A Little Bit of Everything

Things have been extremely crazy, busy here in the Carpenter household the last week...actually much longer but it has been that long since I have blogged. I have the best of intentions in sitting down and updating all of you, but am having an extremely difficult time finding the time...anyone relate? So, this is one LONG post about all of the things that have happened over the course of the last week. It's all very, very random, so bear with me...

We are loving this cool, fall weather and Lauren is keeping her hats on! That helps!
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Welcome Home Tim!

Check out his forehead!!!

first things first...his forehead...we had only been home from church on Sunday for 10 minutes...tops...when I heard James running out from his room. I heard him trip on his mattress (the one he sleeps on that was supposed to break his fall from his big boy bed...) and we heard the loudest thud...you moms know that thud. I thought for sure I'd see blood when I went in there, but just this immediate bruise. Bless his heart...we think his head hit his dresser when he tripped. Poor guy...

And the snake he is holding his Uncle Tim brought him back from Thailand while with the Navy...He just got home from the Navy on Saturday. You all know how much James loves his creatures so my brother scored big points with this gift!

This is the hat he brought home for Lauren...cracks me up every time I see it. She won't keep it on for anything. It's even funnier when James wears it because it actually fits!

Siblings

Here we all are...together again...just for a while. My brother, the one second from the left, heads back down to Virginia on Sunday.

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Craft Time...

We had decided not to send James back to the Montessori school we sent him to last year although James gets bored very easily and has difficulty entertaining himself. We are used to be outside... a lot... so with the cooler weather nearing I've been researching activities, crafts, and games to play with him inside to help make the days go by and have some fun in the meantime. I spent many hours writing down activities and planning my supply list. My goal is to do a craft, activity, game, or cooking/snack with James every day (other than MOTTTS days). This was our first craft. We made a caterpillar and spider from egg cartons. He loved it. He asked all morning when we were doing our craft. He enjoyed the cutting part...he would've been happy cutting pipe cleaner all morning. Lauren participated in snack time during this time. She wasn't real happy about it though...Wish me luck...

He's coloring the spots on the caterpillar
' This is his spider. I asked him what he wanted to name it. "Spider," he says. He's a creative one... :)

Here are his 2 masterpieces. He even told them goodnight tonight...sweet huh?

We're also doing a lot of play dough these days. I had to take a picture of this though because it shows his interests...food and critters. He always has me help him make a snake...big and small...spiders, and worms. Then we made spaghetti and meatballs, a cookie, and a bowl full of grapes. He was great at "pretend eating" but I noticed wet play dough a few times...I guess it looked that real :) Ha...
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Another creature for James. Uncle Andy found a salamander in his barn and brought it for James to see. He loved it and even tried to kiss it. We put a STOP to that! HELLO SALMONELLA POISONING!!!
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My 2 Kiddos Playing...So NicelyI often times find Lauren in James' room pulling out all of his books and looking at them. James

loves it too...most of the time. I hear him reading to her and trying to get her to play with him. It is so much fun and I love standing outside the door and listening to the innocence behind all of it. It's the BEST!!!

Another new favorite...James likes to take Lauren down the roller coaster with him and she loves it too. I couldn't get a good picture of them actually coming down the track.
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Last but definitely NOT least...
My brother got married tonight....yes, it is Wednesday night...but who cares, right? They're married! He just got home from the Navy on Saturday and has to report again this weekend, so they didn't have many options. They got married in my parent's backyard and the man and a dear, dear family friend who did all of our weddings was able to perform theirs. Congratulations Tim and Lyndzi! We wish you all the love and happiness!!!

Hey, I warned you this was a long and random post but I hope you feel at least a little bit updated on us Carpenters.