I needed this today...

Lately I feel like I've been spending the kids' waking hours keeping them from ticking each other off. Luken is almost always either chasing Keeley, trying to take whatever toy she has, or trying to keep her AWAY from whatever toy HE has.

This evening, I had some laundry going (Luken was out of socks and that can be big drama in this household!), and since I absolutely hate to iron, I ran upstairs to grab it just as the dryer finished, so as to prevent wrinkling. I kept an ear out for the kids - I didn't hear anything TOO terrifying, but I sure didn't expect to see THIS when I came back down. Luken and Keeley were sitting together in the kitchen - she was in his lap, and he was cuddling her ever so gently!!

So, as any shutterbug mama would do, I haphazardly tossed the carefully hung laundry over the nearest chair and quietly crept up to my camera! Here are a few shots I managed to take before the moment was over:

See, they CAN be sweet to one another! I may plaster our walls with a thousand copies of these pics, so they can be reminded every second of the day, ha ha! ;)

Sneak peek (sort of!)

Luken and Keeley's Halloween costumes arrived in the mail last week, and Luken has wanted to be dressed as Sportacus 24/7 ever since! Keeley is actually going to be Tinkerbell, and her costume is cuter than cute - but a friend handed down this Minnie Mouse dress to us last week, and she LOVES wearing it! So, here they are hamming it up in costume!

Sweet Keeley!


Sibs on the stairs:


Could they be ANY cuter????


Luken, doing a very Sportacus move!

Gorgeous, even when drinking from her sippy cup!

Such a handsome little dude!

A heart-warming event!

In the evening on the 22nd, we went to a charity event for research initiatives in the area of pediatric congenital heart defects. The daughter of one of my friends was born with a heart defect, so we made a big playdate out of the event with some other friends. There were lots of fun things for kids to do there!

First, Luken got his face painted. Todd waited in line with him for a bit, and when it was Luken's turn, he wanted to back out, but we convinced him it would be really neat! He picked out a fancy SNAKE!

Getting painted:


Some detail work:


Checking himself out in the mirror - one cool dude! :D


Luken and Daddy!

There were many bounce houses and slides. Here is is coming down a slide!

Just a cute close-up:

This is the little girl I was referring to, Vivien. Here she is on the Euro Bounce, with her Daddy in the background. This is one of my most favorite photos ever!! :D

In silhouette:

Luken was convinced by how much fun Vivien had bouncing, so he gave it a go! More waiting in line, then wanting to back out, but we convinced him, and he LOVED it!!

Wheeee!

Up in the sky!

This is so much fun!!

Yeeeeehaw!

Ms. Keeley was strapped to my back the whole time. This was just days after her Croup diagnosis, and I didn't want her to infect any other kids. She doesn't look too thrilled in this photo, but it was at the end of the day - she really liked looking around at everyone! I just wanted proof that she and I were actually there! :P

On our way home, we saw a most extraordinary sunset, and though I knew I couldn't do it justice in a moving car and through the windsheild, I took a few shots anyway...