is just so miserable and moody, not that I can blame her. Here she is smiling, but most of the day was NOT like this, believe me.

n gets moody when he’s not feeling well too, but since he is so little, it is not as annoying.

D’s just hoping he can stay healthy through Sunday, when he runs his Long Beach 1/2 marathon!

Today we saw tons of play candy corn at Disneyland & California Adventure. For my birthday, I went with my little sis and k. We left n with my dad. Since I had my 3 day pass, I got to go on a $72 spending spree. One thing that I wasn’t aware of is that they quiz you as to the other dates that you used your pass so they know it is yours. (Or maybe that was just because I didn’t write my name on the back). I knew we went on D’s birthday, but couldn’t remember the other day. I was one day off on my guess, so she let me go.

Get it? Candy “corn”?

Golden Gate Bridge got gussied up.

World’s Largest Candy Corn

k’s favorite ride in Bug’s Land. She was really scared of the ladybug ride, for some reason. Too jerky, I guess. Looking forward when she’ll have fun on the faster rides!

We all shared a Chinese chicken salad bread bowl from Pacific Wharf. Love that Boudin sourdough! Tried to get ice cream from Catch-A-Flave, but it didn’t open until 2 p.m., boo.

Disneyland decorated too. Still have to go during Christmas time to see the decorations, though.

A Mickey jack-o-lantern.

So, here’s what I bought with my birthday fun card: Mickey ice cube tray, cookie cutter (for me); Mickey tall, skinny mug (for D); 50th Anniversary CD (for all of us, but mostly k); and an It’s a Small World boat with removable people, It’s a Small World keychain and It’s a Small World magnet (for k). I gave k the boat already, but I think I’ll save the keychain and magnet for Christmas.

My sister and I used the rider switch pass to go on Space Mountain. They changed it for Halloween, adding different music, along with projections of various scary images during the ride. I was definitely more scared than usual, maybe because I was sitting in the front, and by myself. It’s much more fun going with someone else!

After all of that, I had to take n to a doctor’s appointment with his new doctor. Then my parents brought home some Chinese food and we had dinner at their place. (D is still at work because he has to stay late on the last day of the month. He didn’t wish me a happy birthday until 11:30 a.m. today! Don’t worry, I already made him feel bad about it.) Time to sleep!

I know I say this every year, but I love fall! It is finally feeling a little cooler around here, although I see in the forecast that it will warm up again. D is hoping it cools off A LOT before his 1/2 marathon coming up.

Something that has been passed down from my grandma and mom is decorating for the seasons. I am sloowly building my stash of holiday decor. (I’m making a conscious effort not to let it get too out of control). I just think it is a nice way to change up your home and acknowledge the passing of time. I llike how k gets excited now, too.

Here is our kitchen nook. Those windows are the only ones downstairs that face the front of our house, so they are our windows to the world, so to speak. Notice my one lone ornament on my tree. I would like to fill it with handmade ornaments someday, for each season.

What is lurking in my fall arrangement? A felt candy corn, made from a pattern found here. k really got a kick out of it, even though she has never tasted the real thing.

Just down the street from us is the Irvine/Tustin Marketplace. It has a lot of stores and restaurants, so it is very convenient. In fact, we haven’t really ventured too far beyond the Marketplace yet in terms of dining out. We joke that we’ll have visited every restaurant pretty soon, which is not too far from the truth. It helps that there have been a lot of coupons/deals floating around.

For example, I signed us up for the Red Robin birthday club. Since our birthdays are 11 days apart, we were both able to eat free on Sat. D ordered an iced tea so we wouldn’t be too embarrassed. I didn’t expect them to sing the song and bring us TWO ice cream sundaes without us asking, but they did! Now, that was embarrassing!

Tonight, after a lackluster meal at On the Border (BOGO entree coupon), we went to Starbucks to use my free birthday drink coupon (just register your Starbucks card online). Before, D and I would always share a drink and k didn’t want any, so it wasn’t a problem. Now, I’m starting to feel bad, so we got her a kid’s hot chocolate. It is a small cup, and I think they don’t make it as hot. It’s only $1.10, pretty good deal.

Of course, n is still too young for Starbucks. He’s content just playing with the table!