Second Annual Marine Corps Camping Night

If you recall from last year, we came up with this idea to commemorate the Marine Corps birthday each November. This year Tommy was old enough to sleep in the tent along with Tom and Patrick (I was tucked into my bed upstairs- this mama's back doesn't do well with floors anymore). 

The first step was to transform the family room into a campground:

Tom and the boys made a special trip to the new Field and Stream store that opened up near us to get some MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) and chem lights (the best part of camping night for little boys)

After dinner (you were smart, Uncle Mike, to avoid the dinner portion of the festivities), Uncle Mike stopped by, just in time for...

marshmallow roasting - a well known Marine Corps tradition while deployed in the field.  Someone should call the fashion police on Tommy in this photo.. 

Next, on went the jammies for storytime.

Snug as a bug, these three, right?  Do you recall that last year Tom fell asleep before the boys and snored so loud Patrick couldn't fall sleep?  I guess that is also a camping night tradition.  I was only upstairs for about 5 minutes when Patrick showed up in my room to tell me daddy was snoring, and he couldn't wake him up.  After the third cycle of P showing up in my room, I tucked P into his bed.  Somehow Tommy managed to fall asleep through what sounded like enemy fire coming from Tom's nose. 

The boys had a blast and we can't wait to expand on the theme next year when the boys are older.  Happy belated birthday, Marine Corps!

News from the Pohl Household

These days are mostly filled with potty training and exercise. 

Tommy peed in the potty for the first time yesterday after weeks of off and on trying.  I put a pull-up on him for bedtime and he woke up dry, then peed in the potty again this morning.  Unfortunately, we had my MOPS meeting this morning, so he did pee and poop in his pull-up at the church, but we had another successful try after dinner (although he seemed to have trouble wanting to sit on the potty this last time and putting Caillou on the TV was the only thing that could get him to sit and try).  

As for me, my friend Ashley introduced me to Jillian Michaels Thirty Day Shred DVD.  I never thought in a million years that I would stick with a DVD workout, but I am on Day 8 and only missed this past Sunday (due to not getting to bed until 2 a.m. the night of the Notre Dame game, and a baby that woke up at 5).  It is only 20 minutes each day, so finding an excuse not to do it has been hard.  I am exhausted after each workout, and feeling pretty good overall.  Patrick is typically my exercise companion and we joke about our big muscles.  My inspiration?  A cocktail party in 3 weeks, and a sparkly, black, sequin dress already sitting in my closet. 

Looking forward to Thanksgiving and a visit from my brother and sister-in-law who live in Richmond.  I was not prepared for this scene this morning though:

Kaya's 2 Month Check-up

That's right, there was no typo in the header.  I am just now posting Kaya's two-month update at 3 1/2 months.  Enjoy.

Elizabeth took this picture (and the one below) when she was in town for Kaya's baptism - it is my favorite and captures Kaya perfectly at 2 1/2 months old. 

Right about when we reached the 2 month mark, this angel started sleeping through the night - down between 6 and 7 pm, and was sleeping until 5:30 or 6 a.m.   How lucky was I? At 3 1/2 months, she is sleeping only until 5 a.m., and will wake at 4:00 a.m. at least once or twice a week, but I am finally feeling more like myself with some sleep under my belt.

At her check-up on October 10, she weighed in 11lbs, 15 oz and was 23.5 inches long.  She was due for 5 shots, so we opted for two, and will return this week for the next 3.  I have heard it a lot about the third child, but she really is a sweetheart.  She is content to lay on her activity mat or in her bouncy seat and watch all the activity around.  She only fusses when she is hungry and dishes out smiles all day long.  She started to babble just past the 2 1/2 month mark, but is mostly quiet.  Right about that time she started really interacting with the toys on her bouncy seat and hitting them with her fists.  I am breastfeeding exclusively, but she will take a bottle which has allowed Tom and I to get out a bit (like to see Pitt play Notre Dame this past Saturday).  She still fights the pacifier, but I can usually get her take it when she is really tired.  Kaya started finding her fingers and sucking on those just around the 3 month mark.  She was spitting up a lot , but that seems to be getting better even just this week.  She is wearing a size two Pampers these days and is in Carters 6 month sleepers.

I am not sure what else to say about her other than I find it hard to be in a grumpy mood whenever I am around her.  The boys are still awesome with her.  Patrick will return from preschool and immediately curl up next to her and start talking to his little sister.  Tommy is a little more disinterested, but still asks to hold her.  I have caught him putting her pacifier back in when she loses it. 

Trucking Along

Still working on little things around the house - some good, some not-so-good.  I finally purchased some art for the living room (the only horse Tom says I can have right now).  He is not a fan, but I love it.  It is a triptych from One Kings Lane, and the only thing I have ever purchased from them. 

The not-so-good?  Our bathroom curse continues.  Instead of a simple fix for some bathroom tiles that had fallen off the boy's shower/tub wall, our kitchen contractors are coming in to figure out why we can see behind the bathtub and into the wall.

 Procrastinating on the painting projects that still need completed.

Halloween 2013

It started with Patrick spotting a Sheriff Woody costume at the store.  He has never even seen the whole movie.  By default, Tommy became Buzz - an easy sell when I threw in the inflatable jet pack.  Kaya never spoke up, so she rounded out the theme wearing the smallest Jessie costume ever.  I couldn't get Tom in a Rex or Bullseye costume.  

 

Tommy was so into his pumpkin bucket for trick or treat, he ate his entire dinner with it on his arm.

Thanks to a steady, soaking rain, I bunkered down with Kaya and passed out candy while Tom took the boys around.  We had 10 trick-or-treaters.

The boys carved their pumpkins Sunday afternoon.  This was Tommy's design (with the exception of the mouth which I added in)

 Patrick was very insistent his pumpkin be spooky, so here is his design, with a little artistic deciphering by daddy.  Art is not P's strong suit :)  His people still don't look like people, even at age 4. 

My Sheriff Woody and his best buddy, Buzz Lightyear.  To infinity (more like a few houses down the street) and beyond!