Thanksgiving Feast and Fun

The kids kicked off Thanksgiving with their own little feast at school. They really enjoy dining with their friends and do such a great job of sitting nicely while they eat. Great job to their teachers for teaching them these valuable skills!

The kids were super excited to play in the leaves again this year after last year's Thanksgiving fun at Grammy and GP's house. They started out their exploration with buckets in hand to assist in their treasure hunting.

Like father, like son...

 

Like father, like son. :)

The cousins joined in for our second outing of the day and we headed back to the beloved hill that the kids love to roll down. All lined up ready to roll!

1, 2, 3, GO! 

(Play video below.)

The laughs and squeals were delightful!

 Here's Madison running up the hill to give it another go.

And Payson is on his way back up for more.

Hayden grabs a handful of leaves to shower over her siblings and cousins.

Cousin Emma gets in on the action!

Big cousin Chloe was so sweet and fun to let all of the little kids bury her in the leaves!

And here's Mikayla after surviving her own leaf burial!

Though the fun never did end out in the leaves, the kids took a short break to share a moment with their wonderful Grammy and GP.

Back at the house, hours and hours and hours of Lego time paid off with a mini city that included a building with a swing open roof, street side electrical box and a variety of cars, planes, firetrucks, police squad cars, spaceships and more. Payson (and Keith) were in Lego heaven!

GP and Payson sharing the love with little cousin Marshall.

And the party's never over without late night S'mores on the Melker chiminea. YUM!

Catching Up

Lots to catch up on before the holiday rush! Here's what I got...

Where's Waldo? (Or Hayden, Payson and Madison?) And, yes, they put the stuffed animals on the stairs on their own accord!

What a mess these kids can make in a short period of time!

Picnic at the lake with friends.

 Princess Party!

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

This Rapunzel dress gets A LOT of wear these days!

And a "Rapunzel Braid" is all the rage (with or without adornments). French braids are so last year!

The soccer season went well. We ended the season with one child saddened that it was over, one indifferent and one that was relieved. Yep, these kids are as different as different can be!

They sure make cute little players though! Here are Hayden, Payson and Madison during their last game. Might be the last time they ever play on a team together. Glad we did it while we could!

Playdate with friends!

Zoo time! Funny how we pay to feed their giraffes. The kids loved it though!

Payson and his little buddy Spencer bonded over the sights and sounds.

Sweet Madison.

Photo opp!

 Madison wants to be a zookeeper when she grows up. She is always so loving and tender with babies and animals.

Moms night out!

We hosted a fall harvest dinner party for our neighbors. Butternut squash soup, lamb chops... it was delicious! (If I do say so myself.)

But this layered hazelnut creme crepe cake was definitely my favorite part. Mmm mm!

Big Boy and Girl Rooms

I recently came across some photos and realized that I never posted the before and after pictures of the kids' big boy and big girl rooms. They were a work in progress between spring and summer and here is the final result!

Here was the initial nursery - Payson slept on the left and there were two cribs for the girls on the right.

We painted Payson's green wall lavender for Madison and had the chocolate stripes painted lavender as well. Then we added all new furniture, bedding, drapes and decor. We surprised the girls with their new room after they returned from a weekend away with the grandparents last April.

The end result was a super girly room that incorporated both of the girl's favorite colors. They love it!

Payson moved into his own room at age 2 1/2 and then into his big boy bed at age 3. But it wasn't until around 3 1/2 that we had his room fully transitioned from a guest room into his own big boy room. He just loves the nine frames that allow us to switch out his artwork and keepsakes.

Payson really loves everything about his room and he talks to us often about it. Such an appreciative soul. I love how his room is all things boy!

Happy Halloween from Neverland

We had a super fabulous Halloween and the kids were overjoyed with the whole evening. We managed to pull together a family theme this year. I simply presented the option, the kids happily accepted and then we went for it! The costumes actually fit their interests perfectly: Hayden as Wendy Darling- the mature young lady (that she so wants to be!), Payson as Peter Pan- the triumphant and defending hero, and Madison as Tinker Bell- the cute little fairy who zips around every which way.

And Daddy as Captain Hook, of course, and Mommy as the Hook-hunting crocodile!

Hayden showing off her beautiful handmade gown.

And they're off!

"Hayden, hold my hook!" said Daddy when getting ready to cross the street. She held it off and on for the rest of the night.

Surprisingly the kids were't scared of anything this year. Not even this creepy talking and moving lady statue. It made Madison laugh!

Like last year, the kids loved handing out the candy, especially Payson and Madison. It was so cute to hear Payson tell the Trick or Treaters "Happy Halloween" as they walked up to the front porch. He had learned all about what to say and how to pass out candy after Trick or Treating himself beforehand! But he was so excited that sometimes he ran down to the sidewalk to hand out candy. Now that's service! Here they are with their good friends and neighbors.

The kids ate plenty of candy that night and afterwards they each picked out 5 pieces of candy to keep in a baggy with their name on it. Then they handed us their Trick or Treat bags with the leftover candy and we traded out their candy for a large sticker book, new pajamas and a toothbrush (how fitting, right?). The kids were SO excited and Payson kept saying, "Oh my goodness!" as he checked out his new goodies.

Then it was off to bed. But earlier that day they had enjoyed a festive lunch at school. The teacher said they were really pumped about it - especially the decorative baggies (and the candy corn hidden inside).

We had attended three family Halloween parties prior to Halloween. The kids had a great time with their friends at our neighborhood playgroup party.

And I think the kids are starting to learn that Daddy's office (aka "Daddy's workshop" as Madison calls it) is the place to get treats. Here they are decorating bakery-fresh Halloween cookies.

Trick or Treating through Daddy's office!

Grandma Terry also had a party at her place and the kids were very into the band. At first they watched attentively while the band played but that soon turned into some wild 3-year-old dancin'. Then the cousins arrived and the dance party really began. They must have danced for 45 minutes!

Hayden was an instant groupie and insisted on sitting by the band and watching them as they took a break. It was hilarious!

Piñata time! Payson definitely gets the award for "most improved." He was hitting that thing much, much harder than he has previously. My little boy is growing up!

And last but not least, Keith and I attended a Halloween party and, yep, we went all out  for it this year. Introducing the black and white swans from the movie Black Swan. Keith leaves you speechless, I know!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!