Watercolors on a Warm Autumn Day

The day we came home from Plymouth after Grant's birthday party just happened to be a really warm day, so the kids took their paint sets outside to do some painting.  Grant got a new Lightning McQueen paint set from Nauni and he really wanted to use it just like Sissy does.  

Sky came out to keep Grant company while he was painting.

Natalie looks like a true artist here with her paint pallet and smock.  She painted the Disney Princesses with grass, sky, sun and birds.  Such a little artiste!

Grant's birthday weekend in Plymouth

Since Big Boy just started preschool, we thought a quiet birthday celebration in Plymouth with the family would probably be best for Grant's third birthday.  Just a couple of weeks after his birthday, we had a three day weekend for Veteran's Day (which just so happens to be the day before our anniversary, and the observed holiday this year WAS on our anniversary!) so we went down to Plymouth for a little party.  We had it on Sunday, and open presents during the Patriots game. Since it was our anniversary weekend, we even got some free babysitting and went out to dinner at the Rye Tavern, which was really good.  It was crazy getting there though- the road is a VERY bumpy dirt road and you half wonder whether wild animals or feral children are going to jump out of the woods that surround the road.  Kind of creepy, but the food was so good, that I hope we go back!

Grantie got lots of presents.  Nauni, LuLu, the four of us, Grammi, Bean, Seth and Aunt Betty were all there to celebrate.  KK went on a cruise with her friend Lynne, so we didn't get to see her but we know she had a drink for all of us!

Grant ripping open his brand new Big Wheels, just like Mommy and Daddy had when they were little.  OK, well, CoCo had a Big Wheels, but Mommy rode it too!  I didn't realize how big these things were.  There isn't even wrapping paper big enough to go around it!

How many generations of Bailey's does it take to put together a  Big Wheels?  Answer:  3!  Meanwhile, Grant was playing with a really cool Humvee that CoCoBrie got him that you can take apart and put back together using a toy (but really working) drill! 

Meanwhile, Nauni and Seth helped Grant open some NEW Lightning McQueen jammies and bath soaps!  He later ran out in them and said, "Look at my new jammies!" 

 

Aunt Betty got Grant a really cool firetruck puzzle that makes firetruck noises when you put the whole thing together!  He still needs a little help with this, but he really liked the sound of the firetrucks.  And of course, some books- we can never have too many of those!  Our favorite thing to do before bed is read a book (although Grant is getting good at the art of delaying bedtime by asking for two or sometimes three books!)

I ordered Grant's cake from the same place I ordered Natalie's birthday cake this year- at Bagel Bistro in Westborough.  Love the dump truck with the colored sprinkles coming out of the back of it!  He thought this was pretty awesome!

Here's Big Boy with his Godmother as he eats an ice cream cone with cookies and cream ice cream.  He devoured that one!

Here's Grant with Mommy and Daddy and his very cool birthday cake.  He's making his silly smile face, it's so cute when he does this!  It was a very successful birthday party!

Our Frogs

For Natalie's birthday back in June, Nana and Pop Pop got her some tadpoles, which we have grown into 5 little water frogs.  These guys are pretty cute.  For some reason, they remind me of Kermit.  When we came back from our Thanksgiving trip, our neighbors Steve and Jean had bought the kids a filtered tank (their Christmas present).  Holy cow, does it make these little guys easier to take care of!

Here is a pic of them in their old tank:

Grant's 3 year stats

Height:  38" (64th percentile, up 3" from last year)

Weight: 35# (81st percentile, up 6# from last year)

And you wonder why my back hurts all the time!!!! 

Happy Halloween!

This is the last year we went trick or treating with the Kelley family.  We are sad that they moved to Westborough, but happy they bought a great house with a pool that we can come visit!  We were all thankful this year that we were somewhat spared from Hurricane Sandy and we were allowed to go trick or treating!

As we've all done for the past few years, we went trick or treating in the Walnut Hill area.  Grant definitely had a better idea of what was going on this year, and wanted to eat every piece of chocolate he could get! 

Little Buddy and Bugaboo, ready to go get some candy!

Here comes Mater and Aeriel, ready to hit the houses and say trick or treat!  Grant said the funniest thing in the car earlier in the morning on Halloween.  We were talking about trick or treating, so I said, "Grant what do you say when you go up to someone's house for trick or treating?" and he said, "Trick or treat!"  So I said, "Then what do you say after someone gives you candy?"  (The proper response is "Thank you!") but Grant says, "I sick of peanuts!"  Oh my gosh, we laughed so hard at him!  He's allergic to peanuts and they make him very sick, and I was actually surprised that he understood!

 Here the kids are with Jackson and Samantha, and you'll notice there's STILL candy in the bowl at this house!  It will be a few years before they raid it and take it all!

They look thrilled to be taking pictures in the middle of trick or treating!

Here's Natalie picking out some candy.  She was so sweet this year- I didn't even ask her to do this, but at every house, she would ask if there was any candy with peanuts because she couldn't have any.  Even though she really can, she did that for her brother!  There is one house over at I think the corner of Harvard and Sawin, and they always have a haunted house in their garage.  Well this year, Natalie totally wanted to go in!  So she and Todd went in- and then she came out and wanted to go back in with me!  I tried to take Grant in, but he was scared after about 2 steps, so we went back out.  It was a pretty successful Halloween, with not much whining (until we got home anyway!)

Grant's Preschool Class Picture

Grant is in front, between his lady friends Reese and Skye, with his hand in his mouth!  Oh Grantie, you're so funny!

Fall pictures

We have had a nice fall, although our leaf guy hasn't showed up yet and it's November.  So we got Grant and Natalie out there to work on the leaves for us.  It was fairly unsuccessful, but they DID have fun jumping in them!

Silly kids playing in the leaves! 

Grant had a blast using the snow shovel to try to throw the leaves up in the air.

Um, where are my kids!?  Buried in the leaves!

 This picture was taking just a few days before Hurricane Sandy came through and now all of the leaves are gone.  

Every year, we've had a leaf guy come by and clean things up- twice during the season.  He hasn't been here once, and it's already November!  What a mess!   Hopefully he'll be coming this week- we think they were waiting until after the storm. 

Kindergarten Halloween parade

Todd surprised Natalie and showed up at the kindergarten Halloween parade this year.  Only the kindergarteners get to dress up and march around in a parade while the older kids cheer for them.  I'm so sad I missed it!

Natalie's reaction when she first saw Todd was so cute- she was so excited and surprised!

Here come the kids!  Ms. Baldassari, her teacher is on the left in the yellow fairy costume.

The kids from the other grades line up along the parade route and cheer for the kindergarteners! 

Grant's 3rd Birthday

Big boy turned 3 on the 30th!  We had a quiet birthday at home this year.  He actually got to stay home all day with daddy and sis since the schools were closed.  

Grant making silly faces before we enjoyed cupcakes!

 Yay for cupcakes!  (He literally made this face when he saw the cupcakes!)

Now we're talking guys.  I'm happiest when I'm eating a cupcake.  In fact, Natalie asked him what his favorite food was while he was eating this, and naturally he said, "Cupcakes!"

 After dinner and cupcakes, we opened a few presents.  Happy birthday little buddy!  We love you so much and are so thankful for every day that you're in our lives!  You are the funniest little guy, always aiming to please... A little boy who loves trucks and construction equipment and the movie Cars! 

Hurricane Sandy

We got a day off of work on the 29th (and the kids got the 30th off school too because some schools didn't have power yet) due to Hurricane Sandy making landfall in New Jersey.  It leveled a lot of areas in New York and New Jersey, but we were pretty much spared here.  We had some gusty winds, but nothing major.  We didn't even have too many limbs or branches down, and we never even lost power!

Hurricane's around here pretty much mean a lot of laying around and watching movies!

Or goofing off as the Three Amigos!  Would you say that I have a plethora of pinatas?  Or perhaps a plethora of sombreros!