Wade is once again making Halloween costumes for the boys. (He is the BEST dad.) Alex wants to be a robot for the third time and Teague wants to be another vehicle. Wade is determined to try to make the costumes lighter and easier to walk sidewalks. We’ll see, but the boys will love them regardless! They always do!
Month: October 2017
Alex has found a buddy that shares a backyard with us. These two spend most afternoons together – and a lot of them outside playing football.
I love this guy.
The most fought over lego in our house is currently the skinny blocks Kaitlyn used to make her tower.
(It used to be flats.)
The boys have been really dedicated (read that as interested in the prizes) to popcorn sales. Today they sold outside the grocery store and did quite well.
The boys were gifted free hockey tickets when they joined Scouts. (There is a new minor league team in Worcester.)
We got to the arena and saw the line for will call tickets. It wrapped around the building and didn’t move after 20 minutes.
We went out for ice cream instead.
Kaitlyn always wants to order ice cream but only eats a few bites. She wants to pick her flavor – meaning pink – and won’t willingly share with me. Sharing with Daddy is another story. Thankfully there is almost always a berry flavor of sorbet and she don’ts realize the difference in sorbet and ice cream yet. Win-win.
My bookworm.
Halloween treats begin.
Me: Kaitlyn did you write with one of Mommy’s pens?
Kaitlyn: No. (With a big innocent smile)
The sweetest captured moment.
Killing time waiting for his swim lesson.
Learning to dive.
I love the light in this YMCA pool. It is the best picture situation we have ever encountered – in four YMCA pools!
(Not to mention they allow photography which a lot of them don’t.)
Not to be outdone by her brothers, Kaitlyn is now working on her Christmas list too.
Alex works hard to earn enough points every two days for a video game or movie.
(Teague is still stockpiling his and has almost 12.)
She loves to play Ring-Around-The-Roses and he’s happy to oblige.
Unfortunately, she doesn’t like this outfit as much as I do.
(My boys still ask me to pick out their clothes and Kaitlyn is already forming her own opinions.)
One of Kaitlyn’s favorite places has always been the grocery store. It shouldn’t surprise me that she plays with this toy all the time. (Leapfrog Count and Scan)
The nightly ball counting.
I love that my kids enjoy Berenstain Bears books. They were some of my favorites when I was a kid.
Dancing on her new bed in her favorite nightgown.
I’m not sure how I was a mother for seven years before I learned about Magnatiles. Everyone loves them.
Alex loves comics – especially Wade’s old ones. Most of the ones that end up in Alex’s possession also end up without covers and missing pages. Wade has a few that stay on his shelf and Alex is only allowed to read sitting in Wade’s chair.
It’s so hard waiting on Ironman to finish his Sonic reading.
I’m a little jealous of the number of bubble baths she has had in my tub. By the time I get everyone in bed at night, I’m too exhausted to enjoy one.
My kids are already getting ready for Christmas. I walked in this afternoon to find them diligently working on their Wish Lists.
(Teague’s on the left and Alex’s on the right.)
The TV stare.
I was walking out the door today after the boys and spied a treat left from Pop. This sign hangs beside our backdoor. I’m guessing he cleverly put the 20s behind the sheet, but the boys slamming the door caused the money to slide down. Tricky Pop.
Goofball.
Reading together.
“Mom let’s read.”
When I asked her what book she wanted me to read, she corrected that she wanted to read to me.
We love meReaders.
Alex is still working on his soap carving. When he finishes, he gets the Scout approval to carry a pocketknife.
Now Teague can do it too!
In my head, I am hearing “Peanut Butter Jelly Time,” but in reality we have a playlist of Disney songs that she requests everyday when we sit down for lunch.
Wade and I have been working with Alex for a while on a few behavior issues. We finally decided the best way to tackle it would be a behavior reward system. We created one that lays out his day and our expectations and then leaves room for earning extra rewards as we need things or observe good behavior. Wade brought this game home from Target so it became known as the ball system. Both boys have a color and need to earn about 15 balls in a day to earn a point. The balls can be earned from things like taking a shower, emptying the dishwasher, doing homework, etc – but only if they are done with a good attitude. (They have to be done regardless of the attitude. The ball is only if done without complaint.) I’ve been offering extra balls for good behavior during errands, taking Madison out on a cold morning, going to get me something from another room, etc. So far both boys seem to really respond well. The checklist we provides helps Teague remember everything we want done and helps Alex plan his day (so that his agenda doesn’t get continually messed up with things he has to do). The boys accrue points and can redeem them for all kinds of things – an outing for ice cream, video games after bedtime, a new bike, a trip to the Statue of Liberty. (The necessary number of points depends on the activity.)
My boys love the idea of skyping with friends and family. Watching them carry on a conversation is sometimes painful. They couldn’t wait to chat with Leah today, but pretty soon Legos were way more interesting than the other person on the video.
(Maybe this is the younger version of two people watching TV together while also on the phone with each other?)
My little helper.
If you know me at all, you know I love pajamas. We pulled out the first matching pajamas of the season. (This is the last year Alex will fit in this brand so I’ll have to start looking somewhere else soon.)
Hitching a ride.
The sweetest ballerina pouting because she didn’t want shoes or a coat, but desperately wanted to walk Teague to the bus stop.
Most nights I feel like it’s almost bedtime before I can catch my breath enough to think about a picture. Thankfully we’ve been having lots of movie/nintendo nights when we should be in bed.
One last picture before Granny and Pop had to say good-bye.