A little bit of everything...

In the last few weeks, Aaron has started baby food and gotten his first little cold :( He's been congested and hasn't slept well for almost the last week. However, I think he's beginning to turn the corner (good timing since hubby just left for the week out of town for work and we have one more week left until it's San Diego time!)
I'm keeping my fingers crossed we can all stay well through our vacation, we've been looking forward to it since it was 100 degrees this summer!

Anywoo...Aaron has had peas (actually yummy), sweet potatoes (no thank you) and carrots (ok) and apples (eh,could do without so far).





Aaron can now pretty much sit up on his own, at least for a little bit before he topples over. Crawling only about an inch (thats ok, I'm not ready for him to take off yet!)

Nate just finished his "camp". I think he's ready for a break-he won't be starting school back up until the second week of January now. December is such a busy month anyway that time will fly.

We just took the kids to Zoolights Thanksgiving week. They had a blast! Aaron loved the bright lights.



We love the trees that dance to music!

We're getting into high Christmas gear. Our decorations are up and our newest Christmas addition has arrived for the holidays-Eddie the Elf! (based on The Elf on The Shelf). Basically, we tell the kids that Santa has sent an elf to keep watch for him and report back to him each night to let him know if they (the kids) have been naughty or nice :) Hopefully the elves help reinforce good behavior, in other words! So far Nate hasn't really understood the whole concept (and hasn't noticed that Eddie hasn't moved from the spot we put him when he first came in).

The kids got to see Santa for the first time this year at Zoolights-Aaron was ok and curious (just as I remember Nate being his first year) however this year Nate doesn't seem to be all too interested. Funny, Nate seems to go in every other year spurts with St Nick.

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving-we enjoyed time with both our families. The morning of I had my first run post Aaron-a 10k (6.2 miles)! Guess I was feeling brave, I haven't run that far in....a long time. The day after we get back from vacation I'm suppose to do a 12k run. All of this is building up to my half marathon in January,which is only six weeks away! I think I'm in a bit of a panic mode :)

Graduations--of sorts!

November 9, 2011-is going down in my book for the year as one of the best days. To start the day off-Nate graduated from his preschool class that morning. He's done with school for the rest of 2011, but will start up a school related "camp" on Monday until Thanksgiving-then he'll officially be done with classes the rest of the year.

His graduation was cute-there were tables set up with food and drinks and places to sit-then a bunch of chairs for parents to sit and watch their kids on stage. The kids came in and sang all the songs they've learned over the last few months. So cute! I wish I had more of an idea what was going on so I could have brought the proper recording camera with me :( The video on my digital camera doesn't record very well. The kids received a certificate and a little goodie bag. Short and sweet little ceremony with a picture slideshow-then we ate goodies at our leisure and left. I'll be better prepared the next time! I think even the grandparents want to be in on the action too.


Could we have the graduation treats BEFORE the ceremony mom?




Singing on stage


Nate and Braedan


He just wanted the donuts




Nate's certificate and goodie bag

The other graduation that happened that day was...Nate used the big potty! On his own,no bribing or bugging...we came home from the graduation, he said he needed to use the potty and that he was going to use "the big potty". Sure enough-I walked in afterwards and his stool was beside and his Elmo seat we bought was on top of the big potty. Go figure. Thank goodness, such perfect timing! Just days ago I had asked hubby what we were going to do when we go on vacation in a few weeks-I wasn't looking forward to having to carry around his small potty (especially in theme parks,if we were even allowed). I don't mind carrying around a toilet seat-that's a much better improvement than what we're used to! Nate hasn't used the big potty in public yet-but I'm hoping it won't be a problem as long as we have his seat since he's been using different ones at home (at least he's not potty particular!)

In time for Thanksgiving soon-I can say that I am ever so thankful that potty training is on the verge of completion,yay!

Half a Year Old

Happy six month birthday to our little Aaron! I can't believe in six more we'll be having a birthday party. Seriously, summer wooshed by us and now all of a sudden we're surrounded by Christmas decorations and commercials on TV. How did this happen?!

Aaron doesn't have his six month appt with the pediatrician until next week so we're holding off on starting the baby food. I just can't believe I'm even already talking about that. Before I know it-life will be simpler and he'll be eating the same food as Nate!

In the last month we have had two new developments: he can completely roll over (both stomach and back now) and he's beginning the process of crawling. When he's on his stomach, he's trying to inch himself up to something slowly. He doesn't use his arms and isn't on his knees yet-it's probably closer to an army sort of crawl, like Nate did for quite a while at first :) I'm trying to provide the motivation to get him to try and move around. Big brother is helping out a lot in that regard-little brother already is interested in whatever Nate is doing! (did I also mention that Aaron finds anything about his brother hilarious?)

We love you little man!

Halloween

Make a free digital collage

Halloween Parties

Whew! Last week flew by with all the different parties we had. Each were fun in their own way!



Church Fall Festival


Nate was so patient getting a baseball painted on his cheek (hint: he's a baseball player for Halloween this year :) )




Decorating a pumpkin cookie with Nana



Cotton candy


Nighttime bouncing

Pirate and Princess Party



The kids played a cute,musical "pass the wrapped package" game-whoever had the gift when the music stopped got to open it to reveal a prize that they got to keep.


Then the kids went outside to look for "bounty" :)





Even Aaron was in the pirate spirit!

Great Play Halloween Party


Kids played and had pizza for lunch







We ran into our Moms Club friend, Vedant, there too!


Moms Club Halloween Party



Mommy's cute friends!



Nate and his friend Braedan-who is also in his preschool class







Trick or Treating with friends




Candy relay-the object of the game was to pick up candy and run across to put it in a pumpkin bucket and run back to get more until all the candy was gone


Run, Nate, run!



Looking at clues to find hidden goodie bags



Happy Aaron


Nate and Lauren



We love our friends!

"Old McDonald Farms"

...as they're called according to Nate this year :) We've gone to three different farms this fall season-and each time I've mentioned going to one to Nate, he'll ask, "Old McDonald farm?" Yes Nate, the Old McDonald farm :) Then he'll proceed to sing the song over and over for a while.

First one : DeWitt Stable

Favorite part : the hayride to the pumpkin patch and picking out a small pumpkin to take him. He carried it with him for days!




Hay maze



Train ride-interesting how the cars are recycled out of something,wish I could figure out what!

Second : Marley Farms with Nate's preschool class



Huge camel!


Mommy feeding the pony-Nate is having an off year with petting zoo animals




What's a farm without a cow?




His favorite part at Marley Farms!

Today's farm : Vertuccio Farm-our new favorite!




Stop #1-another ride! Nate loved that he got to "drive" it!




Milking the cow



Can't pass up the bounce house!





Having fun with daddy



More bouncing!




Above the hay maze



What do you know-we ran into Nate's cousin Autumn in the corn maze :)


Picking out a pumpkin on our way out

We had lots of farm fun this season!