PUMPKINS!

We're posting TWICE in TWO days! We tried out our Halloween shirts today, so Mommy and Daddy took pictures with our pumpkins tonight! We thought you'd like to see them. These are the pumpkins Papa G. carved our names in - we didn't put BOTH of Neela's pumpkins in the picture, but we had SOO much fun!


Kylie & her pumpkin

Neela & her Pumpkin

Trying to rearrange all the gourds around our pumpkins

Neela loves her Gourd

...and then she throws it on the ground and laughs at it!

We also tried to lift the "King's Turbin" - Neela was successful...

Kylie needed Daddy's help!

Ms. Bonnie stopped - so we showed her our pumpkins, too!

Mommy remembered a few more phrases we like to say... Kylie is working on "Steelers" and she knows "Touchdown" (appropriate, since they are playing Monday Night Football tonight). She also was saying "Cracker", "Cheese", and imitating many things. Neela likes "Shoes", "Socks", "Shirt" (can you guess what she's been studying?)... and Kylie will flip through an animal book and tell you almost every sound!

We love PUMPKINS!

A busy month - without a camera!

You may have noticed, it's been a while since we wrote! Mom and Dad have been busy traveling, and we spend time doing fun stuff on the weekends! We started our gymnastics classes again every Saturday...

Last weekend, Grandma and Papa G. brought Mommy up a car FULL of pumpkins - we helped Papa unload!


He also carved our names into pumpkins again, and Mom will post our pictures with our pumpkins soon. We had a camera "incident" - Daddy's "small" lens stopped working, so we are using the "big" lens and the "little" camera, and sometimes Aunt Angie's camera. It doesn't catch as many action shots, but we are getting a few good ones!

On Friday, it was 86 degrees - so Mommy let us play in our swimsuits one last time (it was a high of 60 degrees today!!)

We had a picnic of blueberries on the kitchen floor after we went in the swimming pool! All that swimming made us hungry before Mommy could make supper!

On Saturday, we went to see Aunt Heidi at the Embassy Suites. There is SO much to look at - the glass elevator, the view of the atrium from the 9th floor, the water falls, the trees, the "big rocks"... Neela was so excited, she ran into a table - and got another black eye. I guess Mommy won't be letting Aunt Heidi babysit anytime soon!!

Today, we had a field trip to Lowe's to check out kitchen appliances. We loved the "race car" cart (it went "beep, beep"), and the Christmas decorations (yes, they are out ALREADY!!).

And lastly, a few new words for each of us... We're talking so much, Mommy and Daddy can't keep track of them all - we are starting to say phrases, too. We're both getting very good at our ABC's - we sing along with Leap in the car!

Kylie's new words... "Bite", "Potato", "Banana", "Heidi", "Get Down", "(Sit on) Lap", "I love you"...
Neela's new words... "Mason" (the baby at daycare), "Angie", "Eat", "All Done"...

Hope you're doing well!
Love, K&N

Fire Girls!

The Public Safety Board sponsors an annual Spaghetti Dinner & Fundraiser event each fall. Last year, Daddy received the Firefighter of the Year award at the banquet. This year, we just went to have fun! Of course, Mommy had to make sure we looked super cute for all the people who don't see us very much. We had fun in the bounce house (with the puppy on top!), the big "truck", and eating spaghetti.

Kylie in the Bounce House

Neela in the Bounce House

Driving the "Big Truck"

Eating Spaghetti - who needs silverware??

Neela was a social butterfly... she sat on Ms. Bonnie's lap..

and gave Pearce a lot of hugs! He usually hugged back :-)

Kylie's new words of the week... "Truck", "Big Truck", "Car" and "Zach-o" -- Zach is the oldest son of our daycare provider (Sandy). She's also working hard at saying "I love you." Neela's new words of the week... "Jesse" (Sandy's second son!), "Car", and imitating a lot of different words. She's slowly picking up to Kylie's talking habits!

Oh - and to top it all off - Kylie's in to BITING! ICK! Tonight, Mom was putting the salad dressing in the fridge - and Neela shreaked. I couldn't see teeth marks, but I thought that's what happened... when we got in the tub, we saw them... then, in the tub, while I was looking right at them - Kylie bit Neela's shoulder - and I didn't even see it!! I saw the teeth marks 5 minutes later... oh, the joys of Daddy traveling! Thank goodness for Aunt Angie!

Cyclone Football

It was our first trip to a Cyclone Game with mobile toddlers - and it was a challenge! Kylie came down with a cold on Friday, so debated going... and then went anyway. Cy stayed home with Aunt Angie, but that meant Becky was lonely in the RV! The girls tried lots of tailgating experiences - playing football, EATING, drinking beer!, EATING, tattoos, EATING... They tried a lot of food, but did not eat much. The hike into the game - and up to row 40 in the upper deck of the stadium gave Mom and Dad quite a workout! Daddy said he did his 30 minutes of cardio and strength training going BOTH ways - but going down was not as bad!!

Kylie gives Daddy high 5's after a Cyclone touchdown (learning from Mommy!)

Neela's picnic in the stadium

Kylie's picnic in the stadium

Mommy put tattoos on us - and we had fun trying to figure out what they were - and why we were all wearing them!

A family picture (without Cy) at the tailgate!

The game ended with a Cyclone victory - but we left at halftime! The long drive home - coupled with Kylie's cold (and now, Neela's cold) was a bit more than we wanted to postpone after seeing the Cyclones leading at the half!

Love, the Estochen's

Woodbury Days & Labor Day

It's been a busy two weeks (do you sense a theme??). Last weekend was Woodbury Days - Mom, Aunt Angie and Angie's friend, Julie, rode in the bike ride. Then, we went up to the park for dancing both nights - and fireworks on Saturday night. We hung out with our friend, Reardon, in the park... It almost looked like we had triplets for a few hours!!

Neela gives Reardon a kiss!

Neela walks Cy at the ball park

Cy's new necklace

Over Labor Day, Uncle Chuckie, Grandma and Papa E. came to visit. On Friday, Mom & Dad went on a boat cruise. On Saturday, we took our 18 month pictures and went to the park. On Sunday, we went to Stillwater.

Playing Ring-Around-The-Roise

Looking at the St. Croix River... we LOVED the water and the boats!

A family picture...

With Uncle Chuckie on the wall

Getting a ride from Grandma & PapaKylie peeks out at the park

On the Teeter Totter

Showing off our Pool & Slide

Dancing with Chuckie

So... what else are we doing? Kylie's new words are "Kylie", "Chuck", "Car" and "Poopie". She LOVES to repeat ANYTHING you say to her - and she's getting quite good at it! Neela's new words are... "Please," "Eat" and she loves to use baby sign for milk, more, and all done.

We are in LOVE with our baby dolls - we like to wrap them in blankets, push them in strollers, and say "Shhh.... Baby" (when we put the babies to sleep). Neela also was opening her duck's mouth and saying "AHHH" when she looked inside. When we were by the pool outside, we had to setup our chairs, put our towels on them, and fill cups from the pool with water to put in our cup holders... We also can be heard practicing our ABC's -- we don't get all the letters out, but we certainly know the melody!

We've been keeping Mom, Dad & Aunt Angie BUSY!

Love, K&N