Happy Halloween!

Halloween was a very busy day.

Mom still wasn't feeling very well, so Dad and I made her breakfast.

I helped Dad crack the eggs...

...its so much easier to reach now with my new stool!

And he even let me whip them up with my own little wisk!

After breakfast, we needed to finish our decorations for the trick-or-treaters.

I had very specific ideas of where the window stickers should go.

There was lots of pointing and directing Dad.

Then, that night, Grandma and Papa came over to take me trick-or-treating!

Trick-or-treating was pretty fun.

My first house, I was sort of frozen on the porch like a deer in headlights when they opened the door.

But soon, I was saying "trick-o-tree" with the best of them.

Here I am with my friends Ava and Max (they live in my neighborhood).

Then, we went home and I had more candy then I had ever eaten in my life

(it was only 3 pieces--M&M's, a lollipop, and some Smarties, but still!).

I quickly learned I love candy.

"Hap-o-ween!"

Cookies with Grandma

Mama was feeling a bit under the weather on Friday, so Grandma came over to entertain me with some fun...MAKING COOKIES!!!

This was a new experience for me.

See, first you lay out the dough and pat it down in the pan.

Then you stop for a great picture with Grandma.

Then you carefully take the cookies over to the oven.

After they bake and cool, you get to put icing on them.

I had never had icing before...

Boy was it tasty!

Next you put on the sprinkles.

Then, eat them up!

Mmmm, cookies!

Good idea, Grandma!

Taking the pumpkins to the porch

After dinner tonight, we needed to take the jack-o-lanterns to the porch so we could light them up. I really wanted to take mine out, so Dad put it in my shopping cart for me.

Perfect!

Boy genius

A post from mom...

Today was Jack's first full day of preschool (Monday was a short visitation to get the lay of the land). I quickly dropped off his bag of supplies (blanket, preschool-Fred, diapers, etc.), gave Jack a kiss and walked out the door. A few hours later, I called to be sure everything was going ok and they found Fred in the bag, etc. One of the preschool directors answered the phone and said everything was going great, he was fitting right in, and that Miss Rebecca had actually been up in the front bragging about him already. Well, of course, I'm now beaming and wondering what in the world has caused this sort of praise.

Turns out, when Miss Rebecca got out the flashcards to talk about animals and letters this morning, Jack took one look at the box of cards, pointed and said "amimals." The kicker is, there weren't any animals on the box, only the word "animals." Miss Rebecca wanted to know if we were teaching Jack to read. I had to admit, I had no part in this one. He picked that up all on his own.

Can he read? Probably not. But I'll claim a genius moment when I see one!

Pumpkin Carving!

Mom and Dad have been carving pumpkins every year since they got married (that's 7 years!)

This year, for a bit more fun, we decided to do it with the neighbors.

We put on our coats, hats, and "glubs" and headed out.

Everyone got to work, scooping out the pumpkin goo.

I didn't really like it. I kept asking for a napkin.

My friend Owen, digging in.

Owen and I had to get down close to watch Daddy drilling out a "J" on the back of my pumpkin.

So I could make my own pumpkin, Mom got a kit with little light-up pegs that I could tap into the pumpkin by myself with a little mallet. It was pretty fun.

I had to get down really close to admire such a stunning pumpkin...

Owen, Fischer, and I with our masterpieces.

They look pretty great in the dark, too!

From left to right--Fischer's, mine, Fischer's 2nd one, Owen's

Then we all sat on Dad's tailgate for a chocolate chip cookie break.

It was way fun!

After I went to bed that night, Mom and Dad carved their pumpkins.

From left to right--Dad's, mine, baby's, Mom's.

What great looking jack-o-lanterns!

"Hap-o-ween!"

(That's Happy Halloween for those who don't speak Jacksonian)

1st Day of Preschool

Today was my first day of preschool.

Well, actually my second first day. But I don't remember day care in Columbus.

Anyway, Grandma J got me this great backpack ("pak-pak") to take with me.

I filled it with all the important things--Fred, a box of raisins, a toy train--and then I was ready to go.

Could I really be almost 2 already???

Miss Rebecca, here I come!

MU vs Texas

While I spent the day (and night) with Grandma P for some good quality one-on-one time, Mom and Dad headed to Columbia for the annual football game.

They went with Grandma J and Papa Mike and our friends Ken and Marcia.

The day started with pizza at Shakespears.

Mmmmmmm!

Papa stopped to take a "party pic" with a fellow ADPi.

(Well, Mom was an ADPi anyway. Papa just wishes he was.)

Then they went walking around town.

They found a restaurant named after our cousin--"Noodles!"

(Just kidding, Justin)

After a little rest at the hotel, it was time for some serious tailgating.

Ken and Marcia, looking festive.

Grandma and Papa, enjoying "Mr. Busch"

Mom and Dad in their pseudo-matching shirts.

The game wasn't so great (ok, it was awful), but everyone still had fun.

The girls in their matching hats

The gang is already counting down until next year.

Maybe I'll get to go in 2010...

MIZ!

New "glubs"

What could be better than "new glubs?"

"New glubs on na potty!"

(Yes, I liked them so much, I wouldn't take them off for anything)

MORE BIG NEWS!

I PEED IN THE POTTY!!!

I've been interested and trying to go in the big potty (with my little potty training seat on top) for a few weeks now. We always try before my bath.

And guess what?

Tonight, I did it!!!

Does this mean I'm ready for the Lightning McQueen underwear?

No, we aren't even going to try that yet.

But I'm starting to figure out what all this potty training talk is about!

My First Halloween Party

Tonight, there was a big Halloween party up the road at the Community Center.

ALL my neighborhood friends were going, so we went too!

First, I played some games and won some candy.

Would you believe this is my first Reese's peanut butter cup ever?

Yummy!

Then it was time for the costume parade.

Here are my friends Owen (the Indian) and Fischer (Buzz Lightyear) and their mom, Nancy

(they live behind us).

Me and Mommy.

ROAR!

After a few more games, candy and crafts, we wandered to the gym to run off some energy.

Dad taught me how to dunk the "back-ket ball."

And I played with my friend Emily (she lives up the street)

It was a lot of fun.

Mom and Dad were glad to get out and talk with the neighbors.

I was glad to get out and RUN!!!

Paintin' again!

Aunt Mandy got me this new set of paints.

Dad and I had to try them out.

Dancin' with Grandma and Papa

After we went out to dinner with Grandma J and Papa Mike, we had a little after-dinner dance party.

My FAVORITE song is "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band.

That's what we danced to.

I LOVE this song!

I even know some of the words--"chicken fried," "cold beer," and "fri-nay night" come out especially clear.

I even got Grandma and Papa to dance with me!

Fun!

Pumpkins

We were supposed to go up to St. Joe to visit my friends Ella and Kate and go the the pumpkin patch and apple orchard this weekend, just like last year...

...but my Mommy and their Mommy, Andrea, thought it was going to be too cold and sleeting.

When we got up on Saturday morning, though, it wasn't quite as cold as Mommy thought it would be.

So after a typical weekend breakfast at our favorite Waffle House

(I ate 2 eggs, 1 piece of bacon, a scoop of hashbrowns, 1/2 waffle, a box of raisins, a glass of milk, and a glass of juice. Really.),

we headed out for a local pumpkin patch.

There were lots of things to see and do!

Dad and I fed a buffalo,

a steer (check out the horns!),

and the goats!

Then it was time for some fun.

I tried out this worm tunnel.

And I really liked the bounce house!

Then we rode the train!!!

And ANOTHER train!

(Mom and Dad called this one a hayride. Whatever, looked like a train to me!)

Finally it was time to pick out pumpkins.

I'll take THIS one.

We had to stop for some pictures.

Remember last year?

Here I am this year!

Don't I look like I'm up to no good?

It was definitely a good time, but we liked Andrea's pumpkin patch better.

Hopefully we'll have better weather next year!