Apple Hill

Last week, we had a grand time visiting Apple Hill with grandparents. I LOVED the 'hot-out-of-the-fryer-made-to-order" apple cider donuts, watching the boys running through the orchards in search of apples still left clinging to the tree, and this great candid picture of gramma trying to get Dave to smile for mom!

This pumpkin was a whopping 1,153 pounds!

Gotta SPLASH in Those Puddles!

Ok, it's been unseasonably warm the past couple weeks, but at the end of October, when it rained like crazy one day, there were just WAY too many puddles beckoning the boys to "just jump on in!" I've resigned myself to the fact that my boys thrive on dirt, mud, water, mess...

So, with jackets zipped, hoods and boots on, and pants tucked in, THEY HAD A BLAST!!! Due to the jumping and splashing, puddles disappeared. The were SO soaked by the time splash-fest was over, they had to strip down on the front door step before coming in. It was worth it! And, the other day when Dave asked when it was going to rain again, Drew went RUNNING to get his boots! :)

It Just Comes Naturally When You're A Junk Food Junkie...

Little Kid is definitely a picky eater. He has his favorites, but only on the days when he wants them to be his favorites. Big Kid NEVER had this problem. He'd happily enjoy ANYTHING I made for him - and being addicted to the book Super Baby Food, he was always up for a yummy meal of brown rice porridge, kale, okra, flax seed, brewer's yeast, and tahini - all mixed together! Little Kid - well, he gives me a run for my money to make sure he gets in all his food groups.

But...give Little Kid anything with SUGAR - and he's a fiend - except, that is, when he doesn't feel like it. But, for the most part, he's always up for some processed food - probably because he rarely ever gets it - (exception - red vines from daddy's office every MWF!!!).

Today, they both did such a nice job at art class, so they got those fun size bags of mini oreos in them for dessert after lunch - yes, a whopping 5-6 mini oreos at once! Big Kid pretty much inhaled his - though, he usually savors the last one until Little Kid finishes all of his so he can show Little Kid that he STILL has one more. Anyway, there was Little Kid, taking the mini oreos and opening them up, putting the non-frosting side back in the bag, licking off the frosting (AKA lard+sugar), and putting the wet cookie back in the bag. He's never seen anyone break open an oreo for the "good part." Just figured it out on his own...thus, my assumption, it just comes naturally when you're a junk food junkie...

When the boys figure out what candy's truly about, oh boy! You know, Big Kid played with a plastic wrapped Easter egg filled with candy in the shape of an M & M guy from gramma and granpa for over a year when he was 2-3 and just believed mom that it was an action figure. They both believed the foot-long hard candy snakes from Jan and Charlie were "just to play with." I don't know how many times the snakes got scotch tape bandaids, and were never even licked. And, yes, the witches' jars filled with candy corns are "just decorations, daddy!"

btw, after popping open all the mini oreos, Little Kid did get around to eating all the cookies - wet ones and all!

Why Not T. U.?

So, when would it ever be ok to pick up someone and smell someone's butt? Animals do all the time...but definitely not an appropriate was to greet your friends. But, somehow, parents are continually lifting up their babies and toddlers to check to see if it's time to change a diaper...and not think twice about it. And, you know how kids model the behavior of their parents?

Well, Big Kid was sniffing Little Kid - and disgustedly announced, "T. U. Time to change your diapers little one."

Thanks, Big Kid, way to stay on top of things for mom. And, yes, TU - he's heard me say, "PU," but, you know how that hearing goes for kids on the move. So, why not TU?

Note to self...Oh dear...really need to enunciate and work on that phonemic awareness...

Egg in a Hole and a Cheesy Smile

At least a couple Saturday or Sunday mornings a month, the boys "belly up to the bar" and cook Egg in A Hole with Daddy. Dave is quite the expert on getting butter on the ENTIRE side of bread and works seriously to get the job done. Drew has just gotten status to use a plastic knife and gob on the butter (or lick it off), but, takes time to give a CHEESY smile! Don't know where he got this one...but lately, whenever the camera comes out, he takes it as his own personal photo op to give the cheesy grin.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

On the way home from our first Gymboree class! Drew had a BLAST! He followed along with the teacher, climbed, played with the parachute, rolled "pumpkins", caught bubbles, and danced! And on the way home...fell fast asleep!

Spoiled Rotten

Checkin' Out My Ride...Yup...Pretty Cool!

Dave couldn't resist getting in the Jelly Belly Car! Of course, he didn't want to make it go...just wanted to get in and check it out! :) In the backseat while driving to Gramma and Granpa Arias' House:

Dave: Drew, you will love gramma and granpa's house...
Drew: Looking and listening intently to his brother...
Dave: You can have dessert first, and you can color, and you can race cars, and you can watch the Cars movie, and you can play in the dirt, and you can have cookies, and you can spend the night, and you can have juice...and...
So, as soon as the car doors opened, they were off...and did just what Dave said they could do! (Minus the dirt, it was too wet and rainy...granpa would have LOVED to have them, but, mom forgot the change of clothes/shoes...maybe another time!)

Dave and Gramma at the Jelly Belly Factory. Dave loved blueberry, Gramma loved coconut, and mom loved the Chocolate Devotion!

Zooming cars with granpa while watching Cars on tv!

Pumpkin Carving 101

We bought a pumpkin carving kit, found the perfect design (a bat jack-o-lantern face), carved off the lid, and began the scooping...

Dave put one finger in and decided, "I don't like this game," watched for a bit, then put on his bike helmet to go for a ride.

Drew, on the other hand, couldn't get enough of the goopy pulp and seeds. And, just like dad does when he works, wiped it all off on the front of his shirt.