Cousins and rice cereal

The kids and I have enjoyed a couple of play dates with Elena and Annika...it's been fun to see Anni and Tirzah start to 'play' with each other!

They are both in the 'everything in the mouth' stage.

Sweet Anni.

Over Columbus Day weekend, we took our annual trek out to Ohio and enjoyed the hospitality of Chet and Amanda as well as U. Donn and A. Karen.

Max wearing his 'birthday hat' at Chet and Amanda's.

The four older kids...it was fun to see our kids play together!  It's the first year that any of them have really been old enough to play with each other.

The whole crew on the couch:  Reid, Tirzah, Max, Nora, Heather...and next year it will be six kids!  (No, not us!  Chet and Amanda are expecting.)

Saturday was a gorgeous day that was spent mostly outside.  Amanda had bought giant bubble wands for each of the kids, and they loved them (until Nora and Reid dumped theirs on the ground).

Nora chasing a bubble

Grandma blowing bubbles for Max...I love that his mouth is an 'O' like he's trying to blow the bubbles himself.

Nora and her grandma.

A. Karen has an old window in her landscaping that Nora was peeking through.

We don't have many pictures or videos from the weekend...it was spent watching the kids play, talking, laughing, eating, and for the guys, landscaping A. Karen's front flower bed.  The kids traveled pretty well and we had a great weekend!

Then, one evening last week, Steph, Elena, and Annika went with us to a local pumpkin patch.  We got there only half an hour before closing, but still managed to have some fun and get some pictures. :)

Elena and Nora in the wagon, getting a ride.

Silly face!

Max and Anni in the other wagon

Love Annika's face here...kind of a "Really, Mom?" look.

Our three oldest 'pumpkins.'

They have a pony, a horse, some goats, cows, chickens, and a few other animals at this farm.  Max was in love with the little pony.

"He licked me!"

Same thing with the goats.  He got such a kick out of their little tongues slurping on his fingers.  Thankfully he didn't get bit!

This was so funny...Anni's expression (or lack thereof) and Tirzah's giggly grin just cracked us up.

See? :)

I left out one other animal...the cats!  There were a bunch of barn cats, and I had to keep reminding Max NOT to pick them up!  It was a fun little place to go, and fun with cousins, too.

Last thing: the rice cereal.  Since Tirzah is six months now, I figured I should try some solid food on her.  Neither Max nor Nora liked it, so I wasn't expecting much different.

She seems happy here, but we'll see the verdict at the end.

Max was watching, too...

kind of.

And the result?

Bleh.  Not so much.  Next attempt:  baby food. :)