November Fun

I always feel like life after Halloween is a blurr! Weather-wise we have had a very nice November allowing the kids to spend lots of time outside exploring the woods, playset, and their outdoor toys. On the rare years, we are blessed with a prolonged fall, it makes the cold, gray wintery months seem a little less imposing. But now that Thanksgiving is behind us, let it snow! We have all the sleds, tubes, and snow merry making toys all down from the attic-ready for the first hint of snow!
We spent a fun filled 5 days in MN for the Thanksgiving Holiday (many great pics and posts to come) but I thought I would post a few pics of the fun we had before we left.

Making "turkey" cookies:

Christian was so excited for the cookie making. He was running around squealing. "took-eeee, tooo---keee!" But once we set him down he inhaled all the decorations and never actually got the project put together.

Elle and Carter got theirs put together but I could barely snap this picture before they "gobbled" them up!

YUMMY!!!

Watch out, Dad, always LOVES a good cookie!

Making more to share with friends at daycare.The boys enjoying some outdoor time. Carter is trying to get Christian to playbut he was more interested in pointing at the air traffic passing up above. Looks like a recipe for disaster, huh??

Ella had a special Heritage Day at school. Grandpa Blackmer was her guest of honor. They had a morning filled with art projects, a story teller, guest and ended with a delicious Thanksgiving lunch. It was a special day for them. Here Elle is modeling a few of the projects they made for Thanksgiving.

Sitting on her drum and "shaker"

Hi HO!

Hi ho! Hi ho! It's off to Minnesota we go. We are scheduled to leave at noon. on. dot. We are hoping for a nice, relaxing and non-eventful drive today. The bags are packed, the kids are excited, and we are anxious to spend some quality time with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins! It will be a packed house, brimming with energy, laughter, and of course delicious food.

Look out Grandma- here WE COME! Looking forward to posting wonderful pics of all our fun! Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Many blessings.

Christmas wish- from the 3 1/2 year old

This morning Carter gazed at me with an angelic look on his face and said, "Mom I want an iphone for Christmas. One just like Uncle Evan's!" My eyes wide in amusement I asked, "why is that??" His matter of fact reply: "It has cool games on it and is just like my Leapster."

If our three and half year old is "only" asking for an iphone, what will the 6 year old want?? HMMM!

Swimming Lessons

We have been enjoying a relaxing fall. The kids have been having fun playing outdoors and using their imaginations inside creating art projects. They are currently REALLy into doing puzzles. They are shocking good at them too. This weekend Ella and Carter tackled a brand new 100 piece Scooby Doo puzzle and with very little help from me, completed it in less than half an hour. We were shocked! They had so much fun. Each time they had a section put together, they were shrieking with glee (just like opening a present). It was precious and heartwarming to see them work together so well. Maybe this will become a good winter family activity??

Each Wednesday evening we have an early dinner and then head off to the pool for swimming lessons. It was a perfect oppurtunity when they had a night that both Ella and Carter could have their lessons simultaneously. They each have their own part of the pool and take care of business from 6-6:45. I shower them and then bundle them in their jammies. I always pack a hearty "bedtime" snack for the trip home to fill their bellies and keep them awake until we get home. Then a quick bed time story and everyone is in bed. It is working out well---all except for the tough job of keeping Christian OUT of the pool. The poor kid is dying to jump in and join in the fun. We try to make up for it when we go on the weekends so he can have pool time too! waiting for their teachers

listening and WAITING.

Blowing bubbles and waiting his turn to swim like a fish

Ella is practicing different techniques. Here she is pushing off the wall and swimming the backstroke.

His favorite move-Superman!

Halloween

This year, we enjoyed a pretty laid back Halloween. Ella had a fun party at school on Friday while Carter and Christian enjoyed a quiet celebration at daycare. On Saturday it was really rainy and cold so they made a quick trip through our friend's neighborhood and called it good due to cold feet and hands. Our "tinkerbell" and "Transformer" had a low-key, fun night. Christian stayed home with me, just in case we happened to get any trick or treaters. But no luck on the home front!

Fun wagon rides down the driveway!

A helpful raker