October is here and it’s already been a busy blast! Dempsey and I are still struggling to breathe properly and stop clearing our throats but I’m thinking we’ll finally turn a corner this week and then, no more colds for this family until the month is over, right?? We kicked off the first weekend of October with not one, not two, but three birthday parties, plus a Halloween decoration reveal, some good progress on Dempsey’s closet, lots of homemade food and some Spooky Season TV viewing for Joey and I. If I leave out all the car rides where children were crying, screaming and fighting, it was a 10/10 weekend! 😅

There was no way we were going over to Chad and Lori’s without having watched the Big Brother finale first, so we got up and watched it at 5:30 on Friday morning 😂 I was SO nervous when Taylor won the first part of the HOH competition and Drew won the first round of the second part, so I was very relieved to see Devens come out on top in the end. I do think he should’ve taken Drew to the final and still would’ve won, but oh well. He played such a good game, it was a really fun season to watch! Afterward, got the kids up and fed and then Dempsey and I headed out on the bike bus ❤️

We all gathered at Chad and Lori’s later for lasagna dinner, singing “Happy Birthday” to Uncle Adam and then we finally got to see all the hard work Chad, Lori and Dempsey (even though he told me he didn’t really help) put in on the Halloween decorations! Every year, I’m not sure how they can top the year before, but they do! There was a whole light show, music videos projected on the garage, singing skeletons, a giant groundbreaker and spider on the roof, plus they covered the front of the house to make it look like old wooden boards and a really awesome crypt wall. Honestly astounding! No joke, I was emotional seeing it all because I know it’s all for those kiddos and they’re so lucky to be so loved!

The kids slept in on Saturday so I baked a loaf of Jack Skellington sourdough then made whole wheat ghost and pumpkin pancakes once they were up. We can and will be eating everything cut into a Halloween shape off of a Halloween plate from now until October 31st 😂 Afterward, Dempsey and I decorated our front yard and we have entirely too much stuff! We finally got it all arranged, staked down and plugged in when I remembered we had two more blow ups and a whole skeleton wheelbarrow filled with various skeleton parts in the backyard 🤦‍♀️ He hasn’t mentioned them, so I’m not pointing it out! At 1 we headed out to a princess-themed birthday party and Lydi had no shortage of outfits to wear 👸 The kids had fun (minus one literal fist fight 😑) and actually let us socialize while they played. Back at home, broccoli cheddar soup with our sourdough and then after we got the kids bathed and to bed, we watched Backrooms and please, do not make me watch a YouTube video to understand the plot, okay? A certain level of confusion aside, I liked it!

Sunday started with breakfast and a sage cardamom latte that Joey got for me 🥰 Then Joey and Dempsey went to pick up dirt for a backyard project that’s been going on for too long and I managed to finish salads for the week while Lydia watched Bluey 😅 Then we all got ready and headed out to celebrate Delaney’s fourth birthday. Weather was so perfect for an outdoor party! The kids played so hard and didn’t come ask me for anything almost the entire time?? They’re really growing up 🥹 Afterward, we went over to my sis and Wayne’s to borrow some camping gear in anticipation of Joey and Dempsey’s upcoming trip with the Cub Scouts. I love seeing them and I need more! Back at home, the kids played, Joey put another coat of mud on the closet and then I made us chicken parm sliders that Dempsey told me he “liked, but not a lot, but still some,” so I’ll take it 😂 And then we all watched the end of GBBO together before putting the kids to bed. We borrowed that camping mat from Jory and it’s Lydia’s favorite thing 😂😂 We watched an episode of Widow’s Bay after the kids were asleep and I love it’s both funny and scary at the same time!

Happy Monday, everyone!

How come both my kids slept over at my mother-in-law’s all weekend and it still felt busy?? Kicked off the weekend with Dempsey’s school fundraiser then Joey basically spent all weekend building a closet in the kids’ room and I did who knows what while the kids helped decorate for Halloween over at Chad’s. We were all back together on Sunday to celebrate Joey’s grandpa’s 90th (!!!!!) birthday and I’m ready for October to roll in and Dempsey and I’s cold to roll OUT!

Dempsey came down with a cold at the end of last week and spent a miserable night in our bed, so I was worried he wouldn’t even make it to school on Friday but he seemed game to go and Joey is hellbent on giving him a 90s childhood, which means going to school unless you’re in the hospital. He was nervous for the run they were doing later on, but put on his best brave face and walked in. Turns out the event was so fun! He thought he might do three laps but he did 13!!!! I was impressed by all of the kindergarteners 👏 Afterward, we got to check him out and he and Lydia headed back with Grandma for their sleepover.

Joey and I had dinner at Yuan Wonton (the reservation had popped up two days earlier!) and everything tasted so so good!!! Plus they played BTS the entire time 🥰 I could’ve done without the wait time between courses but I’ll forgive it this time. We had a fun date night trip to Home Depot afterward to get supplies for the new closet 😂 then went home to try and catch up on BB but I was straight falling asleep, so we finished the next morning.

Saturday started with pancakes and I baked a fresh loaf of apple, Brie, balsamic sourdough! Then I went to pick Lydia up for her park playdate and got to check in on Dempsey. You could tell he was more worn down than usual but he was still up for sleepover #2. Lydia and I had fun socializing at the park — in sharing about Dempsey’s school anxieties, I have made friends with so many other parents who have gone through similar experiences and it’s so nice to know you (and your kid) are not alone — and then I brought her back to Grandma and went home for lunch, chores, a little bit of The Great British Baking Show and to get ready for dinner with Hannah ❤️ We ate at Community and it was good as always, plus I love catching up with my bestie! Got home in time to FaceTime the kids, who were just getting home from a drone show and then Joey got back to work on the closet and I read a bit before going to bed.

Woke up to a closet! Though Joey’s ankles have been numb from kneeling down since Saturday, so I’m not sure if this progress was worth it… After breakfast, I headed out to get my hair cut and Joey headed out to pick up the kids and take them straight to a birthday party! We all had a little bit of time at home between that and the second birthday celebration of the day. This time for Grandpa Dave! We had a private room at The Old Spaghetti Factory and that was probably for the best because there were a lot of kids there and all the younger ones were acting a bit wild. How cute is Lydia looking up at her great grandpa though?? 🥹 We were back home before six and thought we’d have a nice early bedtime for our tired kids but instead it was pure chaos, screaming and crying! I think they both blacked out and Joey and I were just trying to keep the train on the tracks. Dempsey literally punched his sister and the two of them were screaming at each other from their beds until I went up and had Lydia leave the room for a reset. They finally gave it up and were asleep at 8 o’clock, only an hour and a half after we took them up for bedtime 😓

Here’s to a busy but fun October in a few days!