Choo choo

Well, it has been a busy few weeks. The boys are doing wonderfully! They both got a haircut today, which turned out to be quite a workout for all involved. By the time we were done, Ms. Robyn was sweating and seriously looking like she could use an adult beverage!!! BUT, they look totally fabulous, so I guess it was worth it!

Last weekend we had a great adventure on a REAL choochoo (hence the title of this entry)! We went to the Indiana Transportation Museum in Noblesville and boarded a train to Atlanta (in Indiana; NOT in Georgia!!!) to a craft fair. While the craft fair was a bust (unless you were LOOKING for crap!), the train ride was awesome....especially for Alex. He LOVES "choochoos," so when he saw that we were going on a real train, he was just mesmerized.

As the warm weather starts to waiver, we have been making sure to get outside as much as possible. We had a lot of fun last week having a picnic dinner at HollidayPark--Noah was thrilled that he could play and eat at the same time!!

Apple Picking

Today we had an absolutely wonderful day at Anderson Orchards picking apples! When we got there, we were surprised to find Eduardo and his mami and papi and Jen and the girls there as well. After a quick snack, we headed off into the orchard with our trusty red wagon. Alex and Noah had a blast just wandering amongst the trees.

Imagine how thrilled Noah was when he found out he could actually EAT his way through the orchard!!!!

I think between the two of them, they consumed about 6 apples (should make for some interesting diapers tomorrow....). The weather was gorgeous, so we spent about 2 hours walking around. Alex walked the entire time and then even found enough energy to play in the straw and the playground. We got LOTS of Jonathan apples as well as a few Golden Delicious. I am hoping to "whip up" a few apple pies and even attempt to make some applesauce in the crock pot! After a quick lunch at "Donalds" [as Alex says] (McDonalds) we headed home for naps. This evening, the Willis family and Coici joined us for dinner at a local REAL Guatemalan restaurant---it was AWESOME!!! They even had Gallo (THE Guatemalan beer) which made Mommy very happy!!!!!! The boys devoured their dinner (as did their mother!).

Overall, a wonderful day spent outdoors--we will miss these outings during the winter, I am sure. So, in the meantime we will enjoy as many of these days as we can!

Caren

Casa de Geppert

I thought I would start this post with a picture of Alex at one of his favorite places--HollidayPark! We LOVE this park with its wonderful playgrounds, trails and large open areas in which to run. Alex has graduated from the baby playground to the "big kids" playground. He has truly become a little boy climbing all over the equipment and going down all the slides. Noah THINKS he has graduated from the baby playground, but as his mother, I am trying to hold him back! The child knows no fear and thinks nothing of hurling himself head-first down a slide. I see stitches in his near future!

In general, life in La Casa de Geppert has been going full force with "Hurricane Noah" on the loose! The boy is into EVERYTHING--he LOVES to splash in the dogs' water bowl and climb into their crates--truly embarassing. Big brother Alex is not so thrilled with this latest development because Noah is even more after his toys. For the most part, he "walks away" [like a good little Red Glider!], but he also does his fair share of pushing Noah down and then promptly sitting on him. Whatever works.

Big News: My dear friend Katie gave birth to her second child on September 15th!!! Caitlin came into the world around 9:40 am surrounded by familiy and friends--she is SO adorable, I just HAVE to put her picture on here. We are so excited for them, and I cannot wait to take the boys to meet her!!!

Noah is walking!!

Well, I think it is official...I am now the proud mommy of TWO TODDLERS!!! (Lord, help me!) Yes, Noah is now a mobile bi-ped, and I have to say, he seems a lot happier....I think he has been frustrated (probably since the day he was born) that he could not move that fast. Well, this whole walking thing is really suiting him. He still falls down a lot, but that certainly does not stop him. In fact, today he was walking and fell down hitting his nose on a sippy cup--he ended up with a massive bloody nose!!!!! Did this bother him? Not really. Within 5 minutes he was ready to go again. More later-just wanted to document this momentous milestone!
Caren

Labor Day Weekend

As much as we hate to see the summer end, we did still have little mini Labor Day celebrations. The weekend kicked off at the Oktoberfest--it was held indoors this year (WHAT!!!??), but we still managed to have good time. As predicted, Noah was a huge fan of the food while Alex wowed (or scared!!??) everyone with his dance moves. Then if that wasn't enough, while Noah danced with Mommy, Alex was off chasing the ladies.....

Another day was spent on the southside swimming with Oma and Opa and ....of course....eating. The boys had fun in the pool--even Alex started to relax and really enjoyed being the captain of his own "boat." Noah, of course, handled the whole thing like an old sailor...sitting back, soaking up the sun and watching the world pass by.

The Game Plan

I wanted to provide a little background on our little family.

Alex is now a robust little 2-year old who LOVES choo choos (trains), dadas (dogs) and beeding (reading). He has been obsessed with Elmo from Sesame Street for a long time, but I am happy to report, he is branching out and becoming obsessed with Diego!

Noah is now a whopping 1-year old who is REALLY close to walking consistently. He is taking several steps at a time, but gravity still seems to get the best of him. He is a VERY determined little boy who LOVES to explore everything! His favorite things are splashing in a pool or bathtub and....well...anything that Alex is playing with at the moment. Noah's primary mode of communication is very high pitched SCREECH, which is why that has become his nickname.

I am still working as a patent attorney at Lilly, and the boys spend the day with their nanny, Aunt Claire. They are ALWAYS on-the-go, which the boys just love.

We love living on Kenwood Ave here in Indy--we are surrounded by wonderful neighbors. In fact, we are awaiting the arrival of another little boy from Guatemala!!! He will be home late this evening, and Alex and Noah are REALLY looking forward to playing with him.

So, that is a snapshot of our lives right now. We are looking forward to a long (relaxing???) Labor Day Weekend, which will likely involve a trip to OKTOBERFEST! Alex will love the music, Noah will LOVE the food, and Mommy will (hopefully) enjoy an adult beverage!!!!

Hasta luego!
Caren

Watch out, Derek Jeter!