Halloween 2009

We had our Halloween Festivities this evening. We started with a potluck with our building neighbors (there are 8 families in our building). We had a GREAT time! As dinner wound down - trick or treating picked up!

Nana & Pawpaw were able to be here for Halloween on their trek back to Indy from Phoenix.

Here are the building kids in their Halloween attire...READY to go!

Nick and his buddy Ian

Daddy & Pawpaw took the boys trick or treating

Looks like we got the hang of it!

Pumpkin Carving

Uncle Dave & Aunt Sally put on a pumpkin carving contest every year for the kids. When we knew we were going to be this close to Ohio, I knew I'd be taking the boys! Daddy had LOTS of school work to catch up on, so he was kind of glad for the quiet.

We were supposed to leave Thursday after Jake got out of preschool, but decided to just hit the road Thursday morning since it was raining. We drove with minimal stopping to Indianapolis where we met up with Nana & Pawpaw for a couple of days.

Saturday we got up and hit the road for Ohio. The boys had a great time and even got to ride on Uncle Dave's Backhoe - I missed the picture opportunity on that.

Jake with his Jack O Lantern

Nick's

The boys and their Jack O Lanterns

Everyone gets a prize! Jake won for "The GREAT Pumpkin" and Nick was "Beastly" They had a great time and we hope we're not in Timbuktu for next year's!

Pumpkin Patch

The first week of October, we went to a Pumpkin Patch with our friends. We had a BLAST and the boys picked out their pumpkins. We got to ride a tractor hayride out to the patch. It was a GORGEOUS day outside and we all had LOTS of fun! We sure will miss our friends when we leave Leavenworth this summer!

Jake posing with some of the HUGE pumpkins!

Nick on the Hunt

Nick checking out the pumpkins

Jake & Olivia

Nick

He's always checking them out - and to think he wasn't walking last year!

Jake on the move

I tried to get a good shot together...but...

The tractor came

Almost...

Not quite...

I think Christmas pictures are going to be tough again this year...oh well! We had fun!

A typical Jake Conversation

Jake is sitting next to me right now dictating what I should pack when I explain he needs to go to bed so I can pack...

me: I need to pack our clothes, diapers, pull-ups...

Jake: and TOYS! Legos and diggers and puzzles.

Me: I don't know about the diggers, Jake

Jake: We need the diggers with Nana & Pawpaw. No legos, okay? Just diggers and puzzles, okay?

Now, really, how DO you argue with that?

Where does time GO?

I can't believe the last time I updated was 27 September. I thought surely, I had done at least the trip to the pumpkin patch.

Let's see...how about a quick (pictureless) recap (with pictures to follow shortly...maybe...)

The boys are doing well! We have a great time with our neighborhood friends and I know we're now spoiled and will expect friends like this where ever we go from here on out!

Nick seems to be having a knowledge explosion. He talks a lot more and identifies lots of things. He'll still give ya a heart attack in the car when he spots some sort of heavy equipment (backhoes, cement trucks and the like) by screaming "WHAT'S THAT WHAT'S THAT WHAT'S THAT???" OR "BACKHOE MOMMA BACKHOE!!!" He's a lot of fun to be around...and he does have a temper - he throws whatever is in his hand. Which reminds me, he's earned the nickname "Chuck" because he's pretty good at throwing. He thinks it's fun. We can't believe he'll be the BIG TWO in two weeks (10/30).

Jake is doing well in preschool. He's been taking soccer. It's "Smart Start" soccer so one of us has to go with him to help him learn the basics. It's been mostly a bonding experience with Daddy - Nick and I go to watch.

Both boys are in swimming lessons for October. Jake is doing GREAT! Nick is doing well too, today he was floating on the noodle all by himself until he realized I wasn't touching it anymore.

They play pretty well together most of the time. We're disappointed to see the warm days of summer disappearing so early in October but are trying not to let it keep us inside too long. We bundle up and go outside. I'm saving the playing in the rain for later...as a last resort! They went outside with friends last night for the first time in several days...all the fresh air was great after we've all been sick!

Stay tuned for pics of the pumpkin patch trip. The boys picked out great pumpkins on our tractor hay ride! We have our Halloween costumes already and are ready for that too!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Love
The Savoie Crew