Pumpkin patch number 2

Although we went to a pumpkin patch earlier last week, we didn't actually find a pumpkin to carve, so off we went on the great pumpkin search.

They had a small pumpkin train and Ambrose loved it.

Ambrose also ate his first sucker, and it was a sight to see.
What would the great pumpkin search be without in ending in pumpkin carving? Despite the look of the picture, Ambrose didn't like the guts of the pumpkin. I wasn't surprised, because although this boy is all boy, he hates having his hands dirty.

Backyard fun

Look who's THRILLED to be home....

The weather here has been completely un-South Dakota like, completely enjoyable and dare I say nice. We've made the best of it and spent a ton of time outside!

What would fall be without a trip to a pumpkin patch? Ambrose loved the hayride and the horses the pulled it. We drank hot chocolate, roasted marshmallows and looked around at all the gourds and pumpkins.

My parents have ensured that there is no lack of toys around here and Ambrose is loving it. We've spent a ton of time outside playing on the slide, blowing bubbles and riding on the toy tractor.

Ambrose is loving all the attention and endless supply of willing playmates and I am thrilled to be lounging around while others are around to help me!

I will never tire of life at home!

Things are looking up

We started out our trip as we always do, with an hour and a half drive to El Paso where we catch our flight home. I was able to get our things together and house closed up in record time and we left about 20 minutes early, first time for everything folks. As it turns out those extra 20 minutes would come in handy because wouldn't ya know it we got pulled over. I have been driving for almost 14 years and I had never been pulled over. I was way calmer than I thought I'd be and he only gave me a warning, in part because I was the first person he'd ever pulled over from South Dakota and we commiserated how much Southern New Mexico just wasn't our thing. Away we went, right on time rather than 20 minute early, but with our low car insurance rates still in tact.


With that, things could only look up, and they did, we went on to have the two best flights we've had in our joint flying career. Ambrose was awesome, flights were on time and we had very patient people around us.

After our flights we spent time with family and all went to bed. Ambrose is a notoriously inflexible sleeper and if anything is off he'll let you know by waking multiple (MULTIPLE!!) times. So I expect a restless night, and he delivers,2 night wakings, each lasting an hour or so. We all wake up a little bleary eyed and hope the next night is better. WE have a fun filled day, accompanied by a few tantrums and crabby spells but nothing major. He heads to bed, goes down fine, but wakes up fussing and crying around 1130, after an hour I go and get him where my mom and I take turns trying to get him back down and he is having nothing of it. We try every single trick in the book and the kid will not sleep a wink. This goes on until 5am....yes 5 am. You better believe I was in urgent care bright and early the next morning because surely there had to be something wrong. Although night wakings happen in new places, this was unreal. We go into the nicest urgent care I've ever been too, where they diagnose him with an ear infection. Part of me was thrilled because if I had gone there and they had said that nothing was wrong, I would have feared we all would never sleep again. This was his first ear infection, and he really showed no traditional signs of one, but the antibiotics have been helping, and for the most part things here are back to normal.

We have been busy, busy, busy, so check back because I'll be uploading pics tonight :)