No Deal

How to negotiate like a 3 year old:

Mommy: We're going for a walk in the stroller. How about you pick out 3 cars to bring along?

3 - year-old (said while walking down the stairs with approximately 400 matchbox cars, 2 large musical cars one of which is tied to a string, a party treat bag and stuffed dog): How about 4 cars?

Mommy (trying to be sneaky): Fine, how about 2 cars?

3-year-old (not to be outdone): How about 5 cars?

Mommy (really thinking this'll get him): Fine, 1 car?

3-year-old (laughing smugly): How about 6 cars?

Mommy (desperate to be done and on the walk): Find, 3 cars, deal?

3-year-old (quoting favorite TV show): No deal. 5 cars.

Mommy: Okay, 4 cars, final deal

3-year-old: No deal. (pause). Okay, I think 4 cars is the best number. I'll bring 4 cars. Deal.

Finally, we leave on a walk with 4 cars in tow (in a ziploc storage container "bucket" no less). I'm pretty sure I still lost this one. Maybe I'll bring him the next time I have to haggle for a new car.

Run, Kenny, Run

Ken is not really a runner. Well, he runs -- and he could be a really good runner I think if he didn't have such bad knees -- but he doesn't really like it and running usually consists of a mile on the treadmill at the gym. Somehow, though, I convinced him that running a 10k last weekend would be a great idea. He he he he he! Crazy man. We drove about 45 minutes on a beautful fall Saturday morning with our friends Stacey and Bryan and a total of 5 kids. Stacey took on the task of watching all 5 kids (who is crazier, Stacey or Ken and I? I'll leave it up to you to decide) while Bryan did the 1/2 marathon and Ken and I did the 10k.

The kids mostly ran around the cemetary and rolled in the grass and Stacey took great pictures (which I thank her for letting me steal!) so Ken and I could do this. I was so proud of him -- he made it the whole way and barely even complained! We finished in 1 hour and 3o seconds. Still 9:45 minute miles and we basically walked about a 1/3 of it. Maybe I can convince him to do the Frozen 1/2 marathon in January? You think?

Evie bundled up and waiting for the race to start

Ken and I before the start

All the kids doing some waiting

Ken and I almost at the finish

Luke and Calvin playing in the cemetary

Getting a lift from Ken

Ooops, I did it again

No, no, no Britney here. But we did have a slight tragedy this week -- the death of our new camera. I will try to blame it on the baby (I was holding it and she went for the "bright shiny thing") but it was my fault for not having the wrist strap thingy around my wrist. And, has Ken has pointed out several times, it was my second dropped and demolished camera in as many weeks. So our camera is currently en route to be hopefully fixed. Sadly, Halloween is in 5 days and I don't think I can really justify another brand new camera. Though that SLR is looking mighty nice now.
At least we have a few pre-H-day pics of the kids in their Halloween costumes. We took Luke and Evie over to the Mall of America for their trick-or-treating at the park and I have to say the Clifford costume was the best. And they were giving out great stuff -- little pumpkins and huge candy bars. There's still a little kid in me that thinks I've hit the jackpot when someone gives out full-size candybars. Plus, Luke can make the tail wag. Seriously adorable.

My little bug and not-so-little puppy

How I love a giggly baby

Notice my ultra-original costume. A doctor? No way! (Actually I was just getting home from work)

This is why I need a better camera -- it would have been a great picture if it wasn't so washed out. Don't you agree, honey? Please?

The Replacement

So we got our new camera in the mail -- just in time for more fall and halloween pics this weekend. It is definitely small enough to fit in a pocket and has 7 megapixels instead of the 3 our last one had. I'm still dreaming of an SLR but I guess I should wait until I have time to learn how to use it.

We had to try it out on Ev this evening, especially since we were realizing how many pictures we have of Luke at this age. I love how red her hair is getting. And if you look really, really closely you can see her tiny teeth.

Luke's newest thing is matching -- he wants everything to match (and by matching he means all one color, usually red or blue). How excited was he that both Mommy, Daddy and Luke all had red sweaters last Sunday. I think it's an adorable look. If only I could get him to keep everything clean (or wear a tie. I love little boys in ties). He's doing great -- last night, i asked to him to keep an eye on the baby and I came back in the room and he was sitting on the bed, reading a book to her saying, "look, ev, do you see the monkeys? they're taking a bath." He has now decided that since he already has a sister, he needs a baby brother. Hmmmm. Last week was the "I'm 3, so we need 3 kids" speech. What happens when he turns 15?

Disaster!

Okay, not really in the grand scheme of things, but my camera broke this week so this post will be sans photos. Actually we really needed a new camera so this I wasn't TOO worked up. Except for the fact that I was in Seattle when it broke and we took the kids on a fall hike this morning so I'm sad about the missed photos. We've been having the big SLR-or-not debate and decided on a pretty inexpensive pocket size camera for Ken. I think I'll have to save up for my SLR.

Ken kept the kids for a couple of days while I went to a work conference in Seattle. I use the word "work" lightly because I had essentially a 2-hour meeting for all 3 days I was there. Which a lot of time for eating great seafood, doing way too much shopping and walking around the city. I could live off of crab. Yum. I also got to see a friend of mine, Erica, from med school whom I hadn't seen in forever. Ken did a great job with the kids, like he always does, and I got a nice little break.

Evie hit a couple of milestones this week -- 2 new teeth (she's cut both of them over the past 2 weeks with barely a whine), lots of jabbering, an almost-wave bye-bye. Sorry, no cute dress pictures this week as I am camera-less.

The Perfect Pumpkin

Every year, we have to try out a new apple orchard and pumpkin patch -- and there are about a million in this part of Minnesota. This one was a little touristy but still okay. And though it was the not-so-perfect fall day (almost 90 degrees and hot!), Luke really had a great time -- especially running around the pumpkin patch. We got a wagon ride over to the patch and when Luke wasn't busy chucking the littler pumpkins around he was trying to show us how strong he was by picking up the big ones. We finally decided on a rather medium sized one, which he proudly proclaimed as we were getting off the wagon "Mom, we found the perfect pumpkin."

Ev hitching a ride with Daddy

So many choices!

Evie checking out the big orange thing

One more dress -- this one's for Grandma

A little explanation -- my mom worked for Harley-Davidson for a couple of years before she started working for BYU, ensuring her position as "the coolest mother-in-law ever" according to my husband. Even though she doesn't work there any more, we still get an assortment of great Harley attire for the grandbabies. This one is my personal favorite: