2
November
2007
Excerpt from a grocery trip conversation between Brandon and I.
Me:”What do you have to do in the store?”
Bran: “Hold onto the cart”
Me: “That’s right, you get an “A”"
Bran: “Andrew’s name starts with ‘A’”
The boys now don’t like to ride in the stroller, nor do they like to ride in the cart. I was lucky actually. They were willing to do both for a long time. But now it’s made life a bit more difficult. So the rule is, they have to hold onto the cart. Today, Drew had to ride because he repeatedly refused to hold on when I asked him to. Although he didn’t seem too upset about it, so it worked out fine for all of us. 
Now that they are walking around the store lots more things get put into the cart than what I’m planning to buy, so I am learning to maneuver strategically and find good places to dump off their loot! The boys have also figured out how to work the conveyor belt at the end of the checkout and so have been getting my grocery bags stuck under it at the end. It’s the kind of button where one side turns it on and you have to flip it the other way to turn it off. Unfortunately they’re not as fast as we would like them to be at flipping the switch. Although they are as fast as they want to be. At first the cashiers thought they were cute, now I’m not so sure they think that! Another week until we go again!
I have to say though, it’s alot of fun to see what interests them in the store (like whole grain crackers, who can say ‘no’ to that?) and to have conversations like the one above. It’s just hard to weigh those against the work it is to get through the store with all the groceries on the list, no extra snacks, and no tears from any of us! Happy shopping everyone!
Posted: Drew & Bran, Edmonton, Family
2
November
2007
I was just about to write a post about how the boys were playing quietly in their room. And it was true for about 15 minutes. Now toys are sailing down the stairs. But calmness seems to be settling once again. I know I’ve been way behind on my posts and I promise they are coming soon. Right now the boys are using their tool set to take apart a gate. I’m not too worried about the screw drivers, but I think their plastic hammer could actually do some damage to it!
Last night we took the boys trick or treating. It’s was lots of fun. We went around the block. All the neighbors oooh’d and ahhh’d over them and they got lots of candy. One house had spooky music playing and when they opened the door, smoke came out. Bran stopped halfway up their sidewalk and didn’t want to go any further. Drew just trudged right on, taking the older brother role and going first. It actually took us a long time to get down our street and up the one behind us. The boys stopped between every house to look at all the pumpkins and stare at other kids dressed up.
After our walk around the block we decided to drive to the Tanner’s and surprise them. As soon as we got out of the car the boys were called over to a house to play some Halloween games and earn their candy. They played a hole of croquet and then had to throw bones into a box. The boys loved this part. They like throwing anything! We got to the Tanner’s, had our surprise and hung out for awhile. The boys dumped their loot and we convinced them to eat tortilla chips instead of their chocolate. We did want them to actually go to sleep! They had the most fun helping to pass out the candy. They would get so excited every time the door bell rang and they ran to the candy pile (the candy was neatly organized in bowls, but when the boys were done, they were covering the stairs instead!). They alternated between giving out only one piece and gathering up whole armfuls to put in the kid’s pillowcases. It was quite hilarious.
Bran also spent a lot of time shushing the Tanner’s dog, Scooter. It was one of those moments where you hear back what they hear you saying at home. We’ve had several service people in the house for various things this week and Noah was shushed a lot. Bran would run up to the gate that Scooter was barking behind and say, “you be quiet!”, “stop barking”, and “shush!”
I think the boys had much more fun there than going door to door for candy. So next year we already have our plan in place. Once around the block and then, go to the Tanners! Hope you don’t mind us inviting ourselves! (We don’t get enough kids at our place to make passing it out nearly as exciting.)
The best part of the evening for us? Besides the cuteness of our little guys, was them falling asleep in the car on the way home.
Well, I have to stop now. Those ‘quiet’ boys have now taken a knob off of a closet door and are going through the wrapping paper!
More Halloween pics are now up on the Gallery.
Posted: Drew & Bran, Family
