Pumpkin Patch!

We headed out to the pumpkin patch and had a great time picking out pumpkins! We got one for everyone- even Abbey dog! Keira loved everything about it- the hay rack ride out to the patch, the chickens, the cows, tromping through the mud, feeling every pumpkin and shaking her head “NO” each time daddy asked “how about this one?” Finally, she made her decision! It was a beautiful day and we made it just before the rush of people. This will be one of our yearly family traditions for sure! We sat back to imagine next year at the patch when BOTH kids will be RUNNING around! Quinn had a good time being perched on pumpkins for many photos and both kids were completely exhausted when we got home- success!

We tried on Keira’s chicken costume for Halloween! She thinks she’s a yellow Elmo- we won’t tell!
I ran into a friend at Target who was buying winter gear for her son- bib, coat, boots, gloves, hat- the works! I usually don’t think about winter wear until the first snow- then I rush to the store where I find they already have their spring and summer clothes out and they are “completely out of coats until next season.” This year, I’m prepared! Keira has the bib, coat, boots- everything for stomping through the snow! She absolutely loves her boots and wants to wear them everywhere and all over the house!
What a wild weekend! Time for bed!!!

RICE RICE BABY!!

Quinn had his first try of rice cereal today! Much of it went all over his face, shirt, the floor... but he actually managed to get some down! His first bite was a surprise to him, but by the end he was actually opening his mouth for more! All of the times he has watched his sister eating must have prepared him. He's trying to catch up to her in so many ways. He can almost army crawl, his weight is quickly catching Keira's, and now he's ready for food!

Happy Birthday Great Grandma!

We had an excellent time helping great grandma celebrate her 82nd birthday!


Keira enjoyed exploring grandma's yard- especially the bird bath!






She loves to stomp around in daddy's work boots!

Thanks to ebay, we have finally chosen our Halloween costumes for this year! Hooray! Keira is a chicken and I have two costumes for Quinn- a frog and a pumpkin. Total spent- $18! Love that!! (pictures to follow soon)
I'm also always looking for toy suggestions- I'm cheap and don't want to spend much money on toys- which is why I make most of our toys, but we came across some great ones (these were actually gifts for Keira so even better on the budget!) The "My first words" building blocks with sliding windows is perfect for Keira! They stack, slide, help learn words, and come in a neat box with a strap that can be a pretend purse! They also keep her entertained for more than 5 minutes! The other is a tea set that comes in a clear plastic backpack. Keira loves taking things out, organizing, putting things back in, playing "tea" with Quinn, and wearing the cool backpack around the house. Minutes of fun!!!

All Kinds of Changes!

It’s hard to know where to even begin in telling about all the changes that have taken place in Quinn and Keira over the past 3 weeks! Quinn is rolling over, sitting up with some help, almost crawling, he found his feet, and it’s like in the past few weeks he can REALLY see things! His world has completely opened up and he is loving it! He still loves to see people and will smile and laugh every time someone looks at him- he’s such the little socialite! He is still the super giant wonder baby weighing in at 17.5 pounds- only 10 pounds behind Keira! We are also starting cereal next week! I’m sure that he will catch up to Keira someday and I’ll get comments about my “cute twins.”

Keira is going through a language explosion! She knows so many words and signs! But if she can’t figure out how to say a word, she uses the sound “GAH” -so many things are “GAH” to her. It’s so amazing to see her watching me say words and then her trying so hard to imitate the sounds and mouth movements. Her favorite words these days are Elmo, UP, and Spoon - sounds like “soon” but pretty close! Many times she will talk all day to me and I can understand her words, but she gets performance anxiety around daddy- even though I SWEAR she had said something all day! Many words just mommy can understand! She is actually playing with other kids- and seems very interested in them! And she is finally able to entertain herself somewhat and really enjoys being in her room for some “her time.” She will take out, change, and play CD’s and read her books in her room- and she wants to be all by herself- nice for mommy!!! Now we just need to work on potty training, getting dressed, and using a spoon/fork.