The Zhao Family

It's almost that time of the year again and for our FHE, we did pumpkin carving and it was fun.


While I was cleaning up and putting things away to setup the table and Abbey cooking dinner, Clayton wondered off by himself under the dining table and found a box of Cheerios. And knowing it is Cheerios and can't wait for dinner, Viola!! instant dinner. So instead of cleaning him up first, why not grab the camera! Very nice. Good job Clayton.


This year, we had a special guest with us-Adam. I consider him Chinese but he may not look too Chinese to you.


This is newest addition to our extended family: Ethan. He's about two months old and already enjoying pumpkin carving with us.



Last year Brennan didn't mind digging into the pumpkin at all but this year, he's learning too much and knows who to ask to dig the pumpkin instead of getting his hands dirty.


Poor Clayton, look at the tear in his eye..and mamma didn't even let him put the top on. :'(



Ok Ok, mamma made it up and let Clayton play with the insides of the pumpkin too.




If any of you need a food tester, we got you a man: Clayton. He pretty much puts everything in his mouth. I think he's extremely smart for his age b/c during dinner and he sits on his chair, he would occasionally throw food on the floor and knowing that mamma can't clean everything up, he crawls around the house and clean up the leftovers. I know I know we have a human vacuum cleaner and he's 100% efficient.


And he will use silverware too if provided to taste the food.


Brennan on the other hand wants nothing to do with the wet, slimy insides of the pumpkin. I think this shot expresses well of this thoughts about putting his hands inside the pumpkin.



Watch out!! Dr. Brennan Zhao is coming soon!! The concentration on this boy, he can probably be a surgeon when he grows up. Just watch the knife.




To end it all, our theme was the pumpkin being scared. Boo!

Today I came across this headline from msn.com about the bumbo seat. Crazy news, so if you have one of those, take some action ASAP.

Headline from MSN:
"Million baby seats recalled due to head injuries"

Headline from Consumer Product Safety Commission:
“Serious Head Injuries Prompt Recall of Bumbo Baby Sitter Seats - New Warnings and Instructions to Be Provided To Consumers”

This post is appropriated named in respect to Clayton. I think I am speaking pretty much for all the second child and forth in the each family. I know each family tries hard to make things fair, but when it comes to taking pictures....i believe the ratio goes like this: 100% for first child; second child is 50% of the amount taken compared with the first child; then half of the 50% for the third child; then 50% of the third child and so forth. (Example: 1st child gets 1,000 pictures, 2nd child- 500, 3rd child-250, 4th-125 and so forth.) Even I am noticing the trend as I try very hard to take as many photos of them as equally as I can; it's just hard because we don't want to take the same photos of what Brennan did so we have to be more creative with Clayton and on the othe hand Brennan continually do new things. But we will keep trying and trying and trying. Notice how even this paragraph tapers off from the full details of the first child to half the description to "so forth".

In this post we only have three photos of Clayton compared to having 10 photos of Brennan. No worries I will make it up soon.


Clayton, for some reason, just absolutely loves cars. He can play with them all day long by himself.


This is a pretty cool thing at the playground that Clayton likes to grab on to and bounce around.



In the meanwhile Brennan goes to feed the ducks. It was a little dangerous as you can see there is missing a piece of wood. I had to yell at Brennan to kneel down so he won't fall in the water to feed the ducks.



We got lots of ducks coming from three pieces of bread and Brennan carefully rip tiny pieces to feed the ducks.

Abbey going crazy (she might be on drugs) and I think she's having more fun than Brennan. I think Brennan was a little dizzy after how mom worked him like a spaghetti. (The video does not have sound)

Autumn is coming and the weather is cooling down very fast so it was the perfect weather to go outside. This week we received a use bicycle from our cousin. At first Brennan had trouble balancing and moving his legs opposite to push the pedal and the brake. It took him only a couple hours and he's off!!

This is a fairly normal week for us. It maybe exemplified in some places.


Wake up in the morning and everyone is awake but no one wants to get up. Brennan runs over to our bed with his ducky and pillow and then I grab Clayton from his crib with his pillow so he isn't alone. And of course, mama is all rolled up in her comforter.






I get off work and you see what happens, I don't even get to walk in the house and the boys are handed to me. But life is great to see the both of them welcome me home and excited to play with me.


At some night, we have guests coming over for dinner and we just have a blast with the guest. The boys seem happy with everyone over and enjoy their company.


Here Clayton is learning to stand for the first time. He pushes himself up and falls right back on his butt. He enjoys it very happily and progressively improves upon each succession.


And when there's the ladies around, he knows how to show them to a good time.


A real gentleman giving a tour for Amelie of our living room.


On the other hand, Brennan don't really have girls his age that visits our house, so he gets a little more rough and play with the adults and as you can see, there's are other ways to stir fry food.


Or jumping off the sofa does a good way to have fun too.


At night after the guests leave, its bed time. The cute little boys are in their pajamas and get ready for their bedtime. After story reading, its time to brush their teeth and go to bed.


However, sometimes its harder to put the boys to sleep than other nights, especially when the both of them are still excited.


Clayton's four little teeth. Fourteen months and still four teeth but yet this boy eats a lot with those four choppers.












Sometimes brushing teeth time end up being play time. Clayton just loves Brennan's twin bed. He'll climb on his bed, smother his face on Brennan's pillow and keep rolling around his bed. On the other hand Brennan at times enjoy Clayton's company. when they have enough fun, we try to separate them and so they can calm down and go to sleep but then at times, its a great time for them both to bond and get acquainted with each other and since there is a camera handy why not take some history.