Halloween 2010: The Tractor Drivers

So...Owen wanted to be a tractor for Halloween. I didn't think I could really get him to wear a cardboard box contraption...so, I set out to make the boys "tractor drivers"...... and turned their wagon into a John Deere. Ha!

Owen LOVED it. Liam enjoyed riding in the wagon and was okay with the "costume" once he got used to the boots (it took a few wears during October to get him to keep them on and walk in them).

In the end, they looked pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself ;-) What's even better, is that they get to wear the clothes any time they want...its my first venture into practicality.

Owen and Liam hosted their 2nd Annual Halloween Party tonight. Here they are with all of their friends: Emma, Parker, Austin, Brooke, Evan, Noble, Daniel, Chloe, Caitlyn, and Noah.

Time for Trick or Treating.

Daddy Q pulled them both in the wagon for a few houses. Then, just Owen. Then, Mr. John was pulling an empty wagon for us. So....the tractor got garaged and we just walked and/or rode with friends.

But, it was fun while it lasted.

An action shot of a few of our kids trick or treating....

What a fun night!

Sweet Sixteen {Months}

Sweet Liam turned sixteen months old today. Time is flying. Just 16 months ago, he was a tiny bundle handed to us in the hospital. Now, he runs, talks, climbs, makes us roll with laughter at his antics, and gives the sweetest, sweetest hugs.
Liam has really changed a lot in the last couple of weeks. I don't know if its that most of his painful teeth have finally broken through and he feels better, or if its the cooler weather, or the fact that Miss Lina now comes a couple of mornings a week so he gets more attention while momma is doing things around the house, or just a "coming of age" thing. But, he sure has erupted. He is so much happier. His teachers noticed at school, we've noticed at home, and you can probably tell from all of the smiles and personality I was able to capture in photos this week of the little guy!
He has been so darn funny. Randomly, he will just start doing a little jig. He tilts his head forward, straightens his arms to his side, and starts to shuffle his feet, moving back and forth. If you laugh or say "dance, baby" he will smile so big and keep on dancing. It is incredibly cute.

If he does something that may or may not get him in trouble, he will poke his head out like a turtle, open his eyes wide as saucers, shape his mouth into an "o", and raise his eyebrows sky high .... he holds this pose, stark still, until you either laugh or scold him. Its such a funny little antic, that I usually laugh even when the other might be more appropriate.

I wish I could capture one or both of these; but, little man is not a performer for the camera. Once the camera goes up, he no longer feels he is getting my attention, and he stops performing for me. He'll either turn to his brother, or just start doing something else. That's okay, though, cause now I've written it down. That means I can't forget ;-)

Funny things that have happened this last month....Liam:

1. Feeds himself with his spoon & fork pretty well. Although, he does end up with quite a few cheerios in his lap after breakfast. The other day, when I got him out of his highchair, Owen said "Oh, Wiam. You are a mess" and he brushed all of the cheerios off of him.

2. Loves to sing the "EIEIO" part of Old McDonald. I mean...he LOVES that part. Come over and sing it and you'll see what I mean.

3. Talks more and more. Just tonight, after I changed his diaper, I asked him if he "feels better." He replied "yep, feel better" and smiled ever so big!

4. Knows when Owen is looking for a "Yah" from him and Owen knows how to elicit it. For example, if Owen wants to go to the park, he will turn to Liam and, using very obvious intonation required for a question, says "Liam, you want to go to the park?" Liam picks up on the question, says "Yah" and smiles. Owen responds, "Yah, you want to go." Then I hear....."Moooooom, Wiam said "Yah"..., we BOTH want to go to the park. Wet's go."

He is getting ever so big. He is still a baby; but, as Owen says, he is a giant baby. Happy 16th month, Liam. Enjoy it, hun, cause its your last full month as the baby of this family!! Make it count, big guy ;-)

52 days...

...until BOTH of these little guys are big brothers! We are busy making preparations for the new baby. In just 7.5 weeks there will be three Quinlan kiddos. It will be fun; but, I do anticipate that it will take some effort to get into a new groove. I absolutely love having "close in age" siblings, though. I mean...how else (short of twins) can you have one boy wearing his gray/green/orange camo shorts one day and then the other boy wearing them the next ;-) Owen looked at Liam's capri shorts and said, hey, I have some like those. Yes, yes you DID. Ha! And, oh boy, Liam is just as cute in them as Owen is/was.

Today at the park, after our friends all left and it was just my boys and I, we talked about the new baby coming. I asked Owen if he was looking forward to having Liam move into his bedroom...he said that he certainly is. He also wants his baby "sister" to share a room with them (he is convinced it is going to be a sister). I asked Liam if he wanted a baseball bed like Owen...."yeah" was his response ;-)

In the car, we were talking about playing with our friends at the park and Owen asked me where Liam's friends were. I replied that we did probably need to make more friends for Liam. And he said, "no, mom, Liam's okay. He can share my friends with me and so can our baby sister." So sweet that I almost, for at least 2 seconds, forgot about how much they are arguing and fighting each evening.

Liam doesn't quite know what he's in for yet. But, in just 52 days, this little bit will be a big brother....
...he almost looks the part.

Weekend Fun

Owen was Mr. Popular this weekend. He had two birthday parties to attend on Saturday! Here he is with his buddy, Parker, for party number 1. They sure are two cute little boys, aren't they?
Emma, Owen, Parker, and Cole enjoying the cake, ice cream, and agua.

Meanwhile, Daddy Q, Pa, Grammie, and Liam were hard at work spreading dirt at the lake lot. Owen and I stayed home Saturday night, slept in Sunday morning (until 9:30--wow) and then headed out to "help".

Liam spent quite a lot of time playing tractors in the mud.

Not sure what made him happier...the dirt or the tractor.

Regardless, he was having a blast. I am sure it didn't hurt that he had all of the attention of three adults who love him for 24 hours!

While Liam enjoyed making a mess, Owen had the most fun cleaning up. He basically opened a tractor car wash--his only customer was Liam, though.

After Daddy Q, Pa, and Grammie spread all of the dirt, it was time to throw grass seed. You would think he was handing out candy...

...judging by the way these two little ones followed him around...

...holding their little hands out...

...for more.

Not 15 minutes after these three finished their work, and ridiculous storm hit. Pouring rain, pea sized hail, and lotsa thunder. I don't think much of the seed stuck.

Bummer.

Owen's Bike-a-Thon

Owen's preschool had their annual bike-a-thon today. As you know from prior posts, Owen has been practicing for the event for the last week ;-) Practice paid off--little man ROCKED it!

The bike-a-thoners are lining up. It appears that Owen is getting a few last minute pointers from his little bro.

Miss Lina and Liam anxiously awaiting the start of the ride!

Owen poised and ready to roll.

And...they are off! Wait...where ya goin', Owen? He turned around a wee early and headed back into the other races. Yikes.

Phew...back on track and rollin' steady.

Rounding the curve...

Getting some support from his teacher, Miss Shelley, at Lap 5.

Rolling right along...

Making his way into lap 7...it was about this time and Daddy Q and I started re-thinking our donation per-lap. Yowzers. I underestimated the little man.

Stop! Owen completed 8 laps!

Way to go, Owen!! Here he is getting a high 5 from Daddy.

Owen and all of his Green Room friends (plus a few--the event included the M/W and T/Th classes).

That's Owen standing on the far right. He is keeping an eye on Parker who is sitting in between the two girls that Owen claims are HIS girlfriends, Maggie (the red-head) and Emma (brunette).

Such fun!!

Funday Friday.

In Owen's words, "this was a fun day." We did do a lot today. And, other than about 30 minutes of fighting, hitting, crying, and yelling this morning, we did have a great day.

Owen got really, really good at riding his new Thomas the Tank Engine tricycle. He has a bike-a-thon at school next week, so I put the boy in training ;-)
I think Liam was as surprised as Owen and I that he could do it so well ... you see, he hasn't been a master of riding toys, to say the least.

But, he just hopped right on this one and took off! We rode for over an hour in the neighborhood after dinner tonight. Super fun!!! For my family that has sponsored him for the bike-a-thon, you can rest easy knowing you won't likely get a high $$ bill--the novelty of riding does not out weigh the boy's curiousity. He stops every 20 feet or so to look at things, talk about something, wave at someone going by, talk to a kitty, etc, etc, etc. He COULD make it 5 laps; but, something tells me that he will be easily distracted and that he will be doing good to make 1 full lap in the 15 minutes or so they have to ride. Oh to be 2 years old!

After nap time, the boys wanted to go to Gymboree. It had been a while. They were glad to be there and I was thankful for a chance to sit and watch them play NICELY together.

They are so good in public places. I am thankful for that, but, do wish they would be at least half as good at home. Oy.

This morning, we had reason to be in Frisco. So, I thought we could walk into Nordys and get the boys feet measured. Good thing! Turns out Owen needed to upgrade from his 8.5 size running shoes to 9.5 or 10. Liam...he turned in his 4.5 size for 5.5 and 6. Geez. Its a wonder they weren't complaining.

And this, my friends, is what happened when I let the boys pick out their own shoes.

As Daddy Q said..."well, they look Irish" ;-)

Go Texan! Day

Liam's preschool had Go Texan! Day today! The kids all dress "Texan" and then attend a fair, where there are games, photo boothes, tattoo boothes, and a corral full of rocking and bouncing horses!

I volunteered to work a both...so, we both donned our boots today. Liam wasn't too excited about taking a photo with me, but thought I would post us anyway!
Peeking in on my little farmer in his class room after I dropped him off.

Liam's class walking into the fair.

I worked the "Lasso the Pumpkin" booth. Liam and a few of his classmates are taking their turns lassoing the pumpkins with hula hoops. Guess who stayed and played with me for the entire time his class was at the fair ;-)

He got really, really good at lassoing pumpkins!

High Five, Little Buddy!!