Brookie's Baptism

We had Brookie's Baptism at Saint Theresa's Church.  The kids were antsy, but okay during Mass.  Actually, sometimes it was pretty funny:)  Brookie announced the she was all done and Colin told everyone, "no dinner shoes!"  After Mass, we all sat at the front of the church near the baptismal font.  Erin held Brookie and Nick did a great job with the candle.  We are lucky to have them as Godparents:)  Brookie was a great listener when it came time for the water:)  Colin told everyone to stand up and then gave a rousing Amen!  Father said he should be an alter server:)  Back at the house, Brookie wanted pictures with everyone, and I mean every single person:)  She was so proud!  She also couldn't wait to eat the cake!!!!!  She has worn her necklaces everyday since and sleeps with her new pillow pet:)

Thanksgiving

We spent the holiday with Uncle Bobby and Auntie Pattie.  Chris, Erin, Matt, Kelly and Francis were also home.  Brookie was excited to meet more of the family!  Well, except for the dogs...guess we won't be adding one any time soon.  Tatum loved the dogs and spent most of the afternoon with them:)  Colin relaxed with some football on tv.  We had a wonderful meal and great laughs.  Brookie ate everything (big surprise!) and especially loved the turkey:)  Colin said grace this year and was so proud of himself!  The desserts were the kids favorite parts with chocolate and ice cream for everyone.  At one point, the girls climbed Chris' lap and pulled the blanket over them.  He was such a good sport!  It was wonderful to spend time with family and even more special that everyone was home together!

Plimouth Plantation

While the weather was unseasonably warm, we took a trip to Plymouth.  We started at the Wampanoag Homesight.  It was fantastic!  A few men were firing a boat and let the kiddos sit in a complete one.  We also helped to grind some corn that was put in a stew.  The kids also got to play with some tradional toys:)  We then walked over to the village.  The kids were fascinated with the characters.  They watched a dinner being prepared and sat on a traditional bed.  They loved helping a family beat their bedding!  They even helped Governor Bradford cut some wood:)  From there, we grabbed some lunch and then a prize from the store.  After a short drive, we were at the Mayflower.  We were the only there and the characters gave the kids a great tour.  They let them hold some of the food that would have been eaten and then work to get some water.  After four hours of exploring, we headed back home:)  I love field trips!

Mashantucket Pequot Museum

We took a field trip to culminate our unit on Native Americans.  The museum was amazing!  We went through every section and ended up spending over three hours exploring:)  I loved watching their eyes light up when they recognized something we learned about.  It really brought the unit to life.  They especially loved the interactive village and being able to see, hear and smell the daily life of the people.  We can't wait to go back when the weather is nice so we can experience the outside aspect of the museum.

Halloween

Brookie loved her first Halloween home!  She picked out a fairy princess costume complete with her tiara and a cupcake wand:)  Tatum was a very cute Lightning McQueen and Colin was Chuggington the train.  The weather was perfect!  We met our friends and headed off through the neighborhood.  All three thought it was great to ring a door bell and get candy!  Brookie kept trying to go into our neighbors houses:)  The kids made it to 12 houses and decided it was time to get back to their nice, cozy house.  They were very happy with their treats and slept great that night.

A Trip to the Children's Museum

We made our way into the Children's Museum for a field trip.  We started at the first floor and the kiddos spent quite a bit of time enjoying the climber!  The girls giggled the whole way up:)  Colin loved the magnifying glasses and made friends with a snake.  The ball room was a huge hit!  Brookie was amazed at the balls going down all the ramps:)  Colin and Tatum took a little break from the action and played an intense game of tic-tac-toe while Brookie chased the digital butterflies.  They all loved driving the bus and flying the plane!!!  We ended up spending 4 hours playing and experimenting.  Each kiddos chose a prize in the store and then had a tasty lunch at Au Bon Pain.  I heard much snoring on the ride home!

Pumpkin Picking

We went to our favorite farm to pick pumpkins again this year.  Farmer Brenda remembered us!  The farm has free hay rides pulled by her tractor.  This year, the ride was extra bumpy and the kids loved it:)  They had plenty of pumpkins and the kiddos ran right for them.  They took some time trying to find the right one:)  Mommy said that they had to be able to carry it back by themselves.  That meant a few pumpkins were a bit too big once they had them in their arms for a minute or two.  After much thought and trial, they each found the perfect one and we headed back to the hay ride.  Brookie thought it was great and Tatum loved pointing everything out to her.  Colin just loved the bumps and gigled each time we hit one:)