Two!

After celebrating Meghan's birthday on Thursday, she went to the doctor Monday for her two-year-old check-up. She is 36 3/4 inches tall and 28 lbs, 11 oz. She's my little string bean.

Jack at his two-year-old check-up was 37 inches tall and 29 lbs,  12 oz, only a 1/4 inch taller but a whole pound heavier. Must be the reason he looks so buff in this picture.

And then there's Clara, 35 1/4 inches tall and 30 lbs, 2 oz. The heaviest, the shortest, and the scruffiest hair. :)

Beginning of October (1 -16)

These are some of the everyday goings on for us from the beginning of October.

Nothing in the kitchen for dinner, so Zoe's it is. Meghan enjoys one of their chocolate chip cookies.

Oops, this isn't looking so good on my part, another dinner out... Beaseley's!

One morning I caught Meghan playing with Baby Margaret.

The beginning of October we were inundated with hawk sightings. This particular bird we saw walking one afternoon on the way to pick up Clara. After I snapped this picture it proceeded to fly down into some pine straw about 20 feet past us and sort of pick through it as if looking for something that perhaps got away.

This hawk Jack spotted and yelled for me to get a picture on our walk home from school pick-up a different day. What a catch on his part.

Then low and behold a few mornings later when we were walking out of the door to take Jack to school, we came upon this guy in our front yard! It also was digging around on the ground. The feathers around one of its legs were all ruffled, and I worried that maybe it was injured, and that's why it was acting so strangely. I even took a video, but in classic fashion seconds after I stopped recording, it flew away to a tree across the street. Jack hustled to the car, but I was a little concern that Meghan was going to charge it.

Apparently October is fire prevention month, so fire fighters came to Jack's preschool to talk to the kids, and he came home with this hat. Meghan tried it on for size.

Just two days before Meghan's second birthday, we went to Pullen park for Jack's friend Orson's birthday party. Though I managed to somehow leave out the birthday boy, here's a picture of my kids and Orson's sister, Rosalind, enjoying the cake.

Last but not least in this mish mash of early October happenings, Jack's preschool class invited their dads to school for Dads & Donuts. Jack was excited to show Brec around his classroom and of course to have a donut early in the school day. And look who's even dancing with his class! He's come so far.

A few shoots on the deck on Meghan's last day as a one-year-old.

What a stinker. He takes after his Uncle Jack with silly faces theses days but must be his Auntique with that tongue!

Rest of September (Sept. 16 - 30)

Now that we've survived Meghan's birthday and Halloween, it's time to catch up with the rest of our Fall happenings. After a relaxing weekend much of which was spent outdoors, Monday we headed to the vet to take Sydney for her annual check-up. It was especially important because on Wednesday Sydney was going to have surgery to repair a partially torn ACL on her back right leg. Meghan was very upset when I told her she couldn't have any chewing gum.

Following the appointment she was much happier at the park.

We dropped Sydney off at the vet's Tuesday afternoon, and they performed her surgery Wednesday morning. She spent one night there under observation and was cleared to return home to us Thursday. Poor thing. She hated her E-collar but was a trooper. Here she is recovering post-op on her new dog bed.

You can actually see the incisions around Syd's knee and how swollen it is. I'm so glad to be writing about this when Sydney seems to be well on the path to recovery now. It was so sad to see her limping around so much.

To complicate matters Brec actually went out of town Wednesday morning and returned late Friday night. Jack & Meghan jumped at the chance to go with Daddy to get bagels bright and early Saturday morning.

Sydney relaxed outside on the deck, soaking up some sun.

Jack is in the background mixing up some concoction. You can see Sydney's ramp in the foreground.

And pants are off thanks to the water play.

Sunday Jack was ready for the Pats game.

The last weekend in September we played indoors with some Play-doh and outdoors at the park. I have no idea what the kids were talking about, but they kept repeating it, so we figured, why not record it? "Let's go to the Fall Festival and get some clothes"

Jack in perpetual motion.

Jack's killer Euro moves & Meghan spins too.

Happy Halloween!

Our household is still solidly running on sugar obtained last Thursday. The kids sure had a fun time acquiring it though.

Per tradition much to Clara's chagrin ("everyone else's pumpkins are already carved"), we carved our pumpkins Halloween afternoon. For the first time ever, we actually carved two of the little ones the kids had picked out. Jack loved his white pumpkin and enjoyed scooping out the guts.

Meghan and Clara show off their "yucky hands".

Finished product! Clara's (2nd one down) actually had two teeth, one of which was loose and ended up being pulled, a fitting pumpkin for Clara at this stage in her life. Meghan didn't seem to notice that hers remained untouched which worked fine for me as her is a pie pumpkin, so now we can cook it up for pie!

Once the pumpkins were carved and dinner was eaten, it was time to get into costume. Clara went as Dorothy this year, and Jack stuck with his tried and true Jack 'O Lantern disguise. Megatron, however, had a time of it. We had an Elmo costume and a bumblebee outfit, both of which sent her into hysterics when they were brought near her. Thanks to the big win Wednesday night by the Boston Red Sox! I was inspired and fixed her up as a Red Sox player. Luckily she thought she was wearing regular clothes and so went along with it.

The look on Jack's face here cracks me up.

After the obligatory front step pictures, we were off to see the Wizard! Er... to trick or treat. We paused halfway through our route for an action shot.

And finally we made it home. The kids had a blast. Clara was joined by Jack this year racing up the walkways to ring the doorbells. They were tired but very ready to dig into their pumpkins. They humored me for one last shot.

Enjoying their spoils of trick-or-treating. I'm just there to assist in the candy opening.

Found this video as I was off-loading the Halloween pictures from the camera. Look what Mommy missed while out clothing shopping on Saturday morning - fun on the furniture with Daddy.

Sunday afternoon football-watching huddle with Daddy. Thanks to "Fall back" we have an extra hour to be lazy.

Happy Second Birthday, Meghan!

It's hard to believe it but it's been two years since Mega-tron-T-ron-rick-a-doo came into our lives. 

Birthday breakfast of Pop-pop cereal.

When at first pass she refused to smile, I was worried it was going to be a long day of unsatisfying pictures.

Luckily she perked up right away.

Too cool.

The movie star herself pauses for a quick picture. She looks so tall.

After preschool pick-up family photo-shoot on the steps.

Later on after Meghan's non-nap, we went to the park to celebrate her birthday with our after school park group. Meghan showed off her big two-year old skills on the climbing wall.

Meghan and Emmy waiting patiently for cupcakes.

Things looked like they may take a turn for the worst when we pulled up to the restaurant and turned around to this in the back seat. Luckily Meghan rallied and enjoyed her hot dog, fries, and shake at Chuck's.

When we came home, it was time to open her present.

Happy Birthday to you!