Snow Day

'I caught one'

We got about 12" of snow today and I didn't have school, so Caleb and I played outside during Josie's morning nap. We even did a little sledding down the sidewalk with our sled that warns: not to be used on hills (seriously)

Grand Rapids Christmas Parade

Big trucks and free candy are a winning combination.

Christmas Tree

Caleb is pretty happy that Daddy is working so hard to cut that tree down.

Riding on the tractor to the trees was the highlight of Caleb's day (or maybe even week).Putting all of the ornaments on the same low branch.

Happy Thanksgiving

Josie's first Thanksgiving meal: Pureed squash (again)

She seems pretty happy about it

Caleb suffering the side-effects of a big Turkey dinner

Toning her triceps.

Josie gets into push-up position (and will hold this position) as a way of getting up to her knees and is already beginning to rock on her hands and knees.

Nudey-shots....part of every child's photo album.

Josie 5 months

Josie will be 5 months on Sunday. She can sort-of sit up...just long enough for me to take a picture.

Sorry about all of the mucus in this one--our whole family had a little cold.

Ok, in this one she's not sitting up, but I liked it anyhow. She really likes to go on her tummy, then get up on her knees.

ABC 's

I finally got Caleb to perform some songs on camera. ABC's is definitely the most coherent. The one below is suppose to be Old MacDonald, but he got confused. At the end he says, "I want to see the video."

Trick-Or-Treat

This year, Caleb got to trick or treat in our new neighborhood with his cousins, Avery and Nathaniel. Josie and Naomi stayed back to hand out candy. When we first explained the concept of trick or treating to Caleb, he said "lets go right now." That was about 3 weeks ago so tonight was highly anticipated.

Caleb in action

The Cousins (minus Josie who finally gave in to her afternoon nap). From left: Nathaniel (a lion), Naomi (lady bug), Caleb and Avery (Dalmatian)

October Baseball

Caleb is practicing his sports skills lately. It seems like all he wants to do is play soccer, baseball, football and golf.

The 3 Dogs

Here are our 2 dogs--Caleb though he looked like "Franky boy"

Here is Josie with her cousin, Avery.

Birthday Celebration

This year I am "2-8" as Caleb would say. Just like his favorite Tiger.

Making Josie Laugh

As soon as I get the camera out, the kids aren't as funny, but Caleb was howling like Franky and Josie was cracking up sunday night. Here's the tail end of that.

Fort-making...Again

Our daily destruction of the living room. Caleb likes to either make a fort or put the cushions on the steps and make a slide. So far, no injuries from this.

Watching the fort-making a safe distance away.

Smiles and Giggles

Now that Josie is getting a bit bigger, she's enjoying time in her jump-up and exersaucer. She thinks Caleb is funny and giggles at most anything he does, and he likes trying to make her laugh with silly noises and 'roars'...

sometimes he is a bit too loud and scares her.

Apple Picking--Cranes Orchard

We went to pick apples on September 27 and ended up getting something like 68 pounds of apples. We made applesauce with a bunch of them and put it in the freezer, and each of us has had our fill of apples, apple pancakes, apple pie, and anything else you could do with apples the last couple of weeks. Caleb is getting pretty good at turning the crank on the peeler-slicer-corer machine.Before you call social services on us, you should know that he insisted on hauling the wagon by himself. Maybe this is why apple picking went a bit slower this year. Or, maybe it was because we had to stop for Caleb to take a potty-break in the back of the Tribute. He ended up not going in the potty after all, but instead, on some rotten apples--a bit thrill in the world of 2-year-old boys.