Halloween is almost here

I am one of those moms/aunts that likes to get the boys matching jammies and clothes...it is too cute not to. Realizing this only lasts for a short time until they insist on being different from each other, for now they LOVE nothing more than having matching outfits! This week I gave them all new Halloween pjs and tried to get them to sit still for one minute for a photo shoot before we went downstairs to Nana's for popcorn and a movie. We were going to watch Alvin and Chipmunks Halloween dvd but Colton took the dvd out of the case that night and it is still missing to this day...so we ended up settling for Dora's Halloween, not quite as entertaining for us adults but the kids still enjoyed it and getting them to snuggle with me on the couch was all it was really about anyways!!!

Brayden's Christening

This Sunday we had a nice family day celebrating Brayden's christening. Corey is the godfather and Siobhan is the godmother. The boys were all dressed up for the occasion, Brayden resembled a sailor/pillsbury dough-baby...he was the cutest up at that alter by far. There was a nice party afterwards at the Commonwealth where Riley and Colton played pool with the uncles and played the song "Ghostbusters" at least 20 times at the jukebox and "Thriller" maybe 10 times. Colton brings his little jack o'lantern basket everywhere filled with cars and he did try to smuggle a few pool balls. He was eventually caught red handed and forced to return them to their proper home. Overall I think the kids were a good "birth control" for the uncles, our kids can be a handful. We finally got to meet Corey's new girlfriend, Kerry, she is very cute and Riley clearly has a crush...he is very into girls at such a young age (lock up your daughters)! My favorite part of the day was when Nicole and Nana showed up in matching outfits without knowing it. That's what happens when you let Judy buy all your clothes. The lesson learned today was that you should never go to a party without checking what your 80 something year old grandma will be wearing! It was confirmed though, Nicole was NOT wearing elastic waist pants...this also meant she had to watch how much she ate and drank though. OK enough ripping on Nicole, the pictures say enough. God Bless ya Brayden!!!

Brayden's Godparents

Uncle Corey and Brayden

Okay here Colton is checking out the pool ball scene...looks like trouble...

...and he is off...someone stop that kid...he has the 8-ball!!!

Uncle Paul giving Riley some lessons.

Riley refuses to make a normal face for any picture...
this will come back to haunt him someday when he is older...blackmail!

Sisters - I don't think we look alike but somehow everyone else does.

This is Kerry...now I understand why Corey stays in Plymouth so much. :)

Alicia and Wally...I think this is where Riley gets the camera faces from.
Thanks Banger.

Riley and Niamh praying in church...Riley is looking dapper.

Saving the best for last...hey at least Nicole knows just what she will look like...
in another 60 years.

Busy weekends

This weekend we were pretty busy visiting with new and old friends. Friday was typical, I had all the boys over for a sleep over. Heidi does an over night at Cardinal Cushing on Fridays so Brayden and Riley sleep at our house. Saturday my cousin Tiffani came over with her two kids for a play date with Colton and the entourage. Her oldest, Madison is 16 months and just the cutest little thing...she made me want a girl soo bad, then her youngest, Jordan is only 6 weeks old and absolutely adorable, didn't make a peep all afternoon...that too makes you want another one (in case you are wondering my Colton is it for me, he is just enough perfection one girl can handle). Saturday night Colton and I went to Donna and Chris's in the North End to see my friend Colleen from Portland, OR visiting for the weekend with her newborn daughter Francie. Francie and Colton hit it off...he kept asking to kiss the baby...I think he liked the fact that she likes the Red Sox too. :) Sunday we went to a post race party for Pam, she ran a half marathon...woo hoo...anyone who can run that long deserves a party. Monday we hit the circus. It was quite a boy outing, Richard, Colton, Anthony, Will, Brady and Dominic (Beth and her sister's boys) came with us. This was a great circus, they had tigers, elephants, clowns, even the human cannonball.

Colton and Madison...she is really cute and tough...hung in there like one of the boys!

Baby Francie and the boys...cutest little Red Sox fans I know!

Not so easy to get all the boys to sit still and take a picture.
(Colton, Richard, Dominic, Anthony, Brady, William)

OK - I found the clowns!!!

Apple Picking

A typical fall day in New England...the weather is gorgeous and the orchards are packed. This past weekend we went apple picking at Honey Pot Hill in Stow. Colton ate every apple he picked, the grand total was 5 in the one hour we spent actually picking. Pam, Manami and Jill joined us on the excursion. It was so much fun and even more fun looking for good apple recipes to bake!

Climbing the apple tree...he likes to climb so this was a piece of cake.

Eating the apple before he even gets out of the tree...one down four to go.

Sharing an apple with Daddy.

Other than eating the apples...
Colton's job was to remove any stuck apples from our wheels!

The girls filling up their bags.

Perfect ending with a hayride...time for apple pie!

Just another Monday in the North End

Every Monday Colton goes into the city with Heidi and Brayden to watch Richard. It is all boys...all the time, I don' t know how my sister handles it so well. The part that I really can't fathom is that she usually takes the boys out to the park to run around and play and Donna and Chris live on the third floor! Imagine getting them all up and down those stairs, to the park and have them listen to you?! The boys love her...she must be some kind of Saint. Colton and Richard are total buds and look forward to playing cards, baseball and even playing with a fake pizza set (I mean it is the North End)!

Rock Stars

Everyone should get their autographs now before the O'Connell boys hit it big. I mean with Riley on the drums and Brayden on the keys it is just a matter of time before they are discovered. Who doesn't think that Brayden's skull bandanna is real tough? His Harley is parked out in the back yard. :)