Christmas Tree Time!

This past weekend we went ahead and got our tree. The boys were very excited and had been asking when we were going to get it since the Christmas decorations started appearing in stores. The trees seemed to be a little more scraggly this year then last, but we found one that seemed to work. I love the smell of fresh pine trees!

Their faces crack me up! Parker has a mask on his head for those who were wondering.
Hanging one of his ornaments.

Finding the perfect spot.

Who put that under the tree?

Blake was in a funny mood that night...he only wanted to make silly faces.

Picking their favorites.

Hanging one of daddy's ornaments.

I love Parker's lips...this is the face he makes when he is really concentrating.

The finished tree! The boys did a great job! Jacob seemed to be the only one that wanted to hang multiple ornaments in one spot. When he wasn't looking, I would rearrange them slightly, but by the end of the night, he was putting them in other spots on the tree. They loved looking at all their ornaments and remembering them. After we were done, Blake said "I love Christmas time". They went to bed with smiles on their faces and happy memories. It was a great day!

Random Shots

We have been finding Parker in bed with Jacob most nights lately. Although, the other night, he apparantley fell asleep while he was halfway under Jakey's bed. No picture of that though.

Parker's favorite way to "wake up" in the morning. He always looks for Dakota to snuggle with. Sometimes he crawls in his dog bed with him too!

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving in NY this year. The boys were very excited about our trip...it had been a very long time since they were there (and they were too little at the time to remember). It was a fabulous time. They enjoyed spending time with their cousin, Brooke, as well as playing with their aunts, uncles and of course, Granny and Gramps! Peter was able to find some of his old legos which kept them occupied most of the time. They are still playing with them two weeks later. Jacob and Brooke seemed to bond instantly...they have very similar personalities. When it was time for baths, he jumped right in with no hesitation! It was very cute to watch them all interact with her. Unfortunately, out of the 5 days we were there, these are the only pictures I managed to take!

Baby Talk

The other day, the boys and I were snuggling on the couch talking when Blake started asking me questions about babies. He was wondering if you could decide how many kids you wanted. I told him sort of...most of the time it works that way. Then he responded with "I think you should have 6 six kids. Three boys and three girls". I had to laugh and then explained we don't get to pick if it is a girl or boy AND there would be no way we would be having any more babies after this one! I then looked to Jacob and asked if he wanted six kids too and he quickly said "no, we already have enough". Typical Jacob...he would be perfectly happy being an only child!

10 Weeks

I had my first prenatal appointment with my midwife today. Everything is great so far! We got to hear the baby's heartbeat...168 bpm. Nice and strong! Parker was in the room with me and seemed pretty interested in everything that was going on. When my midwife asked if he was going to be a big brother, he just smiled and shook his head no! Ha, ha. I don't think he is ready to give up being the "baby" of the family quite yet!

My eco-shopper

After unloading my bags, I usually set them by the front door so I remember to put them back in the car. However, Parker loves to take them and fill them up with things from around the house. In this bag he had his blankie (of course!), a plastic pumpkin container, some cars and a baggie of cotton balls (marshmallows) and Q-tips (sticks). He then presents the bags to any one of us saying "it's your birthday. Open your present!". We never know what will be inside.

Trick or Treat!

We had a great Halloween night! A mom from our homeschool group hosted a Halloween party at her house. It was so much fun. Everyone brought a potluck dish (lots of yummy food), the kids got to run around and play games in the dark- mummy tag, pumpkin races, they swung from a giant tree swing, and then we went on a trick-or-treat trail through the woods behind their property. At the end of the trail, they had lit a fire and the kids got to roast marshmallows. We didn't leave until almost 10 and the boys did NOT want to go home yet (but this momma was exhausted). I didn't get a lot of shots b/c my camera doesn't take very good night pictures, but I was able to get a shot of the boys before we left.

Our group is amazing. We have all become such good friends and it is great to have such a large support group for not just homeschool stuff, but parenting in general (we all have the same parenting and life philosophies). Peter was a bit skeptical about the boys having fun without receiving typical treats (all the treats given were healthy-muffins, organic lolipops, fruit leathers, granola bars, trail mix), but the boys did not ask once about junk candy, nor did they complain about their treats!

Before the party. Parker decided at the last minute that he wanted to be Nemo, again. Since he is such a peanut and never seems to grow much, the costume still fit perfectly. I will let you guess what Blake is!

Tasting some of their treats after hitting the trail!

Pumpkin carving time

Last night we carved the boys pumpkins that they got from the hayride at the Nature Preserve. These were by far the biggest pumpkins we have ever gotten from participating in an activity! Perfect for carving! The boys were all very anxious and had picked out their designs themselves. Blake was nervous about touching the pumpkin guts, but after seeing everyone else do it, he decided it wasn't so bad.

scooping the guts

checking out the inside

watching Daddy do his work

This pumpkin had already been scooped out, but they decided to put the guts back in and scoop it back out again. Parker was covered up to his elbows in pumpkin...he even had it in his hair!

Jacob's pumpkin

Blake's pumpkin

Parker's pumpkin

Daddy and the boys did a great job!

Botanical Gardens

We attended the Fall Festival at the botanical gardens. It was a beautiful day and the boys and I enjoyed our time there. They spent most of the time going through the caterpillar obstical course. Blake said that inside they had stairs and ramps and stuff they had to maneuver around to get through to the other side. Parker went in, got scared and cried to be let out, so we hung out while Jacob and Blake went through over and over! One thing I did not get a picture of was the orchid conservatory. They released hundreds of butterflies and it was amazing. The boys and I enjoyed trying to identify the different types as well as seeing if any would land on us! It was very magical!

heading in!


finished

bowling for a prize

Jakey's turn

Parker did great!

Pumpking bug toss

Inside the willow maze

Underneath some pines

exploring the field

coloring their butterfly projects

beautiful butterfly!