Since so much time has passed since my last post I have to look at my photos to remember what we have done between then and now. I was wrong in saying that the Pumpkin Festival was the weekend following Oktoberfest, but I'll write about both today. Unfortunately, the boys are still too little for the rides at Oktoberfest and the Pumpkin Festival, but we still had fun at both. Chase and I took the boys to Oktoberfest despite the weather that day. It was pretty chilly when we decided to go which actually ended up being ok. We were only there for about 30 minutes before giving up on the crowds of creepy carnival ride operators and equally creepy patrons. I feel like to work at a carnival you have to be creepy. I don't think I've ever been to one where the employees didn't give me a bad vibe, but none the less, Chase and the boys had a few bites to eat and I had some kind of Oktoberfest beer that appropriately had pumpkin undertones. We saw some of our neighbors and had fun strolling up and down the street looking at all the booths. I find myself to be so grateful that the boys aren't yet old enough to want every cheap colorful thing that's sold at things like that. But in a few years, we're sure to come home with life size stuffed animals, inflatable swords and many other worthless nicknacks, but until then, we're all just happy looking.
The weekend after Oktoberfest was beautiful. It was the perfect fall weekend. So sunny and warm with a little bit of a bite in the wind. Chase and I took the boys to a park that we had never been to before for the La Leche League annual picnic. I'm still going to LLL meetings even though I'm not nursing the boys anymore because I am thinking about becoming a leader somewhere down the line. Anyway, it was so nice to get out and about with the family. It was a pot luck and I tried a new recipe. I brought broccoli bites, which are little broccoli and cheese pattys. they're super easy to make and healthy and the boys love them! So did everyone at the picnic:) It was really fun for me to bring Chase to something like that so he could meet everyone and watch the boys play with all the other kids. We tried getting them to draw on the sidewalk with some chalk that someone brought but it just ended up in their mouths. Liam liked carrying around the chalk bucket though. The park was next to a big hill that was in the sun so that became a favorite place for the boys to play. The hill was pretty steep but they loved crawling up it and sliding down little bits here and there. It was so cute watching them struggle to get up to the top and then run around once they got all the way up.
 |
| Liam and the chalk bucket going up the hill |
 |
| Choosing a safer way down |
One of our fall activities that started up recently is mommy and me swimming at one of the rec centers here. I was really nervous about going since there are two of them and just one of me and we're in the water, but two of my friends go to the class with their kids as well and they both offered to help me if I needed it. So a few weeks ago we went to our first class. It was a blast and a good workout for me! The rec center has a lazy river in it that is about 3 feet deep and that's where the classes are held. The instructor has us do "exercises" with the kids as we walk/run/jump around the river. It's small enough for us to make it around the entire thing in about two minutes I'd guess so it's perfect. We go around once doing one exercise and then turn around and do the same exercise going the other so that we are working against the current for added resistance. I can't do everything in the class like lifting the boys out etc. but it's still really good for them to go up and down in the water getting comfortable with it going over their ears sometimes and splashing them. We take breaks too and they sit on the edge of the pool while I bounce up and down in front of them and they are encouraged to splash and kick their feet. Last week they got little rubber duckys to play with during class and they loved that. This isn't swim lessons, but it will be really helpful when it comes time to put them in lessons knowing that they're already really comfortable in the water. Liam is more tentative than Landon. He still cries when the water gets in his face most times, but he's getting better.
 |
| With Kai, Brighton, Lori and Katie |
There is a big water slide in the pool as well and the first day we went, my friends put their boys down the slide. I was shocked! It's a pretty big slide and I was worried that they'd scream the whole time but they actually really enjoyed it. I think I'll wait a few more classes before L&L go down the slide, but even without that, they seem to really like going.
Rachael (our nanny) watched the boys a few weeks ago for Chase and me and we went into the city to look at a big rubber ducky that came to Pittsburgh. It is part of an arts festival in the city called the "Festival of Firsts." It's an art installment that has been all over the world I guess. An artist came up with the idea to put life size rubber duckys in the water in certain cities. This was the duck's first appearance in the US which is kind of cool. Something that I didn't know at first was that each city gets their own duck. Ours was assembled somewhere in Ohio and was at "the point" for three weeks. I don't think it's there anymore or maybe this is the last week. Anyway, the artist believes that we are all connected by our waterways and that they form one big global bath tub, hence the duck. It seems a little strange, but it's a really big deal in Pittsburgh! The point is a park at the tip of the city where two of the three rivers meet and form the Ohio. We had never been before so this was a good excuse to go. It's beautiful there. If you look online at photos of Pittsburgh they're almost all of the point or at least have the fountain in them. So not only did we get to see the duck, but we got to experience a true Pittsburgh thing! It was a really fun afternoon. After we saw the duck and played for a while at the point we walked up to Station Square where we like to eat when we're in the city. It was about a 20 minute walk through downtown. We both felt so urban. So much fun! We had a really good dinner and some drinks and enjoyed a nice walk back to our car over bridges and through tall buildings.
Finally, the Pumpkin Festival was upon us. It was a cold rainy weekend last weekend so we were worried that we weren't going to be able to get out and about but on the last day of the festival the rains stopped. We walked to the park around noon and had our lunches there. I had a loaded baked potato that was the size of an eggplant. It was huge! I was hoping that the boys would eat some but they were too busy eating Chase's pulled pork sandwich to even think about eating any of my food so I ended up eating the whole thing which was easier than I thought. We had some fresh squeezed lemonade and had a nice time eating in the pavilion listening to a local band. There were countless booths selling homemade goodies and crafts that we poked through. I found a cute wooden ghost, but that was about it. We let the boys run around for a while in the open space by the river for a while and then decided to give the petting zoo a try since they couldn't ride the train. The petting zoo was such a big hit. I was a little nervous about how the boys would react around all the animals (calfs, baby goats, baby pigs, a turkey, some chickens, rabbits and even an alpaca!) but they had a blast. They were probably so comfortable around the animals because of kita. The whole time they were squealing, and laughing and running after the animals, sticking their hands out and getting licked and they even had some baby goats nibble on their clothes. They didn't want to leave when it was time to go. Chase and I had so much fun in there with them. They animals were really cute. Our favorites were the little goats, but who doesn't love little baby pigs?
 |
| Liam kept pulling his tail |
There is a "kids mania" sale at the Washington county fair ground a couple of times a year that I like to go to. It has good quality clothing for kids at really good prices. I went last fall when they boys were little and bought a ton of stuff. Well the sale was a few weeks ago and we went again. I spent around $170 and bought them almost everything they need for fall and winter. Jeans, overalls, sweatshirts, long sleeved shirts, pajamas....you name it. Nothing beats getting bargains. Especially with twins!
I think that I've covered all the big fun things we've been doing the past few weeks. We're still going to story time at the library and hanging out with friends. Liam is doing a lot better as far as the Lyme disease goes. He finished his antibiotic regiment and about five days after starting, the ring around the bite went away. I'm just hoping all the bacterial is out of his body. Both boys have been taking herbs, drinking Kefir milk and eating fruits and veggies that are supposed to help your gut and strengthen your immune system. Stuff I started doing when Liam started getting the antibiotic, but with it being cold and flue season, it's a good idea to keep it up. Chase's welding truck broke down about a week ago and is still in the shop. Thankfully one of his friends here had an extra truck that he is borrowing so that he can still work. I have been working on getting things in order for the Halloween party that we are having here in a few weeks. It's a costume party and I am so excited about it! I'm planning to make lots of yummy halloween treats for everyone, I'm working on getting spooky decorations in order, and thinking up games for the kids, and adults to play. I can't wait to tell everyone about it! This weekend we are going to our first Steelers game. We're both really excited. Perhaps us being there will help turn things around for them. Also, on Monday we're going to a pens v avs hockey game which is going to be a blast as well. I probably wont post again until after Halloween, but I'll be sure to have lots of good photos. Happy Halloween!
