Friday Phone Dump...

1. Today the kids and I went shopping again...we needed some new clothes for a wedding we are attending this weekend. Elsie is more than a little thrilled with her new outfit...you should see how excited she is in the fitting rooms as she tries on several new outfits! This girl is a shopper...I am already getting worried about our pocketbook when she is a teen!!

 2. My project for the week was making this little white bow tie for James...I followed this tutorial from my Pinterest. Super easy to make...can't wait to make a few more!

 3. Elsie said she was going to pick out some new earrings to wear...I said okay. Little did I know she was looking my my earrings and found the largest pair I own! I let her wear them for a day...because every girl needs to wear a pair a pair of big hoops at least once! I was afraid that her brother would pull them out...but he never even noticed them! {please note that this was a special thing and we are not making a habit of wearing HUGE earrings!}

 4. Earlier this week the kids and I went to the mall with Auntie Ceara...Elsie came out of room all ready to go and just couldn't understand why I made her change! I love her style...but some days it is a bit much for going out and about!

 5. Elsie got a gum ball out of the machines at the mall...James just enjoyed trying to figure out how the machines work! This boy loves buttons and knobs!

 5. We found some super good deals while shopping...like this adorable pair of Converse shoes for my little guy...for only $12!

 6. Shopping at Kohls...Elsie and I were shopping together and Ceara and James were shopping together...we all met in the fitting rooms to try things on. For some strange reason James enjoyed riding in this cart...he is not a cart kind of kid...but we begged to ride in this one...so we happily let him do so! 

 7. My little fellow loves to accessorize lately...he loves to wear his tie...and sometimes even suspenders! Love watching his little personality emerge.

 8. This week I made a batch of Granola...James loves to eat cereal so I thought would be a healthy choice for him. He loves it! I will share the recipe over on my food blog...click the button on the side bar.

 9. Nothing is safe from this little man! He just carries one of the little chairs around with him so he can reach anything he wants. We find him constantly playing with the markers on the hutch...and taking fruit out of the fruit bowl...and silverware out of the drawer...you get the picture...into everything!

 10. This is what Elsie does...everyday...pretty much all day. She lays on her belly on her swing and swings her little heart out. I will admit, it is annoying at times...but it makes her happy!

 11. She has Style, I tell you. She assures me that stripes and stripes go together. Okay, then! 

I am linking up with Life Rearranged again this week. Check it out...

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Growing Boy...

My boy just keeps on growing and changing...everyday he learns something new. He keeps us super busy and always has us laughing...and sometimes almost in tears out of frustration! I see more and more of a toddler in this little fellow. His play is starting to change. I often find him playing with one or two little cars for a long time...quietly zooming them around as a toddler does. And he gets wild and feeds off other people...like his sister. Those two get SO wild together! They actually play together like "big kids"...and laugh and laugh together. I love it. And they fight quite well also. The "he took my toy" and "he is pulling my hair" has started. {oh joy!} Funny thing is that he knows just how to get his sister going...and just how far he can go before he gets into "big trouble" and lands himself in time out! {I think that has happened 2 times now!}

He still has some of the same loves...4-wheelers, motorbikes and dogs are his top 3. He is beginning to show an interest in heavy equipment and fire trucks. He loves to mimic fire trucks! And he loves hats...he has to wear a hat every time we go outside! He prefers baseball caps...we are going to have a hard time keeping a beany hat on him this winter! His new favorite love is a neck tie! He wears a tie quite often...with a hoodie or whatever he is wearing that day! He is going to creative just like his sister!

This little man is starting to talk already! He has quite a few words he can say quite well. Mama, Dada, "Ee" for Elsie. Hot, Hat, Socks, Book, That, Pop, Hank, Puppy, Popcorn, Hi...and if he can't say it he is pretty good at using enough body language until we figure it out!  

The thing I find the most enduring about James is how he loves to hold hands. If ever he is feeling un-sure or needs a cuddle he grabs my hand and turns it palm up and places his hand inside of mine. It must be his little way of feeling safe. Every night when I lay with him until he falls asleep he wants me to hold his hand. I love it. I hope he doesn't grow out of that anytime soon...

I think Daddy is the most important person to him. Almost every morning James grabs the phone, before we even get out of bed, and wants to call Daddy. He literally lights up when he hears Daddy's voice on the other end! James follows his Daddy around on weekends like a lost puppy...if daddy goes out to the garage James goes to, if daddy goes to the store James goes too. More than once there have been tears at being left behind when Daddy dares to go somewhere without him!
Love watching this little man grow and change. Sometimes Elsie gets frustrated with her brother, because everyone knows that little brothers can be frustrating. Especially when they eat your barbie shoes and wear your headbands without asking. But I remind Elsie how how terribly lonely we would be without her brother and how we prayed for a long time for a baby before God gave him to us...We are lucky.  

Rainy Days...

We love rainy days...it is the perfect excuse to dig out the mud boots and umbrellas. You should hear the excited screams when I tell the kids yes they can go outside for a rainy stroll in the yard!

Sometimes I think the search for the perfect mud boots and umbrella is half the fun! The rainy strolls never last long...just long enough to make them happy.

James enjoys walking in the rain also...but a walk in the rain is nothing compaired to a good stomp in the mud puddle after the rain! Just a few days ago he and Elsie went out to end of the sidewalk to get the mail~ with no shoes, just socks...and quick as a wink James saw the mud puddle just off the sidewalk and ran over to it. I was not quite fast enough...by the time I ran outside {in my pj's!} to capture him he was half ways into the puddle...those muddy socks will never be the same!

These pictures were taken while Jon was home recovering from surgery...and he was working in the garage. We would keep the side door open on the garage and the main door open in the house so the kids could go in and out to visit with Jon then back in to visit with me. They love the independence of being able to come and go. Jon and I felt like we were constantly yelling out the door, "they are with you now!" But it kept them happy...simple things! 

The Last Water Day...

It is hard to believe these pictures were taken just 4 weeks ago...fall is in full swing here and the water hose has been put away until next summer. This was the last hurrah with the water hose...

Don't be fooled too easily...it may look like he was being all nice gentle...but he was really doing a pretty good job of up-rooting my flowers! I have my fingers crossed that by next summer he will be able to appreciate just looking at flowers and not picking every flower off the plant! Maybe next summer will be my year of having lovely flower pots!? A girl can dream...

Elsie was being a good helper and washed the little picnic table quite good. Give a child a bucket of water and a rag and they will wash everything in site!

Water break...love those chubby arms!

James was happiest when he had the hose...

For the most part he screamed when his sister took the hose...but when there is two you must learn to take turns! 

This boy is wild with the hose...

Water flies everywhere...I stand way back and use the 200mm zoom!

Sometimes he gets himself right in the face...

It is freezing cold and takes his breath away...

Then he gets all ticked off...like, "who did that to me!?" I will be honest...I did laugh. Because it was funny. Then I scooped him up and brought him inside and warmed him up in a towel. And I would like to say he learned his lesson and left the hose alone...but he is a very curious one year old and we all know that would be a lie. He got himself many more times. And he manages to dump at least one cup of water on his face every time I bath him. Maybe he likes the feeling of water in the face. I don't know. Maybe he is just a slower learner. Either way it is cute! 

Phone Fun...

A few weeks ago we went on a little road trip...the kids are both excellent riders in the car now. I thought I would never be able to say that about James...just 6 months ago he screamed when we buckled him in and didn't stop until we un-buckled him! Something changed and he suddenly loves car rides and sits quite happily! Elsie has always been a perfect little rider...she is happy to talk to herself or just colour in her colouring books...

*please note that we were stopped in this picture! We do buckle out children in when we drive!
We discovered that Droids are not just good at keeping adults busy in the car while while traveling! We downloaded "Talking Tom" and "Talking Ben"...and they keep the kids happy for a ridiculously long time! Even James sits and giggles at them...

Anytime you have a pink bedazzled phone it will make you happy!

Soon it was time to get buckled up and hit the road again...crying followed as soon as James realized that it was Elsie's turn to use the phone! All was good again when we gave him coloured pencils, a notebook and a big green frog. And it made him happy that he could still hear the phone...so every now and then he would break out in big fakey laughs over what he heard on the phone!

I got bored because Jon insisted on driving because "he is the male and it the males job to drive" {whatever!} so I convinced the kids it was mommy's turn to use the phone. Thank goodness for Ramona and Beezus and a dvd player!

Friday Phone Dump...

1. Fall is quickly on it's way...we are noticing more and more changing leaves!

 2. James and Mommy~ trying to stay nice and cozy at the campfire we had last weekend.

 3. James waiting patiently for Daddy to cook a hotdog in the campfire. Nothing better than a fun family evening around the campfire... 

 4. Elsie had to wear her new dress coat, sparkly dress, striped leg warmers and furry dress up shoes out to the campfire! I never get tired of Elsie's cool style!

 5. I took the kids shopping for new clothes in the town a couple hours away...I was silly enough to buy the kids each a giant sucker to eat on the way home! Lets just say that James was one big sticky mess...so was the carseat! When he woke up from his little nap he went right back to eating the sucker.

 6. On the car ride home. Shopping went good with the kids...we only hit a couple stores, but managed to come home with enough fall and winter clothes to keep my babies well dressed for a long time!

 7. We went to the Once Upon a Child store...the kids had a blast playing with all the toys!

 8. Water and candy...if we have those two things for a car ride, we are set!

 9. Love the look of the Target bathrooms...all white. It is the ideal bathroom really.

 10. On Friday evening my mom and I went with Ceara to go Wedding Dress shopping! This is the 4th wedding in our family...and the 4th wedding dress we have bought from David's Bridal...must be the place to shop! 

 11. Ceara found a dress...a perfect dress...it looks lovely on her. {it is not the one pictured because her groom doesn't want to see it until the day of their wedding!}

 12. As a joke I pointed to a giant inflatable picture in the Menard's add and told Jon that we really needed one for our yard. {It was a joke~ I dislike those things almost as much as fiber-optic Christmas trees!} Anyways...the next day Jon went to town and came home with this lovely giant inflatable pumpkin! Thanks Jon...your yard looks complete!

 13. Elsie spent time this week working on her scrapbook. I love watching her create. I hope she never loses her creative spirit!

 14. This week I packed away the kitchen stool and pulled out this old bench from storage. I love changing things out every now and then. Now I need to get some fabric and attempt to make a little slipcover!

 15. My happy little guy! James crawls into his high chair when he gets hungry and climbs back down when he is full. He is quite the independent little guy!

 16. Another one of Elsie's projects. She is using Mod Podge to stick scraps of fabric to a canvas. She is giving it to Grandma B. for her birthday. Elsie has a very generous heart and loves to buy and make things for people.

 17. This week James has been a bit under the weather due to teething. He is getting the last of his molars. to help ease the pain we made a couple trips to the chiropractor. His favorite part of going to the Chiropractor is playing with the little basket of toys in the room...his least favorite part is when the doctor walks in the room!

 18. We have no cable, dish or even local channels at our house. We do have a tv...but only for movies. This week Elsie was thrilled to remember to that PBSkids.org has lots of little shows to watch! She watched some shows, James napped and I finally cleaned and organized the pantry.

So there is our week in Phone Pictures. What a fabulous life, indeed! Now on to a busy weekend...