Pics

Cleaning off the camera so it is empty for all the new shots to come during travels and visits. Get your smiles ready! Check out the last ones we've taken. There is Luke doing his dinosaur roar and showing off his penguin, Sammy intensely playing with her blocks, a Luke and Sammy hug (Can you tell that Luke is just waiting to throw her over?...We have to take shots like this fast and then separate them quick to get her safely out of such a vulnerable position.), and a "just waking up" shot on our bed.

Pics

In Hurst news...last weekend was SeaWorld. We didn't know that it was Sesame Street Christmas! Every show had sesame street interweaved and then there was an all Sesame Street show...everybody was there (except Oscar). Luke loved it, of course. Sammy and I played in the dirt just outside the theatre for most of the shows because she is not into being restrained for any reason, not even Elmo and Abby do the trick, much less large killer whales trained to spin small people around in the air (I mean, really, is it THAT impressive? She thinks not.).

Then last week was also Luke's first ever school production. They dressed as scarecrows, note the scarecrow hat and sang a song. We couldn't understand a single word, but I'm sure it was very cute. He was cute. He didn't realize we were there until after the show, which was funny...he was thrilled. That was our real thanksgiving treat this year. The actual day was uneventful. We ate out instead of adding cooking to the list of things to stress about mid-move and major life change. It was stressful anyway, remember, we have a 2 and a half year old. Afterwards we hit the duck park and feed them all the cheerios I could round up from random snack bags in the van.

Then, today was family picture day. We requested pics of long, lean adults and really cute kids. We got half the order. The kiddos did so good they were rewarded with yet another picnic in the park, which served us well for nap time. They slept almost completely through the AL game! Perfect timing...I'm sure Saban arranged the timing just for us. And...to top it off tomorrow we are off to Elmo Live. Wish me luck. It is Daddy/Sammy date day and Mommy/Luke date day. So, I'm the lucky one who gets to sit through Elmo Live. I'm sure Luke will make it all worth it...he doesn't know yet. When we geeked him up about Walking with the Dinosaurs he didn't take a nap for like 2 days, so this time we are just referring to it as a "surprise" until game day. Pics will be posted, of course...stay tuned. Sammy on the other hand probably gets her three hundredth tour of Bass Pro Shop if I had to guess.

As for firsts...Luke got his first cowboy boots. He put on a pair of Sammy's black patent, leopard fur trimmed boots (which she can't wear yet) and would not take them off. He asked to sleep in them. So, Dad vowed he needed boy boots as soon as possible. So, he has cowboy boots that he wears with everything, PJs, shorts, a diaper, just whatever. He asked the salesman where his horse was, after all he did have a cowboy hat, boots, and a big buckle, so it was a logical question. The following day, Sunday, at church all I heard in the nursery, coming from the other side, was "I have new boots. Wanna touch them?"

Sammy is a proficient "hi" and "bye" waver now (and still the best hugger around). She proceeded to "hi" everyone at the park, super friendly. Then, she also can take direction quite well all of a sudden. She is keenly aware of what "snack" and "eat" mean. She keeps the shoes straightened. As I try to get every one's shoes on she puts them away. So in one session I have to go back to the shoe bin to retrieve the shoes several times unless you can get them all on everyone very quickly. Oh, and she talks on the phone, not when someone is actually talking to her, but when she plays with her phone. They both think they have real phones. They have our old phones that we charge up just like ours, so she will walk around having a conversation that consists of lots of "hi"s. Very cute. They are very cute, which is sometimes the only thing that saves them.

Halloween Festival at Giant Steps

This was the Fall Festival at Luke's little school last night. The picture taking was not lopsided, but the action was. Luke was cautious and ready to pose at any minute, while Sammy was non-stop and completely opposed to looking at the camera...thus the many, many pics of Luke alone. In most instances, Sammy had just darted out of the frame. It's a chore at best to catch them both at the same time or in Sammy's case at all. Anyway...Luke is hugging on Ms. Rojas and Ms. Klunder in a few shots -- those are his teachers, with Ms. Rojas being the lead and Ms. Klunder is the aide. When we got home he got to have a sucker for the very first time. It was a big tootsie roll one and it took forever! He literally sat in his chair and worked on it for 45 minutes. At last we had to store it for the night so we could get them in the bed. Sammy had a knack for getting her a few things too. While Luke was nicely trick or treating and being handed the candy and toys, Sammy would sneak around behind, and go straight for the backup stash. We have a handful of kaleidoscopes acquired in this fashion. Lots of fun...looking forward to rounding the block tonight. Luke says he wants "a bunch a candy."

It Ain't What It Used to Be

Gone are the days of cute shots of the kids. They won't be still long enough to get the good smiles anymore and getting them both happy and looking at you at the same time is impossible. So, here is the best we could do at the Love Creek Orchard this past weekend. Well, on second glance, they are still cute, even while in motion.

Escape to the Zoo

Last Saturday we made a trip to the zoo...it was the tail end of Luke's sick week and the just before Sam's sick week(s) -- now she has an ear infection we are trying to get rid off. We were all getting cabin fever, so off we went. Here are some shots of them at the zoo...no animal pics, as we have enough of the wild right here at home! I think the stroller one is funny, because the warthogs that Sammy was watching were a hoot. They were playing around and having a good time, everyone was glued...except Luke who noticed someone had a camera out. He can't resist the camera. Then the one with them in the PJs was that evening...I labeled it "pooped" for obvious reasons.

Steps

No action shots yet...but they are forthcoming...

Sammy takes steps -- First one on Saturday, 5 Sep! So far her longest stretch was 9 steps, with two witnesses to confirm (My mom counted and James applauded). In fact, she applauds herself on occasion mid-stride. Any day now...

Piano, Tent, Bear and School

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What's new? Pianos and princess tents. School and a security bear.

James bought the kids a piano...he thinks they are musically inclined at age 2 and 1. Don't ask. Then he bought Sammy a princess, pink, castle tent because she needs one if Luke has one. I thought the one tent we had that takes up a good portion of the game room was for both of them...apparently there was some miscommunication there.

In real news, Luke started school this week. He isn't sure why he can't ride the bus yet, and I'm not about to tell him he isn't really a big boy yet. When asked at gym last week what his name was (they go around the room and ask all the kids their names and their parents' names) he responded "Big Boy". He goes to school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and loves it. Note his advanced cutting skills in the pic above -- it's still a favorite past time. So far, he's gotten only smiley face stickers...I wonder if they make frowning faces. The down side is that the potty training by observation isn't working. He wears pull-ups at school and even pees in the potty on occasion. At home though he refuses to wear pull-ups, demands diapers, and doesn't hesitate to turn down any offer to potty in the big boy potty. He responds, "No mommy, Big Boy wears diapers."

Besides that Sammy is standing on occasion. Just from sitting down, she'll stand right up for a minute. No forward motion yet though. Walking will come soon enough I am afraid though. "Uh-oh" is still the favorite expression and the dramatic-two-hands-to-the-side-of-her-face "Oh-No" is her trick of choice. Very cute and very feisty. Luke has another thing coming when she gets confident on her feet. Also, she has determined her security object of choice, a pink teddy bear that her dad got her when she was still in the NICU. She loves it...took it everywhere the first day she decided to crown it "the one". Now she sleeps with it too. She has a death grip on it with one hand most of the night. It is all pink (see pic) and super girly, so despite my predictions that we have a tough little tom-girl on our hands, there may be a girly-girl down deep inside somewhere...TBD.

Pics, Pics, and More Pics

Laughing. She isn't as easy to make laugh as Luke was...you really have to work at it. Tickling does the trick here!

Unfolding the clothes...her favorite past time. You can tell from the look on her face that she knows she is caught red-handed. This is just before she drops and crawls away like a mad woman to avoid being picked up and moved against her will.

With Pops who was just here for a visit week before last. I think he likes her.

Pretty, happy baby. She particularly likes living on the wild side. Throw her around, let her jump from tall structures...she's down for anything risky.

You can't get away with taking pictures for long or she moves in for the grab.

Watching Madagascar with Dad. He likes movies for about 20 minutes and then he starts roaming, but with Madagascar there is a return to the big screen when "Move it, move it" starts.

My mommy wears combat boots, when she can get them away from me.

With Pops and Dad. This was all day PJ day...it was "PJs and Pancakes" at church this Sunday so he got to lounge all day long.

And...he's happy about it. Note the bag he's holding...another kid pleaser, along with boxes, wrapping paper, and anything else that belongs in the trash.

Mr. Fix It who never fixes anything. He has a hat in each toy rotation. This week was construction hat, next week is cowboy hat week.

Nothing major in news. My dad was here a few weeks ago for a quick visit, so we enjoyed that. We have since been doing the usual SeaWorld on the weekends. Luke really doesn't like the water park. He's a little scared of such things, so we basically sit in the foot of water at the edge of the wave pool and watch Sam risk her life trying to escape into the wave pool. They are total opposites right now. It doesn't bother her at all to have her face in the water and to keep going, but Luke just wants to sit with you...no exploring right now. He's more interested in the shows and animals. So we get soaking wet to stay cool before going to a show. It works for everyone.

The funniest thing for the week was Luke's checking of Sam's diaper the other day. I'd just taken her clothes off because they were messy. So in the interim before she got re-dressed she pooped. Luke proceeded to walk over to her, pull the back of her diaper wide so he could look in and pronounce "Shoo-wee, Stinky Pants". I was hoping he'd also take the initiative to change it, but no such luck. The scariest moment of the week was Sam falling down the stairs. I forgot to put the gate up so up she went. I didn't know until she fell back down (like 2 steps). And in typical Sam fashion she cried only because she was mad that I picked her up and put the gate up...not hurt, just mad. She's going to be a handful!