Neil's First Birthday

Neil got to start his day with a present from Grandma. A very fun ball popper that amused both boys all day long. Before dinner we opened presents from our friends the Wassons. Then after dinner we had cake – and baths.

Neil seemed to enjoy the cake.

Halloween '08

Ben & Neil greeting trick-or-treaters.

The boys had the pleasure of passing out candy to all their neighborhood friends. And Brian passed beer out to his. They also enjoyed treats and cool toys from Grandma & Great-Grandma.

Heather is trying to figure out how to recycle the fireman costume. Next year Neil can be the fireman and Ben can be a policeman, then Neil can be the policeman and Ben can be a burglar the following year. Not sure what to pair with a burglar after that. By then the boys will have their own opinions about what they want to dress as for Halloween.

Woof-woof.

Walkin' part 2

Neil took his first steps today!!! Brian was able to coax him from the couch to the chair in our living room. Hard to believe it was only a month ago he started practicing. Now if we could just teach him to go down the stairs. He still thinks head first is the best way.

Fall Camping

This post is about a week late. We went to Galena, IL for Brian's birthday and to appreciate the fall colors. We did get to see some colors, but we seemed to have missed the peak or it is yet to come. Mostly this trip seemed to be accident prone. The accident started with Heather smashing her thumb in the door. (No it wasn't broken, but it felt like it.) Brian bumped his head twice - once on the roof of a playhouse and once on the electrical box. Then Neil bumped his head on two different tables. Brian and Neil then had matching goose eggs. The only one to not hurt himself was Ben, but he was suffering with a molar that's been trying to come in. On a positive note we did have a fun dinner at Dirty Gurt's. They have a very cute waiting area that consists of a row of toilets. The burgers and jambalaya were good. Sadly we forgot to take pictures this trip.

Pumpkin Patch

We took an opportunity to visit one of the local farms' fall festivals. We had a really nice time petting the animals, climbing on a tractor, and jumping in a bounce house, but missed out on the donuts. We (by we I mean mostly Heather) made up for it by eating a whole apple pie this weekend. Don't worry we used plenty of Purell after visiting all the nice animals.

Walkin' & Talkin'

We've been battling cold (from MOPS) and having some much appreciated company keeping us busy the past couple weeks. So this past week has been all about saying 'Hi' and waving for Neil. As of Friday, he wasn't really showing any interest in practicing walking. This is what he's picked up just over the weekend.

Return to MOPS

Today Heather & the boys got to start the fall semester of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). The theme for this year is Adventures in Mothering. It's a welcome distraction to the regular routine and a great way for Mom to recharge her batteries. Ben and Neil will be able to meet new friends independently since they are in separate age groups this year.