No I haven’t fallen in [another] hole.  I seem to be getting myself in trouble with that lately.  This morning I went to have a prescription filled.  The drug store did not have the second item I was looking for, so I thought I would drop by my sister inlaw’s to pick up Caleb’s jacket we left last night and then run to Kmart.  I sat down for “just a minute” to do some gossipping and ended up staying over an hour.  Of course the husband started wondering what in the world had happened.  Oops.

I don’t have any story of where I’ve been the last several days, other than just unmotivated to write.  I hate going through spells like that.  We’re still experiencing a lot of uncertainty with Scott’s job and it puts quite the damper on things.  Anyway…

Caleb found this bug outside crawling on the railing and named him the “Halloween Bug.”  He really does look like he has a face on his back.  I never could figure out what he is called.  We did determine that he can fly.  A few seconds after this picture, he sort of raised his head up, wiggled back and forth like he might jump, and then launched into the air.  Being right up in his face looking through a camera lens not knowing he could fly, this came as quite a surprise.

Last night we headed over to the park, conveniently located right next door to my sister & mother inlaw’s.  We met a friend there and ended up ordering pizza and having a picnic at the park, including the next door neighbor’s little girl who happened to be playing, accompanied by her babysitter.

Taylor was at Caleb’s 2nd birthday party.  She sure is a cutie!

Laughing at Daddy kicking the ball way up in the air

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About a week ago, we got a can of Dust Off to clean the inside of our computer out.  Of course I had to back up all of the pictures on the external hard drives first.  Yes I did say hard drives, plural, because I ran out of space on the first one.  The problem is, I have taken 16GB of pictures since then.  My current camera is only 8MP, the next camera I want is 21MP.  You can see where this could become a very big issue very fast.  I need to back everything up on disks, but it is one of those projects towering in front of me that I just try to ignore and go find something else to do.  Like take pictures.

Just before he made a wish and spit on it blew on it

Nothing is cuter, and more peaceful (and quiet!) than a sleeping child

Wearing a Build-A-Bear scarf

This little girl at the park last night was so friendly and cute!  She wanted to hug.  A lot!  She kept calling Caleb “Bah-BE” (she was just starting to talk) and he’d say, “No I’m a big boy, I know how to use the potty!”

There is something about climbing UP a slide, then coming back down on your belly that just makes it more fun.

The little girl’s mom kept putting her hands out as Caleb climbed up the spiral slide, it was making her so nervous.  I am over protective, I admit it freely, but I was sitting off to the side giggling to myself about what that mom has in store.  I know boys are more rough and tumble, but I bet her little one will run up a slide a time or two in a few years.

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I have this obsession with big comfy hooded sweatshirts.  Shhhh.  Don’t tell Clinton and Stacy.  Actually on second though, maybe you should.  Anyway, I laughed out loud when I saw this shirt, I absolutely love it!

I love it too, where can I get it?
Proceed with caution, I have spent the better part of my day reading all the archived cartoons!  But no worries, because I’ve saved my favorites, and I’ll probably be posting several of them.

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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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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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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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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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