Halloween Kick-Off!

Emma started off Halloween weekend with a pajama party at school on Friday! I am not sure what all went on that day but I know for sure there was "bobbing" for apples, cotton candy, and cupcakes. Josh even got to have a taste of some cotton candy. I am certain that there were probably some additional sweets and Emma came home with a ton of Halloween goodies from all of her friends. Mrs. Michelle was kind enough to email me a few pictures of Emma from the pajama party. Here she is "bobbing" for some apples.

14 Months Old

I owe somebody a 14 month post. Josh spent the last month with a splint on his leg but he has certainly learned how to cope with extra weight on his leg. Fortunately after the splint came off, he was put into a walking cast and walk he has. In fact, he is getting pretty darn quick in spite of the cast so I think we're in for it next week after he gets his leg back. Josh started out the month with six teeth and by the end of the month had his top first year molars to show for it. While Josh has a handful of words that we don't hear consistently, he certainly understands a whole lot and will follow simple commands such as "Go see Emma" or "Josh, can you get a book?". Last weekend, I asked him if he was ready for breakfast and his response was to stand up and head into the kitchen. He is definitely putting it all together and I am sure it won't be long before lots of words start tumbling out. Josh was supposed to move up to the next class in daycare last month but with the cast, they have held off but watch out freshman class, Josh is coming soon. Remarkably, the boy who would eat anything has sort of become my picky little eater. Part of the problem is that he really wants to use a fork and spoon but doesn't quite have the coordination. Additionally, he doesn't want anything to do with baby spoons and forks; he wants real silverware and does a good job with it when he gets something speared or scooped. I think he just wants to do what his big sister does, which unfortunately includes a few bad habits. Emma has been such a good sister to her little brother and has taken it upon herself to watch out for Josh, which is really quite helpful when we're making dinner. Fortunately, the feeling is mutual and Josh adores his big sister as much as she adores her baby brother. I'm sure that I have left something out but that is the gist of what Mr. Joshua is up to at 14 months.

Pumpkin Patch 2010

We pretended that it was fall here the weekend before last and made the annual pilgrimage to the pumpkin patch. Emma asked if they (she and Josh) would be wearing their Halloween shirts to which I answered with an emphatic "No" since they are long sleeve and they would have roasted. Instead, we headed out in our "summer" gear to pick out some pumpkins. New this year was a train that was made from barrels that were connected and painted to look like cows. The engine of the train was a tractor; what else could it have been? Emma was such a big girl and went on the train ride all by herself. She told me that she raised her arms in the air and screamed because it was so much fun. Josh and I also took a ride before heading home. Josh wasn't quite sure what to make of it but didn't hate it. Emma and Josh also spent some time climbing on the hay bales and Emma did quite a bit of sliding. We missed out on the pig races this year but had a good time anyhow. Please note, we also did take a little time to pick out some pumpkins. On the way home, we made a Sonic run to refresh since we were all a little warm. Emma had her first slush and l-o-v-e-d it! She was a good sister and shared a bit with Josh. No surprise, he also loved it! It was another successful year at the pumpkin patch but you know, we still haven't been able to break out the Halloween shirts. Fingers crossed but maybe we can wear them once this year!

Wordless Wednesday - Tattooed Girl

Josh's Cast

Here are a few pictures of Josh in his cast. As many people have pointed out, it is cute, not cute that he has it but it looks cute on him. I was told by somebody else in our house (not naming names) that it is not cute since it is dinosaurs so I guess, it is a ferocious cast. Josh is getting around pretty well in spite of the cast and is back to walking as his primary mode of transportation. Not that I am counting but it comes off two weeks from today and just for the record, Brad was feeling so bad for the little guy that he decided to break his toe. They should both be healed around the same time and then let's hope that is the end of the broken bones.

Visit with PaPa and MeMa

Brad's Mom and Dad had planned a trip down here the first weekend in October. As it turns out, they were able to come down a couple of days early and help out with Josh right after his accident since Brad was off to DC the morning after he broke his little leg. In spite of the broken leg, Josh had a great time with PaPa and MeMa as did Miss Emma of course. Here are a few photos of Emma and PaPa being silly.

Here we have Josh in his splint. Do you think he is playing the "I got a splint on my leg blues"?

Maybe not!
Papa & Josh!

Playing Outside!

Love this one!

On another note, Emma got a book from the library last time we were there about Grandpa's. The last page asks "What do you like to do with your Grandpa?". I posed this question and got the response, "I don't have a Grandpa". Since she has a Bo, PaPa and Cap, she didn't put it together that they are also her Grandpa's. Poor kid!

Wordless Wednesday

Memphis Zoo Recap

Two weekends ago, we finally made a long awaited trip to Memphis so that Emma could see the panda bears. After a one week delay due to an unwelcome virus that hit our house, we packed up and headed to Memphis after work on Friday so that we could get an early start on Saturday morning. Josh thought I meant it when I said early start so he and I were up by 5:30 even though the zoo didn't open until 9. After some breakfast, we made it to the zoo and headed straight for the pandas of course. Turns out that they pretty much sleep and eat; the first time through they were sleeping but we stopped back by later and got to see them eating and moving around a bit before going back to sleep. The zoo was really nice and both Emma and Josh enjoyed the animals. There were tons of shows to see and we hit the sea lion show and the grizzly feeding. The one thing that I was unprepared for was the fountain and little "river" for the kids to get in and play in the water. Right before we left, Emma did get into the water and was pretty much soaked from head to toe but a quick change when we got to the car and she was ready for the ride home. In spite of spending the entire day at the zoo, there were still some attractions that we missed but I don't think that Emma and Josh would object too much to another trip to Memphis. The photos start at the end and work their way to the start of our day.