Trying out Three

Jude turned 3 last week and it was incredibly fun to celebrate him on his special day. Birthday traditions of waking up to decorations, a present right away, and a special breakfast kicked off his day.

"There are numbers on my door, Mommy! They are threes. I am three. Three comes after two."

After planning a carnival party, Jude began telling me and anyone who would ask (or listen, for that matter...) that he was having a "Mike Wazowski" party. So for his family party, he got one. Together, we baked and decorated cupcakes with purple icing, sprinkles, googlie-eyed monster toppers. He picked it all out and helped every step of the way. It was so easy to make his day.

Oh Jude, Jude, Jude. You crazy kid. You are have a zest for life and and are full of joy. You are so very silly and pretty smart too. We can't forget to mention your stubborn streak, your flair for drama, and your grumpy moods.

You know what you like and you know what you want. You are great with words, numbers, and even manners. When you remember.  You do not like to be patient and often forget to listen. You have sent the "terrible twos" out with a bang....by unrolling the TP (for the umpteenth time!)...and are already testing out the "trying threes."

You have a smile that is contagious and love to talk talk talk. Most of your toddler-ese is gone, but a few cute words remain like kumkins (pumpkins), efalent (elephant), fank you (thank you), copcorn (popcorn), soup prize (surprise). I love the way you correct me if I use one of your old toddler-ese words like PooPooPanda (Kung Fu Panda). You can't stand it if I mess it up.

You adore and copy everything Eli does.....good or bad, but still don't really want much to do with Jonah. You don't like it when he touches you, drools on you (or your things), or play with your toys. You will try to shush and calm him if he's fussing. I love the way you go over and pat Jonah's head and sing to him.

Thank you for keeping us laughing and keeping us on our toes. You are a delight, and too cute for your own good. We love you and are so blessed to have you as our middle man.

Happy Halloween

Better late than never....

Halloween was, as expected, a lot of fun. I figured last year was our final year of coordinating costumes, but I lucked into another year. Both Eli and Jude wore the same turtle costumes as babies, and I figured Jonah would too. Eli has had his heart set on a ninja since last year. And then it hit me....ninja....turtle....ninja + turtle = Ninja Turtles! Yes! It was an easy sell to the boys. They were all in. We decided store bought TMNT costumes were no good and set out to make our own. They turned out pretty great. The boys were pleased which means Mommy was pleased. That is all that matters.

It is always a mad dash to get everyone costumed, photographed, and in the car to go meet up with our trick-or-treating crew. Our fierce, yet adorable, Ninja Turtles were ready for action....

Leonardo!

Donatello!

and Raphael!

Cowabunga Dude!! (totally Eli's idea for a picture)

The Harvards hosted us all this year and our group continues to grow each year. And if you are looking for Jude, you won't find him....he would not leave the toys to come be in the picture. There would have been a massive meltdown, so I was totally cool with him skipping out on the photo. 

From there, we hit the road and started ringing door bells. 

Jude joined the rank of a pro this year and was so sweet. Sometimes he would forget to say thank you and would proceed to go knock on the door again. 

"Fank you! Happy Halloween!!" Serious cuteness. He was slow and couldn't keep the pace of the big kids, but he didn't mind one bit.

Eli ran with the big kids and got more than double the amount of candy Jude got. 

It was a good night. Both boys are still talking about it and are already....yes that is right, already looking foward to next Halloween.

'Twas the Days Before Halloween

Soooo behind. Trying to catch up a bit, but things have been crazy with a certain middle boy turning 3 this week. It is party central around here, but I can't share all of that until I take care of Halloween. And because I'm so far behind, I'm going to hit the highlights and share a buncha pix. Nothing fancy. I'm sure no one will mind.

We made sure to cram in as much last minute Halloween and fall fun as we could. I was a little late to the party this year, but I eventually found my Halloween spirit.

Friday night, Eli's school had a Fall Festival and it was really a lot of fun for the boys. The weather had turned a little chilly making it feel appropriately fall-ish. You could wear your costumes, but I didn't want the boys to wreck the homemade projects by running around before the big night, so I just did fun hair for them and homemade Halloween shirts from years past.

Saturday, it was a gorgeous day so we checked out a nearby farm that had a corn maze, a corn pit, more pumpkins, and lots of fun animals to see. The boys loved the baby bunnies. It was hard to drag the boys away, but Jonah's naptime was calling.

Sunday, we were the party hoppers going from our annual tradition of pumpkin carving at the Pope's to a haunted house party with the Coopers. This was the first time the boys wore their Ninja Turtle costumes that turned out great. Lots of cuteness, friends, and fun.

While the little brothers were napping on Tuesday afternoon, I set Eli free to carve his own pumpkin. He picked out the perfect pumpkin, drew his own design, and was thrilled to do his thing. It was hard....but I only helped when he asked me to help. I loved watching him work and stick out his tongue while concentrating. Just like his daddy. His pumpkin turned out great!

On Wednesday, Jude was supposed to dress up for his Mom's Morning Out class. Again, I didn't want his Donatello costume to be wrecked, so we raided our costume bin, and he chose a fire fighter. On Halloween, he was supposed to dress up for story time at the library, so we hit the costume bin again. This time Jude chose a pirate. It was perfect and just comfy enough to do gymnastics in too.

The fun was just beginning as we had to hurry back from gym to pick up Eli and get ready for an amazing night of trick-or-treating with friends.

Something About Pumpkins

If you know me, you know I have a thing for pumpkins. I like pretty much every thing about them. True story. (Yes, I even like the way the guts feel...) I have been feeling a little bit "Scrooge-like" about Halloween this year. I was slower to decorate, unmotivated to get costumes together, didn't cook any pumpkin treats, and have only had a couple pumpkin spiced lattes. I know. So not me.

I did manage to get my act together and got the boys to the pumpkin patch for some pictures. It definitely brightened my spirits and got me a little more in the mood. And as usual, I took too many pictures. I can't help it....there is just something about pumpkins.

Eli is a pro these days. He knows just how to work those pumpkins. It only takes a few shots to get a good one, or two, or more!

Jude loves, and I do mean LOVES, "kumkins" (a.k.a. pumpkins) almost as much as his Mama...and he tells me so. He loves to touch each one, will hug them, and even kiss them. Such a cheesy kid. So great.

It was Jonah's first trip to see the pumpkins, and he was not so sure what all the fuss was about. He was overwhelmed and over it pretty quickly.

Each boy got to pick one out, and we all headed home happy....

....and tired.