trick or treat!

Thursday was for some reason the official trick or treat night in State College, so we all went out. Jeffrey was a racecar driver, and Meredith was a little flower. Gwen was a bumble bee, and I just had a crazy hat on. We all had a good time and Jeffrey especially.

From October 2010

From October 2010

Some other recent pictures are also newly posted to my (Mike's) October Gallery on Picassa -- http://picasaweb.google.com/axtell.mj/October2010#

From October 2010

Alpha Fire House

On a sunny sunday afternoon our local volunteer department was having an open house for fire safety week and to show off their new firetruck. We all went and got to ride in a firetruck! It was so much fun!

Jeffrey poses next to the firetruck we all got to ride in.

Jeffrey and Mike got to go up in the bucket of the firetruck.

Jeffrey wishes he could 'drive' this truck all day. He did spend a lot of time here!

The new firetruck, it went into service later that afternoon after the firefighters all 'christened' it with buckets of water

Videos

A couple of videos :
Meredith rolling over (this one was maybe the third time?)

... and Jeffrey playing the leaves on Saturday.

Meredith is rolling!

This week Meredith figured out how to roll from back to front. She was trying for a few weeks to master this, and was starting to get impatient! Now if I leave her on her blanket for a few moments when I return she will be on her belly! She seems quite pleased with herself and just needs to learn how to roll the other way too!

Meredith is happy she learned to roll over!


Meredith loves her new colorful booties! And she wants Penn State to win! (They didn't.)


Jeffrey called her 'Bear-idith' when she was wearing her bear hat.


Yes it is a major workout to push both kids around our hilly neighborhood! Jeffrey likes riding the 'skateboard' attached to the back of our stroller. It is a platform for 'big kids' to ride.

Field Trip to Way Fruit Farm

Jeffrey and I went to go on a field trip to Way Fruit Farm. It was organized by his preschool, and Grammie Laurie watched Meredith so Jeffrey and I could have some time together. It was raining earlier in the week so we were glad to have good weather on the day of the field trip. When we first got there Jeffrey played on a wooden toy tractor with all the other kids. Then we tried to find the biggest pumpkin in the nearby rows of pumpkins for sale. Finally it was time for the tractor ride through the orchard. Jeffrey said it was the 'best tractor ride ever!!!' - he really enjoyed it and I think he would have been happy riding around all afternoon. We got to hear about how they hand pick 30 varieties of apples, and that the farm has been in the family for 6 Generations.

Jeffrey 'drives' the tractor with his friend Brady.

They had some wonderful giant pumpkins for sale.

After the tractor ride we got to go into the giant cold room where apples are stored for months. The air was permeated with a cider smell. Then we saw the apple washing machine and heard about making cider. When we were finished with the tour we got a bag of apples and some cider to take home. Jeffrey played on the wooden play tractor again until I convinced him that it was time to go home. He wanted to go back soon to do it all again!

Jeffrey really really wanted to drive this forklift.

In the apple storage room.

Looking at the apple washing machine.