Off Track Activities

Spencer has been out of school all month, so we've been having some fun. A lot of kids get bored while they're out for so long, but we didn't have any trouble with that! It will be a little sad without him here now.

This is my favorite thing to do...reading stories. We used to fit in the big chair by the window, but now we fill up the couch! (Try to avert your eyes from the blinding, white legs!)

A man and his phone can never be parted. This is something Spencer has noticed quickly. Text, text, text.... It won't be long before he's not just pretending.

I put the boys in swimming lessons. Neither of them is fond of the water, but I insist they become good swimmers if only to redeem myself for not knowing how. Spencer is getting pretty good at propelling himself through the water now.

Carson is still reluctant to go under, though he does it if someone makes him. We'll just keep repeating the class until it feels more natural to him.

The water isn't really warm, and the cool fall weather doesn't make it easy to stop shivering, either!

I told them that if they both tried their best at swimming, we could have an "Upside Down" party at the end of the week. We ate "Upside Down Pizza" for dinner and "Upside Down Cake" for dessert (under the table, instead of on top). Then we played "Old Maid" with our cards upside down. Carson and I were on a team together. He needs to work on his poker face. When we had the Old Maid, he kept shouting to Spencer, "Pick this one! Pick this one!"

We also visited my cousin, who is a police officer in a nearby town. He gave us a private tour of the station and let the boys sit in the car and check out all the lights and stuff. Carson thought the handcuffs were the best part. He wants to be a policeman now.

Carson is also very worried about who he will marry. I have no idea where this concern stems from, but he has mentioned it twice now. I've reassured him that he has plenty of time to figure it out, and that he probably hasn't even met the girl he will marry yet. First things first.... We just gotta get to Kindergarten right now!

One night Spencer was a disaster on wheels. He tried to pour himself a cup of Sunny Delight, and of course it ended in (what seemed like) half a gallon of stickiness all over the counter, floor, etc. I grabbed paper towels and was mopping up the mess, when he decided to take advantage of Carson's squeamish nature by pretending to eat the paper towels. Carson can't stand it when people chew gum or eat something non-edible, so he started to gag and cough. I warned Spencer, "You're going to make him throw up, and if he does, YOU'RE going to clean it up!!" Sure enough, I had to make good on my threat. Spencer wasn't too thrilled about the job. Hopefully he will think twice before teasing his brother again!

Tiny Hands

My babies are growing so fast! I wish I could slow things down a bit because I'm afraid I'll forget too much. I hope that in the next life the Lord lets me relive some of my favorite moments, like rocking my babies and lying on the bed and giggling with my boys.

This is my attempt to capture the cuteness of Parker's little baby hand. If only there was a way to preserve the softness and the pudgy feel of it. Baby hands and feet are the cutest!

Look who's sitting like a big boy! He likes to be on the same level as his brothers and feel like he's part of the fun.

And this is what they do to him when he's being "part of the fun!" Yes, that is a pretend skunk hat, and he doesn't know how to get it off, so he's stuck there looking silly!

Poor Parker, he doesn't have a chance with these two characters!

Mmm! First taste of rice cereal! He still doesn't like it very much, and he makes rotten faces and bawls through most of the meal.

Getting better at tummy time! It helps when there's a cute little friend in the mirror who keeps smiling at him.

He recently discovered his feet! Now he's always leaning over to examine his toes. He had no idea those interesting things were connected to him!

Halloween

Halloween is here again! It's lots of fun, but I'm always a little glad when it's over. Anybody need a huge bag of extra candy? I bought waaaay too much this year!

Spencer's school doesn't do costumes, but they had Crazy Hair Day on Friday.

Two proud pumpkins with their jack-o-lantern (carved by Daddy).

Buzz Lightyear and Mr. Ghost, ready for trick-or-treating

And here's a cute little fuzzy monster! He giggled as I put his costume on. He also giggled for everyone we visited, even though he was totally exhausted!

Dakota was supposed to be a bat, but her costume was intended for a dog with upright ears, so it didn't stay on her head very well. She wasn't really excited to dress up. She WAS excited to greet all the trick-or-treaters, but we thought it best to keep things low key, so she stayed downstairs.

Redneck

Spencer has become quite adept at imitating accents. Since watching the new Cars movie, he has a very authentic Italian accent. He can also do British and a good hillbilly/redneck. Today at lunch he was singing his own version of "Old McDonald":

"Old McDaddy had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

And on that farm he had a wife, E-I-E-I-O

With a scold, scold here and a scold, scold there

Here a scold, there a scold, everywhere a scold, scold

Old McDaddy had a farm, E-I-E-I-O!"

(I'm not really THAT bad, am I???)

One day he was messing around with grocery sacks and invented the new redneck tank top. Watch out Larry the Cable Guy...your job is in jeopardy!

Doggy Fun

In case you wondered... yes, we are still enjoying all the added chaos that Dakota brings to our already crazy life. This is a sampling of what we do when we "take her out." (Well, I don't have pictures of her wild attempts to bolt across the street and chase a cat or a bicyclist or any other unsuspecting life form.)

We go to the field at the bottom of the street and play frisbee. It's fun to make her sit and wait politely until we give her the okay to run out in the grass. Her whole body is alert and almost trembling with anticipation. I took this picture after an exhilarating 15 minutes or so of "fetch" with the frisbee. You can see she's happy as a clam and I'm sure her heart is pounding from the exertion.

I tried and tried to get a good shot of her in midair, but this was all I came up with. She really is amazing. She jumps way high and she's a great catch! (I think it's cute how her ears fly out like Dumbo....)

Then we walk home the long way around the block. Andy puts this long leash on her so he can grab her if she tries to escape. She's much better behaved for him than she is for me. She is such a creature of habit. If I try to vary the route we walk together, she gets all flustered and anxious.

Just a couple quick funnies from the boys:

Spencer was playing with Parker this morning (in close proximity) and Parker sneezed. Of course, babies don't try to cover their mouths, and Spencer complained, "Ewwww! Parker just got baby sneezelets all over me!"

Spencer is the oldest brother, and as such, sometimes becomes a tease. He had some object in his mouth because he knows Carson will gag. His effort was successful, and Carson said, "Spencer! You're deesgusting me out!"

Just Everyday Stuff

Carson's first day of preschool! He loves it and has opened up a lot. He will sometimes sing for us and is quite chatty about his activities. He has made a new friend and is suddenly very interested in learning about letters, sounds, and spelling. The first word he learned to spell was "stop." He still spells it for me each time we see a stop sign.

Showing off a Lego car. I don't know if building stuff with Legos is considered a talent, but he is pretty adept. It's always very symmetrical and sometimes even cool-looking!

I always think it's funny when they hold a great big viewmaster in front of a cute little face. Maybe it's the somber look of concentration, too.

Look, it's Huckleberry Finn! No wait...this is what happens when Dad gets your clothes out. It's an 8-year-old wearing size 4T pants! (Note, however, that they fit just fine in the waist. Spencer needs to eat straight lard for a while to beef up.)

Crazy kid.... I don't know what this was all about. It's another one of those things that happened when I wasn't home. I find it's best not to ask....

Cub Scout!

Yes, my firstborn has entered the world of Scouting. If only I were as enamored about it as he is. Actually, Cub Scouts learn some pretty useful things. It's good to have a program to make sure they learn it, rather than hope we've covered everything when he leaves home. Meanwhile, he is VERY excited!

Here he is, in his stiff new uniform on his first day.

This picture will make me cry buckets when he's grown up.

He has already earned his Bobcat, which is basically the introduction to Scouting. On his very first day, he started asking me if he had earned any patches yet. It didn't take long! I'm pinning his patch on while he's upside down, then he has to do a good deed to get it turned right side up.

Poor kid, he was almost purple by the time everyone was finished taking pictures and making comments!

Yesterday I overheard the boys talking and Spencer said in his most mature voice, "Carson, when I was little, there wasn't even a Cars movie!" (It's a wonder there was television waaaaaay back then!)

Spencer still struggles sometimes because Carson gets to play outside in the afternoon, but he has to do his homework. I told him the rule is that we work before we play. He said, "I'll give you twenty bucks if you change the rules." I declined, pointing out that he didn't have twenty bucks. "I'll get some!" he offered. Nope, not negotiable. I pray he will not go into politics.

Lastly, I discovered today that he trimmed his eyelashes. We always talk about how long and beautiful they are, and apparently he was worried that he looked like a girl. So he took it upon himself to appear more masculine. I'm just glad he didn't poke his eyes out. Hide the scissors!