Pumpkin Patch

All the kids comparing their stamps.



These pictures were too cute not to post. Even if it did happen last October.




Caden kept spinning and spinning on this ride. Sean wasn't too excited about it. That night when I asked Caden, "Did you have fun at Pumpkin Patch today?"

His first response was, "Sean was crying."

"Oh, no...why was he crying?"

"I go too fast and not stop spinning."

Sorry, Sean! We understand if you want to ride in another bucket next year.

Audrey and Sammy

When we very first moved in, Caden and I found ourselves having some lonely days unpacking in a big empty house. One afternoon, we heard someone playing and went outside to meet some neighbors.

And then we met Sammy.

And Caden was in love.

Until he met her big sister Audrey.

And then he realized that he could love two darling girls at the same time.

I explained it to Chad like this: If Caden was watching Little Einsteins, eating a Spiderman popsicle, playing with his train set, and doing a paint project and Sammy or Audrey were outside...he'd drop everything and run to see them.

Just yesterday we heard them outside and Caden went running with no shoes or pants on to see them. They always have something for him: a bouncy ball, fruit snacks, a silly band...

Audrey was the one who rescued us when Caden tipped over a jar that had a black widow in it that shattered all over our porch.

Everything is about Sammy and Audrey. If I tell Caden, "I have a surprise for you." He'll ask me, "Sammy, Audrey coming?" The other day he was pounding his hammer. I asked him what he was making and he said, "A house for Sammy/Audrey."

And I couldn't be happier. Sammy and Audrey are polite, responsible, fun and SO kind to Caden. As soon as I tell Caden it's time for dinner, they pick up all his toys and bring him home. Chad tried to break the news to me the other day, "You know...Audrey might get older and not want to be such good friends with you and Caden." I'm not sure we could face that day!

They have a little brother Mitchell who is a year younger than Caden and I think as he gets older, he and Caden will become buddies. Sammy and Audrey's parents are the kind of neighbors who invite us over for Sunday BBQs or an afternoon dessert when they have extra.

"studying"

One night I asked Chad to please sit on the porch and study while Caden played outside so I could get dinner made.
A few minutes later I saw this:


And upon further investigation this:





Daylight was burned by two boys who love to play together.

I guess the books can wait.

Buddies

Caden has taken to asking me a hundred times a day, "Mom? What are you doing?"

When I'm in the car and he asks this, I respond, "What do you think I'm doing?" And every time, he questions back hopefully, "Going to Colby's house?"




We love having Colby (and his brother Ethan) over to play.

Caden says

Sometimes Caden is sensitive. Once he was helping me in the kitchen and dropped two eggs on the floor. After they shattered, he cried for over an hour. I could not get him to stop screaming. Because of this we say around our house a lot, "Don't worry. It's not a big deal."
This backfired on me the other day when I asked him to take off his dirty shoes as he was climbing up to sit by me on the couch. "Don't worry, mom. It's no big deal," he says.

Driving in the car today Chad and I were teaching him "Who took the cookies from the cookie jar." After going through daddy, mommy, we said, "Caden took the cookies from the cookie jar." Instead of the prompted, "Who me?" He solemnly told us, "I made a bad choice." Apparently he didn't get that we were pretending.

The other day he told me his first ever made up story. It started when Caden and I were sitting on the couch and a spider crawled on the pillow. Chad took the pillow to the hardwood floor, Caden brought him a tissue and Chad killed the spider. Simple enough?
We have relived this story over and over. Caden always wants to talk about it, retell it, or act it out. One day we were going over it yet again when Caden added his own piece to the story, "The spider say, 'No! No mash me. I a nice spider!'" I loved his first ever piece of fiction.

Tonight while eating dinner I took a break to tell Chad a story. Caden felt it his job to warn me, "Mom, the bad guys are going to come eat your dinner." Where does he come up with this?

Tantrum.

Yep, he's two.

Schow Halloween

When Caden and I went to UT during October, the Schow family Halloween party was at the top of our to-do list. Norm and Cindy know how to throw a party.

They go out.




All out.


And while the decorations were spooky and the food fabulous, I think Caden and my favorite times were getting to spend time with family.










Their Halloween village is like nothing I've ever seen. The flying witches, dancing ghosts, full moon and vampires provide hours of entertainment.



I'm a troll. Or a Who. Or just scary...depending on who you ask.