Thanksgiving 2009

We went to my parent's house in Portsmouth for Thanksgiving. My sister Michele came down from Portland. My other sister, Elizabeth, stayed out in Chicago so we had a small crowd. It was also the first big holiday since my Grandmother passed away last spring.

We had a good visit and a great meal - turkey, stuffed mushrooms, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, rolls, creamed onions, green beans and way too much of all of it!

My sister Elizabeth checked in and let us know that she cooked a big meal too and was enjoying the day with her roommate Jess and her boyfriend Ajay.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Ben, Jacob and my Dad playing a board game before dinner.

The turkey....waiting for it to "pop".

Ben waiting for dinner and using his best manners - NOT!

He was acting like a Ninja and using his butter knife as a prop!

Dinner is served!

Ben, Ninja style, with his napkin as a headband.

Lego League Champs!

Jacob competed in the First Lego League event at UNH today and his team did so well that they are now headed to the state competition. The team had to design, build and program a robotic Lego device to complete a series of tasks to earn points. The also had to complete a research project, have a technical judging session and take part in a team problem solving challenge. (Jacob's Lego League experience reminds me of my Olympics of the Mind challenges when I was a kid. Yes, I was a geek! And George has been laughing at me whenever I mention the glory days of Olympics of the Mind.)

Jacob's team's robot earned the highest overall scores for the day. They also received second place honors for their technical review. Their research project was fun to watch - they did a skit on how to reduce traffic, smog and highway accidents. Jacob played a caveman and his version of Billy Mays (sales pitch guy).

Here are some pictures from the day:

The Lego table with the obstacles and challenges.

Jacob's team's robot being put on the course.

Cheering on their robot!

Jacob as a caveman.

Getting their trophy.

Happy with the results and the fun he had!

Cake and a big penguin

We celebrated Jacob's birthday today and had the family over for brunch. Jacob enjoyed the ice cream cake and this BIG plush penguin his Aunt Stacy gave him.

The penguin, the birthday boy and Aunt Michele.

Ben being Ben!

Another milestone...

Ben lost his first tooth on Saturday. The tooth fairy visited that night and Ben was quite happy with the $2.00 she left.

I asked Ben to smile to show the tooth he lost but this was the best we could do!

Jacob turns 11!

Happy Birthday Jacob! 11 years old! Hard to believe...

Sunday Fun

Grampy came down for a visit on Sunday. We spent several hours outside and enjoyed the nice weather. The boys decided to "modify" this ride-in toddler truck we have - making a toy that was originally safe into something risky and dangerous. They then decided to play in the leaves. Here are some pictures from the day:

Proud of their handiwork!

The mechanics.

Danger! No way to steer, no brakes, nothing....but oh so fun!

Use those feet as brakes!

The giant leaf pile.

Getting ready to jump into the leaves from the swing.

Got some air!

Crash!

Leaf boy.

Up to Vermont

Today we went up to Vermont to my mother-in-law's house to help with Fall clean up. This has become a yearly tradition for us. After our chores are done, Grammy feeds us a good lunch and then we usually head out to a fun place the boys will enjoy. This year Benny asked to go to a playground. Here are some pictures from the day:

Benny, the sun and the sky...

Wow! That slide is fast!

Climbing...

Swinging high...too high!

Checking it out.

Grampy showing his skills.

Hold on Ben.

Jacob, Grammy and Grampy.

My boys.

All three of them here.