OUR FIRST SNOW

The first snowfall of the season....over a week ago now....brought so much excitement to the Thompson boys! All Jason wanted to do was get the snow off the driveway, and all Cale wanted to do was get IN the snow!! Both of the boys got to do what they wanted....Jason got Cale to help him shovel the snow, and Cale got Jason to play IN the snow. They went sledding around the yard...well, Cale went sledding around the yard...Jason ran around the yard pulling Cale in the sled! They finished off their "guy's day" by building Cale's 1st snowman!
Cale was better at directing Jason than actually building the snowman...but to Cale, that didn't make a difference.....

...cuz he still took credit for it!!!!!!

We've had such a wonderul Indian Summer and we've been taking advantage of every minute of it! It's not hard for us to spend an entire day at the MN zoo...even if we go a couple time a month. Cale can't get enough of it and Keegyn has just started realizing how fun it is to see all the animals. Last week, me and the kids headed over once again, and before I knew it, 4 hours had past...the kids were ready to continue on with the day...however, I, was ready to call it a day! We spent the better part of our first hour there at this fairly new play area....life size spider webs, nests and tree houses for the kids to climb on. It was actually one of the first times that Cale actually got to really explore since there weren't many people there....that's one nice thing about school being in session again!Just call him SPIDER MAN!!!

This was just a random little boy that Cale decided he was going to race....he looks like he's winning by a landslide, but he did have about 3 paces of a headstart too!!!

Cale now enjoys correcting me when I'm wrong....I kept telling him to go stand by the big spider....Cale kept telling me that "it's actually a mosquito, mom."

Whatever...it's just a big insect to me!

Not quite Yogi or Smokey, but it'll do!

Keegyn couldn't get enough of the bears...especially the one rubbing his butt up and down on this log!

......and, he's still going......

Cale was very proud of his shirt with the giraffe on it. He thought it was only fitting that he should were it to the zoo! He also picked out Keegyn's attire for the day (giraffes as well). Who would ever guess that he would even care!

I just look at this picture and it makes me laugh!!

.....and laugh.....

....and laugh.....

Funny story behind this. Cale and Keegyn are SOOOO different in every way. I have been trying to get Cale to pet the little goats for the past 3 years any time we go to the zoo. He is ALWAYS afraid of them. Won't even touch with a finger. So this time was no different...I'm trying to coax Cale into petting a goat, just a baby one, and I kinda forgot about Keegyn cuz I was so determined to finally have him do this. As I finally WON and got Cale to pet the baby goat, I turn to look at Keegyn as one of the other goats is nibbling on her little toes!!!! Thank god he didn't think it was his dinner time, she may have have a few less toes on her foot! To top it all off, Keegyn was giggling hysterically! If that had been Cale, he'd still be crying to this day!

Four hours later and the kids had passed out, sound asleep, before I even got out of the parking lot!

We headed to the State Fair over Labor Day weekend. It turned out to be a great day to go to the fair...breezy, sunny, and 70 degrees! Cale and Keegyn really enjoyed themselves this year...and both were EXTREMELY well behaved! Jason and I were actually amazed and almost wondered "whose kids are these?" Although most of our day was spent amusing Cale and doing what HE wanted to do, we still were able to have a great day together as a family!

Here was Keegyn, checking out Daddy's stain job on the deck before we headed out for the day! Our first (and last) stop at the Fair was the big construction trucks that Cale just HAD to try. This big excacvator was his absolute favorite and he didn't really want to hand it over to anyone else. He did really well working all the gadgets and levers, but seemed somewhat disappointed that they didn't actually do anything when he moved the gadgets and levers. He said "they must be broken or somethin."
Cale must have learned this from Grandpa B!

Cale and Daddy sharing the foot long corn dog!
Cale seemed to only be eating the breading, but I wasn't gonna win that fight, so I didn't even try!

Keegyn, enjoying her mid afternoon snack! (and, yes, she is FINALLY holding the dang bottle by herself! Only took her 9 months to figure it out!)

Cale LOVED the rides this year...he could have spent the entire day just riding rides, but man oh man....those rides are expensive! Poor Cale had been wanting to go on the ferris wheel...had been talking about it for a week. So, of course, I'm like, sure, we'll go on the ferris wheel. Until we get up to the line and they said it was 12 stinking tickets!!! COME ON!!! So, I took my tickets back from the guy running the ride (who looked at me like I was nuts) and had to explain to Cale that if we went on there we wouldn't be able to go on any more rides. So what Cale concluded was "it's too expensive, Mom?" And, um, yes! It WAS!!!

So, the cars was Cale's first fair ride...and he had a blast! Poor Jason could barely squeeze himself into that dang car, but Cale didn't want to have to ride with another little boy (wonder who he gets that from...and god forbid he makes friends with someone!) so that left Jason to be man number two!

Hold on to your hats....that corner is fast!!!

Cale has now found a new "favorite fair find"---Cotton Candy! With Smore's marking a close second!

Ride #2

Fourwheelers. Not cracking a smile...I actually think he was a bit bored with this one...didn't really go very fast. Had he not just gotten off of the whipping cars, I think he would have thought this one was much more enjoyable!

Me and Keegyn, hanging out while Daddy and Cale enjoy the rides

Cale's first roller coaster ride was a HUGE success! He loved it so much! You can see him and Jason in the back of the roller coaster...Cale smiling from ear to ear!

Getting braver....no hands!!!!

Motorcycles...just like Grandpa B's

Keegyn had a very important job...to make sure Cale's cotton candy did not fall off the stroller. She did very well!

But that was hard work!!!

Our last stop....seven hours later....the construction trucks.

Whew!!!!! What a day!

Last, but not least, bath time for my little peanut!

Our UP Adventures!!!

We had a great time on our mini-vacation to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Each year, we seem to extend the vacation for an extra day, and after this year, we KNOW we'll be extending it by yet another day next year! Cale had so much fun, it was hard getting him to leave. He was so upset that on the morning of our departure, he threw a stuffed animal at my face when I told him we were leaving. Normally, this would have been grounds for some sort of punishment, but I decided to cut the kid some slack, as I know he was just sad that we were leaving...and it didn't really hurt anyways!

I tried to capture the highlights of our time spent in Michigan....starting from the car ride there. You'd think after going to the same location for over 8 years, there would NEVER be a chance that we could possibly get lost....but leave it to us, cuz we did! And, the real kicker was that we were only about 35min from our final destination when we missed our turn. Needless to say, that little mishap landed us an extra hour and a half in the car...making the grand total time of our drive a good 8 hours!!!

Poor Cale was beginning to think we weren't really going to Michigan cuz it was taking sooooo long. Every time we stopped, which was about every 2 hours with Keegyn, he would aske "Are we still going to Michigan?" My only reply was "as soon as we can find it!"

Here's Keegyn at one of our many stops on our way.....fed, burped, diaper changed....ready to get back at it!

Once we FINALLY made it to the cottage, Cale was ready to begin his cray fish expedition.....he caught three right away, thanks to greasy KFC!!!
Getting ready to go launch Uncle Garry's boat at the boat landing

Once at the boat landing, Cale was actually most interested in catching, or trying to catch, dragonflies.
The look of pure annoyance on his face should be all the hints you need in order to know if he actually ever caught one!

Dragonfly expedition aborted...now on to the boat for a ride around the lake. Of course, Cale had his life jacket, "so I can be safe." (OK Dora!)

He seriously wasn't mid nose pick...he was scratching his cute little nose and I just had poor timing!

Just call him "Captain!"

Snuggling to keep warm...little chilly after doing a face plant in the water!

Enjoying a quiet evening on the deck of the cottage.

This ONE spot on the floor had Keegyn's attention for 15 minutes straight! It wasn't even a spot...it was just the carpet...but for some reason, you couldn't turn her attention anywhere but there.

Just waking up to the beautiful sunshine....getting ready to fill up Keegyn's little pool for a pool party!

Cale and I spent one whole morning at the big "sand box"--we brought all new sand toys and Cale was busy, busy, busy....

Hard at work, constructing roads....

Making potholes.....I can't even count the number of times I had to climb up and down the stairs to fill his bucket with water and then proceed to fill up that pothole with the water and run back down to get more water before all of it got sucked up by the sand. I was sweating bullets by 10am!

Well, and as all you hard workers know, constructing roads and dumping trucks can make anyone get a little "hot and sweating."

So....off come the shorts

Forget clothes....only skivvies allowed!!!!

Had I know Cale was a totally changed 3 year old, I would have suggested he put on his swim trunks before we went to the sandbox/wading area. But no time for that now....he wanted to get in the water....

....and was proud of his svelte physique....

Climbing the ladder.....no problem!

Splashing around in the lake water????!!!! Who the heck is this kid???!!! The same kid who wouldn't get in the nice, warm, clean water of his own swimming pool just a few weeks ago becuz, as you may recall, "then my swim trunks will get wet!"

I will never get this one figured out!

Back at the cottage, Keegyn was enjoying a nice leisurly dip in her kiddy pool!

And then was bombarded by BIG BROTHER Cale!! Still don't know how they both fit in that thing!

(notice Cale is sporting swim trunks now---no skivvies allowed this time)

SPLISH SPLASH!!!

Time for some fishin! Worms and all!

Getting Cale's line ready for "the BIG one"

Waiting patiently for "the BIG one" that never was....

Trying one last time from the pontoon.....still nuthin'

Me and Keegyn enjoying our quiet time again on the deck

Grandma and Grandpa T with their little pumpkins!

SMILE!!!

Here we are at Scott's, a cute little ice cream shop in town. Funny how year after year, we always seem to be the only ones in the place whene we're there!

Too much sugar for Cale!

Our last morning of our mini-vacation. Can't wait to see what fun next year brings!