Jeans and jackets yesterday, shorts and t-shirts tomorrow.  We have a lot of leaves coming down, and some colors just beginning to burst.  If you really want to see an amazing tree (not to mention one cute kid and creative mom!), head over to my friend Julie’s blog post for today.

A highlight of the week, the trash trucks.  And yes I did say trucks, plural.  All eight of them.  Or so it seems.  For gas to be $4/gallon, I would have never thought a small city town such as this could afford to have all these different trash trucks roaming around every week.  First we have the trash truck that picks the big rolling bin with a claw on the side of his truck.  If he drops a bag of trash in this process, lucky you, because he sure ain’t getting out to pick it up.  Then there’s the truck that picks up any extra rubbermaid style personal trash cans you may drag out there.  I have seen at least two or three different yard debris trucks.  I’m sure there is another recycle truck that comes around if you pay for that service.  I suppose I’m a country girl.  You just drag your yard stuff to the edge of the woods, Christmas tree included!

This is the non rolling trash bin truck with ride along guys who don’t ‘accidentally’ drop bags.  They picked up some things next door as Caleb watched (we are usually standing at the door inside), then he honked the horn at us (which sounds like a tractor trailer/fog horn).  Caleb just about jumped out of his skin.

The saddest picture you ever did see

But grinning from ear to ear two seconds later…

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This is a completely unaltered picture (I promise!) of the color of our sky this morning.  It absolutely amazing outside!!  It was 40 when I woke up this morning!!!!!!!!  I am so excited!  I love it.  The leaves are raining down whenever the wind blows.  It is just beautiful.

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Gee. Something about this looks familiar.

Concentrating, because he is still under the impression that maybe the -decorate one, eat it, decorate another, eat it- approach might work with me.

Quite literally, begging for cookies (sorry so close, I snapped it quick when he clasped his little hands together)

Oops, got a wee bit of icing on the sprinkles

That’s okay, problem solved

What is it that makes me think, if I give him a big dish of “paint” with a brush, he might not lick the brush?

My two masterpieces. I ate them. Both.

Oh how I wish this was in focus…that’s okay, still funny. Appropriately, his shirt says “Will scare for candy”

Get. this. done. Must. eat. cookies.

This is about the time I said “You’re getting a bath.” Or maybe it was just after this when he squirted icing all down inside his sleeve. I forget.

I have no festive pretty results like yesterday (as I think most of that was on his face), but it was fun none the less. Can’t wait for next year! <insert sarcasm here>

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The real reason that Caleb wants to be a doggy for Halloween.  More specifically a dalmatian. (Click below)

Halloween Mystery Solved

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First off, go look at last year’s post here.  Okay, back?  Good.  Let me tell you what I learned last year.

Last year…

I made sugar cookies (from scratch).  I made icing (from scratch).  I added food coloring drops.  The cookies in the last picture?  Yeah that was the whole batch.  Grand total.  I spent ALL DAY LONG in the kitchen.

This year…

I wandered over to the -food in a tube- section at Walmart and picked up a huge tub of Toll House sugar cookie dough.  I then proceeded to the -I’m too lazy to even make the icing- section and got some white icing.  At some point in the last year, I discovered the wonder that is Wilton Food Coloring gels over the in the craft section at Walmart.  I now have a rainbow of colors (you will get much more vividly colored icing with these).  I was stamping out cookies in no time.  It was like a cookie making factory over here yesterday.  Crazy I tell you.  But easy.

Yes I heart made from scratch too, but it was just too much last year.  Apparently sugar cookies are not my forte. So there, my secret is out.  This plate full was taken to my mother inlaw and sister inlaw last night and I blabbed my secret there too because they just kept complimenting them and I thought, “Oh they’re just being nice, they’re not that good.”  But I grabbed a few, and in all honesty, they are pretty tasty.  Even with fake icing!

The calm before the storm arrived:

An inspiration board so to speak

He decorated one, then promptly picked it up and ate it.  He would have done the same with the next twelve without strict supervision.

We had a curious onlooker (through the smudgy glass)

Trying to use all five colors at once

Quality check

“SQUISH”

Would you like some cookie with that?

Finally, she’s letting me eat one now that we’re done decorating!

And what grandmother wouldn’t be delighted?  Especially with that big one on the right.  It used to be a pumpkin.

Cookies, decorating station, cookies
bigger version here

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Step 1: Start with a nicely decorated fall cookie.

Step 2: ADD YELLOW ICING

Step 3: Add a little orange

Step 4: Add a touch of green, then brown

Step 5: Top with ONE sprinkle

Step 6: Add a few additional sprinkles if you’d like

Step 7: If you still believe this is not enough, use your judgement

Step 8: Pat flat

Ta-da!

As always, more pictures to follow…

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Rewind.

Saturday, April 2, 2005 - We are all packed up to leave the hospital.  Three bouquets of flowers, one stuffed dog, one balloon and a partridge and a pear tree.  Oh yeah, and a new baby.  We came as two, we left as three.  It is one of the most surreal moments of your life.  We introduced Caleb to his new carseat, and he expressed, very loudly I might add, that he was not pleased.  My best friend was standing there holding two flower vases and the nurse asked the question.  “Do you want a pacifier?”

Since I knew everything already, because I had read What to Expect When Expecting and the first several chapters of What to Expect the First Year, I declined the paci, citing my reasons straight out of my readings like a preprogrammed response.  “No thanks, I don’t want to cause any confusion with breastfeeding, I’m sure he’ll use his fingers to suck on if he needs something.”

My friend piped up, I can still hear her say it.  “MIGHT I suggest the paci?!  Because you can take it away.”  Whereas a thumb you cannot take away.

“Good point,” I said, and with that, it began.  The nurse handed me this big goofy looking clear, one piece rubbery pacifier.  We plugged it in and our ears thanked us.  Off we went to start our life as parents.

Exhibit A - 4.18.2005 1:09pm
(Note: Gotta say it, chest clip should be at his armpits, as it is a precrash positioning device for the harness straps and is designed to break open in a crash.  In other words, MRS. SPEARS, it will not hold your child in his seat!!!)

Exhibit B - 4.18.05 1:10pm

Fastforward.

Sunday, September 28, 2008 - Caleb’s lips have been extremely chapped the last couple weeks.  I don’t know if it is the weather flip-flopping around.  I thought it was the new toothpaste I had bought, so I bought something else, but it didn’t seem to solve the problem.  I’ve been careful to limit things that might have salt on them (like some crackers or chips that have salty dust on them) because it seems to irritate his lips even more.  The Burt’s Bees chapstick works, but he doesn’t like it anymore because it feels tingly and stings a little bit if you lips are very chapped.  So I’ve been using regular old Chapstick, which I’m not a fan of.  Bad grammar, anyway.  I noticed his paci seemed to escalate the problem also, as some nights I think he hangs on to it all night long.  He has depended on it to go to sleep every night of his life between April 2, 2005 and now.  I asked him if he was ready to be a big boy and throw away his pacis.  He was very adverse to throwing them away.  Want to know why?  Because someone else could use them!  There might be a baby somewhere that didn’t have one, and he wanted to give his old ones to the baby.  (He cited baby Levi several times, the newest July addition to our family that we met last month.)  That is going to be a blessed baby.

So for the first time in three and a half years, we are officially no longer using a paci.  To me, it seems almost more significant that potty training.  It was basically the one last tie to babyhood.  And I didn’t mind it.  He has only used it at naptime and night time for over a year and a half now.  I keep feeling like I’m forgetting something when I go to put him down.  I am proud to say, he has done excellent with the transition, given the history.  Just last week, he had a breakdown one morning because he couldn’t find it in his bed and we weren’t getting there to help fast enough.  I had to fight him down for a nap on Sunday, but he eventually went to sleep after an hour.  Sunday night, I layed in bed with him.  At naptime yesterday, there was no mention of it.  And last night, he only asked one time.  Now he has no excuse left not to talk my ear off though.  At night, even more so than during the day, believe it or not, he turns into what I like to call “Chatty Caleb.”

“Mommy?”

“Huh?”

“Can I tell you just one more thing?”

“You already told me one more thing.”

“Oh.  <pause> Well can I tell you just one more thing?  Again.”

“What is it Caleb?”

<insert completely random out of the blue fact here, usually something related to cars or monster trucks>

“Oookay bud, it is time to lay down and be very still and very quiet and close your eyes okay?”

*thump on pillow* Siiiiiigh.

37 seconds pass…

“Moooom?”

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Forget those other guys, just vote for me!  I believe in ice cream for dinner, naps daily and stomping my feet when I don’t get my way!

Our one last baby is growing up.  If you remember, our mommy cat had six, ugh, yes, six kittens shortly after we moved.  One passed away from unknown causes.  We gave two away and were in the process of finding homes for the remaining three when they just disappeared at random.  We searched all around the surrounding yards to the extent we could without having the police called or something.  Since the houses on either side of us are empty, we were able to search fairly well.  Turned up nothing.  About a week passed and Scott was on his way home about three blocks over when something caught his eye darting up a driveway.  He tried to get a better look but the kitten backed away.  He came home and got us and we went back the house.  It was nearly dark, and hopefully we didn’t frighten the little old elderly lady that lived there, but that kitten was just-a-screaming.  If you’ve heard a terrified cat, you might know what I’m talking about, if not, well, screaming is an accurate description.  Scott was getting back in the car, but I persisted in trying to coax the kitten out from the bush it was hiding under.  I could tell he kept ducking in and out because something was familiar about my voice or scent.  After several minutes, he came out, and I was able to get him.  He continued to freak out, but immediately ran to his Mommy when we returned home.  She accepted him without question, so it was indeed one of hers.  (She then let him nurse until just a few weeks ago, probably the human equivalent of going to first grade.)  Our little guy is now closing in on his  mom’s size, and very fascinated with my camera.  He kept turning his head upside down and looking at it.  He is about 75% conceding to being picked up now,  just purred for the first time a few days ago, last effects of all his trauma I suppose.

I don’t know which is the funnier shirt, this one or the one from a couple weeks ago.
“holding out for chocolate milk”

Walking his little pull toy dog, which has many miles on it.

Proof, children will find something to do no matter what the circumstances.  He played in this puddle for over an hour until I said it was time for lunch.

I had fun developing these and trying to figure out how best to crop them.  These last three are all the same picture.

This one just leaves you wondering.  It was rotated and reflected it (yes I reflected the reflection!) so that the letters on his shirt read correctly.  But if you think about it, the point of view in the picture, he would be blocking the shot through a camera by standing between the camera and the puddle.  So really this shot is impossible ;)  I think it just adds a bit of mystery to the picture.

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Today I was looking back at old photos I took when we went to the mountains in October of 2004.  I was about four months pregnant with Caleb.  I’m terribly sorry if I puked in your driveway on that trip.  Now that we have that out of the way…. It was amazing to me how young I looked.  Well rested.  And naive.  I wasn’t worried about things like the price of diapers going up or the condition of the school system going down.  I didn’t think about being unspeakably tired or being spit up on.  Of course I was excited, but for the most part, I was just floating along waiting to get more and more plump until baby came.  Life was infinitely…simple.  If you had even tried to put into words then, the the emotions of overpowering and all encompassing love I would feel, I could have never understood.  Even as I flipped back through the pictures, and I know I have grown as a photographer in those years, but the pictures just looked…empty.  There was no story being told, no emotion being conveyed, they were just snapshots of the trees, the road, the clouds.  Lifeless pictures (I added what I could with a little editing today, something I knew nothing about back then).  It is amazing how much color a child brings to an otherwise black and white world.

If there was one picture out of the hundreds I took on that trip that did tell a story, it would be this one.  It is good to be able to look back and laugh, but that trip got off to a rough start.  We left late one night after Scott got off working the second shift.  Let’s just say, some essential camping provision was left behind by a party who shall remain unnamed.  We had been planning to camp the first night, drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway and stay at a bed and breakfast type inn the second night.  When we awoke that first morning (it rained all night long) we were engulfed in a fog that makes the movie The Fog look like a clear day.  We spent most of the day driving about 15-25mph praying that anyone else venturing out would be taking the same precautions.  I still to this day have never seen anything like that.

This gives you an idea of how far in front of us we could see.

This elevation was obviously in the peak of color change

The next day, we went to Chimney Rock Park, and the weather was absolutely spectacular, we could see for miles.

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I left a hint by selectively cropping these pictures as to where he is sitting.  Can’t be showin’ baby buns on the world wide web!

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