If you all didn't already know, I went back to work hence the 6 month gap between updates. I'm working part time but get lots of OT so it works out to being about 30 - 36 hrs a week.

So here's our October wrap-up.

We made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. Truly it has practically become an amusement park. We went to Dell Oso Farms in Tracy where they have a gigantic corn maze, a train ride, pony rides, a petting zoo, a play area with bouncy houses, a pumpkin shooting range, a stream to mine gold, a food court area and a patch to pick your pumpkins. We opted for the petting zoo and train ride. Colten had fun observing all the farm animals and wasn't sure what to think of the little goat that tried to eat his sleeve.

This was the first year Colten was able to go trick-or-treating and he just did not want to stop. He dressed up as a knight in shining armour and was so adorable! We walked up to the homes and I would say, "what do you say?" He would either say "bees!" (please) or "twi-thwee!" (that's his trick-o-treat). He had a blast and kept wanting to to do it "moe-moe!" (more).

Sir Colten Jacob of King Arthurs Knights of the Round Table

Thomas!

I know this is a late report, but I (mommy) decided to go back to work so I have been busy working and trying to adjust to a new schedule. We are hoping to buy a house in a year so my paycheck will definetly help out with that =)

Anyway, on Mother's Day, May 10, Matt, Matts mom Barbara, Colten and I went to Woodland (just north of Sacramento) to go see Thomas the Train! Colten loves Thomas, has a track and many Thomas cars. We had lots of fun, there were activities, coloring, watching Thomas movies, playing with legos, jumpy houses, a toddler size train to ride, etc. When our ticket time came, we boarded Thomas' passenger cars and went for a 40 minute ride! We all had such a blast, Colten "choo-choo"ing much of the time. If you ask him to say "Thomas", he will say "choo-choo!"

After we left Woodland, we headed to Old Sacramento. For those who haven't been there, it's the historical downtown on the American River with the original buildings, cobblestone streets and raised wood-plank sidewalks. The four of us had lunch, walked around and window shopped.

It was a great day and by the end of it, we were all pooped. Some more than others perhaps. . .

Not So Sure About the Carousel

Lightning McQueen update: his owners came for him the day after we found him. We had posted a sign on our community mailbox that his owners had seen, thankfully. He was a cute bunny and Colten was so sad to see him gone.

On Friday, the 11th, Colten and I went to Funtown at Micke Grove Park with some friends. Funtown is like a mini amusement park with lots of rides for young children. I wasn't sure if Colten was going to like it or not. At Chuck E. Cheese, Colten will go on the moving attractions. . .until you put the token in and it starts to move or vibrate. So at Funtown I decided to start him off with something gentle. I thought the carousel would work so we went on that. We walked onto it and I placed him on a horse. He did well, until it moved. When it started, he stayed on the horse, but his arms were wrapped tightly around my waist! About halfway through, he began to wail, I picked him up and held him the rest of the time. That was it for Funtown. Perhaps we'll try again at the end of the summer!

We all walked over to the playground at Micke Grove where there is an enormous play structure. I didn't know if Colten would climb it, but he did! There were stairs that went all the way to the top and he went down the slide twice!

Can you spy Colten?

There was a bit of a wilderness area behind the playground where Colten and his friend Jonathan played for a bit. Colten is just starting to play interactively with other children rather than just alongside them. Whatever Jonathan would do, Colten would follow. Luckily, Jonathan is a well behaved boy! So they picked up sticks, used them as light sabers (under supervision) and tried to crush things that fell from the trees.

Jonathan and Colten

Lightning McQueen

Well, we have a new friend, Lightning McQueen. Matt was walking my grandfather out to his car the other night and saw a large white rabbit that had been outside for a couple of days. Well, he brought him in and our kitties were not happy so we put up our baby gate on the front porch and let him roam out there. He has been eating lettuce like crazy and is very friendly. Colten loves him, but I have had rabbits before and know they can be very destructive, chewing baseboards, through wires, furniture, etc. We have decided to call him Lightning McQueen as Disney's Cars is Coltens favorite movie right now. I have posted an ad on freecycle so hopefully he will find a loving home!

Park Play

Today Colten spent some time at Synnoras house (his daycare provider) so he could get used to being back there before mommy goes back to work (on April 23rd). We thought this might be beneficial to him since he has become so clingy to me and will hardly let me leave his sight. When we arrived at Synnoras he ran into the 'toy' room and wouldn't even come out to tell me good bye. I guess he won't have a problem going back to daycare =)



After I picked up Colten we all went to Nelson Park for a playdate with some other mommys. Colten had a blast and for the first time he played with sand instead of eating it! See the video below. . .

Easter 2008

Saturday

Wow, what a weekend it has been! Our little family started out Saturday morning with my Pop, Abraham, to an Easter Extravaganza at Micke Grove Park. Pop presented Colten with an Easter basket full of cars! He loved it! We had such a great time, Colten got an egg painted on his face, Matt (not so much Colten) liked petting the bunnies,

we all toured the San Joaquin County Crime Scene bus, which was quite interesting and informative, Colten played on the playground while we waited for the Egg Hunt to start,

then , along with 250 other children under age 5, we ran like Pamplonian bulls out into a field to snatch up eggs as fast as we could. Colten, with mommy and daddys help *wink*, retrieved about a dozen plastic eggs. We weren't lucky enough to get one with a special ticket in it (you could win a giant easter basket or other gifts) but we were satisfied just the same.

Sunday
Pop and I began the glorious Easter morning with Mass at St. Lukes. We weren't able to find a sitter at 7am on Easter morning so Matt stayed home with Colten. After Mass we took flowers to my grandma Frances' gravesite then went to breakfast. At noon, Matt, Colten and I headed over to Uncle Tom and Aunt Peggy's house for lunch and another egg hunt! We were so happy to see Matts cousins Tom, Leesa, and Ryan, Mike, Kelli, Finn and Aiden, Tim, Barbie and Sean, his brother Nick and girlfriend Christina, and of course, Matts mom, Barbara and Uncle Tom and Aunt Peggy!

Grandma Barbara, Colten and Aunt Peggy

Aiden, Finn and Ryan, playing baseball, kids against adults

Uncle Nick shows Colten how to make bubbles

Q. What do you do when a toddler runs?

A. You run after him!

Grandma Barbara chasing Colten

We had such a wonderful time. We ate fabulous food and Colten found loads of hidden eggs with mommy helping only a little bit. All in all it was a marvelous Easter weekend and we wish you all a blessed spring season.

Our New Blog. . .

Welcome to Matt, Kelly and Colten Willards new blog!

We are super excited to let everyone see how gigantic Colten is getting day by day. Especially those to live far away and we don't get to see as often as we would like to.

Colten turned 18 months on March 1st and is really big and super smart. He says lots of words including, Dada, Mama, Boo (nickname for our cat, Bella) Bath, Ball, Pop (my grandpa Abraham), Bye bye, Car, he nods and shakes his head to answer questions and signs truck, train, slide, fan, light, moon, stars, more, please, thank-you, I'm sorry, dog, etc. Colten loves to read (or really, have books read to him), play with his Little People, go to the park and for walks and loves to watch cartoon movies.

Today Grandma Barbara took us out to lunch at Cancun (yum-o!) and from there we went to the park at Weber Point. It was totally spontaneous so we didn't bring our cameras (pooh!) but Colten had a blast. He likes eating sand for some reason but this park has bark and foam so it was 'safe'. The weather today was perfect in my view, about 65 I think, and cloudy but the sun was peeking through so it was fabulous. After the park, we headed to the Children's Museum of Stockton where, quite frankly, we all had fun! That is such a cool place, I wish it was a little bit bigger. The last time I took Colten he was afraid to go in the Firetruck, Police Car, Helicoptor, Ambulance and Bus (these were actual vehicles that had been retired and modified to be safe for kids to play in), but this time he did well. He slept for about 2 1/2 hours when we got home!

Bookmark us and checkback soon for updates on what we're up to and how big Colten is getting!