QotD

"Take it away please because I'm naughty." - Alex, referencing her fork that she stuck into her kitchen chair and then dipped into her milk glass. Good to know that she knows her limitations and is able to ask help to change her evil ways. And I did warn her several times about her misdeeds with the fork, so this was not an entirely unprompted response.

OK, so it wasn't a blizzard. But here's our very first snow at the new house. Alex was very anxious to make a snowman, but somehow that never quite happened. Could have been the rain that washed the snow away, or maybe her extreme lack of clothes. Maybe next time. Gabey was suitably unimpressed as per usual.

The Things I Have Forgotten

I forgot how babies like to move in straight lines, shunning the option to go around in favor of going over and through. Coffee table legs should move for them. Laundry closet doors should open at the insistent, repeated bashing of tiny shoulders to allow easy access to that little door to the washer drain. Sisters are merely objects in the way of the coveted orange balloon. Glass doors do not even exist even if baby foreheads say otherwise.

And cat tails are truly the most irresistible things that swish. No amount of hissing and skittering will dissuade babies from their goal of making all tails sodden with copious amounts of drool. Even though tail fur is one of the world's most gag-inducing substances, it must literally be embraced and cherished as often as possible.

Cheerios and spoons are for jamming into the back of your throat. The more dramatic the coughing, gagging and general distress, the more Daddy worries, and the more Mommy has to reassure Daddy that sudden spoon-related death is not about to occur in the Cheerio-encrusted high chair.

Cords are just natures way of encouraging babies to stretch and reach for the stars. With a brief moment of chewing on the way.

Independent playtime is only good when Mommy's watching. She shouldn't actively participate, but she also should never sneak off to check email or *gasp* do the dishes.

Sneezing only occurs when there are huge mouthfuls of oatmeal, preferably with sweet potatoes or something equally colorful, in baby's mouth. The splatters will always reach the person feeding the baby, every article of baby's clothes, every nook of the high chair, at least half of the kitchen table, and hopefully at least one cat.

Sunset

Leaves!!!

Alex is very helpful with the leaf raking. She makes sure they're piled up properly and then escorts each tarp-load to the future veggie garden. Gabe helps by not helping, which is, really, the best way to help sometimes.

Siblings Sitting

It's a bit fuzzy, as are all the action shots, but Alex is holding Gabey in her lap. Sort of. This is after she tried (very, very unsuccessfully) to pick him up. (He's clearly only gaining weight as a self-defense mechanism, and it seems to be working.)

Just Another Day

Actually, it was a picture-perfect day here today. 70-ish, sunny, fall color just a hair past peak. We went to Tower Hill Botanic Garden for an afternoon of very slow walking on paths not fit for any stroller. Gabe was in the carrier and Alex was creeping along a few feet behind us at all times. She even crawled at one point to truly bring home the point that she has only one speed. Despite our snail pace, we had a lovely afternoon eating popcorn on the swinging bench, picking up only the best leaves, and whining a little. Here's Alex saying "CHEEEEEEEEEeeeeeese." for the camera while chuffing down copious amounts of popcorn. With a finger in one ear symbolizing a day of not listening to anything. Gabey is off-camera trying to eat a leaf.