Pumpkin Picking

It's October, so that means time to pick pumpkins, and we went to the same place as last year. This time Grandma went with, and it was colder than I remember it being last year. We actually had to bring blankets with us on the tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch. Embry found the perfect pumpkin and Matthew just enjoyed climbing over them. It eventually warmed up quite nicely and we had a great time feeding the goats at the petting zoo, and eating homemade custard.

I decided we would paint our pumpkins this year just to change things up. I think Embry appreciated that she could do hers all by herself, as opposed to just watching me carve it. Maybe next year I'll be comfortable with her helping with that.

Enjoy some pictures from the weekend!

End of October Update

Around the House: The last few weeks have been a bit rough around here. Embry was the first one to come down with a cold. Then, despite my best efforts to keep them apart, Matthew got it too. I was next, and J was just starting to show symptoms as Embry was starting feeling better. All of us are doing pretty well now, though. Matthew still has a bit of a cough, but he actually slept through the night last night, and he seems to be getting better everyday.


In the Kitchen: Seven straight nights closing means scrambled eggs and frozen lasagna for J and the kids this week. I plan to get back in my own kitchen more starting on Sunday.


New with Embry: Embry got to do the coolest thing at school yesterday. One of the parents from school is a glass artist, and every year he lets the kids participate in making their own Christmas ornaments. Embry got to choose the colors of and blow her own glass ornament. It was then etched with her name and the date. It is so beautiful, and I can't believe I forgot to bring my camera.

New with Matthew: I hope that Matthew's ornery behavior the last few days is due to him not feeling well, and not the terrible twos creeping in a little early. It seems like every time I turn around he is doing something I know he knows he's not supposed to. Like standing on the dining room chairs, drawing on the couch, or pouring out his glass of milk. Amusing at first, but frustrating after the fifth time. It's a good thing he's so cute.


The Weather Outside: Rain, rain, go away. The worst part about all the rain? Driving in it. I never realized how much time I actually spent in the car everyday, until this week.


I am Grateful For: Setting the clocks back on Saturday night!


I am Obsessed With: Just getting to Friday, this week.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Presenting the World Premier of the first song written and performed by Embry...

I know Mozart wrote his first symphony at age four, but this is a good start :)

**After several attempts, the first few seconds of this video keep getting cut off. It's the part where Embry says that she wrote the song all by herself, as you can see from the sheet music on the piano.**

Latest Project

Embry and I have been working on a project for a while, in the precious few minutes that I have to spend with her lately. We've been recreating the butterflies from Animal Crossing. I finally finished the last one and hung them from the ceiling above the ocean of fish (also from Animal Crossing) on our picture window in the front room of our house. I was going to tape them to the window above the "water" but Embry insisted that they fly.

What's funny is how Mattie reacted to the new decor. The first time he saw them he just stared for a while and then quickly left the room. Then, for the rest of the afternoon, he would not even walk by the front room without me holding him. And he would clench onto me so tight, keeping a close eye on them the whole time. He was totally scared of these butterflies. Finally, I was able to carry him close enough to touch them and he loosened up a little. Today, he will go into the room alone, but is still wary of their presence. It's so interesting what will freak kids out.

**By the way, for those of you familiar with Animal Crossing, we made a Monarch, an Agrias, a Birdwing, a Yellow, a Tiger, a Common, an Emperor, and a Raja Brooke. I think there is one type of butterfly that we did not capture this summer on the game, so I was not allowed to make that one.

Mommy Milestone

For the first time in 4 1/2 years there is no high chair in my kitchen. Matthew has been fighting with it for a while now, but we have only recently decided that he was big (careful) enough for a booster at the table. And he loves it.

I am both happy and sad. Happy because that extra square foot of space makes a huge difference in our small eat-in kitchen. Sad because I know that my baby is definitely not a baby anymore.

My Poor Children...

They're so bored (what with their lack of toys and attention) that this is the only thing they can find to do:

October Update

Around the House: A long awaited improvement for our house... a new TV. J finally picked out his birthday present and it arrived last week. I picked out the stand which is actually a low buffet (I hate those silver or black laquered TV stands) and it looks pretty good in our family room. Pros for having a new TV: watching Dancing with the Stars without lines across the screen, not having to worry that one of the kids will pull over the entertainment center and 75lb tv on top of themselves. Cons: worrying that of the kids will knock over (or throw something at or spill something on) the new tv and we'll be out 3 times the $ than the old one, and of course figuring the new remote.

Also, a pleasant surprise in the flower bed... the tiny mums that I bought 3 for $2 in the checkout at Home Depot last year came up and started to bloom last week. And they are huge; at least 24 inches across. That makes 2 things that I managed not to kill this summer!

In the Kitchen: Not too much going on since I've been working so much lately. I am, however, going to try a new recipe for New York Crumb Cake tomorrow for company. It looks so yummy, I can't wait.

New with Embry: Embry is getting along great at school. And she asks me everyday, "How many days until soccer?" She is doing better about actually eating her lunch and resting if she gets tired in the afternoon. She had an especially good time at school yesterday when a very lively thunderstorm rolled through town. Apparently, the teacher instructed the students to stop their work and come to the center of the room. They turned the lights off and closed their eyes and listened to the rain and thunder. Then they read a book about rain and discussed why the lightning comes before the thunder and so on. She was so excited to tell me all about it.

New with Matthew: Matthew has recently become pleasantly independent lately. I say "pleasantly" because he has always been independent in the way that he wants to do things for himself. But he is now actually able to do so many more things for himself, safely and without much help. For example, I can set his yogurt, milk (in an open cup) and crackers on his highchair tray and he will feed himself without spilling (too much) or choking from putting too much food in his mouth. I can now actually eat a meal while he is eating his. Also, he has become quite comfortable with walking himself to and from the car at home. This may not seem like a big deal, but to anyone who has tried to carry a toddler while unloading groceries, wrestling with a diaper bag and balancing a coffee all at once knows how freeing this is. He can be relied on not to fall up the stairs, or run into the street, and I don't have to make several trips in order to bring everything along. Baby steps, but they make a big difference in our everyday life.

I'm Grateful For: See above.

The Weather Outside: I finally had to turn on the heat this week. Wednesday morning the temp outside was 49 and the temp in the house was 55. I tried to warm up by putting a sweater on over my pj's and digging out my warm slippers from the back of the closet. But, I just couldn't get comfortable and I used Matthew's cold hands as my final excuse. I turned the switch on the central air to "heat" and left it on for about 30 minutes. Just enough time to take the chill out of the air. I was satisfied and the house was left smelling a little musty like it always does when you turn on the furnace for the first time.

I am Obsessed With: The new TV series "Glee." I think it's on Fox, I don't know for sure since I've only watched it on Hulu. It is hilarious. Somewhat campy (I think that's a word) with very dry humor and lots of "High School Musical" style singing and dancing (which I would normally despise). But the fact that no one takes it too seriously makes it so good.