Pre-Halloween Trunk Or Treat

On the 24th, Layla, Aidan, and I made the trip to Amber and Gregs to take part in a trunk or treat safe treat put on by their church. Beforehand we headed to the pumpkin patch in Boulder Colorado. It was a nice time and Amber learned how to chase kids in opposite directions haha. I am so use to it that when someone is helping me or with me, they are amazed how fastly the two (three in this case with Adrianna) can take off in different directions. It has become such a part of my life that i guess i am so adapted to it, i don't notice it being such a chaotic moment.

I have learned a few tricks with having toddlers trying to be independent from not just me, but eachother. They are experiencing the feelings they can do what they want and go when they want without any warning. I guess i understand this is a time in their life where they need to explore, but i need to make fast tricks in order to get them on track to stay nearby. First off, bright shirts, unique shirts, and/or matching shirts is a big helper, it gives me a quick thing to look for among the many other children running mad through the pumpkin patch, causing their parents to pull out their hair wondering why something suposed to be "fun" can be so much work with their kids running wild along side farm animals. Heck, they are little farm animals haha. The favorite shirts I have for the two i bought from a local farmers market, two tie dyed shirts, one blue one pink. They were the only kids in tie dye and it was a quick way for me to glance to find them in the crowds.
It amazes me that the only way i can get a picture of a three year old and 2 two year olds together facing me, is only when they run into a forced dead end inside a corn maze and they are forced to turn toward me in order to find another more free running route.

With them running so incredibly fast, i found that encouragement to follow eachother, with Adrianna being the oldest and fastest, i encouraged to follow her...this increased the fun for her because, heck who doesn't want to be the leader? This was great for Layla and Aidan because they LOVE to copy older kids. I have a 1..2..3 system with the kids, and this i have worked hard to instill in them to work about 90% of the time. I am sure parents and individuals around me are driven nuts by me constantly counting to three, hey it works to get my kids back so deal!

How it works is i have taught them that when i count to three, if they are not headed back toward me, stopping what they are doing that is harmful or not appropriate on three then i am going to go over there and well, lets just say they know that if mom catches them on three it is not a fun kiss they will receive, it will be a lecture, a pat on the bum, time out, or a tight hand squeeze to get their attention back to obeying me. It all depends on the crime they made haha.

Often times i wonder where my kids come from, or their cousins...the silly crazy little things they say or do leaving me baffled...that is until i get together with my family, and realize they probably think the same when they watch my sisters, mom and i play games, or hear inside jokes that make absolutely NO sense to any sane human being but create a roar of laughter and continuous taunting from one another...Chapstick anyone?
Looking at this picture i wonder, man oh man, are Aidan and Adrianna doomed for the silliness our family has instilled in our genes? I hope so, life is better when families can joke and easily enjoy each others silly antics, wrong words, and funny behaviors.

Another important thing in keeping tabs on little tots running in directions is the simple hand holding. Layla rocks at this and almost begs for us to hold HER hand on occasions. Aidan i need to work on, he is only good when crossing streets, any other time its like "back off mom, your embarrassing me!" Is it really possible to embarrass a two year old?
I love this picture, even though Amber is laughing like a crazy lady, it shows the adorableness of a daughter holding her mommies hand, along with her younger cousin in order to remain close to the adults. Aidan of course could be anywhere at this point...ok he is near me honest!

What is better than a farmer throwing all his pumpkins in a field to fool city folk in to believing they are really "picking" their own pumpkin, or better yet fooling their kids in to thinking that pumpkin patches are the GREATEST thing in the world? Yea, nothing is!
The kids love pumpkins this year, now that they can appreciate them more. Even though we didn't purchase one this day, all three had a blast just picking them up, throwing them down, and rolling around pumpkins together. You know how hard it is to get three kids under 3 to sit down next to each other holding a pumpkin? Yea, next to impossible, moments like these, i feel Amber and I should be categorized as superheroes...women fighting to get their kids to sit still for one quick flash of a camera in order to get a picture of their kids. So what if there isn't smiles...they are sitting by each other and looking in the same direction with no one blinking! I really admire photographers of kids, they work miracles daily.

After the pumpkin patch and dinner, we headed to the trunk or treat to gain practice for halloween the following weekend. Aidan was a "dragonsaurus" and Layla was Eeyore (suprised?). I allowed the kids to pick a costume this year from three choices each, wouldn't want to overwelm them, and this is what they chose. Even though Aidan later felt he should be Eeyore too...too bad kid you picked the dragon your wearing the dragon!!
Now Halloween is supposed to be a nice time to teach your kids manners, one piece of candy now kids, say trick or treat, and thankyou afterwards. I want to instill nice manners now so when they trick or treat without me (ok i dread that day!) they will always say thankyou and not be greedy by taking too much candy from kind generous candy passer outers. As you can see here, Layla and Aidan have already gotten their candy handed to them by the very nice women, Adrianna is receiving hers and WAIT a minute? Aidan what the heck are you doing??? Get your hand out of the bucket....She already gave you candy! oh goodness my son is a candy addict little boy, i would like to say this is the only time he snuck extra candy...but no...he did it at almost every vehicle passing out candy. No matter HOW many times i told him it wasn't very nice.

After the trunk or treat the kids watched the Bee movie inside, they loved it, being one of their favorite movies watched on a weekly basis. They sat still for the most part, but only if i was stuffying pop corn or candy down their throats...oh dentists are going to love my kids!