A Little Boy's Dream Come True

Some friends and I took our kids on a tour of the local fire station last week. It was great for everyone: the moms got to learn something new, and the kids got to look at the BIG TRUCK. That's why Jeffrey was there, anyway. It's all he talked about during the firemen's quiz:
"What number do you call in an emergency?
"BIG TRUCK."
"Why do we need to practice our safety skills?"
"BIG TRUCK."
"What do you do if your clothes catch on fire?"
"BIG TRUCK."

I guess we'd better go back next year.

Actually, it was not a total loss--Jeffrey did learn something this trip. Firetrucks say "whee-ooh, whee-ooh". He has not forgotten that! In fact, he re-informs me about 46 times a day now.

Here's Jeffrey in Jeffrey-heaven:


And the coolest part of the trip? No, not the BIG TRUCK, silly....The sticker!- declared unanimously by Jeffrey and Brandon.

Chuckercheet!

Our family had a blast with Halloween this year. We decided to do a family theme for our costumes. So we ended up going as the Wizard of Oz characters:

Dorothy,

the Scarecrow,

the Tin Man,

and the Cowardly Lion.

I was able to buy each kiddo's costume for under $15, and Brian's was very easy to make. I procrastinated mine, however, and ended up staying up until 4:30 2 nights in a row to finish the dress. I was very proud of myself, though: this was my first time sewing something that I was actually going to try to wear. It wasn't perfect, but I did it! And I know now what interfacing is, and how to make button holes with my sewing machine, and how to sew on a zipper.

Anyways, we had a great time at our church Halloween party, even though I locked the keys in our car at our "trunk or treat." (If I only had a brain....) Jeffrey helped me hand out candy, which he seemed to like just as much as collecting it. We also went trick-or-treating in Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood. We only visited a few houses, but it was enough to practically fill Jeffrey's "oil can". He still says "chuckercheet, thank you" if he sees a piece of candy. Brandon seemed to like Halloween, too: he didn't care about the candy, but he found a lot of new people to smile at!

Happy Halloween from the Land of Oz!

Starting Over

Hello, world! I have no good excuses for not blogging FOR 8 MONTHS. The "I'm feeling too tired and pregnant" line might have been ok for a week or two. In March. Sheesh.

Well, in the last 8 months almost everything about our lives has changed. We have moved, though not across states this time--just from one suburb to another. We love our new town and our new apartment. Lots of fun stuff here: racquetball courts, a great playground, a mini movie theatre, and even a putting green (sort of) in our complex, and more parks and lots of fun stores very close by. And it takes us approximately 95 seconds to get to church--walking. We live right across the street from our chapel.

Brian has a new job, and he's absolutely loving it. His company has a fun and relaxed work environment (when he showed up for an interview in a polo shirt and slacks, he was told that he was overdressed!), and they are pretty flexible with his schedule. He can work from home when he wants--though believe it or not, he finds the atmosphere at work a little more quiet.

Our most exciting change has been this little guy:


Brandon is an awesome baby. We love his chubby cheeks, deep brown eyes, easy-going personality, and sense of humor (he's starting to find his brother quite hilarious). I got my wish for a cuddly baby--yea!

Jeffrey adores his little bro. It took us a couple months to teach him how to play with Brandon, but now he is a pro. Believe it or not, one of Jeffrey's favorite things to do is to help me change Brandon's diapers.

Jeffrey has also grown up a lot. He's a little chatterbox! He doesn't speak in full sentences yet, but he uses 3-4 word phrases, and his favorite thing to say is "What's that?" His love for cars and trucks, fruit snacks, and dancing knows no end (further explanatory blogs to come). He is learning his ABCs, and yesterday he counted to 10 by himself.

For me, things are fabulous. I'm having lots of fun being Mommy, and I'm thrilled to be done for a while with maternity clothes and packing/unpacking boxes. I love this time of year: the Texas weather is gorgeous, and the holidays are right around the corner. My project list is about a mile long--which, Brian has pointed out to me, is the way I like it. Life is good!