Hallowe'en Roundup!

The OP proudly presents the rest of the shots from our pre-Hallowe'en photo shoot with Padrin. These pics might not have fit with the narrative of our official Hallowe'en post, but they are definitely too cute to keep to myself. Enjoy! 

Until next year, everyone!

- L.

And An (Un)Happy Hallowe'en Too!

In case it wasn't clear in my last post, the pics of the boys were shot pre-Hallowe'en with time to spare in case of bad weather – or bad moods – neither of which (fortunately) were an issue that day, even though the latter was a distinct possibility since we are still battling the nap issue over here (HINT: formal naps are mostly non-existent now).

Oh naps, how I miss thee – but this is another post for another time. I will just say that on top of the new no-nap policy the boys came down with a cold a week ago. They were mostly better by last night and given the mild fall weather I thought a stroll through the neighborhood to check out the Hallowe'en fun might be just the ticket to avoiding the recent development of the late-afternoon CrankyPants™ meltdown (when I assure you, it is much, MUCH too late for a nap). I'm sure by now you can see where this is going.

We headed out around 5PM. Not too much action, but a few other early-birds were out and at first the boys were having a good time looking at all the "Pumpkin!". Seth even managed to find a cutie to flirt with. It was going pretty well, despite my insistence that we take a picture en route.

Cute babies in costumes plus fall leaves as a backdrop? How could I resist? Once again, please try your best to excuse their enthusiasm everyone. You know, in case it's infectious.

*sigh*

We were just nearing the point where it was time to turn around and head for home which involved a detour through the park. And not just any park, but very same park that was the scene of much Hallowe'en tragedy last year.

Oh sure, maybe it was the lack of sleep or the lingering effects of a cold (or both), but at this point I'm starting to wonder if it's the park even if it is a perfectly fine place to spend time the other 364 days of the year.

Or maybe it was just the lack of sleep and the lingering cooties since the boys both fell asleep about 5 minutes after these pictures were taken.

Once again, I don't normally take time out to snap pictures of my distressed babies, but since there really wasn't anything to be done to soothe them other than head home and since home was roughly 15 minutes away, I didn't feel too bad about spending an extra 30 seconds documenting this year's "Hallowe'en Tragedy at the Park™". You know, since it's officially a tradition now. 

Bet you can't wait for next year! 

- L.

Happy Hallowe'en Everyone!

No tricks, just treats*. Please enjoy responsibly**. 

– Happy Hallowe'en everyone. Is me, Nate. I is engineer 'dis year except Mommy forget the train so I is either hitching a ride here or just looking cool and making gesture like the Fonz. 

– I hope you pick the latter everyone since you should know by now I is cool dude when it comes to 'dis Hallowe'en business. I is off now to find new ride. 

– And I find it. 

– I think about saying "All aboard!" but 'dis train only seat one and I think I is OK with that. 

• • • • • • •

– Oh hi everyone, and Happy Hallowe'en! Is me, Seth. I is also engineer this year and I is also at park. Everyone know the cuties hang out at the park so this why I here wearing 'dis getup. At first I just stand here and pose with pumpkin and wait for cuties to show up, but then I start to feel a bit silly. I start to think maybe Mommy bring us to dud park. 

– I look this way, but there is no cuties. 

– Then I look this way, but there is still no cuties. 

– That Mommy! What kind of park is 'dis, everyone? 

– I is just going to pretend cuties is looking anyway before I says farewell, because when it come to the cuties... 

– ..."have pumpkins, will travel" is what I say. Wherever you is cuties, I is going to find you. You has been warned.

• • • • • • •

*Our Hallowe'en photo shoot was generously provided by our very good friend Padrin last weekend for the whopping price of a home-cooked meal. As you may already know Padrin wields a mean camera, but after our day at the park I'd like to add that he is also a pro at helping to wrangle wayward toddlers with very different agendas.

While still taking pictures.

I definitely owe him a few more dinners.

**When I saw these pics for the first time I got more than a little watery about the eyes. Padrin, you captured everything that is physically beautiful about my babies so perfectly.

To everyone else, I realize this is an overload of cute.

It just is.

And if it is too much in one go, it's OK to take a breather.

Of course, if you're still hanging in there somehow there is one more picture and it's a treat that hasn't been seen around these parts since my babies learned how to walk.

The elusive twin pic where everyone is reasonably in focus and in the same frame at the same time: 

That Padrin, he is good.

Happy Hallowe'en, everyone!

- L.

A Portrait of the Artists As Young Men

– Oh hi everyone! It's us. We is doing art. 

– Oh yes, hi everyone. I doing art holding onto marker backwards. 'Dis advanced technique and not for beginners...

– ... although I occasionally employ traditional methods too. 

– And in case you is wondering, blue marker IS quite tasty. 

– Blue marker is not bad, but I prefer orange marker flavors even if overall look is less impressive. 

– 'Dis what 10 minutes of art look like in the aftermaths everyone. I bet Mommy have fun cleaning 'dis up*. 

• • • • • • •

Mommy note: We've tried "doing art" a few times over the past couple of months. Nate liked it from the get-go, although I'm pretty sure the messy aspect held greater appeal than the prospect of making marks on paper. Seth mostly just sampled the pens the first couple of times and I thought maybe art just wasn't his thing, but during our last "doing art" time he finally got down to the business of putting his first marks on paper. I've had their latest endeavors hanging on the fridge all week.

Without further ado, I proudly present... the ART!

Nate's very first work of art: 

Nate's second foray into the arts (I refer to it as his blue period): 

Nate's latest work: 

And at long last, Seth's first work of art: 

When Seth decided to go for it he really went for it – when he wasn't busy sampling the orange marker that is.

• • • • • • •

*Those hands! Those HANDS!!! I was worried Nate would be walking around like that for a week, but it actually washed off quite easily. Not so easy? Washing a toddlers hands at the sink when there are so many touchable surfaces nearby. 

10 minutes of art + 30 minutes of clean up x2 messy boys = art being mainly a rainy day activity for now. And I'm talking heavy rain everyone, not intermittent showers.

- L.

Stalemate.

– Oh hi everyone. It's me, Seth. Mommy and me has big debate this morning and I needs you to settle score. 

– I say it perfectly reasonable to stack leftover bananas on your head when you is done with breakfast. 

– Mommy, of course, say that food belong on plates or in tummies. She has narrow viewpoint that way (like mommies often does). 

– What do you think everyone? I make cute wide-eyed face here so you say I is right, but voting is in the poll* to your left to keep things fair.

*We really hope 'dis poll thing work right this time, everyone!

- L.

Updated to add: it was a landslide victory.

Excuse Our Enthusiasm.

– Oh hi. It's us. We has leaves. 

– Our enthusiasms is palpable, everyone. 

• • • • • • •

Mommy note: It's that time of year again when the interwebs are rife with Mommy Bloggers™ posting pictures of their babies/toddlers delighting in the autumn leaves so I decided to try my hand at it once again. After last year's fiasco, you'd think I would have learned my lesson. 

But no.

Still, it's an improvement, wouldn't you say?

*sigh* 

– L.

Like Shooting Fish In A Barrel

A few nights ago – somewhere between supper and dessert – I turned around and saw this: 

– Oh my, everyone! What happen here? 'Dis totally unexpected.

– I sure hope the cuties isn't looking.
They probably find this irresistible and then what would I do?

It was a little bewildering, but cute. I stopped rinsing plates and took a picture. Seth seemed very pleased with himself.

I should have known it wasn't an accident right there.

Because the very next night – during the same dinner to dessert transition – I turned around and saw this: 

– Oh, look. It happen again somehow. I has nothing to do with 'dis
everyone! Is really big mystery how 'dis keeps happening.

– But if the cuties is still looking... they is mine.

I know the look on Seth's face in the last picture very well. I see it often. It's the look of shenanigans afoot.

The cuties don't stand a chance.

– L.