Preschool PowWow

I think one of my absolute favorite things the 4 year old classes at preschool do is their PowWow. They spend a lot of time learning about Thanksgiving and making Thanksgiving crafts. They make a shirt with their "Native American name" on it and a headdress that has a story written in pictures (with the picture translation on the inside). They also make an adorable handprint placemat. At Ellie's PowWow this year they had chicken nuggets, cornbread, and pumpkin pie. Ellie has been so excited for the PowWow that was on Tuesday and Monday after school it was all she talked about. Fortunately it lived up to all of her expectations!
The shirt they make is one of my favorite crafts they do all year. Ellie's Native American name is "Swings with Stars" which if you know Ellie is the PERFECT name for her...she LOVES to swing!

22 Months

**So I did most of this post a month ago and thought I'd published it...realized a few days ago that I hadn't...oops!**

I am 22 months!

• I wear a size 24mo or 2t clothing. Sometimes I can wear 18 mo pants depending on how the size runs. I wear a size 4 diaper but am going to size 5 as soon as we finish the 4s. I wear a size 5 or 6 shoe.
• I'm super opinionated about pretty much everything.
• I can buckle the top of my seatbelt all by myself!
• I am pretty agreeable about all the car riding I do although I do like to sit in my seat and yell "Mommy!" over and over and over.
• This month I went to Boo at the Zoo! I was the cutest little sheep.

• This month we had severe flooding in Columbia and fortunately our house was not affected but we did have to boil our water for about a week. I was pretty oblivious to the whole thing.
• This month my Uncle Ben came from Delaware to visit and I got to meet his girlfriend, Ruth. I think it's so cool that we have the same name and I loved getting to hang out with Ben and Ruth. Uncle Ben was very willing to push me on the swings which I loved!

• I have adjusted amazingly well to the addition of my new brother. He is like my own personal baby doll! Overall I am very gentle with him and don't seem to be at all jealous of him. I try to always make sure he has his pacifier and blanket nearby and I think it's important to accessorize him.

• I have learned the way to Franklin's heart...food! He can often be found beside me at the table where I will slip him bites of food. In exchange for giving him food I expect him to let me chase his tail. He generally obliges.

• Overall I am very good natured and happy.

• I want to do everything my sisters do! I follow them around and love being in the middle of whatever they're playing and they're generally very willing to let me!

Emmie at 22 months.

Ellie at 22 months.

Baby Smiles

We've been getting some pretty great smiles from JP over the last week or so. The best time to catch his smiles is always right after he's eaten...this little guy loves to eat! I've been trying to capture a smile and was finally successful.
Today I got a great big smile!

A few days ago I got some little ones on video...and then he spit up so we see why he was smiling!


Love this little guy!

Clap Your Hands

Ruthie is really into action books right now and her current favorite is a book from the library called Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley . We read it almost every night and tonight I thought I'd get a video of her doing the movements. We've read the book so much that she knows the motions that are coming a few pages ahead! I just love how excited she gets about this book!



Also, don't you love those curls!!

Happy Halloween!

Our Halloween festivities started Friday with Ellie's Halloween party at school. I wasn't signed up to help but Ellie had been asking me all week if I was going to be there and I kept telling her no. Finally it dawned on me that she might want me there. I asked her Friday morning on the way to school (when she once again asked me if I was going to be there) if it was important to her for me to be there. She thought about it for a long time and said she would be ok if I wasn't there...I took that as her really wanting me there. Ellie doesn't ask for too much in life so after I dropped her off I ran home, fed JP, put Ruthie's costume on her, threw a snack and a cupcake in the diaper bag for Ruthie in case the ones at school had peanut butter ingredients, and headed back to preschool. Ellie was so excited when I got there and I'm so glad that I got to go. Ruthie of course had a great time getting to trick or treat with the big kids and join in all their festivities. Sometimes there are big advantages to being the little sister! I so wish I had gotten some pictures but in my rush to get out the door I forgot my camera. Suffice to say we had lots of fun!
On Halloween we went to a friend's neighborhood to trick or treat (but not before leaving some non-food treats on the front porch with our teal pumpkin). The kids were so excited to go to Ellie and Lexi's house and another family who's child was in preschool with Emmie was there as well. I love that we've been able to keep up with our sweet preschool friends even though our kids are all at different schools!

BFFs...Emmie and Ellie

We ate dinner, fed the two babies who needed to be fed (JP and David are about 3 weeks apart), put costumes on the kiddos, and then headed out! The kids had a blast and got a bucket full of candy. Emmie asked at every.single.house. if their candy had pb in it, no matter how many times I told her it was ok and we would sort it out later. She was very concerned.

JP in his pumpkin costume! He's clearly giving Paul a "save me" look! Fortunately for JP he only had to wear the pumpkin long enough to have his picture taken.

I wore this my first Halloween as did my brother and Ellie!

After we finished trick or treating we went back to Ellie and Lexi's house and the kids played, the men watched football, and us moms got to catch up! I am so thankful for these sweet friends who are in the same stage of life as we are!

Love these kids! (and we're glad that we've finally added some more boys to the group so poor John won't be quite so outnumbered in the future!)

trick or treating fun! (Ashley's little bump is another BOY for our group...all these girls and then 3 boys in a row!)

The kiddos were sooo ready to go to bed when we got home (after Ellie and Emmie ate a whole other meal...apparently trick or treating is hard work!) and we were all glad for the extra hour we got last night!

JP and David