When we got home we realized the weather was turning cold for good a little earlier than we had hoped, and so we decided to squeak one last night of camping in. The boys even swam in the lake! When we got home we went to the pumpkin patch with friends and brought some home to decorate.
The second weekend of October we attempted to have a garage sale but with the onset of the VERY cold weather it was a complete flop. Matt decided to turn things around and take advantage of his father-son time to build a rocket with the boys. It was really cool and the boys had so much fun building and setting it off.
October has also brought on fierce independence by Ezra in EVERYTHING. "By self" is his new motto and if you don't let him do it his way or help when help is unwanted (basically all the time), then watch out. Mr. Tantrum comes in swinging for a long while. It's been an adjustment for sure. Don't get me wrong, some of the independence is great. He sets and clears the table, help make meals, practices putting on his own shoes, socks, and coat... but when he refuses to cooperate for diaper changes or to get dressed....every day... it gets a little old. It's a good thing he's really cute and still loves snuggles ;) Aside from independence, Ezra loves to make and play with food in his pretend kitchen, "read" books, and play with trucks and trains. Oh, and he loves to sing and dance! He will frequently come and ask me to put on music so he can dance when we are home. So cute! He is talking in complete sentences all day now, so he is very good at making sure you understand him!
Micah has hit the imaginary play stage and can play with trucks, plastic animals, or his brother for long periods of time now while narrating the imaginary story they are playing out. He is also intensely interested in two things: flight and being a doctor. We have been reading countless books on both topics from the library and learning why he can's fly just flapping his arms (not for lack of trying!) and also about ways he can help people. He has even made up a name for himself when he is in his doctor role: Dr. John! We have no idea where he got the name from, but he insists Ezra let Dr. John take care of his boo-boos, lol! When not playing, doctoring, or trying to fly, Micah can be found "working" in his notebook. This involves writing letters (typically his and Ezra's names) and putting stickers on the pages. He is very serious about it and spreads his "work" out over the entire couch!
It really is fun to be home with the two of them all day as they each work through their current developmental stages. And I always have good stories to tell Matt when he gets home from work. Matt has been attempting to tell me interesting stories from his work in return, but we're starting to realize that Micah is listening in very closely to those stories and has now started offering to help Matt with various patient scenarios. It really is a wonder what that boy picks up!