Bath time

Bath time is always an adventure around this house. I noticed that I haven't taken any shots of my kids in the tub, but then I realized that tub pics don't happen because I'm usually trying to break up a wrestling match or stop a near death experience. Evan loves to bathe with Kate and vice versa- although I have to say that she is a glutton for punishment! Evan likes to see how far he can push the boundaries without actually drowning her. I hope that its a case of boy meets girl mixed with a little sibling rivalry and not the other way around!

Kate's Party

We celebrated Kate's birthday with a little family party. Paul's parents, two sister's (Sarah and Emily), and their kids were out for fall break so it was a pretty big party. Happy birthday Kate!

My one year old...

She's one! I can't believe it. Time really does go by faster with the second baby. She is still our little nugget. She is so mild mannered, but she's starting to get some sass. She loves to laugh. Just to prove she's is a little Paul, whenever she gets a laugh she keeps it going! If a roomful of people start laughing, she makes sure to join in. She is a crack up. She still adores her brother. She can be seen either running from him or following him all around the house (mostly depends on his mood!). She has become a little snuggler. She has adopted a blanket- as a parent I think you are supposed to hate that, but I love it. I love when you hand her a blanket, the problems over. I love when she sees it across the room, she will go get it and snuggle up. I just hope to prevent this one from looking like Evan's does! She loves Paul. Paul loves that! She also loves her mom, and it's pretty hard not to just love her back. She loves food! She will follow you around like a puppy if you have food in your hand. Her favorite things are bananas, juice, chicken and those little gerber puffs. Happy birthday nugget!

The Dude

Evan! Evan? Evan. What can I say about this kid right now? 3 and 1/2 is killing me! I love how funny he is nowadays, but I don't love how naughty he is. Did you know that at 3 they officially start talking back? He likes to shout "NO!" "You do it", and my personal favorite "Stop it" while pointing his finger. He likes to tell me that I'm not the boss, he likes to yell at Kate like he is her mom, and he even yells at Paul. Time out is proving to be ineffective. Case in point last Wednesday I called Paul and told him he needed to come home so that his boy will be safe. Let's just say after 4 straight rounds of time out I was looking to other options. In all fairness, he did warn me. He woke up that morning and told me that he wanted to be a 'bad guy'. Turns out he wasn't kidding. Bad he was ALL DAY LONG. It's like my sweet boy has been invaded by the aliens. Evan, one day when you read this, just know that I love you. If I didn't you would never have the opportunity to read this. When my sweet boy re-emerges (please bless you do) you will have one grateful and less stressed mother.

The Box

Grandma sent Kate's birthday presents in a box. Little did she know that she might as well have sent an empty box-who needs presents when you have peanuts and a box. Basically, it was a party box! Evan had a great time playing in, out, around and through the box. There were peanuts all over my house for two days. The grand finale came when the peanuts were scattered all over the floor and Evan came through on his scooter. Needless to say if you need any ideas for a gift- don't do a gift. Just send the box!

Pumpkin Patch

This years visit to the pumpkin patch was a highly anticipated event! Evan couldn't wait, and he could not wait to "cut" the pumpkin. We went on a tractor ride, through the corn maze, picked out a pumpkin on jumped on hay bales (the highlight of the trip). always a fun trip!

Summer's End

These are just a few of the many pics I took at the beach this sumer. Since I'm trying to catch up, it's best to narrow down. We had a great time (as usual) visiting our local beaches with friends and family. Kate turned out to be quite a beach baby, and Evan now officially enters the water. He's brave enough to go in and he even gave the boogie board a try (where was my camera then?). Leaving usually means a tired mom, but even more exhausted kids. You can count on Evan falling asleep by the time you hit 5 minutes in the car. Lots of perks living in Southern California- but it never gets better than the beach!