Jack O'Lanterns and Pajamas

We decided to carve up our pumpkins on Saturday morning. It was a gray, chilly, kind of wet morning, so what better did we have to do? We were lucky Colin let us even eat breakfast before we got started. He was excited.



Daddy is charged with cutting. The kids and I scoop seeds and guts (in our pajamas).



Colin preferred to use the spoon.



Weasel help!


Gillian directing Daddy to cut the way she wants.



TA DA!




Then it was Colin's turn.



TA DA AGAIN!




Oh, and Momo approved.

More Birthday Adventures

Despite already celebrating their birthday TWICE, Colin and Gillian had STILL more fun ahead during their birthday week.

Tuesday was Gillian's day to bring birthday snack to her class at school. She also got to bring an item for show and tell, like all the snack bringers do. I got a quick picture of her with her doll, Louise, who was going for show and tell, her dog, Marshmallow, who was staying in the car, and the snack bag before school.

She came home with a lovely jeweled crown from Mrs. Koehler and said all her friends liked the ice cream cups and Teddy Grahams she had taken for snack.

Wednesday was FOR REAL BIRTHDAY day! Colin leaped out of bed that morning and asked if he had grown. They were both thrilled to be FOUR! I made them get more pictures. They love me.

BIRTHDAY BOY!! The big four year old!



BIRTHDAY GIRL! So happy to be FOUR!



Dynamic Duo.


Colin had requested to go back to the See Saw Center for their REAL birthday, so off we went.




(Given the book of songs, I could JUST pick out happy birthday on the piano.)

Miss Thelma was so happy to see C&G on their birthday. She is just the nicest lady.


After some good play time, we headed down the road to meet Daddy for lunch at Mr. Hoagie.



Daddy's work-buddy, Uncle Al, had sent along some money for the kiddos to get a sundae as a birthday treat. What a nice Uncle Al. Colin especially enjoyed this treat!


We had a relaxing afternoon at home and I made the requested "Breakfast for Supper." Pancakes (waffles for Colin), bacon, and fruit salad. And then we opened presents from Mommy and Daddy. Sorry these are dark and the living room was trashed.


SKELETON PAJAMAS! Woo hoo! He wore them to bed that night. He's in to skeletons.


Piggy banks for both of them.



Gillian got a pack n' play bed for her Louise.


Colin got his first set of real Legos! Gillian informed us, "LEGOS! Just what you have been dreaming of!"


I think they liked their gifts.




So, Thursday was Colin's turn to be Birthday Boy at school. He chose his favorite train, Noisy Thomas, to take with him. He also took ice cream and Teddy Grahams. But we were running late and I didn't get a picture of him before school. I did get one at lunch after school. He STILL hadn't taken his crown off.

That picture cracks me up. He thought he was hot stuff!

So, Colin and Gillian thoroughly enjoyed their birthday DAYS. Such celebrating! And they still had one more party in store!

Stomp.

We had such a beautiful week last week and we tried to spend as much of it as possible OUTSIDE! We invited Ian, Julia, and AJ (and their mom) over one afternoon to play with Colin's new stomp rockets.

A demonstration:




Fun, right?

We were waiting for our friends.


And then more fun!




AJ was off exploring and wasn't too interested in the rockets! The big kids played for a while and then started a nice game of hide and seek! Then we came inside to check out all the birthday presents! Fun visit!

Pumpkin Patching

The morning after the kids' party, we decided to go pick some pumpkins. The weather was decent and we thought Grammy and Papa Frank might like to tag along since they were still in town. We headed over the hill to Trax Farm early on Sunday. We have this down to a science now. We arrive at 9:30 when the STORE is open, but not the carnival. We climb pumpkin piles and pick a pumpkin and we are ready to ride rides at exactly 10:00 am when they open. And then we get the heck out of Dodge before the rest of the people arrive. Live and learn. Live and learn.

Colin had been dying for this moment. When he found out we were going to pick pumpkins he said, "I have been waiting FOREVER to go get a pumpkin!"








So 25 minutes of pumpkin climbing and Colin was still in heaven. He refused to pick a pumpkin. He kept telling us he was going to "dig and dig and dig down to the bottom to get the perfect one." Gillian did a nice job of checking things over and picking a final group to pick from. A systematic approach.

(I think the one on the far right end is the one she ended up with)

We MADE Colin get a final grouping.

And then he went and picked a totally random last pumpkin that Uncle D found and took it home. No rhyme or reason to that boy sometimes.

Then we had some fun with the carnival stuff.





Buckwheat and Alfalfa.




Then the rides opened.



Colin picked the bounce house. Gillian picked the blow up pumpkin.







Three little piggies!


Waiting for the train!


All aboard!



The obligatory Petting Zoo stop. Usually it the goats that are aggressive. And they were. But they were blown out of the water by one VERY aggressive little pig this time.



Very fun morning. But by the end we had two very, very tired birthday kids. They both slept very well that afternoon.