Batty Noah

Happy Halloween!
I am going to confess though.  I do not like Halloween.  I've never been a fan of dressing up or going to costume parties.  I've always loved working at the police department on this day to be a part of all the crazy shenanigans and therefore missed the crazy college Halloween parties that probably would have made me more excited.  Either way, this year, I'm a little more excited because of Noah.  We're still not doing anything crazy.  I still refuse to hand out candy. But, we will be helping Grandma (who's super excited) hand out candy at her house.  That's the best I've got. Oh ya, and I guess Noah might be dressing up.

House Schedule Update

Today may be the day we break ground and I'm cautiously excited as we were supposed to break ground over two weeks ago.  The builder had some problems getting a permit in time for when we thought to break ground so we're just at the mercy of this little permit to begin.  I've heard today may be the day.  But even without the house having been started we have still been busy making decisions and even getting our first payment for the house! I thought I would give our current schedule for anyone else who may be interested in the process or anyone else who may be thinking of building as well.  So here we go!

Oct 8 (Day 1) - We signed our contract and everything is official!
Oct 9 (Day 2) - Expected ground breaking - delay with permit.
Oct 14 (Day 7) - Pick out front door, interior doors, house molding, door knobs, and decking and siding.
Oct 15 (Day 8) - Fireplace
Oct 21 (Day 14) - Faucets, sinks, shower heads, toilets.  Also garage door.
Oct 23 (Day 16) - Cabinetry for the whole house - knobs and handles

Day 16 probably has been my favorite so far.  The kitchen is the most exiting place for me as I'm going to be spending so much time there.  I've always imagined an all white kitchen and I'm well on my way.  I tried to find the cabinets we chose but through the whole process there are just so many options that online they all look the same.  I guess we'll have to wait for the install processes to check the pictures out.

Here is the best I can do for picturing our current kitchen layout.  The cabinet above the stove will actually be a custom built hood similar to this one.  The cabinet on the most right of the picture will be a glass door to display pretty glasses and most likely be some sort of drink station. Originally we wanted an navy blue kitchen island, but apparently if it's not a "normal" color you pay way extra for the custom paint.  We ended up having a "designer" color that although is not the stock colors and we still payed a little extra, it was not the major expense the blue island would have given us. So far we're looking at a dark grey island and white cabinets.  Similar to this.

The most important thing was that when we walked out of the store we came in under budget! Woop!

Next on the list we have counter-tops and back-splashes for the kitchen and bathrooms.  We also still need to pick appliances.... Most of the big stuff is pretty much picked! Who knew this would go so fast. 

Pumking Patch & Cute Little Goats

We finally made it out the the pumpkin patch last week.  Nothing like waiting 'till the last minute, although we really had no other time.  We even skipped out on buying pumpkins this year as we probably would not have gotten around to carving them anyway. Unlike last year, Noah was much more excited.  We looked at all the animals while Noah made cow noises.  Noah fed the goats after he found that goat food wasn't for babies, and we finished the day taking the typical pumpkin pictures.

Noah and I finally were able to wear out matching shoes.  Mama in love!  This is as close as I'll ever be to matching with a boy. =)

Toddler Meal Ideas Part 2

I feel like all Noah ever wants to do is eat, and eat some more.  When he's done eating then he wants more milk and maybe even a snack.  It's no wonder the kid is huge.  I can't say I blame him though.  Food is pretty yummy, especially when your mom makes it. =)

For more toddler meal ideas you can find some here.

For snacks, we usually do some milk and  fruit or some crackers.  We've really enjoyed trying the Gerber toddler snacks like these banana cookies, these cheese puffs, and the little biscuits.  They are especially great when you're on the run and are easy to grab and stuff in your diaper bag.  For all the moms in the Meijer grocery store area, the Meijer brand is super similar and cheaper too when the others aren't on sale. 

Here are some more toddler meals ideas for you guys:

1. Chicken Parmesan - blueberries
2. Taco meat w/ cheese and tomatoes - raspberries - bread
3. Chicken and cheese quesadilla with humus - tomatoes - strawberries
4. Risotto - turkey meatballs - mixed veggies
5. Mini pancakes - blueberries and strawberries
6. Brats w/ catchup - bun pieces, cheese and cheezeits - cooked carrots

Looks like it might be tacos for dinner tonight!  Feels like a good taco day. =)