Hello Everyone,

Anyone else trying to deny it is November and there are Christmas decoration in the stores?

We have had another busy month.  I don’t know why I keep thinking they won’t be as busy.  To follow up on the last update, yes Jeremiah got to feed a 100 year old tortoise.  He loved it. I do think he was a little scared when the tortoise went to close its mouth 2 inches from his fingers, but who wouldn’t be. At least they move slow!!

We have had birthday parties almost every weekend since the last update.  So Jeremiah has been loving the extra goodies.  Two of them Aidan’s and Kelly’s were the same weekend.  The child was on a sugar high for days!! For Greta’s party we got to go apple picking.  It was a little over an hour drive away and was a cold day.  But we still had a blast.  Jeremiah and friends ran up and down the rows of apple trees, sampling apples and making “applesause” (stepping on rotten apples).  Then last weekend we went to Pump It Up for Athena & Berk’s party.  It is warehouse with 2 bounce houses, a slide and an obstacle course.  He had a blast.

Jeremiah and I went to Bates Nut Farm with the Marta’s this year.  The kids loved running through the pumpkin patch.  We picked out pumpkins, but Jake must have left the wheelbarrow too close to the patch.  When we came back our pumpkins were gone.  The kids didn’t mind they got to pick out “more” pumpkins.  We rode on the hayride, fed the animals and Jeremiah’s favorite – found the stamps in the straw maze.  It was a great day and even better when we got the “student” rate.  I do love a bargain.

Jeremiah also got his teeth cleaned in October.  He did a great job and we were really out of there pretty quick.  I don’t understand why, but he always seems to get “extra” things when we go places.  He got 2 toys, because it was almost Halloween and one from the regular treasure chest.  At least he is good when he gets them.

Jeremiah and I ended up with coughs and colds for a week or so.  So that allowed us to have a “relaxing” week where we didn’t go as many places.  Seemed like all of our friends had it at one time or another.  Glad it is gone now.

Halloween weekend we got to go away on a mini-vacation.  We went to our timeshare in Dana Point.  Jeremiah had fun in the game room and although it was kind of cold we swam in the heated pool.  We went to Bubba Gumps in Anaheim and decided to go to Downtown Disney as well.  Jeremiah dressed up in his Knight costume and loved walking around “looking for very fierce dragons”.  He loved the Lego store and didn’t want to leave.  (Legos have been the newest “thing” he wants to do – all the time!).  We came back Sunday late morning, to find ants had invaded Jeremiah’s cheerio guy.  So much for a relaxing weekend.

After a “quick” nap, we got Jeremiah changed and headed to New Venture for the start of our Halloween night. We played some games and of course jumped in the bounce house.  He loved the Motocross riders that did tricks and jumps in the air.  I think he could have watched them forever.  Then we headed to Iwasaki’s.  Jeremiah actually went door-to-door trick or treating for the first time.  Usually we just go to the Iwasaki’s and Bob’s (their neighbor that we know).  He was the smallest one going around, but he ran to keep up.  Of course we got part way down the big hill when he decided he had to go to the bathroom. 🙂  He gave us a play by play at each house: The 2nd house we went to “I only got one”.  “Mommy, I got you a crunch bar”  “But I see people inside why don’t they answer the door” “There were a lot of people at that house”  “I told them I was a knight” “They have a pirate that makes noises” (He thinks that skeletons are pirates – it is less scary for him and I let him believe it.  Besides pirates always have skull and cross bones on their stuff, right?).  The Best “My bucket is too heavy” Andy: “Then you will have to be done if you can’t carry it” “No that is ok”.  Of course we had to leave in time to go give out candy at our house.  Praise God there were a few people still out when we came home.  He loved giving out huge (for him) handfuls of candy.

I had gotten a couple other pumpkins, so we decided to carve them before we went to Dana Point.  Jeremiah’s had to look JUST LIKE HIM.  He approved in the end, so that was good.  We lit them on Thursday night and they burned out on their own.  When we checked them the next day, Jeremiah’s was so small it actually burned part of his lid.  He was SO not happy about it.  But I just joked that it had started to make pumpkin pie and promised we would get a bigger one next year.  So then we went to Dana Point.  We got back and the lid on his pumpkin was missing.  Totally gone.  We can only guess that a bird or cat or some animal took it.  When we lit it Halloween evening we found out whatever it was had also eating the inside of the eyeball out.  Needless to say Jeremiah did not understand why it happened and was even more upset.  Who would have thought pumpkins could have so much drama?

He has also started to be scared at nap/bedtime.  I think part of it is all the Halloween stuff and I know part of it was a cartoon we watched. They told stories of a monster when they were camping.  He has even seen the monster before and in the episode he was helpful and just wanted roasted marshmallows.  But that was enough for him.  His imagination is taking over and I think he is using it to try to stay up later.  As soon as I tuck him in and start to leave he says he is scared.  I think it has become his new bedtime routine.  I am hoping since the Halloween stuff is gone this will fade too.

After some cool weather, we had some hot summer weather.  So last Wednesday Jeremiah, Sarah, Joshua & I went to the beach.  It was beautiful.  Kind of weird to be in November and in a bathing suit at the beach.  Jeremiah had to have me dig out his “race car” (a hole in the sand with a seat).  Joshua and he raced.   It was pretty funny.

We also got to hang out with Becca last week and go to Chick-fil-a.  It was interesting to see him interact with kids he doesn’t know.  Usually he is quite shy and stands back and observes, but he was up in the tunnels singing and playing.  He is definitely getting older.

On top of the party this weekend, Auntie Katie came down.  Carlo was not allowed to come (Jeremiah’s orders) because Jeremiah wanted Katie to spend the night.  Next time Carlo.  We had fun with friends and played Rock Band 3.  He didn’t have to nap as long this weekend with Katie here and we were hoping it would help him adjust to time change.  No such luck and he has since decided he does not want to nap anymore.  In fact he has been telling me he doesn’t sleep during nap anymore nor at night.  Which is funny because he is awfully quiet right now and he was rubbing his eyes a lot as we were singing before nap.  I guess this is part of being “almost 4”.

He is super excited about his birthday and Christmas.  I keep trying to reign him back in, because we have several more birthdays before that and Thanksgiving.  But he is just focused on December.

This month he also hit 3 1/2 feet.  I haven’t checked his weight lately but with all the treats I am guessing it has gone up.  He is actually going to the bathroom on his own with out telling us.  He has even gone by himself when we were at friend’s houses!  So that is exciting.  He is definitely becoming my “Big Boy”.  No more little baby.  But I am enjoying this stage too.  If only we could figure out how to stop him from screeching every once in a while we would be set.  🙂

So that is us.  Hope you have a wonderful holiday season.  Enjoy it and don’t get too wrapped up in the razzle dazzle!

🙂
Nichole