Dear Ben...

It's hard being the oldest. I know she has to be more responsible and help me with more things. I don't know if it's just hard being an older sister or just being an older sister to Ben. He is a terror. Here is a picture that Siena drew and she wrote a message to Ben all by herself. It says No Ben. Dont rip. We also went to the zoo that day so she added Boo and Zoo because the zoo was all decorated for the Boo at the Zoo event. Poor Siena some day you will be able to terrorize your little brother. It's just the other way around for a little while.

October

he's just too cute. and almost always half naked by the end of the day. I think we have more pictures of him half dressed than fully dressed. But he sure enjoyed his cake!

doesn't this look appetizing.

October is my most favorite time of the year. The leaves here are beautiful, I think it is peak this week and it is wonderful to get out the hot chocolate and sweaters. We have really enjoyed it this year and decorating for fall too. Best of all, it's my birthday!!! We celebrated as a family. The kids were really excited for it all day. It was a beautiful fall day and whenever the kids were being mean to each other I would remind them it was my birthday and that they had to be nice to each other for my present. We went out to eat as a family and the kids made me a birthday cake with daddy. Besides changing diapers all day it was a great day.

Halloween Fun

showing me her moves.

We decided to have a pumpkin carving party. We have never carved pumpkins with the kids before. We usually just let them paint all over them and call it good. I think Siena is starting to pick up on Halloween. She asked me the other day why it was such a scary holiday and why people dressed up as ghosts and ugly things. Luckilly we still want to be pretty ballerinas. All Sunday we made and decorated sugar cookies. I need to learn not to get the kids all excited by telling them we are going to do something that is so far in the future. They constantly ask about it since they can't tell time and it is frustrating. Siena was dressed for the party by 3 and it didn't start till after dinner. We had a good time. We decorated the dining room with bats and ghost suckers and spiders all over. Siena has been way in to crafting lately so she did it all. Ben did the spiders. It's been a lot of work just to come up with a new craft each day to keep Siena entertained. So we had a fun party. I found these silly faces that you can just punch in to the pumpkin, like a Mr. Potato head. They were awesome. Ben has a two faced pumpkin. All three pumpkins are cute. Everyone enjoyed the sugar cookies with way too much candy on them and we had a good time. Siena was even happy with her take two costume, the ballerina, since I didn't finish her Jessie the cowgirl one.

Pumpkin Picking

We love the annual trip to go pumpkin picking and apple picking. It's a beautiful drive out to the countryside and past some beautiful huge houses. The weather was a little warm to be pumpkin picking but atleast it wasn't raining. We have been doing this for the last couple of years where we ride the hayride out to the patch and pick pumpkins and then go to the orchard and pick apples. I need to remember this for next year, we went late afternoon on a Saturday and the trees were pretty picked over. We did find what we wanted though. It was crazy busy there that day. The kids had fun and were so excited to be there.
Ben sampling the pickings.

Siena was so excited to find this ladder out in the orchard.

Out to the orchard. Run free!

Some of the kids in the already picked pumpkin patch.

Siena found her pumpkin. She wanted one that she could carry. It was a smart move for us since it was sold by the pound.

Ben knew exactly why we were there. We picked two full baskets full of apples.

cute haystack

Ready to go on the wagon ride. He pushed all the hay aside he wasn't very excited about sitting in the hay.

Fall activities

We had to attend the firestation open house again this year. It was such a hit last year. Ben loved it as expected. Siena liked it much better this year but we had to convince her that this was fun. They had tons of carnival type food and a rescue dog and all the fire trucks and ambulances to satisfy a kid. Right when we got there they were doing a demonstration of how the ladder went up and they got a call so we got to see them put on the sirens and go to a call. They came back quickly though. It was really exciting. Ben practiced his stop drop and roll and earned a fireman hat. He loved doing it and earned one for Siena too. Siena was convinced that she wanted to shoot the fire out with a real fireman hose. It was a really long line so I waited in it while they played around a little bit. About 10 feet away she chickened out but Ben didn't. He loved it. For the rest of the day he was saying he put the fire out with the firefighter. It was really cute. Every time we pass a firestation he tells me about the fire hose. A firefighter unexpectedly scared Siena when he came up all dressed up in his gear. Siena about had a hard attack. Poor girl. It was a fun day something we look forward to every year.
Ben putting the fire out.

Being so brave with the firefighter

This is as close as Siena got to the hose.

My cute firefighters

Ben taking it away

Checking out all the cool gear.

The only truck Siena would sit on because it was more her size.

Siena's favorite part of the day... cotton candy

so proud that he earned a hat.

This week

our little turtle house. he is burried somewhere in there.

so cute.

Ben rocking out

Dave and Ben having a jam session. The band, Heathers Headache, has moved into our basement. It hasn't been as bad as I thought. I was terrified that our neighbors would hate us but it wasn't that loud. They are way deep in the basement. I could hardly hear them. They come Friday nights. The kids were so excited to see the band play at our house. They went right to bed that night after playing with the band a little bit. They were quiet and I thought they went straight to bed. I went up there around 10 and both of them were laying there in their beds being really quiet so they could hear the band still. So cute. Then another day I was upstairs in the middle of the day and I heard someone playing the drums. Turns out that is what Ben has been drawn to so after that we had to lock the room up before Ben destroyed all the instruments. I am glad they can practice here instead of having to go to Baltimore every Sat night. So far it has worked out.

This has been the most beautiful week ever. It's nice and cool and the leaves are changing color. It makes me so happy. Dave is off work for 2 weeks so we have gotten a lot done around the house to get it more organized and settled. I finally have the energy to do it and now the help with Dave around. We got the toys organized in the basement. We have a whole wall storage unit to keep everything organized. I was so excited when Dave was putting it up. The whole time Dave was reminding me that just because we have place to put the toys now doesn't mean it will always be clean. So far the kids have been pretty good about putting the toys back in the boxes. We will see how long it lasts. We have put up some drapes and cleaned out the garage. We may even be able to park both cars in there, really exciting I know. We cleaned up our room and finally unpacked it all and we have a lot more room in there now than we thought when all the boxes were pushed to the side of the room. It's very nice to have the house start to get order.

Siena continues to love preschool. She loves the fact that Dave has been able to take her and pick her up from school, which makes both of us really happy. She had a show and tell and a puppet show come to the school. She loved it and I am so happy she has fun there. I actually spoke to her teacher today about if Siena had any friends and she said she did and that all the 5 girls play really nicely together. Everyday we ask her who she plays with and she just says some girls. She doesn't know their names. I got actual names from the teacher today so now I know she isn't just making things up. It's good to know.

We found a fun friend in our backyard. Ben and Dave were outside and found a turtle caught down in the window opening to the basement. The kids were way excited. We have box and some leaves and carrots and things in there. Who knows how long we will keep him. We let him out of the box today and he was walking pretty quickly away from us. We may go drop him off by the nature center nearby. I kinda feel bad for him and he creeps me out a little.

When I was pregnant with Siena I was a nanny for two little girls. I nannied for them until I was pregnant with Ben. I am watching them again for a couple of days. They are so nice to have around. Siena adores them and they totally watch out for my kids that I hardly have to do anything it has been really great, except for the part that they have a lot of activities that they go to. I have been driving around Alexandria a lot more than usual carting them all around.

we went to the top

they wanted to go see the fireworks at the monuments after we took a picture by this poster.

Siena taking in the view.

We have lived here for seven years and we had never been up to the top of the Washington monument. Dave finally got tickets since it isn't really tourist season anymore it's a lot easier. It was the most beautiful, clear fall day perfect to take in the view. The kids liked it, mostly looking down at the river and seeing the planes and the little people. I was just glad that there was an elevator and we didn't have to climb up to the top. My ears actually popped a couple times going up. It was a fun outing, now we need to explore more of D.C. It's really sad that it has taken us this long. We were there the same time as a rally was going on to end the war and to bring the war money home for jobs. It was really interesting seeing all the people there. That is why Ben has a 'sword'. It was someones rally poster. There was a group that was walking around with a huge elephant balloon and that is what Siena said was her favorite part, seeing the big elephant balloon.