A Fairy Fall from the Past & A Catch Up to the Present

Well, hello there! I know what you're thinking; where in the heck have I been? Well, life got crazy...like whoa there, what's going on, who am I, crazy! In the last few months, I have learned that finding a house, leaving a house, moving, attending big girl school, being the big sister of a 1-year-old, and keeping Mom sane is A LOT of work! However, the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be approaching, and the land of the crazy is starting to resemble the land of the norm once more. Let me rewind a bit though, for I am getting a bit ahead of myself. I believe that I neglected many months of news, so this must be a continued blog of catch up, one that was actually started long, long ago but left unfinished as the whirlwind took on full force. I shall fill you in on the new land of norm from the new stomping ground at a later date. Get ready, for we have a lot to discuss...

They say a picture is worth a thousand words; well then, my Mom has a heck of a lot to say every single day! Therefore, we are going to try and let the pictures do most of the talking for the last 5 months, for I need to get My World caught up, and with Ethan now crawling, I've just got no time at all. I mean, rolling his little ball away from him, waiting for him to crawl to it and pick it up, then ripping it out of his hands to roll it back in the opposite direction takes up an exorbitant amount of my time. Someone has got to fulfill the big sister duties though. We are going to strip this blog post down to the quick notes that I jot down for myself throughout the months and then add a few pictures and several montages. Enjoy!

Before this fairy begins her fall, I must wrap up summer with a bittersweet August:

Starting at My New "Big Girl" School with Parker - Montessori at Vickery Village, which is a private Montessori school just like Dad attended; awesome teachers, Ms. Luckhurst and Ms. Jessica; rocking the school uniform; made a new friend named Katelyn, but Parker is still my BF, except for the days when we get into a fight and decide that we are no longer BFs, which is pretty much for a couple of hours everyday; by mid-semester, several other names have fallen into the daily gossip, like Apollonia and Grant;"Time to Put Your Work Away and Come Sit on the Ellipse" song and many others now fill the nonexistent silent void in our house; I am a natural at Montessori independence, and the teacher told Mom that I am one of 2 girls who compete for class leader; already learning the continents and everything about our state, Georgia, and by mid-semester, I am literally reading; Ethan now takes his breakfast in the car in the gym parking lot to make the new 'drop me off, feed Ethan, run or go to the gym, home for Ethan's nap, pick me up' routine run smoothly; after school exhaustion, which leads to cranky, hysterical, random fits, but at least one was followed by a very sincere, unprompted "Mom, I'm really sorry that I was so rude and had a fit after school; I was really tired" apology about 30 minutes later. Mom and Dad are very impressed with the new knowledge and maturity that I gain every week, like I'm not already the picture of maturity...Geesh! I love my new school, for it is "big girl school".  

New gym - Bodyplex has a MUCH better kids' area, and although Ethan refuses to nap while he is there, he only cried once or twice and forced the ladies to come and get Mom. By October, Ethan had settled into the grove and found his favorite gym lady, Ms. Judi. Mom is now able to get about an hour or more in before he gets cranky, and the ladies just love him and talk about how sweet and cute he is every time she comes in to get him. He's a lady killer already. We also acquired a new babysitter from the new gym, and I really like when Ms. Falon comes to watch us. Mom's car has not fared so well with the routine since Ethan eats breakfast in the front seat outside of the gym. I am pretty sure he is trying to grow a Cheerio tree inside the car.

~ I already feel the notes only version of this blog slipping away.

Ethan has become a jogging pro this month, and he does pretty well for about 30 minutes.

I started really and truly swimming on my own right before the pool closed. Really, I can swim quite a distance with my face underwater and no water wings! Now, I have to wait a whole year to perfect my swimming skills. What's with that!?

We are going to miss our pool party days over the next 8 months! There is nothing like a Saturday, or any day, at the pool with good friends, yummy food, and, in Ethan's opinion, an attempt at a grown-up drink. Oh, Ethan! It always wise to cap off a great pool day with a little Ring around the Rosie.

I got my first bike injury when Daddy let goof the bike while I was going down a hill, and we both fell. I got right back on though. You can call me Merida, the Brave...if you get the reference, you can be in my new secret circle, only real princesses allowed!

      

We visited the Georgia Aquarium with Aunt Steph and Harper, which was a bit crazy, but I loved seeing all of the fishys, and Ethan enjoyed the stroll. It was Ethan's first aquarium experience; although, he is a fishy pro already; we started our tank when he was only a couple of weeks old. Harper enjoyed Ethan way more than any of the aquatic life. Mom let me get a stuffed Nemo before we left since "I was a really, really good girl", and I now have a Nemo, whom I lovingly refer to as Ne-Ne, OBSESSION! That being said, between August and now, I have also gone through a dolphin obsession, a French doll obsession, a dog in the purse obsession, 3 new pig obsessions, a pink teddy bear obsession, and a unicorn cuddle blanket obsession, but Ne-Ne does still have a place in my bed. I think I need to go to stuffed animal rehabilitation.

Ethan turned 7 months old and is doing a great job of sitting up all on his own. He can even sit up in the shopping cart now, and he showed off his new skill at his shots appointment, which was really not too terribly exciting! He got shots; he cried very little; that's about it. He is becoming such a happy and fun little brother, especially when hanging in his favorite spot, at home with me. We always bring the fun. I'm definitely Ethan's best friend, but his pacifier doggy is now coming in as a close second.

When I'm around, Ethan can't take his eyes off of me, and I am always sure to give him a good laugh. I can't believe how fast he is growing up!

Bath time is always one of Ethan's favorite times, with the exception of the time he got water all in his face and threw a fit over bath time every single time for a month.

Let's play a little game of who's who!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



  

Catch Air - Woot, Woot!

Gelato and Daddy's Finger - Double Woot, Woot!

Look at me; I grew some yummy tomatoes...and got my hair did.

 

Ethan is trying new food after new food. He detested parsnips, and his absolute favorite is still sweet potatoes, which he prefers mashed with cinnamon. Fruit is still on the blech list. He's also started using a big boy sippy cup, which he figured out almost immediately, with a little help from the big sister!

Ethan has really developed a fascination with Opie, and he is constantly trying to grab his fur, with which Opie kind of puts up; I can see things going very wrong between those two in the future though.

Ethan had his first "I want my way" fit over wanting the wash cloth in the bath tub, and he threw down until he got it! In the end, he got the wash cloth. Bye bye, Mr. Easygoing!

Ethan went to his first baseball tailgate and game, which was also Hudson Bickers' birthday party at the Gwinett Braves' stadium. Ethan and I both had an absolute ball, pun intended!

I also got to see Lucas at his 4th birthday party! I hadn't seen him in far too long now that he has moved further north and we no longer go to the same school; he actually started real Pre-K! We were beyond happy to see each other, and we didn't stop laughing and chasing each other during the whole party. I ask about my Lucas all the time: "When will we see Lucas? Will he be there? What is Lucas doing?". I've missed you, birthday boy! It seems that Ethan is quite taken with Lucas' little sister, Juliet, too; he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, and Ms. Joanne couldn't keep her hands off of Ethan, her little boyfriend.

                  

Ethan had his first experience in a restaurant booth when we visited Aunt Mal at Pearle Vision and took her out on her lunch break. Her co-workers have been dying to meet Ethan, for they get to see all of his adorable pictures.

August was a happy reminder that I always love hanging with my Atlanta peeps, like McKenzie, Roe, and Roe's brother, Malcolm, who is sure to become one of Ethan's besties! We have a blast whether it is a pool date or just a stay-at-home play date. I'm totally down with a little rough play with Roe, but McKenzie and I also got him to play dress up with us; he's a good sport. Ethan and Baby Malcolm are learning the importance of sharing; although, Ethan looked a bit confused when he tried to confiscate Malcolm's hand, and Malcolm somehow switched it up and took possession of Ethan's hand. Too cute! I'm coming down your way for good very soon, Atlanta peeps!

It is always good to hang with my Cumming BFs as well, and we do a lot of hanging! Friday mommy and kid night at Vickery Village rocks my socks off! Shout out to the crew, Tyler, Ella, Madden, Lyla, Parker, and Grayson!

Mom got to meet newcomer to the world Avery Molletta, and we are so very happy and excited for the whole Molletta clan!

Ethan, Mom, Grandma, and I learned how a tow truck works on the way home from the pool one afternoon. The tow truck operator was super nice to entertain us while we sat and watched the entire process; he probably thought we were crazy, but he didn't let on. It was fascinating! Ethan thought he was learning to drive.

Mom and Dad get to hang out with friends besides us sometimes too, and in August, they learned to make meatballs at Sugo with the SoloHealth team. SoloHealth has done and continues to do more than we could have ever imagined, and Daddy is helping lead the way!

A Noteworthy Dinner Conversation with Daddy: "Dad, how does the world work?" "What part: the universe, people, the ocean, etc?" "Ummm...elevators, how do elevators work?" Long, complicated, technical answer back from Dad. "Oh, okay." Back to eating. My questions literally NEVER END! I can ask about 30 questions just on the ride from home to school, and we live less than 5 miles away!

The highlight of August was finding out that the real Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast is coming to my birthday party! I got soooo excited when I found out; Mom should have had the video camera ready when she told me because it was the most excited I have been in my entire life. I was practically convulsing, and I kept asking "the real Belle!?", as well as one million and one other questions. I literally almost forgot to breathe. I did not let a day go by between then and my big bash without talking about Belle's attendance; Mom's communications with Mrs. Pots, the teapot and Belle's social secretary; or the Beast's unwelcome presence at my princess and pirate themed b-day.

Last, but most certainly not least for the month of August, my Great Grandma had to have heart surgery, and we were all so worried, but like the incredibly strong woman that she is, she came out like a champ, and she is doing great! We love you, Great Grandma! We think about you all the time, and I honestly ask about you almost every day. Hugs and Kisses!

Hey, Silly Monkey in the back, keep this blog a rollin'.

September:

We spent a chunk of September trading colds back and forth around the Kendig household. We'll blame it on school. Thankfully, we beat the germs in time to celebrate a very special birthday.

Harper True turned two! It was a bubble-filled day of fun. Harper was focused almost solely on the present opening, but the cake and bubbles were able to divert her attention briefly. I think the new baby doll and baby bed were the hits of the present pile; the boa, however, was no baby doll. It was a wonderful day of family, hugs, love, bubbles, Elmo, and a thumb for Ethan. Happy Birthday to my beautiful, sweet, smiling, happy, funny, incredible cousin! The years are just flying by.

Mommy joined me on my first, school field trip to Amicalola Falls. Most of the little kids were not down with the waterfall hike and stair climb that culminated in 425 additional stairs to the very top, but my friends and I insisted, and I did not slow down even for a moment. In fact, once we reached the very top, boy Parker, Apollonia, and I ran up and down the small staircase leading to the parking lot and carried a log around the grassy knoll while Parker pretended to saw it in half. There are no bounds to our endless energy. The highlight of the trip was getting to hold Ms. Luckhurst's hand on the way down the trail. I really, really, really like my teacher.

                      

The house hunt had gotten serious by September, like out house hunting 3 or more days a week with Mr. Mike serious. It created quite a stressed out Mommy and two tired babies, but looking back now that we are in our new house, it was worth it. It was exhausting though, and we took quite a few naps in the car. It definitely helped Ethan learn to go with the flow from very early on, and he is still pretty good when his schedule is a bit crazy from time to time. I was constantly questioning Mom and Dad about what and how we are going to take everything in our house. I was especially worried about the toilet; I told Mom that I like our toilet better, so I want to take it with us. We'll see how that works out for me. Ethan and I were really good about the whole tedious process, and Mr. Mike, our realtor, became "my new best friend"; I picked him flowers and asked about him everyday. He told everyone and made a special point to really tell Mom throughout the process how well-behaved Ethan and I are and how great our parents are doing at raising us. That Mr. Mike is a pretty wise, and sweet, man. We, unfortunately, lost one house in September, about which Mom was super sad, but as of November 15, we got the approval on a short sale that we have had under contract for a couple of months. I get to look out over a lake from my bedroom window, and I get my own bathroom in my bedroom! We'll have pictures and updates to come, so stay tuned. *Update from 4 months later, that dream house is now our actual house!

We are going to miss the beautiful sunsets from our old backyard though.

Ballet started back up for the season, and I got to move up a class. I have also added tap to my repertoire. I think I like tap even better. Loud shoes that you actually get to stomp around in, what's not to like? My sweet baby brother escorts me to every practice with very little complaint...most of the time. Just remember, it is imperative to stretch properly before you break it down.

 From Outside the Door on the First Day of Tap: Olivia is the one closest to the door dressed in black. 

Dancing with Daddy is one of my favorite things; I'm getting ready for that big first dance...someday.

Guess who I saw at Barnes and Noble during one trip to the bookstore in September? Santa! The Real Santa! I just about jumped out of my skin when I saw him sitting at a little table reading the newspaper. Mom didn't believe me until I very emphatically announced his presence several times, and she finally was forced to peek around the corner. He even said hello to me and told me that I have been very good. I introduced him to my baby brother and just grinned from ear to ear. That sneaky Santa; he is already making that list, and I will be on the nice side.

My birthday is almost here! Mom took my princess pictures for my invitation, and I have told everyone about my special guest! It's going to be so much fun! I am beyond thrilled about turning 4! I constantly remind Mom and Dad that when I am 4, I can do anything.

                                                  

Ethan makes a pretty princess too. While Mom is out of the room, I like to crown my prince and take commemorative photos. It's like having my own, personal, real-life baby doll, and I take full advantage. He's totally comfortable with his masculinity. I have been wondering lately, "Will Ethan be my kids' daddy?", to which I receive a resounding, "No!"

Speaking of doing anything, "When I grow up, I want to work at Publix; be a doctor, a veterinarian specifically; work at a restaurant; and be a princess", in that order as I informed Mom. I also told Dad and Mom that "when I grow up, I'll cook, clean, ummm...stay up late, and drive, just like Mommy does". That pretty much sums up everything she does in my mind. I probably shouldn't be a personal stylist though, but then again, neither should Ethan with his questionable hat choices.

Madden beat me to the big 0-4, and we got to celebrate his September birthday with chaos and friends. Happy Birthday, Madden!

Ethan is still on the new food train, and he is loving it. Food is definitely the way to my baby brother's heart. Some of the new items that have been added to the list: eggplant, not his favorite at all; chicken, must be mixed with sweet potatoes; blueberries; tofu, about which he seriously debated; mango; and even some mixes, like green beans and peas. Mommy is still cranking out the purees.

He is still on the fence about eating out; sometimes he loves it, and sometimes he just wants to get home to his own high chair. Cracker Barrel did not disappointment in his book though; the rocking chairs definitely helped. I, however, prefer Dutch Monkey Doughnuts.

Ethan is seriously attached to Mom. If she is anywhere nearby, no one else will do. Mom has to hide around the house to get anything done because if he sees or hears her, he screams until she gives him her undivided attention. Good thing they go pretty much everywhere together. I don't mind if Mom gives him attention, but if Grandma turns her attention to the baby brother, my jealousy-meter spikes!

Ethan didn't cry one bit at his 2nd round of shots for the month. The nurse, Mom, and I were all very impressed; he is so brave! I think he is a shoe-in for the Merida-secret-circle.

He was even super brave on his first-ever wagon ride down to the park. We buckled him in tight, and he enjoyed a slide or two before trying to ingest large amounts of wood chips.

I think he is so brave because he is now 8 months old! My, how time flies! We added some Mom-made 'professional' shots to the regular monthly shoot since the sheet was already up from taking my princess pictures. I mean, really, have you ever seen a baby cuter than this!? I think not.

Even cute princes pee in the bath. I insisted on joining Ethan in the tub, but after he added a little of his own extra liquid to the bath water, Mom has decided that we best keep bath time separate. It didn't deter me in the least though; what's a little pee amongst siblings!?

The weekly Publix trips are back on; it takes a lot of structure and several tricks, but we are making it through each Monday. I'm happy to be back, and my Publix friends seem happy to have me back. Ethan even gets a weekly balloon from Ms. Suzana now. I'm really going to miss everyone when we move. *sniff, sniff*

After a headache of a time transferring records, we made it to a new dentist who decided that I do not need to get any cavities filled. That other dentist was just trying to hurt me! I like the new place, Dental Town, much better; the office is even divided up into a little town. I got my teeth examined in the sports shop, which was perfect for this ballerina athlete. The appointment made me a little late for ballet, but I sure am glad we went. No fillings for me!

Ethan is a crazy jumperoo boy! If jumperoo jumping was an Olympic sport, Ethan would most certainly win gold!

Speaking of jumping, we hit up the Fowler Park Fest this month, and I got to jump in a real princess jump-jump! The wait was a bit of a bear, but jumping beneath Belle was well-worth it! I even got Belle painted on my face in tribute of my favorite princess, who inexplicably got bumped by Cinderella in November. My good friend Madden, who thinks the world of me, got his painted for the first time with a tiger, and Tyler stuck around for the hugs. The butterfly inflatable I got to bring home with me was also well worth it. Ethan took it all in, but I'm not sure how much he enjoyed versus how much he comfortably tolerated.

It must be said, although I am sure you have already figured it out; I am princess crazy, and that is putting it mildly! I dress like a princess, but only at home seeing as Mom won't let me wear my gowns out, for she is the evil witch. I demand to be called a princess; I get married to a prince and dance at my own ball several times a week; I crown Ethan, and any other eligible bachelor who enters my castle, my prince. I want to read, eat - literally because they make princess-shaped noodle soup, - and breathe princess everything all day long. Poor Mom, she desperately wanted to avoid this specific obsession, but it only took one Beauty and the Beast viewing, and I was hooked!

Ethan is crazy for me; I know, I'm just hilarious.

Ethan got 2 teeth during the month of September, and it has made for a grumpy little man, but we sure are glad he finally got some. He spent the first several days after his first tooth popped through incessantly running his tongue across it. I'm sure it is quite a surprise when that first tooth shows up out of nowhere! That being said, as of December, no other teeth had made their debut. He does darn well without them though; nothing will keep that man from his true love, food.

Naps are nutty these days! I don't want to go down at all; although, Mom is still insistent on quiet time in my room, which usually results in my falling asleep. Mom even found me passed out on my floor with a tiara on and a tea cup in my hand. Those tea parties can get a little out of hand, and sometimes, you just fall asleep mid-sip. Other times, you fall asleep in the middle of your doorway while trying to spy on Mom downstairs. I'm still sticking to my story that I don't need naps anymore! Ethan's naps are all over the place because of my busy schedule, but we are trying to fall into a routine.

I adopted a lizard in our backyard this month. I spent an entire afternoon getting him water, drawing a chalk house for him, and taking his picture, because from my experience, that's what Mommy's do, take pictures of their babies.

On the same note, Mom got a new lens, which has just fueled her desire to take endless amounts of pictures of her sweet babies, aka me...and just a bit of Ethan.

Ethan started to really stand up on his own, with support, but in September, he was not interested at all in crawling. He just flips onto his stomach then bounces his legs like crazy, gets frustrated, screams wildly, and gives up. He can get a good ways using the circle spin, knee bounce move though.

Ethan found his voice, and he is so loud and quite demanding. It is practically impossible to go out to eat these days; although, we are continuing to try; he'll just have to learn, I suppose, because I love to eat out as a fam. A straw works as a momentary distraction, but Mom will have to come up with a few more creative ways to appease little, crazy man.

He started to really light up for Daddy during this month, and he is winning the old man over. Daddy always says that he would have a lot more babies if they would just come out at about 9 months old, but Mom isn't quite on that same train.

Baby brother wants everything that is mine, so things are getting a little more volatile at times. Sometimes, I let him have whatever he wants, but sometimes, no way! I think I am dreading his crawling; even though, I act like I can't wait for him to do big boy things. Once he crawls, he will really be able to get my stuff. That being said, I still love him always, even when he is trying to take off with my precious Ne-Ne.

How can you stay mad at this cute, little bear though!?

However, that little bear is a total remote thief!

The highlight of September was our family trip to Lake Chatuge over the Labor Day weekend with the Loiseaus. It was Ethan's first vacation and my first weekend slumber party. Ethan was perfect during the entire trip; I don't think he made a peep the whole time, despite missing a couple of naps. He wasn't a fan of the life jacket, but the boat put him right to sleep. In fact, he slept through pretty much his entire first boat experience. I had the best weekend of my life! We danced, we sang, we traded iPads, we played, we jumped, we chatted, we hugged, and we had a blast. I cried hysterically when Daddy first dropped me into the lake water, but in my defense, he did just plop me in, by myself, without warning. Once he got it in with me and I could hang on to him, I was okay. The best part of the weekend was the slumber party! Grayson, Parker, and I got to stay in the same room together, and although Grayson fell asleep right away, Parker and I stayed up both nights, all night long talking, giggling, and creating mischief. It was awesome, despite the million and one warnings from the parents! I can't wait to go on vacation with them again!

* Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the verb tense in this post is a bit erratic, but bear with me; this one has been written and added to over the course of 5 months, which means I don't know what the heck is going on with it!

October:
The King of all months finally arrived!

Why, pray tell, is October the King of all months...because it's my birthday month! This year, my birthday landed on a Saturday, so I got to have a whole day of celebration truly dedicated to me. When I woke up as a big 4-year-old, I followed a trail of 4's down to my first set of gifts; I blew out candles at every meal; I got to have lunch with the fam at Mellow Mushroom; I got to open gifts with Aunt Mal - she did cut the hair of one of my dolls by accident, but I forgave her; and best of all, I finally got to have my Princesses and Pirates Birthday Extravaganza! It was a party fit for a princess with games and stories and a parachute and costumes and nail painting, because every birthday princess should get her nails painted by a real princess, and piggy bank painting because I collect piggy banks and face painting and balloon animals and, most importantly, Princess Belle! She didn't quite look the same in person, but I know it was her nonetheless, and I was beside myself with excitement. In fact, the party was so incredible that it was a bit overwhelming, which was apparent from a few emotional breakdowns that I had during the event. I mean, the real Princess Belle at your party would overwhelm you too. She even sat with me during the customary birthday singing and cake cutting. It was amazing! A few of my boyfriends seemed quite taken with Belle as well. The boys were supposed to be pirates, but most of them jumped on the Spiderman train. My friends Cole and Boris and Boris' little brothers were awesome pirates though! I hope all of my friends had as much fun as I. I had so much fun that I couldn't even stop playing at the absolute brink of exhaustion, and I insisted on capping off the day with a viewing of Cinderella, which came out of the Disney vault just in time for my b-day, in my Cinderella crown. I am finally 4!!! Now, I can do whatever I want, and the first thing I wanted to do was lose the booster seat at the dinner table. Done!

Although I thought my birthday was the best ever, Mom did try to give me a run for my money when Dad whisked her away to Paris for her 31st! They had the trip of a lifetime, and Mom drug Dad to every museum possible with a tour of La Champagne to cap off their 4-day stay. I think it was definitely her best birthday ever. Happy Birthday, Mommy!

During their time away, Ethan and I got to spend 5 days with Grandma. She says it was easier than she thought it was going to be, and I thought it was super fun! We painted pumpkins with Aunt Steph, Harper, Aunt Mal, Ms. Sharon, Cameron, and Haley and spent an entire day with Aunt Steph and Harper. Grandma succeeded in toting Ethan and I to all of my weekly events, and she even let me sleep in her bed twice, which bit Mom and Dad in the butts upon their return. Grandma did an awesome job though, and although I love my Grandma so much, I did miss Mom and Dad a bit more this time. They called every day to check in on us, and during one call, Daddy got on the phone to tell me he missed me, and I insisted that "I should be talking to Mommy." That's right, when we are at home, Daddy gets all the love, but when they are away, I miss Mommy the most, probably because she never goes away, but eh, she'll take it how she can get it. For the first few days after they returned, I told Mom about 10 times a day "Mommy, I really missed you" and "Mommy, I just love you". I'm pretty sure she ate it up. To make their absence up to me, I did get some neat gifts from Paris, like my Parisian doll Alexandra, a birdie whistle, a French shirt with the words 'Forbidden to Scold' in French, a book from Musee d'Orsay, and lots of chocolate. Ethan got some goodies too: a matching shirt, a little cow, and a book from the Shakespeare and Company bookstore. Sweet Ethan was kind enough to wait until Mom and Dad got home to acquire any new skills. The day after their return, he pulled up to standing for the very first time. Mommy was so worried that she was going to miss the first time he crawled, but he held back, just for her, I think.

Okay, those were some biggies, but now, I shall honor my promise to be more brief.

Picture Day at School, which coincided with my first stye in the eye. Nothing like having a droopy eye on picture day. I hope this isn't an omen of picture day disasters to come. I still pulled off a great shot, just like a pro.

Traditional Burt's Pumpkin Patch Trip, which was Ethan's first taste of this yearly outing and picture frenzy

Our painted pumpkins turned out awesome, thanks to Grandma and Mrs. Sharon.

We got a scream-worthy box of toys and Halloween goodies from Gramma Eileen. We fought over the baby toy for awhile, but I have since relinquished it to him. Thank you, Gramma Eileen!

Cumming Fair with some of my favorite pals - The fair was a hit, and we all got to ride a ton of the rides this year. I was solely concerned about winning a stuffed animal, and Dad made it happen. My totally random, tie-dyed dolphin was even my special guest at my birthday party. I'm a stuffed animal junkie; it's the way to my heart. We went to the fair on the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Kids' Night with overwhelming anticipation for the Super Heroes Show; I even wore my cape. However, the Super Heroes Show was a super bust that left almost all of us in tears. I was almost the last of my group to insist on leaving, and I only lasted about 5 minutes before the crying began. The bad guys hit the stage first, and they were terrifying! That's okay though, for it left us with plenty more time to ride the boat again while Ethan took in every sight, sound, and Puff with utter content.

Cameron's 14th Birthday Celebration - I think it ended up being a party more for Harper, Ethan, and me, so thanks for letting us crash your family party, Cam. Still, the best part was playing video games with the birthday boy. Unbeknownst to me, he was the one actually controlling my guy, but I was thrilled to think that I had mastered the controller and won all by myself. Now, that is the sign of a truly awesome cousin! As a recap, Harper was, of course, enthralled with Ethan and Ethan's toys, as well as showing off her superior yoga skills; Ethan was enthralled with the dogs and their toys, as well as the giant beach ball; I was enthralled with Cameron and the bubbles; and Cameron and Haley were enthralled with their cell phones. Sounds about right. Harper was very intent on showing Ethan the boo-boo on her finger, and he was quite sympathetic. Happy Birthday, Cameron! We love you, especially me; call it a cousin crush if you like!

Another big birthday shout out goes to 2-year-old McKenzie Germany! We had a ball at your pink, bubble bash! Ethan even managed to sneakily swipe some of my icing, and he loved it!

Ballet and tap are going swell.

Read the shirts; it's our declaration.

    

Nothing like a game of cards with Grandma to put a smile on this face;...

although, Friday night gelato is just about as good. I think Ethan voted that his first gelato was even a little better than cards with Grandma.

Slumber parties at Grandma's are high up on that 'Nothing Like It' list, and I wake up ready to go when I know a Grandma slumber party is on the horizon.

My photography skills are getting better and better as Ethan's standing skills do the same. I just gotta get a few shots of "Ne-Ne" in as well.

We celebrated another Georgia Tech Homecoming in "downtown Atlanta, not downtown Cumming Fairgrounds" as I like to remind those who might not know. Ethan and I look mighty fine in our yellow and navy, and tailgating is a pastime I quite enjoy with the old man. What Mom isn't so keen on is Dad's old fraternity house; it's nice to visit the past, but those visits may require staying on the outside of the building from now on. Young college kids aren't always so mindful of innocent eyes and ears. We don't mind celebrating Dad's youth with him every once in awhile though. Plus, hanging with the older, college girls is definitely educational when perfecting the teenage, ugh-attitude that I've already got down pat, especially towards Mom. I also totally love playing, cheering alongside, causing chaos, and throwing a little corn hole with some of my closest friends, like Roe, McKenzie, Kylie, Molly, and Avery. Roe's baby brother, Malcolm, was down for a little tailgate partying as well. Ethan seemed to really enjoy his first homecoming too, mainly because of the food; however, Mom is bound and determined to get him to cheer for the Bulldogs since she didn't reel me in before I went to the dark side of Yellow Jacket fandom. By the way, in the pictures where I hug Ethan and then he loses it, I didn't do it...I never do it, promise.

                       

Ethan's 9-Month-Day has come and gone, and this 9-month-old has gotten quite a bit noisier and busier as the months tick by. He is still beyond adorable though!

As he rounded the 9-month milestone, Ethan got to start trying some easy solids, like Puffs and bits of cheese, bread, and fruits. He is obsessed with any and all baby snacks, like the baby Puffs and Mumm Rice Cakes, about which Mom isn't crazy, but he is so insistent and goes so nuts when he wants a Puff, that Mom usually gives in. He has a definite opinion on everything these days, and he lets that opinion be known, especially when it comes to food. Goodbye to the days of easygoing, just going along for the ride, baby Ethan. He is a smart little man too, just like his big sister. He easily mastered the sippy cup in no time, and for those of you keeping score, I never mastered the sippy cup and eventually had to move to cups with straws. He also thinks that the fruit net, from which he gets to suck the juice from bits of cantaloupe or pineapple, is the best invention ever, along with the spoon, which he doesn't actually use to pick anything up. Both have become two more great restaurant distractions.

He may have mastered the sippy cup, but he cannot figure out the walker. However, that may be because I have yet to give him a chance to figure it out; it's fun for both of us if I just push him around in it like it's my own little car and he's my passenger.

With age comes a plethora of emotions that can change at the drop, or a donning, of a hat.

One thing that always makes him smile for sure is the park, for he is an outdoor baby! He got to swing for the first time this month, and he loves it! He mainly likes the wind when it blows really hard, which makes him giggle uncontrollably. He also likes to play on the "big kid stuff"; with a cool big sister like me, he is dying to be a big kid too. I am always there to give my baby brother a little sisterly push when he needs it until he is big enough to do the big kid things on his own. "I'm just a really, really good big sister."

When the weather won't cooperate to let us enjoy the outdoors, we'll settle for an indoor setup, like the mall playground.

One of his funniest new tricks is the head bounce, which he really gets into. He'll also lay his head down to the side when we were are at the dinner table if you say, "Goodnight, Ethan". Too cute!

Ethan and Mom's gym routine is going strong; although, the car breakfast is getting a bit messy. After being worn out at the gym, he is always ready to pass out cold, even sitting up, which doesn't look very comfortable to me. He is none too pleased when he has to get woken up to pick me up from school either. Gotta do your little brother duties, little bro.

At Ethan's 9-month checkup, we made the discovery that the nurse did measure incorrectly during the previous checkup, and Ethan isn't quite as tall as we thought. The doctor seemed a bit concerned by his lack of growth until she realized that the measurements last time were a little off. Our little man is currently 29.2 inches long, which puts him in the 75th percentile for height, and he weighs about 19.6 pounds, which keeps in the 30 - 35th percentile for weight. His chubby cheeks and arms throw most people off; in actuality, he is a skinny, little thing, which should be changing soon with his recent Puff binges. Everything looked great; he barely cried for his shots, and we got my flu mist out of the way at the same time. I strangely begged for the shot, probably because I wanted a Band aid too. Either way, we both needed a hug at the end. Hopefully, Ethan will now get a doctor break until he turns 1.

On October 29, Ethan crawled, just a wee bit, for the first time, but you'll have to wait until the November section to get the full crawling lowdown. Here is a glimpse from his first day of crawling though.

An adorable baby can never have too many awww-inspiring hats.

As always, October ended with one of the best holidays ever created, Halloween! I was a fairy princess; Ethan was a frog; Mom was a graveyard prom queen; Dad was a banana, and we all had a sugar-fueled, hopping good time trick-or-treating in Madden's neighborhood. To say that our group has multiplied slightly over the years is quite the understatement! Now, we older ones have got the trick-or-treating thing down. The loop of houses that took us 2, exhausting hours last year was finished in 30 minutes this year. My friends and I basically sprinted from door to door while the little ones strolled along for the trip, and then we all partied the night away at Madden's. Ms. Josie even painted our faces with Halloween decor. Ethan was thoroughly pleased with his first taste of pizza, which has become his all-time favorite for now, and his first lick of lollipop, as well as getting fawned over by some beautiful ladies, so it seems to have been quite the evening for all. He also got his first Halloween card, all of which he enjoyed greatly and part of which he ate. Parker and I stuck together like glue during the festivities, and the grownups even got in on the Halloween fun. Ah, and the love between the dead prom queen and the banana is a tale as old as time. (Thanks, Aunt Steph!) Hope your Halloween was just as super and sugary as ours!

Man, we had to get in some much-needed lounging time after a month like that!

November: