Writer's Workshop

I'm doing it again, Kate has found a website that gives you writing prompts for your blog. So I'm going to try that too. I actually don't enjoy writing, never have. But it's starting to grow on me lately and maybe some Writer's Workshops would help me out too.

One of this week prompts is: Show us something you’ve created for Halloween, anything qualifies…costumes, recipes, crafts, party invites, treats, decorations etc..

Unlike my husband I like Halloween (the fact that it is Reformation Day is more exciting to him). It was always a big deal, carving pumpkins, costumes, and trick or treating when I was growing up. So when I found out I was pregnant I knew exactly what I was going to be for Halloween at our office Costume Contest.



Halloween 2009

 Yep, A Bun in the Oven!! Since I was barely showing at the time I found a picture online for a good cinnamon bun to tape to my belly. I wrapped a box in silver wrapping paper, the stove top had burners, the door worked, and the timer said 23 weeks left. Pretty good I thought, but some how I didn't win...

Here was my competition

Bacon and Eggs won...

My little munchkin will be a gator for his first Halloween - I know, it's SHOCKING!! I am crafty (or at least I can be but let's face it I'm still working on the gator quilt I've gotten 80% of the way complete 3 months ago) but I bought his first costume anyways. I'm making next year's costume... I promise!

Weekend Tidbits

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins...

Burt's Farm

Mommy and Ben

Thanks for the little pumpkin these others are way to big

Family Photo

He was more interested in the mulch

The hay feels funny on my feet

This was outside a supply store on the way to the Pumpkin Patch

It was a long fun day.

Who Were You Before You Became a Mom

I began following Resourceful Mommy when she hosted a Fisher Price Twitter party. I won an Ocean Wonder Aquarium for the crib and got a bonus toy too. So I entered another contest on her website and couldn't believe it when I won AGAIN, this time a gift card to Old Navy!! Woo Hoo! She holds some fun Twitter Parties with great prizes but her blogs can also be fun to read.

She wrote a post last night Happy Mom Series: What Did You Used to Be? It made me think of myself and my new role as mom.

If you asked my friends or coworkers who I was before Benjamin they would say a runner and HUGE Gator Fan.

I've been running races since seventh grade. Started out with the mile, then the 2 mile. Then running the 4x800, 1 mile, and 2 mile in Track meets. Then came Cross Country. Which was 2 then became 3 miles (why they didn't make it a 5k is beyond me). I skipped the 10k and went straight for the 15k when I was living in Jacksonville. Then in my pure stupidity I signed up for the 2006 Disney Marathon. I had no clue how to train for it, I just knew I wanted to do it. So a month before the race I ran a half marathon on a whim to help train for the marathon I had signed up for... Yes, you read that right, I signed up for a half marathon to "train" for a full marathon. I'm just that NUTS! The half I finished in 2 hours 28 minutes (Craig told me he wouldn't drive me home if I didn't finish under 2.5 hours) and the full I finished in 5 hours 45 minutes. Not bad with no training. I couldn't walk for a couple of days but I did it! I have gone on to run several more half marathons and another full. But the runner inside of me since Ben has arrived has been on a hiatus. Don't get me wrong, when I found out I was pregnant I still went to San Francisco and ran the Nike Women's Half Marathon (4 months pregnant). I signed up for the Peachtree Road Race 10k just before Ben was born in all hopes it would get me back out on the street running as soon as possible. Which it did but then the race came and went and I haven't been running since. I've got all the excuses... it's too dark in the morning, I'm too tired to get up at 6am to go running, when I get home I want to spend time hanging out with Ben and Craig, etc...  But now I'm thinking of signing up for the Atlanta Half Marathon in March. So maybe, just maybe the runner will return.

Since I became a mom almost 7 months ago, the Gator fan in me hasn't disappeared and I'm already passing it on to Benjamin. I have bought any article of clothing for Ben that has a gator on it. Every Saturday he wears his Gator onesie and if it is cold he even has a Gator fleece jacket.

Before I was a Mom I was a runner and Gator. Now that I am a mom, I am a Gator that is a mom that hopes one day soon she will be a runner again.

Teeth, Pictures, and Crawling

It's been a big week for Benjamin. He had his first picture day, cut 2 teeth and is starting to catch on to crawling. He is growing up too fast!

Someone has been teething HARD this week...

He looks like he's up to something

Yes, definitely up to something.

Showing off his picture day outfit and trying to show you his tooth. But I have found right now it is next to impossible to get him to smile where you can see the now 2 teeth.

I'm a big boy!

Handsome

The truck is one of his favorites.

Hey Mom I'm just trying to get around.

See I made my way back to the mat. Trying to crawl, up on my elbows and knees I'm starting to understand.

There's my book.

Wait, you moved it... I'll get that book.

See you can't stop me.

Aren't you proud?!

Weekend Tidbits

Ben is getting around these days, he has figured out where his toys are stored.



I would like to play with these toys too!


I helped out at our church's rummage sale on Saturday. We have quite a few kids at church so I was able to pick up a few things for Ben while contributing to our building fund.

A ball pit, lots of fun

Ben has gotten big enough that I had to raise the rise on his one size cloth diapers.


Doesn't he look like a big boy?





Wearing the orange and blue wool soaker Katrina made for him



His new thing is to bite his lower lip



So I got Ben ready for church in this really cute outfit. And then he pooped and it ran straight up his back, a new thing since he is sitting up most of the time now.

So I had to change him into this...

Still cute but I was hoping to save that one for another day.



Weekend Tidbits

It was an exciting time in the Neubauer Household. No not really but there are still pictures.

Saturday we drove to Helen, GA for the afternoon and met up with Josh, Blaire, and Davis for Oktoberfest. It is about 70 miles from our house, it took 2.5 hours to get there, about 9 miles outside of Helen the traffic came to a screeching halt.

Meeting a horse for the first time

Family photo

Classic Josh

Polka music, beer and brats and the fact it was a town fashioned after Germany gives it the Oktoberfest name but beyond the name and the buildings I think we could accomplished the same thing by grilling out at our house.

Oktoberfest even put Ben to sleep

 The flash has stopped working on what we call the small camera a Canon PowerShot we've had for 5 years. We also have a Canon Digital SLR so eventually we will get a new smaller camera but that's really not at the top of our list, a video camera should probably be the next thing.

Officially time to buy a new "small camera"

He's figured out how to blow bubbles with his spit

Sippy cup for the first time

in the pack n play

 He ate in the highchair for the first time, he's gotten very skirmy in the bumbo for feeding time. The highchair actually did help him focus on just eating.

MORE GREEN BEANS MOM!

He ate in the high chair for the first time

  Ben has a new friend, his name is Scout and Scout talks to Benjamin about spelling his name, counting, his favorite animal (alligator), color (blue), and food (currently sweet potatoes but may need to be updated to green beans).

Ben and Scout

Sunday, I worked in the yard for a few hours and planted some daffodils and hyacinths bulbs for the spring and over them (we have A LOT of squirrels and they dig up bulbs) I planted mums (white and orange) and pansies (blue, orange, and white) to add a little color for fall. I bought small and hopefully they will gets lots bigger and fill in.