22 Months Old

I know I said I'd post pictures from the Pumpkin Patch, and I looked up and somehow it was Thursday and now I'm finally sitting down to post the pictures. Incidentally, it is also the twins' 22 month birthday- I can't believe that they're 22 months old (just 60 days from the big 0-2).

So, here are some pictures of our cute little zebra and our fierce, growing lion at Trunk or Treat. 

The kids weren't too into the trick or treating part of the evening (they went to one car and got a few pieces of candy, but  that was about it). Harper didn't know what to think about all the kids zooming around, and Jack was too busy dancing to the music to care about the candy. I wish I had a good picture of him dancing, but he was too quick!

After the trick or treat portion, we went over to the pumpkin patch to check out the pumpkins and to meet up with the Sterlings. Jack liked the pumpkins and tried to pick a few up- Harper mostly used the pumpkins as a resting place because both kids really liked the freedom that the pumpkin patch brought. The kids ran all over the place and Tony I spent most of the time following around two little tails in and two little furry heads that bobbed in and out of the haystack maze, around the pumpkins and through the field.

The kids had a great time, capped off by seeing their friends Madeline and Braydon and playing with a cute little puppy. Harper spotted the dog and started doing her "woof woof" noises. Jack marched up to the puppy and said "Hiieee!"- too cute!

So there they are, our little ones that are growing up so fast right before our eyes- Happy 22 Months Jack and Harper, we love you!

A Very Busy Weekend

This weekend was action packed and filled with filled with fun from beginning to end.

We started our weekend off with some Friday night guests; my parents had a wedding to go to in McKinney and they stayed with us after the wedding. The kids got to play with Nana and Pop Friday afternoon, and they were delighted to see Nana and Pop were still here when they got up in the morning. We had gotten a delivery and had a large empty box that proved to be a great play place.

We also took the kids to the park while Nana and Pop were here. Harper and Jack had a great time running all over the place and I think Nana and Pop had a great time chasing after them.

Saturday night was a low key night around our house, especially because Harper decided that she didn't really want to take a nap. She was running on about 45 minutes of sleep, and by 7pm, she was one tired sister. Here'a picture of Harper curled up with her daddy trying to fight off sleep.

Sunday morning Tony, the kids, and I were lucky enough to be able to meet up with my Aunt Becky and Uncle Rex for a late breakfast. The kids haven't seen Becky and Rex since this summer, so it was fun to have breakfast with them. The kids were great- they didn't cry or fuss, they ate a good breakfast, and they even talked to Becky and Rex a little bit. We told them that Harper and Jack were going to be a zebra and a lion for Halloween, so Rex helped Jack with his roar, and Becky drew pictures for Harper while we waited for our food. It was lots of fun, and it was nice to be able to catch up. I forgot to take a picture of the kids with Becky and Rex, but Becky did take a picture of us- a rare shot of our family all at once.

Tony and I also had a treat this afternoon. Our anniversary is coming up, and we did our gifts a little early this year because I surprised Tony with tickets to see his favorite celebrity chef in Dallas. So, Durinda was nice enough to watch the kiddos, and Tony and I went downtown to see Alton Brown. He put on a a great show, and we had a great time. Happy Early Anniversary, Tone!

We also made it home in time tonight to go up to a local church for their "Trunk or Treat" and fall carnival. I was skeptical about the kids making it through, but they had a great time and were so well behaved and funny and super cute in their costumes. But, I'm going to wait until later this week to post the Halloween costume pictures. Here's hoping we have a great week full of restful moments to gear up for another busy weekend next weekend!

Smart Kiddos

Our week has been pretty mild-mannered, nothing exciting to report, but just a few little things that the kids have been doing that make us smile:

Harper:
-Has been telling us when she has a dirty diaper and laying down on the changing pad. I guess maybe potty training is a little closer than I thought.
-Has been doting on her baby doll more lately and will clap her baby doll's hands together to do "patty cake"; she also insisted on taking her baby doll in the stroller with her during a walk this week.
-Now wants me to get books down from the high shelf (these are books that have paper pages that can be ripped) and will follow me around saying "UP, UP!!" and running to her book shelf.
-Is starting to talk to Abby when Abby does things she's not supposed to (like sniffing Harper's high chair tray, digging in the backyard, or trying to climb on the furniture). Harper will wag her finger and say "no, no Abba!"
-Durinda also said this week that Harper told Abby not to dig in the backyard flowerbed and Abby did not listen to her. Durinda said she remarked "Abby isn't listening to us, Harper" and Harper put her hands on her hears. I was astounded to know 1) that Harper knows what listening means 2) she knows that listening is done with her ears...wow.

Jack:
-Has been playing music quite a bit this week with is instrument of choice being his drum. Jack has gotten pretty good at playing the bongo drums and loves to see people playing instruments on TV or videos (like Jimmy Fallon's /The Roots Sesame Street Intro Song)
-Has been waving to everyone and saying "Hiiieeee!" He did this when we went to Costco this weekend, but he also did this when we Skyped with the Slomas, and when he saw the Postman walking up our sidewalk.
-Also likes me to get books off of the top shelf for him to read, but instead of saying "up, up", Jack throws his arms around me like a giant bear hug and says "Hiieee, Hiieee!" As in, "please get the books off of the high shelf."
-Today when I laid down on the floor in the kids' room, Jack came running over and put one hand behind my back and the other on my shoulder and he "helped" me sit up, then he gave me a kiss- like we do when he falls down and needs help back up; it was very sweet.
-I've noticed that when Jack is thinking, he makes noises. For instance, when we're looking at picture books and I ask him to point out certain things, some things he knows right away, but some things he has to search for. While Jack is searching out certain things, he will make "hmmm" noises and you can actually see him thinking- it's amazing to watch those wheels turn and see all the things that he's learned.

Aside from the two smart kiddos that inhabit our house, we also have a cute pooch who spent some time today lounging around with the kids- I snapped this picture of her- she's coming around on liking the kids...I think.

I also served as dinner time entertainment tonight by doing a balancing act- the kids laughed and squealed- it's fun to surprise them and make them smile.

I sure can't beat ending my day with them
.

Playing in the Park

This weekend was gorgeous- the weather was wonderful, the company was great, and the kids were so funny and sweet and I got to snuggle and cuddle and play with them- weekends like this are what makes fall my favorite time of the year.

Friday afternoon Tony and I decided to load the kids up and take them to a park in town; this park has a special area for toddlers and, man, did our toddlers take to this park. We've been to this particular park before, but last time we went, all Harper wanted to do was climb up and down the stairs- this time, things were different. Both Jack and Harper had a great time playing with the sensory board and musical instruments they have built into the park- Jack's favorite were the bongo drums; they also tried out and liked the swings, the tunnel, and the horses they could ride, but their most favorite activity was the slide. Tony was the catcher and I made sure the kids got up the stairs in and orderly fashion- I think they slid about 15 times each! The staircase to get to the slide also has animals painted on it, and Jack and Harper would randomly announce "pig!" or "duck!" as they were walking up to the slide.  They both had such a good time that they didn't want to leave.

After the park, we went to dinner at a Mexican food place. The kids chowed down on tortillas and chicken and rice and beans. We took a couple of cute pictures of them eating- Jack really liked when the waiters sang "Happy Birthday" to some people a few tables over- he clapped for them when they were done.

Saturday morning Tony left to go to a bachelor party and the kids and I got to spend the day together. We were quite productive: we aired up the tires in the stroller and took a walk, we played and read books, Harper helped me clean the bathroom, ate a good lunch (Harper even fed herself a whole carton of yogurt), took a bath (notice the previous comment about yogurt) the kids took a good nap, and we went to Costco- it was a very busy day.  The kids also helped me clean out my gym bag.

Sunday morning we went to breakfast with some of our closest friends who also have two kids- I never thought I'd be asking for a table with 4 adults, two high chairs, a booster seat, and a baby sling- we were a sight, I'm sure. But the kids did a great job and ate their breakfast and fussed very little. Harper discovered that she likes hash browns, and Jack kept himself busy by stealing bacon off of Tony's plate, and helping himself to some butter when we weren't looking- what a mess!

We came home in time round our weekend with some chores around the house, Skype time with Mimi and Papa, and a family walk before watching some Cowboys football. When Tony turned on the game, Jack yelled "Cowboys!" and went to find his football- too cute! It was a great weekend, and I hope we have many more like that in our future.

On a side note, check out these two kiddos who look so big now! When did they get so old? Harper even has long enough hair for a real ponytail now. They are definitely not babies anymore...