TREE Team!

Getting ready for Santa!

Autumn Lounging

Best way to take in the local news...

wear Shades.

That Time of Year

Family, food, fun and grumpy pets!

Horrible Halloween Magician

Jack's disdain for the Halloween Convention entertainment. The Halloween Magician really did stink up the place.

Halloween Convention

Jack and Leah at the Halloween Convention...

safe Trick or Treating at the local mall.

Hiking Gear

With Leah in school, Jack and I hit the trails and parks!

Autumn and Parks!

With Leah at Preschool, Jack and I are enjoying the parks!

Cooler Autumn!

Really enjoying these cool Autumn days!

Autumn Work

Finally Summer heat has given way to Autumn! Enjoying the cooler weather on hikes and in the parks. Playground work moving along great too.

Mountain of Toys

I am not sure where all the toys come from? Toys all over the Family room. Toys in Jack's room. And a mountain of toys in Leah's room.

Some days, Leah and Jack will blend themselves into the mountain of toys. It is difficult to spot them... until they giggle and give themselves away.

Rain Relief!

Like so many, looking for relief from the Summer Heat!

BBQ Fire!

Summer time cookout fun on the way!

Hiking at the NC Zoo!

Great day at the Zoo!

Spring Launch!

A great Spring for hiking and playgrounds!

Smock and Paint

Jack paints too!

Brush and Paint

A rare look at Leah painting in her Art Studio (better known as the kitchen)!

Baking Cookies and Making Cafes!

Leah and Jack went to the grocery and picked out cookie dough. Back from the grocery, Leah used a stool to reach the kitchen counter and place the cookies on the baking pans. After the cookies finished baking and cooled on the counter, Jack set chairs around Leah's kitchen stool. Good idea setting up a cafe next to the cookies. And great team effort, baking and eating cookies!

Spring Dance

The best dance recitals are held in kitchens.

Storm Safety & Sirens

We are practicing storm safety. If it is windy and loud rumbles, we get to the storm safe area in our home. We talk about listening for the tornado siren, and going to our storm safe area.

So at breakfast, I was talking with Leah about the loud thunder and rumbling we heard last night. It woke me and I thought we may need to go to our storm safe area. Leah said yes, the wind makes a mess all over, and we hear the potato siren! We do not want the potato siren to get our caterpillar (giant stuffed toy), I will cover him with a blanket so he can hide from the storm.

We are also practicing T sounds, for Tornado siren.

Family room Tent!

Camping in the family room with...
toys, snacks and a tent!

Toothpaste nabber!

Leah and Jack did a great job setting up their rooms and the Toy area of the family room. Up the steps to their rooms, down the steps to the family room, playing and transporting toys and having fun.

Leah and Jack kept busy traveling the stairs and playing. This also gave Karen and I the chance to unpack and set up the rest of the home. We listened to them while we worked, hearing the usual laughing, bouncing about, and the occasional "hey that's my toy!"

All work and play came to a halt (and sent Karen and I scrambling) when we heard Leah say three words, "Jack has toothpaste."

New Neighborhood!

We are in our new home! Still unpacking and setting up our living space, and exploring our new neighborhood. Leah and Jack have found a great park that is just a 20 minute hike away. Good fun and good exercise. And our move is done!

Moving Drum Beat!

Big Family news... more to follow!

Percussion Play!

Jack's enjoying percussion play. It is amazing how fast his arms can go when drumming!

Happy 2012!

Happy New Year! We hope your 2012 is Great!
Leah and Jack are still playing with their toys from Christmas. Setting up play villages. Currently, the members of Leah's Dollhouse are on holiday at Jack's zoo toy. Of course Eye Patch Jack (the bad brother doll) is continuing to cause trouble. The race cars (along with Jack's garbage truck) have driven everywhere through the house. And Jack has come up with unique and fun ways to use his percussion toys (Thanks again Grandma for the drum kit).
A Good Holiday Run!

Happy Happy

Perhaps the happiest day of Jack and Leah's life!