pumpkin patch 2013

Last year we went to Sweet Berry Farm to take pumpkin pictures for the first time.  I fell in love with this place.  Flower picking, barrel train and GOATS! It was amazing and I couldn't wait for October to roll around again so we could take Calvin back.

We went yesterday.  I picked flowers while my boys took a little car nap, but by the time I got back with my Zinnia booty they were ready to go.

 Calvin charged toward the horses, chanting "animals, animals".  and he liked the goats.  But they weren't the highlight of the trip this year.  He loved the pumpkins.  He could pick the smaller ones up and sort them, put them in other places they didn't belong, like under the carts or just carry them around.  In fact, there may be a gourd rattling around in my car right now.  "pumpkins, pumpkins"  again with the chanting.

 As you can see, it was a bright and warm day.  However, this is fall in Texas.  High 80s in October is about at cool as you can hope for.  Someone please tell my husband this.  After 12 years here he still can't get over it.

 But the biggest hit of the day was the strawberry popsicle!

Cooking

This picture has been very popular on Facebook recently. Calvin may hate me for it later but who cares. Look at those buns!

Bare booty aside, this is a common sight in our house. You can't do anything in the kitchen without Calvin pushing this chair from the dining room table chanting "watch, watch". 

If you are lucky you get an enthusiastic "Cooking!" out of him too.  

Play-dohing

Last day at the splash pad

The splash pad closed yesterday for the season. I'm not sure which of my boys was happier to be there. I'm sorry I won't have this option for a morning activity anymore.  There are still warm days to come.

White bread

We have this contraband loaf of white bread left over from BBQ on Friday night.  Calvin got his first taste then and has been waiting for moment to get it again.

While I was making breakfast this morning he snagged it from the counter and shoved a piece in his bread hole. 

And this is him when I told him he couldn't have another.  

One Little Monkey

One little monkey jumping on the bed...

Texas Tour

We took our little Texan on a tour of his great state this weekend.  Unintentionally of course.

Saturday we went to Houston to pick up our new family truckster.  We intended to reward Calvin with a trip to the Houston Zoo, but it all took way longer than we anticipated and we decided he could run around the mall we passed on the way home instead.  Honestly, he probably didn't know the difference.  We all ate a depressing food court lunch and let Calvin run the halls and play in the toddler area.   It wasn't much different from when we take him to our local mall on hot afternoons.

To make up for his (my) disappointment we went to San Antonio Zoo on Sunday.  Rode the park train and saw the hippos.  He was most interested in the discovery house, which was really a play room.

Fishing

open/close

Hi Grandma!

You can see how sweaty he was, so it was a welcome air conditioned break.























Then we stopped on at a natural spring fed pool on the way home.  The had a baby wading pool with a water slide!  Calvin couldn't get enough.

We decided to skip Dallas on Monday and opted for a jog around the lake with his best baby buddy, more playground time and lunch at Phil's ice house (burgers and yet another playground).

This mama was counting on baby nap time to take one of her own, but Calvin didn't like that idea.  After a weekend of way too late bedtimes and equally early wake-up calls, he decided he didn't need a nap.  So we played some more.  Happy Labor Day!

Guitar lessons

Dink, Dink, Dink!

All toddlers love sand, water and dancing, but I think they have preferences and favorites.

Calvin will get out of the pool before the break whistle blows and only wants to play in the sand for about 10 minutes, but dancing is another story.

Last night after bath time

Calvin started pointing enthusiastically, chanting "dink, dink, dink!"  what?!  I am constantly trying to decipher toddler speak.  Just the other night, I figured out that something that sounded very much like machine is actually "move, please".

After naming various things in the room in an attempt to figure out what he was saying I realized he was pointing the the ipod.  Oh, DANCE!  So I turned on some music and started to dance, but that wasn't good enough.  He trotted out of the room yelling "mama, dink dink".  (mama = parent, not necessarily me) and wasn't satisfied until everyone was on the dance floor.  And that is how the entire family ended up doing cajun hokie pokie before bedtime.

A week or 2 ago I picked Calvin up from daycare and he was dancing in the corner with about 4 other babies. I thought it was weird that they were all getting down without a teacher instigating the activity.  Now I understand that he probably wrangled the others into dancing with him.  His enthusiasm is contagious.

New app

I just discovered the blogger app so maybe there will be more regular posts. I can tell you that the last thing I want to do after working and chasing Calvin all day is to sit down in front of the computer.

I was hoping to be able to post video. As a test here is a bad picture of the 3 of us at Jester King brewery.