Quantcast

Bower Power

· 72 Comments

What a Corn Dawg!

PERSONAL

This past weekend we visited a local ‘fun park’.  This was my first time to Corn Dawgs…but I assure you, it won’t be my last.  It.  was.  awesome.

Oh so much fun.  Or maybe it was just the company….it was us – my boyfriend and baby – and my family – mom (little Debbie for those newbies), my sister Norn (whose actual name is Lori), her son Cole Baby (and yes, I always call him that), Norn’s ‘special friend’ Andrew (let’s call him Boots McGee) and my dad – who is too cool for a nickname and any photos…so don’t get your hopes up.

The park actually wasn’t too outrageously priced…$12 for an adult.  What am I saying?  I have no idea if that is too much or not.  I just know that online every other place was more expensive.  When we got there it was awesome weather and they had PLENTY of fun games.  There were mazes for adults, ringtoss, swings, haybales to climb all over and giant slides to zoom down.  They had some things (like the ziplines that cost an extra buck or two) but for the most part everything was included.  

  

The one game that we did pay an extra buck to play was the apple launcher.  Seriously why do I not own one of these in my back yard?!  Oh right…because I would need a giant billboard to launch the apples at to see the fruit explode into a bazillion pieces.  So cool.  

I think our favorite part was the free petting zoo.  They had bunnies and llamas and donkeys and pigs and goats. 

Our favorite was the goats. 

We could have sat there with those billies playin the role of goat-petter all day. 

Oh and did I mention that they were hungry?  Cause they were.  I have never captured my mother laughing like this photo.  It’s brilliant.  Both sets of teeth laughter.  The nose wrinkle laughter.  All because of that crazy goat.  Will’s expression is also priceless.  Such a serious little guy.  And yes, his patchy little head of hair is chestnut colored.  Sometimes red.  We don’t know how that happened.  He’s my very serious redheaded child.  Never would have guessed that one. 

They also had giant cutouts.  I love cutouts.  There is very little in this world that is more fun to me than a cutout.  This must be where my weird homeschoolyness pops into my life….my adoration for a piece of plywood with a hole for your head.  It’s so simple yet such a joy in my life. 

They also had several corn mazes.  We did the kiddie one and let Cole Baby lead the way.  It’s been a while since we were in a corn maze…and I now know that I can live my whole life and not miss corn mazes. 

One thing that really got Will excited was the corn box.  It was like a giant sandbox except filled with corn.  This is actually the first time I had ever seen one of these and now want one in my back yard. 

  

Cole Baby loved it too.  We buried him.  Note the corn kernels in his right ear 🙂

They also had this whole under 6 section.  It alone was worth the $12.  They had BABY ziplines. 

Amazing.  I took pictures of how it was constructed.  I want one in our yard pronto.  Will doesn’t look too excited here.  But he skipped both his naps that day…so I am pleased that he wasn’t screaming like a horror movie victim at this point. 

The other fun part of the under 6 section was the theme…farmyard.  They had a John Deere tractor in the playground… 

And backwards tricycles…backward John Deere tricycles.

And buried tires…see it in the background?  And tons of other fun barnyard stuff.  I could have played there all day. Makes me wonder why I don’t have visit the park more often…

Not to go on a completely different tangent but do you see Will’s pacifier?  That’s it.  That’s our life.  Keeping track of that singular two-inch diameter item.  We got it at the hospital.  I have scoured the web looking for the EXACT same paci…you know to use as an emergency paci just in case, God forbid, we lose this one.  No luck.  Similar ones are out there…but our baby spits them out.  He’s very discerning.  He’s one discerning serious redhead.  He’s nothing like me.  And I am thisclose to offering a hospital nurse hard core cash for an extra one. 

Also, notice his belt.  It’s actually a shoelace.  WHY THE HECK DO BABY CLOTHING STORES PUT BELT LOOPS ON ALL THEIR PANTS IF THEY DON’T SELL INFANT BELTS?!?!?  Small things like this drive me insane.  Also what drives me batty is when the Baby Gap sales lady looks at me like I am a nutjob when I ask for an infant belt.  YOU SELL DISTRESSED INFANT JEANS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!       

Now that I am done yelling at the Baby Gap people, let’s look at some random shots of the day.  This is what I look like at every family get-together.  I have the camera stuck to my face and I am all up in people’s personal space.   

Jeremy, the Tinkler and Mr. Corny.  My boyfriend is so cute. Yes honey…I am talking about you.

We snagged a family photo.  I love that my sister can take a photo.  All I gotta do is set things up for her the way I like it and she always presses the trigger at the right moment.  And it’s in focus.  It’s trifling but I love that about her. 

I also love her for loving my baby.  She does too.  A lot.  She is a great mom to Cole and a loving Aunt to Will.  Every Thursday we have family dinner night and “Momma-sissy” ends up fighting with Little Debbie over holding him.  Norn literally will ‘fly’ him around the house to his little hearts content. 

Plus…she’s so beautiful.  She looks like a boot model here, doesn’t she?  No offense Boots McGee but she could do better than you.  She could do better than all of us.  In fact, there is no one out there that is good enough to deserve her.  I don’t deserve her as a sister.  She’s that amazing. 

All in all, it was a really fun day.  Like the funnest family day I have had in a really long time.  I can’t wait till next year to do it again. 

 

Oh and did I mention that there was a pumpkin patch?  On the way out the door, we stopped in and did an impromptu photoshoot of Will.  We had already visited our own local church pumpkin patch (more on that later) so we didn’t buy anything but I absolutely love these photos.  Will’s first Halloween.  Definitely scrapbook worthy. 

So that’s one long recap of one of our fall celebration events…more to come, promise.  Afterall…it is Spooktacular week 🙂

0 Shares

Comments

  1. I really enjoyed this post! THE BABY PIGS!!! OMG!

    Your baby is the cutest dressed baby, ever! & I really agree with your rant about infant belts. It makes no sense, although I think you found a way cuter alternative. He fit right in with that outfit– SO CUTE Katie!

  2. I’ve seen baby belts on Etsy, also lots of online tutorials on how to make your own with ribbon. Beautiful family btw.

  3. Just a thought on the baby belt…a dog collar works great (one of the ones with the belt holes is best-over the plastic clasp). No, I’m not kidding. Remove the D-loop either with cutters or by unstitching the nylong pannel.

    And yes, my toddler has one. He wanted a “fish” belt like Daddy’s Guy Harvey one. Well, they don’t sell them but do sell XXL dog collars and it works like a champ.

  4. Fun day! But it sounds like Jeremy better get to work in the backyard…. apple launcher, plywood cutouts, corn sandbox, baby ziplines? Yes please, I’m coming over!

  5. that’s so fun! i haven’t heard of this place! please tell me they actually have corn dogs? if so, i’m set.

    also – your son is unbelievably beautiful. he really is. you guys make pretty babies. probably because your whole fam is adorable!

  8. Lynsey,
    Sort of like that one but not quite. It is flat like that…with a newborn nipple but it has the nose cutout.
    xo – kb

  10. For the paci I would check your hospital’s gift shop, or ask at the hospital. You never know they may sell them too!

  11. Someone already suggested it but when my daughter was a baby (she is 13 now but still my baby!)there was a guy who made leather belts (the ones with the metal plates you could get someone’s name stamped onto) but he also made dog collars -and I ordered one and it was the perfect little leather belt for her.

  12. I love how you dressed Will for the occassion. 🙂

    I know how you feel about the paci. (I’ve never seen one like that, by the way!) But our thing that we would pay cold hard cash for is a nasal aspirator from the hospital. We refer to them as “Nose Suckers.” We’ve tried every brand there is when our little man is sick but nothing does the job like the one from the hospital. And of course we lost ours when he was about 6 months old. When our baby is born in January, I swear we will ask every nurse that walks into our room for one!

  14. Just stop it! The shoe string belt and the bare feet make me think of Ellie Mae! Only way cuter!

    And as for the Paci’s…they are made by Respironics. In GA. You should be able to lay your hands on them easier than anyone.

    However, I have about 1/2 dozen that I picked up from BabiesRUs after Little Man arrived. (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3502280) I would send you mine, but I don’t know how you feel about germs and stuff…LOL.

  15. Hi Leah Marie,
    Believe me…I have tried. And those you linked to are similar but not quite them…his has a nose cutout 🙂 Thanks for looking though…
    xo – kb

  16. Love it! Fall is my favorite time of year – It’s the only time of year fun things like corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and apple launchers pop up! I seriously think that needs to change for Summer, Spring, and Winter too. Just my opinion.

    I went on a similar excursion to yours last weekend, only I didn’t have a cute baby like Will….just my cute (in a different way) Dachshund, and my husband. Our little Dachshund child met the goats, checked out the riding tractors, and even led us through the corn maze. Although I am severely jealous we didn’t have a “corn box”….that is way cool! And yes I would have buried my dachshund in it 🙂 Pictures of our adventure are here: http://www.ammothedachshund.com/2010/10/26/corn-navigation/ ….and yes I even got to pose in the cut outs with my boy too! 🙂

    can’t wait to see the rest of your Spooktacular week!

  17. Had to comment on this….There are some SUPER cute dog collars on this Etsy shop, but I’m sure the lady who makes them would totally make you one in any size you needed without the D-ring. She made my pup a custom sized one. The fabrics she uses would be so cute as a belt too! 🙂 Especially the robots one!

    http://www.etsy.com/shop/SillyBuddy

  18. love this post! such beautiful pictures, too that really captured the day. thanks for sharing it with us! will is absolutely adorable and i love his chestnut red hair!

  19. Looks like so much fun! Feel your pain about the baby belts! I found one at Children’s Place when my munchkin was around 10 months old. It is one of those old school braided numbers but it served its purpose and totally pulled his outfit together so you may try there. Your sister is beautiful and so are her boots! Where did she get them?

  21. Will is one handsome little guy. And by the looks of these photos, I think you should now update on us on how you lost all your baby weight! You look fantastic. 🙂

  23. Um I want a corn box! That is so cool. Too bad my daughter is allergic to corn. I’d have to play all by myself. Or maybe hot hubby and I could go for a roll in the corn. That sounds dangerous. nevermind.

  25. Wow Katie, I’m sure we live very close!! Corn dogs is verrrry close to my house! I live in Dacula, I am sure you have hear of it. How cool!!!

  26. Loved this post! And I love all the family activities you seem to do! Looks like you all had a great time and your family photo is adorable.

  29. In regards to your pacifier, I know what you mean! My daughter is 8 months old and she will only take the pacifier from the hospital as well. I just recently lost it this weekend and out of complete desperation I went to the hospital and asked for another one and they gave it to me! I believe your sons pacifier is the same one as my daughters if so, I found a website that sells them. http://www.caringcreations.com/product2.htm

    Good luck! I hope you never lose it!

  31. Beautiful photos. Looks like a neat little adventure farm. That is a special thing to have the family together for those types of annual outings.

    As for the pacifier, I’ve been told that the soothie pacifier distributed at most hospitals is vanilla flavored and they do not make that kind for commercial sale–even though they look exactly the same as the ones from the hospital. I was also told to drop the pacifier “accidentially” while at the hospital and ask for a new one so I could get a spare one to take home!

  32. You crack me up, Katie! And I am totally coming to play in your backyard after you get all that fun stuff 😉 haha

    Great idea by Ali on the dog collar infant belt! They make some really nice leather ones (if that is the look you’re going for) but I could see a variety of collars working really nicely!

  33. OH SO CLOSE MARIA. Ours is definitely Soothie brand but it has no curve…with a nose cutout. It’s like impossible.
    xo – kb

  34. BY GEORGE I THINK YOU”VE FOUND IT MELISSA!
    the second one…you are my hero. Now to figure out how to order it without ordering 100.
    xo – kb

  38. just adding to my above note… try the ones that the nose section is not cut out of… unless you already have. they are the same paci… just slightly different…

  40. I am too lazy to read all your comments about pacifiers, but I have a slew of them in Tommy’s room if you think he’ll take them. I stole them from the room where they stored my milk everytime I pumped at the hospital during his surgery. Based on what we paid for that surgery, I think I’m entitled to a dozen (or three) pacifiers. Ours are orange though – does Will know his colors yet? And if my orange pacis don’t cut it for you, definitely try the hospital – I bet they’d give them to you willingly.

  44. Is it a gumdrop pacifier? If so…here is website where you can order them. You can even order just one! We ordered a multipack so we wouldn’t have to worry about being without one again!

    http://www.gumdroppacifier.com/

    My daughter would only take that kind too and we were going crazy when we lost it. The hospital gave us this website so we could get her some more. They have the newborn ones and the vanilla scented ones too if that is what you are looking for. Hope this helps!

    -Ellen

  45. Love Corn Dawgs! We went last Sunday. I think our favorite was the corn pit. And my hubs got a fried Snickers! It’s a great trip to make a family tradition.

  47. Hey Katie, I’m not sure if you want a baby belt for a fashion statement or for function…. but if it’s for function, the sales rep should have told you about the belts built into the pants. They had them when I worked at Baby GAP forever ago, and now that I’m a mom, I find that most kids pants have them. Check the inside of his waistband and you should see two buttons. There will be an elastic band with button holes that you can pull out to adjust the waist. It makes such a difference! 🙂

    Hope it helps 🙂 Not that the rope isn’t an excellent fashion choice 😉

  48. Oh my goodness, Will is so stinkin’ cute! I love the belt improv. Could your family get any cuter? I must say you look great. I think I would like a corn box too.

    Take care,
    Lisa

  51. I work at a BabyGap – don’t let them lie to you! We have belts for infants! Look in the toddler section – all the belts come in a 0-2 years. They can be adjusted to fit infant pants – especially the braided belt.

  52. Hey! Love this post- I want the corn “sandbox” too!

    About the paci – you can use a single-hole punch to make a hole in that little tab, and then thread a paci clip through the hole. I used that method when my guys used to use the Soothie pacis (can’t tell if that one Will has is the same brand). But at least then the paci is tethered to their shirt, and won’t get lost or drag on the ground. The Bella Tunno brand clips are at Target for cheap, or similar ones all over etsy. Sorry if I’m telling you something that’s more “duh” than “oh yeah!”

  53. Katie — Where did you get that brown top you’re wearing? So cute!

    LOVE the pictures!!!

  54. 1) You & your camera make fabulous photos. Must search previous posts to find out what kind it is. Hubs & I want a good camera so we can get awesome pictures of our future kiddos.

    2) Gorgeous family. You, the Boyfriend, the baby. Love Will’s little lumberjack outfit.

    3) What?! I have never been to a pumpkin patch, zipline, fair, etc. We don’t have those things in Florida. We don’t even have fall 🙁

    YOU ARE A LUCKY LADY!

  55. I’m obsessed with the Little Noses brand ‘snot sucker’. It comes in a box with saline drops and has kind of a curve to it, so that you get more. 🙂 Gross, I know!

  56. LOVE your trip to Corn Dawg–what a fun place! I love places like this–they seem to bring the Fall season together all in one place 🙂

    I don’t know if anyone else has recommended this Etsy shop but they make nice leather belts for little ones 🙂

    http://www.etsy.com/shop/ONElittleBELT?ref=seller_info

    My friend ordered her sons leather belt from them and loves it! He looks like such a little man when hes wearing it 🙂

  57. Love this post! Will’s hair is the cutest & you look freakin’ awesome Katie! I’ll be looking for your tricks this spring when I’m looking to shed some baby weight. And Yes!! Your sister is a stunner, looks like a model indeed 🙂

  58. Hi Ashley,
    It’s really old…I think I bought it in college from Old Navy. They still probably have something similar though!
    xo – kb

  62. Google “Wubbanub”- they’re little stuffed animals attached to those pacifiers. They’re harder to lose than the loose paci! Our son was in the NICU for ten days, and his “favorite” nurse bought him one with a frog on it. It’s the only paci he would ever use! They sell them at the hospital gift shops, too, but they’re around $12.

  63. No help with the belts or pacis – good luck! But I just had to comment on your mom’s gorgeous hair!! I am going gray early (my dad and brother had a full head of gray at 30!) and I am pondering how long I will keep up with the coloring – they are very very stubborn!

  64. Just had to comment and tell Elisa (and anyone else that might want to know, haha) that we absolutely have pumpkin patches and fairs and even corn sandboxes in Florida! My favorite one ever is in Gainesville…complete with corn maze (haunted at night!), hayrides, and corn cannons.

    Anyone that wants to find fun fall activities near them can check out http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/index.php …they have all states listed! I will say however, that Corn Dawgs looks awesome, and I wish I could visit, if only to see that baby zipline. :o)

  65. So last night lying in bed I thought of a way to DIY an infant belt (even though I love the dog collar idea above!) 🙂 You could get a women’s skinny belts (the ones that are like 1/2 inch or so wide), but a brown leather one-something gender neutral enough to be boy-ish and then just trim it and add a couple of Will-diameter-holes with a hammer and nail for the buckle and voila! Adult women’s skinny belt = regular-sized baby belt! I’m sure you can find a skinny belt at Goodwill!

  66. Not sure if you’ve figured out how to get those paci’s yet but I know our hospital gave out soothies and they sell the exact same ones at Target. It has a name and number on the back, Children’s Medical Ventures 1.888.766.8443 maybe they can help.

    Thankfully our baby girl will take any kind of paci!
    Good luck!

  68. Have you looked on the paci for a brand name or phone #? The one we got from the hospital is very similar and it says it’s a Nu’Pacee from Small Beginnings – phone # is 800-676-0462. It looks just like the one Will has. Good luck!

  69. I know a lot of people have already mentioned the gumdrop paci & it’s not the one you actually want…but my guys are VERY paci specific & they were willing to accept the gumdrop style. I get the unscented variety (seems odd to me to taste vanilla/lavender while sucking on a nipple replacement!), but they really do seem interchangeable with the Soothie brand…& you don’t have to order 100!

  71. Great pics and thanks for sharing……also thanks for my new obsession of trying to find boots like urs and ur sis!

  72. The pacifier is definitely Nu’Pacee by Small Beginnings. Google them and you can order extra. They are not the same as Soothies and my son refuses to take any other

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get the latest via email!