Happy Halloween!

Ben's 1st Jack-O-Lantern

In our new neighborhood, Halloween is a BIG deal so we had to go all out with our decorating and candy selection (someone suggested raisins and fruit but we don't want to be egged so we went with the best chocolate bars we could find). Ben and I carved a Jack O Lantern to welcome all the trick or treat-ers. To get in the spirit, we've been teaching Ben how to trick or treat but someone, and I'm not naming names, has taught him to say 'Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet!' We'll see what kind of candy the neighbors give him with that tag line!

The Bolger Family is Expanding...

That's right... Ben got a fish! He originally named his fish Cleo but that has somehow morphed into Chloe and Chloe has stuck. So... you're looking at the newest member of the Bolger family, Chloe Bolger! Ben hasn't stopped trying to touch Chloe, literally, so we've had to move her to higher ground. It isn't surprising that Ben loves fish, he comes from a long line of fish lovers. Growing up, I had Janet the ever lasting goldfish (or so my parents told me) and then Roger, the Siamese fighting fish, from Junior year of college until a year or two after graduation. Jeff's fraternity usually used gold fish as the table center pieces at their dances but unfortunately, the gold fish typically didn't survive the evening. So... welcome to Chloe Bolger, the fun has just begun!

For kicks and giggles...

For kicks and giggles, Jeff set up the tent in our back yard this past weekend. The original plan was for him and Ben to spend a boy's night in the tent but that didn't really pan out (Ben is still in a crib so a 'normal' bed is foreign to him let alone a 'normal bed' inside a tent). But... the tent provided hours and hours of fun. We BBQd for dinner and even had smores so it really was just like camping... almost!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Ben Bolger!

What better way to celebrate fall and our Indian Summer than to go pumpkin picking at The Farm?! Ben, Gommie and Papa had a great time picking out the pumpkin even though it was waaaay too hot!

Harvest Festival

A few weekends back was the annual Harvest Festival at the school down the street from our house. So we walked, sampled some festival sweets and road the train. Of course, the highlight of Ben's day was the "Choo Choo."

If I had a hammer...

It seems like there are always projects around the house to be done. Truly, it never ends. But... that doesn't bother Jeff or his apprentice, Ben. They do each project together and Ben, as he has been saying since we moved in, proudly proclaims that everything is "37 inches tall!"

Short Ladder to the Moon...

According to Ben, it only takes a 'short ladder' to reach the moon. So with the full moon this past week, Ben and Jeff tested out this theory every night. Unfortunately, they weren't able to reach the moon but they did have fun trying each night.

Just like Dad...

Look familiar? Ben looooves to do anything his Dad does include being Camera Boy!

Hiking Pinnacle Peak

Jeff and I took a long morning hike while Ben played with Gommie and Papa. We hiked to the top of Pinnacle Peak (mind you the temperature was over 100 degrees with very little shade) and then into the valley to the valley floor and back up to the top of Pinnacle Peak so we could exit the park. Although it was a hot hot day, it was a pretty cool hike. The suarro (sp?) cacti were about twice to three times as tall as Jeff and I which, according to a marker, means they are well over 150 + years old.

Trampoline Paradise!

We stumbled upon a trampoline paradise while in Scottsdale and would give almost anything to have one in Monterey. Basically, it is this huge gym-size warehouse with trampolines stretching from wall to wall as far as the eye could see. Ben, Jen and Jeff were in total heaven. We went twice that week and will post a video later of Ben and Jeff jumping into the foam pit. What a fun place!

Gilbert

Jeff's boss, Wendi, lives about 30 minutes outside of Scottsdale in Gilbert. She invited us over for a bbq with her family and Ben had a great time! The highlight of the BBQ for Ben was meeting Max and Minnie, Wendi's 150 pound turtles. They literally walk around her big back yard just munching grass or haning out. Then he went swimming with Wendi's neices who just loved playing with the little man!

Pool Time

Yes, we have been very delinquent on the blog... we've been a wee bit busy since we got back from vacation. So... to continue the Scottsdale vacation blogging, here are pics of Ben in his favorite activiy... swimming! He made his own routine : pool > hot tub > water park/sprinkler area > snack on watermelon > do it all over again!





Happy Birthday to Gommie!

The reason we went to Scottsdale for the week was to celebrate Gommie's birthday! We had a great day in the sun and topped the night off at an amazing Italian restaurant. We heard about Giuseppi's on 28th from the Food Network TV show, Diners Drive-ins and Dives. Boy, were they right, the food was incredible!

The road to Scottsdale...

This plane ride to Scottsdale, Arizona was Ben's first time having his very own seat on a plane (vs sitting in Mom and Dad's lap). The days leading up to the flight, we were constantly talking up the plane ride and how much fun it would be to Ben so that hopefully, he would sit in his seat for the full 2 hours of the flight.

Well, it started off great. Once we got in the air, though, our active toddler had enough of sitting in one place for so long and you guessed it... but the pilot did  give Ben his set of wings (gold wing pin) which was really nice (until Ben poked himself).

A Whale of a Time!

For Ben's 2nd birthday a few months back, he got this super cool whale sprinkler pool. We hadn't been able to use it until just recently though because the weather was too cold. Now that we are in the new house and the weather is much warmer, Ben got to take the whale for a spin. We forsee many warm summer afternoons in the whale in the near future!

Oktoberfest!

So... I'm a bit behind on posting so here are some long over due pics of Jeff and I at Oktoberfest in Carmel a few weekends ago. Ben was with Gommie and Papa so we got to enjoy some Spaten, brats and pretzels all the while listening to a real 'um-pa-pa' German band and people watching the Germans in leiterhosen (sp?). It felt like we were back in Munchen!

We just got back from a week in Scottsdale so vaca pics to come in the days ahead...