Fall Festival

Ben's school had its Fall Festival on Sunday. The weather was perfect and there was so much to do! The boys had a great time playing games, eating ice cream, painting pottery, and listening to music, but their favorite part was the petting zoo ...

(I assure you we washed Noah's hands before he ate his snack.)

Trick-or-Treat!

We were so glad to have our friends Ava and Eli join us for trick-or-treating last night. Ben definitely remembered what it was all about, and he and Ava waited anxiously for darkness to fall so they could hit the streets in search of treats. Pilot Ben and Tinkerbell AvaDaddy and his little goblins are ready to go! (Noah didn't quite understand why, at bedtime, instead of putting on his pajamas and putting him to bed, we stuck him in a big green frog suit and paraded him up and down the street.)

Noah took a less conventional approach - the sideways dive (we'll have to work on his technique for next year).

Back at home, the eating (and rationing) began. Happy Halloween!

It's Not Easy Bein' Green

Today was our playgroup Halloween party. The kids had a blast dressing up, cracking up, and loading up on sugar! Rrrrribit! Pilot Ben and Froggy Noah all ready for the party. Playgroup Halloween 2008

This extraordinary group of Moms has been meeting since our kiddos were just babes. This was our first Halloween party ... Playgroup Halloween 2005 Playgroup, 2nd Generation

On Sunday we carved pumpkins. When we asked Ben if he wanted his to have a happy face or a scary face, he answered, "A naughty face!" ... he's SO 3.

Scooping out the guts. Noah had to get in on the action.The final "naughty pumpkin."

Daddy and 3 naughty faces. Jack-O-Lanterns!

Our Little Pumpkins

We took our little punkins to the pumpkin patch today. Noah was too little to remember getting them last year, so he was intrigued and had fun exploring. Ben was too busy to be bothered with pictures (I had to bribe him with candy to get him to take the two with Noah), but he had fun picking out some baby ones that he intended to use as gas for his police car - interesting alternative energy source, I do say.

Ben's police car, all filled up with "gas."Since Ben wouldn't let me take any today, here's a picture at the same patch his first Halloween - October 2005.

My Daddy's a Rectangle

Last night after dinner Jess and the boys took some sidewalk chalk down to the park. Jess had Ben lie down so he could outline his body in chalk. Then Ben wanted to outline Daddy. This is what Jess saw when he got up ... In addition to his crime scene drawings, Ben's been practicing writing his name.

Noah's Walking!

It started this weekend with a few steps to Mommy, and Noah has ventured farther and farther each day since. Here's a video of him at bedtime, giggling with anticipation the whole way, teetering toward big brother and then hugging/tackling him!

Ben Plays Soccer ... Sort of

Ben and his playgroup friends had their first soccer game yesterday - The Sharks vs. The Crush. Jess is co-coaching with a couple of other dads. It was beyond cute to see all those munchkins out there with shirts that fell down to their socks. Most of the game was spent convincing the kiddos to get out onto the field, let alone chase after and kick the ball, but it was so much fun! Gathering around for warm-ups.

We'll have to work on that no hands thing.

"1, 2, 3, Go Sharks!"

Despite the inordinate number of adults you see on the field, this is the actual game.

Getting a little coaching from Daddy. Good game!