Mothering in the Autumn

OK, here is not one, but two memes. The first one I will do is about being a mom. I was tagged by my friend Amy. The second is one is about the Fall, which I saw on Mimi's blog, and it just looks fun so here I go!

1. How many kids do you have? 2, and one on the way

2. What are their ages? An almost 4 year old, 16 month old, and the one in my belly is at18 or 19 weeks gestation.

3. What time do you usually start your day? 6:00 am

4. What do they eat for breakfast? James wakes up ferociously hungry at about 5 am. This started happening once he was weaned from nursing. So him and I make our way to the kitchen where I somehow manage to shovel some yogurt into his mouth with my eyes barely open. He's so happy once we do this, when we go back to bed, he smiles and gives me yogurt kisses and we sleep another hour or until Hannah wakes us up ready for her juice. Breakfast is sometimes Puffins munched on the couch while we wake up, and then we sit down a little later for oatmeal, or eggs, sometimes toast. Hannah likes cold cereal a lot too.

5. Do they get to watch T.V.? Oh sure, just a little bit though. James doesn't get to pick a show yet, so he just kind of watches whatever Hannah likes, but he really doesn't stay interested and would much rather play. Usually she gets one half hour show in the morning (like Clifford or Curious George) or a movie sometime during the day.

6. What's their favorite activity? They love to go outside with me in the morning when I water. They run around, play with their outside toys. Hannah usually starts some make-believe scenario, while James gravitates toward the dog's water dish or mud. Just the other day I caught him laying on his tummy trying to drink the water just like the dog.

7. Do you get a break during the day for some "you" time? Sometimes. It's hit and miss. James will always take a nap, but Hannah doesn't usually unless she's really crabby and tired. While he naps, she'll occasionally have her "quiet time" in her room and play by herself. But sometimes, we both miss eachother since James take so much of my energy, so I take advantage of just having time with only her for a while. I can tell she really loves it. They have a bed time though, so I guess I have an evening "Me" time.

8. How do you end your day? Dinner, hang out outside for a bit, clean up, bath, jammies, prayers, story time, lights out. Then I can unwind, have some tea, hang out with Jason, watch a little tv if anything is on, or read. I try once a week to clean house at this time, because it's so much easier and quicker to do so once they are in bed, but lately I've been so tired. But like Amy mentioned in her blog, there is nothing more inviting in the morning than an already clean house. It's complete bliss.

9. What's your best parenting advice or tip? Wow. I suppose it would be to really share yourself with your children. Love whole-heartedly. I remember holding Hannah and being a new mother and how the powerful feelings of love scared me so much I almost wanted them to go away to somehow guard myself. But I surrendered, and it helped me be confident in the new person I had become. Also to pray, pray, pray. Simply saying Lord have mercy can instantly drag me out of any pit of anger or frustration.

10. Tagging the following: Anyone who wants to do this - I'd love to see your answers!

Now to the Fall Meme! Thank goodness for these things, especially when one lacks inspiration.

When does fall begin for you? When I make something fallish - like last week, I made sweet potato pie.

What is your favorite aspect of fall? When the evenings get cool, and you actually need a sweater.

What is your favorite fall memory? I started dating my husband this time of year, so the Fall always reminds me of our dates grabbing a coffee in a sleepy little downtown, hanging out in a record store, me wearing my brown pea coat, him wearing his blue Carhart jacket, walking hand in hand.

What do you like to drink in the fall? Tea, coffee, hot cider, anything warm and sweet!

What’s your favorite fall food? comfort food like a roasted chicken and smashed potatoes.

What is fall weather like where you live? Dry, windy, and still rather warm, unfortunately. Except the evenings do get crisp.

What color is fall? orange, brown, gold, red

What does fall smell like? sadly, it often smells like smoke, because this is fire season in these parts.

Holiday shopping in fall: I always say I'm going to get Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving, but that has yet to have happened.

If you could go anywhere in the fall, where would you go? Like Mimi said, New England of course!

What is your favorite fall sport? I'm not a sports fan.

Do you have a favorite fall chore? Putting up Fall decor, like our silly scarecrow I need to rescue from the garage.

What is your least favorite thing about fall? Fires.

What is your favorite fall holiday? Thanksgiving, and I think us Orthodox are especially fond due to the special allowance in the middle of the Nativity Fast. :)

What’s your favorite kind of pie? Pumpkin! It's my most favorite, and I can't wait to have some with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. YUM.

Which do you prefer, the Farm or the Fair? Well at our Fair, that's where the farm is too, so I guess both.

Do you have a favorite fall book? Can't think of one that reminds me of Fall besides the book I just read to Hannah a couple of weeks ago - Little House in the Big Woods. It goes through all the seasons, but I loved reading about the Fall and how they harvested their garden, and how they stowed away all their pumpkins and squash in the attic and that Laura and Mary used them as furniture and props as they played. The upcoming winter required so much work in the Fall, it really made me feel lazy, but at the same time like I wanted do more gardening and be more industrious.

How about a favorite fall poem or quote? I've got nothing. Sorry to not end with a bang.

Here's a picture instead:

And that's our homegrown pumpkin. It would still be growing, but as Jason cut back the garden, he actually cut this little guy's lifeline on accident. Oh no! But it's a cute pumpkin, and a lovely shade of orange. It's our only one too, so it's a special pumpkin. What do you think I should do with it?