Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We stayed home this year and I cooked for our little family. We had turkey (just did a turkey breast), green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, scalloped potatoes, corn, rolls, apple crisp and pumpkin pie!

Cameron tried a little of everything and liked most of it! Carolyn, our usual "good eater" is turning into an "I don't like that" before I try it kind of 3 year old! :) They just have very different motivations. Cameron is souly motivated by dessert! Carolyn likes a sweet here and there, but not enough to try cranberry sauce! But when either of them find something they like... they'll usually have 3 helpings of it - especially Car!

While I cooked dinner this morning (we ate at 1pm) Brett took the kids to a friend/church member's house out in the country where there was a friendly game of mud football going on. I heard it was very muddy! The kids even got some sugar cookies from our friends who live next farm over (Brett and the kids were out looking at the cows and needed to go "potty" - the kids, not Brett!).

Then later in the day, we took a drive in the country. It has been raining the last couple of days so it was pretty to see the fresh country. Now back home for left-overs and pajamas... and then bed! Cameron is excited that Thanksgiving is over because "next is Christmas". They are the right age to "get it" this year. I am just as excited!

Brotherly Love

So I came downstairs after working and find Brett and Cameron in the living room, so I say to Cameron, "where's Carolyn"? He says "she sleeping" and runs me into the family room to this pile of blankets and pillows. He then procedes to tenderly pull the covers up on her - even further over her face and tells me "shhhh".

So I ask Brett if he's seen Carolyn sleeping and he says, "yes, I covered her"... to which I replied, "with all this"? We both smiled at what a sweet boy we have. Cameron spared no expense by covering/placing the arm chair covers, wooden pumpkins & pears, and her drink cup all around her!

School Pictures

Carolyn and Cameron attend a "Mommy and Me" class through a local unified school district. They go once a week for 2 1/2 hours with Mommy or Daddy and it is technically a parent education course. They love to go and paint, do crafts, etc. These are their school photos, taken exactly a week after they turned 3 years old.

Carolyn usually smiles with her teeth, but was so shy on this day. I like the closed mouth shot, she is as sweet as she looks in the picture. And Cameron was sooooo shy too... he never gave up one of his "light up the room" smiles, but it is cute to see the shyness in the photo!

Happy Veteran's Day

This is another one of my favorite holidays... Veteran's Day. Where we can thank and honor all our service men and women. So I thought it fitting to put a picture of Brett's Dad, Reiford, of when he was in the Navy. The kids are getting a kick out of seeing "Daddy's Daddy" - because they've never had the priveledge of knowing him.

Today I took the kids to our local cemetery for a Veteran's Day Ceremony. It was beautifully decorated with flags and uniformed men and women. It started off with a fly-by by our local Estrella Warbird Museum - some WWI & II airplanes - and then a very nice ceremony. We only made through 45 minutes of it... better luck next year!

Mickey & Minnie for Halloween

Carolyn & Cameron were Minnie & Mickey for Halloween this year. We had a "twins club" party, a carnival at our "Mommy & Me" class, and then we went our church's Halloween party. (Not all in the same day!) We had a great time getting dressed 3 times!

Aunt Kali made the costumes! She had them finished and mailed by mid-October... enough time for me to finish the hemming (nothing compared to all the work she did!) But we did laugh, she made Mickey's pant's waist as small as possible... and I still had to take it in about 3 inches! (Wish I had Cameron's waist!) Thanks Kali for making a great holiday!

27 cents

I made 27 cents today doing laundry! The most I ever made was $52.00 and it happened near the beginning of our marriage. Needless to say I never scored that big again, but I did get $27 and $16 at other times! I've gotten smaller change here and there... and any of my own doesn't count!

Thanks Brett, I'll try not to spend it all in one place... what does a postcard stamp even cost these days?!

Last Watermelon of the Year

We got our last watermelon for the season from the town's farmers market. We sure ate a lot of melon this summer!

Sleeping

So once the babes have gone to sleep, we never know quite how or where we might find them. Some people have asked me if I separate them sleeping... I did for their naps (notice I used the past tense), but always had them in the same room at night (at 6 months... and Carolyn kicking Cam in the head was when we moved them from the same crib to separate cribs). But even when they napped in separate rooms they "chirped" to each other. (Chirp in my book is defined as "a high pitched sound produced for the purpose of 'echo' locating and communication". Carolyn still does it!

Occasionally we might find them in each other's bed, but on this night they were together. One time when Car was having a difficult time going to sleep... and much crying, the crying abruptly stopped and I was curious... after I thought it was safe to investigate, I found Cameron in her bed with her, both asleep, and he had his arm around her. They are best friends and I love them so much!

But this picture pretty much sums up "the womb"! I knew Cameron was a boy inside me because he poked me with his elbows all the time... just like someone else I know (Brett!) This is exactly how Brett sleeps... the hands behind the head and the elbows out. Oh, the elbows.

Tonight when I put the kids to bed, I was getting them "roasty toasty" in their covers and I moved Carolyn's legs, turning her away from facing Cameron's bed. She immediately flipped back and said, "Mom, I need to lay this way so I can see Cameron". Did I mention how much I love being their mom!

Pioneer Day Parade

Saturday, October 11th was Pioneer Day in Paso Robles. It is an exciting event here in our town and they have a parade (2 hours!) and a free bean feed at the end. It originated 77 years ago and the bean feed is a tradition. We enjoyed it so much last year that we invited my parents up this year.

We got some good seats and were right up to the street. We brought our blankets (it was chilly!) and our flags. This is my little cowgirl and cowboy!

Cameron absolutely loved the parade and waved at everyone and everything for the whole 2 hours. He was so excited to wear his cowboy boots and hat!

I told Grandma to come dressed in her cowgirl outfit... but she said she "forgot it at home".

Grandpa, however, did bring his western attire and fit right in... though he "forgot his hat at home"... and he really did!

Cameron and Carolyn were just so excited to have Grandma & Grandpa visit. They loved having them there and knowing that they were staying in the guest room. We are glad they came up to visit us too.