October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
Thursday, October 28, 2010
What a Difference...
Wow, what a difference a year makes! Gaze on photos of Big Man Alton at a park one year ago versus a few weeks ago.
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
October 2009
Today
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Playtime with Mommy (by Andy)
These last couple of nights, AJ has had some play time with Katie. They were too cute to pass up snapping a few pictures.
Breaking into the PlayDoh and exploring allll the shapes and possibilities.
And putting together a puzzle! Alton was very insistent on being "nudie" for the night's activities of puzzling and dinner.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Clifford!
With Halloween a week away, our toddler playgroup had a low-key costume party to get some little one excitement out before the REAL October 31st. We signed up for different pot-luck dishes, organized activities, decorated our hostess's house, set out candy...what a celebration!
On his way to the party...Clifford the Big Red Dog! The costume didn't take as long as I thought it was going to for me to make it--really just took one day--and we received many compliments on it at the party, so more than worth the effort.
We added the black collar and still felt like it needed something, so Andy and Alton went to Petco that morning and made Alton a custom doggie tag in the shape of a bone that reads "Clifford." Then it was off to the party!
The kids practiced trick-or-treating at bedroom doors, got their photos taken, frosted cupcakes, and in Alton's case, asked Uncle Zach to read about 10 books.
Alton with his cousin, *P, who is dressed as the Abby Cadabby character from Sesame Street.
The kids trick-or-treating at the bedrooms upstairs; with all the partying beforehand, the house was heating up and Alton got too warm in his costume. But this should bode well for Halloween night when it's brrrrr chilly!
Alton with his candy haul.
Then it was time for cupcake decorating. (Yes, I am wearing Shrek ears.)
He didn't want frosting: just sprinkles. I had to convince him to let me smear a little frosting on top to give the sprinkles something to stick to.
Then he wolfed it down!
On his way to the party...Clifford the Big Red Dog! The costume didn't take as long as I thought it was going to for me to make it--really just took one day--and we received many compliments on it at the party, so more than worth the effort.
We added the black collar and still felt like it needed something, so Andy and Alton went to Petco that morning and made Alton a custom doggie tag in the shape of a bone that reads "Clifford." Then it was off to the party!
The kids practiced trick-or-treating at bedroom doors, got their photos taken, frosted cupcakes, and in Alton's case, asked Uncle Zach to read about 10 books.
Alton with his cousin, *P, who is dressed as the Abby Cadabby character from Sesame Street.
The kids trick-or-treating at the bedrooms upstairs; with all the partying beforehand, the house was heating up and Alton got too warm in his costume. But this should bode well for Halloween night when it's brrrrr chilly!
Alton with his candy haul.
Then it was time for cupcake decorating. (Yes, I am wearing Shrek ears.)
He didn't want frosting: just sprinkles. I had to convince him to let me smear a little frosting on top to give the sprinkles something to stick to.
Then he wolfed it down!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Big. Red.
I started work today on Alton's Halloween costume: this year he's going to be Clifford the Big Red Dog, the beloved canine character from the Norman Bridwell book series. I bought a sewing pattern and red, silky, long, curly fake fur to make it with. I cut the pieces of the pattern today, and my dining room floor was covered with staticky, microscopic polyester fiber strands from all the ends of the fur. Total carnage. I think that for the next three days, our home is going to resemble Nightmare on Elmo Street.
Big Boy Bed
Yep, in some exciting news around here, Alton has gotten his first big boy bed! We had picked out a lovely little set with a twin bed and trundle (for future sleepovers), and waited impatiently while it was backordered for months. It arrived last weekend and we were doing some furniture maneuvering and reorganizing. Alton was extremely excited, even before the bed arrived, by the sight of the moving van outside and the bed delivery men coming in with huge boxes and tools. They assembled the bed, we put the mattress on top, and the clapping (and sniffing, in Minerva's case) commenced!
Alton's been doing great with this transition. The first few "sleeps" (nap or night) in the bed were pretty light, and he woke up more frequently. But after almost a week of his new slumber quarters, he is back to his regular nap schedule and doing very well at nighttime, too. We'll share more pictures of his big boy room and bathroom when they are finished with their decorating transitions, but for now you can enjoy a small sneak peek of the train that is chugging around his bedroom!
Alton's been doing great with this transition. The first few "sleeps" (nap or night) in the bed were pretty light, and he woke up more frequently. But after almost a week of his new slumber quarters, he is back to his regular nap schedule and doing very well at nighttime, too. We'll share more pictures of his big boy room and bathroom when they are finished with their decorating transitions, but for now you can enjoy a small sneak peek of the train that is chugging around his bedroom!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Family Pumpkin Patch Day
As you may have already read, Alton and I went to a pumpkin patch on a playgroup outing in the middle of the week. By that weekend, the weather was still clear, sunny, and even warm, so we decided it was the perfect Saturday to head back over to the pumpkin patch with Daddy and avail ourselves of some of the weekend-only activities and even more pumpkins!
First stop: the train ride, of course!
This large pumpkin patch has a barn area where you purchase your pumpkins, tickets, and other sundries, but to walk to the other side of the property to start picking through the pumpkin patch is quite a trek, so they have a train ride and boat ride to shuttle you out there and save you from walking the round trip. You can take the train out to the patch and boat back to the barn, or vice versa if you like!
Out at the patch, they provide wheelbarrows for you to push amongst the vines and ferry your choices over to the modes of transportation.
Alton checked out the ponies that were doing the pony rides, but wasn't quite ready to don the riding helmet and hop on. Instead, he scrambled to the top of the haybales!
Fun!
They even had a small hay maze for him to run around in, and we encountered one of his little playgroup friends while we were twisting and turning.
Then it was pumpkin-picking time.
Alton focuses on grabbing another baby pumpkin or two.
Or eating them, in some cases. Mmm.
Daddy grabbed a wheelbarrow and headed for one of the behemoth pumpkins, then wheeled it onto the boat for our ride back to the barn.
Their big reservoir has been equipped with some sights, like a pirate ship, sea monsters, a fisherman, and a shark!
Back on dry land, we saw the face-painting table! Alton had never done this before and expressed an interest, so I showed him their poster board full of sample designs, and told him to choose one for them to paint on his face.
He picked the boat, of course!
Alton and his boat!
On our way out to the parking lot, we saw the "caterpillar rides," and Alton flagged down the driver with some ones.
This is a long train of black and orange plastic barrels that have been modified to have seats in them for children, pulled by a tractor. Alton may look stricken in this picture, but he was stoked to ride the caterpillar! He was in total awe of the tractor up front.
And off they go around the vegetable patch!
Heading back up the driveway, waving to Mommy and Daddy.
Waving to the little guy in front of him.
What a fun morning! Time to head over to Daddy's truck and drive home with that gigantic pumpkin I mentioned. Whew! That was close!
First stop: the train ride, of course!
This large pumpkin patch has a barn area where you purchase your pumpkins, tickets, and other sundries, but to walk to the other side of the property to start picking through the pumpkin patch is quite a trek, so they have a train ride and boat ride to shuttle you out there and save you from walking the round trip. You can take the train out to the patch and boat back to the barn, or vice versa if you like!
Out at the patch, they provide wheelbarrows for you to push amongst the vines and ferry your choices over to the modes of transportation.
Alton checked out the ponies that were doing the pony rides, but wasn't quite ready to don the riding helmet and hop on. Instead, he scrambled to the top of the haybales!
Fun!
They even had a small hay maze for him to run around in, and we encountered one of his little playgroup friends while we were twisting and turning.
Then it was pumpkin-picking time.
Alton focuses on grabbing another baby pumpkin or two.
Or eating them, in some cases. Mmm.
Daddy grabbed a wheelbarrow and headed for one of the behemoth pumpkins, then wheeled it onto the boat for our ride back to the barn.
Their big reservoir has been equipped with some sights, like a pirate ship, sea monsters, a fisherman, and a shark!
Back on dry land, we saw the face-painting table! Alton had never done this before and expressed an interest, so I showed him their poster board full of sample designs, and told him to choose one for them to paint on his face.
He picked the boat, of course!
Alton and his boat!
On our way out to the parking lot, we saw the "caterpillar rides," and Alton flagged down the driver with some ones.
This is a long train of black and orange plastic barrels that have been modified to have seats in them for children, pulled by a tractor. Alton may look stricken in this picture, but he was stoked to ride the caterpillar! He was in total awe of the tractor up front.
And off they go around the vegetable patch!
Heading back up the driveway, waving to Mommy and Daddy.
Waving to the little guy in front of him.
What a fun morning! Time to head over to Daddy's truck and drive home with that gigantic pumpkin I mentioned. Whew! That was close!
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