Halloween cookies

A few days ago, Cason mentioned last fall when he helped me make Halloween cupcakes. I figured he must have loved it if he remembered it so I asked if he wanted to help me make Halloween cookies this year. Of course he said yes so yesterday when we were in Target, I thought to grab a roll of sugar cookie dough and some frosting. He was very excited to make bat and pumpkin cookies.



I was so glad that we weren't giving any away after seeing this



and this.



Ready to go in the oven. Had to take a picture because after they bake, they look like blobs.





Sprinkle time.



He makes the best concentration faces.



Then he snuck a bite. The only bite he actually got yesterday since he ended up not eating anything at all for dinner. I said "hey now, those are for after dinner." He set the cookie down carefully and said "sorry Mommy".



I guess at the age of three he has already learned it is easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.



Cason's finished cookies.

7 years

Today is our 7th anniversary. We decided to actually do something fun to celebrate (first time in 6 years!) this past weekend. A month or so ago we bought a deal on Groupon for a zip line tour that is nearby. We got a sitter lined up and headed out on Saturday afternoon. It was a two hour experience that we shared with two guides and four other couples. The other couples all lived in the same neighborhood as each other and were a lot of fun to hang out with. The first half hour was instruction/waiting/driving out to the zip line area. Then we spent the next 90 minutes or so taking turns climbing ladders, getting attached to the cable, and speeding along the zip lines.

Kelly and I both wished the zip lines were longer/faster/higher but we are adrenaline junkies and what can you expect in the DFW metroplex? One of the couples we were with talked about a zip line tour they did in Costa Rica that was a lot more adventurous so maybe someday we can do something like that. But our tour was fun anyway, definitely more exciting than dinner and a movie.

Train depot

Lacy and I were looking for a way to practice with our cameras and get some cute shots of the boys at the same time. She had heard about a nearby train depot that kids can go look at and figured we could get some cute pictures. So yesterday morning, we met up there. The boys had a blast and we did get some good pictures. I had issues with focusing and I think I figured out that my aperature was too open. I also have issues with exposure but I'm not even sure what my issues are yet so I haven't figured out how to improve there. A lot of these I'm not happy with the sharpness of the boys' faces but they were too cute not to share. We want to go back sometime soon and try again.

There were tons of big rocks that all four boys loved.



I love this one of Cason. I need to go back and brighten up the colors I think.



I said "hug", not "strangle".





Kelly saw this one and said Rycie was practing his Jon Gruden face. So true!









This one is too blown out.





Here's where I started having issues with the face being slightly out of focus. Bryce's new favorite song is Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee and he wants me to sing it all the time. He especially likes the "ouch!" and "eww!" parts. I used that to my advantage to get some cute shots of him smiling.

















Get a picture of all four boys together? Yeah right.



I love this one too. But I think I blew it out too much. Stupid sun.

Waffle House

Cason loves waffles. He wants them almost every morning for breakfast. We just buy frozen waffles and if we run out, he makes us write it on our dry erase board so we get some the next time we go to the store. Last weekend, he was playing in his red car and pretending to go to the store to get more waffles. I was on the phone with Kelly and I told Kelly what Cason was doing. Kelly responded that we should take him to Waffle House. I then asked, "Cason, do you want Daddy to take you to Waffle House?" Cason's eyes got huge and his mouth dropped wide open. It was so cute, you could just see his imagination going, picturing a big house made of waffles. So we decided to take the kids this morning. I tried all week to talk him into IHOP instead but with a name like Waffle House, there was no talking him out of it. He talked about it all week, and kept asking if it was Friday yet so we could go to Waffle House.

This morning we headed out as soon as we were all up and ready. Cason loves peanut butter on his waffles and Kelly gave him the idea that they might not have any so Cason insisted on bringing his own jar from home.



Waiting for his food. I just love his messy hair.



We asked the waitress what kind of waffles they have and she listed off a bunch of different kinds. But Cason insisted he just wanted peanut butter waffles. So I talked him into chocolate chip waffles that he could put his peanut butter on. I got the same for Bryce, thinking that he wouldn't eat it all and I could have some.





Cason had p.b. and syrup (thanks to Kelly for the syrup) on two of the waffle wedges, butter on a third, and jelly on the fourth. I think he ate about half of the waffle.





But I think both kids liked Kelly's plain white toast better than the waffles. We've never had white bread in our house before so it was probably a treat for them.





Cason loved eating at Waffle House but now he says that he wants to go to IHOP next time because I told him that IHOP has stuffed french toast.



He was telling me that his waffle was "this big".



After Waffle House, we headed to the airport. Grandma G. had just landed and had a few hours before her next flight left for Cancun. So we hung out in baggage claim for about an hour. I love this look on Bryce's face.



Then we got him to smile.



We can't wait for Grandma to come back for Thanksgiving and to bring Grandpa with her!

The sun and the time

I've said this before but Cason is obsessed with lights. If we are at a store and a light is burnt out, he is first to notice. Then he will ask why it's off. If we're on a walk and a streetlight is on during the day, he will ask why the light is on. He's like the light police. Anyway, this morning was cloudy so after breakfast we were in the playroom and the streetlight outside was still on. He commented on it and then started playing. A few minutes later we looked up and the light was off.

C: Why is that light off? Did the sun turn it off?

Me: Yes.

C: Does the sun use its hands to turn the light off?

Me: No, the sun doesn't have hands.

C: Oh, it used its paws?

At first I just said yes. Then I told him that the sun does not have hands or paws and tried to explain sensors. He probably just tuned me out.

His other new obsession is clocks. He is constantly asking what time it is.

C: What time is it?

Me: 8:42

C: Oh. What time is it now?

Me: 8:42

C: Now what time is it?

Me: It's still 8:42, Cason.

Sometimes he will tell ME what time it is. Sometimes it's a legit time (although not the actual time) and other times it's something really funny like "twenty thirty thirty" or "eleven degrees".

Day 1

So my friend Lacy inspired me to get into my camera (again) and try to learn how to operate it in manual mode. You know, like I said I was going to do last December after I got it. I tried twice this year to read through the manual and read Understanding Exposure but somehow always got distracted to do something else with my free time. But Lacy has been using manual for a couple of months now and is showing off some really great pictures of her boys so I decided to give it another go. This afternoon, I tried manual for the very first time. Apparently Cason wasn't too photogenic today because none of the pictures of him turned out. These are by no means good pictures but Rycie has such a big personality that I had to share day 1 of going manual. I know I have a ton to learn but I'm excited that I took the plunge and gave it a try. I would like to not go back to auto mode but I make no promises!

Rycie's pouty face after I told him that no, he could not play with the ceramic and glass crockpot.











"hat!"





This is out of focus but I thought it was so funny. He was singing and dancing.



Rycie was peeking in on us. Cason and I were sitting in the playroom closet. It was our plane and we were flying to "Southlake America".