couple more...

Here are some pictures I took when John and David were playing around. I should have had the video going, but got some sweet still photos...

Here are some pictures from a dinner party with John's work group,

and a silly one of Isabelle

Happy Thanksgiving! This year we had a quiet day at home. John's sister and Mom came in the afternoon and spent the day with us, which is always a great treat for the kids! We did miss his other sister and brother-in-law, but it was good for the kids to have some one on one time and we were happy to get together with whomever could make it.




We had lots and lots of good food, but the kids were a little too excited to eat very much. After dinner and bath they settled down to read some books and get some quality cuddle time in.

Today I went to the grocery store to shop for Thanksgiving dinner. Taking both of the kids to the store is always an adventure and I have to time it just right to get out of there before David's patience and weariness (because he gets up at 5am every day) causes him to have a big scene at the store. So anyway, needed to buy lots of food and different than the usual list today, which required extra concentration and time so I needed a little leverage. I brought the raisins in a box and some cookies just in case and told the kids that if they were my big helpers while I shopped we could get a balloon at the end.

So all went well, aside from a little pushing in the stupid car cart, and they both got balloons. Very happy little kiddos... until on the way home David squeezed his balloon a little too much or something and, "POP!!!" no more balloon for him. Isabelle immediately goes into her mommy voice. "See David? That's why we don't squeeze our balloons like that 'cause then it pops, " and then mean Isabelle " I'm not going to share my balloon with you... you can't have my balloon."

"Isabelle" I said "you don't have to say that to him."
"But I don't want to share my balloon!"
"And I didn't ask you to and neither did he, but he's sad that his popped and it's not nice to say that you won't share, especially if he isn't even acting like he wants yours."

So we get home and I'm unloading all the groceries, and Isabelle is asking over and over if she can play 'ants in your pants, 'and for some reason, I've had to tell her 12 times to take off her jacket. So I get them all set up and they are playing happily when Isabelle walks over to David and says " I'm sorry I hurt your feelings David, here..." and hands her balloon to him.

My heart melted.

A few days ago we were out at a restaurant, and David was really interested in a lemon which came in our glass of water. So we gave him a slice to play with. He just couldn't stop biting it, and then making his face do all sorts of contortions and shakes. Then he'd smile at us and try another bite. The pictures are a little bit blurry, 'cause I was laughing so much.

Today we went for a quick trip to the Nut Tree Family Park! What fun that was!! The park is pretty small and just perfect for something to do outside on a nice day when you don't want to make it an all day ordeal of driving someplace and then not getting to see everything before you have to rush home for lunch and nap.



They have various rides there and unlike Traintown all but one could be ridden by both kids. We rode the carousel, which was a beautiful reproduction from an 1864 carousel in San Francisco... and it had all different kinds of animals on it and not just horses. Although Belle loves horses, so she rode horses both times we rode.



They had a little train there too that just cruised around the park. My favorite part was when you go through the tunnel and the bubble maker shoots bubbles at you. I think the kids liked that too.



We also rode Rescue vehicles, which are sort of like those rides you used to see outside supermarkets. I think they are still around, and now cost fifty cents instead of five or whatever they used to be. But these rescue vehicles were bright an shiny and had buttons to make authentic sounds and flashing lights! And instead of only being 3 on a turning base there were about 10. This also adds to the noisy fun! Very, very fun, unless you have a headache or a hang-over. We were fortunate enough not to have either one.



Isabelle and John rode the rollercoaster too. David was too small to ride, and I don't think he would have liked it. Isabelle said later that it went too fast and was scary. She's funny about these things though... she didn't seem traumatized by it or anything.



After this we went to a plcae close by to have pizza. They gave us 4 tickets for a free ride so we went back to ride the train. That was a good way to end the afternoon.

Halloween gets to be more fun every year!! Isabelle and David are old enough now that they like dressing up and are less afraid of the other costumes. This year Isabelle was a horse, or rather rode a horse since I couldn't find an actual horse costume; and David was a bear. (That was a costume Isabelle wore a couple years ago.)

We took them to daycare to party with their friends, who were also in costumes, and then they got picked up early from Grandma Jeanne and Dad to trick-or-treat downtown. Davis does a big downtown thing were all the stores hand out candy from about 1-5pm. It's great because they kids get to see a bunch of other costumes and they get candy. Candy is a relatively new treat in our house. The kids really like candy!


After trick-or treating we went home to have Chinese take-out for dinner and then out again to see some of our neighbors. We live in a pretty friendly neighborhood and also one with lots of other kids. Isabelle thought it was really neat to be out walking around at night!

Last weekend, we went to a bounce-house birthday party! It was great fun! The kids always take a little time to get used to all the people, but once they were warmed up... look out! They were bouncing maniacs! Isabelle was very concerned that there might not be cake. I asked her if that's her favorite part of birthdays and she agreed that it was!