So many new milestones

Our life as the parents of two children 9 months apart is never quiet or laid back and rarely easy. But when I look at how much our children have grown and how much they have accomplished in a little over a year...wow I'm amazed.
Haven is now potty trained. Can I get a Woot Woot! She rarely has accidents. If they happen it is because she doesn't understand there is a potty to got to. I had to explain to her that even the grocery store has a toilet. She has moved into a toddler bed  Alec isn't really OK with that. You see it is his crib that got converted into the toddler bed and he got her old crib. He keeps telling me he wants to sleep in his "old" bed. But this is the way it has to be for now. The beds we had bought them before they came home are Captain's beds. They are just a little too high for them right now.
Now when I say she is sleeping in a toddler bed I mean that loosely. She is having to go to sleep in the play and pack and be then carried to her bed or she won't let Alec sleep. The same thing gets done at nap time. If I don't she just keeps getting out of bed and waking him up to play. The play and pack had to be moved out of our room. Haven figured out how to use her body to move it around the room to get into my things. UGH. That girl is always a challenge. So now it is in the entry way by the front door. Not pretty but it works. She can't get into anything without being caught.
Alec's huge accomplishment is he is eating such a variety of foods now. Many he wouldn't touch for over a year. He will now eat EGGS (YEAH), mac & cheese and rice. Of course he wants to eat eggs, morning, noon and night now. He will try new things most of the time without much fuss. So here is hoping we won't have to continue to buy so much of the meatless/soyless mushroom chicken nuggets that cost an arm and a leg.
They both are doing really well with learning the alphabet and colors. Drilling Haven with flashcards really helped her get the colors down. They love to read books and will now sit and tell me the story. Books have become a lifesaver in the car as long as they don't get dropped.
The new life skill they have learned is climbing. Not one I am particularly that found of right now. They scaled their little bookcase to sit in front of the TV and be able to turn it on and off. Not a sight I was happy about.
This is the day after they got into my purse and Haven ruined my sunglasses, was into my expensive migraine oil and Alec was coloring with my Burt's Bees chap stick on the kitchen table. Yes like I said our days are rarely easy.
Haven is very interested in seeing herself in the mirror and if I won't take her right away she has found a way to get to the mirror. Standing on the toilet. Need to get that girl a floor length mirror.
Heath wise, we are still battling their giardia. I thought only Haven still had it, since Alec had no clinical signs. But we got the whole family retested since she came up positive again and he had it too. Our pediatrician is working with a parasitologist and they are on a combo drug regiment right now used for resistant giardia cases. Praying this works.

Finished product

Why do you keep calling my name?

Are you talking to me?

I went with the traditional jack-o-lantern look

Carving their first pumkins

Scooping out pumpkin guts every kids favorite thing. Last year we didn't celebrate Halloween with the kids since we were still trying to get adjusted to having them home. But this year we started the right of passage...taking the squishy guts out of their pumpkins. Don't know why Alec's eyes look so funny.

Hmmm what is in there??? Feels funny when I touch it.

Team work , yeah! They are working together instead of fighting over it.

What is in there??
I love Halloween. Always have. So I'm excited to share all the family traditions with our kids. We toasted pumpkin seeds last night. They were so yummy. Alec couldn't get enough of them. I carved the pumpkins for them and we lit them last night. The kids just loved the glow. First thing Haven did when she got up today was run to the pumpkins. Today we decorated the house a little bit. Put up our bat garland and hung the big straw witch on the front door. Can't wait to see how cute they are in their costumes!!! Not telling what they will be, it is a surprise.

Apple picking

We have had such beautiful fall weather. The one thing you do in the NW when the weather is nice is get out in it. Since you never really know when the rain is coming back, you don't want to let the good weather slip away. We decided to go get pumpkins with the kiddos. But when we got to the little farm they were having an apple/pear festival...so we decided to pick apples with the kids. The first thing the kids did was fight over the wagon. You can see who won that round. We waited to take the hay ride out to the orchard. Alec wanted to take the wagon on the hay ride.

Picking apples with Daddy.

Haven listening to Daddy before she started picking..that is a first:)

Hmmm.. so many to choose from. They each got a few apples and pears and then we walked back to the main store to get the pumpkins and pay. They both insisted on carrying their buckets. Haven decided to lighten her load and gave Daddy the pears for his bucket :) smart girl. My little ones love being outside and being busy. It will be hard on them when the rain starts in a few weeks and their outdoor life is not the same.

Pictures from the Caso Event

Being silly with Daddy

Haven getting in the act.

Hey what are all those orange balls?

Not what I thought they were.

Canadian Thanksgiving weekend

This weekend was CASO's Canadian Thanksgiving celebration. Naing and Marie found a cool farm in Tualatin to have the festivities. Too bad it was a rainy weekend, we didn't have the turn out we hoped would come. Of course the time scheduled was in the middle of my kid's nap time. So we were late arriving after much noise and many meltdowns from Haven because I wanted her to wear her rain boots...aka because it was raining and muddy. My daughter wanted to wear her pretty brown dress shoes. I actually called Naing who was already at the party helping and told him to meet me at the car and take her cuz I was done with her attitude. Of course once she saw Daddy and got to have fun at a party and saw other children wearing their boots, she was so sweet and charming. Little Stink!

on top of the hay bales

The kids got to feed and pet goats, see baby pigs and chickens. Alec had a great time talking to the chickens in chicken speak and loved hearing the rooster crow back. We then went to the pony ride station to see if they would like to ride the ponies. They were so excited, but Haven got scared and didn't want to sit on the pony. Alec was on the pony, smiling having a grand time when the pony started walking...UNTIL his sister started screaming NOOOOOO at the top of her lungs and crying Alec's name. Then he started crying as well. Needless to say my children do not seem to be bitten by the horse crazy bug. I can live with that, horses are expensive pets:).

The rain actual stopped while we were checking out all the festivities, but we didn't stay much longer since Alec had biffed in the mud many times and was so wet and muddy. To top the day off Daddy bought them some of the Lees farm's syrup they love so much. All the different berry flavors to have on their waffles. They are in berry heaven.