The Big Halloween Celebration

 Great Aunt Carm and Great Uncle Mike always throw and amazing Halloween party.  This year was another one for the books!  I'm  a bit sad that we didn't get a better family picture than this, but I'll take it. 

 William really wanted to be a dog.  This Momma wasn't quite on top of my game this year, so it was Amazon to the rescue.  He loves his little dog costume, and he thinks it's pretty cool that his dog is named Max!

Jack loves pretty much all things PBS, but his favorite is Super Why.  It really is the cutest show ever and does an amazing job of teaching kids about letters and all kinds of reading skills.  He wasn't thrilled iwth his costume when he first put it on, but within minutes he was in love.  He kept yelling "I'm Super Why!"

For eight long years Brian has been waiting to have a kiddo old enough to be an ballot box for Halloween.  Max was super excited about the idea - especially when Brian suggested that he have undecided voters put a piece of candy in for each candidate.  Unfortunately, this has not been a very kid friendly election cycle.  In an effort to shield him - and us - from too much drama we decided to go with this fabulous old stand by.  I don't think Max minded at all!

 Uncle Butch came into town all the way from California - while Mommy didn't get to chat with him as much as I would have liked, the kids enjoyed hanging out with him a bit!

 It was hilarious just how into crouquet the six kids at hte party were.  Even Jack got in on the action!

We finished up by roasting marshmallows with Nonna.  It doesn't get much sweeter than that!

I think it is pretty clear that everyone had a great time.  We can't wait for next year's celebration!

The Pumpkin Patch

 The weather last Sunday was gorgeous!  Perfect for a last minute family trip to the pumpkin patch!  We actually vivistid the same patch that William and I visited iwth his class.  It's simply the best around!

The  zipline was a huge it for all three boys!  There were two different zip lines and they all decided that one of them was way faster than the other.  It was adorable to watch the big boys cheer Jack on as he took his first ride.

While Daddy and the big boys ventured over to the corn maze, Jack and I checked out the pirate ship.  He loved climbing down the ladder into this ship.  At one point I was terrified that I was going to have to go in there after him.  Thank goodness he made his way out without my help!

The slide and obstacle course were also huge hits with Jack.  He climbed the rock wall to get to the top of hte slide all by himself and he was so proud.  He navigated the entire obstable course with just a little bit of help from Mom. 

 Eventually Daddy and the big boys emerged front eh corn maze - they came out the entrance because they couldn't make their way through.  It was a tough one this year!

They enjoyed relaxing a bit on the giant tire swing to recover from their adventure in the corn. 

I'm honeslty not sure which part Jack enjoyed more - swinging in the tire swing, or pushing his big brother Max.

I love all the fun activities that come around this time of year.  There isn't the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The weather has been pretty incredible too!

St. Francis of Assisi

Every year the third graders in the PSR program dress up as a saint for the All Saints mass at church.

Max selected St. Francis of Assisi.  He thought it was pretty cool that St. Francis loved animals - and some people even said he could talk to them.  We watched lots of You Tube videos to learn more about his life.  Max's favorite fact was that St. Francis stole money from his dad to build a church.  I'm glad that isn't the fact he shared with Father when he was on the alter before mass.

It is so fun to watch my children grow in their faith.  I love that we belong to a vibrant and active parish.  I also love that I know enough about sewing that I can throw together a costume at the last minute when necessary :)

Jack's First Dentist Appointment

Yesterday Jack had his very first dentist appointment!  It was so darn cute!

The dentist was wonderful with him.  She really took her time and tried to make him feel comfortable before she started in on his teeth.

These pictures crack me up.  Every time Jack get nervous or he meets someone new he tried to play peek a boo with them.  It's his own little coping mechanism to break the ice a bit.  I mean come on who doesn't love a good game of peek a boo!?

 Eventually I sat down and put Jack on my lad.  He allowed Dr. Matthew to look at his teeth a little bit, but he wasn't totally sold.  I'm so glad that she didn't push things too far.  She just followed his lead and the whole experience was a very positive one.  In fact as I type Jack is on the floor playing with the wind up caterpillar he picked from her treasure chest.

Mommy's Half Marathon

So this isn't kid related, but this picture is too cute not to post.

I ran my very first half marathon on Sunday, October 16th.  The boys knew that I had set a goal and that I had been training - a lot - to make sure I met my goal.  The race began and ended downtown.  I knew it would be crazy, so I told Brian to skip the finish line and meet me at the garden instead.  This was almost 8 miles in and I was so ridiculously excited to see all of my boys that I sprinted away from my friend with tears in my eyes.  Their hugs gave me the energy to power through and meet my goal of running the entire 13.1 miles.  This was the Rock N Roll half, and Brian dressed the boys appropriately - Jack's shirt says My Mom Rocks, and Will's says 2 Fast 2 Catch :)

I hope my boys belie that you can do anything you set your mind to, you just have to work for it!

Be Proud Read Aloud!

 One afternoon Max came home all excited.  The next day he was going to read aloud to Will's class!  He had a book picked out that he thought they would love.

Will's teacher is the sweetest person alive and was more than happy to send me a few pictures when I emailed her.

I don't know which of the boys was more proud that afternoon, Max or William.  They may fight like crazy at home sometimes, but they love each other something fierce.

Will's Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

I was fortunate enough to attend Will's very first filed trip ever!  It was to our very favorite pumpkin patch, so it was pretty much meant to be.

I swear they were more excited than they appear here :)

 We started out with a hayride.  It was tough to hear too much that our tour guide was telling us, but the boys loved it.  I think Will was determined to clear the entire wagon of all the hay.

We explored pumpkinland for a little over an hour.  I will admit that it was a little bit miserable.  I swear it was 20 degrees warmer at home!  It was cold and it even rained on us for a little bit.  It didn't slow these guys down at all.  I they were still willing to zip every zipline, slide down every slide, overcome every obstacle course, and swing in every swing.  The only thing they weren't okay with - the dark hay tunnels.  

After the pumpkin patch the kids boarded the bus to head for lunch at the park.  The original plan was to let the kids play on the playground for a while after lunch, but it was just too wet!

Will had a great time and when we got home he asked me if I could go on every single field trip he ever has in his whole entire life.  I told him I would love to!

Underwater Pictures

I love, love, love the place where the boys take swimming lessons.  A few weeks ago they made a big deal about underwater pictures.  Once I saw the boys' pictures I could see why.  They are just adorable!

All three boys are making huge progress with their swimming skills.  Max is working on adding breathing to his crawl stroke.  He can backstroke the length of the pool.

Will goes under and attempts everything the teachers ask of him!

Jack is all smiles the entire lesson - apparently even when underwater.

I can't wait to see their skills continue to improve!

Max's Zoo Field Trip

 So I'm totally behind on my blogging - there are so many things that I want to document recently!

First up - Max's field trip to the zoo!  It is always one of our very favorite places to visit, so a field trip here was an added bonus.  The kids were studying food chains so we started off with a class in the education center.  Max and his classmates were able to learn about food chains and see lots of consumers - they even got to pet them!  Max said this chinchilla was super soft.

After class there was time for us to explore the zoo together.  The Puma's were in rare form this morning.  One kept hissing at the other and the kids were convinced that something big was about to happen.  

 Max and his buddy posing near the giraffes.  It was a beautiful morning to explore!  We finished up with a sack lunch before the kids headed back to school on the bus.

He is getting so old - but I'm glad he isn't too old to pose for a picture with mom every once in a while.  I love that as a stay at home mom I can attend things like this.  I know it never would have been possible if I was still teaching!

Family Hayride

 THe other day at hte gym I saw an flyer for a family hayride at a local state park.  We have thought about doing it in the past, but it always seemed to be so late for the boys. Now that they are a bit older, we decided to go for it. I'm so glad we did!  It was a fabulous night!

 

We boarded the hayride and went on a ride around the park.  The sun was just setting and it was beautiful.  The ride ended at a clearing and we all got our dinner.  The boys were super excited that their were chips. 

Of course,Jack always feels obligated to make his one nad only scary face every time a picture is taken these days.

 

 After dinner the boys were ready to roast marshmallows.  I think they need longer sticks next year!

Then it was time for the entertainment.  The boys have seen Babaloo several times - at both of their schools and the library.  Personally I find him rather loud and annoying, but the kids eat it up - underwear jokes and all.   Will and Max were totally into their new job as drummers - Jack thought it was a little loud and just decided to take it all in.

Then for the grand finale he blew toilet paper all over the kids.  It was ridiculous, and cheesy, and they loved it!

I think even Brian would admit that this was a pretty fun night!  It often feels like we do the same old family activities all the time, so this was perfect!  I can't wait for next year.

The Zoo

The boys have a four day weekend.  We took care of some necessities - the dentist - yesterday morning and then headed to pick up Nonna and Nonno for a visit to our favorite place - the zoo!

It is always a good time and our visiti didn't disapoint - although some little boys were not hte best listeners. . . .

As an extra bonus we were able to check out all the fun Boo at the Zoo decorations as we explored!

 No visit would be complete without the mandatory train ride.  Jack was thrilled to have Nonna and Nonno all to himself in one bench.  The big boys insisted we sit in the very last seat.  They know the drill, and sure enough the kind woman let them both say all aboard at each stop. I think this was their very favorite part of the visit!

 Max and William were happy to show Nonno our zoo's newest addition - Kali the polar bear!  They were all a bit grossed out when we went to the other window and saw that he was chewing on a crazy big bone.

 There is no doubt about the fact that this little man was cranky!  Luckily a ride on Nonno's shoulders cheered him up a bit.

 

 Both William and I were super excited to get this picture.  Last year for the 100th day of preschool each child brought in 100 pennies.  They used the money to become zoo parents for an orangutan.  Their name is still listed and Will thought it was pretty cool!

Friday's outing wore me out, so I"m still debating what to do with the boys on Monday.  Hopefully there will be less time spent pushing mommy's buttons no matter what we do!