The Perfect Tree

Every year since Matt and I got married, we have hiked up a mountain and cut down a tree. The kids love to walk around and find a tree, although they didn't quite understand why we didn't cut down the first one we saw. We went early in the morning the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Matt has no patience with these things, and wanted the tree up right away! So we trekked up that mountain and found the prefect one! Little did I know, that it was going to be terribly freezing! I should have made the kids wear more layers, and gloves. Silly mommy! Instead, I stood on the side of a mountain with a sobbing three year old(Sophie, who hates cold as much as me) as people looked at me like I was crazy. Poor Sophie cried the entire time it took Matt to get the tree cart. The kids were happy to be tucked safely in the car, and enjoyed hot chocolate when we got home. That afternoon we decorated the tree, and the twins were thrilled by all of the ornaments!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was the traditional Perini Feast. We have been enjoying Thanksgiving at Great Angie's house since I was probably ten. It is something I look forward to all year long! The food, and the whole Perini family gathered together in one house. That only really happens once a year. This year was no exception, and we all had tons of fun!

Here is Grandpa sneaking Jack a "Perini Bite" before the actual meal started. Matt yelled at my dad, but I was OK with it. I don't think you can actually fight the tradition of taking small bites. I'm pretty sure it's in their genes! We ALL do it, including my 91 year old grandmother!

This is also before dinner. This is what happens when I ask them to smile! Ridiculous!

Turkey cookies! Yum! I used to eat the same cookies when I was little! Sophie pretty much just licks the icing off! :)

Uncle Matt coloring with Sophie. What a softie! This picture seriously melts me!

On Friday, Matt and I snuck out for some shopping downtown. It was freezing, but we warmed up with lattes from Starbucks. We came home Friday night exhausted, but full and happy!

Mom's Club Activites

We have jumped head first into the Mom's Club, and are trying to attend about 2-3 activities a week. It's been tons of fun. We have done everything from hayrides to playdates at people's houses. The twins are really enjoying having new adventures, meeting new friends, and playing with other children's toys. Here are a few pictures of the kids at two different activities. Monkey Joe's is a great big inflatable gym, and Paulus' is a pumpkin farm. Monkey Joe's may have been the twin's favorite activity from the month, and we spent three hours running around like crazy!

A Sunday In November

Leaves! What is a fall without a romp in the leaves. I left for the store, and when I came back, Matt and the kids had this huge pile of leaves raked up. The were throwing them, jumping in them, and smashing them on each others heads. The perfect way to spend a sunny November day!

Month by Month-November 2010

November, you flew by in the blink of an eye! We loved your changing colors, the last of the warm days, and the yummy food. But, most of all we are thankful for the amazing people in our lives, that make our days so much richer.
This month we:

• Worked on our fireplace room, and now have two(almost done) built in bookcases, and a "library." Matt and I have always dreamed of having a library, and it is amazing to see it come to fruition. Thanks to my brother, the best carpenter ever!
• The shelves would explain why our date night this month was at Lowes. ;)
  
• Had a yummy Perini Thanksgiving. I loved seeing everyone together this year.
• Jack and Sophie made new friends, and are loving having other kids(and their toys) to play with.
  
• We cut down our tree, and decorated the house. Jack and Sophie love to plug the tree in each morning.
• Jack's new nickname for Sophie is "Soph-ya". Which sounds pretty similar to Sophia.

Month by Month-October 2010

October has been incredibly busy, with birthdays, traveling, house renovating, furniture shopping, and tons more. I feel like October went by in a heartbeat, and has left me wanting a vacation! We tried to enjoy the last of the warm fall days, as we are approaching winter.

This month we:

• Jack and Sophie-turned three. I should have never blinked my eyes. How did this happen?
• Matt-Made it to the semi-finals in his Men's Soccer league. We watched him play a couple of games, and score a couple of goals. He's still got it! ;)
• Jack and Sophie-spent most of the month bickering. Sibling rivalry is in full effect. My favorite from the month? Sophie-"Mommy! Jack is looking at me!"
• Amy-joined a MOM's club, and is looking forward to some fun activities for the kids...and ME!
• Matt-is still plodding away at his business.
• Jack and Sophie-have enjoyed the last of the warm days playing outside.
• Sophie has figured out how to ride the tricycle, the big wheel, and the scooter.
• Jack and Sophie-went trick or treating. Jack was Lightning again, and Sophie was Cinderella. They LOVED getting candy in their bags...and eating it too!
  
• Matt and Amy-planted trees from our parent's yard in our yard, and are hoping they take, and start growing in the spring. We planted a maple, and three sassafras tress. We were unable to find the elusive tulip tree in my parent's yard.
• Matt-helped to put a new roof on his parent's house.
• Jack loved playing with the boys in our playdate. The three boys had all of the little matchbox cars talking to each other.
  

*This is a new part of our blog. In an attempt to record my family's history, I stumbled upon this idea on a blog. Each month, I will write the small things that we experienced as individuals and as a family. Each month will have one picture. It will be easy to print out each post and put it in a binder for future perusing. My official title is "family historian." I scrapbook a lot, but I also love the idea of having memories tucked away to remember at a time when our own memories fail us. I would love to have a recorded history of my family's past. We have printed out the blog and keep in a binder already, and we have most of the "big" events covered. So, in an attempt to give my children some insight into our day to day activities, I am going to try to do these posts every month!

Pucknik Carving

We didn't get to visit a pumpkin patch as a family this year, so yesterday, we carved pumpkins. The kids were way excited to get started, even though I am not sure they knew what we were going to do. We helped Jack and Sophie draw faces on the pumpkins, but Jack didn't really want to help, so Matt ended up drawing his. Then we cut the top off of Jack's pumpkin, and told him to dig in. This was his reaction:

He was apprehensive at first, so Matt shoved his hand in the pumpkin. After he got his first feel, he pulled his hand out, giggling, and refused to stick it back in. He also wouldn't go anywhere near the goop that I pulled out. Next up was Sophie. This was her reaction to the pumpkin after we cut the top off:

Typical Sophie! She loves goopy, yucky stuff. Matt couldn't cut the top off fast enough! She cleaned every last seed out of her pumpkin, and then, helped me to pick the seeds out to roast. After all of the seeds were out, she ended up mashing, smashing, and kneading it! Too much fun!

Matt ended up doing the cutting, because who would seriously trust our kids with a knife? He cut the kids faces, and then he cut two of the papers that came with the pumpkin knife. From left to right, Sophie's(which you can tell Matt cut on the lines she drew for the eyes and nose, and I drew the mouth), Matt's mouse with a candycorn, Jack's, and my kitty.

Jack and Sophie were pretty excited when we took them outside and put candles in them. They were also excited to blow the candles out! It was lots of fun, and later we enjoyed the fruits of our labor, which was yummy toasted(and a little burnt! oops!) seeds.

Choo, Choo!

A few weeks ago, Matt went to a train show, and picked up an electric train. We have been talking about getting one for around the Christmas Tree for a long time. My family put up our train every year, so it is a tradition I am excited to pass on to my own kids. Matt purchased enough track to make a small oval, the engine and accessories pack, a coal car that dumps coal, a bridge, and a covered bridge. Later in the week he purchased more track pieces to make the track wider, in order to fit the tree in the middle. The kids were beyond excited that we were going to have a train that, "goes all by itself." They attacked Matt when he walked in the door with the goodies. After Matt set it up, they watched the cars go around the track, and eagerly waited for their turn to try. After a little bit of practice, the twins know how to make the engine go forward, change directions, and toot the horn. They have been really good about treating the train with the utmost care. Matt is already plotting what to add to his "set up," and it makes me wonder who was more excited about the train?

The twins aren't allowed to use the track if Matt is not home. Here Jack is getting a lesson on how to make the train go forward.

Jack is pressing the whistle button in this picture.

Sophie learning to operate the train.

All smiles with the train set before Matt added all of the extras.

I love traditions that bring the family together, and I am looking forward to many holiday seasons with our little train!

My Gym-"The Monkey Gym"

The last couple of months, we have been taking the twins to a place called, "My Gym." It's a great big indoor gym, where the kids can run around and climb, jump, play, and explore their bodies. Once a week, we have a "class," which has a structure, including, circle time, practice skills, new gymnastics, songs, and games. They change the equipment once a week to maintain interest. The first few weeks, the twins were very shy, and didn't participate without a lot of encouragement. After that, they readily participated, said their names out loud in front of the group, and sat for the puppets. It was interesting watching them grow and change over a few short weeks. Sophie isn't as adventurous as Jack, but as the weeks passed, she became more confident in herself. Jack can be wild, but he was able to keep himself under control the more we went to the gym. It was really good for the kids, as a start to interacting with other kids, and in a group setting. We have just joined a MOM's club, and are hoping for even more interaction in the future!

Climbing the monkey bars with Daddy.

Going up the monkey bars the wrong way, of course!

A blurry jump into the ball pit! Sophie wouldn't go into the ball pit unless their were no other kids inside! HA!

Jumping on the trampoline while Daddy throws a ball at him! I think it's a part of Matt's training plan! ;)

Sophie LOVES balance beams! She is really good at taking her time and staying on them. She also prefers to dance across the room instead of walk! Such a girl!

Birthday Sunday

The twin's real birthday was on Sunday this year, and since the party was on Saturday, we didn't want the actual day to feel anticlimactic. We planned a few low key activities to make the day special.
Matt made Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse pancakes in the morning for breakfast. (And a huge mess in the kitchen! ;) ) I made bacon and the little pink bows. The kids were tickled pink!

After breakfast, we went outside to play, and then went for a walk around our neighborhood.

Jack making a wish. It's funny when the kids blow these dandelions, because they have a hard time blowing the seeds, so they end up just ripping the seeds out with their hands!

Tree Hugger!
(This is Sophie's messy hair! She hates for me to put it up, because she is just like I was, and hates to have her hair brushed. I gave her a break this morning because it was her birthday!)

After nap, which the kids(and parents) needed after the prior day's festivities, we went to the park to play and take birthday pictures.
Then we went to McDonald's for dinner. The kids are in love with the play place at Chick-fil-a, but since it's not open on Sundays, we went to McDonald's. Too bad the kids don't really like fast food, and ended up eating very little!

Back at home we had little cupcakes with candles in them. Matt and I sang "Happy Birthday" and other variations of the song, a few times, which Jack and Sophie loved. Then they made wishes and blew out their candles.

Lastly, we had a movie night, and watched Ice Age.

The day went just as fast as the last three years have gone. I still can't believe I have three-year-olds! They are the best kids, and I love them with all of my heart!

Happy Birthday Little Ones!