Halloween

Yeah, so we threw a big party for Halloween and Troy's birthday, plus a couple other family members' birthdays, and had a blast. Sophia's trick-or-treating experience was way more involved than last year. She kept asking Lourdes to tell her stories about it - "And then what do you do, mommy?" and when the time came she knew just what to do. She was still scared of some things (more a little kid in a yoda outfit than the guy handing out candy dressed in "scream" mask and holocaust cloak), but enjoyed the festivity.

Here she is as a ghost. I don't have a great picture of Samari as a fat little pumpkin, but in this group shot you can see him scrunched up on Lolo's lap in the center of the photo. Sophie of course is at lower right. And there's a bonus shot of our little guy. If someone sends a good shot of the pumpkin, we'll post it.

Hugs,
The Carpenters

Prairie Days

So we've been seeing this red-and-yellow balloon all summer, rising and descending above Fishers, near Lourdes' work and Sophie fave Roy G. Holland Park, and we finally decided to check it out up close, at Conner Prairie. This place is like a combination animal farm, 1850s settler-town flashback park and now this helium balloon from France, which takes paying customers up 387 feet above the northern Indianapolis prairie, and you get to see a far ways and get blown about a bit by the winds. Here's our visit....

Autumn Settling

Howdy folks, Here's a few more tantalizing snapshots of autumn life in Indy.

Sophie finally digs the dinosaur exhibit in the children's museum for the dress-up option.

And we hatched a baby dino!

Sophia and Mommy play cornhole beanbags at Jennifer's Octoberfest party

Samari's new favorite perch: up on something.
Also, he can clap and sign for "more". as in food. all the time.

Samari and Mommy
(and cousins and uncles and aunts -- that's sophie in the back with uncle zac)
cheer for the Indiana Fever at a WNBA finals game.

There's all sorts of fun things you can do with stickers.

Apples, everybody loves apples.

This stroller harness is just cramping my style.

And yeah, it's getting cold. But we're happy.

Monster Update

Hi there, so we've done a lot the past couple weeks. Grandma Darcy came to visit, and then Lourdes took her first week off work since returning from Samari's maternity leave, and we road-tripped to Arkansas and Missouri. Saw a baseball game in St. Louis, and went up in the Arch...stayed at Grandpa John and Mama Dollie's house in Bella Vista, Ark. and went boating/playgrounding/bbq eating...

The kids with cousin Gabrielle

At the Braves/Cardinals game with Mama Dollie

Sophie looking out from atop the St. Louis arch. No fear.
"Where's the arch?" she asked.

"Oh, there it is."

Boating in Bella Vista

Grandma took us to the Children's Museum and the Zoo

And to this big crazy ball, at Holliday Park

Sophie's pretend first day of school, dropping off cousin Lilia

Sophia loves her umbrella, even when it isn't raining.

Such as, at this Indianapolis Indians baseball game.

Slackers, Inc.

So yes, for those of you who check here for updates, i know we've been bad at giving regular ones. But lest you think we're just a family of slackers, here's a few snapshots of what we've been up to. It's a busy life here in Indianapolis, as much as we all try to relax and take life as it comes. We're fixin stuff around the house, going to the Children's Museum and the State Fair and most of all 'the park'. it's hot and humid and all that you love about August in Indiana. Samari wants to crawl something fierce, but just can't muster that final step of putting all the moves together. Sophia wants to play with anything he has, but most of all wants to play with cousins and run around outside and just generally runs us ragged. Here ya go...

Daddy, can we have a puppy?


Helpful big sister

Who likes to ride giant crocodiles

Troy and Sophia rock the market.

How cute is that?!

Riding the tractor (at the farmers' market)

Sophie proud of our prize zucchini

This is how we ride in the 'hood

"Cousin" Pat Kastner (no relation) and lil' Noah
came to visit!

Here Come July

Great, busy month so far. Aunt Angela and Kimmo came to town, with Grandma Darcy. And what else...we're swimming with cousins and going to the park and eating ice cream. What else would you do?

Angela and Kimmo survey Kid-land at the Indianapolis Zoo.

Grandma and Sophie race for the swings.

Stroller fun: "who did you say you were again?"




Note that Sophia attempts to PUSH this one,
and boy do Gabby and Lucinda look happy to be out in the sun.

Summer, yeah!

This hat was soon deemed too small.

Imagine the schemes this trio will dream up over the coming years

Night-time fashions. Samari's got a bit of Vegas Elvis going on, dont'cha think?

Everyone loves teething!