First Snow

From the moment the first snowflake fell, the boys were ready to pile on their snow pants, coats and mittens, and head outdoors. 

Grant's first activity? Rolling in the snow. Followed by snow angels.

Miles was a bit more timid; he tested the snow by making a few footprints, followed by bunny hops, before diving in.

Grant tried to be helpful, using a bulldozer to shovel the lawn. 

Later, the older neighbor girls came over and taught the boys important lessons about the white stuff, one of which has been repeated several times in recent days: Never, ever eat yellow snow. Even if yellow is your favorite color.

They came back inside after dark, wet, cold and happy.

G in the Leaves

Pumpkin Carving

Grant was into pumpkin carving this year, picking just the right pumpkin and then asking every day for a week when we would carve it. When we finally got down to it, he was insistent on cleaning the pumpkin himself. He wouldn't let anyone touch the pumpkin guts—and Miles and I were OK with that. 

Our jack-o'-lantern:

Halloweek

"I haven't had this much fun at Halloween since I was 4!" G declared last week. He loved every part of the holiday, from carving pumpkins to collecting candy. This year he was a tarantula, which simply involved attaching fuzzy stuff to his spider costume from last year. Miles also reprised last year's get-up: he was a bat again.

This year, we went to a Halloween event for kids at the Salisbury House, a historic, castle-like house in Des Moines. The boys had fun going from room to room collecting candy and other treats—even books! Meanwhile, the grown-ups toured the house and gardens.

The highlight of the week was trick-or-treating in the neighborhood on Beggar's Night. Although, I think it was a little frustrating for Miles, who wanted to stop and eat his candy after every house. After awhile, he gave up and sat in the wagon, eating Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, while G finished out the houses on the block.