Halloween 2013

Hey All,

So I'm not quite sure where time is going these days - the last thing I knew it was just starting October and here we are in November now and my newborn is now 6 months old!
 

Alex helping with the laundry

Alex has really started to show his little personality now.  He is a super-curious little guy - wanting to touch and play with everything he sees.  All of our baby toys are getting thorough use these days!  Plus  I have to be extra cautious what I leave anywhere near him because he is now a pretty effective little mover - still no true crawling but can definitely shift, shuffle and roll his way around - but I'm sure the real crawling isn't too far behind - he's already managed to get up on his knees for a few seconds here and there.  He isn't as interested in sitting (maybe because it keeps him in the same spot?) but he is now able to do pretty well sitting on his own - until he makes a wild grab for something too far out of his reach and tumbles face first into the ground....  Alex also started on solid foods this month and took to it right away which didn't surprise me at all as he had been eying Ian's food enviously for many weeks prior to having his first meal.  He still likes to be close to someone at all times and hates feeling ignored - so as a happy by-product - my arms have never been in such good shape! 

Alex driving his car

Alex eating his first bites of sweet potato

Alex's first meal - I think he likes it!

Alex the eating pro

Ian is now officially potty trained!  We are going on 6 weeks with zero accidents - yay!  He has also started preschool and is doing very well with the transition and is really picking up a lot from his older playmates.  He is now speaking in sentences and understands EVERYTHING - you really have to be careful what you say around him, especially since he has an excellent memory and has learned what 'tomorrow' 'after' and 'later' mean and completely understands what making a deal is - and will insist you hold up your end of the bargain.  

Ian helping Daddy

Ian 'helping' Zayde

Ian's first day of preschool

Ian waiting for the bus

As Alex is getting more interactive Ian is starting to have a lot of fun with him and Alex absolutely adores his big brother.  They quite frequently have 'giggle-fests' where the two of them are just staring at each other and laughing.  Such cute little guys! 

My two little guys

 

We took the boys to Storybook Gardens for a special members event and we all had a blast! 

Ready for a day of fun

Can you spot my boys?

There they are!

Ian with his face painted

We took Ian to see a fire truck during the Doors Open event - he thought it was pretty cool!

Ian with the fire truck

Driving the truck

In what is becoming an annual tradition we took the boys to Appleland again this year - they had lots of fun riding the train, playing in the pumpkin patch, finding their way through the corn maze, playing on the giant sand mountain and, of course, picking apples!

In the pumpkin patch

In the corn maze

Alex and Daddy

Alex being eaten by the witch

Ian eating an apple

Ian picking the apples

Getting up high

Wow! Check out the pumpkins!

Scaling sand mountain

When we asked Ian what he wanted to be for Halloween this year - he, of course, said "dinosaur! roar!" so he went as a T-Rex.  Alex was less responsive to questioning but we settled on a bunny costume for him.  We had lots of fun at the Spooktacular pre-Halloween event along with Yoda Matthew, Auntie Tif, Uncle Gary and Grandma.  The bigger boys loved the trick-or-treating, dancing in the spooky barn and seeing all the other kids in their costumes, Alex enjoyed riding around in Mommy's arms and looking at all the decorations.  We had picked out pumpkins for each family member and I let Ian pick out the designs to carve into each of them.  For Daddy he picked a moon and kitty cat, Mommy had a ghost, Alex had a owl and Ian, of course, had a long-neck dinosaur.  Ian helped me carve all the pumpkins - except he refused to help me pull out the pumpkin guts (too yucky!).  Alex thought the pumpkins were pretty cool too but kept trying to take a bite out of one of them.

Ian and Alex Skeletons

Trick-or-treating at Auntie Jenn and Uncle Mike's

Alex the baby bunny

Riding the carousel with Grandma

Hitching a ride on the tiger

Group shot!

Dancing in the barn

Daddy and Alex

Ian and the pumpkins

Boys and pumpkins

All lit up

Sleepy skeletons

Grandnan and the little bunny

Grandnan with the boys

Mommy the kitty cat with T-Rex Ian and Bunny Alex

Trick-or-treating at Nanny's

Grandma and Baby Bunny Alex

Ian the T-Rex, Daddy the Soccer Player and Matthew the Monkey Trick-or-Treating

Well, that's it for this month - I'll likely get the next update up soon after Christmas as the next few weeks are shaping up to fly just as quickly as the last few.

Love Amanda

Beep Beep!