Happy Halloween

Here is a picture of our trip to the pumpkin patch. The kids love going to the pumpkin patch. It is most random little carnival with imported pumpkins right off Pacific Coast Highway and they think it is fabulous. They ride the kiddie rides and get a pumpkin. It is not a bad way to spend the afternoon.
Here are Princess Leia and her little monkey right before trick-or-treating. We went to a neighbor's house for dinner and then went through the neighborhood. We love our neighborhood on Halloween. Our neighbor's decorate their houses and one turns his fishing boat into a pirate ship. We have a great time. Ben was a great trick-or-treater this year. He kept up with all the big kids and when I asked if he wanted to go home he said "No, I keep going."

Truckies!!!

Ben loves his trucks and has recently started imaginative play with them. They are often "broken" and need tow trucks or they are somehow involved in construction. The boy is very passionate about his trucks.

We are back!!!

The start of the school year has been a bit crazy for us! Kate started Kindergarten at the neighborhood school, Ben started preschool at the JCC, Jesse turned in his tenure file, and I am mostly done with my thesis as well as spending two days a week at Children's Hospital of Orange County for my internship. Plus, we all got sick the first week of school..just to start the school year off right. Then our computer died!! We tried to fix it but was just not in the cards. So now that we have new computer postings will be a little more frequent.

This is Kate's first year on a big girl soccer team and she loves it! It has been fun seeing her become more confident on the field and last week she even scored her first goal. She is extremely proud of her team and could not wait to wear her uniform for her first game. She also chose the most awesome gold cleats luckily they match her uniform quite well.
Here are Kate and Ben on the first day of school. Ben was so excited about his backpack. Kate decided to wear a skirt on the first day as she thought "it was only polite to wear a skirt on the first day." Her teacher is also the "best teacher I have had in my entire life." Ben has been a little slow to warm up to school. He naps there on the Monday and Wednesday which has been a big change for him. When I picked him up on his first full day I asked him how it went and he replied "I sit criss-cross applesauce, I be butterfly, and I cry." He is no longer crying which is a step in the right direction. He takes Monkey everyday and he has wonderful teachers that accept that he needs Monkey to get through his transition.
Here are Kate and Ben modeling their new backpacks. Kate the science girl chose one with the solar system and Ben, of course, chose a truck backpack.

Camping Trip 2009

We took our annual family camping trip last weekend with five other families and had a great time. We cooked hot dogs on the campfire, made s'mores, and (kind of) slept in the tent. The kids ran around and entertained themselves very nicely.

Ben was barefoot and dirty the entire weekend. It was heaven for him. He took his trucks and played in the dirt.
Kate having her oatmeal with her tin foil super hero mask made by one of the other moms.
Ben taking a ride on a paddle board at the lake. He loved the board and said "Yook (look), I surfing."
Kate making a sand castle. She has recently gone thorough a growth spurt and I just can't believe how tall she is! As she said, "I am off to Kindergarten in the fall."
A shot of both of them playing in the sand. They had a great time.

Henry's Visit

Our adorable cousin Henry came to visit. He, of course, brought his parents with him. We were happy to see them all but especially to meet Henry. This is the best picture of the three kiddos.
Kate LOVED Henry. On the last day, she was very quiet and then came to me and said "I haven't gotten a chance to hold Henry on my lap yet." She was obliged and she was very proud to be given the opportunity to hold the baby. Ben also liked Henry but was very confused that Henry has an identical monkey to his. He was upset when Henry's monkey was taken away from him as he claims all monkeys as his.
We spent a very windy day at the beach with Henry, Nichole, Tim, Doug, and Paisley. It was the last time we will go the beach with Doug and Paisley for two years as they set off for their great adventure in Africa. We will miss them!!!

Auntie Kerri & Uncle Andy's Wedding

We had the pleasure of attending Kerri and Andy's wedding on July 3rd. We had a fabulous time! Kate was the very experienced flower girl, Garrett and Nick the handsome candle lighters, and Ben was a spectator that was adorable but noisy.

A picture of Kerri and her nephews and niece.
Ben eating his cake. It was very serious business.
Kate sitting still and resting before her 4th time around as flower girl.

Beach Day

Today was a family beach day.  The kids love the beach.  They have so much fun digging in the sand and playing in the water.  They come home exhausted!  Here they are modeling their beachwear. A long sleeve swim top is a must at the beach for Ben.  Kate likes to wear her swim top so she can look like a surfer.  She is also wearing the paper tie she made for Jesse at school.  On the back there are some questions the teachers asked about the dads.  A couple of my favorites:   What does your dad like to eat?  "Everything" and What is your dad good at? "Chasing my brother."  That he is!!!