Let's Play

The weather here has been so nice the entire month of November. We've been able to enjoy many days outside playing at home and at the park. The kids usually love to go to the park, so on this particular day, we headed there with our friends Stephanie and Charlie for a picnic lunch and some playing.

I try to catch Olivia acting natural for some fun pictures, but when she catches me, she always stops for a moment to say "Cheese!".

Charlie and Olivia had a great time playing together and even went town this twisty slide together a few times. Wow - that was so much fun!

Olivia is growing so fast lately - her vocabulary has expanded to include "tasty", "u-bet-cha", and "fantastic". We always smile or laugh when she says these things, as they are just to precious, and it's sometimes hard for us to believe these words come out of her little mouth! This time with our children is just so precious!

Son

Our son is now 5 months, and enjoying every moment discovering the world. He is observant of all around him, soaking in our expressions, the changing scenery, and tastes and textures galore. He loves trying new things, and especially discovering them with his mouth. He's recently discovered his feet and loves to put them in his mouth!

Our little guy lights up a room with his smile. It's so contagious, as is his laugh. He loves to interact with people, and has quickly learned that a cute smile or laugh will keep someone's attention. He loves to be the center of attention and to laugh and smile while being played with. We just cherish these wonderful moments, taking joy in the little things right along with him.

See that right at the top of his head?? He lost most of his hair since he was born, and is quickly growing a new headfull, but there are a couple strands that I just can't bear to part with yet. So, he has a few wispy hairs on the top of his head - and I'm afraid I'll soon have to trim them. But for now, I'll postpone that for the joy of that little part of him that came along on the first day. I suppose I'm sentimental that way, parts of me wanting the milestones to slow down, to keep him small and precious and innocent in every way.

We've had our fair share of days with tears, from both him and me. He's cried and had a difficult time many days. And while those moments have been difficult for all of us, there are still the many moments of joy, of seeing a sparkle in Wyatt's eye as he observes something new, hearing him laugh from deep within as he watches his sister jump. And all of this in 5 short months. I love you, son.

Fall

This year our leaves all fell off the tree on one very cold Saturday. It was unusual to say the least, and left us desiring a bit of that fall weather we've come to love. So, when the weather warmed up, we headed outside to rake and pile our leaves for some fall fun!

Olivia had a blast throwing and jumping in the leaves. Wyatt had a blast watching them fall!

Trick or Treat

We love our little dalmation!

We love our little princess!

Happy Halloween!

This is the week to prepare for Halloween. The pumpkins are out. The costumes are chosen. The candy is stocked. And now the fun begins. We are so excited for Halloween this year - Olivia has been practicing saying "Trick or Treat!" very loudly so that people can hear her and give her candy. She's pretty proud of herself and feels very "big" to be doing this. She will dress up as a princess, and has tried on her costume many times.

Our other preparations include a few fun snacks to lead up to the big day. Of course there is candy galore, but we needed to throw in a few healthy things to get us threw the week. These little snacks are "Ghost Toast", and easy to do. Make a piece of toast, use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut out a ghost shape, spead on softened cream cheese, and add raisons for eyes/mouth. The kids loved these this morning! Check out this link for some other fun ideas! Happy Halloween!
http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/

Recently

We returned from a little work/vacation to Des Moines, IA, which had Jake working and the kids and I vacationing. We spent a lot of time at our hotel, but our trip also included a couple of outings for the kids and I while Jake was working.

One trip was to the zoo. We loved seeing all of the different animals. Since we don't have a zoo near us, this was really a special treat. The season was winding down, which meant that some of the exibits were closed, but also that fewer people were there, which was nice for us. We were able to take our time and enjoy the experience.

We loved watching the giraffes, walking with their lanky legs and long stretching necks. When I say we, I mean Olivia and I. Wyatt just mostly cried. I don't think he liked the zoo that much.

Behind Olivia are some cute little penquins, swimming laps in their pool. Oh, they were so funny watch, diving under the water and playing together.

This, however, was Olivia's favorite animal by far. Little Llama. He was in the feeding area of the zoo, so we were able to feed him, and Olivia really got a kick out of that. She had to stand up on the stroller (which probably isn't really that safe), to reach his mouth. We fed him almost all of our food. The other animals just didn't quite make the cut.

We had a great time overall (despite Wyatt's crying). Hopefully the next time we go, Wyatt will be a little older and will enjoy the experience a little more!

Conversations with Olivia

Although we do usually take Olivia to Sunday church, I'm not sure if that's the Noah she's often talking about:

Mom: Olivia, would you get your shoes on so we can go?
Olivia: No-ah! I'm still playing!

Mom: It's time to put pigtails in your hair.
Olivia: No-ah! I don't want those!

Mom: Let's get ready for bed.
Olivia: No-ah! I'll go in five more minutes!

hmmm... is this the sassiest she'll get or might it be worse in 10 years??