Happy Halloween

Well our first Halloween has come and gone, the costumes have been hung back in the closet and it was quite the whirlwind evening. The festivities began with a few cranky babies who were really not into Halloween yet. Grace has 4 teeth coming in simultaneously so she was NOT in the mood for ANYTHING let alone strapping on some god damn ladybug outfit, Avery who did not have a nap so she was cranky from that, and Everett was doing fine until he fell on his face from trying to walk in his costume, so then that just abruptly ended the fun for him.

The official Simpson pumpkin carving (really its the Kristen Howatt pumpkin carving) was a success as the kids got into helping me out. They rolled the pumpkin around the room, and they even touched the innards (only a little bit though).

So once everyone was fully clothed off we went to scavenge for treats. We went to a couple of houses in our neighborhood, hit Bob & Nancy's where Jason was shamelessly trying to get candy using poor Everett, then we were off to Walter & Linda's and then to Bernie & Pat's my dads neighbors. It seemed as though Grace's problems seemed to disappear when she was dashing through the rain, that was only time she seemed to be enjoying herself.

Everett went as a zebra,

Grace went as an unhappy ladybug,

And Avery was a monster (not literally though, well only at first)

Start training them early

Yes Everett, do you have a question? No, you may not body slam your sister.

Its NEVER to early to start training them, even on the little things.

Not always the innocent

Ever since the kids have started playing independently Grace has always been viewed as the 'Innocent'. Most of the time she is but not always. During the reading time she was caught pulling on Avery's hair. With the few strands she does have, we can't afford to have Grace pulling them out.

Just for you Nanny Di

Everett in his diaper

Everett always seems to be in a better mood once all his clothes come off. He was impatiently waiting his bath so I took all his clothes off and instantly he was a comical, laughing little boy. Even Avery was a little more pleasant once she was in the pant-free zone.

Giggling Gertie

During our playtime today Everett and Avery were playing together as they normally do but today was just a little different than most. Everett was intentionally trying to make Avery laugh with his antics and he was succeeding. On most days she couldn't be bothered with him but today for some reason she thought he was a hoot.

The New Hats

We have graciously received new hats from both Grandad Simpson and Auntie Marilyn. When Grandad was in Vancouver he picked up these hats.


Avery is the bear

Grace is the bees

And Everett is the eggplant

And most recently we recieved home made knitted hats from Auntie Marilyn



Thanks so much, they look so cute.

Grace and her dogs

Grace has recently discovered one of the many stuffed animals and has proclaimed 'Scrappy' as her new found friend. Scrappy is this weird little hairy yellow dog that Grandpa brought over one day. It belonged to my mom, but why she even bought this weird little thing I'll never know, but Grace has quite the affinity for it. She carries it around, and very seldom will she willingly part from it . (except when there is food around)

Brotherly Love

This is probably a one-in-million shot. Not very often do you see these 2 in a loving moment. We fondly refer to these 2 as 'Fire' and 'Gasoline', easily interchangeable depending on the day. More often than not do we have to 'break' up the grappling match that has ensued. But it looks like Everett is starting to take his brother-role seriously. You will OCCASIONALLY catch him patting the girls on the head or giving them hugs.

Walking X 3

Well we now have 3 walkers amongst us now. Avery has joined the walking bandwagon along with others. Only up until a couple of days ago has she thrown caution to the wind and started walking about 6-10 steps. She is surprisingly more cautious than Grace, who will just let go of whatever she is holding on to and start walking even though she has virtually no sense of what direction or destination in mind. And her stopping ability leaves a little to be desired. Everett, like Avery in this respect, is far more cautious and will only proceed until he is ABSOLUTELY positive he will not fall, trip or stumble along the way. Nevertheless she is well on her way to cruising the playroom on her own.

My little bookworm

As the kids get older the pleasure they get from a book is starting to become more and more noticeable. They choose the books they want me to read, even if it is 12 times in a row, they listen intently to the stories they really enjoy, wave me off when its not and have learned to turn the pages even if I haven't finished reading.
Our reading time always brings them crawling with a mission. They jockey for position which usually ends in tears because Avery is shoving Everett out of the way. But some times I catch a glimpse of Grace sitting alone surrounded by books, flipping the pages like she is looking for something specific, and knows exactly which page to find it. With the twinkle in her eye, I just know she will have the imagination to go along with that personality.

But then again...

At first I thought Everett was going to be like his dad, a bit of a neurotic clean-freak. But they are all obsessed with removing ALL the pajamas from the basket. But not to worry, I still have time to mould him.

Note*** Check out Everett's greatest stand recovery in history at the beginning of the video!

Who needs a housekeeper, when you've got Everett

Lately Everett has shown an interest in putting his toys away. I completely understand it is just a phase that all children go through but wouldn't it be nice if he remained this way. Just a pipe dream I guess.

Happy Turkey Day!

Well it seems like we just celebrated Thanksgiving but with the on-going activity around here it does seem to warp time. Before the holiday had even arrived I was not all that interested in participating but as I awoke on Sunday morning I was beginning to reconsider. On Saturday we went grocery shopping, and Jason had asked me if I wanted to get a small turkey, chicken or maybe even a turkey pot pie, but I refused, not wanting to go to the trouble. But with my mind now changed I decided I had better get to the grocery store and select my bird. I should have known that by the time I got there selection was less than abundant. With the selection down to 1 50-lb fresh turkey and about 20 frozen birds, my only option was to select the frozen. Perfect, I will get one of those cook-from-frozen Butterball birds. Searching frantically for the 3-5 kg sized bird alas I was out of luck. I ended up selecting an 18 lb turkey for a 3 man/3 baby Thanksgiving dinner.

As you can see from this photo the turkey took up the entire oven, I even had to take

out the second rack. I don't think I have ever taken out the second rack for anything.

Let's hope the kids like turkey.

Well as it turns out 1 out 3 found the turkey acceptable. Grace ate her mandatory 3 lb portion, Avery is about 3 lbs short and Everett is about 2 lbs 15 oz short. After it was all said and done, another successful Simpson family celebration.

Walking X 2

Well the walking frenzy has begun. Within the week, Everett has finally taken the leap into walking on his own. Always the more steady of the three he has always been a little more apprehensive. But he once he got the hang of it, there was no stopping him.

Now with 2 of the 3 on their way to independence, its time for Avery to make her leap.

The Travel Bug

With all the travelling Jason is required to do over the next year, we purchased an additional luggage set. When we brought it home and opened them we couldn't keep them out. It looks as though they may have caught the Howatt-Simpson travel bug.