This is from a week ago...

Hockey Game!

What a fun evening! The boys received the jerseys earlier this week from their father in anticipation of this game.....even bruin fans were commenting at how cute they were! They did look cute but even better they were well behaved! I remember my Grandma Grace repeating (repeatedly!) handsome is as handsome does. How true!

They are really into wrestling and chasing each other. This morning, I rolled over to see Thomas laying on his mat next to my bed with his warm hat and gloves on (they had been wearing them last night and he found them in the bathroom this morning). Nathan had been snuggling with me but when he saw Thomas, he went and got his warm gear. Then Nathan went around to Thomas and stole Thomas' big blanket. From there it went to a wrestling match which they enjoyed so much that they staged it again a few more times. After one of the times, Nathan pulled off his glove complaining that his finger hurt. Thomas asked where, Nathan pointed and Thomas kissed it. Thomas straightened up and said "maybe it hurts from bonking me on the head!" Too cute!

Happenings

A picture of Thomas at ice skating lesson last week. He was so excited after, that when his Dad got home from work he asked that we go public skating! We are glad they are both enjoying it. Isabelle and Lillian came to the boy's Friday morning story hour last week. A treat to have their company!

A Mishmash of pictures!

One morning, the boys tried on old Howe sister roller skates! They did pretty well and it reminded them of ice skating. They had their first lesson of the season last week. Both boys really did super. They certainly didn't seem to lose any of their ability and if anything, they were faster than I remembered but they are older and more agile! The next picture is the boys enjoying a puzzle with Mike D. Next is our pumpkin carving (tells you how delinquent I am in posting pictures!). The next picture (thanks to Nathan) is of myself and our friend Jennie who we visited while Thomas was in Westwood. Then a picture of the boys with their pal Connor. Finally, the last two pictures are from Halloween day. Instead of storyhour, the librarians took the group to the town hall for trick or treating. The picture shows the boys with their favorite children's room librarians and those two ladies are really special people. Halloween night, we went south to Hopkinton to trick or treat up and down Downey Street.

Thomas is cracking us up with his expressions today. He told us in the car when he was describing something (a medieval looking hotel on Route nine looked like a sand castle) that he was "serious". Too cute! He told Nathan to "knock it off" when they were playing with trains. There are more which I wish I could recall and maybe I will!

More pictures by Nathan and an afternoon in Hopkinton

I thought I would show you a few more pictures (the first 3) by Nathan. I have a blast looking through his photography. The last three pictures are from a sunny afternoon at our friend's house in Hopkinton. I love profile pictures! The boys enjoyed the scooters there. The next day, we went down to the second hand shop to see if they had any. They didn't but we found a nice little bike and some training wheels so that's what we bought. The boys ride around and around the basement on it.

They are so excited it's Halloween!

A Wonderful October

We have had such a wonderful October that I'm sorry to see it come to a close. We have had privileges and special times all month long. It started with a trip into Boston with Dan H., Mathias W. and some folks visiting from Pa. We drove into Boston around supper time Friday night. We walked to the north-end for an Italian supper with Maurice L. After supper, Maurice gave us a walking tour of downtown. The first picture shows us at supper and the second was taken outside the Union Osyter House by Maurice. Just after this picture we saw the Holocaust Memorial which was a first for me. I couldn't help but cry. It was incredible. From there we walked through Haymarket Square and Quincy Market and then onto the aquarium to see the seals that are housed just outside the entrance. From there we walked along the water front and saw the Large boats docked there for the evening. It was cool out but great for walking. A special privilege to be in on. The next picture shows the boys keeping Mathias company the next day while he chopped wood. Thomas even had his own sludge hammer that he heaved about.

Mid-October, we went down to the Cape with Sara, Isabelle and Lillian to visit Barbara during her rehab for her knee surgery. The last three pictures are from that day. Thomas and Isabelle are in a fierce embrace! Barbara is standing with her four little visitors. Finally the last picture, taken by Nathan, is back at Sara's house. These special days come and go so fast!

Then came my birthday weekend which was nice all the way around. We went apple-picking just the four of us under a cloudless blue sky. Pictures coming!

This past weekend, Sunday night, Thomas went home with Grandma and Grampa to Westwood for two nights. Nathan was all packed up to go but at the last minute, the tears started and he decided he really didn't want to go. So Thomas, gives him a hug and tells Nate it's okay that he would go this time and Nathan could go next. Thomas had a smile plastered on his face from that point on! He was so excited. I'm told he got a little teary the second night and told his grandparents that he wished Nay-nay was there.

Meanwhile, I had a lovely time just with Nathan. He is definitely my little helper. I don't mean under my feet and in my way, I mean helper! He has been this way for a long time now. If I'm in the kitchen working, he's there cracking the eggs, emptying the dishwasher, rolling cookies. Whatever, even washing dishes, he helps! If I'm outside, he helps dig or plant or rake. If I'm sewing, he stands on the presser foot for me. He doesn't get bored with our day-to-day. Here's another example: I put the bag of kitchen garbage out on the back porch to bring up to the garage and next thing I know Nathan tells me that he brought it up and threw it in the bins. I didn't even ask him. He's good company.

Thomas has really impressed me lately with his singing ability. He is very musical. He has learned several of our graces just by singing with us. He obviously doesn't read yet. He not only sings the words which several of them he can't possibly know what they mean like render or endure but he knows the tunes. I often hear him even singing them alone. It's really cool.

Halloween Costumes

Don't the dogs look so happy?? My sister, Laura and her son came to visit us for a couple of nights last week. That is Benjamin sitting in the middle of my boys. Aren't they cute? They are ready for Halloween. They've been talking about it since it has turned autumn. Every time we drive through the area we trick or treated last year in Berlin Center, it comes up! I heard Thomas talking in the back seat "if you eat all that candy, you will be sick!" I wonder who he was parroting?

Pictures by Nathan

Nathan takes great joy in using the camera. He knows to keep the strap around his wrist. I love looking through the pictures to see what has caught his attention.

I have made foam mats to go next to our bed with the thought that should one of the boys wet their beds during the night that they could finish up the night on the mat. Also with the thought that some day nightmares will come. Well, they love them and just about every night Thomas comes in around 3 or 4 and curls up on his. I didn't intend on this happening but he must just wake up and not be able to go back to sleep. Nathan sleeps all night every night in his bed. I do talk to Thomas before bed telling him that it would be better for him to stay in his own bed but pretty much without fail he comes in. I don't think he gets nightmares but I think he is afraid of the dark and his body is trained to wake up then.

I can tell when it's time to check on the boys....I hear Nathan saying to Thomas:
"Oh, Thomas!"
"Thomas, that's not good!"
"Be careful, Thomas!"

We've been playing teacher/student each morning. We have an easel with a chalk board on one side. We start with the alphabet song (with hand signs!), then we do one letter which each has to trace on the board. Next we do our shapes and then we do a number. We finish each session with a song. It's fun for all of us!

A Wet Day at the Bolton Fair

Last weekend we attended the Bolton Fair despite Hurricane Kyle. We went armed with rubber boots, umbrellas and rain coats! It was fun! We rode a school bus from the parking area to the fair which was very cool for the boys. The last picture was taken while we waited for the pig racing to begin. The kids loved the pig racing.

A couple of weeks ago, the boys and I rode a motor boat while someone was wake-boarding. Since then, the boys have cut a long ribbon and use it to "wake-board" around the house. Each boy holds an end of the string while one is the boat driver and the other pretends to be pulled along. It's really funny especially when they pretend to fall into the "water". Their imaginations work just fine!

The first two pictures show the bank robbers who visited me last week! Actually, it's my sweet boys who found my panty hose drawer and a little girl who was visiting from Winnipeg! She is a couple months less than a year younger than the boys and she was visiting her grandmother who we see in gospel meeting. The boys favorite past-time now is wiffle ball. They really aren't too bad at it. Thomas hits maybe three times out of five and Nathan hits maybe once out of five. I love the picture of them in the chair. Thomas had taken Nathan's hand and led him over to the chair telling him that they were going to read together. It was really sweet. We are trying to teach them about how lucky they are to have each other and about loyalty to each other.

I've just noticed lately how into medical things Nathan is. If I have a splinter, he's right there looking at it and asking if he can use the tweezers. If someone needs a bandaid, he wants to put it on. If someone needs an ice-pack, he runs to get it and then remembers the cloth to wrap around the pack. He is Very interested in such things! He is Not his mother's son.

More Cape Cod

Here are pictures from the second half of our week on the Cape. We went further east to the Chatham lighthouse with the hopes to tour it. We were unable to and will have to go back when the children are 5. The second and third pictures are from Chatham beach. It was beautiful. Can you see the tidal pool way off in the distance? We walked to it to see if it was warm and Nathan walked almost the entire way! This is the kid who we call the "carry me" kid! We saw some seals in these waters. Notice Nathan's pants are wet. He got surprised by a wave. Then just a cute picture of the boys talking on top of a communication box. I would say they stick together during the day about 98% of the time. Pretty much where you find one, you find the other. Or they can tell you where the other is. Or they are asking me where the other is. Matt and the boys had fun sailing a kite. Matt's pretending the kite is pulling Nathan away which they thought was hilarious. The last picture, we ran down to the beach to see a pretty sunset. What a treat!