How to tell Halloween is near

In the days before Halloween, hearing the question "How many more days 'til we go trick or treatin'?" on a regular basis can be a dead giveaway that the holiday is approaching. In addition to this repetitive question, the fall weather, pumpkins on porches, and seasonal displays in stores, there are a few other clues that signal Halloween is near.

For instance, there are field trips to the pumpkin patch, complete with hayrides, a tunnel slide, pretend cow milking, and jumping off bales of hay, to name just a few of the activities. (Aunt Tricia chaperoned in my nephew's class, and I'm so thankful she was able to snap a few great photos of Jacob while she was there.)







Another indicator Halloween is around the corner? Preschool Halloween costume parties.





Black cats crossing your path is also a sign.



Sure, most cats lick themselves, but maybe others chew on their tails.


Picking out pumpkins, of course.



Decorating your own pumpkin (with Halloween and Spiderman stickers, naturally).




Acting extra scary and spooky.


And lastly, Jeff's Halloween wig, which makes an appearance this time every year. It has become a tradition for everyone to try it on. Some of its wearers look simply ravishing (that's a synonym for ridiculous, right?), while others look downright frightening.

Helllooo, Gorgeous. The wig's rightful owner.

And here would be an example of the "downright frightening" I warned you about. I look at this picture and imagine I'll look a little something like this when I'm about 78 years old. All that's missing is a housedress, a hairnet, and if I smoked, a cigarette dangling from my mouth would be the perfect accessory for this look. A very scary Halloween photo for sure.

Aunt Tricia even modeled the gorgeous hairpiece.


And of course, we had to stick the wigs on the kids' heads. Somehow they don't look as scary as the adults. But they do look hilarious. And a bit like little Orphan Annie.


Jacob was eager to model the wig.

Remember that scene in "Annie", when she fights the Clone Troopers with her light saber? Wait a minute...perhaps I'm combining a couple of different movies...


Even cousins tried it on for size. Some a bit more reluctantly than others, but we made it happen.



And of course I didn't leave Will out of the fashion show.


No one will be wearing the wig on Halloween, but hopefully we can still manage to look good without it.
We can't wait for Halloween!

Photographic memories

Sometimes I look at a picture of Will, and his expression, pose, or outfit immediately reminds me of a photo of Jacob or Alex.

For instance, Will's pouting photo from when he was only 2 weeks old (and actually, he had that bottom lip poke mastered on the day of his birth)

reminded me immediately of Jacob's infamous, pitiful pouting photo taken when he was 2 months old.


Clearly neither of them were in a mood to be photographed.

This photo of Will hanging out on the couch at 2-1/2 weeks old

reminded me of this picture of Alex chilling on a sofa at 3-1/2 weeks old.


Both in blue and both waving arms in the air.

And this big, happy grin on Will's face at just over 2 months old


is the same big, happy grin on Jacob's face when he was 3 months old.


All 3 boys at 3 weeks old have stared in open-mouthed fascination at their Daddy.

Jacob


Alex


Will


And all 3 boys have sported the same 6 month sized pumpkin onesie around Halloween.

Jacob wore it on his first Halloween at just over 4 months old.


Then Alex wore it on his first Halloween at just over 2 months old.


And in the spirit of the holiday that is only 5 days away (and believe me, 2 little boys in this house are counting down the days), Will is now crawling around in the pumpkin onesie at 6 months old.


Three little boys alike & different in so many ways.

And all loved exactly the same (HUGE) amount since the very beginning.

Jacob


Alex


Will

Puzzle me this

Puzzles. They have become one of Alex's new favorite pastimes. I've purchased a few new ones to add to our small collection since it takes him only minutes to complete one before he's looking for another. I'm thinking Santa will also need to chip in and provide a couple more.




The puzzles are not only a hobby, but also an opportunity to show off his skills and get plenty of attention and praise. Of course his parents are impressed. And Alex is pretty proud of himself too (as he should be).


The other day, Jacob sat and watched him complete a puzzle. Alex was beaming when Jacob told him admirably, "Alex, you are excellent at puzzles!" And I was chuckling when Jacob told me, "Alex is teaching me how to do puzzles."

Alex has also been known to teach a few adults in the ways of Puzzling. Just yesterday, as his Nan was "helping" him, and turning a piece from side to side, searching for its place on the puzzle, Alex helpfully and patiently suggested, "Why don't you turn it this way?" Sure enough, it was a fit.



It's actually quite impressive watching a 3-year old easily complete one puzzle after the next.




With a look of concentration, he slaps some pieces down quickly, and others, he turns in his hand, analyzing the angles and curves to determine if it's a proper fit. If it's not, he doesn't whine or get frustrated. He simply sets it aside, and tries a new piece. I admire his patience and strategy.


Parenting can be a bit of a puzzle in itself. You have to consider the many pieces of a child's personality, and recognize that different strategies and approaches are required to achieve the desired outcome. Sometimes there's a quick and easy solution to an issue, and other times, you have to step back and think, try to see the big picture, and keep coming back to the matter at hand. Occasionally, a wrong move can set you back and cause frustration. But you keep working at it patiently and persistently, and when you get it right? It's rewarding. And you're happy and proud.


As for my Puzzle Master? He finds many an opportunity to puzzle his mother. One minute I'm marveling over his intelligence and his love of learning, and the next, I find myself telling him things like, "No hitting", "Don't put your hand in the toilet", "Ask without whining, please", and my personal favorite, "Get your hand out of your butt."

But I guess that's pretty much every 3-year old for ya. And ours sure is a perfect fit for our family.