Reject family pictures

I swear, I see all these cute family photos with kids smiling, and perfect looking parents, with no flaws.  I think, I can do that.  So I dress everyone up and truck the family down to the river, and I asked a friend to just stay behind the camera and snap some pictures, thinking "really, all I need is ONE picture with Jax smiling, and JD and I will be fine in any of them.  All I need is ONE."  Hmm.  Guess what.  I didn't even get one.  Not a single smile.  The whole photoshoot.  Not a giggle, laugh, nothin.  Family pictures?  Not a great experience with a 2-year old.  Pretty much, most of the pictures looked like this since he couldn't hold still for even 2 seconds.

We did get a few decent ones of JD and I, but of course Jax did not smile in even one picture, so we get to choose from mad, less mad, crying, or trying to escape for him. I can't even use photoshop to switch in a smile because there are NONE.   I did get a few sweet ones like this, though:

But not many. Also, Jax found a new partner in crime to hang out with.  They both had a good old time being mischievous and NOT smiling for their mommies and daddies.  

 We did get a very small number of decent ones (and by decent I mean Jax is not crying or blurred or sticking his tongue out of his mouth), but I guess you'll have to wait for the Christmas card to see those ones. :)  If you want one, leave a comment and I'll make sure to send one your way come jingle-bell time.

Happy Halloweener.

I really like Halloween.  Its completely pointless and kindof dumb, but that's what I like so much about it. It's an excuse to have a good time and be silly for once and not worry about what anyone else thinks.  I was chalking this year up to be the last one where I actually have a choice in Jax's costume.  I was a little wrong, though.  I picked his lion costume this year, and he absolutely HATED.IT.  I had JD and I's costumes planned to go along with his, though, so he was just going to have to tough it out.  I spent lots of time and energy making JD and I's costumes by hand.  Its usually all worth it to me, though.  We get to go to our Halloween party and be silly for a few hours.  I had just spent my whole day finishing costumes and making a pot VAT of chili for the party, and then I got news it was cancelled due to the 1/2 inch of snow that had come down that day.  SERIOUSLY PEOPLE?  I love it here in Philly, but people here have no backbone when it comes to weather.  Thankfully, my awesome friend Tiff took matters into her own hands and threw together a last-minute party.  It was a blast!  There were such cute costumes, and JD and I actually got to wear ours for a small while.  I wish all the details of our costumes were still in tact (like Jax's badge of courage, my curled hair before the snow flattened it, and my dog toto and ruby slippers), but the picture below is about all we could do to get Jax to put his lion hood on. He absolutely hated it.  Although, he really quite enjoyed JD's tin-man costume.  He insisted on carrying around his axe and wearing the oil-can hat.  (See picture below).  Everyone's costumes were so creative, and we had a blast.  Thanks, Tiff and Chris!

    When the actual day of Halloween rolled around, Jax was still refusing to put on the lion hat.  But once I explained that he only got candy if he wore the hat, he obliged a little.  He still pulled it off between every single house, but at least he wore it when it counts, right?  

   I love that Jax actually started to understand the whole idea of Halloween this year.  He says "Trick or Treat" and takes a candy or holds out his bucket like a big kid.  His favorite snacks were the goldfish packets and the pretzels.  Go figure. No problem, though.  Mom's happy to polish off all that nasty chocolate stuff. :)  Jax loved to just run gallop as fast as he could between houses.  That was probably his favorite part of Halloween this year.  Mom and Dad not forcing him to hold hands every second.  (Just so you know, Jax much prefers to gallop over run.  You'll see him galloping around the house all day.  Its just his fun, easy, and quick way of getting from one place to another!)

Best Surprise Ever!

So, I was chatting it up at Girls Night having a great time, when my dad called.  He doesn't call often so I was curious.  When I answered he told me my mom was landing in Philadelphia in an hour and that I need to go pick her up.  I had no idea!  What a surprise!  I was there waiting when she arrived, and then somehow I ended up taking the wrong road home (I swear I've done this before!).  And then, with my great luck, my GPS completely stopped working.  Ahh!! So I'm on my way to Delaware and have to stop at some random Gas station and ask a guy for directions.  We finally made it home at like 1:30 am.  We had a fun weekend!  We went to the pumpkin patch, went to Amish country, went shopping, went downtown for a bit, ate the best food I've ever had, and just spent lots of time enjoying family!  Best Surprise Ever!  (PS, can I have this surprise every year?) Love you, Mom! That weekend was the best!