Conversations with the Boy

This is a conversation the Boy and I had this morning while I put clothes away:

Him: Hey mommy, you know what?
Me: What?
Him: You're a sweet, sweet girl.
Me: Aw, thank you. You are a really wonderful little boy.
Him: Oh, thank you. You know what?
Me: What?
Him: You are delightful.

Well I just melted. I'm not sure where he got the word "delightful", but seeing as how I've been anything but lately, I was so happy to hear him say it.

Halloween!

The Boy was a lot more interested in Halloween this year. He could not wait to get into his costume. The idea started out as hobo, but ended up as Huck Finn. It was surprisingly difficult to find a child size straw hat. This panama hat was the closest I could do.

I know it's huge, but it was so cute I couldn't bring myself to cut it down.

We crashed the other Ward's party on Wednesday...

...and then went trick-or-treating over at the Pulley's on Saturday. Thanks Anabel for coming with us. Unfortunately, it was so windy that night, the hat kept blowing off. Oh well...after five houses, he was done anyway.

Here's the Plan...

I love this sequence of pictures I got at the Apple Farm a few weeks ago with the Boy and his friend from preschool, Lena. It makes me think they were coming up with some sort of mischievous plan...

Clear right.
Clear left.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

How Sweet He Is

Here are some of the sweeter things the Boy has said recently:

I got so incredibly lost in the city the other day. He knew I was bothered and sad. So he said from the back seat, "Mommy, you're a sweet girl."

A few days ago he was playing with the little pumpkin I just bought him. I asked if he liked it and he said, "Yes, it's pretty like Mommy."

Last night, The Man was reading to him. They came across a point in the book where it says that David is Elmo's best friend. The Boy said, "That David is Elmo's best friend, and this one (pointing to the Man) is mine."

This morning he was upstairs playing with his giant stuffed caterpillar. He said, "I like caterpillar because he's cute and he likes to go to church."

He seems less sweet at this particular moment as he crams his face into his cheerio bowl.

More Race Photos

I found some "official" race photos of Amy and myself as we made our way through Battery Park.

S is for Spaghetti...That's Good Enough for Me

The Boy loves spaghetti. He can put it down with the best of them. He starts off with a fork, but inevitably the hands rule. Can you hear me plead with him not to make a mess?

Remember the Bees in my Tree?

Yesterday I was sitting on the couch when through the window behind the television I noticed something fly through the air and land in the little tree next to my house. I go to the window and see this (the picture is cloudy because I took it through the window):

Ahhhhhhh! What's with the snakes this year? I think he must have been on my roof and flung himself down into the tree. Ugh. Creepy. I hate snakes.

Pre Pre-School

I put the Boy into a co-op preschool this year with some friends of his. He goes twice a week from 10:00 to noon, and I think it is working out pretty well so far. Of course, I haven't had to teach yet, so I may revise that statement come December. He really loves it, though.

The First Day at April's. They went on a "bear hunt".

Their first field trip was to the Apple Farm. I love the joy in their faces when they were all laughing at each other. Oh and I love the drool, too.

And then there was this dog...

Hey, kid. Could you please do me a favor? I have this itch, ya see?

Ohhhhhh, yeah. That's the spot!

I've grown weary of your scratching. I need a nap.

I think this will be a great experience for both of us.

Tunnel to Towers

As we did last year, some friends and I went to NYC to participate in the Tunnel to Towers 5K run. It was a little different this year in that it rained the entire morning of the race. We were cold, we were wet, we were ready to just get it over with.

I took very few pictures over the weekend. I seem to remember the days by what we ate rather than what we did. The Thai food at Pongsri, the salad at The Cafeteria, and the dessert at Max Brenner, and the bagel at Murray's. *drool* Nevertheless, here's what I do have.

Race Day. The Rochester Fire Department was nice enough to give us some shirts and sport them at the race this year.

Lue, Katrina, Amy, me, Ann, and Marilyn. I was under an umbrella up until we took this picture. The other women were less of a sissy than I and had already been standing in the rain an hour or so.

Clean and dry coming back from Chinatown later that day.

Randomly ran into Joanna, Suzy, Deborah, and Mary in Times Square on our last day. That was really great!

What is this Truck Doing in the Corner?

The Boy put it in time out. And how do you like the sticky hand print on the wall? Click to zoom if you can't spot it.

More from North Carolina

Fun with Dad.

Thank goodness for the hot tub, a warm water hose, and a kiddie pool. Otherwise, we would not have made it through the rainy days.


Chasing birds is hard work.

Naked pool. Always a good idea.

Vacation!

We went on our first real, family vacation last week to the Outer Banks, NC. We rented a house just a little way off the beach with my brother-in-law's family and had a nice time. Here's our place:

We really only had two or three days of good weather. The rest of the days were cloudy and always looking like it was going to rain. We still went to the beach on some of these days, but it was windy and not so warm.


The last day we were there we had sun! The Boy loved chasing the birds...


...throwing sand into the waves...


...and then running away from the surf.


This is him after a full day at the beach and no nap.


We will go back soon hopefully. Next time I think I'll stay here (yeah right):

http://www.carolinadesigns.com/cdfinal/asp/master/209m.asp

It sleeps about 28 people. Anyone want to come?

Sorry to Gross You Out but...

This is one of our new favorite quotes from the Boy. Lately, whenever he wants to do something but knows he shouldn't, he says, "I don't want to (insert forbidden behavior here)". Since potty training, he now has um...access....to places he didn't really before. So what's his great quoteable?

"I don't want to put my finger in my bumhole."

Was that an overshare?

10th Anniversary

The Man and I had our 10th Anniversary last week. We didn't do much by way of celebration because we are postponing that for when we are in North Carolina next week. Incidentally, I didn't get the Man anything because I thought the trip was our gift to each other. He, however, decided that I should have something. Take a look:
I never wear necklaces, but with something like this, I'm just going to have to start. Thanks, honey!

Under Water Pictures

Libby, the Boy's swim teacher this summer brought her underwater camera to our last class. She took adorable pictures of all the kids that took lessons from her. Here's all the feet of the little one's in the Boy's class:

And we managed to take one together as well.

Thanks Libby and Deborah!

My Child Watches Too Much PBS Kids

I was listening at the door tonight as the Boy was drifitng off to sleep. These are the things I heard. Some will be familiar to everyone, some only to those mothers who allow as much PBS in their house as I do.

"Sesame Street was brought to you today by the number.......hmmm......ummmmm......oh no, not again....ummmm.....oh, right......seventeen!"

"Super Readers, to the RESCUEEEEE!"

"Elmo, Bear? (these are the dolls he sleeps with) Don't forget to look for Super letters."

I am looking forward to our preschool co-op this Fall. I will feel less guilty about my mothering I think.

Swim Lessons!

We have been taking mommy and me swim lessons at the Pulley's this summer. Teacher Libby has been teaching the little ones to float and kick:


To blow bubbles and go under the water (which the Boy still doesn't particulary care for):

To monkey walk on the side of the pool with their hands:

And to jump, of course. Here he goes off the side of the pool:

And now off the board!

There were a few days where it was pretty chilly. So the Boy went to warm up in the sun afterwards.


(Thank you, Aunt Deborah for letting us use the pool for our class and for being my stand-in photographer!)