Halloween Fun

Our Train Engineer...


Our Giraffe...

We have been busy the past 24 hours. This is a pretty long post, because I included quite a few photos...hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Carving!!

Last night, we carved a pumpkin, which is probably a tradition that is more exciting to me than it is to Caleb....or Kris. =)

We had three pumpkins to choose from, and Caleb picked out one to carve. He enjoyed helping me draw a face on the pumpkin, and watching Daddy do the actual carving. He also liked watching Aunt Heidi scoop out the guts, but wanted no part in helping with that!

















For last year's pumpkin carving, click here.

Party!!

Today, we went to a very fun party at Sofie's house! Her mom and dad did a great job of putting together a very fun party...with lots of treats and games! There were a lot of other kids there, with lots of great costumes! Caleb had soooo much fun. He played with balloons, learned some new games (like "pin the nose on the pumpkin") and took his first swings at a pinata!

A room full of balloons...doesn't get much better! (FYI: Caleb is laughing in this picture, not crying!)


Games...the kids had to drop a clothespin into the jar....Caleb actually got one in! I am not sure that I would even be able to do it....he has some skills!


The best part of this costume? Lots of pockets in which to store all of his loot from the pinata...


Our little giraffe enjoyed the party as well....




With mommy...


...and daddy...


Trick-or-Treat!!

I'm not going to lie. It was cold, Caleb was cranky, and I was disappointed with the amount of (lack of) people on our street that had their lights on ready for neighbors coming by...not that we would have gone to that many houses anyhow, because you know...it was cold, and Caleb was cranky. Not the best experience for anyone.

Nonetheless, we braved the cold and the crankiness, and hit up a few houses for some sugar.





Unfortunately, I couldn't get a great picture of them together....as you can probably see, Meredith is in the process of spitting up and Caleb does not like posing for pictures lately.



Meredith - October 31st, 2009 (2 1/2 months)


Caleb - October 31st, 2007 (2 months)


For last year's Trick-or-Treat post, click here.

Playgroup at the Pumpkin Patch

Today's playgroup was at Goebbert's Pumpkin Patch in Hampshire. Although we didn't actually pick out any pumpkins, we had a very fun time taking advantage of some of the other fun things they had to offer!

The Crew...
Matt, Coralyn, Caleb, Ella, Jack, Lydia
...we missed you, Maddie and Aubrey!


Caleb was a bit whiny at times (a combination of being over-tired, and on the tail end of a minor cold, I would imagine), but he seemed to have a good time. Caleb's favorite "attractions" were the wooden trains/cars/trucks that he could climb on and "drive". Oh, and he also loved all the open space so he could run....fast....and sometimes away from me. He is getting faster by the day. And more independent by the day. Interesting combination. =)

In the hay maze...


Petting a bunny that had escaped from his confines...he was trying to get into the chicken coop. Natalie saved the day and brought him back to the other bunnies. Although, the lady who worked there told us that this particular bunny always escapes, and always tries to get in with the chickens....so funny!


Caleb and Ella checking out the chicks...

Chillin' on the train...

Goats...the poor things kept thinking that Caleb was going to feed them. But, he just wanted to use their "spoon" to dig in the dirt.

Cutie...


And of course, Meredith was there....this is what she enjoyed most about the day.

Our Refrigerator

I love that the outside of our refrigerator has become "home" to special creations by Caleb!

He really enjoys doing "projects" and I have to admit, I love doing them too! We color, paint, and have recently tested out a cut/paste activity. Well, I did the cutting, but Caleb did a great job sticking the letters (cut out of a magazine) onto the paper! I need to get some kid-friendly scissors so that he can start doing that part as well. That will be fun...=)

Most of the things on the fridge are projects he has brought home from church. This is his first year being in a class at church where they have structured activities for the kids to do...so every Sunday, while we are in the worship service and every Wednesday, while I am in Entrusted, Caleb gets to do a craft. It is so exciting to pick him up, check out what craft he did, and have him tell me what they learned about that day.

Here is a picture of our fridge. The teacher in me really wants to put up a bulletin board in our kitchen to display his work, but for now we'll just settle for the front of the refrigerator. =)


And here is a picture from some weeks ago, with Caleb wearing the craft he brought home that day...a "safe" that says "God's Word keeps me safe".


It is so great to see Caleb learning so much....I absolutely love being home with him, seeing him learn and helping him learn (I definitely have plenty of opportunities to get my teaching fix!).

From letters to lyrics, from Bible stories to Thomas stories, from puzzles to how to hit a baseball, and all sorts of other things....each day with our little boy is a new adventure!

Pumpkin Farm

The original plan for the weekend was to go pick apples, but the cold and wet conditions, not to mention the minor sniffles that both the kids have had, led to a change of plans. Instead, we decided to take a quick trip to the pumpkin patch.

************Fun Fact************
It was exactly 1 year ago that we took our last trip to the pumpkin farm. Click here to see photos from that day! Notice the difference in attire....it was quite a bit warmer last year!
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Enjoy a quick glimpse into our latest excursion...

He sure does love tractors...


Sizing them all up...


Taking a closer look...


The girls are "falling" for him already...=)


A new friend...


Not sure about this guy...


Sleeping Beauty...




Staying warm and cozy...


Apple Cider Donut...


He picked out the 2 little ones....1 for him, 1 for Meredith...


Pumpkin Head...

2 Months!

Yesterday, October 10th, Meredith turned 2 months old! I can hardly believe how quickly these past two months have passed. I know everyone says that, and I personally say it all the time...but it is so true!

Our little girl is such a joyous part of our family. Her little personality has started coming through, and it appears that she might take after her mommy in a few ways. =)

She has settled in to a great little routine, and has been very kind to sleep for long stretches at night (last night, she had her longest stretch yet - 11 hours - yahoo!). She loves to be swaddled and loves her pacifier. She loves her play mat and her bouncy seat, and sometimes tolerates the swing. She loves bath time and loves to cuddle. She loves toys that rattle, and anything that makes music.

She loves Big Brother, and he loves her, too. The other day, I watched Caleb lying next to her on the floor, talking to her in a high-pitched voice, saying "you're so cute, you're just so cute" over and over again. I wish I had caught it on video, but I will just have to hope that I never forget the precious moment.

Here are some photos we took on Meredith's 2 month birthday....