As I sit here at the end of December trying to play catch up on the blog from the last 6 weeks so many memories are stirred up by looking through all of the many pictures. As Kevin will attest, I periodically tend to despise the effort it takes to put this blog together. It feels like a burden and another item on my list of chores or responsibilities that need to be done and it’s not often something I really want to spend my time on when I have a few moments to spare. Usually when I finally sit down to do it I run into some software or photo download or editing issue. And before I know it I’m 6 weeks behind, making the burden to catch up that much worse. I know it’s only pressure from myself and I’m the one who makes myself feel like it’s a chore. But in the end, I’m always so happy to have it to look back on. Even if in the midst I just want to give up.
This week we went on our annual vacation to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Each year it really becomes more and more fun as Griffin remembers what we do and where we go and he gets excited to do it all again. He loves to stay in the cabin and does really well sleeping in his own room in an unfamiliar place each year. The smiles he has on his face throughout our vacation whether it be while we’re spending a lazy day at the cabin or a crazy busy day at Dollywood make it so much fun.
There are certainly many things I don’t remember from this week since I’m posting about it 6 weeks after the fact, but one thing I do recall are the struggles we had getting Reid to sleep! Hence the starting photo this week. He would sleep great in your arms, but not in his bed! He was a rock star in the car during our drive. We made it in decent time, having to stop for diaper changes and feedings, but overall we had a good trip down. We took the pack and play for him to sleep in our room and boy, was I not prepared for the sleepless nights! He is still sleeping in the cosleeper in our room at home at night and I still feed him once during the middle of the night. But man, in Tennessee he was up about 6 times a night! It was insane: 12:30 am, 2:30, 3:30, 4, 5:30, etc. I was so exhausted that more than once I resorted to putting him next to me on the bed so I could get an hour or a bit more of uninterrupted sleep. I have no idea what the trouble is. I fed him one or more times during the nights on a few nights, it could be his tooth coming in, who knows – but I thought I might lose it! So much so, that at 3 am one night I was reading through Facebook and somehow came across Tulsa Pediatric Sleep Consulting FB page. I started perusing the questions people were asking about their kids and the sleep issues and I saw that every other Sunday they had a “FB Live” question and answer session for an hour. I went back through previous weeks posts and found several moms of babies around 6 months old asking similar questions to those I had. Why is my baby fighting naps? My baby won’t sleep through the night – what is a typical sleep schedule? I read some good advice and signed up for their newsletter, which contained a free chapter of a sleep workbook. As I read through it I just kept thinking – this is so good! I have to have this book! So I got on Amazon at 3 in the morning and put the workbook in my cart. Then I started thinking, maybe I should buy the actual book that goes with the workbook. So I did just that. The Sleep Lady’s Good Night Sleep Tight has been a life saver. More to come on that in the upcoming posts though.
This guy is all football all the time. He chooses to wear his OSU summer outfit over top jeans and a long sleeve shirt on the regular. And here he is cradling Reid’s toy as if it were a football. Sports are in his blood. We really do not build up sports or talk about them much. Griffin regularly brings them up, often football, or he plays it by himself play calling and reenacting moves he’s seen on tv. 
Each year Griffin gets to drive through the Smoky Mountain National Park when we visit Caed’s Cove. He loves it and it pretty good at steering :). 
We ventured out on a half mile hike through the woods to see an old home (terrible but I can’t remember the name!). Griffin loves to run wild through the paths. It felt good to enjoy the fresh air though carrying Reid makes me realize how out of shape I remain!
Each year we take a photo of Griffin at this fence with the beautiful mountains in the background. We have him reenact his same pose and this year we had him hold Reid too. Afterward Finn and Kevin went down the path toward a stream and did some exploring. I stayed back in and fed Reid in the van. It was fun to watch them run through the fields and then see the photos Kevin took of their adventure. It was a beautiful and sunny day this year. It seems as though every year during our trip we have the perfect weather day to explore nature. 
Reid is quite the trooper. Just like Griffin at that age, we take him everywhere we go and he just rolls with it. He definitely seems to be more of a mama’s boy and has already started some separation anxiety or sadness. He certainly doesn’t like it when I pick him up and then shortly thereafter put him back down. He loves those snuggles!
Thankfully we took our stationary play rocker for Reid to have some independent time in the cabin. He’s filling it out so well now it’s hard to believe just a short time ago we had to put a blanket behind and in front of him. 
This year our cabin had a dart board which Griffin absolutely loved. He isn’t one to sit around unless there is a “show” on so he frequently was up in the loft playing darts. And he was quite good! He got several “bulls eyes” not long after he started. And this wasn’t the easiest dart board as there were little holes the dart had to fit into. He was so excited when he made hit the eye. 
As I said earlier, Reid wasn’t a very happy sleeper in his pack and play. I don’t know if it is too hard, or too low to the floor and perhaps cooler there, or what the dealio was. A couple of times I laid him on the bed and then sat on the love seat in our room while he slept. He did take a couple of good naps that way!
Each year we love spending time at The Island where there are plenty of outdoor games and rides as well as tasty restaurants. We had lunch at Poynor’s with tasty sausages and crispy fries and we enjoyed dinner at Paula Deen’s Restaurant one evening. It is just SO GOOD! Just writing this post makes me want to go there again. 
If there is ever a pretzel nearby – Finn will find it. 
This year at the Dixie Stampede it was a special treat! We were in the first row of our section and not long after we sat down our server started talking to Griffin and asked how old he was. Then he asked him if he wanted to go down and chase chickens during the show! Wowzer, how cool! Griffin and Kevin went down and Griffin along with a few other kids got to chase chickens in the arena. They asked him his name with the microphone and everything 🙂 He and the kids on his team came in second place, but they each got medals and a book from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. What a memorable night. 
Here is Griffin chasing chickens.
Reid rode in his first Ferris Wheel at The Island. It’s a pretty sight in the evening though he didn’t see much as he slept right through it!
For the first time this year we hit up the outlet malls. What a madhouse! The parking and traffic was insane. Kevin and Reid stayed in the car while Finn and I ran into a couple of stores. I was super excited as I quickly found outfits for Reid and Griffin and then headed to Gap where I found coordinating shirts for Kevin and me. I am NOT a fast shopper as I am terribly indecisive. So I felt pretty great about our coordinated duds that I pulled together in record time. 
Here are a few photos from our week before we left on vacation. Debbie always does fun holiday crafts and this year for the thankful turkey Griffin wrote each feather himself! He’s growing up fast and is very curious lately about words and spelling. He regularly will say, “Momma, what does s-t-o-p spell” or whatever sign we pass by or something that catches his eye. 
I love getting pictures like this from Debbie during the day in the app we use. They bring a smile to my face.
Griffin has been going to weekly soccer lessons at Locker Soccer in Powell. I’ve noticed he’s becoming more outgoing and a bit goofy from time to time. He really loves Coach Aaron and the Sharks and Minnows game. 
On voting day we took Finn and Reid to the polls and then headed to Tim Horton’s for a very brief breakfast. There was a boil order in effect for areas of Powell Rd so we had to trek down Sawmill Parkway to the Hard Road area. It was raining and traffic was yucky. Blech!
And in other news I finally made an appointment at a dental office in Powell. It’s the first time I’ve gone to anyone other than my Dad in all my life! I survived, though I did have two cavities. 
And here are a few from a facebook post that I shared about Debbie. We are grateful to have her in our family. An acquaintance recently told me how lucky we are to have her, how she loves my kids so much and hugs and kisses them and loves them well when I’m not around. It warmed my heart! 
I woke up on Saturday morning and discovered that Reid has gotten his first tooth! His lower left has just broken through his gums. He is really not bothered but it certainly explains all the drool and the stuffy nose and congestion he’s had over the last week or two.
On Tuesday, ironically Trick or Treat night, both Griffin and I had dental check ups. He checked out really well with healthy teeth and no cavities. Since it was Halloween all of the office staff were dressed up, even Dr. Bob! I visited a new dental office for my first visit ever to an office that wasn’t my Dad’s! I, on the other hand, had two cavities 🙁 Not too bad I guess for not having had regular check ups over the last several years. Later that evening Jim and Pat came up for our traditional Trick or Treat night. Sam and Debbie stayed for pizza and trick or treating with the rest of our neighborhood crew. Reid wore Finn’s Astronaut costume, which I didn’t even try on him until it was time to put him in it to leave. It happened to fit perfectly – thank goodness. He’s a super cute astronaut to go along with his big brother who was a Storm Trooper. The kids this year were so FAST! They ran from house to house at full speed and we hit each house in our neighborhood in about an hour and a half. A great night of fun. Kevin mentioned to me the next day how much he really enjoyed just walking our neighborhood and watching Griffin have such fun and joy. I couldn’t agree more! He had a fun time. 
Debbie snapped this pic of some tummy time this week. Sweet Brutus just loves to be close. 
Reid now sleeps in only a warm sleeper or a long sleeve onesie and a sleep sack. Since he is no longer being swaddled he definitely prefers to sleep on his belly, just like Griffin. I’m also becoming increasingly aware that I’ve encouraged poor sleep habits. He will not fall asleep without his pacifier and if it pops out and he wakes up he is not able to get himself back to sleep without it (since I’ve long been popping it back in when I hear him wrestle and cry). Having him near me in our room has been great but I’m beginning to think we should have moved him to his own room a month or more ago as he now is very aware when he is alone and he really can’t get himself to sleep on his own at all. If I put him down still awake it always ends in screaming and crying or if I put him down nearly asleep he will often startle and wake up and I’ll have to start over again. Ugh. Much to work on in the coming weeks. 
Here are a few others of me trying to snap a pic of his first tooth. He’s too quick so most of these are a bit blurry and it’s pretty hard to see a white spot on his gums!
Griffin had school pictures this week too and Kevin snapped this pic in the morning before he left for school. 
I like putting in pictures of some of his school work so that we can go back and see how much he has improved over time. This week it was all about pumpkins! 
On Friday we joined my parents and the Bethune’s for dinner at The Spaghetti Warehouse. I didn’t get too many photos other than this one of Finn showing us how he likes to eat his noodles. 
Yet another milestone for Reid, his first cereal! He has been really interested in food for several weeks. Whenever I’m holding him and eating he often grabs for whatever I have or opens his mouth and his head turns and follows the food all the way to my mouth (how mean!) or he talks to the spoon or fork full of food! So with a plenty full weekend we decided why not pack one more thing into it and give Reid his first taste of rice cereal. Check out how messy he got. We brought up the high chair from our basement and he did pretty well sitting in it. Although he does lean to a side and then stays propped up from the side of the chair for now. He was so grabby that we went through 2 spoons since he grabbed one out of my hands and threw it on the floor. And another time he grabbed the bowl of cereal while I was holding it and spilled it all over everything! He is quite fast. But he seemed to enjoy the process. He was a bit tired so after the photo op and trying out the spoon many times we opted to mix a bit more and put it in a bottle for him to eat more easily.
Griffin loves to take my phone and snap photos of various things. Sometimes I don’t even realize he’s done it since he knows how to take the pictures without unlocking my phone. I found this one from this week. He is very good about having independent play time in the loft where he colors or plays dominoes or other games on his own. He really likes lining up these piece :).
Griffin also got to make some tasty apple crisp this week with Debbie. It was delicioso!
This fall has been a pretty busy one. The weekdays and weekends seem to fly by. I’ve been swamped at work and when I get home I feel like I’m often working from behind there too. So the mornings we have to just be still and laze around are so nice!
Kevin was able to go to Griffin’s field trip to Leeds Farm this year with his preschool class. They had a good time on a brisk fall morning feeding the goats, riding karts, taking a wagon ride to pick gourds and such. I was bummed to miss, but am thankful that Kevin got to go and enjoy the time with Griffin. I was spending the days at Millcreek as we had a two-day visit with consultants in town from Florida/Montana to assist us with some process assessment and potential changes. It was a great two days of brainstorming, walking around the property, talking new and different processes for increasing efficiency, and picking the brains of the two gentlemen who have clients in every industry including over 120 clients in the green industry, many of whom are our vendors. There client list and efficiency gain statistics are impressive!
And if that wasn’t enough for a Saturday, it was also Lily’s 9th birthday! These aren’t the best pictures as I actually took them when I was upstairs feeding Reid during dinner with our friends! I didn’t break out the party hat this year :(. Seems hard to believe our girl is 9 years old. I remember when Kevin and I had just begun dating and she was still a bundle full of energy. She has arthritis is her wrists and shoulders and knees and hips and even with her daily medications she still has a slight limp which is better some days and worse on others. She and Brutus play pretty hard from time to time and she puts up with a lot from Griffin too. She’s as sweet as ever. She definitely does not like loud noises, shouting, amazon air bubble packaging (she leaves the room when we open boxes!), and she and Brutus have had more than a few battles when a new bag of food is being opened. And though I don’t get much these days, she still loves to cuddle on the couch, to hide and relax in small and tight spaces, and to be given any kind of people food that isn’t fruit. 
On Sunday we headed to Mom and Dad’s after church to get the Hostaworks website and seed shoppe up for business for the 2017 seed sale. We figured it would be best to be together in person to get it all right. We enjoyed our visit and got most everything done though we ran in to a bit of a snag at the end! Nothing that can’t be fixed with a bit of time though. 
One tidbit from the consultants is the idea of progressive work. It’s something I’ve seen many times before but we haven’t implemented yet at Millcreek. Here our crew is trying out progressive sticking, where each person sticks cuttings into a portion of the tray and then passes the tray along to the next person. Our team did a few sample trays and in doing so, even their first attempts, they cut their rates down from 10 minutes a tray to 6 minutes a tray – even in a less than ideal atypical setup using our production line as a table. We will likely be making this simple change in our propagation area. 