Playing in the Leaves

Travis is on vacation this week. It has been great, because we haven't gone anywhere or had to do anything. The four of us have just been playing, hanging out, watching movies, and doing other fun things together. Today we all played outside in the leaves!

Blast-off!

Elijah is saying some really funny things lately. I don't know where he gets some of them. For instance, he has been saying, "4...3...2...1...BLAST-OFF!!!!!" quite a bit. I didn't teach it to him, and I really have no idea where he learned it. Hearing him say it is petty funny though. He has begun to say many phrases as well. He says, "Daddy at work." I am so proud of his language development! This morning I was making breakfast for him and he crawled into the cereal cabinet with his favorite black stuffed kitty. I told him I was going to take a picture and went to get the camera. I returned, and he said," CHEEEEEESE!" I didn't teach him that either. I think he must have gotten that at preschool when they had their school pictures taken on Monday. Anyway, here is the picture from this morning.

Elijah and Grandma invented a game this week. It is called Hmmmmm. Grandma says "Hmmm," while she thinks of questions to ask Elijah. She asks him things like, "Is it your shoes?" "Is it a pumpkin?" "Is it Grandpa?" "Is it Michael Scott from The Office?" or "Is it school?" and Elijah says either "no," or "it is!" Once Grandma has guessed what it is, ELijah says "hmmmm" because he wants to play again...and it starts all over. It is pretty funny. They played Hmmmm for an hour yesterday.

I Love Fall

My favorite time of the year has arrived! It is now the second week of October, and Autumn is just beginning here in the Ozarks. It has been unseasonably hot the past few weeks and gotten into the mid-80's with high humidity every day. It hasn't felt much like fall yet, needless to say. In fact, it has felt like July! However, today it rained a lovely fall rain and the temperatures are in the low-70s. I've had my fall decorations out since the third week in September so the inside of our house looks like fall. I was beginning to wonder if it would ever look and feel like fall outside too! Now that it's here, I've planned lots of things for the boys to do to celebrate during October.

I guess it started on Friday when we went to the birthday party of one of the boys' little friends, Jonas, who was turning one. It was a pumpkin party! The boys (with my help, of course) each decorated a pumpkin that we brought home and which are now proudly displayed in the living room. Here they are!

Later this week is Elijah's preschool Pumpkin Festival! The kids dress like farmers and go for horse-drawn carriage rides, do crafts, play games, and there will be a giant chili supper for the families. We can't wait!

This month we also plan to attend the Spooktacular at the zoo, the Alpha Chi Omega children of alumnae Halloween Party, the October 31st party at James River Assembly, and of course we will be going to the pumpkin patch to choose and cut our own pumpkin and go on a hayride. I also have been getting together crafts and treats (such as a Halloween gingerbread house) that the boys and I can make together. Travis is taking a vacation the last week of October so we can all enjoy these fun activities together. I am so excited! I just love this time of year!

Proud Mommy

When I picked Elijah up from preschool today, his teacher came out to the car and told me that she can't believe how well he is doing with his letters and numbers. I wanted to say, "Yeah, I know. He knows all his shapes and colors too!" but I just thanked her. I was bursting with pride! It is nice that his intelligence gets noticed so much. He is such a smart little boy.