Pumpkin Carving

I'm a lover of fall and Halloween. Tonight we carved our pumpkin that we will set on the front steps to beckon the trick-or-treaters Saturday night. This year, we decided to go with a Jack Skellington theme. I think he turned out pretty cute. Plus, Cooper was all about helping this year, which made it extra fun. (Sorry, the pictures are in reverse and I don't feel like switching them!)
Completed pumpkin after Cooper was in bed







Pajama and milk break!


Cooper helping with his own marker. (Dry erase wipes right off of pumpkins BTW.)



Whoa, this comes off!?!




Yes! I get to use a knife!



Happy Halloween!

Cold Weather, Tomato Soup and Cornbread Muffins

It's gotten quite chilly here (in the mornings, at least) and so I'm thinking about cooking and baking a lot. Cold weather makes me do that for some reason. Today, I made a Tomato Bisque and a batch of Jiffy Cornbread muffins. Yum. I've tried a few different cornbread recipes lately with a bunch of different soups I've made. Nothing compares to this 33 cent box of Jiffy Cornbread mix. Seriously. It's the perfect balance of savory and sweet and perfectly moist. Mmm.

This afternoon when we got home from a work meeting, you did the most adorable little grown-up move. After I put you down from carrying you in from the car, you started peeling off your jacket with both arms. Where did you learn that? It seems like everyday for the last couple of weeks, you are doing things like this all the time. I'm definitely seeing the little boy emerging from your baby-shell. I feel like I try to enjoy all of the precious time we have together, but I just feel like time is going too fast. How can we slow this ride down?

Can't wait til you wake up so we can eat cornbread together and play outside. Love you, little boogoola arugula.

A Day in Pictures

I love the days we have together that I don't have to go to work. Yesterday was so fun and so all about you. Thanks for being my buddy...

Turning Over a New Leaf

Today I was reminded how quickly a baby can change. I've been struggling with Cooper's, let's say, curiosity, over the last, um, 6 months. Seriously. He's one of those babies that people call busy, which we've figured out pretty much just means that he's into everything. Cooper is highly motivated by the possibility of getting his hands on anything that he might be able to take apart (destroy). Truthfully, I am grateful that he is so interested in exploring and learning. I don't want to squash his energy and interest. However, the neat-freak in me has been on high alert ever since he learned how to walk from here to there. Some days, I feel like I am just following him around the house, picking up mess after mess. Four forks and three baby spoons strewn on the kitchen and dining room floor. Twenty five clean diapers thrown about his room. A box of toys spilled on the living room floor. The contents of the bathroom shelf tossed artfully around the base of the toilet. You get the idea.

But, today I saw moments of a little boy who gained a little self-control. A baby morphed into a toddler who took his snack cup from his Momma, happily sat on the couch (his own choosing), and ate his Cheerios (feeding a few to Babs) as quiet as a mouse while I washed dishes. What? I kept checking on him because I couldn't believe that he was actually sitting still by himself. It was downright adorable seeing him in the living room, afternoon light pouring in the window behind him.

They change so fast. Every step is just that. A step. And today was one of those little reminders that he is an ever-changing boy. So, I'll try harder to not be so concerned about the messes he makes and to be more interested in helping him find his way. One mess (or ten) at a time. I love you little buddy.



Man, that was exhausting. Anyone need a seasonal dishtowel?

I feel so behind on blogging that I don't really know where to begin. So, forgive me if you're confused but I'm just going to start right where I am. I've been sitting here typing sentences and then deleting them. Enough of that...

Last weekend we had a great Sunday. Really, the best thing about it was just being together for the entire day but it was also packed with fun things we did. It's one of those days that I'll be thinking of when I need a little pick-me-up.

In the morning, we went on a walk around the neighborhood- Cooper, Babette, Dadda, Momma. The weather was just gorgeous- crisp and clear. After our walk, we headed out to one of my favorite places Stella, for a late morning brunch. The food was tasty and the baby was happy. You know what I'm sayin'! Eating out these days is a gamble and this time we won! :) Cooper was on his best behavior and since the weather was so beautiful we decided to head across the street and take a stroll in historic Oakland Cemetery. I am typically creeped out by any sort of cemetery activity but for some reason this one doesn't make me feel like running the other way. We walked around, read headstones and generally allowed Cooper to stomp on people's graves. Hey, I have no control over him. He particularly enjoyed running down this "hill" we found:


Thanks to my great baby-catching skills, no one ended up with a busted lip or skinned knees.




The rest of the day we spent driving up to the Blue Ridge Mountains to meet some of our family for apple picking at a local farm. It was pretty fun. Cooper LOVED the tractor pulled wagon ride. He could hardly concentrate on apple picking for trying to get himself back to that tractor. But, he managed...
Grandpa with the assist



Sunny face



Adorable niece with her apple



Oh, they're my favorites...


Finally, back on the wagon. Ha.


Of course I had to make Apple Crisp during naptime on Monday. Yummy stuff with all those fresh apples. An ode to a wonderful day...


And today brought a fun treat from Granny and Pop:


Best find ever at a garage sale! Cooper is in love...with a tricycle on which he can't reach the pedals. Soon enough, my little man.

Hair

He's finally growing some...