The Darn Pumpkin Patch

I had it in my mind that I wanted to take the boys to a pumpkin patch for the first time. We could pick out pumpkins, pet some farm animals, get apple cider donuts, etc. And, let's be honest, I just really wanted some cute pictures! Well, our pumpkin patch trip was a bust. Granted it was the nicest day (and Saturday none-the-less) that October had seen, but really, does a pumpkin patch have to have a ferris wheel and bounce house and hundreds of people? The pumpkins weren't even in a patch, they were dumped out in a small area. The puppies were locked up and we couldn't pet them. It was so crowed that I have people in the background of every picture. The boys didn't "get-it" or care. And we didn't even buy any goodies because the line was out the door. I did get a few pictures...unfortunately of a memory that didn't live up to expectations. Alas, there's always next year :)

Yep, this is the best family picture we got, yikes.

Just Tooting Around

Ben went hunting for the weekend (and got us a deer!). I really wanted to bake, but knew the boys would drive me crazy unless they were occuppied. So, I filled up the kitchen sink with water and soap bubbles, stood them on chairs, and gave them some toys to play with. One hour later, they were soaked, but laughing...and I was still baking. Woo hoo!  

I hadn't played with my camera/lense for a bit, and the boys looked so cute, I decided to take pictures one sunny afternoon. Sammy's sporting the purple mardi gras beads (a bit hit in our house as of late).

Finally, a picture of Sam's newest injury; I think this might be our best bruise to date. He fell down a steep driveway and had a instant bright blue goose egg.

Ah, Vacuums, How We Love Thee....

So my silly boys LOVE vacuums. It's a funny little fetish, but cute none-the-less. Recently, I have hated vacuums, because I've had two die on me in the last 3 months. And trust me, we need a vacuum around the house these days with how much dirt the boys pack around! So, I finally bucked up the cash and bought a new vacuum. I took the boys with me to the vacuum store, and initially was going to leave them in the car, but then remember how much they love vacuums. They were in heaven! They ran from vacuum to vacuum, pointing, squealing, screaming, jabbering. It was hilarious; I think the workers were quite surprised that kids would be that entirely enthuasic about vacuums!

Last Friday, I found the boys' dream toy: a vacuum. Although I thought $8 was a bit of a splurge at a resale, I couldn't help it! It makes the vacuum noise and everything. That afternoon, Seth woke up first from his nap and I showed him the vacuum: 40 minutes of playing by himself. Then Sam woke up, and Seth immediately rolled the vacuum over to Sammy to "show" him and give him his turn. I was so touched! What a good brother. That afternoon, while I vacuumed with my new "toy", one boys followed behind with his vacuum and the other with his broom. It was quite the family affair.

16 months (a little late)

Whew, Seth and Sam are 16 months old and we are busy! Here is what we are up to:
-They weigh 22 lbs. and are 31 inches; this was 50% for weight and 70% for height.
-The past 2 weeks they cut out their morning nap. Yikes. This makes for very LONG days for mama!
-On the obedience scale (1 being bad, 10 good) Seth gets a 9. Sam, on the other hand, scores a 3. Sam is definately much stronger willed; it is very difficult for him to obey.
-They continue to love being outside: playing with sticks, digging in the dirt, hitting mama's flowers (grrr).
-Ben has been buillding forts with them inside using blankets and chairs. It's been great! What a good daddy he is!
-They're talking more and more each day and have mastered many hands signals. It's so nice now that they can tell me if they want "more" or say "please" when they need something (instead of whinning).
-We purchased a zoo pass and have been 3 times. I think Ben and I are enjoying as much as them...but they'll continue to be able to see and understand more. Since we've been going, they've been pointing to their zoo pictures on their walls, and really into their animal books. Our newest animal noises are roaring like a lion and make the elephant noise (with hand motions of course.)
-They continue to love reading. We find them each in their own recliner reading.
-They love being covered by a blanket while sleeping now. It's very cute.
-Sam got 3 molars, Seth 1. Are we done with teeth yet?

The following pictures are from our neighbor's wood shaving pile. It's so great for them to play in, because it doesn't get them dirty like a dirt pile does...yet they can still dig! We have lots of fun in it!

Sam, Seth

Sam

Seth

Sam, Seth

The Many Faces of Seth and Sam

The other day Seth and Sam were playing chase and peek-a-boo around the bed. They were laughing and having such a blast with each other. I think that these photo capture some of their signature looks. Seth in the first 2 pictures, Sam in last 3.

.

Vacation to the Beach

This past weekend we were able to get away just the four of us (our first time vacationing just our immediate family). Our next door neighbors have a house in Rockaway and they graciously offered it to us for free! While the weather wasn't great, we did get to play some in the sand. The boys also had a blast exploring a new house and playing in puddles in the back yard.

Love the furrowed brow! Sam, Seth

Sam was very possesive of this toy the whole trip

Since Saturday afternoon was very rainy, we visited the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We all enjoyed the wonderful icecream!

Sam

Seth

These final pictures are wonderful for two different reasons. First, can you just laugh with me about the decor. This house was huge and very comfortable and homey (and once again, free); however the entire thing screamed 70's. Oh yes: brown paneling, orange and green wall paper, you name it. I spent a lot of time dreaming of how I could redecorate the place! Secondly, our boys LOVE books. They both sit and "read" and use their little pointer fingers to tap the pages. It's so cute! (Seth left, Sam right)

I don't have any pictures of my favorite memory of the trip, but let me tell you a little about it. On the way home, we stopped in a candy shop in Cannon Beach for some salt water taffy. For some reason, the store just thrilled the boys. Perhaps it was all the colors, shapes and textures, or because a lot of the shelves were waist-high for them, but they ran around the store, shrieking out of peer pleasure and pointing to all the goodies. It was adorable! What a fun first candy store experience! We bought the boys nerds (hard to find a candy that's safe for a toddler to eat!) and they smiled every bite they took!

Seth and Sam: 15 months old

Wow, I can't believe that the boys are now 15 months old! We've had a very busy couple of months, and let me tell you: these twins are keeping me running! Ben and I are having a blast watching the boys grow and learn every day. We are also exhausted from them jogging everywhere, climbing everything, and developing wills of their own. Here's some of what Seth and Sam  have been up to lately:
-Saying quite a few words: Dada, Mama, cracker, hot, eye
-Lots of animal noises: meow, ruff, moo, baa, quack, meow
-Doing motions to the song, "The Wheels on the Bus"
-Singing along to Old McDonald, "Eee-iii, eee-iii" (no "o" yet)
-Pointing to lots of body parts
-Mimicing every day tasks such as combing their hair, patting mommy and daddy on the back, stretching with daddy, putting on shoes
-They are obsessed with playing with brooms. I'm really not sure why, but they are. Initially I tried hiding ours because that is all that they wanted to play with (and really, our brooms are gross!) Finally, I gave in, headed to the dollar store and bought them each their own broom.
-They LOVE playing outside. They spend their days exploring dirt, trees, plants, and rocks, and pointing to planes in the sky.
-Seth and Sam have also learned to throw some doozy fits. Yikes. They are arching their back, pushing us away, getting mad when we take something from them, screaming, etc. I'm learning that kids of "good parents" still throw fits, it's just what the parents do about it that matter..
-Our kids stare. When they see a new person, they don't smile and wave. Nope. They stare. In fact, they stare with a sort of scowl. Oh, and sometimes they point. Great.
-At least once a day, I find both boys laying on their backs under the coffee table "exploring". They point their little fingers at things they see and just chat away. It is very special.
-They love playing chase.
-Seth loves to read, and tells quite the stories while he looks at books. A lot of times he looks at pages and cackles. It's so cute.
-Sammy continues to be a daddy's boy and often times cries when Ben leaves in the morning. Both boys stare at the window in the morning as daddy leaves. It's so cute. They are both struggling a little with seperation.

Sam left, Seth right. Then Seth combing Sammy's hair.

Top picture, Seth then Sam, Bottom, Sam then Seth