Pumpkin Carving

For Amelia's first pumpkin carving, we invited our friends Rohit & Ishita to join us. This was Ishita's first time and Rohit's second.

Daddy & Amelia decided to do a happy face (per Amelia's request).

Here they are showing the end goal.

So Patrick coached Amelia about scooping out the pumpkin all morning. But when the actual time came, she completely chickened out. He kept trying to trick her into it though.

Playing with pumpkin seeds. The girl actually liked them raw and ate a dozen or so.

He dropped the scoop inside and kept asking her to please be a big helper and get it for him.

But that was the one and only time she put her hand inside the pumpkin.

So from then on she said she would "hold Daddy's arm" to help him. Smart girl.

Holding the pumpkin for Daddy is also helpful.

Since Rohit & Ishita had not done this before, they picked out the prettiest pumpkin they could - very round and symmetrical and blemish-free. Unfortunately, the hole Rohit cut was too small for his hands so Ishita had to do all the cleaning-out.

Helping Daddy carve

She got tired of carving, so she resorted to reading books at the table. Interestingly, we had gotten library book about how to say "I love you" in various languages and Rohit was able to coach her on how to say it in Hindi (which was actually in the book). But the phrase is so long that it was quickly forgotten.

Austin woke up from his nap in the Moby and so he helped Daddy give them advice on the carving. Since their pumpkin was so round, it was a lot harder to carve.

Since we carved in the morning, we weren't able to just turn off the lights. So we all crowded into our little powder room to light them up.

Finished product!

She was thrilled with the result, talked about it frequently and loved pointing it out on the front stoop. She noticed Rohit & Ishita's pumpkin on their porch when we went trick-or-treating too.

Pumpkin Pie

This face just about sums up the difficult stage we're in with Amelia most days.

 

But there's a smile! And the mums we water every day Grammie - just like you told her to remind me to do!

One morning we heard a ruckus outside and upon investigation, we found a crew replacing the light post that had been knocked over months ago. So once Austin went down for his nap, we set up our camp chairs and watched them work!

She insists that she gets to lie down next to Austin for his diaper changes and vice versa.

One morning I set out to make a pie. Not any pie, but a maple pumpkin one I had flagged in a Martha Stewart magazine from years ago that was, of course, more complicated than necessary. The whole thing was a comedy routine between instructing Amelia and Austin crying, but we pulled it off! And now when Amelia tells you she's making pie (which she has been saying for weeks when pretend-cooking), she'll exclaim "A pumpkin pie for daddy!"

Little hands wanting a taste!

Because Austin always needs company. It amazes me that he actually fusses less when she's in his space.

Monkey see, monkey do

 

On one of our last warmish days, we went out for a walk to the community park. Amelia wanted to wear her new hat and sported all the attitude to go with it.

Two Months - Austin

Austin made it to two months! Wahoo! :)

He's up to 10lb 8oz (25%) and just now outgrowing the newborn clothes. But when I put the three month clothes on him, whoa! Still big on him! But we've been so blessed - his 3 month clothes bin packed out his entire dresser - thanks family and friends! I'm pretty sure we're going to be here awhile.

My mommy is just too funny when trying to make me smile

Foaming at the mouth

Photo Shoot

Such is the fate of a second child - poor Austin has so few photos of himself. I sat down with Amelia and showed her photos of herself as a 1-3month old, using the different toys that we're using with Austin and I realized that we have just not taken many of him. While exhaustion and his fussiness are good excuses, I want to be more intentional about getting photos of him. So while Amelia napped one afternoon and he was cooing at Daddy, I played with my camera settings and got some good ones!

We were brave - we took off the bib!

Just a *little* more milk please?

Yes, my daddy put my pacifier in my pocket. Since I don't really use it anyways.

But parents can hope.

For the grandmothers -

 

Pumpkin Patch

On his way home from a business trip, Patrick drove by a little farm just a few miles away that we were not familiar with that was advertising a pumpkin patch. So we bundled up (it's getting cold here!) and headed over.

First try at the cheesy cutout things. She's just too short for them so Patrick used a down angle.

This is what you get these days with Amelia. A nice smile looking away from the camera or a fake one looking at the camera. I've heard it's pretty typical of 2 year olds.

First tractor ride

The tractor rides between the animal farm & pumpkin patch & entrance/exit was Amelia's favorite part. She is still talking about riding on the tractor at the farm. Over and over and over.

Peacocks!

Nope, still too short.

These donkeys scratching each others' back cracked me up.

We had never seen a zonkey before.

Llama!

Goats say "mmmaaa"

Why they didn't have more of a barricade between you and the longhorns, I will not understand. But these guys were huge and people were crazy, trying to go up and touch their horns. We settled for saying 'hook 'em'. Amusingly, Amelia talked about the 'hook 'ems' for the rest of the day.

Just right!

This was the best pumpkin patch I've ever seen. Rather than pick all the pumpkins in a giant pile and call it a 'patch', they actually drove you out to the fields where they had all sorts of squash, gourds and pumpkins harvested, but still in the field. Patrick & Amelia pulled some of the smaller gourds we bought right off their vines. It was nifty to see the variety that grows all together.

A blue pumpkin! Any idea what causes this?

Add in apple cider donuts, a hay bale maze that was Amelia's size and lunch at Five Guys on the way home - a great autumn adventure!