This year was great. We had some friends over for dinner and then we passed out candy and went Trick-or-Treating. This year I gave Carter a Halloween catalog of costumes and he decided that he had to be an Angry Bird. (He is obsessed with that game!) My sweet little Archie was a cow--the cutest cow anyone has ever seen! Carter was not a fan of Halloween last year, but this year he was totally excited to get candy and by the end of the night he was definitely on a sugar high! My kids were in great moods, no crankiness, and as of now, we are finally all feeling well after like months of different illnesses! I hope it lasts as the boys' birthday is in 2 weeks! Yay! Photo credit goes to Jesse as my camera broke. Glad I made him take pictures because they turned out so cute!
Cutest cow ever, right?
I think this is my favorite picture from the night. He was so excited!
Halloween pajamas!
The face of a kid who has consumed WAY too much sugar!
Have I mentioned how awesome Carter is? He is just so much fun lately. I can't believe he is almost 3 years old! We are so thankful for his health and how far he has come. He is becoming more grown-up and independent each day... makes me a little sad, but I am so proud of him. Guess that's the emotional rollercoaster of being a parent.
He loves to read (yes, while sitting on the potty)
He is also a master of the art of lyrical improvisation:
Archer loves to shop. Guess he inherited this trait from me. I am not a great shopper by any means (Confession: I don't think I have ever been inside a designer clothing store.) Nearly everything we purchase comes from Target, Trader Joes, Costco, or Old Navy. That being said, I actually look forward to my weekly Target shopping trip. Ahhhh retail therapy. And my little Archie is the same way. No matter how tired, cranky, hungry, or grumpy... as soon as he sees a shopping cart, he gets very excited to sit inside. I have never had to leave a store because of a tantrum (and I think I have only had to do this once or twice with Carter.)
Carter received a shopping cart for his birthday last year and he mainly likes to race it around the house at top speed. Archie, however, has taken an interest in it already. I seriously think in a few months he will be pretend shopping around the house all day. I also think my little 10 month old is very close to walking! Check this out:
This was one HOT summer. Seriously. We had to buy a new air conditioner and while I was not happy to fork over thousands of dollars to Sears, it ended up being totally worth it. The humidity is so bad that when our leather couch is pressed up against the ottoman it actually sweats. Insanity.
We have managed to beat the heat by mostly staying indoors which my kids are not too happy about. We have gone to some really fun places recently though. (The Dinosaur Park in Laguna Hills, Pioneer Park in Tustin, and Scooter's Jungle Bounce House were big hits!)
Archer and Carter are happy, healthy, and active. They love to play together and are actually very sweet to each other. I know the days of screaming fights and wrestling matches are in my future but for now, they are kind and loving. Carter exists on fruit snacks, bacon, milk, and crackers. Honestly that is about all he eats. I absolutely hate it and meal time usually always ends in tears (from both him and me!) Archer eats anything and everything you put in front of him (except applesauce for some reason). Even after he is done eating, he will chase you around the house begging for bites and sips of whatever you happen to have. Dave hates it but I love it because at least one of my kids is well fed!
I am so looking forward to fall. I want to drink hot pumpkin spice lattes, eat lots of pumpkin baked goods, make crockpot stews, wear socks, sweaters, and scarfs, and curl up on the couch with a blanket and my sweet husband.
I am quite happy for summer to end. With that being said, it wasn't all bad... here are some highlights from the past few weeks:
Dave's brother and his family rented out a large beach house on the beach in Newport and invited us to come stay. The house was amazing because it was literally right on the beach. From the balcony we could watch the kids playing on the beach. It was such a fun-filled and laid-back trip... highlights included playing on the beach, walking on the pier, riding bikes down the boardwalk, eating frozen bananas, flying a kite, dinner at Spaghetti Factory, lunch at Ruby's on the pier, and Dave and I getting away from our kids for an afternoon so we could see Dark Knight Rises. I think Carter's favorite part of the entire trip was just snuggling with his cousins on the couch every morning and watching cartoons. It was nice to have a break from reality and to have a chance to really spend time with my cute nieces and nephew. Carter still wakes up every morning saying, "Where's Kate? Matt? Annie? Jayne?" Archer loved spending time with his cousins as well but I think his favorite part was crawling all over the house--he chased me everywhere!
The house we stayed in is the fourth one from the right.
Archer asleep after a walk along the boardwalk
Who needs toys when you have a Doritos bag to play with?
Wanted a picture of sunset but ended up getting police car in picture as well--apparently a lot of people get arrested on the beach!
Brotherly Love!
A rare sight--Dave on the beach during daylight hours!
I came out to the kitchen for one second and Archer was right behind me--I can't escape him!
Carter slept SO well during the whole trip from sheer exhaustion!
Kate, Annie, and Matt
Archer fell asleep on the bike ride. Carter was a bit bummed that he didn't actually get to "ride" a bike himself.
