To pray for me? Or rather my children. It is certainly my hope that they live through toddlerhood... This was how nap time ended today. Mind you, the door to the 100-year-old dry sink came off last week during a different nap time. I'm thinking a couple of things here. 1) The dry sink is no longer a viable changing table option, 2) They will go back to napping separately, & 3) I am SO very thankful that I took the talcum powder out of the room a long time ago.
We went to our 1st Haunted House today! It was the "Friendly Hours" at the Children's Museum's Haunted House so all the lights were on. It was a surprise for the kids. The bigger surprise was that Chris blocked off the morning & went with. They didn't know he was coming until he pulled into the parking spot next to us! Needless to say, that just made the morning. We all enjoyed the House. It was really well done. I kinda wanted to go back during the "Frightening Hours"....
This was our 1st year to carve. Maybe it's our last (considering Momma had to finish the pumpkins after everyone lost interest). Actually, Tiernan did a great job. He helped Sloan & Lincoln get their lids cut so they could scoop. I think the pictures loaded out of order but the 1 with Lincoln on the couch... That's what happened after he lost interest. At 1 point, they were actually putting the scooped out seeds backed into the pumpkins! It was fun for all the kids so that's what's important - thanks for sending them home with us Nana!
On the 20th, we met some buds at the zoo. It was beautiful. And of course, we had to stop at the playground. These are just some "OH the kids are getting so BIG!" pictures. If you're wondering what Sloan & Lincoln are wearing - they're in leashes. Yes. I said I would never leash a child & then we had these 2. How do you contain 2 2-year-olds? You work with what you can get your hands on... Hence, the leashes.
I guess with Lincoln kicking off the day with the camera, I was in a snappy mood. The twins just looked so "little kid" & not "baby-ish" to me today that I just had to take pictures. I think it was Sloan in the tights & her little jacket? Last year when she wore tights, she was crawling. This year, she's running yelling "ready, set, go!" Tiernan has been having a blast with a Batman mask that he got on Friday. He has made several on his own so that everyone can have a Batman mask... Unfortunately, Momma doesn't have elastic to make them like T's mask so we're forced to hold them up to our faces. (Darn the luck.) That's what Sloan is doing in the picture - holding up her mask while talking with Lincoln. 
Lincoln decided this morning that he's big boy enough to head downstairs without Momma or Da... He got ahold of the camera, turned it on & took pictures of his feet. I'm not really stuck on what he took pictures of (even though he has cute feet)... it's more the fact that he knows how to turn it on & take pictures. Maybe next month he'll teach me how to program in speed dial numbers into my cell phone. 
Saturday night we had some friends over for some Mexican. I just love the sight of 10 kids around our table. Yeah, don't read into this that I want 10 of my own kids around the table. I don't. I just love having all these kids sitting, eating & talking, then they go home with their parents! It looked like Katie had a good time with Dora & the different Elmos. I just thought it sweet that she's totally content hanging on her own with her peeps. This picture of Lincoln so doesn't do the situation justice. He asked for dessert so he received some (delicious) pumpkin dump cake. Well, that just wasn't enough. He wanted the peanut butter brownies. He got after it as depicted. Poor kid was deprived a nice cold glass of milk to go with the brownie as Momma was too busy laughing at him. Of course Sloan realized quickly that she was missing out & bellied right up next to brother. Save the best for last, right? The great company of gals - Beth, Stacey & Emily. The ladies managed to find a table in another room away from the kids eating... Hmmm... happenstance? Or planned? The guys will never know. 
On Saturday, Tiernan & Chris were out on the trampoline. They spend a lot of time out there these days... At any rate, I looked out the window & the man is doing flips! He's closer to 40 these days than 30... I was totally impressed so I had to snap a photo. Tiernan isn't flipping (yet) but he has fun doing somersaults. 
Chris had to work late with a client dinner Friday night. So Momma decided that an early dinner, early movie night & early bedtime would be a good plan (we all know how Momma likes a good plan). Because of all the earliness going on, Sloan & Lincoln were able to participate in some of the movie night. They had a couple of Skittles in their popcorn bowls... Every time Lincoln found 1, he'd look at me & say "Ah Ha!" Snickers was thrilled with the twins' addition to movie night since it meant more popcorn for her. 
...where he or she discovers the valuable lesson of suction. Lincoln was the first to discover it during lunch today. Sloan couldn't quite get it & T, did it but was a little shaky. I'm sure he'll pick it up quickly. He also had the biggest cup so maybe that's got something to do with it.
When Sloan & Lincoln aren't quite ready to fall asleep? They play in the dark & land where they must. 
Tiernan has been working around the house to earn allowance. He feeds Snickers breakfast & dinner, feeds Chloe when she needs food & he waters the plants. He is learning to give 10% to God, saves 20% and then has the rest to spend. So he has (finally) earned enough to go shopping. And he bought a Batman grappling hook. The neat thing (for me) was that he didn't spend all of his money! So he might actually be learning restraint? Hmmm....
I'm sure you've all been there. Watching your kids grow up so fast before your very eyes. And each time you watch them doing something, you're amazed at how cute they are. Well, each of my kiddos has a body part that I think is just so cute. Makes me wanna squeeze 'em so tight. Lincoln has the sweetest cheeks. Sloan has the cutest fingers. So does Tiernan. They are so different - Sloan's are short whereas Tiernan's are long. He has a "tricky finger" that is double jointed. Ah... the sweet joys of our kids. 
Today Tiernan's class went to Russell Farm in Noblesville. I left Sloan & Lincoln at home (with a sitter, c'mon now!) & enjoyed the morning with T. The Farm did a great job as the kids had different stations that they worked through. They listened to a story, made a magnet, learned about & petted farm animals, took a hayride, picked a pumpkin, worked the farm, learned about corn & silos, ate lunch & played! All before noon. Yeah, I was exhausted! I thought the working the farm was neat. The pictures are Tiernan & me, T's pumpkin, T working the farm by bailing hail, roping a steer & finally, T & Ben pet a miniature pony. Naps anyone? Actually, now that I'm caught up on our on-goings, I'm going myself. To bed. G'night! 
So Tuesday while Tiernan was at school, I needed to make several batches of Mexican Spaghetti. The twins have watched T help me enough to start scooting the chair over to the counters when they think they can get involved. Since we were working over the hot stove, I thought the kids could "do water" like Tiernan used to do. Yeah, not so much. T used to stand at a sink and just pour water from cup to cup forever. Lincoln spilled a little water & thoughtfully tried to clean it up. What you see here is the entire drawer of dish towels that got nice & soggy & then put back into the drawer. Notice just how wet Lincoln & his chair are. But hey, at least he tried to clean up. Which leads me to #3 - Sloan & Lincoln managed to pull the bag of animal crackers off the island. This was their little snack break. It was really kind of funny to watch them jam the crackers into their mouths just as fast as I was cleaning them up. Why wouldn't they? They were chocolate animal crackers.
Okay, so not really sun like what you're thinking. Think fall sun. Beautiful 70's sun that will soon disappear into gray... yeah, that's uplifting. At any rate, we totally had a blast in the tramp the other afternoon. It's been great for the in between nap and dinner time that is typically referred to as the "witching hours". You know, the hours that any normal healthy child turns into a raving lunatic that makes a mom question why having kids was such a good idea in the 1st place. Sloan & Lincoln have been racing lately (b/c I need more competition going on?!?). They like to say "Ready Set Go" & then they run. They run down the hall, they run around the circle in the kitchen & now they run in the tramp.
