The Boys made a couple of picture windows. Jonas digitally created all the pictures.
It was a little chilly, but we enjoyed a hike at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.
Fresh off blowing out the candles...you can clearly see that Mom is thirty-something. You have to add the small candles to the 'big 30' candle.
Jonas and Niles have been working on a birthday celebration video for their Mom. Usually we don't put these up on the blog, but Jonas wanted to share it. It's a beast, around 10 minutes...but if it is your birthday it is a pretty enjoyable 10 minutes.
It was a cold day at Hoyt park, but we decided to give it a go anyway. Niles would have none of it. I even popped a whole grocery bag full of popcorn for him to eat in the shelter, but he decided to voice his concern for being cold by crying. Should have figured that. The big boys had a lot of fun though. So I ended up driving around the parking lot in circles why Ben, Cory, Jay, and Ashley finished up sledding in to the trees. I got a few questions as to why I was driving around in circles in the parking lot from the little sledders, couldn't give them an answer that would satisfy them. When we got home we finished off the popcorn and had some hot chocolate.
Hanging out at the zoo...the kids pulled Mom around the zoo the whole time. The zoo in the winter seems as if it is your backyard, it is such a great asset to the community. Earlier in the day Jonas hopped into Niles's crib and read him a 'Carl the dog' story (video). Welcome 2012!
Holiday related pictures from Christmas 2011. The kids were really psyched up and enjoyed all the giving and receiving of gifts. Lots of great times and memories created with family and friends.
Jonas, as usual, had his flying wings on. You can see him start to get excited than pump his arms/wings until he is flying high. Needless to say this excitement reaction is quite contagious as Niles does this on a much smaller scale when he is excited. Niles usually just kinda flicks his wrists really fast, so he hasn't taken flight yet.
Jonas getting his passengers ready for a rocket ship ride.
Friends over for dinner.
New baby Wheeler, Niles was well versed in what to do since he has been taking care of his baby so well at home.
Packers = Popcorn In the only time that Niles really gets his brain fried from watching tv he also gets to eat popcorn with his Dad and brother.
Jonas wanted to create a chamber where he can rest. I told him it looked like a coffin, he asked what that was and I played it as a 'Special box that people go into."
Niles was reading Henry and Mudge...sorta. he definitely is picking out all sorts of things and actions from books and associating them across contexts. The best part of the video is his mobster laugh after making an observation. If you get a chance you can hear the laugh, after that it is more of him being silly.
The boys doing the usual, protesting WI being taken over by national interests, paying to speak through Gov Walker, who have no stake in the lives of WI citizens.
The boys checking out a teamster truck up at the Capitol.
Fresh off a haircut, or should I say 3 haircuts. Dad is quite the barber.
Jonas is at sports class on the far left stretching with his classmates.
Halloween was once again an awesome event. The cow produced many moos and collected quite the candy haul. The spaceship pilot wowed the public with the nimbleness of the spacecraft maneuvered through the neighborhood, state street, and in the cover of darkness. Niles was awesome at following Jonas's lead. Niles was knocking on doors with full force and saying trick or treat....than in a pronounced motion shoved his bucket out to the unsuspecting benefactor of candy. He often was able to get a double portion. The pumpkins turned out great; a a Jonas train, a Niles owl, a Mom bat, and a Dad Carbon Dioxide ppm global warming indicator that is way to high (389 ppm....oh well to late who cares about the current Earth!) Its great to go out and see and talk to the neighbors, a great community building event.
