Making Pancakes with Daddy

Let's hope she gets Chris's cooking skills and not mine.  

Follow the Yellow Brick Road!

Scarlett and Max went trick or treating up at Chris's law firm this afternoon.  Can you guess our theme for Halloween this year?  Introducing ...

Dorothy!

And the Lion!

"Real Toto" (aka Winnie, playing the part of Toto) was inside taking a nap, so "Pretend Toto" (a stuffed dachshund that looks remarkably like a miniature Winnie) stood in as a body double.  You're welcome, Winnie.

Also not making an appearance today:  the Wicked Witch of the West (played by yours truly) and the Tin Man (played by Chris, whose lack of enthusiasm for Halloween costumes is rivaled only by Winnie's, although they both humor me/suffer through it).  Along with Real Toto, we will all hopefully be photographed in costume with Dorothy and the Lion before we head out for trick or treating on Halloween.

Pumpkins (and a Bus Ride!) with Papa Tig

Last Friday while Papa Tig was in town we joined what seemed like every baby, toddler, Mom of a baby or toddler, and person over the age of 65 in the city of Dallas at the Arboretum.  Lucky for us, we covered every demographic, or they might not have let us in.  I naively figured it wouldn't be too crazy because it was a weekday, but boy was I wrong.  I think the combination of beautiful weather, Halloween just around the corner, and what had to be senior discount day led to a massive crowd that required parking over a mile away and being bussed over to the Arboretum.  We almost abandoned the whole plan when we saw the huge line for the bus, but it moved quickly and everything ended up working out just fine.  The funny thing is, getting to RIDE! ON! A! BUS! for the very first time was the highlight of Scarlett's day.  (Maybe next year we can skip the Arboretum altogether and just ride around on a DART bus wearing pumpkin shirts for an hour or so.  The pictures might not be as cute, but we'll save money on the price of admission.)

Kessler Pumpkin Patch

On the first cool (actually, make that straight up COLD) fall day of the year we headed down the street to the annual Kessler Pumpkin Patch on the grounds of the Kessler Park United Methodist Church, which also happens to be where Scarlett goes to Parents' Day Out three days a week.

Max was having a bit of a rough day, thanks in large part to a fresh black eye from dropping a full water bottle on his face.  But things started looking up when his girlfriend Blythe stopped by.  I'm sure she thought the black eye made him look tough.  Or accident prone.  Either way, I think she was impressed.  

"Why hello there, Blythe.  What's a beautiful baby like you doing in a pumpkin patch like this?"

Max makes the classic "yawn/arm stretch" move in an effort to get his arm around Blythe.  You're smooth, Max.  You're smooth.

Scarlett sitting on a pumpkin.

Group shot with Scarlett, Max, Boyd, and Blythe.

Checking out the critters at the petting zoo.  I called this guy a pony and Scarlett sternly corrected me -- apparently, he was a "baby horse" and there's a big, big difference.  Especially if you're two years old.

Max pets a bunny.

Staring contest with the alpaca.  Scarlett won.

Max is Ten Months Old! (September 17, 2012)

Yikes, I'm way behind on this -- Max will be eleven months old tomorrow, so I figured I should finally get the ten month post up!

Max is still on the move all the time (which made this photo session challenging).  He loves to "mess with things" (as Scarlett says), including the fireplace screen, drawers, cabinets, remote controls, Scarlett's toy stroller, and generally anything that you don't want him to mess with.  He can stand up without pulling up or holding onto anything.

When he doesn't want to do something, he lets you know it, usually by arching his back and trying to fling himself in the opposite direction.  This is especially difficult when you're trying to get him in his carseat or up the stairs.  He's a climber -- he made it all the way up the stairs last week (with me right on his tail, of course).  Still no efforts to walk, although he has done a bit of cruising while holding onto furniture (but not much).  He's becoming more and more vocal.  He "talks" all the time and screeches loudly to express both excitement and displeasure.  He clapped for the first time this past weekend when he saw Scarlett clapping (at my golf swing, no less -- at least someone thinks I have skills), and he's waved a few times here and there.

My sweet boy is still my biggest fan.  He gets a huge smile when he sees me.  If I've been gone for awhile, when he sees me again he often whips himself into a frenzy while deciding whether to cry or laugh and flails his arms and squawks like a little chicken until I pick him up.

Max continues to find Scarlett hilarious.  Sometimes he'll bust out laughing just because she gave him a look.  And poor Winnie's harassment continues as well.  Max has gotten several successful (well, not for Winnie) tail grabs and ear squeezes lately, forcing Winnie to basically sleep with one eye open.

Here he is ... ten month-old Max!

Smiling at Mommy.

Surveying the backyard.

On the move.

Trying to climb up a big rock.

Checking out a much smaller rock.

Waving at Winnie while she hunts frogs in the monkey grass.

A few gratuitous shots of sweet, mistreated Winnie, who turned eleven in September.  (By the way, that's not your toy, Winnie.  But given the daily harassment you have to suffer through, I'm going to let it slide.  When Scarlett saw this picture (she was at school when I took it), she said, "HEY!  Winnie has my horse!"  I know, Scarlett ... everybody keeps messing with your stuff.)

Until We Sea Island You Again! (Part 3)

We spent our last day at Sea Island enjoying some quality beach time.  Shortly after this photo was taken, I somehow managed to do a full-on backwards roll off of my beach chair into the sand, a feat of athleticism that I haven't even intentionally attempted since 1986.  It was bad enough that it happened at all, but it was made even worse by the fact that there were lots of witnesses, including our waiter who was squatting right next to my chair taking our lunch order at the moment of impact.  He did say it was the most amazing thing he'd seen all week, so I'll take that as a compliment.  And I hadn't even finished my first pina colada, so there's no excuse, really.  The good news -- I didn't spill my drink.

Scarlett and BB working hard on sandcastle #2.

Me and handsome Max.

Ok, I get it, Max.  You don't like hats.  Yet.  (I'm not giving up, kid.  Sorry.)

Busy girl.

Getting a little help from Mommy.

Showing off her masterpiece.  Note the seashell pathway, the twig bridge, and the moat.  They're hard to make out, but there's also a cherry stem flag and a feather flag.  Great job, BB and Scarlett!  A few minutes later, the tide started to come in and filled up the moat.  Cool, right?  And then a few minutes after that, the tide came in even more and started to erode the castle.  Cool, right?  Oh, wait -- Scarlett's two.  NOT COOL.  Disaster!  "OH NOooOoooOOoo! The water is getting my sandcaaaaassstlllleee!"

Another sandcastle in progress.  It's got nuthin' on BB and Scarlett's castle.

 View of the Beach Club from the beach.  The pools are just to the right of this photo.

Time to move on to the pool!

Scarlett had lots of fun playing with the lion fountains.

And Max had lots of fun splashing in the shallow water.

This particular pool had a "zero entry" (I think that's what it's called) where you walk right in rather than step down into it and then it very gradually becomes deeper, creating a huge shallow space for toddlers to play.

Here's a shot of the outside of our gorgeous house.

Max had the right idea and crashed after our big day at the beach and pool.

Scarlett keeps asking to look at the pictures from our trip and when we can go to the beach again.  I'm with you, Sister -- can't wait to go back!