GR Children's Museum

 Caleb's cream come true: A fire truck with a siren he can operate

 She's so happy to be taking in the germs from those other kids.

This is what we get when we tell her to "smile pretty". 

Better Late than Never...More Christmas pictures

 All of the cousins on Kyle's side so far...more in the works!

 All of the cousins on Rachel's side, looking decently happy (or scared) for the picture.

Josie dominating the rocking horse and the "bouncy castle"

Christmas Eve Morning (at home)

Playing a new Wii game

Pre-Christmas Activites

 Our little helper...when it's his own idea 

Gingerbread houses the kids made with Abbie (Abbie, you're wonderful). Josie was so proud of hers, she cried when I broke it apart to let her eat part of it.  Who knew she was so attached to her work?

Artwork

Caleb has entitled this work "Traffic Jam", inspired by Dawson and Jamie on the day to the beach. Seems fitting.

Here's Josie's silly pudding face. She's getting sillier all the time.

Christmas Cards

We, like Janet, are planning to use Shutterfly for our Christmas cards this year. Unlike Janet, I am not normally more ahead of the game on this—in fact, reading her blog post reminded me that I should get started on something. So, Shutterfly has a great promotion going that gives Bloggers free holiday cards simply for posting about it as a blog post. Plus I think I saw a free shipping promotional code and maybe even one for ten dollars off. If you have a blog and want to get in on this, click HERE to follow the link and get an email with the directions. I think the promotion goes until Christmas.

This year, we will be making a stationary card ( http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards ) with a picture of the kids we took on a Sunday morning after church. It was the best of many attempts, and both kids are smiling and no visible after-church windmill cookie crumbs, tears, or runny noses! We haven’t settled in on a design, so you’ll just have to wait and see. Here are our cards from last year and 3 years ago. I have no recollection of what we did 2 years ago ???

Lately...

Making forts/piles (daily)

Dressing up in evening wear

The tantrums have begun (this one is because we didn't offer her enough drink choices)

Trick or Treat 2010

Happy little monster

Caleb's ready to collect candy

hanging out with some neighborhood kids: Rowen, Grace, Tate, Josie and Caleb (look closely)

Josie pictures

Nothing like falling asleep with a big bite of turkey sandwich still in your mouth.

Sunday morning and ready to torment the nursery attendants (or the other kids)

'Trunk' or treat at a nearby park

A park near our house had a trunk or treat on October 16. The kids got to wear their costumes, get early candy, balloon animals made by a clown, and a horse drawn wagon ride around the park.

One excited monster, one skeptical monkey.

Happy to be checking out a firetruck

Riding the horse-drawn wagon around the lake

Gymnastics free-for-all

Listening to the rules (sort of)Bouncing with Aunt Katie (By the way, thanks for the great idea, Katie!)

...more gymnastics (at the neighbors)

Cranes Apple Orchard

We visited Cranes a couple of weeks ago...on a beautiful afternoon. The kids had a great time riding in and pushing the wagon, picking apples and climbing around in the pumpkin house (not yet full of pumpkins) while Kyle stood in a really long line to pay for our 56 pounds of apples. I have feeling Cranes won't be using this picture for promotions

Cow train

We tried to get Caleb to ride in the wagon and have us pull them both, but he wanted to push. Turns out he was right--that was a better idea.

Josie, sampling yet another one of her picks.