Pumpkin Time

The most abundant crop from our garden this year was pumpkins, and boy did we get a lot! Most were orange, but we also had some white and greenish colored ones, too. The boys loved carrying them around and Colby exclaimed, "Punkin!" every time he saw one. We decided to let the boys have fun with their pumpkins, so one cold day we threw on some old t-shirts and did pumpkin painting...

Wyatt spent a very long time on this masterpiece. He usually spends around eight minutes on any given paint project, but he sat for at least fifteen minutes blending colors and swirling them on his pumpkin.

Our other pumpkin porject was the classic jack-o-lantern carving session...

Colby thought the stem was fun to hold. This was about the extent of his help with the pumpkin carving. He spent the rest of the time hopping on the mini-trampoline. Maybe next year he'll get into it more.

 

Wyatt was very interested in the pumpkin carving. While in past years he has been a bit squeamish about the pumpkin's slimy innards, this year he didn't seem to care. He reached right in and pulled out several hands full of seeds and stringy stuff. He also "decorated" the backside of the pumpkin with a magic marker. When he was done, Daddy finished the business of emptying the gourd...

Our little garbage man was on hand with a bag, of course. Once it was full, we dumped it in our new compost bin. Hopefully, next year it will help us grow more pumpkins!

And our final product is one spooky pumpkin, as requested by Wyatt. We put him on our patio table on the deck so we could see him aglow after dark.

We had a great time with our pumpkin crop this year, and we look forward to more fun next fall!

Fire Station Fun

We recently joined some MOMS Club friends on a tour of a local fire station. It was really neat to go "behind the scenes" and see where the firefighters eat, sleep and work. (And despite the expression on Wyatt's face in the photo above, he really did enjoy the tour.)

Of all things, Colby loved playing with this springy hose that was attached to one of the trucks. Wyatt was fascinated with a trash can filled with kitty litter that the firefighters use to absorb oil and gas. Sadly, Mommy didn't get a photo of it, but if you really need to see a photo of Wyatt with a trash can, just scroll down; there are plenty in other posts!

 

The firefighters were so nice and even allowed the kids to sit in the driver's seat of one of the trucks. It was really high, though, and the boys wouldn't get up there without Mommy. 

We had a great tour, but in Mommy's opinion, the firefighters saved the best for last. This particular station was granted possession of a rare piece of history...a piece of steel from the World Trade Center:

 

It was a humbling sight. To stare at this piece of rusted steel and think of where it once was, what it--and all those innocent people--went through, was a powerful moment. We were all reminded of how lucky we are to have another day with our children and our friends. Someday, Mommy wants to take the boys back to the fire station and show them that piece of steel again. It will be an amazing lesson for them.

Thank you to the Fairfield Township Fire Department for all you do and for a great day!

First Haircut

After months of being complimented on how cute our little "girl" is, Mommy and Daddy decided it was finally time to get Colby's hair cut. It was a hard decision--those curls!--and Mommy hemmed and hawed for a good three or four weeks before finally caving in. (Perhaps it was the thirty-ninth time she had to clean applesauce out of his flowing locks that made the decision for her.)

We headed out to our favorite kiddie hair salon, Cookie Cutters, and immediately ordered up an Elmo DVD and the barber chair that looked like a sports car. Mr. Colby was distracted by the DVD for about thirty seconds, and then we got this...

 

Not happy! He sort of decided that he hates wearing smocks, especially smocks with pink unicorns on them. Thankfully, there weren't any other kiddies getting haircuts at that time, so a second stylist was able to come over and distract Colby with bubbles. And the end result looked something like this...

 

Isn't he handsome? He still has some curl to his hair, but there's definitely no more mistaking him for a girl!

Although, he might be mistaken for a certain big brother that he now resembles more closely...

Wordless Wednesday

Three

Wyatt, today is your THIRD birthday! We're so excited to celebrate this special day with you, and of course, Mommy and Daddy can't help but reminisce about the last year. You've grown so much! Here are some of the amazing things you can do:

• go potty in the toilet all by yourself
• play on all the equipment at the park
• ride a tricycle
• use complete sentences (often using six words or more)
• read a few of your books from memory
• open the fridge and get things out of it
• complete jigsaw puzzles with large pieces
• pretend play, including "kitty" and "restaurant window"
• feed yourself

And the list could go on and on. Of course, you have some habits now that we hope don't stick around too long, but most of them are developmental in nature. You want things to stay whole. "Don't cut my sandwich!" is just one example. You also get mad when something you're eating, like a cookie, breaks apart. You plead with us to put it back together, but there are some things even Mommy and Daddy can't fix. You also like to do things by yourself; you want to open doors, put on your clothes, clear your plate after dinner, wash and dry your hands, hold your milk/juice box, etc.

You're getting to be a better big brother every day. If Colby falls down, you often go up to him and say, "Are you okay?" In the car, you share your snack with him without complaint. And the cutest thing is this:  before Colby goes to take his nap or goes night-night, you insist on giving him a hug and kiss. While we know Colby gets on your nerves sometimes, and you often don't like to share toys with him, at the end of the day you love him without a doubt.

Some of your favorite things right now are trash cans (of course!), your mink mink (security blanket), yogurt, bread, apple juice, snack time, art (painting), pushing carts or any wheeled object, being outside, donuts on Sunday morning, Caillou, playing on the iPad, computers, comfy pants, mopping and sweeping the floor, and bugs.

We sure do love watching your personality grow and develop, Mr. Wyatt. You are very curious, often asking question after question about a subject. You are sweet, especially when you cuddle with Mommy in the morning. You are bright, recognizing letters, words and emblems everywhere we go.

If someone had asked us three years ago what kind of son we would want, even our most amazing description could not top you. We love you so much, and we're so thankful that we have you in our lives. Happy Birthday, sweet boy!