Nice November

On November 18, I got to join Gabriel on his class field trip to the new Exploratorium. Only a few exhibits were the same as I remember, so many new and improved things! Gabriel loved touching and trying everything. He loves science and it was great to see him exploring. The "black dirt" and magnets were a big hit, as well as the whole sound section.

Gabriel is cool!

The kids pushed the bunk bed away from the wall and made it a stage. They hung a blanket over the top bunk as a curtain. It was awesome! Ephraim got stage fright trying to take direction from big brother (who was director, extra characters, stage manager, and script writer).

Ephraim LOVES puzzles. I thought this map puzzle would be too hard for him but he found it on a top shelf and welcomed the challenge. He amazes me. He is reading already and loves to compete with his brother.

Gabriel made a double-decker sandwich with chicken, bread, and lettuce. I love how he grabs handfuls of lettuce to make a salad (and eats it all with ranch dressing!).

While waiting to go over Grandma and Grandpa's house for Thanksgiving, we got out our Christmas decorations. The kids immediately remembered the snowmen foam sticker kit and wanted to make scenes again.

Everyone is in the holiday mood:
Gabriel

Mommy and Ephraim

And the kitty cats

 Are we excited about Christmas coming?!

Scary October

I introduced Ephraim to Jenga and we had a blast. He was so good at it, very steady hands. His expressions were priceless. 

We were having a bad day the other day. So I made waffles for dinner (perfect comfort food). While the boys watched Mickey's Three Musketeers, I made homemade brownies. It was the perfect end to a difficult day.

Ephraim decided to be a cat for Halloween. He wore the ears and tail every day since I bought them ($5 at Target, yay). Here is a picture of my three cats. :)

A little dark mascara as face paint and we're set. So adorable!!!

Add some black socks for paws. Cheapest and most loved costume ever!

At the beginning of October, Gabriel wanted to be a zombie. Sweet, easiest to make. We took some pants he had outgrown and an old shirt and cut them up. He does the face so well!

Sadly, Gabriel caught a cold for Halloween and didn't like his zombie idea any more, so he stayed home from school that day (with me, home sick with the same cold). Ephraim's goodie bag from school had some teeth in it. He didn't know what they were for, so I had to show him.

Welcome to November. The weather has been crisp lately, I'm ready for Christmas with my boys. After church today, we had a picnic at the local park and then drove to the Oakland temple. It was a gorgeous day. The boys loved the Visitor's Center. We saw a model of the city of Jerusalem that lit up as it told us highlights from Jesus' life in that location. We walked around the grounds. The boys were so sweet to each other, I was amazed.

 

 

Video of Gabriel's loose tooth 11/02/14  (WARNING: not for the faint of heart).