Happy Veteran's Day!

A HUGE thank you to all of our brave active and retired military!
Thank you for making it possible for us to have choices in this country! Mommy's wish right now is for everyone to have patience and to be kind and respectful to EVERY person they encounter.

School pictures arrived!!  Great smiles...better than the smiles Mommy sometimes gets from the kiddos :)


Great smile, Ayson!  Looking at his shoulders makes Mommy wonder what the photographer says to the kids to get them to give a natural smile (that causes their shoulders to raise while laughing :)


Tuesday night bedtime stories:)


On Friday, Mommy and the kiddos had the day off for VETERANS DAY!
Mommy and the kiddos went to the MOST in Syracuse (Museum of Science and Technology). Mommy did not take many pictures but below are the pictures that Mommy takes before she lets the kids loose in areas with lots of people (in case one gets lost and she needs a recent picture to share/spread around...thanks to the Detroit Zoo incident 3 years ago!)




Watching a penny spin around and around and around!


Addie waiting for her turn during a game of Candy Land on Saturday afternoon!


Daddy was away at a meeting in Orlando, Florida this week.  Take a close look at the building...it is upside down (even the palm trees are upside down)!!!


Daddy brought the kiddos back gifts of Mickey and Mini Mouse...when in Orlando...


Finger painting fun on Saturday night.


On Sunday, the kiddos were busy with birthday cards for Grady and Mrs Oliver (neighbor/friend and she runs the school day care and after school program even though she is supposed to be retired!).




Beverly (Mrs Oliver to the kiddos:) wanted to go to Dinosaur BBQ for her birthday, so that is what the girls did (Beverly, Sunshine, and Mommy)!
Sunshine even picked up Beverly's favorite (Mommy's too) cake: Tiramisu!
Happy Birthday, Beverly, and thank you for all that you do for the little ones in our community and elsewhere!! Beverly hates her smile in pictures now...while undergoing treatment for brain cancer, about 8 years ago, Beverly lost her hearing in her right ear, partial facial movement, and her ability to sing (she was an amazing singer) BUT Beverly did not loose her faith and WE did not loose Beverly.


On Sunday while Mommy was at lunch with Beverly and Sunshine (and Daddy and Ayson were at a birthday party), Addie had a play date with Emmett.
An intense game of "Don't Break the Ice!!!"


Ayson and Daddy attended Grady's 6th Birthday Party Sunday afternoon...a NERF gun war :) Mommy thought it was best that Addie not tag along to THIS birthday party...Mommy did not want Addie to become an "easy target."


The trophy Ayson received along with the plaque that Daddy received.  GREAT job, boys!!!

























Ayson and Addie goofing around with their camera...too bad their is no sound:)


School work
Ayson learned about the election process


and more about Veteran's Day


A Fall drawing/painting of Addie's

Happy Halloween and November!

A FAST week with Halloween activities and playtime at the park! Mommy can't believe that we have not had more snow flurries!

On Monday, Mommy attended (and participated in) the Halloween parade for K-6.  Ayson wanted Mommy to walk with him so she did! The kids walked out the school, to the post office and around, and then back to the school.


Then it was party time in the classrooms!  Mommy stopped by Ayson and Addie's rooms. The kids were very happy to see Mommy :)


Trick-Or-Treat! Our first stop was Gianna's house. Gianna dressed as Piglet...too cute!


We then went to the Presbyterian Church for Trunk Or Treat!


Ok, THIS one was kind of creepy...a tarp was set up to look like a long tunnel and at the end of the tunnel you could see someone cutting up something.  There were doll parts strewn all over the ground. Both kids did NOT want to get a closer look at this one!


Ah, a Fairy Godmother!


GREAT pumpkins!!!


The kiddos played games inside the church community building.




Ayson aced the donut challenge...


But Addie had a hard time lining up her mouth and the donut...she was NOT happy.


We then went back to our "neighborhood" where we visited Miss Annie (works at the After School Program), Mr Bob, and their dog Andy!


Then to Donna's house for more handfuls of candy.  The country houses are just so excited to see kids that the kiddos made out like bandits, in the candy department!


Sorting their loot on Tuesday afternoon.




Election school work :)


On Saturday, Ayson built a catapult robot with no help from Mommy or Daddy!  Great job, Big Guy!


Saturday late afternoon sky while we played outside.


It's never a bad time for S'mores!


On Sunday, we played outside as much as possible at the little park (in the morning) and then after lunch we went to the big park! The kids had fun on the slides and chasing each other around.


We then had to investigate the geese that were resting on the pond. Mommy thought for sure that one of the kiddos would get too close to the edge of the pond and end up getting wet.  Luckily, the outing ended with everyone staying dry :)

Bye Bye, October!!!

October has FLOWN by and the kids are SO excited for Halloween!  This week was busy with Parent/Teacher conferences, a Halloween Party at the school, and a visit to Grandma's (so Daddy could bow hunt...no deer for the freezer this weekend!)

Look closely, a double rainbow from Mommy's drive home on Monday!


Mommy reading stories to the kiddos on Monday evening.  Nice pout face, Addie!


Ayson working on his homework Wednesday night


while Addie and Daddy played on the Kindles


On Friday afternoon, Mommy and Daddy attended Ayson and Addie's Parent Teacher conferences. Both kids are doing great in school are having fun (granted, Ayson told Addie that 1st grade is harder than Pre-k...Mommy thought "you JUST wait, Big Guy" ;)

First grader work in the hallway outside Ayson's classroom


Two weeks ago, the First graders went to Hospital Land (kids learn about hospitals and hygiene) so as to understand what happens if/when they get sick.
A picture and narration from Ayson.


A Halloween character that Ayson drew for Ms Mel when he was in Pre-K (hmm, maybe it was Kindergarten as the picture is pretty detailed for Pre-K).  Anyway, Ms Mel loved the picture SO much that she laminated it and puts it up every Halloween :)


Friday night was the Halloween Party at the school.
Addie was a butterfly ballerina


And Ayson went as Sparky from "Frankenweenie"


Once we got home from the party, the kiddos each found a gigantic card from the Anthony's wishing the kids Happy Halloween!  The kids were so excited/happy!  Thanks Jo, Dave, and Gi!!!!


On Saturday afternoon, Mommy and the kiddos joined Daddy at Grandma Collene's house (Daddy went to Grandma's right after the party Friday night so as to be able to hunt first thing Saturday morning).
Addie comparing how big her foot was to Daddy's foot...keep eating and growing big and strong, Addie! :)


On Sunday mid morning, we accompanied Daddy while he went "hunting."  LOL, Mommy had to return to the house quickly and on the way back to the family, she spotted two doe running in the opposite direction of Daddy and the kiddos :)


The kids trying to be quiet and wait for the deer :)


Mary Lou stopped by Grandma's for a visit and Mommy snapped a few pics of the girls and kiddos:)


A bit of Addie's school work:
Addie has been working on writing her name


Coloring and object placement


Numbers and writing


Painting


Ayson's school work:
The pumpkin puking out his guts (seeds and all)...he was so scared of the ghost...boys.