Happy Hines Halloween

We have been waiting for this day for a long time now. Dylan LOVES anything spooky. Our lives have been nothing but talking about Halloween, watching Halloween shows and looking at Halloween decorations (around our house, at other people's yards and even at stores) for weeks now. I've also been doing a lot of work making Dylan's Halloween costume (which I'll talk more about another time). His current obsession is a Skylander's game and he wanted to be Eye Brawl. Not a costume mass produced of course which is why I had to take the reins.

This is Eye Brawl

Our Halloween celebration started a week and a half ago at a friends Halloween bash. The party was about half a mile away and parking was going to be tight so we opted to walk. We became our own little parade as we dressed in costume, loaded the kids up in the stroller, and walked over to their house. Imagine seeing this gang strolling down the street a couple of weeks before Halloween:

Skeleton, Lion, Jack Skeleton, Eye Brawl

Eye Brawl says, "I've got my EYE on you!"
Cade Lion says, "I'm not sure about this costume thing."

Dylan Eye Brawl with good pal Libby Strawberry Shortcake

Lion hugging on Strawberry Shortcake

Spooky Mama
I was worried I would scare Cade so I applied the makeup in front of him.
He wasn't phased in the least....he actually loved it and was very entertained
by made up mama all night. Dylan, of course, loves ALL skeletons...especially a Mom one.

The party was a great start to our Halloween festivities!

This week, Dylan came down with a nasty cold. Poor guy's been just feeling run down on the very week he's really been looking forward to. We decided to not have him go to school on Wednesday in lieu of taking it easy and getting back to better health. We did, however, scoot him up to school so he could participate in the school's Halloween parade. They basically walk up the street in costume, go into the bank, sing a couple of songs, walk back, sing the parents a song then go back in the school (or in Dylan's case go back home). The kids were all ridiculously cute and it was such a joy to go see.

Is it just me or does that eye ball really stand out in the crowd?

Then, of course, today was Halloween. I scooted out of work early to get home, get the kids (and me) dressed then went out for trick or treating. Cade was definitely not his usual happy self today (might be getting Dylan's cold) so he was not totally digging the whole trick or treat thing. What he did really like was picking candy out of buckets and putting them back in. Everything else, not so much.

Dylan was excited to go trick or treating with his best friend, Isabella. He was not so thrilled to wear the eyeball head I spent so much time making. He was a sport though and wore it at the doors for trick or treating and took it off in between.

Eye Brawl and Minnie Mouse

Right when the kids collectively decided they were done, we headed back to the house as some sprinkles started to fall so it was good timing.

We got home and enjoyed some candy. Cade was much happier once home, snuggling with mom and moving candy back and forth from bucket to bucket. And, we all took a turn trying on the eyeball head (which I thought was pretty comfortable to wear).

Giving Dylan's bucket his candy then stealing it back.

This should have been my costume...pretty sweet (naked baby included).

Naked Eye Ball Baby!!!

Both of the boys had a late bed time and were very ready to get to sleep. I'm somewhat concerned there's going to be some disappointed boys when the Halloween decor goes back into storage. Crossing my fingers were able to put it away without much drama as I'm ready to reclaim the house a bit....until the Christmas decor comes out at least.

Cade Michael - 19\20 Months

As I mentioned in an earlier post, during our September vacation, Cade and I took a pause in it to return home for his regular check up. I had tried to reschedule it but couldn't get an appointment for another month. Seeing as how it was his 18 month wellness check-up and he was already 19 months, I didn't want to delay it any more. Plus, we needed to chat with the pediatrician about Cade's speech. While he's definitely improved at his communication skills in general, his speech is lagging. Were we worried? Not really. Was the doctor going to be worried? We didn't think so. But, it's at this appointment that early intervention for speaking issues can be suggested and if that were to be the case, we didn't want to delay it for sure.

Waiting for the Doctor

On that visit, we got these stats:
Height - 33 inches - 55th percentile
Weight - 22 pounds 11 ounces - 25th percentile
Head - 44cm - 66th percentile

As for the speech, the doctor was not concerned. He's known so many kids that didn't have a word before they were 2 and then you couldn't stop them from talking. We've known a few folks like that too which is why we weren't concerned. We know he has good comprehension so as long as he's mentally progressing in understanding\communication, all's well. Other than that, the check up was pretty standard. Cade was very brave with his vaccinations. Made a sad face for a few seconds but a momma hug wiped all his worries away.

It's always difficult to try and describe someone's personality. There are just so many layers to these little humans and to dissect every one is just impossible. But, I'm going to try and give you an idea of what my little boy is like.

Cade LOVES to try on shoes!

- He is fearless and independent but also great at asking for help. For example, we went on a hike last weekend and he walked down the mountain by himself. With many tripping hazards in the way, I was worried about him tumbling downward on a rock or root so I had a hold of the hood on his jacket most of the way. Wasn't need though because as soon as he got to a step or rock with a step size down of more than he could handle. He stopped and put his hand out for help.

- Cade's not shy. If he needs help, whomever is closest and will take his hand, he will take the help.

- He's very sweet and loving. He gives the best and longest hugs. When I get home from work, he always runs to me and wraps his hands around my neck. He also goes straight to your lap if you're on the floor or couch for book or tv time.

- He adores his brother. Great in that they entertain each other and make each other laugh (no better sound in the world then your kiddos laughing together) but terrible when Dylan wants to exclude him from his current toy set up. It shatters Cade's world.

- Cade REALLY does not like being told no. Seriously, just the word can set him off. We do our best to steer him in another direction or substitute objects\activities when he's doing something unsafe.

- He can be quick to get upset but he's even quicker to calm. As a day old infant just picking up and hugging him could soothe him. It's a quality he's kept until this day.

- He's got a fantastic laugh and wants to be sure you're laughing with him. When he sees something he enjoys, he makes sure you're seeing it and\or enjoying it too.

- He loves taking a shower. The second that water goes on, he is pulling at his clothes to get them off (which is funny because he has no idea how to get his clothes off yet...he just starts yanking at them).

- Cade also loves brushing his teeth. Well, at least he comes and is excited when I say it's time to brush them. Mostly, though, he just likes to suck on the toothpaste. Then it's work to get his mouth to stay open long enough to get to the teeth. Most mornings we do a lot of upside down swinging to get the mouth open and get to the teeth.

- He plays very well independently. He gets very focused on his toys and will go for very long periods of time playing solo. From a very young age Cade's done this. We remember having to constantly entertain Dylan when he was a year and younger but Cade's always been a bit more independent.

- When he's tired, he's ready for bed! Cade goes from happy and laughing at the tv to grumpy and going to Daddy (because that who normally puts him to bed) in a flat second. Not one to fuss about going to bed.

- He loves to push buttons. And wear sunglasses. Doing both together is especially awesome.

Kind of a terrible picture, but you get the drift.

-He's a sympathetic guy. He's quick to soothe anyone (especially his brother) when they're upset with a pat-pat on the head and\or a hug.

Cade is really a delightful little guy and he makes our family complete. Love that cute little baby to pieces!

Hitting the trails again

After a few days of taking it pretty easy on our vacation, it was time to work out our bodies again. We hit the trails for a little hiking. The trail we did was recommended by one of our new neighbors. The Bald Mountain\Artists Bluff trail is right off I93 at the north side of Franconia Notch. So on the way to the trail, we got some lovely scenic views.

Franconia Notch

We're getting revved up for our hike.

The Beautiful Notch

And this is the little peak we were about to hike.

We hoped that we could get Dylan to do this hike solo. After carrying him up Welch\Dickey a few days prior, I decided it is definitely time to get his hiking legs in better shape. Not too long after setting out, I almost stepped on this little guy:

Seeing wildlife is always a treat...even (maybe especially when) it's a snake!

Dylan did a great job hiking with no complaints until we go to the first scenic outlook. He wanted to stop for a snack and we wanted him to stay happy so we did. Only problem, Cade had fallen asleep (just after taking the below picture) so I spent our "rest time" standing and pacing with the baby backpack on.

Cannon Mountain Ski Runs Behind Us

Snack Time!

Looking South Into the Notch

After our snack we kept on towards the Artist's Bluff. Mike and I took a few detours to climb up some big rocks (tricky with a back pack but still made it happen). The we were treated with lovely views of the lake and mountains from the rocks of the bluff.

Help! We're falling!

Then, as we traditionally do, we went out for ice cream. Our local stand is now closed on weekdays (post Labor Day), so we stopped in Lincoln on the way home at Udderly Delicious.

Cade was mesmorized by the flags waving outside the door.
He made sure that everyone else saw them.

HUGE sunflowers growing outside.

Oh, and yes, Dylan did hike the WHOLE thing all by himself! He was definitely growing tired\impatient while on the path back to the parking area but we used the bribe of ice cream to keep him going. He definitely earned it. I was so proud of him for hiking that mountain all by himself and made sure he knew he should be proud of himself too. That is quite a distance on legs his size!

Getting to the Top the Easy Way

Well, I am neck deep in Halloween preparations. Dylan has chosen something awesome to be for Halloween....so awesome that it's not found in any stores and is taking A LOT of effort on my part to make. We have a party on Saturday so the big deadline is looming. I will definitely be blogging about how I put together the ensemble you will be seeing in the future. However, seeing as how I haven't wrapped up the vacation we took a month and a half ago, I'm going to get that banged out this week to leave room for our more current adventures.

Last time I wrote, I told you about hiking up a mountain with the family. The following day we had a rainy day at the condo and then the next day was mostly taken up with me driving back to Massachusetts for Cade's doctor's appointment (I'll need to post some stats on him too). I was able to swing by a friend's house for a visit before heading back up north so the day had some fun in it too.

Back on vacation in NH, the Wednesday after Labor Day, we decided not to labor too much. We would head back up a mountain again but this way, we'd take the easy route. First though, some cute brotherly hanging out on the deck:

They had so much fun pushing these chairs around the deck.

And were great playing with each other until Dylan pushed Cade in the chair and dumped him over.
He had a nice bruise right on his cheek bone that didn't fade for a couple of weeks.

It was a gorgeous day as you can see from this great pic Mike took.
There are the Welch\Dickey peaks in the background, framed nicely
by a view of the pond\dam and the pretty flowers the local floral club
does a great job of maintaining.

We took the quick 20 minute drive up north to the town of Lincoln where you'll find Loon Mountain, one of our ski spots. We got tickets for the gondola up and loaded up for the ride.

Me and the boys (see poor Cade's little bruise?)

At the top, we climbed up to the top of the observation tower, had some brunch at the restaurant, looked in the artisan's shop then went to explore the boulder caves.

I didn't know that there was a lake at the top of the mountain.

Beautiful scenery surrounding us.

It's still pretty weird to see your regular ski spot sans snow.
The ski run sign looks so funny surrounded by greenery.

We'd done these caves before a couple of years ago. I was pregnant with Cade (but belly still a manageable size) and we were able to navigate through with Dylan pretty well. Getting both boys through was a bit more tricky but we managed to do so without any incidents. Whew!

The most fun the boys had that day was playing around the outdoor auditorium that Loon has. We spent some time there with them running up and down the stairs, Dylan putting on a show for us and just wandering up and down the benches.

And that was the only activity for that day. We loved the hustle and bustle and flurry of activities we did while Maureen's family was up with us, but we had no problems slowing down the pace for the next few days. That few hour outing was the perfect amount of time to be out and about and enjoy the beautiful weather.

A Hiking Reunion

After a small reprieve yesterday of posting about an actual current event,  now back to our vacation. What? It only ended over a month ago. I'm right on time, aren't I?

Mike's cousin, Gretchen, lives in Vermont. Despite the fact that her place is really just over an hour from our place in NH, we rarely see her. Normally, we count on Thanksgiving as the one time a year we get to see her, her husband Jamon and cutie little boy, Derek. Last year, they weren't able to come for the holidays so it's been almost 2 years since we've seen her crew. With Maureen's gang spending Labor Day weekend with us in NH, we made sure to give Gretchen the heads up. We were able to find a day that worked for everyone and they came from the Green Mountains to the White Mountains to meet us.

Gretchen is a mountain girl. She's happiest when she's hiking, snowboarding or snowshoeing. My kind of gal! So there was no better way for us (she and I at least) to enjoy the day then going for a hike. We chose the one from our condo's gorgeous view - Welch\Dickey. Now, I know it's a tough hike but I've done it many times and knew what I was signing up for (especially with a baby on my back). I had hoped that with the cousins around, Dylan would be happy and go with the pack. Unfortunately, he was not a happy hiker that day and much preferred to be carried. Carrying 25ish pounds of baby is one thing. Carrying 45ish pounds of boy is quite another! But I did it!

When Derek was about 6 months old, Mike and I went hiking with Gretchen in the Green Mountains. I ended up carrying Derek in my arms for most of that trip since he was a bit too small for the hiking back pack and I was in a bit better shape than 6 month post partum Gretchen. I teased Grethen and asked if she would return the favor and she was more than happy to. So, Cade went up on her back and Dylan on mine. It was quite the work out for me!

First Outlook Stop
Derek, Gretchen, Snoozing Cade, Puppy Bruin

Despite the chance of rain that day, the weather was great. A little on the warm side when you're carrying that much weight uphill (hence me being drenched in sweat all day) but no rain clouds and a nice breeze...can't ask for much more than that.

Family Photo

Not what Cade wanted to be doing apparently.

My Little Mountain Man
Looking well rested after the nice ride he had up.

More happy being free to roam.

Look! It's our house!

As is customary, we had a break at the top. Poor Cade was SO tired. After a bite to eat, Dylan walked for a bit and I put Cade in the front pack to try and get him to sleep. A la Disney tantrum style, he trashed and arched his back and swung his arms to hit me. It was great fun. But we kept moving, I kept singing and he eventually fell asleep on me. Of course, then Dylan was tired of walking again. Though Gretchen was willing to try, we thought Dylan would just be too heavy for her so we very carefully tried to transfer Cade to her so I could take Dylan. Sometime during this exchange, Mike decided that regardless of his back issues, he would carry Dylan and I was left with just a back pack. Well....hiking just felt too easy after that!

Only real photo I got at the top before it was time to take off again....
and before Cade totally lost it.

Sure enough, the Cade transfer did cause him to wake up so I took him back. Then we hit a nice scenic open spot and took our shot for a cousins picture.

Derek, Bruin, Emily, Patrick, Dylan (on Mike), Cade (on me and not looking)

After getting back to our cars, we went back to our place for some lunch, drinks and hanging on the deck. It was just awesome! I love Gretchen, Jamon and Derek and it was truly great to hang out with them for the day.

Jamon and Joe

Sweet Bruin

Mike made a new friend.

The girls taking a well earned break.
Gretchen, Me and Maureen

We Just Totally Conquered That!

Emily, Bruin, Derek, Cade
Can you stand how much cuteness is in this picture?!?

What Up Homes?

Bruin getting a taste of his own medicine..
a lick on his nose!

Cade's a good sharer.

Snuggles with my baby.

When they left that evening, we vowed to stay in better touch about our NH comings and goings so we could meet more frequently to hike together. We've said it before...hopefully in the upcoming year we'll actually be better about doing it!