Bros

Lately Jed wants to copy Eli and Eli wants to copy Jed. It's cute most of the time. The squealing back and forth gets to me...and hitting, tackling, wrestling, etc. How did I end up with two energetic, very loud boys?

A Big Step for Jed!

Well, I guess Jed is walking now. (sigh) I'm not too excited about this because this means that he is now a toddler and not a baby. It means that he's growing up too fast. It also means that a new chapter is starting. I know what's coming...a whole new level (pardon the pun) of mischief and curiosity. Jed is so proud of himself as are the rest of us, of course! He started taking more than a couple steps and actually walking Monday, and yesterday he was practicing all afternoon, going further and further. Crawling is still the preferred mode of transportation for now, but I know that will change soon. So, here we go!

Fireman and Frog

The boys got many compliments on their costumes. It was easy this year because Jed wore the same costume Eli wore when he was a baby, except Eli was 6 months when he wore it and Jed 13 months. Eli was huge! And this year for Halloween Eli got to wear the fireman gear that he wears almost everyday. We had fun trick-or-treating at a few neighbors houses and then going to a party our friends had for the kids. They had candy all over the ground at the party (an ongoing scavenger hunt?) and Eli could care less. He didn't eat or want any candy the whole night! I was so relieved!

Halloween Howl

Last Saturday night we went to a Halloween event at the Nature and Science Center. They had some creepy animals and insects to pet, music, digging for bones in the dino pit, a night hike, and s'mores. I think the scariest part for me was when Eli pet the hissing cockroach...eew! We met the Klentzmans (Mia and her family) there. They had a blast, and we had another excuse to dress them up. Mia will be out of town for Halloween so we won't get to trick-or-treat with her this year. So, I got some pictures of the kiddos in their costumes last weekend. So cute!

Pumpkin Patch

Last week we (me, the boys, and Jen and the girls) went to visit the pumpkin patch in Elgin. I had heard good things about this pumpkin patch, so we made the long drive (about an hour) east of Austin. It was fun, but honestly I'm not sure it was worth the drive. We all rode together in the van, and I think Eli and Mia might have been more excited about riding in the back together than the actual pumpkin patch experience. It would've been more fun if it was closer. Anyway, they had farm animals to pet/feed, a crazy maze, pumpkin decorating, a hay ride, rubber duck races, and of course lots of pumpkins and pumpkin pictures.

Dance Party!

Our favorite place to hang out on a Friday or Saturday night these days is at Central Market. The reason is that they have good food, a great playground, and live music which the kids like to dance to up on the patio. We've found that a place with good food and a play area for kids is hard to come by for some reason. We usually go to CM with friends so that the kids can play while the adults actually have a conversation without many interruptions.
Eli has never been much of a dancer, at least not in front of a lot of people. However, when he's at Central Market, he loves to get on the dance floor and let loose! I think Mia had something to do with it. Once she leave the dance floor, he's not quite as brave. Apparently, Jed likes to be out on the dance floor, too. He just wants to do be a part of all the action! In these videos, Jed is interested in the tip bucket...smart kid! We need to get a good one of Eli dancing. He's just getting warmed up in these.

Eli and Mia

Mia is Eli's friend who we hang out with just about every day. It just so happens that her mom Jen and I are friends as well, and she also has a daughter about Jed's age. We have so much in common, it's scary! I've talked about Mia on the blog before. Anyway, Mia and Eli play really well together and have a lot of fun. As a matter of fact, they've told us they are getting married! The other day, we were at Locomotion, the jumpy place, and I went to check on them in the inflatable train. When I asked Eli if everything was alright, he said, "Yeah, Mom, we're getting married!" Then Mia pulls Eli back down by his foot and they disappear into the train. Okay. I don't know if I'm ready for this.

Mother's Day Out

I don't think I've mentioned anything about the MDO Eli has been going to. He started in September. It's a program where he goes one day a week from 9-12 and he gets a ballet class, a gymnastics class, and a swim class every time he goes. I think it's a great deal all around. Eli usually says he doesn't want to go, but by the time I pick him up he's had a blast! He also gets to take ballet and gymnastics with his friend, Mia. I need to go take some videos of him in action and post them here. Here's one of him showing us how he does a cartwheel and bow.

Miscellaneous

I don't know where Eli picked up this rock n' roll performance, but I think it's great!


Jed says several words now, but here is one of his favorites...



Eli has been interested in the camera lately. Here's a couple of his photos... I like the one he took of Jed.

Little Buckaroo Ranch

On Monday we went to a place called Little Buckaroo Ranch with a mom's meetup group. It's a small horse ranch near Bee Cave where the couple who lives there does field trips for kids. It was very well organized and kept the kid's interest, too. They sang songs, got kissed by goldfish, watered the horses, pet the bunny, rode in a tractor, pet a rooster, groomed the horse, fed the goats, and roasted marshmallows. We had a blast!

Fire Fest!

Last Saturday, we went to The Fire Fest in Buda, TX (about 20 min. south of us). It's a festival put on by the Buda Fire Dept. They had a fire fighter challenge where the fire fighters race while completing different tasks like climbing stairs, pulling the hoses up, and dragging/rescuing the dummy by dragging it to the finish line. Eli was amazed as he watched them race in the challenge. He stood perfectly still, had a straight face, and no talking! They also had many animals that I wasn't expecting to see, like a camel, a snake, big tortoises, a skink, goats, pigs, and horses. It was an interesting petting zoo! He got to feed the camel from his hand as well as the goats. Eli got to ride on a horse around in circles, which he thought was fun. We called it a fire horse, so he thought that was cool. Eli wore his full fire fighter gear, and all the fire fighters there thought that was great. He got several compliments and comments and smiles and waves. Mammy was with us and got to join in on the fun. It was a rainy day, but we braved the weather and went. I'm glad we did! Eli was in heaven!

Jed turns 1!

This past Tuesday, the 22nd, Jed officially turned ONE! It is hard to believe. Where did the year go? We had a small party last Sunday with family and friends at our house. Jed loved all the attention!











Eli & Mia












Jed & Eleanor











Jed & Cousin Grayson













Jed saying "uh oh"