Week of Firsts...

Twins slept in their OWN cribs...exciting and sad all at the same time.

We can clearly say that the room is full :)
Andrew

Isaac

First snowfall of the season and Sean is over the moon!

Today we woke up to a covering of snow and school cancelled (for kids, that is).

He is trying to talk me into letting him outside to play.

It is only 7:30am...

First Tooth!

After a lot of work, drooling and chewing on anything and everything, Andrew's first tooth has finally broken through! So sweet to see the little ruffles :) He is so proud and loves to rub his tongue over it, and that makes for great pictures.

Isaac is now rolling around rooms! He is proud of himself, too! I used to be able to put him in one spot and know he'd still be there, those days are no longer. He also loves to stay up late and cuddle with me. Here are some pictures from last night.

Sean loves to be outside! He wakes up wanting to go out and play, and I have to tell him "no!" It is still dark out and we are in our pajamas...not good enough, but he concedes knowing he can go out after breakfast. A neighbor lady is letting him borrow a rake for the season, and he is in hog heaven!

We can't wait to see our family and friends this weekend! Sean packed himself on Monday...

Molly and Nick's Visit...

We had so much fun with Molly and Nick when they came up last weekend! We waited up for them to arrive, anxiously watching out the door for their car to pull up. It was fun to see them and catch up a bit before heading to bed.

Saturday started out with a flat tire for Nick and Molly...they came out of their hotel to find it was completely flat! So, Nick started his day on the cold ground changing his tire...turned out to be just a nail that was able to be patched. Note to self...Tires Plus in Duluth is not the place to go for customer service...

We decided to check out a Fall Festival close by. It was a fun kid place with a hay-barrel maze, corn pit, face painting, mini donuts, hay rides, and pumpkin patch. Sean had a blast with each activity and LOVED the face painting the most! We were surprised, as the line was long and we almost didn't do it! He couldn't stop checking himself out in the mirror! He was careful not to touch it, and he would show it off to everyone he met :) It lasted for most of the day, and he was very disappointed to see it wearing off before his bath. I think that has to be part of our Halloween costume some how!

We bravely took all the kids to Old Chicago for a late lunch of very yummy pizza. 2pm is the time to go! The place was quiet and the babes were good. We ended the day making our "pumpkin with fire in it," as Sean says :) We got help from the pros, as Nick and Molly enjoy carving their pumpkins every year.

We ended our weekend with them at the park by the lake. Sean got to show off his "skills," and we all got to enjoy the beautiful weather once more. The time went too fast! Thanks for making the trip!

Otherwise, the "colds" have hit our house pretty hard. We are hoping to get over it soon. Hope you are all healthy and happy. Can't believe it is already October!

A little of this, a little of that...

Andrew fell asleep eating.

Sean helped feed Isaac.

Preschool is fun!
Sean's new favorite treat...rootbeer floats!
Climbing trees is a blast! Braeden taught him how :)

Routines are a necessity in our life. Without them, we are lost, crabby, tired, and miserable! We spend our mornings doing a variety of different things;

1. I make sure I am up, showered, and ready to go before 8am...I know, I know, luxury right?! If you only knew...
2. I like to start Sean's daily Preschool by 9am. He only lasts about an hour, so I have a lot to squeeze into that time. We work on the alphabet, numbers, cutting, coloring, painting, songs and much more! He is so smart!
3. Next, it is time to get out of the house. This is where our "variety" comes in every day. Sometimes we take a nice long walk. Other days, we can be found at Barnes-n-Noble for story/activity hour. We like to meet our friends at the parks, and occasionally we'll meet at the McDonalds that has a play place. That is a special treat :) Of course, we can be found at Target or Cub sometimes, too.
4. We try to have lunch completed by 1pm and off for naps and rest time. The twins do a great job napping. I love listening to them "talk" to each other as they are settling down. Sean has a rest time. He gets to pick out a movie and watch it in my room. He loves this and sometimes even falls asleep! That's when I get to pick up, switch laundry, pay bills, check the mail, and sit for 5.
5. Then the movie is over, and we start to play again. While the babes are sleeping, Sean likes to go out back and play. He will climb trees, play in the sand, make piles of leaves, and get dirty.

Then daddy comes home and our evening starts...which is full of more routines...

Hope your days are fun and full of excitement!

And for those of you that are wondering...the Y parking went much better this week! 3rd times a charm :)

Bananas...

It is official, all three kids love bananas!

Yesterday I decided it was time to jazz up the twins' mealtime and add bananas along with their rice cereal. They loved it! I can't get them the next bite quick enough, so cute! Still hard to believe they are old enough to eat baby food! Time goes by way too fast.

Sean likes his bananas cut up in his cereal like his parents. Imagine...Cookie Crisp cereal with sliced bananas, doesn't it sound fabulous?! Cutie pie!

Week 2 at the Y...

The YMCA went much better today for Sean. I didn't stay to "watch" his gym time. Instead, I walked the track and only watched his swimming. They bumped him up a level at swimming, so that was encouraging. Note to self: remind him that he can put his face in right away! He looked like a little puppy swimming across the pool for the first half :)

Parking has been a different story though. The Y is in downtown Duluth, so they "let" you park in the Holiday Inn parking ramp for free. Well, here is how the last 2 times have gone parking there.
1. Last week, without knowing, I went up the down ramp and never got a parking ticket. When leaving I realized my mistake and was laughing at myself telling the old gal at the pay booth. She didn't think it was funny and charged me $6.50 for a lost ticket. I tried to explain it was a mistake...as I didn't think I should have to pay and showed her my Y pass...no go. I paid up begrudgingly.
2. Today, I went up the ramp the right way and got my parking ticket. When leaving, I handed her my ticket and showed my Y pass totally expecting to go. Nope...needs to be validated at the Y! Are you kidding me?! I was never told this, and I will do it next time. She wanted to charge me, but I didn't bring my wallet so I got away this time. So frustrating!

Hope you all have sunshine. It was raining here earlier, but now it is beautiful out. We'll be heading out to take a walk/bike ride when everyone gets up.

YMCA and more...

Isaac and Andrew sporting new duds :)
Sean (far left) at first Y swimming.
They made all the kids wear the floaty, he didn't need it and proved it to his teacher :)

Sean playing games in the gym.

We had our very first YMCA experience today...

He loved it! They played games in the gym for the first 30 minutes. I thought the games were a little hard and confusing, but he will catch on. Today, he was the kid just running around with a huge smile on his face :) Then they hit the pool for the last 30 minutes. He was able to show off his new swim skills. I got to watch from the observation window...hard not to be right there, but it was super fun to watch him interact.

The twins have been sporting their new outfits from Nana! They look so cute! Thanks, Mom. They are just perfect!