Halloween 2011

Pumpkins!

Farmer Jack and his barnyard friends

Meanwhile, Sam's costume is gravedigger - er, sprinkler line repairman (yeah, nothing like having a 6-foot hole in your front yard on a night when hordes of kids are wandering around).

Thanks Julie for the kangaroo costume - it was a little high-water on him, but he liked it, and even wore the hood for a while! The joey in his pouch is one my mom sewed for me when I was little - it fit perfectly.

With our neighbors Steve and little Ali (mama Lyndsay and 3 week old Sawyer are behind me).

Our other neighbors Bill and Stephanie go a little crazy with the inflatables...both toddlers were absolutely terrified of the house and refused to go through it (can't say I blame them).

Hut-O-Ween

We returned to Shrine Mountain Inn for a hut trip... one of those experiences that sounded like a good idea at the time. Let's just say our best laid plans failed, Jack and I were (not) lost in the wilderness, and I could have been in Vegas that weekend instead.

However, Jena and James enjoyed their first Colorado hut trip and Ryan still talks about the cabin.

Smiling (before the hike)

It was about 34 degrees out there, and the boys were running around barefoot or in socked feet with no coats on... Colorado natives, right there!

Lookout Mountain

This morning we decided to take full advantage of the sunshine and warm temperatures before the snow falls later this week, so we headed up to Lookout Mountain Nature Center in the foothills above Golden. This is where we went Trek or Treating last year; today we had the trail to ourselves.

Pinecones! (I don't wanna talk about the hats)

Snack time

Haircut Firsts

Jack's hair has been growing so fast these days, but he has apparently inherited my fine tresses and has quite the case of wispy flyaways. Ryan's hair was also in need of a trim, so we took the boys to Li'l Cuts. My last two visits with Ryan were pretty disastrous, so I thought having Sam along might ease the dramz. What really helped was having Jack go first (which I planned because I didn't want Ryan's hysterics to freak Jack out).

Jack was pretty chill throughout - it helped that he sat in my lap for the trim.

Ryan was watching the whole process intently

When it was Ryan's turn, he opted to sit on Dad's lap. While he was initially uneasy, he settled in pretty quickly.

He didn't even mind when the stylist brought out the clippers, which he'd never had before since he'd always been so distraught by this point.

Perhaps it was the promise of Yogurtland after, or a newfound confidence after watching his brother endure the process peacefully, or Sam's presence that resulted in Ryan's first calm haircut. Whatever it was, I'll attempt to re-create it at every future salon visit!

Time Slides

Jack, October 2011

Ryan, October 2009

Zooby Zooby Zoo

Not-So Green Mountain

We took a walk up to Green Mountain to recreate a photo shoot from October 2009. Unfortunately neither boy took a nap this afternoon, so there wasn't a lot of cooperating going on... but I still got a few smiles:

Jack, 1 year old (look at all that hair!)

Ryan, 10 months

Ryan, 34 months (look at that hair!)