Changing Colors

We had a very busy day on Sunday, but we were still able to get away from the city for a couple of hours and immerse ourselves in the beautiful Bernheim Forest. We threw rocks in the stream, took in the beautiful changing colors and enjoyed time together as a family. 

Halloween at the Zoo

We got the kids dressed up for halloween at the zoo. We went with some sweet friends and neighbors, the Groce family. Their two smallest ones are the same ages as Eli and Otto. It was fun! Otto ate his first sucker.... it was pretty messy.

My little lion and zebra.

Roar!!

The mamas are the ones taking the pictures so that's why you don't see us here. This owl was pretty amazing though. 

Otto broke into this sucker before I could stop him... so away he ate. He loved it!

Otto and Pizza

Otto has a new favorite food... pizza! 

Cricket Catching

Eli has a new backyard fascination... bugs or "creatures" as he likes to call them. He can be entertained for hours hunting them down and playing with them. 

1,2,3,25.....go!

We had a cool rainy day here the other day so we spent the day inside and somehow Eli managed to get me to chase him on Rody (explaining the unsteady filming). I am not very fast on Rody, so in order to catch Eli I had to hop off and chase him down. 

At the Park

Apple Picking

Apple and Pumpkin Picking

The other day we went apple and pumpkin picking. It was great fun! wagon rides and all!

I really tried to get a picture of the boys together, but this was the best I could do this day. Eli didn't want to be still at all! I wonder why?

Otto

Little man is growing up! and growing hair! no beard though. 

can you see the blond hair growing in?

thinking...

Eli and Angry Drumming

Eli played the drum for us the other evening (sorry the video is so dark). He has his usual script going in this one "hey mama, can you say..." 

Fun with Packing Peanuts

Who knew packing peanuts could be so fun? After throwing them around for an hour Eli put the peanuts in his dump truck and moved them around for another hour. Great free entertainment... I am still finding peanuts around the house four days later though... in couch cushions, under furniture...

spinning

Eli could spin all day, but I would puke. 

Worms

Eli is going through a worm diggin' stage. It really is all he wants to do these days. I have even found myself out there diggin' with him.... kids sure have a way of being persuasive- I guess it is the pure joy he gets when I find one. This video captures how he likes to put them in this little clam and hold onto them. We have started putting them into a bucket with dirt... which lets them live.

Adventures in Virginia!

I have to say, Virginia was so much fun! We stayed very busy, but we were able to see so much in our week stay with Mom and Dad. 

The Capital in DC.

Our favorite museum by far was the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. It was absolutely amazing! We will be going back here in the future.

Grandma Debby bought Eli a squid. I had to put this picture in here because it has become a favorite stuffed animal of Eli's. Eli likes to give all his animals personalities and this squid has been embraced by his animal family.

If you look closely in this picture both Brian and I are stressed, but the kids delighted... Well, there were signs everywhere saying "quiet please" and both Eli and Otto were making loud echo noises... ohhh boy!

The Natural History Museum had a butterfly garden...

Relaxing at Mom and Dad's... and Brian is letting their dog Radar sit in his lap! never thought I would see this - and he really did like holding the dog.

Race Car Driving

Dad took Brian out in his cobra for a spin... In the first picture they were getting strapped in. Then Dad let Brian take me out for a ride... ;)

Learning all about Grandpa Gary's Work....

We went and checked out the helicopters Grandpa Gary flies. It was really fun for all of us! The last picture is a video.

Virginia Beach!

We spent one day at Virginia Beach. It was so much fun! It was Eli's first experience with the ocean. He was a little uncertain at first- due to all the blue planet ocean videos where there are so many creatures in the ocean- but in the end he loved it! He played in the water with Brian for hours. I think our next visit to VA we will have to spend a couple days at the beach!

Also- the last one is a video!

Brian and I under the pier.

Mom enjoyed hanging out on the beach with Otto. She drank beer and fed Otto Ritz crackers. By the way he choose to sit in the stroller. I had him in the sand in the beginning and then he just crawled over to the stroller and wanted to sit in it - so there he sat the whole time watching everyone... and eating crackers.

Making sand castles...

Brian found a couple of shark eggs on the beach! Yikes!

Otto watching the sea gulls.

This is a video of Eli finding a worm... or something like that.