Halloween 2014

Leading up to Halloween, our plan was for Aiden to wear the dinosaur costume (size 18-24 months) that Oliver had worn the last two years. Oliver would be superman.  Great, set.  Then...Oliver decided he wanted to be the dinosaur. No problem, Aiden didn't mind either way.  Except, the leg part of the costume was a little short.

Oliver still pulled it off with "roaring."  Meanwhile, Aiden felt super big with his floor-length red cape!

And Daddy was dressed as Dr. Schwarz from his work day.

We trick-or-treated with neighbors, visited friends, and then handed out candy. It was a relaxed, fun evening!

Pumpkins!

This year, we returned to the first pumpkin patch Oliver visited around his first Halloween (2011).

It is a Methodist Church downtown Austin and they have a field filled with pumpkins.  We were surprised to find very few pumpkins there this year.  We learned that they had unloaded truck after truck and just couldn't keep up with the demand.  Apparently, that particular pumpkin patch has gotten very popular in the last three years!

We took a family photo, and then the boys helped us load our pumpkins into a large, two-wheeled wheelbarrow, and Oliver pushed it to the check-out tent.  He felt very big (it was a BIG wheelbarrow!).

We couldn't wait to carve, so we started right after dinner.  Look at those perfectly round eyes!  Daddy used something special to obtain that perfection.  It can be found in one of the pictures below.

Oliver being silly:

 Digging out the seeds.

Aiden wanted nothing to do with the sliminess, but he was more than happy to say "cheese!"

 A family of jack-o-lanterns!

Bike Riding

Oliver is fully balancing and steering his push bicycle (or balance bike, strider bike, etc.) that we know he is ready for pedals.

Aiden is also doing quite well, keeping up with his brother on his push tri-cycle.  See him scoot along!

Thomas the Tank Engine

What a special treat we had this weekend!

We saw this event online over the summer and thought it would be a fun outing.  We hesitated, thinking Oliver might enjoy it more in a year or so.  Boy, are we glad we went as a family.  Oliver's enthusiasm when he saw Thomas was priceless.  His little body was overtaken with excitement as he jumped up and down shouting and running to get a closer look at the big Thomas engine.

And Aiden had so much fun too! He was consumed with the train ride.  We sat in cars with windows open and Aiden loved sticking his head out enough to feel the breeze.

The whole event was more like a mini-festival.  They had a rock-climbing wall, pictures with Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt, an imagination station (arts and craft), a mini-golf station, storytelling, and a gift shop with any Thomas thing you could want.

And a surprise to us, was the Thomas engine's face is created to talk.  So, before he pulls away from the station, he says a few words.  The kids were mesmerized (and some of the parents were too!).

What an eventful day!

Painting

We've been painting recently, as Oliver has so much paint leftover from his construction birthday party.  Both boys LOVE to paint, glue, cut, whatever...

While painting, I ran to grab my camera because I noticed how different their little personalities are, even just in the way they express themselves in paint.

All the colors mixed, on his hands, elbows, face.

 Each color, still separate.  No paint on arms/elbows.

I love how unique each of our boys is!