Fall Fun

Here's Jackie at his second visit to the Pumpkin Patch. I'm guessing he doesn't remember much of his first visit, spent in the baby sling, asleep at just 6 weeks old. This year, the boy ran around, played in the dried corn, rode in the wagon, and sat among the pumpkins observing the bigger kids. Here are some photos to show the fun.







Here's a couple more photos-- first, of Jackie with Aunt Betty. Although he didn't want to be held by her, he loved on her a lot while she was here, even giving her like 10 kisses in a row when she left our house. I think she fell in love a little bit.


and here's my little one wrapped in a towel after his bath. I love that slippery worm!


and here's Jack with his big sis, playing babies together.

Buddying Up

Harper got a chance to visit with Aunt Betty recently as she was out here from New Mexico for a week. Harper loved Aunt Betty; they read books together, they sat together for meals, they chatted it up (Aunt Betty even offered to take her home to NM with her several times). Harper asked "if Aunt Betty was going to be there" when we'd go places for a few days after her visit.


Here are Harper and Jack at the Pumpkin Patch, living it up sibling style.




And here are my babies playing one of their favorite games-- babies.

Oh, boy!

This one is a quick shout out to our baby cousin in IL-- a little boy who is getting bigger everyday in his mama's belly. We can't wait to meet you in the Spring! Jackie is going to love having a little partner to do daring things together, like climb up on stools when you're only 13 months old, etc...

Mazel Tov, Aunt D and Uncle Marty. We love you, we're excited with you, we miss you!

Playing Around

Sadie jumped up on the highchair tray to give an eager hello one morning during breakfast. Harper's not so sure...


Harper loves the Manichewitz at the holidays. Happy New Year!


Daddy with a tortilla mask... Silly Old Papoose!


With buddies at the farm... Chloe and Miles.

Mostly September

Here's the family at the top of Dome Rock. Jack was glad to be tethered tightly to Mama up there, and I was glad to hold him securely on my hip, too!


Jack and Harper are becoming great buddies. The girl has always said that he's her best friend, but now that Jack is 100% mobile and talking more and more every day, they are playing more and more together. Here are a few photos documenting this deepening friendship.


(eating Dada's next-day Challah with butter, mmmmmm...)





Jack is a real family man. He's begun loving on baby dolls, giving them kisses, humming little lovey songs to the baby and rocking dollies, too. Here he is with Harper's famed "Haffie".


Although Harper's been the one up on the counter cooking with Daddy lately, Jack has absorbed some of the learning, too. Here he is whisking away.


Ever since Sue and MaryAnn's wedding a couple weeks ago, when Jack met his first horse (their "Class"), Jack loves to say "Neigh Neigh" to refer to horses. He's been so obsessed with horses that he began to call cows "neigh neigh"s, too. In an effort to correct his mislabel, we took a field trip with some buddies to the COS farm, where Jack met some real cows, sheep, pigs, a goat, and (to his delight) more horses. Here's the group: me and the kiddos, Chloe Clark, Cat and Jovie, and Erin and her boys. Grandma Arlene also came with us (she's taking the photo).


These shots show his joy. There was a bounce in his step, many smiles, signs, and animal sounds. He had a great time checking out the farm.



Jack loves being outside, and he really loved seeing the real, live animals that we've been reading about and mimicing in his board books. Here he is keeping up with the big boys.