Happy Halloween: The Class Parade

I didn't get many good shots from yesterday's parade at Caroline's school, but the ones I got are cute. The children looked precious all dolled up in their outfits and Caroline was over the moon about getting to be Belle!

Happy Birthday to you Alex, Brooke, and Zachary!

This weekend we had lots of birthdays to celebrate. Alex and Brooke turned three and Zachary turned two. Alex and Brooke's party was held at an indoor play space with a giant swing set. It was perfect because it was raining and yucky weather and the kids were able to burn up all sorts of energy. On Sunday, we went to the Wise's for Zachary's party and the children loved the games and food (was there ever a moment that Sam wasn't eating chips???). Thanks for the invites guys, we had a blast!

exploring the HUGE indoor swing set

a super cute divided cake for twins Alex (Cars) and Brooke (Dora)

swinging with the birthday kids

all the guy wanted to do was carry around a balloon...it's the little things

Emma trying out the clothespin game...she got two!

Matthew is planning on helping Santa out with gifts for the kids and thinks a trampoline is a good idea

the rat favors from yesterday were a HUGE hit

Caroline's turn at the clothespin game

Brayden dropping a clothespin in the jar

Mason playing the clothespin game

Tiffany, Teri, and some of the boys

just how many pictures do we have of EK eating cupcakes?

Handsome Man the Birthday Boy

Pin the Nose on the Clown

Emma Kate and Mason on the Trampoline

We had a great time this weekend, thanks for having us guys!

In the Garden

is this not a cool toy? it's a play garden and is on loan from the Teri Wise foundation...they love it and have spent almost every second in it since we got it yesterday...thanks for sharing guys!

p.s. the backdrop is for Nancy!

Gigi, Gramps, Nonna, and Papa's Houses

Everyone needs a place that they can break loose and break the rules every now and then.

A place where you can

have chocolate pudding for lunch

play with the remote control without anyone taking it away and saying, "no!"

have people at your beck and call and think you are cute even when you are touching what they asked you not to

eat ice cream in the living room

have cinnamon rolls for breakfast

get Christmas gifts early and wear it right away

put on a singing and dancing show and not care if you look silly or sound horrible

wear mismatching clothes

and enjoy being with family...that place is at your grandparent's (and great-grandparent's) house. Thanks for a wonderful weekend guys!

Video

The kids seem to be exploding lately with new skills. Emma Kate has added several words to her vocabulary (sock, shoe, bow, brush, cup), Caroline is stepping up and helping me more and more, and Sam is feeding himself with a spoon and fork (messily) . I am not bragging, I know that this is what kids do...they are preprogrammed to impress their parents and grandparents with skills that other kids also have. It's just really neat to see the growth in the precious people I am lucky enough to spend my time with. I thought I better get some of this on film!

Corner Pocket

The last few times that the Backyardigans have been outside, they have been gathering in the back left corner...I think they are digging, tossing the landscaping bark, looking between the fence slats, and trying the climb the tree. I love to see them play together.

Pumpkin Patch

Teri and I took our crew to the pumpkin patch last week and has a grand time! Brayden had Bumbles with him, the class mascot from his and Caroline's preschool class. We rode a train, had a hayride, ate a picnic lunch, fed goats and giant catfish, played in a hay maze, rode the giant tunnel slide, and bounced in the huge bounce house. It was a full day and my three were worn out when it was time to leave. It is wonderful to have friends to enjoy these places with! This is my favorite time of year!!!

Brayden and Caroline

A field of pumpkins to explore and ours would rather swing (which both families have in our own backyards)

what does a goat say?

feeding the goats and chickens

Teri sharing her goat grub

sliding with Teri and Zachary

tube slide

hay tunnel

hay maze

me and three of my favorite people on the hay ride

Caroline on the train

our whole crew on the train...look at how cute they are! If they look content, it's because Teri was bribing them with lollipops!

posing Bumbles on a pumpkin