Trick or Treat 2012

 As the kids get older, trick or treating gets more enjoyable (and longer).  This year Uncle Mark joined us and added to the fun.  We went to the 11th annual neighborhood parade which is more of a unorganized walking down one street to a big table of cupcakes and cookies which then sets off the official trick or treating.  We went to a few houses and Sweet Pea was done.  She asked to go home and thoroughly enjoyed opening the door and passing out candy.  Peanut loved the idea that he could ring the doorbell say "trick or treat" and someone would get him candy.  He didn't quite grasp that you only go to each house once and was constantly saying "I think we should go back to that house (point at random house).  Little Man sped along at lightening speed with a friend trying to fill his bag as full as possible and was overheard saying that once it was full he was going to go home and dump it out and go back to refill it.  Uncle Mark followed Peanut around laughing hysterically and thoroughly enjoying himself with Peanut antics of all kinds.  Peanut

"running fast" and Little Man thought that his shield was the best.  (So glad that paper mache experiment worked out!) and Sweet Pea was just adorable and surprisingly wore her hat most of the evening.  We got rid of most of the candy with corn syrup by passing it back out to trick or treaters and giving Uncle Mark a goody back to take with him.  There are a few pieces left that Peanut can actually eat if Papa Bear and I don't get to them first.  It was a wonderful night filled with great memories, funny antics and happy kids.

2012

2011

2010

Playing Pumpkin Patch

We have already covered the obsession in this house with pumpkin patches and now we have also found a way to appease our little pumpkins without spending $50 a weekend to go to the next pumpkin patch.  Papa Bear ingeniously hooked the wagon up to the trike using a carabiner hook.  The kids take turns pulling the pumpkin wagon around, dropping off pumpkins, picking up passengers, selling pumpkins etc.  They spent hours at this over the weekend and Peanut would ask before naps and bedtime if he could go back outside to play pumpkin patch after he slept.  Peanut and Little Man took turns pulling the wagon and being the passengers.  Sweet Pea was a not always well tolerate playmate of this game as she didn't follow Little Man's strict rules of when it was pumpkin pick up time versus passenger time, but they all made it work.  If we had only figured this game out earlier in the month we could have saved $100 on pumpkin patch admissions.  Although due to all of those pumpkin patch trips we amassed 9 pumpkins with which they play this game.  As long as they are happy, not fighting, outside and not fighting (I said that one already, well it bears repeating) life is good!

Sweet Pea Turns 2

Oh my darling Sweet Pea has turned 2 and is every inch the diva that you would expect at that age.  She was very excited to be in the spotlight on her day.  We started the day by taking her brothers to school and then she and I went to Starbucks where she got to pick out a special cake and then we went to a park to enjoy our respective cake and coffee treats and play until it was time to get Peanut.  Little Man drew her a picture of him blowing kisses to her and she demanded hugs from him all afternoon and he gladly gave them to her.  We all enjoyed her birthday dinner of homemade pizza and cupcakes and then we gave her her gifts.  She loves her new balance bike and a bike helmet and she also got to open some gifts from G-Ma and Poppop.  We ended the evening by going to a fall festival at Little Man's school before we all fell into bed.  It was a packed day, but we enjoyed every second of celebrating Sweet Pea.

Notable things about Sweet Pea on her second birthday:
-  Sweet Pea has an ever expanding vocabulary and is using 3 and 4 word sentences
-  She eats more than her brothers at just about every meal and loves everything except she won't drink milk
-  She loves to pretend play especially by having tea parties or pushing her baby dolls around in strollers or shopping carts and loves to dress up in pretend play clothes
-  She works her Papa by demanding hugs, kisses and calling for him from her crib until he relents and gives her one last snuggle
-  We are hunkering down to get through a monster storm just days after her birthday - trust me, this girl has had a history of storms in her short little life
-  She loves Elmo and demands to watch Elmo Doctor at least once a day
-  She still uses her binky and blanket to sooth at bedtime
-  She is obsessed with all things pumpkin patch just like her big brother Peanut and plays well in her brother's pretend play games as long as they allow girls to play
-  She can walk in high heels better than I can walk in them and insists on picking out her own clothes.  She prefers tights and dresses but will look through her drawers saying "I like...." and then name what she wants to wear.
-  Socks never stay on long and shoes come off the second she gets a chance even in the cold, outside, or dirty places.  We don't fight it.  She'll learn.

Sweet Pea is the cutest, sweetest, snuggliest little girl.  She adores her big brothers and can't stand to be separated from her Papa.  Our lives would not be complete without our little 2 year old princess. 

Bowling Date

For the last month, every time Little Man did something nice, kind, respectful or helpful he got to put a sticker in a sticker book.  When all of the stickers were in the sticker book he was able to pick a reward.  He picked a bowling date with me and we counted down the days to the weekend so we could go. 

We played 3 games and then took a break to have cookies and french fries. When you are on a bowling date with the sweetest 5 year old in the world the calories don't count and the 5 year old gets to pick the menu.  (He specifically asked if we could have "corn things" since Logan wasn't with us).  Then we played one last game and Little Man snagged a spare! He was very excited and then started to cheer for me to get a spare.  His main goal was to make the pins go "bam" which meant to roll the ball hard enough that the pins smacked into each other making a loud noise.  He tried every different running start and roll that he could and achieved it once.  But once was enough to satisfy him. 

I just loved all of our conversations and quality time.  I loved that he slipped his hand into mine every chance that he got and that he willingly would give me a kiss for good luck when he was hoping I would get a strike.  I know my days are numbered and eventually it won't be cool to hang with his mom but until then I will savor my good luck kisses and victory dances with my Little Man.

The next date is to go to Pizza Hut to use the free pizza coupon he gets for reading 10 books this month.  Another date, well earned and well worth it!

Peanut Ramblings...

"Mama, we are going on adventure. Adventure looks like a shark with big scary teeth. But we are not going to see a shark.  Sorry Mama, I have to go.  I have to go get medicine.  This says people are sick and need medicine.  I am a doctor.  You are a doctor too.  We are going to go and get medicine.  That is what this says.  We are going to go on adventure with pirates.  Or a rain adventure.  We can go on a rain adventure or a pirate adventure.  Pirates are my friends.  I don't like pirates.  They have stinky feet but they are still my friends.  But I don't like them.  In two minutes the pumpkin patch is going to open and we will go to the to the to the PUMPKIN PATCH!!  Good night Mama"

This is the rambling one way conversation that Peanut had with me as I was giving him good night hugs and ushering him into his bed.  I never said a word.  There are times when I breathe in each and every word that comes out of his mouth like life saving oxygen.  I don't have the heart or desire to interrupt that flow of words that pour out of him even if they don't make a lot of sense.  I gaze into his bright eyes and expressive face totally enraptured with every nuance of his verbalized thought process.  There will always be a part of my heart that remembers what it felt like the exact moment I was told that Peanut might not ever be able to talk intelligibly, the sinking, heartbreaking feeling of that moment will never be forgotten.  But it is just a memory that allows be to be so appreciative of each and every word about pirates with stinky feet that are his friends.

So tomorrow we are either going to the pumpkin patch or on an adventure with stinky pirates that ride sharks in the rain.  Never a dull moment!

Pumpkin Patches Galore

We have now been to 3 different pumpkin patches in two weeks.  Peanut is obsessed and his pure joy is something that I am a bit obsessed with so we are indulging him while we can.  Soon enough they will all be closed for another year.  Last weekend we went as a family and met up with some friends and then during the week, I took Peanut and Sweet Pea while Little Man was in school.  But for these smiles, we might just have to go back to one more pumpkin patch this season!

New Beds for the Boys

The boys got new loft beds for their rooms last weekend.  Their rooms are rather small and we needed to get them more floor space so that they can start to use their rooms for play as well as sleep.  My goal is to get some of the toy clutter off of the first floor.  I am not sure this is actually going to be accomplished but it is worth a try.  So we took Peanut's bed (which was the top bunk to a bunk bed) and altered the bottom part to make it a loft bed.  Then we put the train table under the loft bed (which of course, he started to nap under - the kid likes small spaces) and ta-da, he loves his room.  We found Little Man a free loft bed and with the help of some wonderful friends were able to get it set up in his room.  His has a built in desk under the loft and so he is able to sit and do art projects and school work and reading on his own without his little sister and brother getting into his stuff.  He feels like such a big kid and is really proud of his room.  In fact, we were working on his homework and he had to write something that he loves and he put "my new bed".  Now I just have to convince Papa Bear that his baby girl can move to a big girl bed.  He is in denial!

ABC Song and Ring Around the Rosie

Peanut has known his letters and his letter sounds for over a year now but he wasn't able to sing his ABC's because moving through all of the letter sounds in that order took A LOT of motor planning.  This weekend Papa Bear overheard him singing the ABC song to some random people at a neighborhood block party and when we asked him to repeat it, we got a surprise!

I also got him to sing Ring Around the Rosie with a little bit of help from Sweet Pea.  It is a work in progress!

Signs of Growing up

1.  Little Man has his first lose tooth.  It is just barely wiggly but he is so excited you would think it was Christmas morning.  It has spurred all kinds of questions about the tooth fairy and he is concerned that she will get her wings dirty if she comes down the chimney like Santa.
2.  Little Man rode his bike to a "drop off" birthday party down the street.  He went all by himself and was so proud of his big boy adventure.  I watched from the top of the street and then called my grandmother to lament about how grown up he is.
3.  Peanut had a stomach virus and was throwing up all night - his grown up moment - grabbing the puke bucket each time to minimize the mess.
4.  Peanut had a play date with a friend from school, Ethan.  They played independently and nicely together.  When they greet each other at school it is typically with a hug but always with excitement.  It is one of his first friend his age that he has made independantly of his big brother.  In fact, Sweet Pea and Ethan's little sister were the tag-alongs at this playdate!
5.  Sweet Pea stomped her foot and threw a fit at Old Navy when she didn't get to buy the pink boots she had her eye on.  Oh the signs of what to come with this one are a bit overwhelming.

Worst Cookies Ever and a Rain Adventure

I think you can turn anything into an adventure when you are under the age of 6.  All you need is an outfit accessory (a different hat, an umbrella, boots, a mask etc.) and the announcement that you are going on an adventure.  It really is as easy as that.  Which is very handy when the rain is coming down in sheets and you have to get to the bus stop in 10 minutes.  The boys donned their batman rain ponchos and grabbed the batman umbrellas, Peanut and Sweet Pea stepped into their rain boots and I grabbed my wellies and a giant umbrella.  Little Man told me that I didn't look dignified in my wellies and yoga pants and I informed him that I didn't need to look dignified for a rain adventure to the bus stop.  And we were off.  Puddles were splashed in, umbrellas were used as swords and shields respectively and Peanut declared it a success.  Then he tried to ride his bike off into the sunset but was distracted by the promise of cookies.

I think you can ruin any type of cookie by allowing someone under the age of 6 to participate.  All you need to do is allow them to do the measuring and dumping and mixing.  It really is that easy.  Sweet Pea, Peanut and I set out to make oatmeal raisin cookies.  I am not sure where we went wrong but it was probably when I was using the handmixer and Peanut was supposed to be slowly adding the flour mixture to the wet mix and half of it went on the floor, some went in the bowl and a bit just went in the air and he declared it a snow day.  Sweet Pea's contribution were in trying to eat anything that was in front of her including baking soda and flower.  We decided that the cookies tasted better in the dough form than in the cooked form and we cleaned up our mess.  The cookies might taste like cardboard rocks, but I still declared it a success especially after watching the little ones make their own cookies in their pretend kitchen which was going well until Sweet Pea had pretend salt dumped on her head and became overly distraught.

They were then both distracted by nap time.