Pictures galore

Besides losing all of the contents on my hard drive (!!), I have had trouble with uploading pictures to my blog.  Apparently I've used up my quota of free space or something, but if you make your pictures small enough it doesn't count against you...bottom line is more work for me to upload pictures here.  Anyway, I have a ton of pictures from both my phone and computer to share, and it uploaded them in a very random order and I'm too lazy to sort them all out.  So, this post is sort of all over the place!

Hunter recently went out of town for a week so the kids and I found ways to keep busy.  We went to Harvey's Groves and got this huge bag of "#2's" (blemished oranges) for just $11.  They had been picked earlier that morning, and this was around 10:30 AM.  It was cool for the kids because they got to see all of the trucks being unloaded and stuff.

Riverwalk Park in Rockledge...so pretty.  We also enjoyed the nature center there with turtles and tons of fossils, snake skins, feathers, etc. for kids to look at.

One day we had a picnic at Riverfront Park in Cocoa

This later resulted in a "picnic" at home

This is how I found Eleanor's toys one day after quiet time.  I wonder who won this battle?

We made a popcorn chain for the Christmas tree one day when Eleanor stayed home sick.  Correction: I made a popcorn chain and the kids ate popcorn.  I was surprised by how much they liked stovetop popcorn with no butter or anything added.  I was hesitant to give Arthur any at first because I was afraid of him choking, but he did great.

Arthur got a pretty serious haircut today!  It's a bit shorter than I would like, but I know it will grow back quickly!

We got Poinsettias for a few of our neighbors and Eleanor decorated the pots with stickers.  Today we delivered a couple of them and hope to do the other 2 tomorrow.

He would *NOT* wear this hat for a recent photo shoot, but apparently he likes to wear it on walks!

Eleanor made this Christmas tree out of an ice cream cone and frosting at MOPS.  She was so excited about it!

Little Chef Arthur (this is from about 2 weeks ago)

Hunter made them a cave with the couches

I had a great helper with my Christmas cards 

She stamped almost all of my cards

Arthur got his own set of "stamps"

He LOVES wearing these antlers!  Also, we were at a friend's house recently and I found him wearing antlers that he had found and put on by himself.  So funny!

Helping me make buckeyes just like I used to help my mom make at Christmas time

She found the empty bag of powdered sugar when I wasn't looking

On another neighborhood walk, complete with reindeer antlers

Eleanor likes to collect acorns on our walks to "give to the squirrels"

Attempting to lift weights like Daddy

November fun

I recently posted a picture of Arthur sleeping where it looks like he's swimming  Maybe now he's dreaming of running?

Picnic in the park!

On the train at the zoo

This ended up being a much longer ride than it's supposed to be because one of the camels was on the tracks and would NOT move away!

Taking care of animals at the zoo.  She weighed him, measured him, listened to his heart and lungs, gave him a shot, gave him medicine, and sucked the snot out of his nose.  What a good little vet in training.

Somebody likes to talk on the (pretend) phone!

At the park

Close up of Eleanor's cheek.  In the words of her gymnastics teacher, it "made contact with the balance beam."  Poor girl.

Cousins at dinner together after gymnastics

Catching up

I've had some of these pictures for a while now, but finally posting...

Helping Mama take out some trash

Look who fell asleep on a walk

Arthur "helping" me with the dishwasher

I gave Eleanor a toy catalog and a crayon and told her to circle the things she might like for Christmas.  She went through every page - dolls, blocks, kitchen stuff, etc. - and didn't circle anything until this page.  She looked at the pirate ship and said, "I LIKE this!"  Then she picked out a few dinosaur things too.

I'm not even sure which recent trip this is from, but it cracks me up.  Maybe he's dreaming about swimming?

Eleanor had a little Thanksgiving party in her class yesterday.  They were all wearing their turkey headbands and turkey tshirts when we walked in and they sang this little song.  Eleanor told her teachers that her turkey headband  has red, white, and blue feathers because "turkeys are from the United States."

(Excuse the hair in her face...I was experimenting with a headband but apparently that doesn't work well.)

Happy Halloween! (updated)

Bad photography, but cute of her

They're actually both looking at the camera at the same time!

Yeah, this is more like it.

And an update with more pictures...

TERRIBLE lighting, but you can see Eleanor's dilophosaurus costume in all its glory.

Also, you'll notice our GIANT pumpkin!  We didn't get around to going to the pumpkin patch until Halloween, and when I started to pay for a smaller one (all of the cash I had on hand), the guy said we could have whichever pumpkin we wanted.  Eleanor, of course, picked the biggest one she could find.

She was so proud of her costume and her pumpkin!

("I do not want it to have a nose because jack-o-lanterns do not usually have noses.")

Failed attempt at a sibling costume shot.  I think they were done with pictures for the day.

Arthur's a puppy, by the way.  I got lazy and didn't feel like making a second costume.

Arthur was not a big fan of the hoodie.

October fun

The past few weeks around here have been a little rough.

Eleanor had pneumonia

(and we've all been sick at some point)

I broke my toe

Our dryer stopped working, though thankfully Hunter was able to fix it (along with his little helper).  We just had to buy a new part.

Arthur got a new tooth and is working on two more.  Notice the drool.  :)

It's so strange to me that he's working on teeth #11 and 12, and at this age Eleanor only had 2 teeth!

But in the midst of it all, we've had lots of fun!  My babies sure are growing up - Arthur is now tall enough at 12 months that he can reach stuff on top of the kitchen counter.  This might get dangerous.  ;) And Eleanor says and does things every day that surprise me and show how mature she is getting.  The sweetest thing she has done lately is to try to calm her brother when he's upset.  Sometimes when he's fussy and I can't go to him right at that minute Eleanor goes and sits with him.  She'll say something like, "It's okay Arthur, I'm here," and it always works!  He never cries if she's sitting with him.  I love her caring, sensitive side.

Arthur LOVES to give snuggles!

The kids have enjoyed their skeleton pajamas, especially the glow in the dark part

Arthur loves to help me rinse off Eleanor's hair

 

"We are stirring up trouble pancakes!"

Now that the dryer is fixed, Arthur likes to help me load it.

Arthur was messing around with this chair and getting *really* frustrated.  I finally figured out what he was trying to do and helped him sit down in the chair.  He was THRILLED!

Getting ready to leave the house to go to "Trunk or Treat" at our church.  She was sooooo excited!

(And she looks SO grown up to me in this picture!)

Green dilophosaurus costume on!  The ridges look more like ears from this angle and you can't see the tail, but you get the idea.  Most people knew she was a dinosaur, and one other mom whose son has a similar obsession even knew which kind she was!