Fall Fabulous

My mother always asks me to blog. She likes the pictures of the grandkids, of course, but she really likes the stories. Like the time Carrie cut off her eyelashes. Or how Liam used to go crazy when he saw birds because they excited him so much. Or how Damon squirts toothpaste all over creation with gusto.

So here's a photo-free blog update for today. It's sunny and windy and I hope to get the Halloween/autumn lights up to decorate the front porch. Since it's Monday, the sheets are getting washed and dried and beds remade. We will head to the Y tonight, unless I can talk Dada into taking Liam shoe-shopping. WHEN is he going to quit growing?

Dada was out of town for the second half of last week and didn't make it home until late Saturday night. Yesterday we went to church and he took the kids to the BassPro store while I did nursery duty with my snuggly little buddies. Then they picked up lunch (and me) and we went home to play or have naps. I headed off for a massage and facial (bliss) and then we had dinner and headed to bed. The kids had watched movies both Friday night (Balto) and Saturday night (An American Tale: Fievel Goes West) so they really needed baths.

Now they are off to school and Damon is watching Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street crew. He's starting to talk more clearly. He was clomping around in my big sandals the other day and informing me, "I got your shews. Mine!"

Both big kids are really enjoying their school year so far. I can't believe how fast September has gone. If this keeps up, it really WILL be summer vacation again before we know it. The kids have been wearing hats and multiple layers to the bus stop in the morning and then wanting shorts after school. I hate 30 degree temperature changes. Fall is NOT my favorite.

Still, it has been nice for bike rides, which Damon LOVES. Liam is also starting to become confident on his bike, so we may actually get several real rides in this fall. Seeing as we now have a humungous bike rack that fits on the back of Pepe the Pilot (our car), we may as well get our money's worth out of it, right?

Alas, I must get back to work since the dratted Kitchen Fairy hasn't shown up for duty. Again. And the Halloween decorations need my help getting out of the box, etc. Enjoy the changing season and avoid those germs who've arrived on the scene! =P

Last of the long locks

 

 

 

 

Damon's first haircut

Confession time. Damon's hair has been long and curly for a long time, and I love it. Absolutely love it. But two things are occuring with more frequency. One, when it's windy, he gets mad that his bangs are in his eyes and lets everyone know he's mad about it. Two, out in public people assume that Carrie and Liam are boys because of the short hair and that Damon is our girl because of his ringlets.

So, here's the confession. I couldn't cut them. I couldn't go with him to get them cut. I tasked Dada to take this adorable boy to get his very first haircut. I would have cried through it. In fact, I'm misting up now just talking about it. Anyway, Dada kindly took pity on me and did the deed.

Here's the thing. If you are drinking anything, put it down now. Because while blogging this, I went from crying over his hair to crying from laughing about the faces he made. I don't want to be responsible for ruining anyone's monitor because you spit coffee or whatever on it from laughing so hard:

 

 

 

"Look what she DID to me! I had better darn well get a lollipop or SOMETHING!"

"Haha, score! Who's the big boy NOW?"

 

Vacation collages 1-2-3

 

 

 

Boxes!

Lainie was getting new shelves installed during our second week at The Beach House. The workers thoughtfully asked if we'd like some of the boxes for the kids. Would we!?

 

 

 

Meanwhile, back at the motel...

That title is a Ray Stevens reference, for those of you who're paying attention. Anyway, back at Otter Banks, our rental house at the beach, everyone helps keep it tidy:



This was the kids' room. Liam had the top bunk and Damon had the bottom; we bought bed rails specifically for camp and vacation. They worked really well! He loved sharing a room with the big kids. I think they enjoyed having him with them too. ;)
 

It was so nice to go do all our adventures all day and then come home to watch the Olympics. Some of us watched a little more than others...
 

Otter Banks, as seen from outside, can be rented from Southern Shores realty. Just a shameless plug for a fabulous house. We had a great experience and would definitely recommend it to all our friends and family. The beach was a walkway away and there was a little wagon full of beach toys and chairs provided. We made great use of it, especially by tossing Damon into it at the end of our beach excursions for the trip back to the house. It had 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, multiple decks, 2 outside showers, hammocks, toys, bikes, boards, etc. Two thumbs up!
 

 

Aquarium, year three

We made a big tactical error and decided to go to the Aquarium on a rainy day. Apparently, everyone and their mother and their great aunt and their cousins on their father's side all had the same bright idea. The place was wall to wall people. The kids, however, still had a great visit and enjoyed some new exhibits as well as old favorites like watching the sting ray feeding time.

Uh, Carrie, don't look now, but someone thinks you'd make a tasty snack...



This is always a cool exhibit. The guy in the front asks questions from the audience to the diver in the tank. One diver answers the questions while the other one uses his barber pole-looking stick to fend off any sharks that get too curious. They claim that very few of the fish in the tank get eaten by the resident sharks, but every once in awhile they will notice someone seems to be missing.

 

Sweet seahorse!

 

Tiny Traveling Tino

Tiny Traveling Tino usually does his traveling with Dada, being stuffed into a suitcase for any and all business trips. I think it was refreshing for him to get out of the suitcase and see some sights. Can you find him in each of the following pictures?

 

 

 

 

more to do at Otter Banks

 

 

This little player is all heart. Short stuff. ;)
 

 

Oh, Canada

We all have our passports, but Carrie's expires this fall and had never been used. We decided to head to Canada on a whim so that the kids could get their passports stamped and we could see some sights. Here's the bridge from the good old US of A to beautiful Canada:

 

And here was our view from the room. That'd be the Greyhound bus station directly below!
 

Caesar's casino is the one way to the left of the frame with the red letters on the roof. I have no idea what the rest of these are. Around the other side of the hotel, I have to say that Detroit looks really pretty all lit up at night. Wish I'd have thought to get some pictures of it...
 

 

Medieval valley

Dada heard about a medieval festival and rightly guessed that the kids would love it. What we didn't expect was how incredibly nice and informative the players would be. They were happy to talk, to teach, to take time out of their weekend to show the kids how better to stand, throw, carry, whatever. It was a great first experience!