October 2010 – Our Family Adventure

Halloween 2010!

I’m so excited to tell you about our Halloween that I’m having a hard time finding the words to start this post (I’ve been sitting here for a spell now). Overall, it was great.

Ajax was kind enough to sleep in to 8:00 am today (awesome) and then we bummed around the house. I filled the crock pots in the morning with spicy tortilla soup and pork (for pulled pork tacos). We then did a little running around to the grocery and hardware store, and because it was so nice we even went for a short walk.

My mom and dad, and aunt Liz and uncle Tom, and cousin Mike, all came over for dinner. Everyone had a great time. And then around 5:30 we dressed Ajax up in his costume. I put so many layers on him that we could only stay indoors for a short time before heading out. He was so darn cute all dressed up as a dragon.

My dad stayed at the house to hand out candy and then my mom, Dave, and I took Ajax up and down our street. Ajax didn’t really understand why we were going to each house and shouting. He didn’t understand why people were dropping items into his pumpkin. But boy did he have fun. He enjoyed seeing all the other kids dressed up, but after a while he was just wore out, so we placed him in his wagon, covered him with a blanket and called it a night. He was so tired he didn’t even put up a fight.

After we got home, we did a quick bath and sippy, and then we got a dozen trick-or-treaters. Ajax had so much fun running out onto the porch and telling everyone, hi and bye, it was so cute. For Michigan the weather was agreeable, wasn’t too cold, no rain or snow, what a wonderful Halloween.

Dave and I are now watching the original Night of the Living Dead (something Dave has established as a family tradition) and that has been our Halloween. How much fun!

Getting ready to go out! Ajax was thinking we were crazy at this point.

Aunt Liz showing Ajax some pictures of himself as Dragon.

Our first house (you can actually see out house in the back ground).

Ajax leading the way. He thought this was the greatest walk ever.

Trick or Treat! Ajax had a hard time getting that one out, but he did try.

Rite Aid

Tonight Dave wanted licorice, so after dinner the whole family marched up to Rite Aid. Couponing is now a family event.

Purchased-

1 pack of Twizzlers = 1.59
2 Jumbo packs of Huggies = 17.98
1 Aveeno hair product = 5.99
Total = 25.56
After coupons and UP rewards I paid = 6.70, with tax
I received $6 in UP rewards for later!

Elmo post 2

I know I’ve done one post already about Ajax’s new favorite thing (Elmo), but his love of Sesame Street and Elmo have increased, getting a little out of control. I guess I should have gotten Ajax an Elmo costume for Halloween instead of a dragon, but I didn’t realize how crazy he was about Elmo!

The other night Dave was making dinner and needed to distract Ajax for 10 minutes, so he turned on Sesame Street. As soon as Elmo came on TV, Ajax was mesmerized. Well, by the time I got home Dave had finished dinner and we both sat down to eat. The problem was that we couldn’t get Ajax away from the TV. I finally turned the TV off, but Ajax kept hitting the power button for the DVR trying to turn the TV back on. He was so mad when I scooped him up and placed him into the highchair.

DSCN6885 — Hey Elmo (he thinks all the red muppets are Elmo).

After bath time Ajax gets a sippy of milk. Usually when he’s ready for his milk he’ll run to the refrigerator and point to it. And then while Dave or I are preparing his cup, Ajax will run into the living room and climb onto the couch waiting. It is so darn cute!

DSCN6903 — Snuggling with his blanket and a sippy before bed.

Carving Pumpkins

Till now Dave and I have always left our pumpkins intact, placing them strategically outside our home, in true suburban fashion. Now that we have a nino, however, we decided it was time to start carving them. We covered the kitchen table in newspaper, plopped Ajax down between us, and set to work. We tried to get Ajax involved, but when we showed him how to scoop out the pumpkin innards he looked at us like we were crazy and wouldn’t touch a single seed. He was quite content to watch us and held his baby pumpkin that he had picked out.

I was pretty impressed with our carvings and placed them outside along with Ajax’s little pumpkin. In a matter of an hour squirrels had already started eating them and had run away with the littlest pumpkin. Darn city squirrels.

We actually have a very aggressive brown and tan squirrel that lives in the maple tree next to our back porch. This thing terrifies me. He has cornered me and forced me back into the house on more than one occasion. This past Sunday I had Ajax in my arms and we were leaving to run up to the grocery store. We stepped out onto the porch and that squirrel was standing next to the tree, about six feet from the house. As soon as he saw us, he stood up on his back legs, wiggled his nose, flicked his tail, and then came toward us. Ajax kept saying, kitty kitty, but I tried to use my purse to shoo it away. The darn thing thought I was trying to feed it and came right up onto the steps of the porch! I backed up into the door and started screaming for Dave, while trying to fumble with the handle. I couldn’t get the door open, so I jumped off the side of the porch toward my car and made a mad dash. In the meantime, Ajax kept calling the thing, kitty kitty. Dave came out way to late to save us, and I believe I threatened to shoot the squirrel. Our neighbors think we’re crazy.

DSCN6853 — Learning the fine art of Halloween.

DSCN6863 — Ajax got bored and played under the table.

Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday Ajax and I headed to my parent’s home in the hope of giving Mr. Dave some peace and quiet to work on his websites. My cousin Angie and her three kids were also out, along with her mom, Rena, and then two of her brother’s children. It was a party! We headed to Flavor Fruit Farms (an apple orchard, pumpkin patch, animal farm) and had a ton of fun. The kids were very excited to see all the animals, we went on a hayride, and got apple cider. There was also a musician playing a guitar and Ajax was just memorized. He kept bopping to the music. Ajax just loves music.

We decided to go to another farm for pumpkins as the selection at Flavor Fruit was a little picked over. The farm we stopped at was right next to my parents house and I ended up getting two medium pumpkins and a baby pumpkin for only $8.50, which was pretty good deal. Last year I think we spent almost $15 on just one pumpkin from a place near our house.

They had a covered maze for little kids, which Ajax loved. Since he was too little to go through it alone, I of course went with him, the problem was that I had to bend over the whole time and was exhausted after running through it three times. All the kids were running through it and screaming, and as they would come around the corner they would bump into Ajax and he would yell and they would yell and laugh. Ajax thought it was hilarious, but he wouldn’t let go of my hand.

Ajax was great the entire day, especially since he only napped for about 45 minutes on the way out to my parents. After the farms Angie and Rena went home and then Ajax and I went to dinner with my mom and dad. We went to the BBQ place that Ajax loves. He ate everything, except the fried okra. Okra however is an acquired taste.

DSCN6835 — On the hayride- to the right, my aunt Rena, Eli, and Madison.

DSCN6838 — (left) Zach, Eli, Jacob, Madison, Cameron, Ajax and Mary.

Yapples

Today when Dave got home there was a package on our doorstep. He immediately asked what I had ordered. I explained that I had not ordered a thing. The package it turned out was an apple peeler from Grandpa Rod and Grandma Dara, for Ajax’s apples! He really has been all about his yapples lately. Dave usually peels them for him, but I just slice them up and leave the peel on. Hopefully we’ll make it to the orchard to pick some apples this weekend and try out this new kitchen tool. What’s funny is that I totally remember my mom having one of these contraptions growing up and now I’m a mom and when Ajax grows up, he’ll say oh, an apple peeler, how goofy, I remember my mom having one of those!

The sitter also was telling Dave that Ajax just talks so much. He just goes on and on, and she has been trying so hard to understand what he’s saying. To be honest we don’t understand half of what he says. Currently, he has been saying – I wanny and then points at the desired object. So he has learned to say – I want… how adorable right? No my child is not spoiled.

Leaves

We are having a relaxing weekend, getting back into our routine after a week of vacation. The weather has been so nice outside that we did a bit of yard work on Saturday. I raked up some leaves and Ajax had a blast running through them. He also helped bag some of the leaves by picking up one leaf or twig and putting them into the bag. Ajax also helped by picking some tomatoes from the garden. It’s surprising that our garden is still producing, but there it is. My dad came by for a visit on his motorcycle. As soon as my dad pulled up the driveway Ajax started yelling – motorcycle, grandpa motorcycle. My dad let him sit on the bike and even revved the engine a bit for him, which Ajax just loved. Tractors and motorcycles, what a little boy.

We also busted out the playdoh for the first time and Ajax loved it, though he did keep licking it. I kept telling him that it wasn’t food, but he just couldn’t help himself. I’m not sure who had more fun playing with the playdoh, Dave and I or Ajax.

My mom was also nice enough to babysit on Friday, which allowed Dave and I to have a date night. We did dinner and movie, and it was a very enjoyable evening.

Rite Aid

Well I did a trip to the RA this morning. Mr. Dave and Ajax stayed home and ate bacon. I did two transactions –

Transaction #1 –

6 bags of Hershey’s chocolate (yea Halloween!) – Sale 2/$5 – $15
1 package of Scott TP – $7.49
1 Cold Buster Warming Syrup – $6.69
1 Natural Honey Bee Cough Drops – $2.49
1 Halloween card (for my nana) – .99
Total = $32.66; after coupons paid = $22.60 (with tax) and received $7 in UP rewards.
I will also be getting a check from RA in the amount of $9.18

Transaction # 2 –

1 Simply Saline Solution – $3.99
1 Chestal Child Cough syrup – $4.99
1 Oscillococcinum Flu syrup – $4.99
1 Thermacare back – $2.99
1 Blink Tear – $7.99
Total = $24.95; after coupons and UP rewards (from 1st transaction) I paid = $7.09 (with tax).
I will be getting a check from RA in the amount of $24.95. Yes, that is correct. All of these items were FREE. By using coupons I made money with this deal.

All said and done, taking into account what I paid out of pocket, my coupons, the UP rewards and anticipated rebate checks from RA – I made $4.44 with these two transactions. Not a ton, but heck, I’m not complaining.

These were the items that I purchased that were completely free. No coupon necessary. So if you want any of these items (and there were more, I just didn’t opt to buy them), swing by RA and pick them up and RA will mail you a check!

Family Vaca Part IV

On Wednesday we packed up the car and headed to Dave’s parent’s house in Mikado, which was about a two hour drive from Mackinaw City. Ajax again did very well in the car and even slept for an hour. Ajax was thrilled to be at Grandma and Grandpas, and of course he wanted a ride on the tractor.

Rod babysat on Wednesday night so that Dave, Dara, and I could attend the first session of our CPL class. Ajax did very well for Rod and went to bed without a peep.

On Thursday we all headed to Dara’s work for our flu shots and then Dave and I headed into Alpena for the night and let Grandpa and Grandma babysit overnight (thank you again!). We had an excellent date night, with a great steak dinner and ice cream dessert.

Friday was completely relaxing and on Saturday the three of us were in class again all day. We all passed the CPL class and I actually out-shot Mr. Dave. The instructor said I did very well (not bad for never shooting a firearm before). And then we headed home, rolling into the G.C. at about 8 pm.

What a wonderful vacation!

Family Vaca Part III

On day two we got up semi-early and had breakfast and then tried to make the early ferry to Mackinaw Island. Of course as soon as we pulled into the parking lot and started speed walking to the ticket booth the whistle blew and the ferry shipped off. In the end it was a good thing we had missed the boat because we were in such a rush we had forgotten the stroller in the car. We had an hour to kill before the next ferry so we tracked down a shoe store. The only thing I had forgotten to pack was a pair of tennis shoes… for me. All I had were flip flops and silly little slip ons, neither of which were proper for tracking all around an island.

Anywho, we made the ferry, with new shoes, and after a 16 min. ride were unloaded onto the island. What’s neat about Mackinaw Island is that there are no motor vehicles allowed, so that means bicycle and horse drawn carriage are the main modes of transportation. As soon as we hit main street, Dave and I kept pointing to all the horses – look Ajax, horsey! Ajax would respond- Frannie! Frannie! (this continued throughout the day).

We had a great day on the island. We walked all over the place, down some neat trails along the water, saw some pretty cool buildings and then explored Fort Mackinaw. We didn’t get to see much of the Fort as Ajax had a small melt down. We therefore cut our tour short and headed in for lunch. After lunch Ajax was much more agreeable and ended up falling asleep in his stroller, which gave me some time to look through a few shops.