Cousins!

Ben's cousins, Tommy and Kate, came to visit last weekend! It was an amazing few days of laughter, tantrums, and lollipops. Tommy and Ben are just 6 months apart in age, and it was so fun to see them hanging out as best buds. And though she's just 17 months old, Kate held her own with the boys... both in terms of energy and lung-power (that little girl can really yell!).

I was pretty bad about taking photos, but did take some videos of them all playing. Here is one of my favorites, taken just minutes after the kids' reunion in the backyard. Ben and Tommy discuss Ben's latest "owie."

Here's another one from that first day... Kate playing while the boys and grown ups talk...

Farmer's Market!

Here is Ben showing us his "treasure" (his word for "sword") and playing with Tommy and another kid at the Farmer's Market. The balloon animal maker is a popular attraction each week for kids, and swords are pretty popular items among toddlers and little kids. You can see the older kid get tag-teamed by the cousins!!

Here is Tommy showing off his sword (he has the right word for it) and you can hear Auntie Amy's reservation about the older kid, who seemed to take a bit too much pleasure in beating up our toddlers with his own sword! (We never saw who the kid's parents were... maybe they dropped him off for a few hours and went to run errands?)

Not to be outdone, Kate had her own sword, too!

Fall is Here!

There is a small farm on the outskirts of town called Impossible Acres. Each October, they have a barn (and barnyard) full of baby animals that kids can hold and pet. Last year Ben loved it, and so we decided to go visit yesterday, their opening day! We had a blast--despite the fact that Mommy was HOT in the bright October sun--and Ben enjoyed the animals, the hay bale "fort," and the tractor ride. We can't wait to bring Cousins Tommy and Kate next weekend when they're here!

The pumpkin patch...

Baby goats with their mama...
Ben and the pony...