First Snow of the Season - November 10!

The weather was predicted to be a mix of snow and rain all day long, but there was no mention of accumulating snow!  Surprise!!  After dinner the snow really seemed to be sticking to the grass so we went out to play in the first snow of the season.  We all ended up wet, but we had a ton of fun having a snowball fight and making our first snowman of this winter.  Of course when all was said and done we had to go in and treat ourselves to hot chocolate and marshmallows!  It was definitely a riot to go out and play in the snow, but I'm really thankful it's appearance was short-lived as it's a bit early to have the snow stick around for too long.





Let the snowball fight begin as Joshua throws the first snowball!

Joshua catching snowflakes on his tongue.

Matthew is ready to get into the action of the snowball fight!

The beginning stages of our snowman.

Matthew works on the snowman stage 2.....

....but need a little help from big brother Joshua.

The finished snowman and its proud creators.

Halloween Hoopla

So it seemed like we celebrated Halloween for way to long between trunk or treating, the zoo goes boo, a school party, a party at our friend's the Waymans, and trick or treating.  I think we got our fill of Halloween at the Hager house this year.

 Joshua's class.

 Making a skeleton at the class party.

 Making his vampire sucker with a little help from his teacher, Mrs. Keller.

 Eating Halloween treats.

 Halloween party at the Waymans.

 A scavenger hunt.

 Joshua was the first one to get an apple when bobbing for apples!

 Corrinne gets an apple!

 Joshua bobbed for apples a few times once he figured out the trick.

 Got another one!

 No pictures of the actual carving this year as we were too busy and covered in pumpkin guts, just a picture of our final products.  Matthew's funny face, Joshua's cat and Joshua's B.C. Bulldogs paw print.

Time to Trick or Treat!

 And the trick or treaters are off!

 Got a treat, now off to the next house!

Exciting stuff this trick or treating!

The tired little trick or treaters with their haul of treats.

Getting some energy out!

What better to do on a cold, dark night but head to For the Kidz Gym and let the kiddos burn off some energy!  The boys LOVE going there to jump, climb, bounce, run, etc and they are always ready for bed by the time we get home too.  I have a feeling we will be heading here a few times this winter to beat the winter blahs :)

Half Way There!

We, or more accurately I (since I'm the one home the most with them), don't push potty training.  As a teacher I learned that pushing a child in this area likely leads to big issues so it's not worth pushing.  Joshua potty trained himself to go #2 before he was even 2 years old, amazing.  Matthew didn't follow suit on the time frame, but he has now successfully completed half his potty training  before 2 1/2!  Again, there were only mere suggestions from us to try to spark in interest in him and then he realized it was a better idea to poo in the toilet than in his pants and he never looked back.  After a few weeks of  this consistent behavior he ironically earned "Stinky" the garbage truck!  Now we'll just wait and see how long it takes for our house to become diaper free (at least during the day).

Boo Zoo!

A couple weeks ago when the weather was mild we took the boys to "The Zoo Goes Boo" and my dad tagged along.  It was neat to see the animals in their decorated cages for this special occasion.  The kooky, not spooky, trail was a hit with the boys because as they walked along they collected treats from various tables.  As usual a favorite part of the zoo was the petting area where Joshua and Matthew could pet a cow, goats and chickens.  Joshua either didn't hear me tell him to leave his bag of treats in the stroller before we went in the petting area or he simply chose to ignore me, but either way a goat stuck his head right in Joshua's bag and snuck a treat out; the stubborn goat didn't really want to give the treat up either, the stinker!  A couple other favorite moments of our time at the zoo were watching the otter and watching the Bobcat chase a squirrel that was running along the top of it's cage. 

Looking at the Eagles with papa.

The zookeeper and his monkey sidekick!

Playing in the train.

Giving the cow some attention.

The zookeeper tames the cow.

Monkey with a goat.

Joshua was determined to pet the chicken and after a bit of chasing he actually did!

Listeing to the different owl sounds with Papa.

Joshua the zookeeper.

Petting a duck.

One of the family

Our kitten, Mocha, has adjusted well to life with our family.  She and Logan actually get along very well and she loves any and all human contact (well unless a group of children is giving her more love and attention than she can handle).  We all love having a playful kitten in the house again!  Mocha is so good natured and docile it's unbelievable, which is good for her since she has to tolerate a lot!  She really is the perfect fit for our family!

 Dressing Mocha up in Mr. Potato Head accessories!

 Sprawled out on Matthew as he watches TV.

So cute in her tutu we made her for Halloween!

Mocha and Logan doing what they do best...laying around and sleeping.