A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

I realized today that it's Thursday and I still haven't posted about our family day out on Sunday. Jim and I have been working so much lately that we have been "strangers in the night" on most days. The boys seem to be handling it well, and it has given us ample one on one time with them which is always good. For once, Matthew is on a mommy kick which makes me feel special.

So Sunday....our first family outing in a long time. We loaded up the Tahoe and headed to the River K Pumpkin Patch, an annual tradition. Dominic quickly loaded up the wagon with all the mushy, rotten pumpkins so Jim and I had to step in to explain to him what made a good pumpkin. We ended up with four pumpkins, one of which was a hybrid between a white pumpkin and an orange pumpkin. They are a bit overpriced seeing that they are "fresh picked" so we saved the big carving pumpkins for a trip to Alberston's.

We skipped the corn maze this go 'round since mommy was starving and headed to Joshua's restaurant of choice, McClintocks aka "the boot" (since they have a hanging boot sign out front). We enjoyed a nice lunch but in the company of three little boys it was definitely not a quiet one. Oh well....someday they will be all grown up and we will look back on these outings and laugh. For now, we duck and run.

After lunch it was on to a viewing of "Where the Wild Things Are." I wish I had taken a picture of the "line-up" before all chaos broke out, but just imagine all three boys sitting between Jim and I, Matthew in the middle, with boxes of popcorn. They were all three so adorable....and then the storm rolled in. Matthew got so excited at the start of the movie that he screamed along with the characters bringing the rest of the theater to chuckles. It was cute for a moment, but then we realized there was no way he would sit still through the entire movie. I quickly scooped him up and headed to the park for a ride on the swings and the slide. We couldn't do much else since his shoes were in the diaper bag inside the theater. He and I enjoyed some one on one time while Jim, Joshua, and Dominic enjoyed the movie. Lucky me, the agent inside the theater noticed that I left and didn't go back in so she gave me a coupon for a free matinee in the future...sweet! All in all, the movie was cute but I would recommend waiting for the DVD. I don't think it was really geared towards children, more for the young at heart.

I squeezed in a trip to the gym after the theater which was a treat for me. It's difficult to carve out time for workouts some weeks. The hard work at the gym is finally paying off. I will post my success once I reach my goal weight....less than 5 pounds to go.

I'm looking forward to more time with my boys; all four of them, and for winter adventures in the months to come.

"Look Daddy! There's a big orange one over there"

Can you tell Dominic is our little cowboy fashion dude? He got himself dressed all by himself

My Littlest Tigger

Out of the closet came Joshua's 2nd Halloween costume, Tigger. I saved it in a bin of clothes and found it several months ago and pulled it out in hopes that it might fit Matthew this go 'round. Although we selected an Astronaut costume for the big night, this Tigger costume worked great for milling around town. Chango....presto....abracadabra and POOF, Matthew was transformed in my little Tigger cub.

Good to be Home

I arrived home last night after four days of being away and I found far more work to be done than I had anticipated. I wonder if there will be a time that I will leave my house one day with everything neat and tidy, laundry completed and put away, kitchen spotless, beds made, etc and arrive home a few days later to the same sight? I highly doubt this is possible, but a girl can dream, right? Thank goodness I left work a half hour early so that I could tackle the damage prior to picking up my three little guys who certainly needed my attention....and boy were they excited to see me. I brought them each a new Halloween pin for their lanyards from Disneyland so they were excited to pick out their favorite ones. Joshua chose the Jack Skellington (I'm sure I spelled this wrong) one, Dominic chose the Donald Duck "Halloween 2009" one with the hinged door that says Trick or Trick when you open it, and Matthew was left with the cute little Chip 'n Dale one. How funny is it that I anticipated who would get which pin and I was right?

I would normally be off today, but so much for that. After I drop the boys off at school, I will volunteer in Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Shutt's classes until around 11am and then I will head back to Bakersfield, my home away from home, for a 1pm training class and a 3pm conference call. Maybe I will get home before the kids go to bed, but I suppose nothing is guaranteed these days with a stressful and busy job and way too much going on in all of our lives. Joshua was awarded the "Star Student" this week so tomorrow morning I will have the honor of reading Joshua's favorite book to his classmates. He has yet to decide which one that is, but I suspect that Green Eggs and Ham might be a contender. Tomorrow is also my dear friend Kara's birthday! Thank goodness for her she is MUCH younger than me so we can still celebrate. (Because when you reach my age birthdays just mean drinking an entire bottle of wine to drown your sorrows - he he he)

My neck and back are still sore this morning from carrying a certain 3 year old (I love you, JR) around through New Orleans square in route to Fantasyland on Monday. I must admit that Brandie and I had a blast catching up and entertaining JR. We've decided that a girls week or weekend is the next plan of attack. No kids, no husbands, just she and I relaxing on a beach somewhere with a margarita. It's time to start my day and get everyone ready to go. I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend off filled with Halloween decorations and a visit to the Pumpkin patch!

Let Me Count the Ways

This post serves as a "shout out" to my wonderful husband. Thank you honey for supporting me all these years. Through the ups and downs in life there's no where I'd rather be and no one I'd rather spend it with. Because of you, I am a confident woman with a promising career, the mother of three beautiful little boys, and a caring friend and shoulder to lean on for others. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to spend some one on one bonding time away from you and the boys over the past week. I know that you are a wonderful father and can handle it on your own (unlike so many others). How lucky all four of us are to have you in our lives. I love you, Jim!

A Manning-Riggio Reunion

Yes, folks, another trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. This time it's sans kids, however. My friend Brandie flew in from Nashville for a wedding this weekend and invited me to join them for JR's (her son) first visit to Disneyland. Although I had initially told her it wouldn't work out, I made some changes in my schedule and my husband graciously agreed to watch the boys so that we could make it work. I'm so glad I did! We are enjoying some girl bonding time and laughing as we watch JR run around and play. He enjoyed the big yellow waterslide at the pool this afternoon.

This morning we enjoyed the character breakfast even though JR was terrified of all of them. Brandie and I nearly fell off our chairs laughing when Minnie came over to see us. JR jumped out of his chair and ran behind me so Minnie graciously plopped herself down in his seat to enjoy his breakfast. JR quickly yelled at her to not touch his food and grabbed his plate. Absolutely hilarious!! Since JR wouldn't take any pics, Brandie and I stood in. I'd say they turned out mighty cute!!

Weekend in Review

Before I’m off on another adventure, I find it fitting to update my blog with details of the past week. My mom graciously agreed to accompany me, Joshua and Dominic to Disneyland last weekend and I must say that two kids were actually manageable between the two of us. My previous post summarized our first day at the Magical Kingdom, so I will expand from there.

We awoke on Sunday to beautiful skies and a much warmer than planned day. We enjoyed some Fantasyland rides early in the morning before the crowds hit, and took the boys for their first tour of the castle. I was surprised to find the story of Sleeping Beauty a bit different than I remember the movie. Maybe I just need to brush up on my Disney Princess stories one of these days soon. What’s a day with Pirates of the Caribbean? I think that this is, by far, everyone’s favorite ride. I truly believe that grandma accompanies us every single ride and screams all the way down the first hill  . Dominic also insisted on Tarzan’s Treehouse. I never realized how much that thing sways with or without the wind. And then on to Pooh’s Adventure. I sure do miss the Country Bear Jamboree. Thank goodness a few of the characters make a cameo on this one.

With the crowds picking up, we decided to take the train to the front and mingle on over to California Adventure and Soarin’ Over California. We made the rounds and spent close to an hour at the Redwood Wilderness Playground where Joshua and Dominic rode the rope swing and I hiked up and down the rope bridges. We even ran into Brother Bear while we were there. The highlight of the day for me was the Aladdin show. I just can’t get enough of it. We finished the evening with dinner at Denny’s before turning in for the night. Mom and I did enjoy a Bud Light before crashing, however.

On Monday morning we were treated to Mickey’s ToonTown Morning Madness….kinda lame if you ask me, but it did provide us the opportunity to tour Toon Town before the crowds came in. We also enjoyed a jaunt on It’s a Small World, Alice in Wonderland and the Matterhorn before heading over for another ride on Thunder Mountain and Pirates. We took the Monorail to Downtown Disney and enjoyed an early lunch at the Rainforest Café before finishing our day at California Adventure.

In the ride home, Dominic found a way to crack my mom and I up in the car, and I just have to share. Although I realize that it will not be as funny for those of you that weren’t there, but mom, this is for you. We stopped in Castaic to fill up with gas and grab a soda. Dominic’s Styrofoam cup on Sprite lasted all but 15 minutes. As we approached the top of the first grade on I-5 he declared that his cup was leaking. My mom and I both turned around and saw nothing. We told him that his straw must of leaked and that he should continue drinking his soda. He quickly turned the cup around and said, “no, look!” Sure enough, there was a fountain of soda streaming all over his lap, clothes, and floorboard. My mom quickly grabbed the cup and we both laughed hysterically for the next 30 minutes or so. I’m not sure why it was so funny, it just was.

All in all, we had a fantastic trip and are looking forward to a final visit at Christmastime. (Of course I will be returning tomorrow for a two day trip with my friend Brandie – yes, I’m crazy). Thank you, mom, for joining us on our little adventure and for making it a fun weekend.

Wouldn't you know....

....that we are at Disneyland and one of the Riggio's is under the weather. Pretty typical these days. What's a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth with the flu bug following us?

We awoke to gray skies and cool temps this morning and walked the few blocks from our hotel (a Holiday Inn Express this go 'round thanks to a cheap rate) to the entrance to Disneyland. I could tell that Joshua wasn't himself, especially since he turned his nose up at the Pop-Tart I gave him. We waited at the gate and were one of the first through when they opened at 8am, and thank goodness for that. In a matter of two and a half hours we were able to ride the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Thunder Mountain, the Matterhorn, and the Astro-Blasters. Whew! It's always good to get a little excitement with exercise in the morning. The boys enjoyed fighting over who was going to ride with nana, and I just stood by and took the "leftover."

After arriving at California Adventure, Joshua declared he wanted a hot dog to which nana obliged. Unfortunately he only ate half of it and asked to go back to the hotel. So here we are, relaxing and napping while nana and Dominic have fun at the parks. Hopefully Joshua will get to feeling better later in the day or mommy is going to hit the parks solo.

Either way, Dominic had a fun day with nana and enjoyed most of the rides at California Adventure. Here are a few pics of today's adventure:

A 45 minute wait on Midway Mania + One sleepy 4 year old =

Dominic takes a ride on the carousal atop a sea otter