Down To One Again!

Only one in diapers now. Well, almost. I started toilet training Derrick this last weekend and he is doing awesome! He still needs a diaper for nap time and through the night, but with the progress he has made in just a few days, hopefully we can eliminate those too. I just had to share my excitement and Derrick's progress.

Mary Playing With Allen

Mary was so cute with Allen today (she is actually good with him all of the time) that I couldn't resist taking a video of them. She made up all of the words to the song she is singing :) Allen loved it!

Housing Vent

I remember when Mike and Kari were looking to purchase a home and all of the stress and headache they had. Why should we be so lucky to circumvent these problems? Well, we're not. However, my major qualm right now is not with the home purchasing loops, but the Weber Housing Down payment Grant. It has taken a great deal to pull all of the paperwork needed for this silly grant together. Then yesterday I got a call from the Weber Housing Office telling me that I forgot to sign something. First thought was - Impossible. I went through this application several times. Well they were insistent, that I come sign something. I didn't have a car yesterday so I couldn't anyway. Today, I called back and begged the representative to please just double check the application to make sure it really needs to be signed. I wouldn't make such fuss over it, but this place is twenty minutes away, and I'd have to take the kids, so I wanted to make sure the trip wasn't going to be a waste. Well, he looked at the application again and . . . it doesn't have to be signed. Sigh of relief, right? WRONG. My name isn't printed next to the signature. First thought - you have got to be kidding me? Then I realize that they want me to come down and print in my own name. They can't print it in for me, even if I tell them that it is o.k. AGGGHHHH!!! Does anyone out there know if it is illegal or not to print a name. Signing I can understand - but printing, seems a little silly. Anyhow, this is my current housing frustration. But I guess it will be worth it if we get the grant.

One Big Fall . . .

Post. I should break this post into a few, but then I run the risk of just not posting anything at all, so it is going to be everything together again. First is Black Island Farm. Mary's preschool group went to "the pumpkin patch" as Mary called it. Similar to Circle S farm, for all of you Ohio buddies. They had fun, but of course the weather didn't cooperate, and it was COLD. Mary's winter coat is still in storage so she had on three long-sleeved shirts, a fleece sweater and her jacket. Plus her tights, and two pairs of pants. She didn't complain about being cold though.

Mary riding the cow train. Derrick didn't want to - he still hasn't gotten over the merry-go-round at the county fair.
Mary all bundled up.

Derrick all bundled up. He didn't want to let go of his pumpkin after he picked it :)

Mary pointing to which pumpkin she wanted. They were still attached to the vine, so a worker had to come cut it for her.

Mary holding one of the carrots they passed around and learned about.

Second, is Aunt Ara coming to visit. Ara loves Halloween and called one night to see if she could come visit. She wanted the kids to open the door. Which ended up not being the best idea. I wish this picture was clearer, but we didn't have the opportunity to take more because we were comforting Derrick who was hysterical and inconsolable over the witch. Mary was pretty scared too until I took her outside and showed her Ara's big red truck (which she is famous for). Then Mary wasn't so apprehensive. Ara gave them Halloween pencils, and Mary told Derrick that Ara was a good witch because she gave them a pencil. Derrick didn't calm down until after Ara left. Poor Derrick.

Third, carving pumpkins for various family nights. We ended up with eleven pumpkins this year. Grandma George grew her own, Grandpa Waite came home with some and we got more at the Black Island Farm - so we carved lots of pumpkins. Above is Danny's first - for Derrick.

This is the first pumpkin I carved for Mary. She wanted a frowny face. She wasn't in the best of moods, and tired too. I think it turned out more scary than frowny.

This is my pumpkin that I decided to try after I saw how Danny's pumpkin turned out using the stencil.

This is Grandpa Waite's pumpkin. It has a uvula - hahaha.

Danny's stencil pumpkin - Mary wanted him to do the cat. I did the happy pumpkin, hoping to balance out the sinister one :)

A close up of Danny's cat pumpkin.

Lastly, Mary's preschool group also had a Halloween party. Which was fun and adorable! All of the preschool kids displaying their skeletons, which they make from their own traced hands and feet.

Reading Halloween stories.

Hanging out in front of the treat table. Also, shows how cute Derrick was as a bee :) I could post a lot more preschool pictures now - but I am getting tired and Danny is waiting to go to bed, so this is good enough for now! Enjoy.