Trips to the pumpkin patch and the fair...

Good Lord, October has been busy.  I feel like we've had a minimum of three obligations a week, and that's a low estimate.  Things aren't letting up any time soon, but that's pretty much how fall is every year, right?

Alex's little class went to the pumpkin patch at the Agriculture Museum this year.  It was nice to not have to drive way out to the one we usually go to.  He's still young to really appreciate everything--he won't be 2 until December--but he enjoyed himself.  For those of you who haven't been in a long time, they have a HUGE indoor motorized train set.  I mean, MASSIVE.  It's fantastic because there are all kinds of buttons the kids can push to make the trains go, turn on lights in houses, make the cows moo, etc.  He loved that.

Yes, he needed a haircut.  My children always need haircuts. 

Later that week, we took the kids to the fair with MP and Joe.  Have I mentioned how hard it is to get a picture of all of us looking at the camera?  It's practically impossible.  

 It's amazing how much braver Sam has gotten.  He rode several rides by himself--and they weren't necessarily "kiddie" rides.

We were there for awhile, and Alex was great in his stroller...until the last 30 minutes.  The only way to contain him was to either put him on Anthony's shoulders or give him food.  I couldn't get a good pic on my cell phone, so these are pretty blurry.  

Bumper cars

Sliding

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I'm not really a huge fair person, but we had a really good time.  I highly recommend the fried Oreos. Anthony had the fried cookie dough, and while delicious, there's no way anyone could eat it without getting sick.  And that's saying something coming from this family because we know our way around a dessert table.  

Boys...

Alex is busy.  Very busy.

Everyone always talks about how different children can be, and they're totally right.  Just this morning I have taken away markers and crayons, a butter knife (!), and some chapstick that he was smashing into my favorite robe.  He pitched an absolute hissy fit every time.  He is fast, sneaky, and seems to like getting in to anything he can find that's dangerous.  His favorite activity right now is to carry around a step stool and turn lights on and off repeatedly.  He is still climbing everywhere, and he unfortunately bumps his head quite a bit. There's no stopping him.  I'm hoping this doesn't translate into his teenage years, or else we're in trouble.

He is still incredibly affectionate.  I am now rocking him to sleep at nap time just so that I can enjoy his babyhood a little more.  Of course, his sweetness can escalate to a serious temper tantrum in a heartbeat. He's already thrown goldfish at me today. The crackers--not actual fish.

In the past weeks since he's started his little program, his speech has exploded.  He finally gets out of the car without crying, and he's even made a friend.  I feel like that's a ridiculous statement since he's not even two, but apparently, he follows around a little girl named Anna, and constantly calls out her name.  It's pretty cute.

Other words in his vocabulary--

"Sam," "Mama,"" Daddy," 'Mimi," (still working on Grandy) "Papa," "Sissy,"  "uh-oh," "ok," "Aw, Man!," "Awesome!," "thank you," "juice," "outside,"  "ball," "Mine!", and "No!" among others.

Sam as settled into kindergarten nicely, and he is loving his new school.  I'm so thankful the transition has gone so smoothly. He certainly gets the concept of a weekend now, which is funny.  He's always asking when he has his days off.  He finished up soccer season, which we are thankful for--it makes Monday nights awfully hectic.  He is such a big boy now.

Alex hanging out with the soccer boys.  

They love to draw.  On anything.  Rugs, walls, carpets,...

Hanging with Grandy on his birthday. 

First field trip. (To the fire station no less!) 

Last soccer game.