Day at the Pumpkin Farm!

I finally found a pumpkin farm! It's about 45 minutes away, but it was worth it! Not the same as bundling up and enjoying hot apple cider, but we still had fun! We actually had a hard time getting Mumble to leave the parking lot!

There were hay bales set up for "hay jumping". Mumble wasn't too sure about it though. He took a few steps through it, but for the most part ...
he ...

preferred checking out the girls LOL

He did love the tether ball!
We also painted a little pumpkin.

Painting more with daddy.Tried hard to get a nice picture, but he rarely sits still! Here he is with his dried pumpkin!

To compare, this picture is from last year on his first birthday! (Thanks for the idea, Ruthanne!)

I wish this video was from his first run through the maze, but it's like his tenth LOL I forgot about taking a video. I really didn't think he'd go through it without us, but this is actually the first time one of us went in with him. The first time he got out he had to run over to the young girl taking tickets and give her a high five!

We had a really great time and ended up finding a really great restaurant on the water. We're also thinking about heading up there next month to cut down a small Christmas tree since we'll be celebrating early this year when most of our family will all be together.

I love my SARGEANT!!!

McH was FINALLY promoted to sargeant!! There are two things (other than previous rank and years of service) required to be promoted to an NCO (non-commissioned officer). The first is to go to the Board, which is, I believe, similar to defending a dissertation. You go in front of a panel of ... higher-ups (lol) and have to defend why you should be promoted along with your knowledge of your job and the Army. Well, McH went to the Board the week I brought Mumble home from Guatemala ... July of '07!!!

The second requirement is to have enough points. You get points, typically, from college or online (Army) courses as well as the courses you go through in the Army and any commendations you receive. McH had an issue with his points. Part of it was there was a problem with who could actually record the online course points he had, another part is that the number of points required for promotion change monthly. Well, while he was in California in training, the points dropped and he had enough without even having his other points turned in, so he was promoted!! YAY!!

So, basically it means that he now has more responsibility. He was promoted a couple of months ago to Corporal, which is basically for people who haven't met one of the two above requirements. More responsibility for no extra pay LOL But, I think it's given him a good taste of being a sargeant.

Needless to say, I am very proud of him! Though, he did get a talking to because he failed to thank me in his speech (that was basically, "I've got nothin'" lol). But, I know how much he appreciates my part in this!

He was officially promoted on 1October, however, his pinning ceremony was yesterday. I get the privilege of promoting him, though, I let Mumble get the "punch" in. It is tradition, that those at his new rank or above get to hit him. Before they went to ACU's (the new uniform), the rank was a pin. The tradition was that you "run the guantlet" and the other soldier's would line up to congratulate the soldier promoted. Those with the right rank would hit the soldier where the rank was ... oh, and they didn't put the back onto the pin. The "hazing" was "outlawed" a few years back, though most ignore it. McH says it's a right of passage. Well, now the rank is velcro, but it doesn't stop several from giving a punch to the new rank.

One of his idiot sargeant's punched him in the ribs. If I hadn't been worried about what McH would've said and hadn't been holding Mumble, that jerk would have had a few choice words from me! Anyway, here's a few pictures from the day!

This is the beginning of formation. Those being promoted had just been called up.

McH is the second from the right.

The second Lieutenant is motioning for me to come up for the pinning.

Here Mumble and I are waiting for the first two to be pinned.

Our turn. You can't see it well, I had forgotten that pictures were being taken, but Mumble is "punching" daddy's rank LOL

The newest NCO's.

Formation finishing up.

New Haircut!!

Hi all, well I finally chopped off my hair!! YAY! So, here are a few pictures!

Also, when I was getting the pictures off McH's camera, I found some more of my great helper. If he can climb something, then he's all about helping!!

Really this is tiring ...

I have to complain for a moment ... okay, so I complain all the time. What's it to ya?! I'm tired of McH always being gone. I'm tired of how you have to clean every five minutes to actually have a clean house (it was clean when Cissy left two weeks ago and I was gone for a week, but it's still a mess). I'm tired of my weedeater not working because McH is too strong for all of us and screwed the cap on too tight. And, did I mention I'm tired of McH always being gone? lol

Talked to him late last night. He sounded very tired, but said that things are going well. I miss him. Over the past two weeks we've talked twice and for only a few minutes. I miss him. Oh, I said that already. He should be home sometime next week ... I have a lot to do around here, but I am ready for him to be home.

Well, enough of that! Here are some pictures from the duckpond. We went with Cissy. It was nice, but I have a slight fear of birds so I got a little nervous LOL

The Mommy and the monkey

Throw it!

If I'm really sneaky I'll catch that pigeon.

Hmmm ...

We also headed over to Olive Garden since Cissy isn't near one anymore. Honest, we fed him more than dessert .......
He loved the lemon cake!

A lot ...

A lot a lot a lot ... some might say he "like i' a lo'" ... okay, so my Jim Carrey doesn't come out so well in typing.

A little after dinner coffee from the creamer pot.

Man, who came up with these after dinner mints?!

Seriously ...

Oh, and if you want to read a funny blog, check out Rosebud

Fun times at the Museum

Actually, that's a bit misleading. That title implies that we saw more than about 20 feet of the museum! They, at some point, combined the Natural History museum with the children's museum (and if you're from the Chicago area, do NOT compare the size of YOUR museums to ours lol).

Anyway, it's on the Baylor campus and was a really nice building, but Mumble was only interested in the animals and the toys LOL In fact, we only saw a few rooms of the children's part, but it was nice and the main thing is that he enjoyed it which meant that we enjoyed it!

Mumble playing on the BIG toys

Cissy and Mumble checking out the turtles

We had just walked in and he beelined for the animals. As you can see in the vid, he can't seem to sit still, he has to run back and forth to see them all as MANY times as possible lol

These jumbo block thingies were way fun and the bug just really got him goin'!

And, finally, just a short few seconds where I thought Cissy's camera was in picture mode, when it was actually in vid mode. But, it's cute watching them ... I'm sure they're hatching an evil plan.

Been a long time blogger!

Well, I don't have much of an excuse for my bad blogging habits. But, things have been a bit busy around here. We're coming up on both a second birthday and a second deployment, both are leaving the family a bit crabby (birthday - not for the birthday itself, but the whole "terrible" part).

We are ending (insert wailing and gnashing of teeth) a visit from Abuelita. It was SUPER fun and despite Mumble's propensity to have his "moments" he was on his best, cutest behavior. Mama isn't really looking forward to tomorrow LOL

I'll have lots more pics over the next day or so, but here are a few.

Enjoy!

Two peas in a pod

Playin' in the leaves

Wiggle worm

Most of the time a happy boy =)

My new hobby ...

... which may be short-lived! I have often been awed by my aunt's ability to make a great cake. And, I always find myself staring at cakes wondering how on earth they do that. So, I decided to give it a go. I thought I'd start with cupcakes since I'd be able to practice MANY times without making MANY cakes. I don't really know my neighbors, so who would eat all those cakes?!

I learned a few things.

• First, if you actually check your baked goods at the right time (and if not finished, every couple minutes for real) they actually turn out without burning.
• Second, if you measure the ingredients correctly, your baked goods will taste like heaven. And, I'm talking, running the knife over the edge of the measuring cup to get it perfect and everything ... a "heaven" taste isn't easy, after all.
• Third, air-tight tupperware is fantastic for storing icing. However, unless it's a huge tupperware or a tiny bit of icing, don't try and re-whip the icing in the tupperware.

So, here's where I started. Yes, they're a bit misshapen. I don't know why. Please ignore it. Thanks.

And, voila. Quick and easy as those kitchens on tv.

Okay, not really. It was several hours, a two year old that decided he was FOR SURE not going to go to bed, a hubby who had to get up at the crack of snot and was exhausted and a woman who seriously didn't know what she was doing. But, I did it! Oh, why did I do it, you might ask? Because I'd promised to send my misshapen little practice treats with McH to work. And, The Mommy doesn't break promises ... most of the time.

And the colors? The last picture is the most accurate. McH was a doll and stopped at the store on his way home to pick up food coloring. The sweetheart got ... NEON. I'm still laughing.

Oh, and did I mention they taste like heaven?