Halloween Pictures!

The boys LOVED Halloween this year. A party and parade at school were a hit, as well as trick-or-treating. Blowing out Jack-O-Lanterns was an unexpected fascination, and one I will spend plenty of time prompting restraint in advance for next year (I'll also bring a lighter with us in the event my advance prompting fails!). I'll let you guess who is dressed up as the pirate vs. the wizard!

Milestones

It is with great pride that I announce we removed the last of the child locks in our house yesterday! Well, there are actually tw0 that remain - but those will be indefinitely.

The first is for the knives. I think I'll leave that one on until their about 18 and upgrade their lock as the monsters get older and are able to bypass my security attempts. The other is for the oven. The boys have always been fascinated with it. First, it has buttons that beep. Press, beep, press, beep...cause and effect...very calming for the little dudes. Secondly, it has a clock (numbers are too cool for Alex). Finally, and most frightening, is that they like to climb into it...small space...very confining.

Anyhow, back to the good news - we're nearly baby lock free! Funny how trained you become with side-stepping the little security gadgets. It's going to take me a while to get used to just opening drawers, doors, and cupboards barrier free. There are fewer lingering remnants of the babies I adored...and more and more reminders that I'm being outnumbered by da boyz. The golf, the football, the chasing, the swordfights, the cars, the farts...the toilet seat up world has overtaken me!

The Leaves Are Falling Down...

(To the tune of The Farmer in the Dell)

The leaves are falling down,

The leaves are falling down,

Red, orange, yellow brown,

The leaves are falling down.

This was a speech exercise at school this fall, and Alex

loved it! We heard the song over, and over again.

Duh weaves are fahing noun

Duh weaves are fahing uwn

Weh, owange, yehyo bwown

Duh weaves are fahing ow-n

As soon as the leaves starting falling, the little men were ready for the annual fun of raking and jumping! Talk about sensory experiences...laying in a pile of leaves, jumping in a pile of leaves, throwing piles of leaves, kicking leaves...heavy work of raking leaves...just perfect for the little sensory seekers! After being cooped up inside for days with fevers, I think the cool fall air felt good to the little guys (and their sick parents).

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it's been over a month since I've posted! Shame on me...and a big apology to anyone still checking the site! Since I posted last:

1. Jim's mom came to visit us for a week.

2. We traded in the mom-mobile (minivan) for a car. We are a two car family...no more gas guzzlers! No more double strollers...so no need for big vehicles!

3. My first nephew was born and I made a trip to A2 to see him!

4. The boys and I made a trip to the beach on an October Saturday - with temps in the mid to high 80s! Unheard of in Michigan! It was time for apple orchards and pumpkin patches, and we were still building sand castles!

5. The boys caught a nasty croup virus that resulted in high fevers for 8 days each (that's 13 days straight of caring for a child with a fever!)

6. I caught the nasty bug.

7. Jim caught the nasty bug.

8. We all stumbled outside, sick, to play in leaves and pacify Mom's need for pictures of fall fun.

9. Grandma and Grandpa Herron came to Michigan for a visit and we (Alex and I) met them at one of Jenny's volleyball tournaments. Alex loved watching volleyball (before he fell asleep on me), and especially loved heckling the servers...my little guy.

10. All were healthy by Halloween, which was such a blast for the boys (more on that later).

11. Busy season hit at work. Yes...and this is the main reason I'm absent from the blogging world. In fact, I'd be working now (boys are in bed), except that I can't seem to log on. A forced break from the chaos of renewal season in the employee benefits world.

So...no pictures on this post...just a quick "Hi" to let you know what we've been up to. The boys are talking up a storm and cracking us up daily. Their conversations between each other are hysterical! I'll try to get Halloween and fall pictures up this weekend. Happy November to all!