Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween everyone! We went Trick or Treating last night with some friends in Tosa and then today with some friends in New Berlin. It was so fun! People should hand out candy every weekend! We would even wear our costumes!

With Grandma & Papa

CHEESE!

Riding is way more fun than this trick-or-treating thing!

"Who are these people?" Whoever they are - the saved a seat between them - just for me!"

Trick-or-treating Sunday - 10 kids 4 and under. WHEW!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Dolls???

Oh My Goodness! Are your eyes seeing what mine are??? YES - Alayna Mae played with not 1, but 2 DOLLS tonight! She pushed them around in the stroller, covered them with her blankie, sat them on the little chair. I don't think this makes her a "doll girl" yet - but it's a step in the right direction :) (I guess I should say - she doesn't HAVE to play with dolls....it would just make it a lot easier for her to carry all her bags around if she had a stroller to put them in -ha!)

"See Mommy" :)

Soaked to the Bone

The kids were playing with Daddy, the water was ready for bathtime and the announcement was made "who's ready for bathtime?!?!" Both kids go running to dump the toys in the tub and get undressed. As they are doing that, I'm quickly writing a list of items for Brian to get at the store as he runs out to make two stops. As I write the list, Brian heads to the bathtub to start getting the kids undressed and I hear "Alayna Mae!" pause...followed by one little Miss Alayna bursting into tears and Brian saying "get the camera!"
We're not exactly sure what happened, but I can guess (probably pretty accurately) that she dumped the toys in and started reaching for something and PLOOCH!

Well it scared her pretty good - so hopefully she won't do this again...but it scares me too! Just goes once again to show how quickly something can happen. Water and kids really freaks me out. Granted Brian walked in right after it happened - I'm just glad she was this age when it happened and old and strong enough to know to stand up, etc.

SOOOOO - Watch your kiddos near the tub everyone!

Hockey Skates

Grant's birthday is next week and we thought we would get him some hockey skates and skating lessons. Brian's been talking about getting him on skates for a while as I think he started skating when he was 2. Anyway - we were looking for used skates and found some at Play It Again Sports. We had to go to 2 different stores to find them small enough - but thankfully Brian found them. Grant was pretty excited to put them on. Brian also found Parent-Tot hockey skating lessons at the Pettit. It's a 6 week lesson and starts ON Grant's birthday. I'm sure he will have a blast!

Now - like I said - it's a birthday present so don't tell him what he's getting :) He doesn't get them til next Thursday :)

Boo at the Zoo

Tonight we went to "Boo at the Zoo". We wore our costumes! It was great! There were pumpkins ALL OVER the place and most of them looked like this really cool one in our picture. Some talented artists at the zoo I guess. Alayna's not a big fan of the hood on her costume...Mommy bribed her to put it on for the picture - but she wasn't too happy about it. HOWEVER - she then left it on the rest of the night :)

We went on the train with our friends Keira and Nora. The ride was so cool! In the dark - we saw lots of lights, ghosts, etc

THEN we went through the hay maze!We found a pumpkin with our favorite word on it - so we needed a picture - but it was time to go home...so we weren't too smiley!

See you for trick-or-treating everyone :)

Fall Fun

With the awesome weather last weekend we had a lot of fall fun! First we raked some leaves in the front yard. We only have one tree - so it's really not so bad! I (Grant) raked up the leaves and Alayna tried to pick them up and put them in the bag of the stroller (crazy girl - she's so silly sometimes).

We took a little break for some snacks. Then...back to work!

After Daddy got home - we did more work with him around the front porch

Then after our naps we went to a Pumpkin Farm with our friends from church. It was a lot of fun.

First we took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch

There were a lot to pick from

and these lucky two are the ones we took home :)

smooches

There were some that didn't look too good...they were pretty smooshy!

Alayna thought they made good chairs.

Hayride back to the farm

THEN we did a few fun things like the playground, pumpkin jump house AND carmel apples (Mommy's favorite!)

....AND a carmel apple smoothie - that was MY favorite!

Fall sure has been beautiful this year!

20 Months

Hello Everyone! I'm 20 months old already! I'm up to a lot these days! I'm getting sassier (that's what Mommy says). If I'm naughty I get put in my crib and when mommy comes to get me I always say "sorry mommy" right away. What am I up to?
- 18-24 mos clothes (for the most part- pants are still a bit big, but the 12-18 is running small)
- Size 3 diapers
- Love playing outside
- Still NOT a fan of dolls
- LOVE purses and bags though-
- Favorite toys this month: piggy bank with money, purses & bags, bracelets, puzzles
- I love puzzles, but get easily frustrated (very) when the piece doesn't go in right away (usually b/c I have it upside-down. Mommy says "turn it" but I don't always know what she means)
- I'm in swimming lessons now with mommy or daddy and I also go to music class (Grant comes too)
- I like to sing. I know my ABC's (singing the song) and love to sing Twinkle Twinkle.
- I can count to 10...but since I usually pipe in after mommy's already started counting - I usually skip 1 and start with 2 or 3
- have a "thing" currently for wanting to "ride" in the umbrella stroller. I also like to "ride" on just about anything - trains, horsies (not real), bikes, cars, people, in baskets, etc
- I always ask to watch Barney
- when asked what color something is - everything is blue
- I still use a nukie - BUT - I only use ONE now.
- I have 2 blankies - one's white and one is pink
- not a fan of weather when you have to wear sweatshirts/coats and hats. I have a FIT when I have to put jackets on AND hats.
- Favorite shoes - CROCS - what will I do once it snows?
- can blow my nose
- I only like the vacuum if I can "help"
- I also have started a bit early with the ever-so-popular question - "WHY?" Mommy always says "cuz"...so now I just answer myself. "Why?" "Cuz"...sometimes it's just easier that way :)

That about covers it for me right now I think. I love you all! Thanks for checkin' in!

Family Pics

Here is a peek from our family pictures photo shoot this past Thursday. What beautiful color we are blessed with in the fall!

October 15th

Remembering our Briana Mae on this Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. We miss you and love you very much!

Walk to Remember

Every year, the first weekend in October, there is a Walk to Remember by Milwaukee's Lakefront. This was our 4th year attending the Walk and the weather was GREAT! The walk is to remember those lost through miscarriage, still birth, infant loss, SIDS, etc. We remembered our sweet little Briana Mae. I can't believe this coming Nov 26 she will have been 4 years old. We miss you peanut!

Above is the quilt square my Mom and I made for the walk 4 yrs ago. (the one on the right with the little feet) We know both families who's squares are joined to ours. We shared carrying the quilt for the walk this year with one of the other families.

At the end of the walk we let balloons go up to Briana in heaven. Grant put a kitty in his to send to her as well (yes - imagining things is starting to get big around here).

Here goes the blue & pink swirly one (with the "kitty")

And now the pink princess one.

Potty with Alayna

So....in Sept we got another potty out to set in the kitchen to see how interested Alayna might be. With Grant - we set his potty in the kitchen so it was sorta "in his face" all the time and might increase his curiosity and interest. Anyway - we decided to do the same with Alayna.

She has sat on the potty a number of times - even before this - but we've really had no "successes" so far. A couple "successes" by accident - but anyway...

One day I was going to be working in the kitchen so Alayna was hanging out with me and I asked her if she wanted to go potty. She thought that would be a fun idea - so we stripped her down and she sat. Well she doesn't "sit" very long so I thought - she'd sit longer if she had a snack. Anyway - Alayna's sitting on the potty having her snack (occasionally "pushing" with nothing coming out). I left the kitchen to bring something to Grant in the living room. I'm standing in the living room and I hear Alayna coming behind me. I've reminded myself by this time that I had to get her back to the kitchen floor b/c she was naked. Just then I hear the sounds of tinkling in a cup. Yup - you read that right. I don't know how she did it, but in the EMPTY snack bowl she had in her hand...she pee'd. It was like she was holding it next to her and SOMEHOW the pee ended up in the bowl.

Alayna "pushing"

Well - I turn and see this happening, grab her and run to the potty. By this time she is a bit freaked and wants nothing to do with actually sitting on the potty anymore. Well - I decide to check out the damage to the living room floor. I kid you not - there were not 2 drops of pee on the floor. How crazy is this? Anyway - sorryI had to tell this story here - but I have to make sure I remember it. The picture below prooves my story :) (sorta)

Alayna Counting

When getting changing clothes in Grant's room we like to count to see how long it takes him to run from the bedroom to the bathroom, go potty and come on back. We count loud so he can hear us - apparently Alayna likes this A LOT! :)

All Ready for Church

All ready for church! Hey - the car is this way
C'mon...seriously...we're going to be late!!! :)