Boys are crazy!

I say that because we had 2 boys over yesterday after school. One was Nolan's best friend and the other was his older brother, who Thomas thinks is here for him even though he's in 5th grade. They all love each other and play so beautifully! They had snacks, played video games and then proceeded to run around the house screaming like crazy people! Boys are so easy sometimes. Give them video games and a space to run around and they are all set.

We had the boys' parent teacher conferences this week and they went well. Thomas is doing great, just needs a little help with his letter sounds. She says he's a stickler for the rules and seems pretty quiet in class--can you imagine!!! Nolan is also doing great, especially in reading. She told us he is so kind and compassionate that he sometimes doesn't stand up for himself, which is so nice but also I feel a little bad for him. Chris and I were just like that growning up too, at least the not standing up for ourselves part. I think he needs more friends in his class, so we're going to work on that. Nolan needs a little work in math and being organized, but is still staying afloat and doing great in school. We're happy.

I have a conference today so Chris is on his own with these 2 monkeys. We're having a family down the street over for dinner tonight, so that will be fun. And Thomas has a birthday party on Sunday. They're watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles right now!

We're excited that we've been doing so great with our budget lately that we're getting cable back next week! I haven't minded being without it that much, but the boys (boys including our biggest one, Chris) have really sacrificed without it. So we're allowing ourselves the indulgence again--yeah!

From Fright Fest to Camp Out

Our train wheels just keep turning! We went on our final trip to the Great Escape on Monday and enjoyed Fright Fest. It's basically just a lot of decorations at the park, and all of the water features had red dye to look like blood. Cinderella's castle looked really weird with it's bloody moat! It was a beautiful fall day when we were there, although a little overcast. I got to go on the Blizzard for the first time (basically a scrambler ride) and laughed so hard I cried! It's my favorite ride. We also went on the ferris wheel for the first time and Chris did the Steamin' Demon as a first for the year. I just think it's amazing we went to the park 10 times from May to October and we still have new rides to go on!

On Tuesday I got to babysit a neighbor's little boy Caleb for a couple hours. He's 2 and so adorable. It was neat to have a little guy in the house again. It was also neat to see how Thomas was as "the big kid". I think he enjoyed bossing him around!

Wednesday I got to make pumpkins for a bulletin board with Thomas' class. Thomas loved having me in his room and I was impressed with how independent he was and sure of himself. He's really loving kindergarten. Parent Teacher conferences are next week, so I'm excited to hear what they have to say.

And tonight, Chris and Nolan are going to a camp out with the Cub Scouts until tomorrow afternoon. Thomas and I are going to a Harvest Hoedown at school. It's so weird I'm doing something with Thomas at a school event without Nolan! Saturday we have a swim lesson and it's Farm Foliage Day in Schenectady. Sunday is probably our last baseball game.

So lots of fall fun for the Rooneys. And Happy Birthday to my brother in law John!

Mr. October

Nolan played a good game today as his fall baseball team traveled to North Colonie.

We didn't have the really cool professional umpire we had last week. This time it was just a kid only a few years older than the boys playing ball.

But still, Nolan thought it was cool to go to another town for the first time and play on someone else's field.

He had a great day at the plate with 3 RBI for the day. The first two came on a double in the first inning. The third RBI was on a single he hit with the bases loaded.

In between he reached base when he got hit by a pitch. He took one in the shin, but says it didn't hurt.

His single really should have been a walk. But I guess they have some crazy rule that says they're not allowed to walk in a run. So even though he took four balls, he had to keep going until he either struck out or got a hit. Two pitches later he got his single.

We have one more game at home next weekend. That might be the last game for the fall, although there is a chance we'll play one more.

There and back again

We’re back from a short, but great trip up north to visit Kris’ folks. It was just a quick visit for one night.

While we were there Kris helped them out with a couple of odd jobs and I helped them get their wi-fi network working for their new laptop (I tried not to drool too much on the keyboard).

The kids had fun playing in grandma & grandpa’s big backyard. Okay, so we had to force them out there a couple of times. Otherwise they would have remained glued to all of the cartoon channels we don’t get on our limited cable at home.

Mom & dad Chase also took us out to dinner last night at the Malone Golf Club, which was fantastic! I was uncomfortably full afterward, but it was well worth it. Best meal I’ve had in a while. They take good care of us when we visit!

We picked a great weekend for our trip. The weather was beautiful and leaves were just about at their peak. As we drove through the high peaks region on the way up, it was killing us that we couldn’t stop to get out and enjoy the natural beauty.

So on our way home this afternoon we made a point of making the time to do just that. We stopped at the Adirondack Visitor Interpretive Center at Paul Smith’s College to take in a quick hike. The colors were stunning, and although the weather was warm there was no mistaking the crisp smell of autumn in the air.

We wound up staying at the Interpretive Center longer than I thought, but that’s okay. I could spend the whole day in a place like that – especially on a day like today. Check out the rest of the photos I’ve uploaded here.

Tomorrow Nolan has another baseball game. The batteries were dead in our camera last week, but I'll try to get some shots tomorrow.

October chill

It's supposed to dip down to 36 degrees tonight, the chilliest yet. I'm not complaining, though. We've had a pretty mild fall so far. But I did put the storm windows in today. We're also experimenting with the heat being at the lowest thermostat setting yet--63 during the day and 61 at night. We'll let you know if we can stand it or not.

Chris and Nolan are at a den meeting tonight while Thomas and I are hanging out. Thomas CANNOT WAIT to be in Cub Scouts too--next year! We had a busy weekend. Thomas is really getting faster with his swimming and can swim a little unassisted. He's making up a lesson on Wednesday this week so we can go visit my parents this weekend. The boys had friends over on Saturday afternoon and then we went to my mother-in-law's for dinner. On Sunday, Nolan had a baseball game against North Colonie. Even though they lost, it was such an awesome game. Nolan wore a jersey for the first time and looked really sharp. We had a hired umpire for the first time, and that made the game really exciting. Even when kids struck out, it was cool to hear the ump yell "SSTTRRRRRIIKE!". It's really giving Nolan a taste for what's to come in the spring. He's outgrown his glove too, so we're on the lookout for a lefty glove.

We have a short week this week with school and then a 5 day weekend! We're heading for my parents' Friday to Saturday and Nolan has a game Sunday. Monday, Chris and I are hoping to leave the kids with Gaba so we can go on a little hike. This is to celebrate our anniversary which is actually tomorrow. 13 years! We've known each other 17 years. We figured out that next year we'll actually know each other for longer than not, which is pretty cool. Also pretty cool to have married my best friend.

Christmas Decor in Kmart???

Come on people! Nolan and I ducked into Kmart while Chris and Thomas were at a birthday party of one of Thomas' friends. We were going to the toy aisle when we were hit square in the eye with decorated Christmas trees and blow up Santas. IN SEPTEMBER! We are barely thinking about Halloween already. OK, that's not true. I am starting to think about Christmas presents and our lack of ability to pay for any. But definately not decorations. Who can afford new Christmas decorations this year anyway? Maybe the kids could dress up like Christmas trees for Halloween...

Onward and upward to calmer subjects. Not much to report really. Speaking of reports, Nolan is doing his first book report. He has to pick an animal and write about it. He's chosen tigers. They had the day off yesterday for Rosh Hashanah. We went apple picking and had an awesome, beautiful day.

It was supposed to be cloudy but the sun came out. We had fun testing the tastes of different apples. Then we played at the playground with the horses grazing behind us. Geese kept flying overhead. The kids played forever on the hay bales. How simple does it get? It was great to be together. I wished Chris weren't at work so he could be there too. And we actually got out of there without buying a cider donut, which is a miracle in and of itself. Those donuts were going for $1 a piece! Forget about it! (The economy is making me punchy.)

This weekend, we are going to a high school football game, have a swim lesson, have a friend coming over, religion, and a baseball game. It is funny how the kids' activities take over our lives. But it's all good. We are so lucky to have all this fun!