Natick Spooktacular

This year, with the impending effects of Hurricane Sandy headed our way, we weren't sure we were going to be able to go Trick or Treating.  So we dressed the kids up and went down to the Natick Common for the Natick Spooktacular.  It was actually super fun!

The kids were so cute dressed up in their costumes.  We colored Natalie's hair red so that she could look like Aeriel the Little Mermaid. Grant was a character from the movie "Cars" - Tow Mater, the tow truck.

 

The first stop at the Natick Spooktacular was at the "try-to-eat-a-donut-on-a-string-without-using-your-hands" booth.  As you can see, Natalie was doing a pretty good job at this!

Meanwhile, Little Buddy just grabbed ahold of that chocolate donut and went to town!  Forget the rules, I'm hungry for donuts!

 The fire department also did a Punkin' Chuckin' event where a firefighter climbed up to the top of one of the ladder trucks and dropped pumpkins on a target (and in a trash can!)  Grant had his fingers in his ears the whole time, although he did talk about it later as if he enjoyed it!

Next, the kids got to go around to the various businesses around the downtown Natick area and get candy.  Grant just wanted to eat whatever he got, immediately.  

The Vitti girls came with us- and you can see all three of the girls smiled nicely for the camera.  We tried to get Grant to join in the picture, but he just wanted to stand against the wall behind the girls!

After trick or treating was over, we went back to the Common and ran around a bit.  We had to stop and take a quick candy break.  You can see Grant was having some difficulty with the Tootsie Roll he was eating.  He did not care for all of that stickiness in his teeth! 

Tilly and Salvy's Pumpkin Festival

Tilly and Salvy's Bacon Street Farm is a great little shop that sells local, fresh and organic foods.  Every year, they have a pumpkin festival, in which the proceeds go to Natick Public Schools, so of course, we had to go support that.  It was a REALLY nice late afternoon when we went.  The kids really enjoyed the bouncy house (Natalie), the mini trampolines (Grant) and the pumpkins, which you can see Grant just made himself at home on the pumpkin pallets.

This looks like a perfect place to drive my cars around.

Look out Mr. Giant Pumpkin, here comes my white race car!

Natalie and Daddy coming back over to us after playing for a while on the bouncy castle.  And in case you were wondering, they raised over $5500 for Natick public schools this year!!!

Apple picking and Lili's birthday

We had a GREAT time at Lili's 5th birthday party which was at Honey Pot Orchards in Stow this year.  When we first got there, there was a bouncy house for the kids to jump around in.  Grant wanted nothing to do with that, as he hates bouncy houses.  He won't even get in the one we own!  He played with sticks in the dirt instead.

But Miss Natalie LOVES them.  

Next, we all boarded the tractor-pulled-hayride to head out to the orchards to pick some apples. Lili, the birthday girl, is on the left. 

Natalie had just come here within the last week or two with her school, so she was an expert apple picker.

Grant however, just wanted to eat the apples.  I think he ate parts of 4 apples over the course of the day!  Of course, that did not stop him from eating two pieces of pizza for lunch as well as half of an iced sugar cookie and part of an apple cider donut!  (Then we got in the car to drive home and he asked for and received yet another apple!)

Next up, we all got to go in (free of charge because we were with the birthday party!) the hedge maze. I was a bit surprised at how difficult it was to find our way out!  At one point, Todd just held the camera up to try to take a picture to see if we could find our way out! 

 Then we all got really excited thinking we had found our way out... but nope.  Just a sign congratulating us on making it to the middle of the hedge maze!

 Finally, we did make our way out and we went over to see some of the animals at the farm.  There were sheep, goats, chickens and pigs.  Grant thought the goats were really stinky, but he was pretty pleased with himself for getting to sit on this cool tractor!  This boy just loves anything with wheels! What a great time at Honey Pot Orchards!  We had planned to go apple picking as a family at some point this fall anyway- now we got to do that and have fun celebrating Lili's birthday!

Natalie's first bike ride - with training wheels

Natalie rode her first two wheeler with training wheels.  She was great!  She got on, and started riding and that was it!  Hopefully next summer we'll get off the training wheels!

The Big Three

Grant was inside somewhere when my mom snapped this cute picture of Todd, Natalie and I.  I'm sad my baby boy wasn't in this picture, but it was too cute not to share!  Todd and I were getting ready to go out for my birthday dinner!

Natalie's artwork

Periodically, I like to post a few of Natalie's best artwork pieces.  She really loves artwork, and as I've mentioned before, I think she's pretty good at it for a 5 year old!  Our favorite themes this summer have been mermaids, surfing, princesses, and rainbows.

Above, a mermaid is swimming in the water.

Above, Natalie is surfing at the beach.  As you can see, mommy and daddy are surfing with her, but apparently Grant is still too little because he's playing on the beach.

I told Natalie my dream pair of inov8s would be a purple and blue pair, since those are my favorite colors.  Inov8 big wigs, if you're reading this, Natalie would like to come work for you in your product development department.

Well, we're almost there with the paleo brainwashing, above....  (pizza, that's our only non paleo food!)

"I had short hair when I was a baby.  It looks long now.  I want perfect sized hair when I grow up."

These three mermaids are friends, and none of them have mouths!

Rainbows are a big hit around here lately.

This is Rapunzel.  She wears a purple dress and has long blonde hair.  Natalie has an amazing memory for details, such as the bodice on Rapunzel's dress- it actually does look like this!  Oh to be in the mind of a 5 year old!

First day of school 2012

Grant started his first day at FACE Children's Center (preschool) and Natalie started her first day at Memorial Elementary School here in Natick as a big kindergartener!!!  Naturally, we attempted to take a few pictures on the front steps.  You know how it goes.  Take 10 pictures to get one good one?

Little boy looks cute, but Natalie isn't ready.

 

 Goofball loves to make silly faces when taking pictures.  

More silly faces for Goofball, and Grant apparently thinks this is really funny.

I can't tell you how many times we told Natalie to make a nice face.  Grant also wants to now get up and move.

  So he moves down to the bottom step.  We'll get it right one of these tries.

Ah, there we go!  Two cute kids!

Grant, a little unsure of his backpack on the first day.  Todd told him he didn't have to wear it (after he protested) but he had to hold it.  

Big sis went to FACE for two years, so she showed little brother the way.

Natalie's first day of kindergarten was actually two days after Grant's first day.  She has Ms. Baldassari this year, and so far, she mostly likes it.  She told me tonight that it's "too much work!"  Oh boy, wait until she gets to high school!

Natalie made a friend very quickly.  Her name is Aja (pronounced Asia).  Have no fear though.  They held hands, and marched right on into Memorial (right past Mr. Joseph, their principal) and never looked back!  That's my girl!

Natalie gets her ears pierced

Before Natalie started kindergarten, I thought she might be old enough to get her ears pierced.  (We are currently 6 weeks post ear piercing and she's still doing great with them!)

She cried a bit just before they did it and just after, but then she was SO excited.  She told everyone she could about her new earrings.

Train Trip into Boston

Every summer, we try to take one day to hop on the train and go into Boston.  First, the tradition is that we all go over to Station 5 Grill across the street for a pancake breakfast (for the kids) and eggs and bacon for the parents!

Before breakfast, Grant was making funny faces.  This is his new favorite thing to do in the mirror before he brushes his teeth.  This one is one of two that he likes to make.  

They make pancakes as big as Grant's head!

We didn't take any pictures on the train for some reason!  But we made it into Boston on a nice sunshiny day.  And we went to Mommy's work (no one had ever been to see it) but didn't take any pictures of that either.  We went to the Granary Burying Ground next.  Here is Natalie pondering the life of the guy who invented a delicious beer.  No wait... this was the guy who signed the Declaration of Independence... never mind...

The kids were excited to take off their shoes and walk around in Frog Pond.  But both cried like crazy when we told them we couldn't stay and we couldn't swim.  We were hoping that a Swan Boat tour would entice them...

The ride was great- there was no line, which was rare for summer.  Here we all are on the boat!

The swans were even out for us to see.  They are so unafraid of humans!  It was a pretty successful trip into Boston, although the kids were whiny and tired.  Maybe someday this trip will be fun!

Weekend in Maine

This summer, we got to enjoy a fun weekend up at Helen's house in Maine on Mousam Lake.   We tried to go at least once a year, and we had pretty nice weather this year!

 We took a trip out on the lake on Uncle Gordie's boat.  Natalie, no problem.  Grant on the other hand, screamed and cried almost the whole time, especially when we went fast and the engine got loud.   Too bad little buddy, you'll get used to it!  The fact that he even has on a life jacket is improvement over last November when he wouldn't even put it on to go out on Pop Pop's boat!

We strolled around the lake and  at one point, got out and swam.  Little buddy was getting hungry and needed to go down for a nap, so we went back for some rest time for everyone.  After a quick nap, Natalie, Lauren, Seth, KK, Helen, Gordie and I went out on the boat again so the kids could go tubing.  Well Natalie wanted to do whatever Lauren and Seth were doing... so she decided she wanted to go tubing too!  Gordie didn't go super fast- maybe 10 or 15 mph at the most, and in fact, he went so slow that the tube got sunk when he took a corner and a wave covered it.  So all three kids sunk with it (see below picture)!  No worries, Lauren was right there for Natalie who had a life jacket on anyway.  Natalie loved it, and kept screaming, "Faster!  Faster!"  Lauren and Seth went super fast a few times, and then Gordie took all three kids in.  Natalie is definitely the daredevil in the family!  Although I will say, I could pretty much see white knuckles from the back of the boat as she was hanging on for dear life!

 

 Nighttime brought a big dinner, a fire pit, and SMORES!  Natalie never really liked these in the past, but she really liked them this year. I think she ate like 4 of them!

There were even some sparklers lying around, and since 4th of July celebrations are usually too late in the evening for our kids, this was the first time Natalie had ever held a sparkler.  She really liked this too!  We are already looking forward to our annual trip to Maine next summer!!!