Fall Festivities

We have had a busy fall!  I love all the fall colors we get to enjoy in northern VA.  It seems like every year I forget how breathtakingly beautiful it is, how the crisp air feels, how many fun things there are to do...and then we have a booked-every-weekend sort of fall and I remember how much I do love it.  Roy and I joke that fall is the reward for having put up with a yucky, humid summer.  So here's what we've been up to!

The kids love to camp out in our bed before jumping in the bath or shower.  Lydia is still getting used to the idea, but she adores being able to participate more and more with Abby and Sam.  

Sam decided to teach Lydia how to watch cartoons.  Of course he had to sit practically on top of her to do it.  He's really developing into an excellent big brother.

We went to the fire station for an open house and the kids got to see a fireman put on his uniform (is that what you call it?) in something speedy like 78 seconds.  I was impressed.  They also got to "drive" a fire truck, learn about fire safety, and meet firemen.  It was a lot of fun and a good reminder that we should talk more to our kids about escape plans, what to do in a fire, and just some basic survival things.

One of our traditions is to take a bathtub picture of our kids at 7 months (odd age, I know, but we got a cute picture of Abby in the tub at 7 months and a tradition was born).  We print them in black and white and hang them in our bathroom.  I'm still trying to decide which Lydia picture to use, but here are two of the ones in the running.  She's such a sweetheart!

And of course we had Halloween celebrations and a trip to the pumpkin patch.  Here's our pink dinosaur Lydia, red Angry Bird Sam, and Cinderella Abby.

For our ward Trunk or Treat, Abby was complimented as being regal.  She asked me what that meant and I explained that it meant it was like she was royalty.  She began walking very slowly and stood a little taller.  I couldn't keep my smile contained.  Before we even left for the Trunk or Treat, she prepared for her role of Cinderella by singing "Bippity Boppity Boo" in the bathroom (at the top of her lungs).

Other Bits and Pieces from the month:

• Abby is really into joke-telling lately.  The other day she asked Sam, "Why did the chicken cross the road?"  In a very no-nonsense, duh sort of way, Sam replied, "Um, chickens live on farms."
• Sam has been extra loving lately.  Most of the times I love it.  On one of these occasions, he was squeezing my face and kissing me and said, in a very loving voice, "I squeeze your face and squeeze your bottom."
• On a related note, Sam got to be potty trained last week.  The stuck-inside-because-of-a-hurricane was the motivation to get us going.  I do not enjoy potty-training or the stress induced by the whole affair and I was most certainly not looking forward to a week stuck in the house talking about potty.  Plus the guilt of intending to do it at the end of September was eating at me.  So we did it and I must say my boy has done great.  Halloween candy is such a great motivator for toilet success!
• And last but not least, Happy birthday to my littlest brother Steven (aka Elder Freebairn)!  You, my brother, are the reason for this post today.  I may not get your birthday envelope to you in time, but at least I can send a blog to you for your birthday week preparation day.  We love you!

Roy's Trip to Rio

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Copacabana beach

 Old church

Long lost relative

The brains of the delegation 

So foggy we couldn't see anything... but got some cool pictures of the Christ statute 

One-liners

• I told Abby, who was dawdling, that we were walking out the door to get in the car.  Sam, trying to be Mr. Mom, yells, "Abby, we're making out!"
• Sam went up to Roy and said, "You have a big nose."  (I laughed so hard at this that he still says it occasionally, although the first time was 2 weeks ago.)
• Sam: "I got my pixie dust!"  Abby: "I got my sword!"

Said within minutes of each other while eating dinner (I must say these topics are typical of Zwahlen family meal conversations...if you've ever had dinner with any Zwahlen, you can attest to the frequency of potty talk at meals):

• Sam: "I'm not in Daddy's bottom!"
• Abby:  "I didn't really sleep well last night because my bottom kept complaining it had to go to the bathroom."

And my new favorite:

• Sam: "I squeeze your face and squeeze your bottom."

September Photo Dump

I don't really have a single excuse for why the last nearly 2 months have been so busy, but I have obviously taken pictures of our busy-ness and not blogged.  Enjoy the month of September with us!

Pirate Ship:

We went on a pirate ship adventure in Annapolis, MD that turned out to be a lot of fun.  Any adventure with grandparents and cousins is fun, but this one was funny, different from the norm, and the kids got to be pirates.  Abby especially got into it with dressing up, her mermaid tattoo, and yelling like a pirate.  Sam pretty much enjoyed the yelling part the best.  We had to fight him to wear a pirate belt and he preferred laying in the sand to getting a tattoo.  The best part of the adventure was the treasure we got to bring home!

Random Happy Moments:

Abby started in a preschool co-op again this year with 4 other girls.  There is going to be a lot of sparkles and giggles this year.

Abby is introducing Lydia to the world of the Disney Princesses using any means available.  I love it!

Are you grinning so big that your cheeks are bursting too?  I am.  This baby girl is so big and fun.

Zach's Birthday:
Any of the Zwahlen cousin birthdays come with fun games, delicious food, and some sort of surprise for the kids and Zach's party was no exception.  We built with Legos, ate Lego-themed food, and enjoyed bike riding at the elementary school across the street.  It was so much fun!

Look!  She's growing as I post!  Lydia now loves to stand (in toys or with parent help, not on her own) so the exersaucer is a great toy for her.  It took her approximately 5 seconds to figure out how to spin around to find all the toy options.  Smart girl.

State Day of Service/Stake 3K Walk:
Last Saturday was a State Day of Service for VA, MD, DC, and WV.  Our stake put on a 3K walk/food drive.  We collected food from neighbors and even had some neighbors join us for the walk.  3K really shouldn't have been hard, but between pushing strollers and having the Bjorn for Lydia, it took us a little longer than I expected.  (And I might have been tired the rest of the day, but that makes me feel lazy to admit it.)  One of the perks of the walk was the stack of hay we got to play on about halfway through the walk.  I always love introducing our kids to opportunities for service and this gave us a chance to talk for days before and after about the importance of serving those around us.

The Rest of August

This picture of Lydia is 6 weeks old and I am still having a hard time realizing that my baby is big enough to do this.  Look at that happy girl sitting up!  But sometimes she does like to lay down and just kick to make her toy work...especially when Sam "helps" her to lie down.  Love, love, love this baby girl!

With lots of friends starting kindergarten, we decided to do a little school of our own each day.  I'm kind of proud of this poster.  We do school pretty much every day and I know I'm doing a good job when Abby requests school on Saturdays. :)  I'm already seeing an increased interest in reading and handwriting so that motivates me.  And Sam is bound to do something wild and crazy to make us laugh.  Good times.

August: Virginia Beach

The day after Busch Gardens, we headed down to Virginia Beach for the day.  We visited the Aquarium and spent a good part of the afternoon on the beach.  The kids ran and played with Roy and Grandma and cousins and I got to enjoy a good cuddle from Lydia.  Such fun!