Pumpkin Patch (Sort of)

I need to teach them to say something else besides "cheese" when I take their picture.
Playing with the ducks in the water and making his motorcycle noises...because ducks and motorcycles make the same sound, you know.

This is Luke's favorite activity at the pumpkin patch: cranking the pump to make the ducks go.

We were celebrating a friend's 3rd birthday at the pumpkin patch. Luke loves to play with the birthday boy's older brothers. He wanted to spend his whole day in the hay maze and the corn box. If only I could find a way to install a giant box of corn in my play room...just think of the hours of endless entertainment.

Another huge fan of the corn box!

So we never got close to the actual pumpkin patch. By the time the birthday party was finished, it was pouring down rain and the tractor ride to the patch was totally packed. I piled the boys and their pockets full of corn back in the van and headed for the warmth of home.

Lego Mania Continues

Steve has gone to Charlotte to visit his family this weekend. The boys are not at all pleased with his absence. In an effort to distract them and combat the rainy weather, we are knee deep in Legos. This is the latest edition to the family. I think it is Darth Vader's ship. Luke is delighted to have his very own Lego Darth Vader. He insists that his Darth Vader is a good guy. He asked me to post a picture so everyone could see it. There you have it. Now isn't your day complete?

Movin' On Up

Andy has migrated down the hall to his very own ''big boy" room. He is so very excited! I found the whole process to be totally overwhelming to even think about, so I was hesitant to even start. But, I hit the 32nd week of pregnancy yesterday and thought we should probably start making some progress. Steve was a huge help, doing a majority of the moving and lifting, since I'm not supposed to be doing any of that. I can't get over how much stuff we have. Is it all really necessary? We spend so much time managing our stuff, too. How silly.
Andy's toddler bed, dresser and shelf have been sitting in the garage and riding around in the back of the van for a couple of weeks. We decided to put it all together and just "see" what his response might be. This is not a kid you can force into a big move. It definitely has to be his idea. Once he saw the Lightning McQueen blanket and pillowcase, he was totally sold on the whole deal. In fact, we were too tired to finish the project last night and insisted that he wait until today to start sleeping there. He was so stinkin' excited that he just could not take a nap. Tonight took a little longer to fall asleep, but he stays in bed and doesn't mind the dark or having his door closed. I can't expect it to be this simple every night, but I feel so much better having this hurdle behind us. Now I just want to sit down and have a good cry because my "baby" is getting to be such a big boy...and he's about to become a middle child!

Costume Fetish

This started out as your standard game of cowboys versus bad guys, but morphed into something completely different...
Dollar store masks and a light saber make one's day complete

Jedi knights in training

Luke's Halloween costume

I had no idea boys would enjoy dressing up in costumes. I really thought that was a "girl" thing. Apparently I stand corrected. It started out as preparation for Halloween but is quickly becoming a daily activity. Luke negotiates for some play time with dad every night (aka staying up later than usual) so they can play a variety of games, complete with wardrobe adjustments.