Maximus is here

Maximus SparkleSox that is.

You may have heard about the newest Christmas trend - The Elf on the Shelf.  A little elf comes with a book about how he appears in your house after Thanksgiving and every night he flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa.  When he flies back in he lands in a new place everyday (this is the part I like).  You can't touch him though or he will loose his magic and won't be able to report to Santa - then you get sock for Christmas (in our house underwear is a big deal so that is no threat)

I have to disclose that we did not purchase the brand name 'elf on the shelf'.  We have a Christopher Pop-in-kins - solely for the reason that the elf is not cute and Christopher is.

So anyway, Sunday morning the elf (who I named Maximus SparkleSox since in previous conversations Dylan had indicated he would name him do-do or poop) appears rappelling from the kitchen chandelier. He brought with him Christmas placemats, plates, cups and special North Pole snow covered doughnuts.  It was a big hit.

The magic is working...

Happy Birthday (no - really)

So Sean has been singing a tune the past couple of days.  I wasn't sure what he was saying, but I finally figured out it was Happy Birthday.  He sang it all morning - right up till I got the camera  out.  But he did a little for me...

fall boys

The colors on the leaves were so beautiful on Friday I decided we had to have a photo shoot in the yard. It was pretty cold, but pretty cutee

Is he really this big?

So in addition to a party this year Dylan's Aunts and Uncles bought him a big boy bike with training wheels.  A Lightening McQueen big boy bike - does it get any better than that?

 He was so excited.

 Grandma and Grandpa even let him ride through the kitchen to test it out- how cool is that.

 And he can ride it...how did he get this big?

 And of course this little one is dying for a turn

Rock Star Birthday

So with Dylan in school he has been invited to a lot of birthday parties in the past year.  About 6 months ago he caught on that he had never had a kids birthday party (ooops!)   So this year was a big deal.  We invited all the kids from his class and all his friends (read his parents friends) from outside of school.  We had about 24 kids ranging from 1 to 6 - obviously this party was NOT going to be in my house.  We booked a party place that basically is like a little club for kids (without all the drugs, alcohol and whatever else might happen in clubs these days).  It was awesome.

Dylan was super excited!

 All the kids lined up on the red carpet to go in...

 Lots of loud music and dancing ensued

 Of course there were bubbles

 Dylan's highlight was when Grease Lightening came on - he went crazy with his inflatable guitar

He was compared to Tom Cruise in Risky Business (with his pants on of course)

I don't know where he got his moves

 Sean was loving it to

 Cake and all - it was a great party and all his friends loved it.  Now it's like Christmas here with all the toys

A random assortment of cuteness

Close up of Sean

 Last week when me and Dylan were sick Sean thought it was hysterical (and we aren't sure what is going on with his curly hair here)

 Poor Dylan was trying to be good spirited - it was a BAD cold

 Here is Sean during his nap - he loves his giraffies

 Left him alone in his room for 5 minutes and this is what I found - goofball

 My little monsters

 Daddy built the boys a tent on Saturday in Dylan's room - it was a big hit

the big parade

Here's a few pics of the Halloween parade at their school.  

Sean rides in style in this giant 6 kid stroller...

 Dylan was cracking me up because his glasses kept falling down - he reminds me of when Clark would talk to Lois and push his glasses up.

 Just more of Sean and his crew

 Sean slept through trick or tricking (he'll catch it next year).  Dylan was the man - hoping in and out of his wagon and running from house to house

 Here he is taking inventory.  It was a good haul