Kenzie actually started signing food one day and hasn't stopped. Seriously, she is like a bottomless pit.

Going in Circles...

Makenzie loves the fact that she can go from the living room to our bedroom to the bathroom and back:

Making cookies

Manny decided that he wanted to sleep in the pack-and-play with Kristian. I can't remember exactly what they were doing in this picture, but I think Kristian was running around the pack-and-play and Manny was trying to tag him.

Then they calmed down and Manny read Kristian a story. (Kristian is pointing at his Pumpkin book on the floor, apparently there was room for one more book).

Shhh...don't tell Christine!

I am not quite sure how it happened or how it started (I am pretty much sure that it started with Manny), but anyway at some point right before lunch an apple fight broke out in my kitchen.

Please don't tell Christine I let Manny and Kristian throw apples at each other (they are 2 and 3, they didn't actually hit each other or come close to hitting each other for that matter) until I could take a picture.

Not so fond of Elmo

Kristian was not a big fan of the Elmo chair that vibrates and giggles. He would stare it down, sit down on it, jump up and then glare at it again.

Playing with Kristian

We had the opportunity to have Kristian come over for the day while Christine was at work. I think both Makenzie and Kristian had a great time.

Checking out the fish:


Going to Walmart:

Relaxing with Mama

Playing Together

Sometimes the kids surprise me and actually play nicely together for a little while. They both enjoy playing with Lego's and they probably spend at least a couple of hours a day playing with them. It is surprising how Kenzie can even stick the Duplo blocks together (she is slightly determined).

First snowfall this year

Last weekend Manny looked out the window and was so excited to see that we had "a lot of snow Mama" (a light dusting) and decided that he should run around the driveway in circles:

Building with Daddy

After going to Manny's preschool Open House last week, Joe decided to make Manny a peg board so that he could make shapes with elastics. Manny played with this "station" for a long time and now plays for it for at least 45 minutes at a time.

Of course, Makenzie had to get in on the building fun:

Determination

At Chuck E. Cheese's Makenzie was determined to climb up on the equipment all by herself. She actually growled/snorted at me if I tried to help.

Here she is pulling herself up over the steps:


Turning around to say, "See, Mama I did it all by myself!"



Trying to figure out how to get down the slide:

I didn't help her down, but I was ready to catch her if I needed to.


She made it down the slide, but now is trying to go back up!

Chuck E. Cheese's

Of course, we couldn't go to Portland without a stop at Chuck E. Cheese's. We actually didn't tell Manny about CEC's, but we happened to be going to Target and went by CEC's and Manny shouted from the back of the car, "Hey, Mama, Sarah is that Chuck E. Cheese's?". So we had to tell him. It was a long 24 hours until we finally made the trip to the "Big C"

Visiting Uncle John, Aunt Carol and Sarah

We had a very fun three days visiting with Uncle John, Aunt Carol and Sarah while we were visiting Ben. Manny always gets so excited when he knows that he is going to Portland and this was no exception!

Manny and Makenzie relaxing in Uncle John's chair:

Manny sitting with Sarah

Reading with Uncle John:Some "big boy" reading:

Visiting with Ben

Since Ben was on his "vacation" from the Navy before going to Italy, we had to go visit. The kids loved being able to hang out with Ben (I think Ben enjoyed the visit too).

Ben and Manny:

Uncle John and Chris

GG and Makenzie

Ben, Manny and GG

Two Airplanes!

Manny and Makenzie (with help from Uncle John and Uncle Phil) flying through the air!

The new Fix-It Man uniform

In an effort to totally encourage using the bathroom, occasionally we allow Manny to wear just his underwear in the house.

When Joe had to go to the basement, Manny (of course) wanted to go down with him. However, he had to put his headlight on!

Potty Training Update

Manny has officially been dry for almost two weeks! He has only had one accident (when he was so excited to go to Uncle John's house that he didn't want to stop to go to the bathroom!).

He has even decided to wear underwear to bed (and not pull-ups). The first night I was really nervous, but in the morning he was dry and he had peed in his potty in the middle of the night. He had "footy" pajamas on and couldn't figure out how to get them back up (they had twisted under his feet) so in the morning he woke up with pajamas down around his feet.

Manny Says...

Piggy Bank Ride=Piggy Back Ride

Dance Team Bears= Berenstain Bears

Hurray!

On Tuesday morning, November 11, 2008 Manny decided to give potty training a go-on his own accord. He woke up and said, "Mama, I have to pee on the toilet.". I looked at him in disbelief and followed him into the bathroom.

My jaw dragged on the floor as I saw him drag his stool over to the toilet, take his diaper off, lift the toilet seat and proceed to pee...in the toilet.

I have never done a "pee dance", but I did that morning.

As of today he is trying his best to use the toilet and has only had a few misses. This makes me smile from ear to ear....Manny too.

The thought of not having to buy small packages of size 6 diapers for huge amounts of money makes me smile from ear to ear too.

So if you see Manny, please congratulate him on his many successes!

Veteran's Day parade

We met Christine, McKayla, Kristian downtown for the Veteran's Day parade where we also met up with Nicolle, Carly and Johannah. The kids had fun time playing and were really good and loved the parade.

Grampa and the Shrine Band playing in the parade. Grampa is in the back on the right playing the trumpet.

Kristian, McKayla, Johannah, Carly (I think, hopefully I got it right!), Manny, Makenzie

Johannah, Carly, McKayla, Manny and Kristian:
PS I will always be grateful for this doorway that allowed Manny to go pee in the potty...just in case you are wondering this is the first day of potty training and Manny has been dry all day and gone to the bathroom 4 times as of 1:30pm! woohoo!!!

Makenzie: