Thursday, November 05, 2009

Time for an Update

Recently I've had several relatives delicately (cough cough) point out that it's been quite awhile since I've updated this blog. (You know who you are!!) And it's true, my last post was in July, wow! Needless to say, there are a few things to share from the past 3 months.

Let's see... highlights since my last post. Well, the fair came to town in August, always fun! My parents drove over for it, it's kind of a tradition that they go to the fair with the kids now.


This was really the first year that Noah was old enough to know what was going on and get excited about the whole thing.
And he was old enough to ride some of the more adventurous rides...check out the face!
He was especially excited about "driving" the cars... although you wouldn't know it from this photo. :)

And, while there was no making out with any goats this year, Noah was just as thrilled to see all the animals and go into the little petting zoo.
Getting up close and personal with a very calm, sweet, and patient chicken.


The biggest change around here is that our Bree is now a school girl! Yep, started Kindergarten in September.
This was our girl on her first day of school... how cute is that?

Sittin' in the car ready to be dropped off for the first time.

Going to school is a big adjustment for any kid, and it was an especially new thing for both Bree and me since Kindergarten here is a full day. Yep, 8:30 - 3:30 Monday through Friday! But we've all settled into our new routine and Brianna is having a great time at school. She really likes her teacher Mr. Burrel, and is participating in the school's enrichment program. No surprise, the teacher informed me she was recommended because of her advanced "verbal skills." I just smiled when he said that, she's been talking a storm since she learned how and precocious to boot. I told him, "Yeah, once she learned to talk she's just pretty much never stopped." He said, "I noticed!"

Meanwhile in evenings and weekends we've been trying to enjoy the last of the semi-warm weather around here...

Since the high school is within walking distance, we head over there a lot to play around after dinner. This night it was soccer.

oohh...check out the intensity of these soccer rivals!

And here's Niko guarding the goal.
He can't kick the ball, so he's not a very good forward, but he makes a pretty good goalie!

Meanwhile, Noah decided he was much more interested in football.
Here he is practicing his tackling skills.

And at the end of our playtime, there's nothing like lounging around with friends. Actually, we didn't pose this one, Trav was trying to snap a shot of Bree and Niko decided he wanted in on it. He just pressed his cheek up against hers! He's a silly dog, makes us laugh a lot...

...like here when he decided to lick the last few crumbs out of a plastic animal cracker tub.

We've also been enjoying the more "wild" aspects of the outdoors, hiking, campfires and such.
Hey look! A picture where Noah doesn't have his binky in! Still working on getting rid of the plug...

Noah contemplating the mountains from the top of Lost Horse Trail.

An outdoor family "portrait". We love this one, such a typical family photo...everyone looking in different directions, dog having just jumped on a lap and the baby crying.

As usual, along the way Travis also managed to take some pretty spectacular landscape pictures.



Then it was time for costumes, candy and Halloween! Bree wanted to be a witch and Noah decided he would be a spider!
Marching along in the annual main street costume parade.


A little spider getting a treat...

After the parade, it was time to head around the neighborhood for even more tricking and treating.
Noah was really into it, every little bit he would put his arms out in front of him and yell "boo!"

It was super cute! The spider did have kind of a tough time keeping up with the witch though and had to scurry along behind her quite a bit.
Of course, proper trick or treat etiquette is old hat to Bree, but still a work in progress for Noah. They'd both knock, Brianna would say, "Trick or treat!" and Noah would go, "treat!!!" and hold his bag open. He was a very polite spider though and never failed to say "tank you!" at every house, which got him a lot of smiles... well, that and the fact that a spider with a binky is not too very intimidating.

And despite her best mean faced pose, the witch was more cute than terrifying as well. :)

The kids made a haul...so much so that the little spider was having a hard time carrying his load, mostly it just dragged along the ground behind him. Although, he refused any help...2 year old independence you know.

Why did the spider cross the road?
To keep up with the witch!

So that's about the whole enchilada from here. Life goes on as usual and we're busy busy busy with a school girl and an active toddler. Never a dull moment...