October 2014 (minus one important detail)

Our firstborn turned 5 in October...FIVE!  Wasn't it just the other day that he looked like this...

...or this...

So cute!

And, already a bit feisty :)

Anyways, I need to stop before I keep going down a looong rabbit hole looking at old pictures.

  Obviously, I'm in a wee bit of denial of the fact that Kai is growing up, so I'm just going to skip over that minor detail today and fill you in on all the other (non-tear-jerking!) details of October.

This is Kai's favorite park in Greeley, mainly due to the fact that there are fossils hidden all over the rocks.

A weekend in the mountains with Gramma and Papa.

Complete with an early morning donut run with Papa.

In mid-October Bryon had a work conference in Vail, so we all tagged along.  Kai's favorite part was stopping at a dinosaur park on our way up to the mountains.

Digging for fossils.

Vail was gorgeous, and full of great parks.

Love this silly boy!

Hiking up by the Gore range (I think!  Is that right Bryon?)

 

I was a bit worried about all four of us sharing one hotel room, and was thinking we'd all have to go to bed at 7:30. But thankfully we had this beautiful balcony overlooking the stream where Bryon and I could sit and relax at night while the boys fell asleep.

We get to parent-help at Kai's preschool once a month, and on that day Kai gets to be the class leader.  This was his first leader day and he was so proud and took his job very seriously :)

A preschool field trip.

Kai loved playing soccer this fall and chose Canadian soccer socks.  Good choice buddy!
Two practices/week and a game each Saturday for seven weeks.

Warming up.

Anders was a great cheerleader.

 

We made lots and lots of applesauce with the buckets of apples from Aunt Sherryn.

My favorite babysitter, building forts for Anders.

As he was making his own lunch one day (pretty sure he concocted a peanut butter, jelly and raisin sandwich), he announced to me, "I just LOVE being grown up mommy".

Aunt Lisa came back from London for a visit and Kai soaked up all the Auntie-time he could get.

My sweet in-laws made a delicious Canadian Thanksgiving dinner in my (and Kai and Anders') honour :)

Saying goodbye to Auntie Lisa.

Best big brother/baby-entertainer around.

Bryon and Kai spend hours every week reading their latest chapter book.

Kai made this at preschool.  I feel like it's pretty accurate.

The kiddos singing at church.

Uncle OJ, this one's for you!  The backpack/blanket obstacle course on his bouncy ball.

Bryon had a fun day mountain biking with a friend.

Anders was more interested in his hands than in the pumpkin, and Kai was more interested in Anders.  Good thing Papa was here to actually work :)

At the last minute I decided to make these matching dino costumes for the boys.  I didn't quite finish getting the spikes sewn together, but Kai was happy nonetheless.

 

Kai's preschool class sang some Halloween songs for the parents before their Halloween party.