Happy Halloween!

We had a very eventful Halloween today.  In the morning, the kids went to school and Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Janet got to see the Halloween parade.

The babies made the rounds in the buggy.  This picture was taken before Joey (the monkey) pulled off Mia's peacock hat.


Ian the Pirate led the way for the 3 year olds.


The prettiest peacock.




Ian loved to say "arrrrrrrrrr."






Trick-or-treaters, ready to take on the neighborhood.

Mia took her first steps today!  She has been getting more daring and standing on her own more often and for longer stretches, and today she found her balance then took three steps forward.  She'll be off and running in no time!

Dentist

This morning Ian had his first dentist appointment.  He did really well!

Our dentist's office has bird cages in each treatment room and Ian really enjoyed watching the birds.  He didn't like the tooth brushing so much, but he tolerated it.  His favorite part was the rinse-and-spit sink - he filled the cup about 10 times.  The dentist gave him a bag of goodies with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and an hourglass timer to measure how long he should be brushing.  He got to pick 3 toys from the treasure chest, and the dentist made him a special "balloon" out of a glove and then drew a rooster face above the thumb.  Ian took his goodies to school to show all of his friends.

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday with Grandma and Grandpa Hansroth.  Ian had a great time!

First he got his face painted with a scary spider.


Then he put on his "partner hat" (because cowboys say howdy partner) and went on a pony ride.


We even took a hayride out to the pumpkin patch.

Corn Maze 2012

With one exception, we've visited the Corn Maze in The Plains every October for the last six years!  This year Ian really enjoyed the corn maze, running the whole way through.

Mia checked out the pumpkins.

Driving the tractor

Victory Bridge

Getting ready for the hayride

Ian loves a hayride!

11 Months

Mia is 11 months old!  She was a happy girl on Tuesday when we took these pictures, but today is a different story.  She was sent home from school early today with a high fever and she looks miserable.  I hope she feels better in the morning.



At 11 months, Mia is busy all the time.  She has learned to stand by herself for a few seconds at a time, and she stands longer every day.  I'd bet she's walking before her birthday.  She can say "uh oh" but usually she says it after she's thrown something on purpose, so we need to work on context.  If you pat your head she will say "hat" and if you say hello to her she will reply with "hi" or "hola."  She's very independent and will let you know if you make her unhappy.  She wants to play with whatever her big brother has, a preference that is pretty unpopular with her big brother.