Weekend after Thanksgiving

Wow, so many pictures to get through here. Just because I didn't keep up on my blog, didn't mean I wasn't taking pictures. But, I'm lumping things together here. The weekend after Thanksgiving, we of course got the Christmas decorations up. My mom came over and worked on a gingerbread house with them while Kris and I worked on the other decorations. Just recently we had to get rid of it. The boys did not want me to throw it out. So, when they are sleeping it disappeared and I told them I wrapped it carefully and put it in the basement. No, you can't see it, it's wrapped up really good. (Hopefully, they won't remember.) We also went to the Henry Ford Museum that weekend.

She brought over thevChristmas tapes and books that I listened to when I was a kid.  They were carefully preserved through my siblings and now our kids can enjoy them  (as long as we keep a tape player around).

Luke decorating the playroom tree.  Alex wanted to pass the ornaments to him.

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The large tree at the museum

It was one of their tinker, hack, invent events.  The boys got to make maracas.

the finished product

they got to help assemble a model T as well, very cool

they have a temporary avatar exhibit

we always have to have a hot dog when we get to that area of the museum

they also had a temporary train and lego set-up

we always spend so much time looking at the temporary event that we rarely look at the actual exhibits, another day

taking turns driving thomas

A Visit with Margaret

On December 1st we visited Margaret along with my parents, Dominic, Veronica, Bernadette and my Grandma Porter. The boys made advent crafts, played games and of course ate some snacks.

Candyland

Blurry, but still a cute picture :)

Once silly Luke

The advent chain we made, then boys loved tearing one off each night before they went to bed

Thanksgiving 2013

I guess I didn't take any pictures all of November until Thanksgiving came along. On Thanksgiving we went to the Ericson's for bunch and Phibbs' for dinner. We went to my family's on the weekend. But I don't have pictures from my families gathering.

Helped Grandma and Grandpa put up the train and village under the tree after bunch

"Fixing" the transformer

whip cream for the pumpkin pie

Alex was busy making Thanksgiving pictures

the whole family got involved

the thankful tree we made, it had twice as many leaves by the end, but I didn't get a final picture

everyone's artwork except Alex's, he took his to grandpa

playing after dinner

November Come and Gone

I've not been keeping up on the blog or taking as many pictures as I typically do. Not sure why perhaps just busy. But, time has been flying. I swear I was in denial all of November that it was really November. Now Christmas has come and gone and Halloween pictures are the last I posted. So, here is my attempts to catch up.

More trick or treating

Both boys had parties during the day and then trick or treating at night. It was a very busy and fun day. The weather was a bit rainy, but warm. They boys definitely did not mind the rain, in fact it may of made it more fun.

Pumpkin Carving

The boys did the majority of the pumpkin carving this year. Dad just assisted a bit.

scooping out the stuff, dad scraped a bit, but they got it out on their own

Alex completely designed and drew on his facial features, he cut most everything out himself, toward the end he started getting tired though and needed some assistance from dad

Luke's design idea was not a face, but "a hole to put a candle in" so he also cut it out himself

Trick-or-Treating Downtown

The boys enjoyed dressing up a week early and heading downtown to trick or treat. They had a craft and a scavenger hunt. The boys got a lot of smiles as they made their way through downtown and the Farmer's Market.

Best part of going earlier than Halloween is you actually get a good picture in their costumes.  They are always too impatient on the actual day to stand still enough for a picture.  They both picked out their costumes.  Jack the pirate is a huge in our house right now and watched on a daily basis.  Construction sites are also a favorite.  Luke really wanted a detour sign, but I never made him one knowing he would want to hold it and his bag and then get slowed down.  We were hoping Luke would be Cubby the pirate, but I is tired of being the side kick.  So, he picked his own idea. 

getting help with the craft.  I smartie wrapped in pipe cleaner to make a spider

Dad always needs to take a bathroom break.  Luke taking a peak in his bag and showing his brother.

found a stop on the scavenger hunt

Pumpkin Patch

The boys and I went to the a pumpkin patch with Grandma Porter a few weeks before Halloween. The boys had fun looking at the pumpkins, animals and walking through the corn maze.

Alex loved the maze.  Luke was nervous that we were actually lost once we hit the first dead end.  Alex wanted to do it again and proved that me memorized the shortest way through it, we never hit a dead end.  He's had a supper memory recently.  He liked directing us through.