We have had a fantastic Fall and it is hard to believe that Winter is here. We are absolutely loving our new house and neighborhood, and we've definitely been keeping the kids busy. It is probably more accurate to say that they have been keeping us busy!
Halloween was a blast, so much so that we were only able to corner the kids for a few pictures. Harrison was a cowboy, and relished the idea of being "the sheriff" that got to tell everyone what to do. His natural leadership abilities shine through more and more every day. At his school, they are harnessing his bossiness by assigning him to younger kids in the class to show them the ropes. He is very into math and maps, and always has a new story to tell when he comes home from school each day.
The best way to describe Natalie lately is "on the move." Her favorite part of Halloween was getting to join the crew as we walked from house to house collecting candy. We did let her have a few pieces of candy and she like that, but not nearly as much as getting to say hi to all the neighbors and and say thank you each time they gave her a treat.
Tom and Harrison have had fun attending the KU football games in Lawrence on Saturdays. Despite the Jayhawk's performances on the field, he always has fun seeing his cousins and his old Lawrence buddies.
We've been making a point to put the kids to work on the weekends. Harrison helped paint the fence, loves to "help" mow the yard, and both the kids have enjoyed the never ending leaf pick-up process. We posted several pictures of them playing in the leaves, and Harrison even took some of the pictures. We think the ones he takes are better than ours!
Natalie is thriving at school, and is definitely picking-up on Harrison's affinity for counting and singing. Her teachers are amazed by her expansive vocabulary, and were blown away when she said "rhinoceros" the other day while looking at an animal book. She loves getting ready for school every day, and actually seems to like the cold. We think that is probably because she gets to put on super cute outfits and show off her hat, mittens, and boots.
We have decorated the house for Christmas, and Harrison was a huge part of decorating the tree. There are several special ornaments, and it is fun to tell him the story behind each one. We're doing the Elf on the Shelf this year, and every day Harrison runs down stairs to find him. He has named the Elf "Boone", and seems to be buying into the fact that the Elf reports his behavior to Santa Each night before flying home to find a new hiding spot.
More than anything, we love just hanging out together. The kids have started wrestling and we're not sure how much longer Harrison will be able to "win" the wrestling matches with his sister. She is very feisty and seems to grow by the minute.
We are all doing great and miss everyone very much. More pictures and blog posts to come.
