Its official.  Both of the kiddos have colds.  Well, Finley has had one for a while, hers has just gone boogery.  Which honestly doesn't usually happen with her - she normally just has a lot of coughing and congestion and it takes her longer to get over a cold because she has trouble effectively clearing her throat because of the airway issue she has.  Her nose however, has been running like a faucet and any attempts to suction - either with the bulb syringe or the machine - has been met with fierce competition.  My girl surely knows how to tell you when she doesn't like something and her techniques are VERY effective in not allowing me to get the job done.  To be honest - its frustrating - but I love it - all at the same time.  I love seeing the fight she has in her!

Nate on the other hand - he's funny because this is the first time he has been very vocal about his stuffy nose. He's even gone so far as to hit his nose over and over and say, "I don't want this stuffy nose!"  As though if he were given another option, he would like to trade it in thankyouverymuch.  And I have been battling the bug myself - feeling several times now that I have been coming down with it - but then hitting the zinc melts like its my job and that seems to hold it off for a while.  Until the scratchiness in my throat comes back...then its back to the zinc melts.

Last week we visited the pumpkin patch and much to our surprise, Nate was very much in to having his picture taken!  He's very hot and cold with the camera these days but it seemed like even when I didn't have the camera ready to take his picture - he had a big smile on his face and he was saying "Cheese" trying carefully not to move his mouth while he said it and ruin his smile!

The pumpkin patch was full of beautiful pumpkins and was a ton of fun!  Nate chose a red (yes red) pumpkin whose skin was tough and mottled with masses of bumps all over it.  We attempted to carve it last night - but said skin was a little too tough for mommy to get the carver in to - daddy is going to again tonight (because of course Mike doesn't want to have to BUY Nate a new pumpkin!)  Finley's pumpkin turned out cute.  A few more finishing touches are needed and then I will post pics.  In the meantime, I am going to try my hand at toasting pumpkin seeds for the first time because Nate SWEARS he loves them - even though he has never had them!

This was our attempt at a family picture - this is the best we could do.

I have to say, I am already getting in to the Christmas spirit too!  That's right.  I can't wait to put up the tree.  I've already purchased my first Christmas present.  AND I've even purchased my sister's birthday gift (her birthday is January 4th).  I don't know if its the fact that things just seem a lot more holiday like this year since Finley's health seems to have stabilized (at least for now) and we've got that "normal" feeling back at the Roth household.  For someone who loves the holidays, it was really hard to enjoy them last year because it seemed like we were constantly on edge with Finley's health. Never knowing when the next ER visit or hospitalization would occur.  We spent the holidays at home and now with our extended families because we just couldn't risk having Finley get sick - and have that potentially result in a hospitalization.  This year, I really look forward to being with the ones with love and enjoying every moment of the season!

The aftermath of the bath tub crayons...I knew I had hidden these away for a reason.  Clearly I didn't hide them well enough!

Finley trying to sit in Nate's little chair.

Finley LOVES this blanket.  She puts her fingers through the holes and gets herself all wrapped up.

Nate and Finley acting silly.

Finley modeling her new winter coat.  I got her a furry one because I knew she'd love  the texture.

This last picture, this is a picture of what happens when mommy leaves daddy in charge of breakfast.  In fact, Nate is sitting here as I type saying, "see how messy I was?  That was a bad idea for daddy".   Yes Nate, you're right.  That was a bad idea.  You see, for a long time, Nate asked me to make him sprinkle pancakes every morning.  They are simply regular pancakes with sprinkles in the batter.  Well Nate wanted some yesterday as I was walking out to go to my Weight Watchers meeting.  He was upset when I told him I couldn't make them until I got back - and I suggested, half-heartedly, that his daddy could make them.  Well, this is what I came home to.  Nate told me that daddy made him "sprinkle waffles".  Which consisted of two frozen waffles and a bowl of BLACK sprinkles that ere sitting on my counter top - which were going to be used for the Halloween cupcakes we were making yesterday.  Never mind that sprinkle pancakes are NOT made with BLACK sprinkles, nor do I consider sprinkles to be a good source of nutrition for my children - but Nate knows that when I leave, its always a bit of a crap shoot as to what daddy will fix him to eat.  Needless to say, when we did make the cupcakes yesterday, Nate told me he didn't want any sprinkles on his - that he'd had enough!

Anyway - I was down another 1.2 lbs this week - 4.4 lbs in total.  For two weeks in - I will take it!  Oh, and my thyroid test came back normal.