Cookies and Fireworks

What should we do on this cold

Thanksgiving Eve?

Easy Bake Oven!

Who needs to bake them?

They are tasty like this!

Jack = pretzels

Wes = brownies

Me = whatever they will share

We topped off the day with a trip to

Christmas in the Sky!

Gotta love fireworks in the winter!

Happy Turkey Day Eve!

Special Friends Day

Every year at Highland Park,

we have a special day set aside for our

Special Friends to come visit.

Grandma J, Grandma Mike, and Grandma P

came today!

(I don't look it, but I was really excited)

We put on a special show for our guests

Songs are always better with gestures

and dance moves

Thanks for coming!

It made my whole month!

Day with Mom

Mom has to work tonight,

which makes it a Boys Night.

So today was a Girl and Boys Day.

We started with donuts

Then a trip to the library

Have you seen the new scanner?

Pretty cool.

Then we tried to go to the Parks & Rec

Turkey party,

but apparently it was cancelled.

No worries--

we headed to Xtreme Gymnastics instead!

B's thinking about getting in

Definitely worth the jump

He was a whiz at the baby obstacle course 

I ROCK at the big kid one!

Working that upper body strength

Whew!

Fill me up with Panera mac and cheese

and I'm ready for a nap!

But wait...there's one more...

We have some REALLY big news...

Yep, that would be one more Baby Reed.

Due April 23rd.

We had to even out our numbers, right?

Who wants to ride a roller coaster by themselves? 

So of course, 

your next question is "Boy or Girl???"

Because Mom is old (over 35),

this pregnancy she is considered "high risk"

and qualifies for all sorts of things--

like a new genetic test that can test for fetal DNA

in her blood.

We found out the baby has normal genetics

(or at least is normal for everything this test

can test for).

And we found out the gender.

But we can't just TELL you, right?

Don't you want to hear the story?

Mom and Dad debated finding out this time.  It's the last time around, so it could be fun to find out in the delivery room.  When they shared their plan with us, we thought that sounded CRAZY!  "I have to plan" said Jack.  (Not sure what he's planning for, but anyway...).  So Mom had her OB put the gender results in a letter and mailed it to us.  On 11/2, it arrived.  We had an awesome video of the whole event, but unfortunately when Dad got a new phone, it was lost.  Boo.  So here is how it went. Mom asked Wes if he wanted a boy or a girl.  He said girl because he is "done with boys" and didn't want to have to share with any more brothers.  Jack said he wanted a boy because he didn't want "lady toys" in his house.  So Wes opened the letter and passed it to Jack who sheepishly announced it is a...BOY!  Mom double checked and sure enough, the paper said "male."  Weston then fell to the floor and started crying.  After a few seconds he jumped up and started kicking Dad yelling "it isn't fair the food gets to choose."  After he calmed down a bit, Dad asked him what he meant.  According to Weston, if you eat steak, salmon, and hotdogs, you get a boy.  If you eat pink cupcakes, pink candy, and fruit, you get a girl.  Who knew?

In case there was any doubt,

in true Reed Baby Boy form,

#4 was not shy at flashing his boy parts in his ultrasound today...

Boys really DO rule in this house!

Can't wait to meet this one!

Party, anyone?

It's been over a year since 

the Lee's Summit friends got together.

Sounds like it's time for a party!

Who needs to wait for the guests to arrive

when you have brothers to hang out with?

Proud owners of a double-wide

Dad has been at the cabin for most of the week

gutting and refinishing our new place.

You didn't hear?

We are the proud owners of

a double-wide trailer!

We came down to help today.

We helped Mandy rake and burn leaves

They required some jumping first

Well, we were having fun

And of course,

we rode the 4-wheeler

(Beckett thought he was ready to drive)

There was a LOT of 4-wheel driving

Beck wanted a helmet too.

All the 4-wheeler drivers wear them.

We did do some work on the cabin

I was especially helpful

laying the floor

It's coming along,

slow but steady

With this view,

it will all be worth it in the end!

Walking with Dinos

Mom saw an ad for a dinosaur show.

We thought we'd check it out.

Did I mention that we scored seats in the 10th row...

Jack wasn't too sure about that.

Patiently waiting...

(Dad's back at the cabin...

poor Dad!) 

The show was AWESOME!

The dinosaurs looked so real.

There was Allosaurus

Stegosaurus 

Brachiosaurus

A close up...

Utahraptors

Torosaurus

And of course,

Tyrannosaurus Rex

She was our favorite.

At first, only her baby came out.

But after he was cornered by the torosaurus

and an ankylosaurus and he started bleating for help,

Mama T. Rex came barreling out.

It was AWESOME!!!

The whole show was really cool.

If you get a chance, definitely check out

Walking with Dinosaurs!

Breakfast helper

Let's make breakfast...

who wants muffins?

I'll help Jack pick out what he wants for his birthday

And wrap up with some eggs and pancakes shaped like bears

Who says 1 1/2 year olds can't be helpful?

Favorites from school

A few priceless papers from Jackson:

I think the person in the middle is suppose to be saying

"Ha!" and laughing at the crying person,

but "Ho" works.
I'd probably cry too if someone called me that!

And how about a perfect score
on his first spelling test?!??!

Pretty proud!

Hot date

Dad's out of town working on the cabin,

so with Mom single-parenting,

we talked her into dinner out...

at IHOP!

We were stoked.

Wouldn't YOU want to be our dates?

Turkeys making turkeys

Who's up for a Thanksgiving craft?

Beckett working hard

Jack looking sullen

(he's never quite happy with his product)

Glue, scissors, stickers...

I'm LOVING this!

They turned out pretty great

if you ask me!