Truth in Parenting

Since moving, I've done a lot of research on what's happening in our local area. One of the things I found was this lovely Harvest Festival. They give the kids a free pie pumpkin to decorate and offer lots of other things to do as well. There was a free planting lesson, where the kids got to plant their own seedling to take home. There was a story time area, a chalk area, lots of picture taking opportunities, as well as a place for kids to learn about carnivorous plants! For the parents there was TONS of Fall shopping to be had. We were all in seventh heaven, or were we? 

The day sounded like a blast, but it ended up having some hang-ups.  We made the best of it though. I'll let the pictures tell the story. 

We started out with the pumpkin decorating. We let Isaac choose his own pumpkin. I hinted at a perfectly round one with a lovely stem. He didn't want that one. He chose this pumpkin. If you can see it has a foot long, twisted hanging stem begging for an eye to gouge out. Such are the whims of a two year old. 

We really had to talk him into decorating it. He wanted nothing to do with it. He just wanted to leave. I don't blame him, seeing as pumpkin decorating was set up in the sauna portion of the nursery. You know the part where the point is to draw the sunshine in to help the plants grow? Well it was a million degree melting pot. After really coaxing him, he finally got into it, and did a great job!

I got a LOT of grief for trying to take pictures of him sans sunglasses. This kid really hates "bright". Shortly after these pictures were taken, he demanded them back.

They had a bunch of cute areas set up where you could take pictures. We tried to get Isaac into this. It didn't go over so well. 

He wanted to sit in my lap. Being about 6 months pregnant my balance isn't the best. So I fell over, but thankfully caught myself in a nice puddle of mud. :)

After he maneuvered his way into my lap, he then refused to have his picture taken. We had about 10 shots of him just like this, with his head down.

Here's where Dan successfully caught Isaac with his head up, shouting, "STOP". Obviously he wasn't feeling very photogenic today.

You'd think we'd be done with the picture stands, but Isaac really LOVED this one.  So we thought why not, what the heck?

He refused to look at the camera, so a tickling fest ensued.

Tickling is involved in almost every smiling picture we have of Isaac.

This was his favorite "house". 

I thought, hey there's two windows, cute photo op. Nope. He didn't want me back there with him.  Later it would become obvious why.

He hid for the rest of the pictures, until I left. :/ So we just let him play back there, soon realizing that he was hanging there for a pretty long time. Well the hot, hot sun, soon wafted forth a hideous smell that alerted us to the fact that a trip to the trunk of our car to change a very poopy diaper was immediately necessary. Yes, we put our kid in the trunk to change diapers. :) That was quite the experience too, since poo + hot = awesome. Fall in Texas is amazing, y'all...

We returned just in time for story time where the kids got to color a book. He liked this part well enough.

We thought he enjoyed this fan, until he started yelling at it to stop and spitting at it.

Yup, that's our kid. :)

This attitude carried on with us throughout the rest of our activities...

This gourd looked like a "star"

All was lost until we came upon this. A truck garden decoration. This is the only thing that made him happy the entire trip. At first I didn't want him pushing it around, and I fought that battle for a while until I realized, what's the point? I let Isaac play with that truck, Dan sat on that bench there, and I shopped around peacefully and joyfully and without stress. We were all happy as clams.

Being the ridiculous optimist with crazy high standards and hopes that maybe now my two year old would sit nice for a pumpkin picture, I tried again. I know, haven't I learned already to let well enough alone? Apparently not.

So we pulled him away from his beloved truck, with promises that if he did what he was asked, he could play with it again. Here's my amazing husband, going along with his ludicrous wife.

  

We told Isaac, walk down there for a picture and then you can play with your truck. You know what he did? He walked down there, turned around immediately, and then proceeded to throw a fit about his truck.

So there's your pumpkin picture Mommy.  :)

Parenting. 

It's not all joy and sunshine. Even though the pictures would sometimes lead you to believe so.

Parenting isn't easy by any stretch of the word. It is exhausting, beautiful work. We work very hard at it every minute of the day, BUT feel extremely blessed to do so. It took me forever to even post these pictures, because the reminder of the day was just too exhausting. Yet, it won't stop us from attempting it again next week! 

Happy Fall!!

xo