Winter Fun

Oops, remember to tuck in your kid's scarf before they roll a big snowball! I laughed so hard when I saw her do this and Laney laughed with me at first but then said wait! this isn't funny, I'm choking! which made me laugh harder! shame on me.

 

Reindeer food

Every year we mix up a batch of food for Santa's reindeer (equal parts oats, cheerios, marshmallows and peanut butter chips) on Christmas Eve and sprinkle it in the yard near the chimney. This year we tried to teach Brenna how its done but she just thought we were having our snack outside couldn't understand why we were throwing it on the ground. Collin did not get to participate because it was freezing out and the poor kid had a fever the whole week of Christmas.

Halloween

Halloween is one of my favorite nights of the year. The kids are so excited that they can barely wait for the night to arrive. This year Collin found that he could still fit into his Harry Potter Quidditch costume and was happy to wear that again. Delaney adored her fortune teller costume and even practiced reciting a few different fortunes in case anyone asked her to predict theirs but when our neighbor did ask, she got shy and forgot what to say. While we were out trick or treating, Delaney heard someone call her a Pirate Princess and she thought that was pretty awesome. Brenna stayed in the stroller and watched all of the costumed kids running past her on the sidewalk. She was such as good girl and enjoyed the novelty of being out at night in the cold air. She waggled her little hands in front of her often, checking out her new mittens, contemplating how she might remove them.  Toward the end of the night we came upon a house that had decorated their front porch with fake, bloody, severed limbs and decapitated heads. My kids acted so brave going up and reaching into a skull on a platter to retrieve their candy, but later Collin asked "has anyone seen my Nimbus 2000?" After sending the others home and retracing our steps hand in hand with my boy, we found his flying broom on the scary porch with the severed limbs. I think he had been so shocked, he got his candy FAST, dropped his broom and ran. We finished up the night with hot apple cider and too much candy before heading up to bed without brushing our teeth. Can't wait to do it again next year!

Birthday & first day of Frogs

Brenna

nine months

Movie Night

Family movie night is like this.

1. Argue back and forth for 30 minutes with your brother or sister about what movie you are going to watch. (This is a recent development. Collin used to agree to princess movies without any arguement)
2. Finally agree on a gender neutral movie, usually Monsters Inc., How to Train your Dragon, or Bolt
3. Run upstairs and gather up about a third of your stuffed animals. (yes, this is only 1/3)
4. Throw them all Mom and Dad's bed.
5. Turn off all of the lights and close the curtains.
6. Jump in!
7. Enjoy the movie on the BIG TV in the BIG bed.

Looks like Brenna is going to enjoy this one too. :)

Book picnic

We have been having book picnics since we moved into this house when Collin was 10 months old, just a couple of months older than Brenna is now. Usually bring out a huge stack of books and I read aloud. Sometimes there are snacks and fruit smoothies. Sometimes crayons or water colors and paper. This is the best spot in the world on a warm day. Often I find out things that my kids are thinking or feeling that doesn't happen quite the same way when we are in the house.

One day we pretended this quilt that Nana made was a cocoon and I wrapped up these little caterpillars for "two weeks" until they hatched as butterflies and flew around the yard. Another time, the quilt was a horse and they rode around the yard with it between their legs. I laugh every time I think of that one. We've already clocked hundreds of hours on this quilt in yard. One of Collin's favorite things to do is look for animals or things in the clouds as they float by. Sometimes we try to copy bird songs and end up laughing...a lot. I remember lying here last summer, reading "Baby on the Way" by Dr. Sears to my big kids. And now here she is, the baby, learning about book picnics with big brother and sis. Oh what fun you are going to have, little one.