Choo-Choo!

 One thing we love about Lowe's is their FREE kid workshops! They are supposed to be for kids ages 2nd grade-5th grade but they have always let us do them. This month their workshop was to make a train. It went three weeks in a row and they made a caboose, coal car (toy car for Christmas) and an engine.

The first week we went we weren't able to stay and put them together and Hubby wanted them to have a hammer their size to work with. We didn't find a hammer their size until we found these tool sets. They were half off and had real tools in them. Anybody need some little construction workers? They work for chocolate chip cookies. :)

 The boys aren't used to me using my external flash on my camera...can you tell?

 This made me literally LOL. 

Making Cookies

A couple of weeks ago the baking bug finally bit me. Ty and I ran to the store and grabbed the couple of ingredients we needed. I am not good at taking the time to bake- actually I'm not good at it b/c I have  tendency to eat everything in sight when it comes to sugar!

 Ty is my little kitchen helper so he was ready for helping. He loved getting to lick the spoon (b/c it was only a cake mix and pumpkin- no raw eggs there. ;)

His favorite part was putting the sprinkles on the cookies- oh and eating them! :) Yum!

Rockin' Around

 The Christmas tree! The day after Thanksgiving, after we had celebrated we left the boys at my parent's house and headed out for Black Friday shopping. After getting five hours of sleep (which I actually don't think is too bad considering!) we brought the boys back home. I thought we would all nap, but it turns out the weathers was super nice and the boys were ready for the Christmas decorations.

Hubby worked outside on getting the leaves mulched up and Christmas lights up. I got the fall stuff out and let the Christmas stuff explode all over my kitchen. On Saturday we finally put the tree up.

Every year this part gets more fun. The boys were at the stage this year that they could put up most of the ornaments without help. Here were a couple that brought back some memories...

JJ's first Christmas ornament. I couldn't wait to start putting these kinds of ornaments on the tree!

 A Potato Head ornament. Fitting for our family, who has over 80 potato heads now!

 A fish ornament that Diana gave us the first year or two of marriage. I figured that fragile thing would be in pieces by now, but it just keeps swimming!

And finally, our two helper elves who helped us put the decorations on it...

 One surprise they had this year was that Great-Grandma gave us Great-Grandpa's train to put around the tree. The boys were so excited! 

 They have been told many times that they couldn't play with it and it has finally clicked now, but oh how they love that train! It is a reward for them to get to see it before they go to bed.

(& I included this picture only b/c JJ is sitting how I used to sit when I was little. hehehe)

Uncle Brett and Aunt Danah's House

A couple of weekends ago we finally got to go see where Uncle Brett and Aunt Danah live. They moved back in January to a small town so that Brett could take on a job as an associate pastor at a church. It's only 3.5 hours away but somehow our schedules were not matching to go see them.

The boys had a LOT of fun! We were out in the country...as in lots of acres. We could see one house from their house and it was pretty far down the road. Oh and there was a traffic light...for a one lane road. HA!

These pictures were on their property. You could do some pretty fun family pictures there...if only it wasn't so far away!

 Brett and Danah got a cat once they moved to the house they are in. George was a true hit with the boys!

 They were also super happy to see Buster! On our way there we saw a stray black lab and they were pretty worried that we were leaving Buster behind! They were happy to see him when they got there...and I think Buster enjoyed playing with them, too!

We went to a Children's Museum for the morning. It had all kinds of fun things, including this rather creepy water room. ;) They boys loved it, though! There was also a real ambulance that they got to play in. 

We had planned on coming back and making a fire in the fire pit but it was super duper windy, add on the country and the guys used best judgement to call it off. Never fear- there was a wood stove in the house... hot dogs and smores were made! 

Thanks for letting us come see you, guys! We had lots of fun and can't wait to visit again!

Grant's Farm

 A few weeks ago we headed to Grant's Farm. Some nice ladies ended up riding the tram with us and somehow we ended up at the same point at every thing we did. They insisted on a family picture.... it makes me laugh...we were looking straight into the sun...can't tell, can you?

The goats were super hungry as we were there near opening. We walked in, one goat latched onto one bottle that I wasn't holding high enough and suddenly my bottle was gone. The others started fighting. Hubby somehow got through to some others. Ty hung right in there with the bottle. He loved feeding the goats. (JJ was very happy to watch and pet them :)

After a ride on the carousel we watched the bird show and then the elephant show. Ahhh...these ages are so fun for things like this! I never dared do this three years ago...it wasn't happening, but now it's perfect.

 Jake the Clydesdale...little did we know that the Clydesdales would have a VERY important job a couple of weeks later in pulling Tony LaRussa around for the World Series Champions Parade! Woohoo! We cheered on Jake...b/c we know he was there, right?... from the family room! :)

Picking a Pumpkin

The day after the pumpkin patch we went to pick apples, but when we got there the apples were gone. The pumpkins were the ones needing picking! We went with some of Hubby's family. It was also a big day for the Cardinals- I don't remember which game it was, but we were in the playoffs- being as though we are now in the World Series- it went well!

When we told the boys that we were going apple picking, JJ remembered going two years ago and picking apples from the tree and eating them right then and there. He began talking about it as soon as we told him we were going apple picking. Uncle Jacob took the boys to find apples just for them to pick off the trees! What a good uncle!

 JJ won't eat it with his front teeth. I think the next day is when he came out school telling me his tooth was super wiggly. I wonder if this had anything to do with it.

 I loved this bumpy pumpkin. Hubby didn't, but his mom did! She bought it, along with it's two bumpy siblings that were separated by many other pumpkins in the big field.

 Pumpkins picked and we're ready to go! Ty was very sad when it was time to get off when we got to the field b/c he wanted a longer ride. He was very happy that we were getting back on!

They had a little area full of fun things for the kids. So fun that they're old enough to want to ride it and not cry once it starts!

JJ Lost a Tooth!

One Monday JJ walked out of school and declared that his tooth was wiggly. I didn't believe him until I saw him reach in his mouth and begin wiggling it furiously. Seriously? How did that happen so fast? Better yet, didn't he just get that tooth two months ago on an evening at home in Arkansas? We could see the little hit of pokey white things. I know, I know- it's just a tooth, but suddenly my baby is losing his "baby" teeth.
Every day I'd pick him up and he would show me how much loser it was. Every night I thought we'd lose a tooth. I wondered what he would do because last Spring when he learned about losing teeth he was terrified. He didn't want his tooth to fall out. He didn't want the tooth fairy to bring him money. He didn't want a hole in his mouth. How would he eat food? I'm so glad that God held off till he was ready- it made having a wiggly tooth much more fun.
Oh. And. Let me clarify. It was wiggly. Not loose. He couldn't get the concept of loose. Don't know why, but he insisted it was wiggly. :)

He happened to be out of school that Friday. We did our errands to and JJ asked if we could then get a bagel from St. Louis Bread Co. (I remember when he used to describe bagels as a big donut- see? He's growing up!) We were coming out with a bag in our hands. Silly me didn't think about it being lunch time. The craziest time at that place, where people aren't so friendly b/c they are on a tight schedule. (especially at this location- I actually like the city one that was across from Hubby's old work place better!) It was a little chaotic so I didn't notice that JJ dropped behind until we were out from the crowd, which happened to be in front of outside seating. I turned around just in time to see his tooth flying around on his tongue. The look on his face was priceless. It took what seemed like hours for him to get the tooth out of his mouth. I'm sure the people eating their food thought he was getting ready to throw up since my hand was in hanging out in front of his mouth so he could spit the tooth out. He grabbed it out and turned to the people (yes, not his mom! :)

"I just lost my first tooth. I've never done that before!!" The nice couple who's table we had practically invaded began clapping for him. (Okay- she did. I think he did, but I'm pretty sure he may have been a little grossed out!) He ran away jumping around and pumping his fist "yes!!"

As we walked away I could hear the wife say, "how cute!" (Again, not sure the husband agreed) It made me realize once again that time flies. I don't know if they have kids but if they do, looking at their ages the kids may be in high school or college. I know that one day I will be sitting eating lunch not having to make sure everybody is settled and will truly miss these years. Sometimes in the middle of a chaotic moment, I'm ready for them to be done, but then I get a hug or an "I wuv you!" and frustration melts away. I don't want them to grow up. I love their sweet ages. I love that they forgive me easily. I love that I can fix anything with a kiss and a hug.

Congrats, Big Boy on losing your first tooth! I love your new smile!

(and the one right next two it is getting more "wiggly" by the day. Interesting considering it's the tooth that came in a few weeks after the one he just lost!)

Pumpkin Patch

A couple of weekends ago we went on the promised trip to the pumpkin patch. Since Ty had gotten to go we promised JJ he could go since he loved it so much last year. The pumpkin patch was so much fun for them last year. We knew they would love it again this year and were amazed at how long and easy our trip was! We stayed for three hours and some of that time we got to just sit and watch them go up in the crazy dark haystacks. (seriously, I could not see my hand in front of my face!) We did bring flashlights but even last year JJ would climb right up, while I had mini panic attacks trying to get to the top to see light.

These boys warm my heart! They truly love each other and look out for each other. Ty made sure we would get to the pumpkin patch since he knew that JJ loved it so much last year and he got to go with preschool. I love how they love each other. They are best friends!

Here's to another fun year at the pumpkin patch...and many, many more!