Beginning of November

 Anthony advanced to a third stripe white belt!

Rett got a stripe on his purple belt:

James being silly during a school assembly:

I tried to catch a picture of both boys reading a book while we picked up our grocery pickup order. James immediately made the ugliest face he could.

Rett has been begging for blue hair, so I told him we should first try the spray in color that they use for Halloween costumes. He loved it!

The school brought back International Day this year! It was so fun to go around to all the classes and see all the hard work each class put into researching and displaying information about their country. James's class had Thailand and they each made ancestor houses. This was his:

James didn't want to go around the classrooms with us this year. Instead his teacher asked for volunteers to help her explain the different areas of the classroom and James wanted to be the resident expert on their classroom pet Clifford, the large hermit crab. (Even though it doesn't have anything to do with Thailand, everyone always wants to know about him when they come in the room). His teacher was soooooo grateful to James and couldn't stop talking about how helpful it was to have him because she always spends so much time every year talking about Clifford.

Showing everyone how small he used to be:

Of course we met the Queen again in England:

And a royal guard:

Rett's class did the country of Switzerland and everyone had a little info folder they made about it on their desks. It worked out perfectly because the cave decorations from being a bat cave transitioned easily to swiss mountains!

                                                                                      

Kenya:

Cuba:

Turkey:

The night before everyone had off of school for Veteran's Day we took the boys and two of their friends to the county fair. They had a blast! They were so excited, they couldn't contain themselves. They ate junk and rode rides, and were generally silly and crazy until we finally made them leave at 10pm!

Rett and his friend Robert who goes to their school and lives down the street from us:

James and his best friend Luka. This is his first year with a best friend! They both drive us crazy asking to always get together and do things every. single. day. Don't they know we are tired???

They spun these teacups so much that Luka almost puked. It was a close one!

We bought a gas firepit and some zero gravity chairs for our front porch. We have been loving sitting out in the evening and enjoying the cooler weather.

Rett officially joined the cub scouts and now can go to the events as a scout and not just a sibling! His first activity was the food drive service project where we drive around and pick up bags of food people leave on their doorstep. They all fought over who's turn it is to get the bags and they love to be the first one to spot them!

Trying to catch a picture without him noticing and he immediately made a face. So close!

All the food ready for the food bank!