Thanksgiving in Virginia!

Okay, so I'm REALLLLLLLY  behind in my posts, I don't even know where to start!  Let's go back to Thanksgiving.  We had a wonderful trip to Virginia.  We travelled down in our new minivan with the 3 kids, Sadie and a Thule on the roof!  The trip was actually very smooth thanks to the built-in DVD player and the fact that Emma is facing forward in her car seat!   We had the best time visiting with the Quinns.  The cousins seem to play better and better each time we're together which is a big help in the adult "relaxation" efforts!  There are lots of random pics below...

Emma LOVES popcorn! 

Checking out the new fancy popcorn machine-- thank you Stranges!  

This about says it all...silly grandkids...silly Gramps! 

It was awesome to spend time with Aunt Casey and get to know Dwayne better!

Grammy and cousin Gabe

Sisters!

Do you like my headband?  (this lasted on her head all of 5 seconds)

Is this is cute kid or what?

Here we are at the Reston Holiday parade. 

Lots of big floats! 

Thanksgiving dinner!  

Emma has a new shoe fettish, it's pretty cute.  

Dinner at Aunt Cary and Uncle Ethan's house

Josh cooked up his venison for everybody to try.  I think it was a hit.  (Not sure what Cary's doing here...??)

A highlight of the week was a trip to the National Zoo.  It was the kids first trip to a real zoo (not just a Vermont farm), and it was a blast. 

Emma LOVED this exhibit, I think because it was at her eye level and the things were moving constantly.  She would run up and down the glass case with them.  

We had a snack at the picnic tables while the chimpanzees climbed above us

We brought the stroller for Emma to sit in, but she pretty much pushed it the whole way instead.  

Cousins! 

This was our extremely funny and extremely disastrous attempt at making homemade pizza.  The crust burned right to the cookie sheets.  Have no fear, the Quinns were resilient (or just very very hungry), and took forks to the top of it, taking down all of the meat and cheese.  

Happy Halloween!

Mt. Buck

We had a great little hike up Mt. Buck in Waltham this Sunday.  The weather wasn't the best, but it was clear enough for the hike, then started sprinkling just as we got back to the car.  The kids all did great on the hike (I say hike, but it was pretty flat/rolling until the final descent).  We were lucky to have Gogo join us!  

Fall update

We are all doing well, but very busy, and therefore very tired!  Cooper is doing great at kindergarten.  He really likes school and comes home with new sounds and words that he can read everyday.  We're still getting used to the schedule and trying to build up his endurance.

Isabel is doing great.  She LOVES school and comes home singing almost a new song everyday.  Her teachers tell me how much more she's talking and exerting herself in class.  She's gaining a lot of confidence every day.  Even last night in the car she was talking so much that Cooper had to interrupt her...that was a first!

Emma is...well...Emma!  She is quite something.  She's so stinking cute, but so stinking stubborn too!  She WILL NOT repeat any words that we try to get her to say.  She's finally saying some animal sounds, but just doesn't want to talk.   I'm not concerned though, as her comprehension is very good.  She understands and will follow directions (well, most of the time)!  Even though she isn't speaking words, she sure can get her point across, as well as her frustration when things don't go her way!  She's already starting to randomly "bop" her siblings on the head, so trying to teach her some boundaries!  

Dance parties are still the almost daily activity of choice in our house.  Watch the video below!  And yes, "Dynamite" is still the song of choice!

Cooper's first field trip to the apple orchard

Cooper's class (plus Isabel and her friend/our neighbor Nate on the end)

Isabel and her friend Opreya