Our Pumpkins

The kids made their Halloween pumpkins this week.  We don't carve pumpkins yet because the kids don't like to see the "pumpkin guts".  Here is our alternative.

No, he wouldn't smile.

Happy Halloween!!

Blake at 18 Months

Blake had his 18 month check up last week.  With the exception of his bad sleep habits, he is right on schedule developmentally.  He says all sorts of things and some of them you can actually understand!  He is running everywhere and is climbing on everything.  He has a mouthful of teeth and he will bite you!

He weighs 25 pounds, 11 ounces and is 33 and 1/2 inches tall.  His head is 19 inches.  He is 50% for weight, 80% for height and 65% for head. 

Brandt and Campbell did not have 18 month appointments, but had 15 month.  Blake missed his 15 month and had an 18 month catch up appointment.
Brandt at 15 months:
24 pounds, 13 ounces
32 3/4 inches tall
20 inch head

Campbell at 15 months:
24 pounds, 3 ounces
31 1/4 inches tall
18 3/4 inch head

Some things Blake says:  Mama, Daddy, B, Sissy, Stop It, Juice, Bye Bye, Bites (food), Bath, Car, Mine, More (with a half hearted sign), This, Outside, Night Night (which means - No, I don't want to go), Ball

Brandt's First Report Card

Brandt got his first second grade report card this week.  This is the first year that he gets real grades instead of checks.  I was still expecting the checks, so I was pretty shocked to pull it out and see separate grades for each subject instead of checks for each area and concept that he had mastered.  His grades were:
Language Arts (grammar/composition and spelling): 96
Mathematics: 96
Reading: 99
Science: 98
Social Studies: 96
He received an S in Art and Art Conduct, Music and Music Conduct and PE and PE Conduct.

We are very proud of him.  I had a great parent/teacher conference with his teacher a couple of weeks ago.  She is pleased with his progress and very impressed with his reading skills.  He reads above grade level and loves the "Diary of A Wimpy Kid" books.  We bought the rest of the series at the Book Fair and he has been reading them.  He is excited about the new one coming out soon.

The State Fair

Every year we go to the State Fair.  The kids look forward to the rides and the car show.  Mommy and Daddy look forward to the food and the people watching.  It is always a long day of fun.  This year the weather was perfect and we had a great day!

Brandt and I ride the Texas Star every year

Silly flowers!

Giant Blakey!

Real Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders!

B on the big slide

Blake loved the trains

Watching the divers

Feeding the animals

Cow kids!

Blake and the big train

Daddy and B on the log ride

Campbell on the big slide

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9 Years

And one day late.  Yesterday was Will and my ninth anniversary.  I tried to explain anniversary to the kids - It's like a birthday for your wedding.  I don't think they understood it at all.  Campbell was more concerned that we were going to leave her and go somewhere and then wanted to know if there was going to be cake.  No we were not leaving and no there was no cake.  Ironically I think that part of our wedding cake is still in the freezer.  I can't imagine eating it, but it seems like bad luck or something to throw it away.  I guess it will just sit there gathering freezer burn. 

Later in the day I did have to unzip my dress bag for Campbell to inspect my "marry dress" (again) and get down my shoes and let her wear them around for a few minutes.  One day I will probably have to let her put the dress on.  I told her that I was saving it in case she wanted to wear it one day, but she told me she is not getting married because she is going to live with us forever.  I'm going to remind her of that when she is fifteen.

Fall Festival

Campbell's school hosts a fall festival every year.  There are games, bounce houses, a pumpkin patch and lots of fun.  She gets really excited about going.  This year the kids and I went and had a great time.

Blake tries the bounce house

Brandt climbs!

Campbell jumps!

Brandt jumps higher!

Campbell tries to hit the pumpkin's nose

She makes the shot!

Blake does NOT want to play games!

Blake takes the easy way to win the game

Campbell picks a tiny pumpkin

Brandt chooses a huge one!

Today Blake...

Lately my days have been filled with trying to keep Blake out of trouble.  He is so busy and gets into everything!  He finds things that Brandt and Campbell never even imagined existed.  Our bathroom drawers are completely empty because he pulls everything out of them.  The bathroom counter tops are piled high with all of the things that should go in the drawers, but it is all carefully pushed back 12 inches so that he can't reach it.  He grabs the top of the counter and pulls himself straight up and grabs things.  He hangs off the kitchen cabinets like a little monkey, he even pulls out the kitchen drawers to use as a ladder.  I have to use only the back burners to cook because he was stirring chicken with a spatula when he climbed up while I turned my back for a second the other night.  On Tuesday he pushed all the chairs out from under the table and then climbed on one, onto the table and stood on top of the table and screamed because he was excited that he had done it.  I spent all day Wednesday battling to keep him off the table.  This is our bar height breakfast table.  Table he realized we also have a table in the dining room and I found him sitting on it, but the chair had fallen over and he couldn't get down so he was crying.  Most days he really wears me out!  His favorite pastime is pushing the coffee table against the sofa and then jumping from the coffee table to the sofa, where he lands face first, laughing the whole time.  He is fearless.  I can only imagine what he is going to be like when he is a little older!

So What Have We Been Up To?

Where should I start?  I have so many things to catch up on, I'm not even sure where to start.  We have been very busy with school, dance, play dates, the State Fair, tons of other things.  I am trying to catch up on all my posts and I have some really cute pictures to share.  Watch for more soon - the kids are dying to share their Halloween costumes!