With Beautiful Leaves Comes....

One of the best things about the east is this time of year when the leaves are changing colors. It is absolutely beautiful. Just looking out the window of our house is amazing. But with all good things there must be a down side right. Well with the leaves looking beautifully they must fall and fall they do. All over the grass and the driveway. So add another project...getting them off the grass. Although the kids seem to enjoy this portion much more than their dad. Dad even gave jumping in the pile a try......maybe he is getting a little old for that as the leaves don't break his fall as well as Ainslee's.

Dad's helper

Now that summer is over and is done with his trips he has a serious list of to do's around the house. One of the major one was to replace the dishwasher that was making some seriously wrong noises while it tried to wash. Lately when ever dad starts a project he has help with in a couple of seconds, and if dad doesn't have any projects and his helper is board he will grab some tools himself and if nothing else leave them all over the yard. Dad is just hoping that the interest to help him continues when he is big enough to really help. For now it is great moral support!!

Civil War

This past weekend Jeff and I got to go to a Civil War re enactment with his Uncle Dave and Cousin Jason. It was only about an hour away and with the help of my loving girlfriend Amy, we didn't have the kids! Mary Ann, Jeff's aunt for those that don't know, outfitted me with period clothes from head to toe. It was so fun. Jeff, Dave and Jason went up Friday to set up camp. The men at the re enactment range from REALLY serious, to just havin' fun. I arrived Saturday night just in time for dinner and the ball. There was a big white tent, live band and a caller. We had so much fun. We didn't have the slightest idea what we were doing, but none the less we did it with flair! Katelyn, Jeff's cousin and her boyfriend Tyler came down from VT too. It was nice having some other "young ones" there to hang with. Lt. Col. David Childs, 1st Regiment, U.S. Volunteers

I am not sure if most of you know, I don't know myself what this title means exactly...but he is way up there in command! He is over a bunch of guys and Jason is pretty high up there too he is a Sgt. Major and over like 50 guys. They are both pretty amazing. There were a lot of people there. In the above picture Dave is the second one from the left. A sea of white canvas tents! I can see how they all get into it. It's like camping and playing dress up at the same time. Saturday night it got pretty cold, but we were warm as toast in our double sleeping bag and blankets. So cold in fact there was frost covering everything when we woke up! The dish water was frozen solid with a rag stuck in the middle of it.
Sunday I got to see the men in action. They had a small dress parade and marched into battle. There were spectaters and a man over a loud speaker giving details about what was going on.
K so funny side note...Jeff doesn't even know this, when I heard there was going to be a dress parade I totally imagined all the women putting on their dresses and parading around. I mean all the dresses are great and we took all the time to get ready, why not right! Yeah well its not! Then men get all suited up like they are going to go fight, but then don't. It was cool but not nearly as cool as a women's dress parade would have been. Maybe if we get involved I will start my own dress parade with Katelyn and other Lady's of the North. LOL! Needless to say we had a great time and look forward to going again. Thanks Mary Ann and Dave!!!

My Boy My Joy

I LOVE having a boy! Nolan is so content being outside in the dirt. The air is cooling and it is very pleasant outside. The past three days when I haven't been able to find him he has been outside chilling on the ground, digging in dirt, throwing rocks, or breaking sticks. He is so happy just being. It is such a nice break from the high energy we get from Ainslee. Today she had a mental health day. I came home from the gym and she and daddy were working in the yard. Well, dad was and Ainslee was in her swimming suit and rain coat with umbrella in hand running through the sprinklers. School was in 10 minutes and I knew stopping this activity was a melt down waiting to happen. So we called off school and have had a good day. Well, I have to go as Ainslee and her friend Catey are going to pretend to go trick or treating. If I don't play along they may try to go to the neighbors. Luv luv

Ainslee's First Goal

Fierce fighting #3 hanging back
Can you find her? (hands on head)

By goal I mean soccer goal. Let me start out we are seeing soccer may not be her thing. For example it is not uncommon for her to say, "I don't want to play soccer today, I don't like to sweat." She is always the first to want to get a water break or ride the bench for awhile. Nonetheless it is all for fun and we have told her she has to finish the season and if she doesn't want to play anymore after that, that is fine. Tonight we saw some promise. This time during a game when she happen to run into the ball she actually kicked it instead of just watching it bounce off of her shin guards. In fact she actually kicked a goal. She was so exited about it. And as soon as she kicked it in she looked at the sidelines and don't you worry we were cheering like it was the winning goal of a gold metal Olympic match. (FYI she tends to hang back from the herd of kids as they follow the ball around the field. So the coach dropped her her own ball and she took it in like a champ!) Good enough for us as she was happy and when we got in the car to leave instead of her saying that she doesn't want to play soccer any more she said she never wants to stop so we will see what the future has in store. An Olympic athlete or a professional twirler/dandy lion picker!!!

Three more short stories

NOT THE ACTUAL BEAR !!!
Picture just for affect :)

1. For those that don't know the Shenandoah's are well known for black bears. So the boys tied up their food, Jeff hung his pack and Ryan put his up on a rock. At 2:00 am and Jeff and Ryan were sleeping in their tent and they heard a LOUD thud followed by a distinct bear growl/cry. A few moments later there was another loud sound further in the distance. Jeff and Ryan were scared stiff. Jeff wasn't sure Ryan was awake and when he call his name Ryan told him to shut up because the bear would hear them. They sat still frozen for what seemed like forever and after 20 minutes started talking. They were sure the bear had gotten one of their packs. Then next morning they woke to find both packs were untouched. The tree Jeff's pack was tied to did have a large piece of bark missing so the only thing they figured was the bear was climbing the tree, fell and ran away. Jeff is sure that if it would have been he and I hiking, I would have packed up right then and headed for home.


Sorry Daddy- You thought wrong!

2. A few hours after Jeff came home from his trip Ainslee climbed on his lap and asked if he was going to go out of town again soon. He said yes, as he is going to Vegas the last weekend in October. He was expecting her to say something like, I miss you when your gone or I don't want you to leave again...but what she said was, "Good, I need more Mommy and Ainslee time without you here". Oh what a joy it is to be loved by my kids. Nolan is still in the "I love my mommy" phase, and says it at least 40 times a day. I will never get tired of his little voice. One day my kids wont want to hang out with me. I have to keep reminding myself of this when I am at my whits end.

3. We just went to our Aunt and Uncles house to visit and their son Jason had stopped by our house. Ainslee wanted to race so we pulled a head and were just joking around. At the stop light Jeff reved his engine and Jason cranked up his stereo. We were listening to Josh Groban and Jeff cranked up our stereo. The girl in the car on the other side looked over at Jeff and gave him a look of death. You could read her face like a book! "Look at that looser trying to race, listening to classical music with a wife and two kids in the back." We laughed so hard.

Presents from Mimi

The kids and I got a package from Mimi the other day with Halloween shirts in it. Well, Halloween for most people but daily attire for the Burns clan. With my love for cute skulls we wear "pirate paraphernalia" as my father in law once called it, on a regular basis. Nolan knew what a pirate said before he knew what a cow said. Humm...what does that say about us?

Anyway we have already worn the shirts, and with the weather cooling I will be wearing my Ed Hardy scarf soon. Thanks Mom!!!



Jeff was out of town this weekend hiking in the Furnace Mountain in Shenandoah National Park. He met a high school friend and had a good time. Him being gone for a week last month, made a weekend trip fly by. The kids and I had fun. We played outside, watched movies in mom's bed, and went to Dairy Queen. On the way home from Dairy Queen Ainslee announced that I didn't need to go to Lady of America anymore because they weren't paying me and it wasn't my job. For those that don't know, that is where I teach kick boxing. I asked her why they didn't pay me and she told me it was because I wasn't sitting behind the desk. Only people who sit behind desks get paid. So there you have it.

FYI

My loving husband just told me that my grammar and spelling in my last blog was in classic Gena fashion, so I thought I would let all those who don't know, know...I SUCK at grammar, and spelling so I am not going to worry about it anymore because my blog is a place for me to journal and to keep in touch with friends. So there you have it. Lots of love.

Best Weekend Ever!

Shame on us but we tend to go out of town every conference weekend. Jeff calls it our 6 month break. Lol. Neway, we were planning on going camping with the Holly's but the Pearson family called and asked us to go to the beach with them. We called Holly's and it was set. The three families were off to the beach. We left Saturday morning and 5 hours later were in Nags Head, North Carolina. Abby's parents own a to die for beech house there. It has nine bed rooms and a million bathrooms, a pool, hot tub, pool table and it is a stones throw from the ocean. Amy had never been to the beach and we couldn't have asked for a better weekend. The weather was in the low 80's and the wind was calm. We kept repeating over and over can you believe this...its October.
Our last trip to the beach was the complete opposite. Ainslee remembers it as the bug biting beach. There were wild horses eating our food and our tent and horse flies the size of Texas eating everyone. Nolan hated the sand and wanted to be held or sat perfectly still on a blanket. With this memory in mind we were not sure how the kids would do. Nolan loved the sand this time and was throwing it at everyone, and Ainslee was so brave. I am sure it was due to the fact her two closest friends were there but who cares why she was brave. She was in the ocean up to her bum letting the waves crash up against her. We buried all the kids in the sand and chased birds. I swear I could go on and on about the weekend.

Family Night

We have a local steak house that has family night on Wednesday nights. Kids eat free and there is a lady that does amazing face painting, also for free. Ainslee loves to go. We went this week and Nolan participated in the painting for the first time. He wanted Thomas, which she free handed from looking at a book we had. The only down side is she starts at 6 so the kids only get to enjoy the creations for a few hours before bed. Ainslee tries really hard to "sleep still" so it looks good the next day, but it never does.

The first test

One the way to school Ainslee was melting over lunch being wrong. We had to go and half way up the street I pulled over. She stopped crying instantly. I started driving and she said, "Tell me again why it is dangerous for you to drive when I cry" I told her it was distracting etc and she said no its not, its because the police will come and take you to jail. Whatever her logic. It totally worked!!! Thanks Dr. Schooner!

Advice from the Good Dr.

Ainslee has this doll named Kristi and it is more alive than you and I. She changes its clothes, feeds it, breast feeds it (thanks to all my friends currently breast feeding REAL babies) puts it in its car seat etc. If things with Kristi aren't just right she freaks out. Kristi is becoming the third child I didn't want. Yesterday I put all the kids in the car and Kristi's seat belt was not on right. We needed to go so I left it as is. Ainslee Freaked out! Yelling, kicking, telling me Kristi wasn't safe. I had enough and calmly took Kristi to the front seat and continued to drive. Needless to say Ainslee went through the roof. She was telling me Kristi was going to die if we got in an accident, and that she wouldn't stop yelling until I buckled her in. I stayed calm and said over and over...it's ok everything is ok (out loud, more advice from the Dr. Calming my self and hopefully the kids). Nolan started YELLING, "Mom, mom lee lee mad at you!" over and over. I wanted to drive off the road! This went on for the ENTIRE 20 minute drive to preschool. I had my appointment with the Good Dr. in the afternoon and she gave me some good car advice I wanted to share.
When I picked Ainslee up from school I told her I had been thinking and the situation we had earlier in the day was not safe. I told her we could get in an accident and mommy needed it calm to drive. Per the Dr. I told her that from now on if things get too loud, if she and Nolan are fighting or if there is too much whining I would have to pull over until it was safe to drive again. Dr. Schooner suggests being prepared with a book, cross word, nail polish, what ever you wish, and calmly with out word, pull over when the situation calls for it. The kids will quickly learn that they don't get to go unless they shape up. She said she did that with her kids until they were in Jr. high. Long road trips what ever. It is a logical consequence, not, "if you don't stop we will go home" or what have you. I am excited to try, as going anywhere from our house takes at least 15-20 min.