Daddy's Back!!!

It was a long week...filled with lots of fun activities, gorgeous fall-like weather, and a fever :(  With the start of preschool comes the sickness.  Ugh.  Poor Griffin had 103 fever on Wednesday and Thursday morning, so I stayed home with him.  He just wasn't acting like his normal, happy self.  Friday he was back.  Smiling, and feeling well.  I just hope Payton and I don't come down with it next!  So far, she just has a horrible, annoying, dry cough.  Tis the season...

You can tell he doesn't feel well :(

A little gentleman...giving Mommy a flower :)

Playing sick...she wanted "medicine" like Cozy

Swiping Mommy's sushi...yep.  She likes it!

Blowing bubbles and learning how to play UNO with Mommy...and beating me!

Just look at that sweet, snotty-nosed face...he was such a trooper.  Fever and all.

We gave Emma a bath, and since she's nice and clean, we gave lots of doggie snuggles (and Payton was brushing them)

Beautiful day for a wagon ride!

While Griffin was sleeping, Payton and I played "soccer," and as you can see in the picture above, she was red-faced and sweaty.  She loved it!  We'll probably register her for "Soccer Shots" in the spring...a youth-based soccer program.  She also wants to take dance, so we'll see what time allows! She starts private swimming lessons in a week.  Crossing my fingers she does okay in the water with a "stranger."

We are SOOOO happy to have Daddy back from Vancouver.  No more FaceTime calls, but real Face-Time! Griffin has noticeably changed so much since he's been gone.  Walking almost all of the time now, saying more and more words, and his personality is coming out so much.  Payton and Griffin play together now, and he imitates everything she does.  (Watch out big sissy-better set a good example!)  Their favorite thing is to scream at each other.  It's great.  Really (anyone sensing my sarcasm?)

Monkey see....Monkey do!

Well, Daddy came down with something on Saturday.  BOOOOO!  So, Payton Griffin, and I went to our friend's house for a big BBQ party.  The kids played on the beach, and again, back to being a "single mommy."  Hey, I pretty much have it down-pat now!  Mike had been up all night monitoring the 10 pork butts on the smoker.  The outcome?  YUMMY!  Thanks, Julie and Mike, for having us over (again :)

Payton found the "horn" button...she pushed it and about 80 people looked up at her from the dock.  She thought it was hilarious!

Our beautiful baby girl is growing up SO quickly!

Later Saturday evening, Brian was starting to feel better, so we met some friends at Oktoberfest, at Waldhorn Restaurant.  You people with little ones....if you've never been, you are MISSING OUT!  It is one of the most kid-friendly events I have been to.  There is a (loud) German band playing, and a dance floor right in front.  The kids LOVE to get up there and dance (as seen below).  Griffin was busting out his dance moves, as was Payton.  It was so much fun we're going back for Daddy's birthday :)

CHEERS!

I have NO idea where she gets those dance moves!  I didn't get Cozy on video, but I'll be sure to next time!

On Sunday, after my 12.5 mile run (gulp!), we had a nice visit from Nana, Granddude, GREAT Granddude, and his wife, Virginia "GiGi."  We went to Tbones for brunch, then after naps, we went to the Fall Festival in Ft. Mill, at Anne Springs Pkwy.  By the time we arrived, the horses and face painters were gone.  The kids got to ride behind a tractor, on a train-like vehicle, and they pet a donkey and saw some pigs.  It was fun, but we'll have to go back, as Payton REALLY wanted to ride the horses and get her face painted!

In transferring pictures from the camera to the computer, somehow I erased a bunch from the fall festival...BOO!  Here's what I salvaged...

Nana, Granddude (or "Dude," as Payton calls him), and Great Granddude, who was visiting from Colorado

Daddy, Griffin, Granddude, Payton, Great Granddude, and Virginia, or GiGi

This is as close to a horse as the kids got at the Fall Festival...since the horses left just before we arrived.  The teeny-tiny donkey they got to pet didn't count ;)

We had dinner together at Six Pence in Baxter Village, an Irish Pub.  The food came out REALLY slow, so Brian and I pretty much had to get it to go, as Griffin was about to have a melt-down.  We enjoyed our visit with the grandparents (and great-grandparents), although it felt pretty rushed.  I guess that's how it is with little ones! 

As I've mentioned before, Payton likes to throw money into fountains...what kid doesn't, right?  Well, Brian told her that she needs to make a wish before she tosses the coin, and she needs to keep the wish "in her head."  This is what she does...

And this is how we knew it was time to go....he's sucking his thumb under there!  Night night!

And just for giggles and documentation...here is Griffin eating corn on the cob for the first time: