Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone! We have had a BUSY week celebrating Halloween with the boys. I remember when I was a child we celebrated Halloween one time - on Halloween. Now, it seems like we had something to do every night!

We started out on Tuesday by attending Boo at the Zoo. This was our second year going, and the boys had a great time. Kaden chose to dress up at Woody this year. He fell in love with Toy Story earlier this year, so there was no question in his mind who he wanted to dress up as! It was a little difficult for me to "let go" and let him choose this time, but he was so proud of himself walking around the zoo that it was totally worth it. Every time we passed by another child dressed up like Woody, or Buzz Lightyear, Kaden would wave at them like they were best buddies... it was priceless! I decided to dress Noah up as Cocky this year, so we got to strut around the zoo dressed up as our favorite mascot :) He was, I think, the most popular kid at the zoo and we were, once again, stopped by other visitors to get pictures with "Cocky." By the time we got done trick-or-treating, toasting marshmallows, and grooving at the dance party, the boys were worn out!

The next morning Kaden's preschool went trick-or-treating at some of the shops located near the preschool. I helped chaperone the event, so Kaden got all dressed up and was off to trick-or-treating part 2. Since Patrick had to work, I dressed Noah up again and brought him along too. Once again, both boys racked up in the candy department and had a great experience getting to walk around downtown Chapin. I love that we attend a preschool that gives the kids the opportunity to go trick-or-treating. All of the children were precious dressed up in their costumes :)

After taking a few days of recuperation, we got dressed up a third time to go trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. A.J. and mimi-mama joined us this time along with BoBo and B-Bo. We pretty much hit every corner of the neighborhood and had very full buckets by the time we arrived back home. It's times like these that I feel very fortunate to live in a neighborhood with lots of kids where my children fit right in. We had a lot of fun this week and are now on the countdown to Thanksgiving and Christmas - oh my! Enjoy the pictures, and Happy Halloween!

Boo at the Zoo pictures

A few pictures from preschool ToT

Halloween Night

All Aboard!

On Saturday we got the opportunity to do something that none of us have done before. We headed up to Winnsborro, SC, to the South Carolina Railroad Museum (SCRM) to take a ride on a steam train! The SCRM usually offers train rides over the summer using a diesel engine, but for two weekends in October they had a special steam engine available for rides. Kaden and Noah LOVE trains, so we knew that this was something we had to do. My mom went with us so she could share the experience with the boys as well.

The boys were thrilled to see all the trains when we pulled up to the museum. There was only one train available for rides, but they have other train cars set up for you to tour. We got to walk through a dining car, a car that had two rooms set up for sleeping, the mail car, and a luggage car. We also got to explore a cute red caboose.

The train ride itself was really neat. We got off to a bumpy start which totally freaked Noah out, but once we got moving he really enjoyed himself. Every time the train whistle blew, Kaden's face lit up! I absolutely live for that smile :) Noah was adorable when the train whistle blew as well because he would "pull" on his imaginary train whistle and say,"CHOO CHOO!" It wasn't a really long train ride and we only went up and down one section on track, but it was totally worth it to see the boys having that much fun. Lots of people were standing on the side of the road taking pictures of the train and waving to the passengers, and the boys felt pretty special getting to wave back to everyone.

I definitely see some more train rides in our future! Enjoy the pictures :)

Waiting for our train ride

The steam engine

Noah and Daddy before the train got moving

Kaden and me on the train

The conductor

Kaden smiling after the train whistle

Noah after pulling his imaginary train whistle

Kaden and Noah checking out the inside of the caboose

The dining car

Kaden posing in the mail car

My little daredevil

My boys posing in front of one of the non-running engines

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We celebrated Patrick's 26th birthday yesterday! Fortunately, he had the day off of work, so he got to finally relax a little since he's been so consumed with work and school lately. He spent the morning at home with Noah while Kaden went to preschool, and I took care of some things at the church.

On the way home from preschool, Kaden asked me what we got Daddy for his birthday. I told him but also told him that we had to keep it secret! Well, he did a great job of doing that and made it through lunch and naptime without spilling the beans. After naptime we ate cake and let daddy open his present. As soon as we finished eating cake and started to make our way into the den, Kaden said, "Daddy, come open your three shirts!" It was absolutely the most adorable thing ever :) Patrick pretended that he didn't hear him and acted very surprised when he opened his 3 shirts!

We enjoyed dinner at Olive Garden and then came home, did bath and bedtime, and then Patrick got to pick what we watched on TV! Usually Monday night is one of the nights I hog the TV, but I was nice this time :) It was a very relaxing day where we got to celebrate another year with the most wonderful husband and daddy that God could have blessed us with. Enjoy the pictures from our day!

Like father, like son

My healthy boy preferred string cheese to the cake

Kaden was a big fan of the cake!

It is next to impossible for me to get a picture of them all looking at the camera, much less smiling!

The boys love checking out what color the horse is on all of Patrick's Polo shirts

Noah had to peek at the horse too

Kenny McKinley 1987-2010

Yesterday, we received the tragic news that former Gamecock wide receiver Kenny McKinley took his own life at his home in Colorado. He was signed on with the Denver Broncos at the time. This news came as a complete and total shock to Gamecocks and Broncos everywhere. McKinley was truly one of the most memorable Gamecock players of all time. Not only did he have a natural talent for the game, he had a million dollar smile that lit up the stadium.

I, along with most of my Gamecock friends, am taking this really hard! It seems weird that I would be so upset over the death of someone I don't technically "know," but I had so much respect for McKinley. For awhile there, it seemed like every time you turned around there was a Gamecock player in the headlines as a result of doing something bad, but McKinley always represented the Gamecocks in a GOOD way! I loved when the news channel chose to interview him because he was such an eloquent and intelligent person. He made me proud to be a Gamecock fan.

McKinley's death is also a hard pill for me to swallow because it brings back so many memories of when my sister died. Her death, like McKinley's, was a total shock. Nobody saw it coming. I have learned the hard way that you just never truly know what someone is going through. McKinley seemed to have so much going for him, but apparently he was tortured on the inside from something we just don't know. I feel for his family, friends, and all the Gamecock and Bronco fans that fell in love with his talent and his character.

If you have a minute, whether you are someone who prays regularly or not, please PRAY for the McKinley family! They need support now more than ever before, and I think out of respect for Kenny, we should all take a moment and just PRAY for comfort, strength, and peace for his family. Rest in peace, Kenny... you were and still are truly loved by many. You will always be my favorite Gamecock.

Dear God, please wrap your arms around the family and friends of Kenny McKinley today and in the days to come. Give them strength, comfort, and peace to know that you are with them always. Help them to lean on you and turn to you during this nightmare they are living. Thank you, God, for giving them 23 years with him in which they were able to build memories that they can hold onto forever. Please help all of us remember and honor the legacy that McKinley left behind - of his skills on the football field and of that awesome smile and heart that he shared with people everywhere. Thank you, God, for giving so many of us the opportunity to get to know and watch such an incredible person. Amen.

First Day of Preschool 2010

Today was a very important day in the Todd house. It was Kaden's first day of preschool for this year! We have had a great summer, but I think everyone was ready for a change of pace :) Kaden is still going to preschool at our church, and this year he is in Mrs. Shaver and Mrs. Gina's class.

Last year, if you can remember, we suffered three weeks of Kaden crying ALL DAY at preschool. Oh what a difference a year makes! This year he was ready to go! While we ate breakfast this morning he kept making sure that I realized that Noah and I were supposed to come home during preschool. We took some pictures at home of him in his "first day of school" clothes and we were off!

Once we got to preschool Kaden walked right into his classroom, hung his backpack up on the hook with his name, and sat down to begin coloring a picture of teddy bear. There were no tears (him or me!) and he was perfectly happy to be there! I know some parents might feel a little rejected when their child doesn't seem to care if they are there or not, but I love it! Not only does it make my life a little easier, it also makes me feel like I've raised a confident, secure little boy who knows that his mama is going to be back for him AND that he knows I would never leave him someplace if it was not good for him.

I was excited to pick him up today, and he had a great day! When he got in the car he told me, "I had so much fun! It was EVERYTHING!" I'm not totally sure what that last part meant, but I'm just going to assume that preschool is awesome and that it's EVERYTHING he dreamed it would be! I love my preschooler :)

Labor Day 2010

We had a busy, yet fun Labor Day weekend this year! Saturday we went to the Chapin Area Firefighter Appreciation Day. We went last year and Kaden really enjoyed it, so we decided to go again. They have firetrucks and an ambulance the kids can get on, and they have a bouncy house. They also have hot dogs and snow-cones and lots of other things that make it fun for kids. I was really glad we got to go again.

We had a great Labor Day as well. Fortunately, Patrick was off of work, so we were able to attend the Chapin Labor Day parade. Kaden had only been once before, and this was Noah's first time, so we were very excited! We got there early enough to park at the church and found a great spot to set up camp and watch the parade. Kaden did all right during the parade but had a major melt-down when he lost the balloon he was given by one of the politicians who came by. That pretty much ruined it for him! Noah, however, was a natural. He caught on very quickly that when a big truck or car comes by, 9 times out of 10 they are going to throw candy! Both boys ended up with large bags of candy, koozies, and other goodies. Afterward, we grabbed some chicken from our church's chicken sale and went home to rest!

After naptime we headed over to my mom's house where we grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for supper. Kimbo and B-bo were there, so we got to enjoy time with the whole family. The boys and I sat back and watched the rest of the family play a game of basketball. It was pretty entertaining :) I am so happy that Patrick had the day off (and didn't have any homework to do) so that we were able to do so much fun stuff. We hope you all had a great Labor Day as well!

Firefighter Appreciation Day Pictures

Labor Day Parade Pictures

Mom and Dad's House - Labor Day

Is it Autumn yet?!

Hi Everyone! I have been a slacker lately, but we really haven't been up to much. Mostly we've been staying inside and trying not to melt from this killer heat we've been having. Patrick has been working a lot and gearing up to start grad school later this month! We are really excited to get that ball rolling. I feel like I haven't given updates on the boys in a long time, so I'll fill you in on what they're doing these days...

Kaden is doing really well. He is such a smart, sweet boy. He LOVES to sing! Some of his favorite songs right now are "Smile" by Uncle Kracker and "Lover, Lover" by Jerrod Neiman; but he occasionally throws in a song or two that he learned at church over the summer. He is busy being a great big brother to Noah. He loves his "baby brudder" and knows just what to do to make Noah happy. He is still really into trains and his new favorite thing is Toy Story. My mom took him to see Toy Story 3 last week, and he had a blast. He's already decided that he wants to be either Buzz Lightyear or Woody for Halloween! Otherwise, he is just enjoying his summer break. I know he'll be really happy for preschool to start back.

Noah is busy, busy, busy! He is learning some new signs and words. Some of the words he uses now are: mama, dada, car, dog, juice, and "hush!" He loves animals. We went to the zoo a few days ago and Noah had a ball looking at all the animals and practicing some of the signs he knows for them (fish, bird, frog, etc.). He is still super tiny. He has broken 20 pounds finally, but he is still wearing his 12 month clothes with some room, and he'll be 18 months next week. He is a picky eater, and he just never stops moving so I don't think the calories he eats even have time to settle in his body before he burns them off. His skin is doing MUCH better! We've been to the dermatologist twice now and he has been able to find a medicine regimen that actually works. His skin isn't perfect, but it is amazingly better than it was before. He is becoming more of a little boy everyday and less of a baby. It's definitely a sad thing to see my baby turning into a big boy, but I'm just happy that I'm getting the chance to see both of the boys grow into healthy, happy kids.

We had family pictures taken a few weeks ago, and we should be receiving those soon, so I will post again with some of those pictures! Here are some recent pictures I've taken of the boys. Enjoy the pictures, and enjoy the rest of the summer! Before you know it, we'll be cheering on the Gamecocks and complaining about it being too cold!

Kaden and Noah playing in our new microwave's box

Kaden and Noah with their cousin, Evan, on GrandJohn's golfcart

Bobo's the fun aunt!

The boys taking a break during our recent nature walk

My sweet boys - I didn't even make them hold hands!

Noah Toah!