Trick-or-treating

Eli's pachycephalosaurus head was too hot and heavy to wear for too long and Ewan's fire truck costume knocked him over a few times, but they still had fabulous costumes! Oh, and they got lots of candy trick-or-treating! Some of the best fun, though, was handing out candy to other trick-or-treaters. Last night after giving out candy to a gang of kids, Ewan sees another group walking down the block. Ewan holds up two handfuls of chocolate and yells, "I TREAT YOU! I TREAT YOU!"

Halloween photo shoot

This is the fifth year in a row that we've gotten together on Halloween to do a photo shoot of the SJ boys in costumes. Ever since the first year, it has been pure chaos. This year, Eli complained for two days before getting his photo taken, but in the end, it was Ewan who didn't want his picture taken. Go figure!

Ewan's diction

Ewan, pointing to a dinosaur in a book, "That says roar."
Mama: "Oh yeah?"
Ewan, pointing to a different dinosaur in the book, "That says not roar."

A fort

I love that Eli's sticks are just as much his "toys" as any expensive toy is! He built this fort by himself and then we covered it with a tarp. He played there for an hour!

Pumpkin patches are not really about pumpkins any more

Pumpkin patches are about petting animals, slides, corn mazes, slides, tractor riding, cider pressing and slides. Did I mention the slides? Eli went to Bauman's Farm with his preschool class and had a blast going down the tube slides with his best friend Henry. Then in the afternoon we went to Willamette Valley Fruit Company for a turn in their corn maze and, of course, their slides!

What accomplishment looks like

Toddler Time

Ewan goes with his Mama to Toddler Time every Tuesday morning. The first day he kept asking to go home, where Eli was playing Play-doh with babysitter Megan. But once he got used to singing songs in Circle Time I couldn't get him to leave. He loves it, especially snack time (sooo funny since Mama brings the snacks from home!) He is learning new songs and making new friends.

Mud and fruit at E.E. Wilson

In the morning last Sunday, Ewan dressed himself for our hike--with Mama's sports bra over his shirt. He wore it like that for most of the day!
On our way to E.E. Wilson State Wildlife Area for a hike, Eli asks why we have to go hiking.
Michael: "Because we owe it to our bodies."
Eli: "No!"
Michael: "Because we love it."
Eli: "No! Because you are so bad parents!"
For the record, Eli had a blast. So did the rest of the family.
There was frog and turtle hunting, but no catching. A huge muddy area proved to be an instant draw for Eli and Ewan who spent a good 45 minutes stomping in it up to their thighs!
Next to the muddy area, Eli kept asking about a sweet smell and Michael and I explored and found that the ground was covered in lemon thyme. Everywhere!
As we hiked back to the car along an abandoned road (this site used to be a military base during WWII), we found plum trees, blackberry vines, and apple and pear trees. We loaded a bag with apples and pears. That night Michael made a delicious pie!