Hockey Anyone?

For our relatives in the south, those are "snow sticks" that Luke is trying to pull out of the ground. They help with the plowing and shoveling of snow so that you know where the street ends and yard begins. I had never heard of such a thing before we moved here.
That is one way to put it in the goal. Forget the stick....

One, two, three, blast off!

Here i come brother...

Liam

Considering I grew up in the south, I really know nothing about hockey but it is obviously very popular in Minnesota. I think some of our nephews in Cincinnati will be very happy to see these pictures of the boys. We recently purchased a small hockey set as an early Christmas gift for the boys. I would not say they necessarily love hockey at this point, but they love anything that involves a stick and a ball so hockey, golf, and baseball are lots of fun right now. Liam, especially, really likes balls and sticks of all kinds.

We are staying here for Thanksgiving and looking forward to some time to relax. John has been very busy at work so he is definitely ready to be off for a few days.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not much new to report....

Very quick attempt to get a picture with both boys in it....ah, not gonna happen.
Very proud of the stacked blocks

Stacking again....

Liam (22 months)

Not much new to report, but we are doing well. We have been very fortunate to have a warm November with no snow (at least not yet). We have enjoyed several days at the park and outside playing. The boys are adapting well to "school". Luke had some difficulty initially, but seems to be more comfortable now that he knows what to expect. Liam is a little more independent (at least in this area) and pretty much walked into the classroom without turning back. Both boys are really starting to talk a lot more and have started saying more words, especially Luke.

I will start 33 weeks on Saturday so the arrival of Baby #3 is just around the corner! We are excited about seeing John a little more over Thanksgiving and enjoying some time around the house.

Baby Brother 101

Playing with random stuff after bathtime

Luke and the Baby

Rocking the baby

Feeding the Baby on his blanket (he set everything up himself)

The new Baby's Room

New shelf and the boy's rocking chair from Grandpa and Grandma Carrithers

As we are attempting to introduce the boys to the concept of a "baby" over the next couple of weeks, we decided to purchase a doll. She makes little noises and has a bottle and baby seat. Not suprisingly, the boys have had very different reactions towards the baby. If you are wondering why all of the pictures are of Luke with the baby, that is because Liam really is not interested at all. He thinks it is funny when the baby makes noises and he was very interested in touching her eyes and drinking from her bottle, but other than that...he pretty much does his own thing. Luke, on the other hand, has asked every morning about the baby. He wants to feed and hold the baby all the time. He has gone to the baby's room several times to get her. We are still trying to work on the concept of being gentle with the baby as Luke has already tried to run down the hall carrying the baby and dropped her a few times! I really think the boys have no clue what we are talking about, but at least Luke has enjoyed taking care of the baby.

I am also posting a few pictures of the new baby's room. We still have a few things to finish and need some decorative accessories to tie things together, but I am very pleased with it. We did not have to buy a lot for Baby #3 because we are able to use our rocking chair, changing table, and other items from the boys. The crib is from one of our very generous neighbors who no longer needs it. By the way, the test "baby" is sleeping in the crib because Luke laid her down for a nap.

Happy Halloween

Getting ready to Trick or Treat on Halloween!!
mmm Candy....

Finger Painting at the party

On our way to the Halloween Party

First day at Montessori!! They look excited don't they?? Maybe not as excited as Mom!

Confused? Why are we dressed and leaving so soon? Luke is calling Daddy.

Breakfast before school

I am posting on the blog a little earlier than I normally do since we had a big weekend with Halloween and the boys had a big day today. The boys loved trick or treating this year. It took them about two houses before they had the hang of this and they were amazed that they could actually knock on the door and someone would offer them a bowl full of candy. They did not quite understand a few important concepts: 1) You are really supposed to take ONE piece of candy unless they offer you a second piece (Luke); 2) You need to take the wrapper off the candy before trying to eat it (Liam and Luke); and 3) They really are not inviting you into the house when they open the door (Liam). Despite a few things we need to work on, the boys enjoyed the night. Earlier in the day, we also attended a Halloween party for the boys at the house of one of our twin friends. The boys enjoyed some finger painting and play time with several friends.

The big news today is that the boys had their first day of "school". No, they are not quite old enough for preschool. The boys have stayed home with me since they were born other than a few babysitters and trips to the fitness center or church so today was a big day for them. They started Montessori school two mornings a week for three hours each morning. It is not a lot of time, but it does give me a short break and more importantly it will hopefully provide them with some socialization and learning opportunities. I am also hoping this will help the transition when Baby #3 makes his arrival. They seemed to do well and the teacher said they enjoyed it. Luke was a little weepy when I dropped him off and Liam did not want to come inside from playing, but that is pretty typical. I think they were a little confused this morning by Mommy rushing them out the door and they were exhausted this afternoon when they laid down for a nap.

Enjoy!