Our Woods

The two main selling points for our house were the neighborhood boat ramp (now we just need a boat) and the woods behind our property. We often take walks with the boys on the many trails in the woods, a few of which lead to the creek and are incredibly beautiful. I love the fact that the boys will have such an amazing place to play and learn about nature. We've spotted raccoons, opossums, deer, and otters (plus two house cats that usually follow us). When the boys go walking with dad, they always bring me wonderful treasures--hickery nuts, leaves, sticks, acorns, and pinecones. Recently we began going for "flashlight walks" at night. We usually don't go far, but the boys love it.

A few weeks ago, we learned that the property owners (who, by the way, are OK with the neighborhood's use of the woods) made part of the woods conservation land and will never develop it. That is definitely something our family is thankful for this holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving with Mirmans. When talking about what we were thankful for, Cole said he's thankful for being busy. We imagined Jay was thankful that with the 18 pound turkey, there would finally be enough food for him to eat his fill. (He now weighs 31 pounds; Cole weighs 34.5.) The boys loved to play with Pop Pop who had many of the same moves as Daddy. The week went by much too quickly.

Halloween!

About two weeks into October, Cole started asking, "Can we go to the neighbors' houses and get candy." He didn't see why we could only do that one day a year. When he realized he was going to have to wait until Halloween, he asked a few times each day, "How much longer until we get candy?"

When the big day finally arrived, he and Jay were ready. Their costumes looked great. Cole loved his astronaut suit and Jay was adorable in his baseball player outfit. He even kept the cap on all night (once I turned it around--he didn't like the bill in front). Cole didn't wear his helmet at all once we started, so Rob got to carry it.

Rob and I figured we go to a few houses on our street, then head home to pass out candy. The boys had other ideas. They were like energizer bunnies, running from one house to the next. Our neighborhood decorates and there were orange lights, blow-up ghosts and pumpkins, and skeletons to draw the boys farther and farther from home with us tagging along. Finally, about halfway around the loop we took, they ran out of steam and wanted us to carry them. So I got a chance to work off all the candy I'd been sneaking.

By the time we got home, Jay was a gooey, sticky mess. The first house gave them lollipops (by far the most popular treat with them) and they ate them the whole way around the neighborhood. We also learned that Jay loves Twix bars and that chocolate drool stains. Unfortunately the pictures don't show the true extent of the mess on his face. This one, with his mouth full of Twix, came the closest.

Cole becomes a big goofball when loaded with sugar. He wouldn't sit still for a picture once we got home.

Luckily, they aren't all that interested in the candy after that night. For a few days Cole asked about it first thing in the morning. I always said he had to wait until after lunch to eat it. By then he'd forget most of the time. When I did allow him to eat some, he'd try a bite or two and that was enough. He definitely did not get my sweet tooth.

Pumpkin Carving

Of course, after picking the pumpkins, we needed to carve them. Cole was very excited until I explained that we had to remove the guts inside--he decided that was a "grown-up job." I started to save the seed to roast, but Jay decided it was more fun to fling them around the kitchen. Once I got the basic eyes, nose, and smile carved, Cole added his own touches, like nostils

Pumpkin Picking at Boone Hall Plantation

Pumpkin picking this year was a lot of fun. Boone Hall really does it up with jump castles; a maze; hayrides through a haunted forest; dirt and hay piles to climb; goats and rabbits to feed; and U-pick pumpkins. The boys enjoyed it all. It was a gorgeous day after a week of rain and they were thrilled to be outside and run around. Jay especially loved the mud puddles and managed to jump in almost all of them.



At the Rabbit Cage
Not Quite Strong Enough
Which One Do We Want?
100% All Boy