The Boys' First Pumpkin

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, neither Jason nor I have ever (personally) carved a pumpkin. I'm sure our parents did, but not being the artistic sort, we've always left our pumpkins uncarved - if we've even purchased one. BUT, being parents makes you do new things, so Jason broke out a sharpie and one of my new Forever Sharp paring knives and headed outside for a time of father-son bonding and adventure.

Jason displaying his outline, with some uncertainty:

Precision and focus are key:

"Hey, I think I can do this!"

Where is JP during this father/son bonding time, you ask? Well, cutting into a pumpkin wasn't near as exciting as sitting by the road to watch the cars pass:

He still kept an eye on Daddy, albeit from across the yard:

Like a moth to a flame...literally:

Fascinated by the fire:

INTRODUCING (insert drumroll here)...The First Loscalzo Family Pumpkin!

There were no cuts, burns, curse words, tantrums, blood or tears. I'd call that a success!

Mr. Pivot and the Bouncing Boys

Luke is about to take off crawling...as soon as he figures out how to lift himself onto his knees. Until then, he is getting around the room quite efficiently with a combination of rolling and belly pivots. I caught him spinning on his belly a few days ago, but since I shot this video, he has gotten a lot quicker! I think we have another "gross motor" kid on our hands!

Not one to miss out on some fun, JP pulled up his Rody pony next to Luke's jumperoo to enjoy some brotherly bouncing.

Boo at the Zoo

While Jason is away playing Virginia Tech today, JP, Luke and I made our way to Stoneham, MA, to visit the Stone Zoo with our friends, Alison, William and Evelyn. Sadly, because of a frazzled mommy traveling with two kids and poor GPS directions, we ended up being over an hour late - but we were finally able to catch up with our friends to take in some wild animal viewing.

JP and Will had a blast holding hands, yelling, laughing, running and throwing leaves. I think they noticed a monkey and maybe a bear, but other than that, they were just content to be outside. (Let's hope they are always this easy to please!) The Zoo was hosting "Boo at the Zoo" with a scavenger hunt, treats and other special activities, none of which we participated in, LOL! Although, JP and Will did enjoy a couple snacks from the trick-or-treat tables.

Sidenote: Why is it that my picky-eating child will open a tootsie roll and pop it in his mouth without hesitation after never seeing one before, yet when I present him with some chicken or God-forbid a vegetable, he won't even taste it? Is it the wrapper? Should I wrap up a carrot with a pack of M&M's? Will he try it then? Can a two-year-old suffer from only ingesting peanut butter and jelly for a year? I digress...

Here are a couple pictures from the day :)

Checking out a "big kitty cat":

Will loves the camera:
The tiger was getting some sun:
Holding hands while exploring:

Yelling is HYSTERICAL:

Rainy Day Fun

Wednesday was rainy, so I needed to think of something new to occupy JP indoors after nap time. After some thinking, I grabbed a sheet and showed him how to make a tent! He loved it, and even invited Luke to play inside his secret quarters..

Who's in there???
Peek-A-Boo!!!
Looks like Mickey Mouse was also granted admission into the fortress!

Ward's Berry Farm

Last weekend, the four of us went to Ward's Berry Farm in Sharon, MA, to pick out a pumpkin. Jason and I have never-in-our-lives carved our own pumpkin...stay tuned for those pictures, lol. At this particular farm, they have some 4-H animals you can feed. JP is an animal lover, so he was thrilled.

He didn't even mind the goat slobber on his hand!

Enjoying the Beautiful Weather

Yesterday, the boys and I took a walk around the neighborhood. It's not the exercise I used to get while pushing the stroller because, now, JP wants to get out and walk himself...you can imagine how my 30 minute power-walk turns into a 90 minute exploration of leaves, rocks, drainage grates, lawnmowers, squirrels, cars, trucks, a "sleeping" frog on the pavement...

You get the picture!

But, it started out like this:

Luke, like his big brother, LOVES being outside, so he was thrilled to just ride along and observe :)

Preschool and iPads

Last month, J.P. started Junior Preschool! He goes M-W-F for three hours from September till May. We enrolled him in an attempt to encourage his speech development. We're hopeful that being immersed with his peers will give him some confidence and help him to talk more. So far, he is loving it! He happily goes into the classroom when I drop him off and runs for Luke (not Mommy) when I pick him up each day. The teachers seem warm and loving, and that's what's most important to me. :)

Here is the best picture I could get of him before his first day of school:
With J.P. in preschool, Luke and I have some alone time together. Luke can be the smiliest, sweetest baby in the world...as long as you are in his face and engaging him. Leave the room? Experience the wrath! I think we definitely have a social boy on our hands here. He's been rolling from front-to-back since he was three days old, but around three months began rolling from back-to-front. Lately, he's been putting his rolling skills in sync in order to move around the room. This child does NOT want to be a baby!

At his four month check-up last week, he weighed in at 16.25 pounds, two solid pounds more than what J.P. weighed at four months. He's in 6-9 month clothes, and some of the 6 month clothes are a little too small. Definitely gets that from his mama! ;)

Like I mentioned, he's a social boy. While J.P. is in school, we run lots of errands (so much easier with one child!) and Luke always flashes his fabulous smile to any stranger who peers into his stroller. It's funny, the little old ladies always make comments like "he must know I'm a grandma" or "awww, I've still got the touch!"...I never mention that Luke would smile at a dead body so long as he could see it's face. HAHAHA!

Here's Luke hanging out on the couch:

Jason bought me an iPad for Christmas. I've used it a couple times :/.... and this is why:

If you're wondering what you are looking at, it's J.P. in his "tent," playing on the iPad. He has more applications and games on it than I do! When I go to use it, the battery is always low. Haha! (okay, so he doesn't play with it all the time, but he sure does love it on rainy days).