SweetHart and KK, Part 1

 Look out!  They're coming!

 

 SweetHart and KK came for a visit!!!  According to H, "last time, KK was too busy working.  She couldn't come.  But this time she isn't too busy.  Pop's too busy.  He can come after supper."  I love how little minds work!  The boys were both so excited to see them (and I was too!)!  The minute they arrived, H took KK's hand and started to give her a tour and show her every single detail about our home.  C was full of smiles and giggles and silly faces for them both.

 We headed over the next morning to Sardis Lake (where we went swimming this summer) and did a little exploring, playing, and picnic-ing. 

 Summer or fall, it is a beautiful place to visit.  H and KK were fairly inseparable their whole visit. 

 SweetHart did a lot of rocking and loving.  (and helping with everything from dishes, to baths, to diapers, to laundry, and more!)

 She brought some new books to read to H at nap/rest times.  Here they are practicing the ASL alphabet.

H doesn't really nap regularly anymore - maybe once a month, but he napped every day after the time change.

 We did a lot of hanging around!

 H had some fun projects for H - they did a school assignment together, some leaf projects, art projects, and made 'ants on a log' for snack.  (He was only interested in the PB and raisins)

 We took a walk (or two) every day.

KK did some serious multitasking!

Reading to C while talking to H...

Ready to ride

 In the past month or so, C has really started trying to pick up big brothers balance bike and try to ride it.  He tries so hard, but it is just too big and too heavy!  I started noticing toddler versions of the balance bike - low to the ground, with three wheels, and no pedals.  When they came up on Zulily, I told Pop and SweetHart, and they thought it would be a great early Christmas present!  We got the Mishi Surf Up.  It goes from a trike and converts into a scooter when they get a little older.

 C loves it!  And H took his job of "teaching" brother how to ride a bike very serioulsy.  He showed him how to walk with his feet and push with his hands, and even how to sit on his seat!

 C could stand to be about an inch taller (he's only in the 6th percentile for height), or maybe some thick soled shoes might help.  He liked walking it around

 but I guess he couldn't get it as fast as he'd like while riding it, so he kept getting off and pushing it.  I'm glad it is sturdy!

 C even figured out how to make his bike go while sitting on the little jump seat part.  

These boys are ready to go!

(SweetHart and KK have been here the last few days.  I'll get some pictures up when I've stopped feeling sorry for myself that they've gone back, and have had a chance to go through the many pictures...)

Happy Halloween!

 Halloween is always fun, but it has been so much more fun now that H gets so excited about it!  We don't normally decorate much for Halloween, but H saw some other houses with decorations and we just had to decorate our house!  So we got out our silhouette machine out and cut out some bats, spiderwebs, jackolanterns (witch pumpkins as H calls them), and put up some orange lights.  Oooky Spooky!  

 H was Super H two years ago when he was just about C's age.  

We just used his costume and made some new pieces so the boys would match. 

(This was H as Super H two years ago.  C was a tiny little peanut in my tummy that Halloween!)

 The Super Boys and their Super Daddy!

Let's got get some candy!

 Their capes are the same size, but they look so different on the two boys. 

C is not usually too protective of his things, but he didn't want anyone to mess with his candy bag!  He liked putting candy in it, checking out the candy, and carrying it around.  He fell and dropped his bag and was not happy until he had the bag back on his hand.  He didn't even mind when it got too heavy!

 H was more than happy to chart our course and let us know which houses to go to.  He's got the drill!

Their candy bags were full!   There were not too many trick or treater's in the neighborhood so most of the people would give them multiple handfuls of candy.  

The next day, they spent a lot of time checking out their candy, trading some, pouring it all out, picking it up again.... 

Is it time to start planning for next year?

You can come to my party for five minutes

 H's class had a little Halloween party this morning, and he told us we could come to the party for Five minutes!  We told him we wouldn't miss it! 

 

 He and his little buddies were all so cute in their Halloween clothes, doing their thing in the classroom.  They did some pumpkin bowling.  (Just a note, he is such a different boy than he was six months ago! He can still be wild and trying, but he can wait his turn patiently, he doesn't have to have everything right then, and he can exhibit a little self control too!  Thank you preschool!)

 They made toilet paper roll Mummy's and Frankenstiens (Crankysteens as H calls it)  Daddy was helping and C wanted to help too!

 Spooky story time!  

C wanted to listen too!  H knows right where his spot on the carpet is.

 All the little kids!

 Snack time! 

The big kids had snack, and C wanted one too!  He walked right up to an empty seat and patted the table for his own plate.

 Hi!

H was happy to see us, but not totally affected by our presence, which I guess is a good thing.

 They showed the parents some of the cute songs they sing/act to.  

How cute!  And the kids love them.

Our cute preschooler (with his glow in the dark skeleton pajama top)  

I'm in love!

Around Here

 We've been making lunches 

(trying to give H some more responsibility around here, and he likes it!)

 Keeping warm?

(In the drawer under the stove...)

 Working on self control?

(the boys share a room and we've been working to get H to leave him alone in the mornings - keep hands out of the crib, etc... He was doing really good with it, but I think we're digressing...)

 Potty training.

(Not really, but lately C has been lifting the toilet seat, pulling his shirt up and pushing his belly against the potty.  I think he thinks he's doing what big brother does!)

 Putting on puppet shows
(We have some people puppets, but these seem to be the favorites.  And H's puppets can only sing "If you're happy and you know it say clap clap.")

And a little bit of cooking.

(C has been really into cooking in the kitchen lately.  A couple of times I have found him totally under the kitchen.  Looking for something, I guess.)

Jack Lantern

 We've had a big pumpkin sitting on the counter for a little while now, and finally it was time to carve it!  H was so excited about the "Jack Lantern"  and kept asking when Daddy would be home.  Such excitement!  We got the tools out and our jackets on and got ready!  (It's turned very cold all of the sudden!)  H kept giggling!  He couldn't contain his excitement!

 C was interested,  but a little wary of all of the strings!  He gets nervous with spiders, frogs, and the "ooey gooey punkin" (as H calls it). 

 H helped some (albeit ineffectively).

 We made this last week, H calls it "toe ghosties."

 The finished product!  I thought they were a bit adventurous.  I kept trying to tell them to just stick to a typical jack-o-lantern face, but they proved me wrong!  H was so proud!

Right before bedtime, we lit a candle, put our pajamas on and turned out all of the lights to watch it glow!  

This morning H told me he wanted to make a pumpkin with a skeleton on it!  

Next year...

Boys and Girls

 We had a birthday party to go to today for Brody.  His little sister, Kylie, is in H's class at school, and I think it is pretty safe to say that they are best buds!  I had a few more pictures from the party, but they pretty much are all the same:  H and Kylie playing here and there!  I hear a lot about Kylie during the week (more than I hear about his other classmates), and H was so excited to see her at the party! 

 C and Kylie's little sister, Ashlyn, hit it off pretty good too!  They both enjoyed playing with the ice (and eating it) in the baby pool for awhile. 

H did play with some of the other kids too, but mainly it was just he and Kylie!  Two peas in a pod.  I think we might need to have a playdate soon!