All decked-out for playgroup!

The kids dressed-up in their costumes today for playgroup. Princess Rose Ella loved having a crown and kept taking it on and off. I stopped in the van to take this picture of her as for she had her crown on upside down and was reading about "babies" in her American Doll catalog.
This isn't the best picture but Walter loved being a miner too. His helmet was a big hit and he was proud to come walking in with his Thomas the train lunch box. They where eating a snack here ,it was fun to see the kids all dressed-up.

Lastly, I snapped this picture of Rose E sitting down with a dolly in the doll cradle. She started a trend after discovering she fit in it. As for the rest of the kids had to take their turns in it too then. She has been adding more and more words to that vocabulary of hers and putting words together such as "light on" and yesterday when Jeff left she said "door" as he was leaving and then once he left she said sadly "Daddy gone."
Walter is cracking us up with his grown-up phrases too such as "you've got to be kidding me" and " Mama what's new with you?" He has discovered Scooby Doo at our library and loves the stories since they are scary but always end up to be someone else playing a trick. Anyway, the other day he came-up to me and said "mama can we make-up a story about Scooby Dooby?" Oh and he was wearing a shirt that according to him said "old Naby's" (Old Navy):)

Another fun day!

Today Jeff and Walter went on another Ranger adventure. They rode about 100 miles in Iron county Michigan, and Florance county, Wisconsin. This bridge in the picture is on the border of Wisconsin and Michigan. Walter got to see his favorite things: old train bridges
mining buildings, depots

and to top it off he got to eat lunch in an old train passenger car in Iron River, Michigan!

He was one happy boy and at the restaurant had to order his own meal.

This is the outside of the restaurant.

Rose E and I did the girl thing, we went shopping though I missed my boys, it was nice to have one on one time with her.

Hats off to these kids (well and hats on too)!

Hats are still the hot commodity in this house, especially with Rose E. She slept with this one last night and wore it all morning. Oh and speaking of hats, today as we where leaving to do some shopping Walter told me "one time my hat came off when out I was outside and the wind got in mine ears because it was curious about mine ears." What a goof! Oh and while we are on the subject of "mine"(Walter always says mine instead of my) I noticed today that Rose E is now picking-up on some of Walter's phrases. The kids have been playing a lot with flashlights and I heard her say "mine light" to Walter. Some of her other new words have been " a snack?(which Walter also is known to say)" "lady" and she also handed me her cup yesterday and said "more, thirsty." This kid is getting too big too fast. Just within the past couple of days she has outgrown more of her clothes. Lately too where ever we go (playgroup, church, shopping) people are just amazed at how fast she has changed from a baby to a little girl! Sometimes it just seems as though they are going to be this little for ever, but then when I stop and reflect from a year ago it just amazes me at how fast it really does go!

Speaking of being amazed, you never know what is going to be the source of entertainment with this kid! A couple of weeks ago he found these dried-up containers of glitter glue and he has just been fascinated with them (glue, glitter and tape have been crafting favorites of his lately). Anyway, two weeks ago he said next time we see Grandma "I am bringing these with to show her" (before that point I was going to sneak them into the garbage but after that I knew I'd hear about it if I did) anyway, today he spent about an hour put zing with them making a "holder and a slide" with tape and decorating the tape all for Grandma. We even had to "make-up" a story about them. While we are on the story subject too, the puppets have also been a big hit in his world. I don't know how many puppet shows we have had lately, it is so much fun watching that imagination at work and Rose E has gotten into it a little too putting them on her hands and even pretending to do things such as have the puppet eat.

The creation of George!

This was our entertainment tonight! The kids had quit the reaction as Jeff opened the pumpkin-up. Rose E started to cry when she saw the pumpkin guts and I took Walter's shirt off so that he could help scoop it out but it was too messy. He took out two seeds and than asked for a napkin (he hates having his hands dirty).

However it was a different story once they started to carve. Walter asked about a million questions and talked a mile a minute. He had his dinosaur puppet watching and it said "this is the best pumpkin I've ever seen."
And so they named the best pumpkin a dinosaur has ever seen "George." I tried to bake the pumpkin seeds but they didn't turn out the best. I think next year I will try to make them a little differently, flavoring them-up before I bake them. I was surprised though because Walter ate more of them than we did.

George enjoying his can of dew on the porch!

Scary things that go bump in the night.

Tonight we took the kids on the spooky train ride at the museum. We weren't sure if we where going to take Walter at first because he has been afraid of scary things lately but it involved the train so he said he wanted to go. They did pretty good, of course a few things where scary but it was worth the train ride for the two of them. This picture is of Rose E watching the smoke from the steam engine. Oh and speaking of being afraid, Rose E now is beginning to be afraid of certain things. The other night I put her down to sleep and she started to scream in her room, I went to see what was wrong (thinking she'd say "up," pick me up) and she pointed to the shadows on her ceiling. I showed her how she could make her fingers move to make more shadows and at first she was amused but after awhile it was bye bye to the nightlight casting them. What is it with those shadows? Walter won't let me put a certain light on in his room either at night because according to him "it makes shadows and I (he) tried to talk them (the shadows) saying to go away but they wouldn't listen so I (he) gave-up talking to them." I keep explaining that they are not alive but there's just something about them that creates uncertainty.
Back to the train ride....the kids where able to dress-up in their Halloween costumes so here is a sneak peak. Walter chose to be a miner (because the miners get the copper for the trains). If you look closely he is carrying a Thomas lunch box too. Rose E is going to be Princess Rose Ella (I guess their is a movie starring the barbie doll princess Rose Ella but we haven't seen it yet). We decided to hold off on the dress in fear that it would get dirty on the train though. Oh and speaking of trains, yesterday as the kids where heading down the steps Walter decided to pretend that they where a train, so he started to say "choo choo" and Rose E said "choo choo no no whoo whoo." She certainly is starting to get a little mind of her own these days!


Today Walter also found this dinosaur puppet in the basement while we where trading out toys and then we just had to have the puppet theatre too. It has been so much fun listening to that imagination roll! Here Bob the Builder and his crew built a new school, football field and train tracks leading to the school. Then the dinosaur rode to the school in the train.

Rose E is all about those hats and jewelry lately. She likes to dress us up too. Isn't that hat becoming of Jeff?

Last but not least the other day I set-up mini water tubs for the kids to play in. They had a blast. In fact Rose E was upset when it was time to call it quits and eat some lunch. She was definitely into the dumping and pouring and kept saying "spoon." By the time she was done she had about ten spoons to play with.

Walter on the other hand stirred up his bubbles to make "apple soup" and also did a little fishing.

Off off and away!

This is what Walter has been up too for the entire week( I can't believe this kids attention span sometimes, he has literally been at this creation for hours)! It started out as an airplane that he made with some of the packaging from my Birthday presents and over the days it has grown and grown (there even has been more added since this picture last night). If you look closely their is a runway, a stop and go light and a tall airport too. A few times he has mentioned that he's thinking of flying it outside, but I don't know I think that we would have more than just one thing flying in our yard if he did!

I also brought out these blocks since Rose E likes to stick toys inside of toys and they come with sticks that attach them together, anyway they have become little pizza's and this is a picture of all of the place settings at their picnic. Their was even a place setting for Walter's friend Cyrus and for Grandma, oh and they had very interesting ingredients in them such as apple, chocolate and pepperoni. Anyway, that night I decided to have Walter help me make a real homemade pizza then and no it didn't have chocolate or apples but I did have to laugh because he was telling others that he put ring bologna on it (I can't imagine what they thought of that, he must have thought the Canadian bacon looked like ring bologna).

Just within the past couple of days Rose E has said several new words. This evening I even heard her say "uh oh something fell down." Some other new words have been "broccoli," "brr" "moo, and"Owie." I had to smile because yesterday she was pushing something around pretending it was a car and when Walter was in her way she said "beep beep." Oh and speaking of cars, this evening I was cleaning my kitchen while they where running from room to room making car noises and pretending to be Dale Earnhart and Jeff Gordon. Anyway, I sat down and glanced at the newspaper and Walter said "mama did you run out of gas?"

More Birtday celebrations!

It's been all about celebrating my Birthday this weekend. On Friday we went out to eat, Rose E pretended that her food was a train, drove it around and then got in the brake sound effects when it was time to eat it. (Her latest thing too has been "hot" as soon as she gets it to her mouth she says "hot.".) When we finished the meal Jeff said "I'm all done" and Walter said "me too I ate a million things." Then on Saturday we went to Tomahawk to celebrate mine and my Aunt Sherrie's Birthdays. We took a hay ride and in the pictures we made a stop and the kids played on this playground. Speaking of Wisconsin, Walter is starting to pick-up on my huh instead of the yooper eh at the end of a sentence. I guess I didn't realize how much I say it until he started to say it too. Rose E is just on a kick with those words too and answering me when I ask her things sometimes. The other night I put her to bed and she wasn't too happy about being in her crib and thrust her body down hitting her cheek on the bars of the crib. Anyway, when she woke-up in the morning it was bruised and I said "what happened under your eye, how did you get that mark" and she said "fall down." Little smarty! Some of her other new words have been "outside", "more","box," "dance" (when she hears music now she says "dance" and then starts bopping around) and "apple sauce."

A picture of Rose E with her cousin Colton and Auntie Jenny.

Another snapshot of Colton.

And last but not least a picture of monkey boy, Walter and Grandma. Calling him monkey boy reminds me that he has been naming things Walter lately. Mostly toys and today even a rock. He will say "I am Walter and this is Walter too." Then he will say something like "shh be quite the Walter rock or frog or dinosaur is going to sleep (but of course it's never the real Walter cauz he never gets tired). "

Deep thoughts

Walter and his questions! Today he was thinking hard as I was washing his hands and he said mama where does the water from our faucet come from and how does it get too our faucet? He sure is a deep thinker, sometimes it just floors me the things that he pays attention too. He has been amazed at all of the new words that Rose E has been saying too. Last night she said a new one and he said "mama is she turning into an indult (adult)?" Then this morning one of the first things he had to know was if Mama, Daddy, Papa and himself where once babies. Some of his wording too is just way too cute. Today he was playing with playdoh and his playdoh toy was making playdoh hair and he said "mama are you funny of the hair" (in other words does it make you laugh, it sure did then).
What is it with kids and the lint in between their toes too? I remember Walter being obsessed with taking off his socks to pick it out and now Rose E is too. However, yesterday at snack time she pulled off her socks and must not have seen much to pick so decided to add cheerios in between each toe (just to have something to pick out I guess). What a goof. I have put trick or treat bags out for the kids to play with. Anyway it was cute because the other day she had a train in one, pulled it out and said "surprise!" She has just been on a roll with those words, some new ones of hers have been "head," "eye,"hair," hand,""hat," "apple," "help,"candy," "teeth," oh no" and "mall (yesterday we drove past it and she blurted out "mall", a true girl indeed). She has also started to put some little sentences together such as "put it on" or "I want that."

Changing up the play scenery

Today we went to the new playground in Tamarack. The kids loved it! It even had toys and trucks in it's firetruck sand box. Walter was so excited that he was talking a mile a minute.
Rose E practiced climbing up and down and up and down these steps.
The kids got a kick out of this tunnel as for they used it as a slide too. The extras at this playground where neat, such as a steering wheel, a bell, a balance beam and a telescope (Walter was thrilled that he could see the old mining building ruins with it).
Rose E saw her brother digging so then picked up a shovel too and did the same.
After the park we went to see Great Grandma. The kids where excited to see her feed this chipmunk peanuts, whom she has named Amie, which means friend in french.

On another hand, tonight Walter was building his Geo Trax train layout in his bedroom, he built it going under his bed and got frustrated that the trains got stuck so he insisted that his bed be hauled into our second living room. When I explained that bedrooms are for sleeping in he said but "Mama Grandma and Papa A.J sleep in there so I want to too".

Rose E is just catching on to so much now. Tonight for supper I told Walter "the food is almost ready" so she sat down in a chair at the table and said to me "food ready?" The other day too I was changing the sheets on our bed and she was transferring our clean clothes from one spot to another(she loves to move items from one place to the next) and I said "what are you doing?" she said "something."

Weekend Ventures

This weekend my parents came for a quick visit, we took them to see the Portage Entry Lighthouse. The weather was beautiful and the colors of the trees where magnificent but of course pictures don't do justice.
We walked down the long break wall to see this light house. It was funny how on one side the waves where choppy and on the other side completely smooth.
This is looking back to the trek back to land. As we walked the gulls flew away and Walter said they where watching "water movies" as for they where all looking into the waves. It was neat that we got to see a commercial fishing boat too.
We also celebrated Jeff's brother Matt's birthday and my own (which is next week). It was a nice get together as for we had all of Jeff's family over at our house.

On another note I had to laugh because today we went to a store that was already closed and Walter said "mama can't you just use your keys to get inside? Oh the innocents of young children. And little Miss Rose E is just amazing me with the words she is saying, just several new ones in the past couple of days. She's also turning into a little smarty pants trying to pull tricks up her sleeve. Last night it was cute when I put her to bed she said "patty cake?" Then she said "light?" for her night light and then realized, uh oh that means Mama's leaving soon, so she said "stop it (turn it back off)" I turned it off and she wanted it back on and we went through this for a few minutes before I said (as Walter would put it) that's the nough (enough). She is understanding everything now and follows directions if we ask her to do something.

Happy Birthday Uncle Matt!

A Birthday masterpiece in your honor, it is a self portrait of you with race car birthday cake going into your belly. If you click on the picture you can see that Walter wrote your name too. Hope you have a great day, looking forward to the party tomorrow.

Boys vs girls

Since Rose E has been into bracelets lately I got her this package of them. She's been wearing them around the house and Walter has found a more creative boy approach...to use them as a ring toss.
Walter was ecstatic that playgroup started-up again today. He seemed to enjoy it. He really played nicely with the other kids and everybody was amazed at how much Rose E had changed in four months, some people even said they didn't recognize her at first. It was interesting to watch how Walter gravitated for the boy toys (trucks and building things) and Rose E gravitated for the dolls and toy food. It is amazing to me how different they have been since birth. Though different, Rose E still loves to imitate that brother of hers as much as possible. I had to laugh because the other day when we where walking out of the library( after story hour) into the parking lot Walter realized that his voice echoed. So then he started to say "echo" and then Rose E chimed in repeating "echo." She has been doing a lot of those types of things lately. Even including watching what Walter eats and sometimes if he won't eat it neither will she. Speaking of eating, today at lunch I had to laugh because Jeff picked-up the core to the pear and was eating the edible parts. Anyway this freaked Walter out as for he kept saying "no Daddy you can't eat that part, I don't want you to get sick again." Rose E on the other hand kept signing to me that she was eating flowers and it was cauliflower. Never a dull moment in this house!
I also added these pictures of this goofy girl as for she has been into wearing my shoes lately and they look so big on her. Oh and while I am on the topic of walking she is now taking steps down steps with my assistance (before she would just take the plunge). She is just getting too big too fast!
Last but not least she has been riding this horse a lot lately she is able to get on and off of it by herself. Little miss independent!

Fall fun

On Sunday Walter helped Jeff rake-up leaves, I thought he looked so cute I had to snap this picture. They also took the camaro for a drive, this is a view of the bridge from Hancock to Houghton and the next one is of Walter sitting in the Camaro.






























Yesterday I took the kids to the pumpkin patch. We picked out two pumpkins one small one that Walter liked because it had dogs painted on them (he thought the blue one looked like blue on blues clues) and a large one. That evening Jeff conjured-up a scarecrow for the large one. I tried to get Walter to sit by it today to take his picture and he was "scared" of it. (He is excited about dressing up for Halloween but is terrified of the decorations and masks.) The scarecrow is holding a pop can and he said "mama did he drink all that pop?" Later we will carve the big pumpkin and use that as the head.














This other picture is of Walter playing with his airplanes that Mama and Daddy helped him put together. He said "they are all at an airplane party." He has had an interest in airplanes for some time now.










Last but not least I took a picture of Rose E with the Mr. Potato head in her car. Many toys have been getting free rides in these wheels lately. She has also been trying to open our bathroom drawers to get out combs and brushes, so I bought her her own to play with and this Mr. Potato head even got his hair brushed.
She has definitely been into helping too. Lately when I load the dishwasher she will go and get clean Tupperware out of the drawer hand it to me and say "thanks." Then today she spilled some milk on the table so I wiped it up with some nearby napkins. Then she wanted her own napkin so I gave her one and then watched her spill a little on the table so she could wipe it up herself. This one sure does have a mind of her own already!

Another fun four wheeling adventure!

This weekend the four of us took the Ranger out for a ride to the fire steel bridges which are located between Mass city and the Houghton county border. The trees where spectacular. Every time we go for a ride it seems we see different wildlife, this time we got to see some partridge, bird nests, wild turkey and even beaver lodges. Walter was of course thrilled to see some mining buildings and old train bridges too and Rose E kept saying "see?" It was great!

On anther note, yesterday I heard Rose E pretending to call "santa" then I said did he say "ho ho ho" and then she said "ho, ho ho." I was thinking I wish I could read her mind her thoughts where probably some babies and jewelery please, thanks!

Today Walter came up to me and said "mama what are you made up of.....cheese?"