Thanksgiving Celebrations

The boys and I spent Thanksgiving and the Friday after with Grandpa Mark and Grandma Dianne. (Daddy went to Ohio with his parents to see his brother's football team play for the last time).

There were "new" toys to play with Grandma and Grandpa's house.

First these cardboard bricks which Clayton insisted on calling "Christmas presents" haha!

Also, my old Little People airplane. Clayton played with this A LOT and would load and unload the people and two bags of luggage. We talked about how Daddy flew on a plane to Ohio, so I think it was more than ever interested in this new item.

We also rolled out cookie dough on Friday morning. The boys really got into it! Although not many cookies were salvageable from this adventure!

Checkin' it out, what's in there?

Oh, yum, cookie dough...

I love Clayton's expression here!

Happy Thanksgiving!

So I'm a day late (and probably a dollar or more short) but Happy Thanksgiving anyway!


Mmmm, whipped cream!!

Lookin' for more! 

Dancing!

Yes, we're listening to Christmas music already :)

Reese at Clayton's Birthday Party

Here are some random pictures of Reese from Clayton's birthday party! :)

After the party - Reese is tuckered out in the Cozy Truck Box

"Daddy what'd you do?"

Reading with Grandpa Mark

And a "GIF" that I made (a picture format that supports animations) out of several photos of my Grandpa Mark swinging Reese upside down! You just have to click the link below to view it:
http://makeagif.com/nJ_R6t

Clayton Jumping off Bed

I just want to say that Mommy wasn't even home when this video was taken... needless to say they need some sort of jumping apparatus for Christmas!

Preschool

For the last two weeks Clayton has been going to preschool on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 to Noon at the High school. There is a class that puts on a program so that the high school student can see what it's like to work with young children first hand. Clayton has been having a blast, I can tell he really loves it! There are 7 preschoolers and 7 high schoolers, plus their teacher, so they are in good hands. 

Before it started I was pretty concerned since he usually cries loudly that he "wanna go hoooooooommmeeeee" whenever we drop him off at Sunday School and when I take him to the childcare for MOPS. But this has never been a problem at preschool. The first day of preschool, the parents stayed the whole time, and then the next day I really made sure to explain to Clayton that I wasn't staying this time, but that I would come back to get him so we could go home and get lunch afterwards, and that must have really helped him. I have to beg for a goodbye; as soon as we get there he's off to play with the toys or play with play dough or even paint with watercolors. Reese is actually the one who struggles with it the most because he wants to stay and do what brother is doing! Reese is getting the hang of it though. Today they walked down the halls to the classroom hand in hand (Mom's trick to prevent them from running off in opposite directions), and Clayton said to him "Reese, wanna go to school?" It was soooo sweet!

Here is one of his first paintings that he brought home (I've been hanging them on our back door). It's really  hard to believe that he already "makes things." Where has the time gone??

This one is a real gem, it's from the 2nd day (so the first day with out their parents) and they apparently were to draw a picture of their family. Clayton's family includes, Mommy, Daddy, Clayton and a...... Monster Truck. LOL! (The stick figure you see, one of the teachers drew to try to show him the idea of what he was supposed to do). Poor Reese, haha.

The last day of preschool is December 10, and they will even have a little graduation ceremony with a song to sing for the parents (and grandparents if they want to come). I'm sure Clayton will have a hard time not being able to go to preschool anymore. We may have to invest in an easel and some water colors... :)

Happy Birthday, Papa!

Today is Papa's birthday! Happy Birthday!

We had fun, but before we went to his little party last night the boys prepared the birthday card. Reese especially really got into it!

Then, here's Reese, just relaxing on Papa's lap.

Today also happens to be the first Middle School Wrestling Meet (Daddy is the head coach). The boys are ready to cheer on those Dukes!

More Fall Leaves

We've sure been enjoying going outside with the fair weather lately and raking up our endless supply of leaves.

Here's some video of a fun pile last weekend:

And here is what jumping in a leaf pile is, Clayton-Style. This was 100% his idea this evening.. . . He just started grabbing armfuls of leaves and throwing them at the bottom of the slide and then he went down the slide to land in the pile. So I helped get a big pile with the rake and they had a blast sliding into it!!

Reese is in there somewhere, look for his blonde head against the slide!

Notice how the pile kept getting bigger and bigger? What a blast!

Truck Mural

Well it's finished! A big THANK YOU to Aunt Amy who put a lot of time and creative energy into this fantastic painting.

Here are some pictures although they don't do it justice. If you're ever in the neighborhood, please stop on by and come to our backyard to see this work of art!

The big picture

Bulldozer, and Amy's signature

The field in the distance

Cement mixer

Dump truck

I just have to say that I love every little detail that she put into this, from the trees, and clouds to the caution cones and the pile of pipe. Thank you so much Amy... What a treasure!

Halloween!

Well the boys sure enjoyed Trick-or-Treating. (Or going "Tricky Treat" as Clayton says, and keeps asking to go do, haha). We zig-zagged east down Harre Ln, then turned the corner to Grandma's house. I asked if they wanted to stay and play at Grandma's for a while or keep trick or treating for more candy... They pretty much just stripped off their costumes and dug into the toys! (Why would we keep going to strangers' houses for candy when Grandma has plenty right here?)

Here are the pics that Grandma took! (For once Mommy forgot her camera).

Clayton is getting ready to take off his eye-patch

Mommy dressed up like a witch! 

Coming down from the sugar high