JP's First Time Ice Skating

JP LOVES watching hockey on television, and lately he's been pretending to "skate" around on the carpet. So, I asked him the other day if he wanted to put skates on his feet and go ice skating. He said "YES!"

So, off we went to an ice rink a few miles away to see if he'd actually try skating. He has a stubborn streak (must be from his dad :) ), so I was prepared for him to completely refuse to put the skates on and go back home. He was a little hesitant to put them on at first, but once they were on, he was ready to go.

Jason stayed with Luke on the sidelines, and I put skates on to help JP. I was shocked at how well he did. He actually kept his balance on the blades while I held one of his hands and pulled him around. He went through a few minutes of falling on the ice, because he thought it was hysterical, but my back was breaking!! Then, we picked up one of these little plastic things that kids can push to help them learn.

Once he got on one of these, he didn't want me touching him anymore. He was walking/skating, and getting his bearings on the ice by himself. I was so proud of our little coordinated guy!!!!

I think we're going to have to buy this boy some skates!

This was all on Monday. It's Wednesday and he WILL NOT let us take off his little paper bracelet from the ice rink. I think it's going to have to fall off...

LaRae's Visit

My cousin, LaRae, visited us a few weeks ago. She left her chaotic household in Ohio to join my chaotic household for a long weekend. Since she has four little ones, our house *might* have been a little less crazy than what she's used to. I hope she at least got some sleep :)

We took one day to drive North to Rockport and take in the Fall colors and the coast - and of course, all the trendy, little shops the town boasts. LaRae wheeled-and-dealed with a local artist and scored four original paintings for her daughters' bedroom (well, two of them were for the girls) - I'm sure they will be thrilled with their fancy bedroom once it's finished.

Here are some pictures from the weekend...

Rockport:

On our way home, we stopped at the Westwood Tot Lot to run off some extra steam:

Luke Has Another Secret...

Because he can't talk (yet), Luke likes to communicate through his clothing:

A Few Pictures

Just a few shots of the boys this morning rolling around on JP's new rug.

Where's Waldo?


Where's Waldo #2?

Time for the Buckles

I think it's time we buckle Luke into the bouncy chair:




Please ignore the room's disarray...

Trees Down, Lights Out

Saturday, we experienced our first Nor'Easter of the season. What's a Nor'Easter? Who knows! All I know is that it rained and SNOWED in October...unacceptable! Our power was out for almost 24 hours, which wouldn't have been a huge deal except it was cold outside and we didn't have heat (or hot water for a shower) ... so it got a little hairy. We almost booked a hotel room when the power came back on. Thank Goodness!!

Lots of trees were knocked down - one of our neighbors' car was smashed - and I believe there are some areas in Massachusetts and New Hampshire that still don't have power. Our subdivision in Alabama had the right idea by burying all the power lines underground. We never lost power there, even through the hurricanes.

Luke and I hung out by the fire to stay warm while JP napped:

Here's how our backyard made out:

We are very fortunate they didn't hit the house...they don't look that heavy, but they are!

Happy Halloween

Because of a storm Saturday, our town decided to postpone trick-or-treating until Thursday night because some people are still out of power and there are fallen trees all over the place - lame, IMHO. This Thursday BC plays Florida State, so Jason won't be home, so we ventured out to Dedham, a neighboring town, to let JP do some candy collecting with Daddy present.

He was NOT thrilled to put on his Frankenstein costume, despite my efforts to find a minimally invasive costume. I knew he wouldn't wear a mask or anything like that, so when I found this Frankenstein costume was nothing more than a lightweight felt top and bottoms, I thought he wouldn't notice. WRONG! I think we have the most particular 2-year-old there is! But, with some Kit Kat bribery and distractions, we got him suited up and headed out.

The first couple houses, he tried to push pass the people and walk IN! hahaha! The next couple houses, he wanted to stand on their porch and eat the candy they gave him right then and there. By about the sixth or seventh house, he was getting the hang of it and even shouting "THANK YOU!" to the candy givers. He enjoyed trying some new sugary treats but his favorites remain Kit Kats and Hershey Bars. He was on a serious sugar high last night, but after some intense hockey playing, he crashed into his crib without incident.

Come Thursday, the boys and I will hang here and pass out the glowsticks I bought. I hope the neighborhood kids don't think we're lame for not buying candy this year and enjoy the glowsticks! I guess we'll see if our house or cars get egged or not...

Our scary family - Mommy, Daddy, Frankenstein and Frankie Baby:
Take Two:
Not Thrilled:

First House:
Costume Shot:
Leading the Way:
And for fun, JP on the left/Luke on the right: