Flower power

J is just learning to use scissors.  Right now he's using his left hand, but we'll see see if that sticks.  (He also does a lot of writing with his left hand.  His great-grandfather, great-uncle, and his Ahna are all left-handed, so it wouldn't surprise me if he sticks with that.) 

We cut out some shapes together and glued them on to craft sticks.

He decided one of the flowers would be for his mommy, and one for his daddy, as a welcome present from him.  They arrived a few days before Thanksgiving.

                                    

Pinecone bird feeders

In November, J and I made pine cone bird feeders.  I just happened to find the project listed at an online kids' site, and J's mommy had told me he had been wanting to do this same thing since he saw Agent Oso do it on his show.

First step was to collect the pine cones.  We had a pine tree that fell along the edge of the woods a couple months ago, so there were plenty of pine cones to be found.

J decided 5 was enough.  I think he was tired of his hands being pricked through his gloves. 

The next step is to smear peanut butter all over the pine cone,

which takes a lot of concentration of course.  lol

Next you roll the pine cones in birdseed.

You might get messy, but that is half the fun!!

Then you tie some twine around the end. He was SO PROUD of what he made.  This was the most excited I saw him get over a project. 

Then we tied them around tree branches and near the bird feeder.  On the way back in he said "This was so much fun!! " We checked the next day and it appeared the birds had been nibbling.

It's not fall without a leaf pile

One October night at bedtime, J and I were discussing what our favorite season was.  We both agreed fall was our favorite.  He said he couldn't wait for fall.  I clued him in that fall had been around for oh....about a month already.  lol We talked about our favorite things to do in fall, and his was jump in a pile of leaves.  So naturally, I had to oblige!  I mean really, what is easier to do than that?

There's that look of concentration.

He decided he wanted to rake up a pile for me, so that I could jump in. 

Boys playing

Friday afternoon we went to my aunt and uncle's house so J could play with a couple boys near his age--a cousin and the cousin of a cousin.  That's how we roll in a small town, when both sides of the family are from the same place.  We grow up knowing not just our cousins, but the cousins of our cousins from their other side of the family. 

 Naturally if it's fall, there's got to be some time playing in leaf piles!

They discovered the old well.

 Uh oh!  Here comes Great-Uncle Stanley/Papa!

 Oh OK, after he talked to us about the well, he got in on our light saber fight.

 And then D, J's daddy, got in on it too.

 I love this picture because it looks like J has picked his daddy up off the ground. lol

 Cousin Leslie throwing the ball to J, while his daddy helps him at bat.

 Rolling down the hill in the house where his great-grandparents lived (and now his great-aunt and uncle live there.)  He hasn't quite got the rolling-down-a-hill thing, but he's getting there!

 Posing a couple of 3 year old boys who just finished a long session of playing?  Not easy.

 Cousin K had his finger in his ear, so J decided to do it too!

 After we went back to NaNa's house, J and I spent some time outside visiting with the horses.  We pulled grass and J practiced feeding them out of his hand. 

 And there was some kitty-loving happening too.

No Black Friday for us!

The day after Thanksgiving, we had part of our Christmas gift exchange!  We did some fancy footwork to try and get all of us together.  J and his parents had to leave the next day for their mid-Atlantic home, S works nights and would drive the hour to mom's house after work that morning, Mom had to be at work at 10 (and actually got called in early) and Mr. GV had to be at work that afternoon at 1:00.  So we had our partial Christmas around 8:30-9:00 that morning. 

The main thing of course was getting to see J open his gifts that we gave him.

J and I had been perusing the toy aisles of my local big box store and he had been asking for things he saw in commercials.  I would look at each one and read out the recommended age.  Most of them start at age 4, and he would be so disappointed.  Finally we saw Don't Break the Ice and the age was 3!  Oh the joy that came from him seeing the number three!  "Free?  I'm free!  I can play that game."  So even thought it wasn't in my original plan, I had to get that game for him. 

 Helping his RaRa open her gift.

 NaNa's gift from J and his parents.

 Mr. GV opening his gift from J and his parents. 

 D and J opening his gifts.

 Macy enjoying an ear rub from Mr. GV.

 K opening her birthday present (25 soon--woot!)

J with his haul.

Playing Don't Break the Ice with RaRa.

 Enjoying his Alphie.

 Making a PlayDoh pizza.  (Notice the tongue--he was concentrating.)

Thanksgiving

I can't believe I didn't take a single picture of the food prep for Thanksgiving or the actual meal on the table.  We had a lot to choose from---mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, dressing, cranberry sauce (homemade), rolls, Field Roast, sweet potato casserole, and for dessert pumpkin pie and an ooey gooey chocolate bar recipe that I only make a couple times a year. 

I did snap a few pictures that evening:

Mom

Casper

Mr. GV and J playing a computer game.  Naturally Mr. GV couldn't possibly win without J offering up suggestions.  ;) 

I'm here

I'm here, just enjoying a break from blogging.  The boy will be gone after Thanksgiving, and I expect to catch up on more than a month of what we've been doing. 

See you then!