Katie was first to the bus stop this morning and I heard the shrieking from there. Look what was at the corner house!
Both kids were enthralled! And pointing to more decorations on the porch!
Hell, ALL the kids were enthralled!
Year: 2014
Some days they just go crazy
Watch out for Katie’s ninja spins and how she steals Owen’s seat. These are from a variety of times over last night and today.
This rarely happens.
New steps!
Let’s just say the steps that were here were far from safe and definitely not built anywhere near code (no screws were used in the entire thing, there were five nails holding the steps to the house, and the support beams were just sitting on the ground). Our landlord said the last tenants put them up and long story…it was being left to us to fix if we wanted to. Don’t get me started. 😯
And since the previous install was SO completely horrific, it took Tom a few extra hours to make things right…so at about 6:00 he stopped for the night with most of it done. Now it just needs railings, some support work under the bottom steps, and a few finishing touches. (We reused the actual stringer section but the actual treads should all be—at the very least—removed and redone using screws instead of nails.)
And my favorite part of the redo—a 3′ platform at the top (instead of the two treads that were there)!
The eventual plan is to build a floating deck at the bottom, like this, to have somewhere flat to set our table and chairs (though that will require permits and fees, so it might be next spring):
I love having a handy hubby!
Dad’s Day at Owen’s School
We all went for the morning program!
Then they told us it was Halley tradition to have the VIPs participate in Tooty Ta with the kids! (This is the dance I posted awhile back that Owen learned in Pre-K but did again this year.)
You can’t see us very well, but me and Gramma Jean are up in the front. 🙂
Owen’s cubbies:
Owen’s table:
I love his hopes and dreams: to do more homework! 🙂
This is why I can’t take Katie in the classroom…all my attention has to be on her.
She just wants to play and take out every toy. Here she was having a tea party. 🙂 I have no idea where she learned the words tea party.
Owen is Calendar Helper. We didn’t get to see it this morning because the morning program ran late. I have yet to get a good description out of him on what Calendar Helper does. 🙂
Getting ready for snack time!
What’s left of the ant farm from last week:
Getting ready to go to lunch.
Everyone gets hand sanitizer!
LUNCH! We asked who he usually sits with and he said “Somebody.” 🙂
After lunch, daddy was back in the classroom helping.
Owen loved every minute of it—and so did Tom!
Chalked Driveway
Gramma Jean and Grandpa David babysat so we could go out for dinner. This was happening as we left…
And the driveway was full when we got home.
A bigger better house!
GJ gave this house to the kids ages ago and we finally got it out and set it up (and colored it) while Katie was napping and Owen was at school.
Schoolwork—More Apples, Writing, Froot Loops, Fire Safety, and Ants!
Gramma Jean helped Owen with this homework!
Candy, Cookies, Cat, Car, Cow
And this past week was ant week!
Another mom and Katie doll comparison
The one I posted a few days ago…
Then Gramma jean noticed that there was a second picture of me with the doll (she actually went and looked at the first link I posted) so I hunted the picture down and matched it the best with this one:
I still don’t think we look anything alike, aside from maybe both being blonde with blue eyes. Do you see it?
After dinner at the playground with Gramma and Grandpa
At dinner, Katie started asking about going to the playground. It was still early enough and the weather was still gorgeous, so off we went!
Gramma built a house for the kids!
We got a box from Amazon that just called out to be made into a house. 🙂
Katie loved it, but it got CRAZY when Owen got home…
It’s perfect for Katie but just a bit too small for the both of them together…but they don’t let that stop them!
Look at all the cool stuff on it!
YACKO from the cousins!
I’ve been slacking in taking pictures of Katie in her totally adorable Beson cousin hand-me-downs. This one was sooo cute I finally had to take one. 🙂
A new dolly and bears!
Grauntie Sue sent a dolly and some bears for the kids. Katie was enthralled with her dolly—as soon as she saw it in the box, she was saying “MY DOLLY! MY DOLLY!”
Owen as Anakin
We had been planning on him being Superman because he had the costume last year and it was a bit too big—but we’ve temporarily lost the cape so I wanted a backup just in case. He picked Anakin Skywalker. I had told him he could try it on when he got home from school, so within minutes of walking in the front door he brought it to me. 🙂
Yes, it’s a little big. To get the waist to fit, I have to order a bit larger-than-necessary size, which makes the rest waaaay too long. I think a few well-placed rubber bands on his legs will work well enough for an hour of trick-or-treating.
Now with light saber!
In action!
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In mom’s dress with mom’s matching doll—Part 2!
See part 1 here!
Today Gramma Jean and I tried to get a better shot of Katie in the dress with the doll—and with the bonnet that I found (and didn’t lose after we moved!).
First, Katie was thrilled to get new shoes (I’ve had them forever and finally had a reason to get them out). Second, she loved her “long socks” and sat very patiently while I put her tights on. Third, she was excited to finally hold “her dolly” that she had seen sitting on the table waiting. 🙂
Here’s a comparison shot with the original picture and the closest one from today (out of 147 shots):
And a collage of the rest of the best:
Two of my favorites:
Some pics mom took:
Showing grandpa her long socks!
Heading to the bus stop to get Owen, with a brief detour to see the pumpkins and try for more pics:
As always, excited to see Owee getting off the bus!
Back at home, refusing to take off any of the outfit:
Katie and the mannequins
Mom and I went to Kohl’s this morning and Katie was enamored with the mannequins. She kept saying “He’s over here! He’s over here!”
Playground with Gramma
Katie was SUPER excited to go to the playground and knew right where to go from our house.
After all that running around and sliding and swinging, she took an 8-second rest with Gramma.
Every time I would sit on the bouncy animal, Katie would say “NO! My horsey!”
Trampoline Birthday Party
Owen was invited to a classmate’s birthday party at a trampoline place—and he LOVED it! Tom took him and got these pics and vids.
Owen was also thrilled to come home with Ninja Turtle swag—including a tiny plastic skateboard, kleenex, and ooze. 🙂
Nature walk—this time with grandparents!
We took Gramma Jean and Grandpa David to the park to go on the nature trail! It was a gorgeous morning!
Where’s Katie?
Here I am!
And the route we took. I knew it was up and down but a few of the big jags really surprised me. And aren’t GPS apps cool?!
Gramma wins at Trouble!
Owen is such a great sport! The game was back and forth the whole way, and I was recording because I thought he was going to win. But Gramma did—and he was just as excited!
A look into our future.
Ignore the messy office…look at the little girl. She just sits and clicks and clicks and pounds the keyboard until 27 windows are open and it starts beeping from errors. 🙂
Katie and the kazoo
Gramma brought Owen a kazoo but he couldn’t get it to work—in fact, none of us could. Then Katie picked it up, figured out how it worked (we had all been blowing into the wrong end), and WOULD NOT STOP PLAYING. 🙂
We eventually had to hide it from her. 🙂
Mama! Pick up my box!
I had emptied out the crate [that she had loved sitting in the other day] and her first response when I showed her was “YAY!” 🙂
Then she climbed right in and said “Mama! Pick up my box!”
No, daddy will have to do that!
This is why Maggie doesn’t get tennis balls.
I came home to find this.
Donut run with the kids!
Tom took the kids to get donuts this morning before I got up!
Waiting for the pizza man is a family affair!
Owen wanted to go out and wait so I let him by himself. But then Katie wanted to go with Owee so Tom went out with them. Owen gets SO excited it’s crazy.
A rare sighting—a sleeping Katie!
Then as she was waking up, I noticed that she was busy before she fell asleep—she put on her tutu AND her baby legs stocking on her arm! 🙂 And we went like that to the bus stop!
Katie Tantrum #94
She couldn’t get her shoes off.
This is what shopping with Katie is like.
My first morning program!
Parents and siblings are welcome at Owen’s school every Friday for the morning program (it’s for grades K-2 only). Today was the first time I’ve been able to go.
He was SUPER excited that we were going, and was thrilled to see us when his class walked in. There were about 10-14 parents there.
Katie didn’t do too badly, but kept inching closer to the kids. 🙂
They sang a patriotic song about the flag, learned a new dance, listened to a brief talk and watched a few role plays on RESPECT (this month’s topic), and handed out Respect awards for the last week.
We’ll definitely go again. 🙂