Pumpkin Patch

This weekend was scheduled as Derek's drill weekend, but it was cancelled now that the government is shutdown. It's been nice having him home, but he's disappointed! He's been training all month for his would-have-been annual PT test. As soon as I knew he didn't have drill, I knew that we just had to visit the pumpkin patch! All of our other October weekends are completely full! 

We started the day yesterday freezing our buns watching preschool soccer, but by the time we visited the pumpkin patch... the weather was absolutely fantastic!!

Belle walked up to the baby goats and said, "I'm going to sing him a song!"... and she preceded to sing. ;)

Two words: Daddys. Girl. 

Me and my little man!

I love going to the pumpkin patch each year! We've gone to a different patch each year and I love the variety! This one was right here in town, which was so nice! I asked the kids what their favorite part about the pumpkin patch. They both responded with getting to decorate a sugar cookie. Not the pumpkins, train, animals, trampoline, giant play place, or the maze-- just the cookies. Oh, kids...

Clean Eating

We're a month in to our lifestyle change away from processed foods! I want to share about our journey, but I figured first that an introductory post was in order. I've been avoiding this post because the internet is FULL of information regarding healthy eating. I know my limits regarding the things I'm "educated" about and the things I'm not with nutrition following in the latter category. That being said, I have sought after some of the information available, filtering as best as I can what is honest and real versus what is marketing and deception.

In the month of September, our family made a switch from our normal eating habits from what is sometimes referred to as the Standard American Diet to a new healthier diet of "real food" and is often referred to as "clean eating." Eating clean means different things to different people. Using 100 Days of Real Food and Food Babe as my templates, we've a diet that works for us. Now, it should be noted that these blogs often work together and have a similar mission towards health, but there are several things that they do differently and that's okay! The premise is still the same.

Here's the basic rundown of clean eating: 

We've been eating lots of things... lots of yummy things!! We've been eating tons of fruits and veggies, diary (even full fat!), yogurt, whole grain breads, meats, popcorn, nuts! What aren't we eating? Refined grains-- white rice, white bread. Refined sweeteners-- sugar, corn sugar, or fake sweeteners. Pre-packaged items from a box with more than 5 ingredients -- especially ones with words I can't pronounce!

Basically-- eating food as it was originally intended! Eating like my grandparents did and generations before the food industry was commercialized and the consumer no longer became the priority.

We've made the plan our own. Picking and choosing what works for us. Take bread for example, 100 Days of Real Food makes her own so it has less than 5 ingredients. Food Babe, however, uses a 7-grain Ezekiel Bread which obviously has more than five ingredients because of the number of grains. I'm a fan of the multigrain bread and feel comfortable using it. It works for us!

Why is this called "real food" as in if the food we used to be eating wasn't food? Well, in Michael Pollan's book Food Rules, he calls most food items in the Standard American Diet to be "food-like substances" because the food industry pours tons of chemicals, fillers, additives, preservatives, and so on and so forth to all of our foods!

I want to be in control of the foods we chose to put in our bodies. I don't want to consume ingredients that are banned in most other countries outside our own. I want to use my food as the fuel (tasty fuel!) that will keep my body healthy and happy!

I promise this won't become another food blog, but I look forward to sharing the transformation and our process along the way! Next time, I'll share about how we came about the decision to make the change. It wasn't that long ago that I thought clean eating people were rather crazy and a bit eccentric. :)

Daddy's Girl

Belle has officially written me off and become a sold-out Daddy's girl. The past few weeks have been "Daddy this.... Daddy that." She insists that Daddy, and only Daddy, wake her up, put her to bed, get her dressed, change her diaper (that I don't mind!!), snuggle, play, carry her and anything else in between. She will stick up that bottom lip and pout to Daddy and ask for the moon. Literally. She wants the moon like Mr. Gru in Despicable Me.

It's pretty darn cute to watch these two. Derek might act all annoyed that he is her one and only desire-- but he's pretty smitten with the attention. I snapped this pic one night when she insisted that he snuggle in her little bitty bed and I just LOVE the way they are looking at each other.

I had to beg Derek to let me share this picture. He is concerned that the interwebs would doubt his manliness and consider him a softie. Please note that Derek is a skilled soldier who collects and likes to shoot guns as a hobby. On another note, Belle's Sunday school teacher informed me yesterday that Belle was boasting proudly about her daddy in class... albeit in the most embarrassing and awkward way. Oh, from the mouths of babes.

It should be noted that Belle is perfectly pleased for me to cater to her needs and demands when I am the only option. We snuggle, we play, we laugh. It's only when Daddy is around that I become chopped liver. Or Grandpas. Or anyone besides me, really. On a daily basis, I hear "but I don't like/want you." It's prepping me for the teenage years I guess. 

Fake Skateboarding

Fake skateboarding was once an activity reserved for my before-I-met-him husband and his college roommate while they made pointless videos in the claim of comedy. This was pre-YouTube and so I lack evidence to show you the ridiculousness. Plus, I'd like to keep it hidden so when I'm lecturing Jackson about needing to take college seriously and study hard, I can avoid conversations like, "But Dad used to...." 

But today, fake skateboarding was reintroduced into my life.

My kids have been dying to visit to the skatepark that they can see when we play at the playground. If we go to the park in the afternoon, Jackson will just sit and watch the kids skateboard and do all sorts of tricks. He's fascinated! There have always been kids actually skateboarding when we've been to the park recently, but today it was empty and my kids were thrilled. 

They fake skateboarded for almost half an hour!

They slid down the ramps

And climbed

And had lots and lots of fun!! 

Jackson has asked for a skateboard for his birthday. I told him that skateboarding might be a fun thing to do when he turns nine. I had to write it down here so I can at least be consistent when he asks again. Even when age nine comes around, he'll still have to wear a mega-ridiculously safe helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, and pillows duck taped around his body too!

But as for fake skateboarding-- he can do that all he wants! Just hopefully not in the wee hours of the morning, at age 19, in his dorm room, making a movie! But who knows, if he turns out much more like his father... it just might happen. 

Just another photo dump post

Oh, hello there! So, I know I haven't been around here much. Here's the deal. So we made the decision as a family to eliminate processed foods with all the additives, preservatives, and so on and so forth. And it's been three weeks and it's been going well (and delicious)! The only downside is that I have been cooking everything, for every meal, three times a day... EVERYDAY! It's getting easier the more it becomes our new normal, but then there's still the planning and then the clean up! I feel like it's all I think about... which in turn fills up all of my blogging ideas.

Oh, and I'm studying for the National Counseling Exam (the test I have to pass to secure state licensure) and boy does it ever make me feel as if I learned nothing in grad school! It's keeping me humble. Hopefully the paperwork comes quickly so I can get registered and get the silly test over with! I'm done with tests!!!

Okay, so now for the reason I know most of you are here anyway-- kids pictures. Here's my latest Instagram photo dump from the past few weeks.

Belle applied her own mascara a few days ago. And when I got the camera out she was all melodramatic. These pics, taken just moments apart just crack me up.

We visited the local fall festival a few weekends ago and we enjoyed a funnel cake! (now, before you're asking how this is considered appropriate for our non-processed foods... well, two things 1. we get to have treats every now and then and 2. it was homemade and even if the ingredients are practically all sugar-- there weren't additives, chemicals, food coloring etc.)

Belle made a hedgehog at the library!

We went to the zoo last Monday-- it was officially the beginning of sweatshirt season!! 

This girl needs a Permit Driver sign on this cart! Thankfully the other patrons just thought she was cute. In other news, my Achilles tendons were practically bleeding when we left the store.

I found these two playing the other day... They was so cute!!!! I was told that this was their "little sister" named Amy. (This was all purely imagination. We have no pregnancy news to share.)

Belle cooks me breakfast almost daily. She the cutest little chef, isn't she?

I've been doing some yoga videos these days and Belle likes to join me! She is really good at doing what she sees on the tv! How cute is the toddler downward dog???

Another thing I just happened to find my kids doing... Jackson was reading Belle a "bedtime story". A long one, too. I'm either a great mom for letting them explore and develop a love of textbooks and learning-- or I'm a terrible mother for introducing them to the world of substance abuse at this incredibly young age. Time will tell, I suppose...

Today, Chacey (and her little sister!) came over to play for several hours! The kids were SO excited. Chacey giggled like a little school girl when she walked into Jackson's room. And as I was taking the picture, Jackson said "I love you, Chacey. I'm going to give you lots of kisses!" (no kisses were exchanged!). It's hard to believe that these guys have been playing together since they were newly one year olds!! 

That concludes the photos I've taken.... I could take pics of all the food I've been cooking but I've vowed to stay away from documenting every meal. You're welcome!! Happy Monday everyone!