Black Friday Decorating

Camellia crawling, attacking the singing and dancing Frosty the Snowman here. On Black Friday there was no shopping for us, just decorating. I am currently trying to paint the TV/living room, so all the decorations stayed in the front formal room which has little furniture and is not formal at all with toys all over the place normally. All the Christmas decorations were lined up on the mantle. The kids decorated the tree, I only added a few at the top and moved more delicate ones there too.

Favorite decorations this year was the candle holder/horns. So funny how the 3 older kids took them and started marching around the room. Caramel took the tallest one, Rhett the middle, and Myles the smallest. Forward marching onward.

Thanksgiving at Grandpa Dan's

We had Thanksgiving at Grandpa Dan's, not a bad holiday drive, Renton to Bellevue about 15 minutes. Grandpa made his specialty- sweet potatoes. Unfortunately the kids just like ham and rolls. Caramel likes mashed potatoes and corn.  

Grammy Pam joined us. She brought some turkey cupcakes and pumpkin chocolates. Of course the kids liked those.

Myles hanging out with Camellia.

South Dakota and Vegas

 

Anthony went to South Dakota for hunting with his dad and visiting with his Aunt Karen and Uncle Rodger. Lots of snow and birds there. Anthony still thinks moving there is a possibility. The kids and I were glad when he came back. There were a couple of windy days in Renton, I didn't like the fact I was the only adult at night.

 

Anthony also went to Vegas with his car friends, Gary and Rob, for a car show. His friend Jared had a car he entered and even won for his workmanship.

 

Two trips in one month! Enough said.

After Church Family Photo

I tried to take some decent pictures of the kids altogether one day. Caramel is basically a comedian, making all these funny faces. Only a normal smile from her if you remind her, then she gets grumpy and gives you a fake smile. She found these glasses and wouldn't take them off. Rhett is ready to please, with a smile and always trying to help his siblings too. He will get sad though if you praise anyone else and say, "Am I doing a good job?" Myles is just everywhere, taking off clothes, jumping, getting a smile is pretty much impossible. Camellia is usually smiley but with all the siblings close, there is no smile. As soon as I would pass her off for Caramel to hold she would usually start crying.

Daddy Home

The kids love it when daddy comes home after work! Rhett and Myles are all about running to the door. The door alarm beeps letting them know. Caramel gets the guilt trip when she doesn't acknowledge the fact that Anthony is home. He reminds her that when she was younger she use to run to the door too.

They love riding on daddy's back and getting bounced off. Even though it usually ends with someone crying with all the wrestling going on. One day the kids left a Nerf gun and a note at the front door for Anthony. It said to come find them. Of course that ended with someone crying, Nerf gun activities always do.

A lot of days Camellia and I will venture to the front room and look out the window waiting for Anthony to come home from work.

Halloween Costumes

Camellia Pumpkin

Myles Toad

Toad and Mario

Myles Toad

Caramel Peaches

Mario Rhett

Our favorite Halloween friend, Frank. Kids love the song he sings. He used to jump around, but he is too old for that now.

Pumpkin Carving and Drawing

Crazy faces to match the crazy faces on the pumpkins.

Myles organizing cars while the kids cleaned out the pumpkins.

Caramel's design requested to be carved.

Rhett's crazy design.

Remlinger's Farm and Grandpa Neil

Daddy took a picture of us with Grandpa Neil before the pumpkin hunt began.We took the fun drive out to Carnation. It was a beautiful warm Saturday, so the pumpkin patch and Remlinger's Farm was busy with families. We came home with pumpkins and some corn too. The kids rolled corn in paint and made some texture paintings.

The boys got to ride it the wheelbarrow. It was hard to decide on which pumpkin to pick. The kids wore rain boots, I didn't know if it would be muddy or not.

Cute picture of Rhett being a great older brother. Rhett does like to be a helper. We went to the theater at Remlinger's farm and watched Eric Ode's show. We have seen him a few times. (Recently at a family night at Rhett's preschool.) His Barnyard Cat is a favorite one of mine that he does at the farm.

Myles rode on this metal horse for quite a long time while Caramel and Rhett rode on the real horses and ponies. In this picture you can see Myles' curly hair. I tried to gel it, but didn't really work, he got a hair cut shortly after.

Ghost brothers.

Kids loved jumping in the loose hay and climbing through the hay maze.

Here is Rhett afterwards with some hay sprinkled on him.

 

Caramel enjoyed the farm animals and big bouncy slide.

Rhett enjoyed the hay and train ride.

Myles loved sitting on the tractors and the bouncy housee.

Camellia enjoyed when it was all over and she finally got to sleep.

Seahurst Beach Brand New

No school, so we visited the new Seahurst Beach. The playground is closer, beach more open, and a fun stick tepee to play in are some of the changes. We met up with some friends which is always more fun. The Hanes, Epperson, and Ellis are families we have organized home preschool with when Caramel and Rhett were younger. 

Myles enjoyed throwing rocks with a little buddy, Jase.

Rhett found a crab leg.

Speech Therapy for Myles

Myles lawn mowing with daddy. I love when the kids decide to help lawn mow with daddy. Myles doesn't like the noise of the lawn mower and needs another adult who is not lawn mowing to feel safe.

Myles loves making a little bed in the toy box. He is the hardest to get a picture of with a smile. He will not smile when asked. I am asking him to smile here and he closes his eyes, little stinker. 

Myles loves Rhett's motorcycle. It is in the garage where the van is parked, so he lays on it whenever he gets a chance.

Myles has started speech therapy at home. He loves when Erin, his therapist comes over and gives him all the attention, (Rhett isn't so thrilled about it and works for the attention too.) He has his times when he really wants to talk, saying all kinds of sounds together. Words he loves to say are motorcycle, scarecrow, want some, no mine, and horse. When we wait in the car to pick up Caramel from school, Rhett practices his letters and sounds and Myles practices sounds too which is fun.

Preschool Farm Field Trip

On Fridays, we occasionally go on field trips with a church preschool group. We went to the Carpinito Brothers Farm in Kent. They had an informative beginning about growing pumpkins and corn. Myles couldn't stop jumping off the hay bench, such a good listener. Then a tractor hayride, boys loved. We visited with the farm animals, super cute goats with funky hair. 

There was a hay jumping area with a fun tunnel and tower. Also a huge box of corn for playing in, after the boys were all white from the corn dust.

Fake cows for roping and sitting on.

Cute picture attempt with brothers.

Yes, Camellia and I were there too, Caramel at school.

2 Teeth, Clapping, and Almost Crawling Camellia

Camellia is fair skinned with reddish blond looking hair and blue eyes. Nothing like the 3 other kids. She also at 7 months has 2 bottom teeth. The 3 older kids didn't get teeth until 12 months. She is also a thumb sucker. After you lay her down to sleep swaddled, she pulls out her thumb and is content.

Camellia is trying to crawling. I love the planking stage. She loves to rock back and forth and reverse slide across the floor. She is pretty good at sitting, still falls at times.

Camellia doesn't enjoy baby food that much especially oatmeal cereal. She is getting use to sweet potato puffs. She does love having a big slice of apple to bite on.

Camellia is very good at clapping and saying, "mama mama."