Ben and Anna this Fall

Ben and Anna have been keeping Mama super busy these days!!  We've had tons of birthday parties to go to, lots of playing outside on those warm fall days, and just growing up fast in general!

Lately, Ben is "obsessed", for lack of better word, with garage doors and smoke detectors.  He points them out everywhere we go, and can really pitch a typical toddler-fit if we forget to let him open or close the garage door...Every.Single.Time.  He's really into the Cars movies, and Mater is his favorite character.  We have Lightening McQueen and/or Mater books, vitamins, underwear, toothbrushes, Thermoses, cups, pajamas, toys, of course - you name it, we've got it, and Ben loves it!!

He's also really enjoying school, and is learning phonics sounds this year.  I really think he'll be reading in no time!  Ben loves numbers and letters, and can even write the whole alphabet (with sidewalk chalk in the driveway is his favorite).

A first for Ben this month was riding a pony!!  His friend Emery had a pony-themed birthday party, and Ben got to go for a ride on "Patches". 

Anna is really on the move these days...she still has that precious little wobble when she walks, and I could just follow her around all day, admiring how cute she is (of course, her Mama's not biased - Ha!)  Here she is, practicing that walking!!

She looks up to Ben so much already, and is constantly following him around, and copying everything he does.  And I mean everything.  It took me a few days to realize what was going on at first, but I kept noticing she was walking over to this one particular corner in the kitchen and shrieking, then toddling around on her way.  Then it dawned on me that she was putting herself in timeout!!  The screeching is what tipped me off, because everytime Ben has to go to time out, he does this certain screech (that he knows I can't stand) in protest.  So, sweet little Anna will just randomly throughout the day go to the timeout corner and start squawking...ha ha ha!!!

Self-imposed Time Out!!

The falling leaves have been a good source of entertainment for both of them.  At first, Ben was in awe, and wanted to save every single leaf he found.  Well, then "Fall" really got here and we were overtaken by leaves, so that didn't last long (thank goodness!).  Anna had a ball playing last weekend as we raked and blew the yard....my little Pumpkin that I ADORE!!!