Brady Loves Castles.

Sorry, but my camera is out for repair and I have only an Android phone to take pictures of my crazy little man these days. 

Ever since Brady started noticing the Disney castle at the beginning if their movies, he has been seeing castles in everything he does. This was his castle he built this morning. (Well, that's what he called it, anyway)

2010 Christmas Card!

Glitter Glamour Joy Christmas Card

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Holiday Card Ideas?

Normally we have a certain picture in mind we are all ready to use on our Christmas cards. This year, I have noticed that we didn't get too many family shots. Would it be strange if I set up a Christmas tree in our basement, purely for the purpose of capturing what should "look" like a natural Holiday setting? OK, I know I just gave it away that if we get Christmas cards with anything that looks like a Holiday picture, you are going to already know...we set it up! Anybody have some ideas on how to get a great Christmas-looking picture of the family, but before the actual Holiday? I need to know soon. Shutterfly made great cards for us last year. But, we had a wedding photo of the family we used. It was beautiful and classy looking. I changed the picture to a sephia tint, and it had baby blue with red , swirly leaves on it. Not your ordinary looking card. I loved them! I also have to decide if I want to go classic, goofy, or a more traditional theme. I guess we would have to actually get a picture in mind before deciding on a theme.

I would recommend you to check out Shutterfly's website if you are looking at designing your own cards this year!

Click here to see Christmas Cards!!!

Photo calendars make wonderful gifts. Click here to see them! 

Click here to start uploading your pictures! 

Stay tuned to see my final product!

Grandma and Grandpa's overnight= One tired little boy!

Let me start by saying that this boy NEVER falls asleep on the couch.

He spent the previous night at Grandma's and Grandpa's house and even took a nap before getting home. Chad said he sat him on the couch with cartoons on and looked over to see this poor, tired little boy. He was sleeping yet, again. I have never seen him sleep with such a tired and exhausted face.

Trick Or Treat!

Halloween this year was rather interesting! We started by attempting to try Brady's Tigger costume on him the day before. It was pretty much a FAIL. For some odd reason, this child was totally against transforming into one of his most beloved stuffed animals. After trying to start putting it on him about 10 times, we gave up. We were hoping Halloween would not turn out the same way. 

The next day was Halloween. I had missed out on the pumpkin carving the night before, since I had plans to go to the bars and costume contests with my friends. So, we turned on turned on the Vikings game in the garage and I started carving the last pumpkin. Chad had carved this one the night before from my idea....

Yes, we know....he looks like he is having issues. HA!

Since I had chosen this one, Chad asked me to make a Vikings pumpkin. Of course, I had already started carving before we knew the game that night would end in yet, another disappointment.

After we finished getting set up, Chad brought Brady inside to change his diaper. the whole time, Chad was giving him the pep-talk about how when he puts on Tigger, people give him candy (treats). I was relieved when Chad brought Brady out with the Tigger costume and just slid it right on him! He was so proud of it.

As it got darker, the trick-or-treaters began filling the streets. It was actually pretty light out still, but we were not budging until the Vikings game was over. The people across the street came over with their little ones for some candy. Brady had a counter-part from Winnie the Pooh. Eeyore! (Worn by Camden)

We decided to all trick or treat together. So, we were off!

We paid a visit to another of our favorite neighbors, Dave and Theresa. Dave and their son, Jack joined the group for trick or treating.

Brady took no time at all to start running up sidewalks and yelling, "TRICK OR TREEEAT!" Each door, Brady greeted them with an open and grabbing hand. Sometimes, he would get too impatient and try opening their front doors before they even got there! He wanted that candy, now!

When we got home, he was demanding to have a sucker immediately. As the final trick-or-treaters made their way up to our house for candy, Brady charged at each one. He was convinced they were there to take his candy. "MINE!" was echoing through the neighborhood. So, I decided it was bath time for him. I cannot believe that right after a sucker, he went right to sleep with no fight. He was the cutest Tigger ever. I cannot wait for next year. It just gets more fun.

Our Little "Helper"

Brady's new thing is to "help". In his cute little voice, he will approach you at the most inopportune time and say, "I'm helping!". Then he proceeds to only be in the way. There's no way I can say no to his sweet little face. Neither can his Daddy....

"Helping" Daddy drag dead branches from the woods up to the fire pit for the night's bon fire.

"Mommy, i'm stuck!"

The boy loves his sticks!

Did You Know??

Did you know that if you click on any ads on my page, I get paid for it? Just sayin....

Hook a girl up with some spending cash please. =)  You don't have to participate in any of the ads. Just click on them and then continue on to whatever you were doing.

Off To The Pumpkin Patch!

We were sent a request via text message to my phone that my brother in-law and his girlfriend would be at my in-laws house on Sunday and that they were officially requesting the presence of a certain little "B-Man". In case you didn't know, that's the family's name for him on Chad's side. The conversation between Chad and his brother that day was that we would all be going to the Arboretum for Pumpkin Palooza. I was excited! We got to Chad's parents' house and started waiting for the couple that bar tends all night and then sleeps until the hours of late morning/early afternoon that make this tired mommy jealous. While we waited, Brady and Grandma made some delicious (yes, and fattening) cookies.

Helping Grandma Put them on the cookie sheet.

Putting cookies in the oven.

Pushing random buttons and hoping he is making the cookies cook really fast. He really hates that they actually have to "cook".

When Brad and Jade finally arrived, we decided it was a tad too late to be going to the Arboretum. I was very sad about that, because the scenery and pictures would have been way more amazing than what we decided to do instead. We were bound and determined to go to the pumpkin patch down the street from Chad's parents' house.

Walking up to the pumpkin patch from the car.

Brady had picked out our wheelbarrow.

The long walk out to the pumpkin patch.

Brady, enjoying the ride!

He's scanning the area for the perfect pumpkin!

How about this one mommy?

Watching daddy pile up our selection to pick from.

Uncle Brad, Auntie Jade, Brady, and the dog, Cash.

Grandpa, hauling the giant and heavy load up to pay for them!

Brady helping Grandma push the load!

Jade and I being silly!

This is why I love this time of year!

Is My Boy OCD, Like Mommy?

I thought I should start documenting Brady's strange rituals with his toys and the furniture. He seems to think everything should be neatly organized. Unless, of course, he is just randomly throwing toys all over the living room and down the stairs. Today was full of his crazy and random bouts of tidiness. 

No, we do not keep these chairs in a straight line. Brady drug them from the sides of the table into a straight line and seemed very proud of himself for it!

See What I mean? Just proud! My little weirdo!

This is one of his oldest rituals. The line-up of toy cars. He will count them as he lines them up and count them as he throws them.

Yup. That Definitely Looks Like Fall Out There!

I woke up this morning and Chad had left the window wide open in the bedroom when he left for work. It was FREEZING in our bedroom! All I could hear was wind, birds, and what sounded like rain. I jumped up to close the window. Not just because I was freezing, but because anyone who knows me well will tell you I am NOT a fan of the birds in the morning. They drive me nuts! So, as I reached to slide the window down, I noticed that I could see the entire pond and the houses across the pond. Just 2 days ago, we could not see those houses and only half of the pond was visible through our small woods behind our house. The wind was gusting and blowing the leaves off the trees in a down pour. Almost like they were all suddenly weighted down like bricks. 

Chad came home early today. So, after dinner the boys went outside to wrestle around in the yard. It was very windy. I had gone to Target earlier in the day and bought little plastic, white ghosts that you stuff with newspaper and cinch off below the imprinted face of a surprised ghost. They are meant to decorate one tree. But, I like to spread them out on the house and the tree. I had also purchased some fake spider webs, which I am thinking I may have been premature putting those outside. I am guessing if it rains even once, they will be on the ground in big, white lumps of cotton. I looked around and then noticed the once, big and lush, green trees that surrounded our neighborhood were all dead-looking. Not a green leaf in sight....anywhere. It definitely looked like the first official day of Fall today.

**I will have to get some pictures of my decorations posted tomorrow. I love decorating for holidays!

A Beautiful Day At The Park!

I could have told you it was the middle of Summer yesterday. The entire weekend, the temps have been in the 80's! Chad and I were both tired from staying up a bit too late with the neighbors the night before. And yet, something just didn't feel right that we were sitting around a bonfire in t-shirts and we were still very hot. We didn't care. We were in good company, enjoying cocktails, and gazing at the stars with the kids. After the whole family napped the next day, I decided we need to get outside and take full advantage of the weather. After all, it is October and I was informed that a year ago, this weekend, it snowed! We headed a couple of blocks away to the local park. It is usually deserted, so Brady can run around and I don't have to stress about him being a bully to strange children.

Brady is in love with the spiral tube slide!

He has gotten the hang of using the crane.

Climbing with Daddy as the spotter. No, Mom is not comfortable enough to let him do this all by himself yet.

Look! He has one leg!

The boys being silly through the grate to each other.

The view from the park. The back of our house is behind all those trees on the far side of the pond.

The trees are getting bare and the colors on the leaves are peaking!

As I mentioned before...the park is usually deserted. When we got to the park and pulled up, this was the only thing there. No children. I am pretty sure I have spoken of my fear of dolls and clowns in this blog. Just, creepy!

If I didn't light a fire under Chad's butt, he would have just sat there all day like this.

 Brady still has a love for airplanes. Guaranteed...one cannot fly within a couple of hundred miles of here without him spotting it from a distance!

Poor, lonely ball. Brady brought you to kick around and play with. But, there Brady is...playing with his first love. Rocks!

What happened to Halloween?

As I search everywhere for the "perfect" costume this year, I have to wonder. Why is everything "sexy" or size 2-6? Do these companies not realize that women have children? That their metabolism is shot by age 25? Yes, about 10 years ago I was a size 6-8. But, not anymore. And then these women put on their "sexy" costumes. Their cleavage spilling forth from the top of the outfit. Their butt cheeks peeking from underneath. Then every guy that hits on them gets the "stink-eye" from her. Then she will proceed to get mad and complain to her friends that men are disgusting. Excuse me...YOU picked out the outfit with the title, "sexy" on it.

I am simply saying that I am very frustrated by the lack of "mom-friendly" costumes out there. What happened to Halloween being for children? Society makes me ill sometimes.

Fall is our favorite time of year...

We love Fall around the Johnson house. Crisp air, decorating for Halloween, no more mowing the lawn every week, and leaves falling. Which, also means we have to clean up those leaves. Brady was excited from the second we bought the pumpkin leaf bags at the store this morning.