Sun Spot

As the weather cools down here in Phoenix (also known as the surface of the sun) everyone begins to move all sorts of activities outdoors. Home Depot is no exception. So the last HD project Craig took the girls to, they all built little wooden airplanes outside and added yet another project pin to their collection. Here is a great picture of the girls and Lexa, the Red Baroness herself, getting ready to take her plane on its maiden voyage.

                   

Flagstaff, Once More

Yes, I know, you are probably tired of hearing about our trips to Flagstaff, but since this is for posterity, you will have to bear with me.

The girls had their fall break last week, and since I am scared to spend an entire week alone with my own children in my own home, I coerced an invitation out of my sister-in-law Amy to their cabin for a few days and did not regret it for a moment. The girls played outside pretty much constantly, barring mealtimes, and I got some much-needed inside quiet time. (A mommy just can't get enough of that, I'm telling you.) Spencer struggled a little with naps (and by that I mean he pretty much refused to take them) but once we figured out that walks out in the neighborhood immediately cured him of his grumpies (despite the fact that it was freezing cold outside), we bundled him up and went that route to keep ourselves sane. (By "we," I mean Amy and I. She is the aunt that doesn't quit. She is so amazing, and the kids are crazy about her. As am I. And, all love for the kiddos aside, she is a wonderful cook who lovingly fattened me up for the duration of my time up there. Happy sigh.)

Anyway, here are some highlights.

And by the way, when I said "freezing," I actually meant it. It totally snowed while we were up there. 

More happy sighs.

Halloween Preview

Halloween, like pretty much all other holidays, sneaks up on us every year. It is usually after it has rushed by in a gust of delicious candy and last-minute costume shopping that I realize that I neglected to post any pictures of the event...and by then, it's Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and it's way too late for me to get back into a Halloweenie mood, mostly because I wasn't in one in the first place. (Go ahead, you can call me a holiday Grinch. I'll own it.)

 In the interest of not neglecting Halloween altogether (since it's so darn important), here are some EARLY pictures of at least one of my children in costume, along with her Daddy. (Well, okay, two of my children.) Julia and Craig got to go to a Daddy-Daughter Halloween party for a group of young girls from church where they enjoyed eyeballs, fingers, and other such delectable snacks befitting two vampires. "Hotel Transylvania" quotes abounded, I can assure you.

Here's hoping the other kiddos get equal Halloween-screen time!

Baby Food Addendum

Because I know you all care, I thought I'd just add that, as of today, Spencer is not digging the meat-based baby foods. I can't blame him; they look and smell disgusting. But now we know officially: fruits and veggies, YES; strange, grainy mystery meats, NO. I should have known right away that it wasn't going to happen because he didn't panic in between bites like he usually does; but I kept giving him bites anyway until finally he started shuddering and spitting them back out. Gross x 2.

And, because I know you still care, here are some updated glorious mealtime pics.

(For all you Super Why fans out there):
Peas and carrots, carrots and peas. Give me bites, please, please, please!

Food, Glorious Food!

 Admittedly, these pictures are not quite up to the moment, but guess who's eating real food? If you guessed Spencer the Brave, you're dern skippy. (That's Cyndie-speak for "you're right.")

Being that Spencer has turned out to be the hungriest of all my kiddos, we started him on cereal earlier than I had planned. (So, hungry, in fact, that he can work himself up into a full-blown cry in the time it takes me to dip the spoon back into the bowl and return it to his waiting mouth.) He's now graduated to delicious baby food, which he eats as if he were the World's Cutest Vacuum Cleaner. (And believe me, he is.) It might be time to start thinking about making my own baby food, folks, because seriously, this kid can eat.

Also, for the record, all baby food in Spencer's eyes is created equal, and none is shunned or turned away because of undesirable taste or texture. Food is food is food, and the more, the better.

And, yes, he's sitting in a pink Bumbo chair, because I am not spending $35 to replace our existing one with one that is a "boy color." Take that, societal norms.