Our Thanksgiving in Pictures...

I think I've been saying this for quite some time - but I've been a slacker here!  Just thought I'd update everyone, through my usual pictures!!

Ben loves to climb up at the table and read or play trucks!!!

Went up to NY for Thanksgiving, and the boys got to play in the snow!!!  Ben loved throwing snowballs at people...

Here's Jim throwing a snowball at me!

More snowball throwing!!!

Mark took Jim for a sled ride!

Brotherly love!!!

Going for another sleigh ride!

Ben loving it the first time he went down the hill!

All smiles as Jim went down...

Jim petting Bob.

Friday we made our way up to Buffalo.  Got to see Santa on Saturday!  Went to The Anchor Bar for some yummy wings that evening!

Ben hard at work painting a train for his aunts.

Jim is hard at work too!

Earlier in the day we went to Home Depot to the kids workshop they had there - and Jim insisted on wearing his apron again!  Both boys had a good time there! 

Just a couple of pictures...

Just a little update of what's been going on - via pictures...

 

Another fun use for our train table - great spot to make puzzles!!!  Love Jim's chair - it's his ride-on firetruck!!!

 The boys enjoy watching each other play their computer!

 Mark made a fort for the boys one night (Syracuse was playing basketball, so we hoped it would keep them busy during the week while the game was on!)

 Ben having fun on his side of the fort!

 Making some Indian Corn!

 Hard at work!!!

 My two little pilgrims!!

 We put up our tree this weekend.  I know it was a little early, we usually wait until after Thanksgiving...but we only have 2 weekends at home between our trips - so we figured we'd put it up so we could enjoy it that much longer!

 Both boys helping!

 Getting out the Christmas decorations means getting out their train!  They were having fun being 'tunnels'!

 Jim was hard at work!

October in review

I guess I didn't do a single post in October.  I have no excuse, just busy living and enjoying life!!!  Looking back on the last post (Ben's 18 month update) I never did do a 3.5 year post for Jim...and it's also hard to believe Ben was in shorts & a tank top - now we're all bundled up.  It's definitely starting to feel more and more like fall here! 

Since I didn't post at all in October, how about a little month in review through pictures -

We enjoyed a great visit with Grandma & Papa!!!  Jim had lots of fun decorating Grandma's Happy Birthday cake, and celebrating her special day with her!!!

A picture of me & my 2 boys -

Jim showing off his magic skills, magic cape & all!

Like how both boys are doing the same thing; blowing on their waffles -

We had fun at a pumpkin patch with our friends!!!

We shared stories together -

We carved pumpkins (Ben lost interest and played trucks) -

We were construction workers during the day for Halloween - having friends over for a Halloween party!

And then we went Trick or Treating with our neighbors!!!  Ben started off as a monkey, but he wasn't much of a fan, so I took that off.  Both boys had lots of fun!!!

I like Jim's tools in his pocket -

As you can tell we had a great month of October!!!!  Hopefully I'll be better updating in November - no promises though.

Ben's 18 Month Update

I used to be so good at doing updates on the boys, but I just haven't been lately.  Ben just had his 18 month check-up on the 10th, and I figured I haven't done an update in awhile, why not do one now!  Hopefully next month I will remember to do one for Jim and his 3.5 year update!  How are my boys getting so big?!

Let's start off with his stats:

Head - 19.5" - 94th percentile

Height - 33" - 72nd percentile

Weight - 24lbs. 13.3oz. - 60th percentile

He was great at the doctors, and got a clean bill of health.  Only one shot this time, which he didn't like, but as soon as I picked him up, he stopped crying and was fine!

You love your big brother, and have to do everything that he's doing.  So glad we have a school bus because as soon as Jim gets on his fire truck to ride his, you are right behind him on his bus. 

You seem to have the same obsession on rain boots as your brother does!  I just found a pair to fit you and that's all you want to wear - boots & socks!  You get so mad at me if I don't bring a pair of socks down when I am getting you dressed.

Wearing size 5 diapers...a range of clothes, 18 months, 24 months, and 2T, you fit into a bit of everything...shoes are hard, I think you're in size 6, but some are too small to fit on your foot.

Your vocabulary keeps on growing.  And have started to 'talk' on the phone. 

Love seeing any type of animal when we're walking, whether it's a dog, cat, squirrel, etc. you get so excited and 'talk' to them! 

A great sleeper - go to bed just before 9:00 and then you're up anywhere between 7:30-8:00.  Just one nap a day, after lunch, for 1.5-2 hours! 

Your eating is all over the place, some days you love to eat, other days you won't touch your dinner.  You are great using a fork & spoon!  And are drinking 2% milk. 

You love playing outside.  A big fan of any type of ball, and love playing basketball!  And have started to play 'soccer' with us.  If we try to play catch, you just want to hold onto the ball, but if we kick the ball you're kicking it right back to us!

You have no fear - and love jumping, trying to climb things, etc.

Those are just a couple of your highlights!!!  I could keep going on and on, you're one happy little boy!!!  And we love you!!

Picture update.

It's weird to look at the picture that is on top of this blog, and think that this was Jim & Ben a year and a half ago!!!  How much they have changed.  They have been having a great summer - it's so much fun to watch them interact and play together a lot more these days!!!  Ben is such a copy cat - he always wants to be doing whatever it is Jim is doing.  He's adding more and more words to his vocabulary.  It won't be long and I'll have 2 boys asking me questions all day long!!

Trying on their adorable outfits for Allison & Chris's wedding.  

For Jim's birthday he got this butterfly garden.  We sent away for our caterpillars, and they shipped us 5 to be able to watch them transform into painted butterflies.  It was a pretty neat process, and was fun to watch Jim get all excited to see them grow, turn into chrysalis, and then into butterflies!  They both were very excited to be able to watch the butterflies flying around!

We took them outside one day to show Parker, and then Jim was ready to let them go then.  Here they are getting ready to release them!