Happy Halloween

Here's a couple pics from Austen's Halloween program at school.  He dressed up as Captain America and he was really excited because he got to say a poem (that he memorized) into a microphone in front of the whole audience.  He kept trying to convince me that he was nervous because he's a little shy (ya right), but I wasn't falling for it and when it came time to do it he was awesome!

The kids got to play games and decorate pumpkins afterwards.

Pumpkin Carving

Austen had been waiting for this day for a whole year!

A day when using knives is actually allowed.

I'm happy to say that my amazing husband has carried on the tradition of murdering the pumpkins (screaming really loud with every stab of the knife).  Austen was not impressed though, he just wanted to get carving and he kept telling Brian "Dad, they're just pumpkins, they're not really alive".  Oh well, maybe Archer will be impressed by it in a few years.

I let Austen carve his own pumpkin and he was allowed to use whatever carving tools he wanted.  I was prepared to end up in the emergency room with him, but he didn't even hurt himself let alone need any stitches.

Brian takes this all very seriously.

Our finished pumpkin family.

Pumpkin Patch

I'm doing a barrage of posts to try and get caught up.

On Saturday we visited the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins to carve.  Austen told me he wanted to get the biggest one there, so I told him he could only get one that he could get into the wheelbarrow himself.  I figured that would save us from buying a $10.00 pumpkin since they charge by weight.

I think he was more into the corn rows and the tractor than the actual pumpkin picking.

But when it came time to pick one he was all business.  He ran all over that patch and was filling up the wheelbarrow as fast as he could.  Brian would take them out when Austen would run off to find another.  Here he is dragging a big one over....it took a lot of effort and this one ended up being Brian's because Austen finally settled on a small white one.

 I had to get some pics of Archer in the patch.

 He was fascinated by the dirt.

Surprise, surprise....Austen found something to climb.

This is the best pic I could get of the two of them together....there was too many distractions.

Here's Brian on the phone while I tried to wrangle both kids, the camera, and pick pumpkins.  I guess he's not perfect after all.

(He did get off the phone after I got mad at him and told him we were making memories for the kids.)

Cornbelly's

Every October there is this cute outdoor activity place that they put up in a giant field called Cornbelly's.  Every year I want to go, but we never end up doing it.  This year we finally went and I have to say that it was so much fun!  There is a lot to do there, so much that we weren't able to get to it all before we got too cold and had to leave.  We will definitely be going again next year.

Isn't he so cute all bundled up?

This automated puppet show was so cute.  Austen loved it!

He sat and watched for a while and then he got up really close to try and figure out how it all worked.

It's Fall

That means time to play in the leaves!

For some reason, I'm really loving fall this year.  I usually hate it because I know it's a precursor to a long cold winter, but this year I'm trying to embrace it and not dread what's coming next.  Plus, the weather has been amazing this year and I think that helps.  The leaves have been so pretty and they have stayed around for a long time.  The other day on our walk I took Archer out of his stroller, made Austen get off his bike, and had an impromptu photo shoot.  It was actually fun and Austen's only complaint was that he was too hot!

Brothers are the best!  I never knew that their bond would be instant, but these two boys have a bond and a love like I've never seen before.  It's been so fun to watch them together!

Austen had to throw the leaves of course.

And Archer had to try and put them in his mouth.  Yum!

I love this tree.....aren't the colors so beautiful?!?

 

Another Comparison Post

I KNOW my kids are two different people, but for some reason I just LOVE to put Archer in an Austen outfit and take pictures to compare.

Archer 6 months

Austen 9 months

(Those grey pants Austen is wearing don't even come close to fitting Archer....they are way too tight!)

I've drawn some conclusions.....

1: Archer is really fat!

2: Austen had  a really big head!

3: My new camera is AMAZING!

and

4: Maybe they DO look a little bit a like

It's Time For Some Solids

I figured at six and a half months old, it was time to try some solids for little Archer.  I have been dreading this moment because eating makes him seem too old.  I put it off for as long as I could, but we finally tried some rice cereal a couple of weeks ago.

He was so happy to be sitting up in his high chair.

 Then we mixed the rice with Mommy's milk

 And tried the first bite.  He had no idea what to do with it once it was in his mouth, but he finally swallowed it.....

 and HATED it!

 He was not a fan.

 He still wasn't a fan when I tried again the next day.  I love these next pics because his face gets progressively worse with each bite.

He is doing better with his rice cereal, but he doesn't love it.  I give it to him before bed and he'll eat some, but he spits a lot out and he definitely doesn't get excited for it.  It's so different from Austen, when he first tried food he LOVED it.

These Guys

My kiddos are growing up so fast!

My Archer is pretty much the best thing ever!  He makes me want two more babies just like him.

He waves and claps and sits up by himself.  He is still the happiest kid I've ever seen.  He loves to smile at anyone and he laughs at just about everything Austen does.  He doesn't crawl yet, but he rolls all around to get where he wants to go.  I predict he's going to be a late walker because he's just not that interested in going places.  I also predict an early talker because he's super good at imitating noises we make and he loves to jibber jabber.

Austen is four going on sixteen.  He wants to be able to do the same stuff grown ups do and he wants to be able to do it by himself.  Independence is such a great quality to have, it's just super hard to parent!  He is a challenging kid to raise.....I'm hoping it's just a phase.

He is really into the ninja turtles right now, so the other day when we went to the farmer's market he went on his bike as a ninja turtle, shell and all.

 He loves to take his own money and buy stuff from the vendors.  It really is the cutest thing.