Sugar Rush - Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! Norah's first Trick-or-Treating experience was a total success! After a 5 minute meltdown about putting on the tutu, she was bribed with chocolate and ready to head out! Our version of Olivia the Pig (which is her current obsession, books, movie, dolls, you name it, Olivia is where it's AT!): 

She rode in the stroller for a few streets, and wouldn't say Trick Or Treat at any houses, but once she got the hang of it girlfriend went running from house to house clutching shiny wrapped candy in each little mittened paw. She said Thank You to everyone, and loved getting to sneak in a "pat-pat" to anyone's dogs who would allow it! 

She had a preview of what was to come last Friday when Pinckney hosted a Spooktacular in the Park with "trunk or treating", and we went down to give the whole costume thing a trial run. She loved it! 

Not so sure about going in the straw maze, but watching other kids run was fun too

Enjoying some "pop pop" and having a little rest

"mmm nummy!" 

I am just loving seeing the experiences of childhood from the side of being her mama lately.  I could not stop smiling tonight as we walked around my own childhood neighborhood and knocked on the same doors and stood on the same porches to say trick-or-treat to some of the same neighbors (and many new ones)  that I did growing up. Watching my girl fly from lawn to lawn and smile with glee at the prospect of a totally new experience like Trick-or-Treating is one of the things I imagined all those years before being her mama, and it is all better than I could have ever anticipated. I hope to craft a childhood experience for her that is carefree, happy, safe, and imaginative. A space that when she looks back from her own view as a mama someday she will remember with glowing memories and smile her own ear to ear grin reliving.  

I hope you all had a happy Halloween!  This is one mama who is so excited for all of the holiday festivities to come in the next 2 months! Can't wait to create more traditions and memories with our girl! 

So, so behind...

I'm beyond overdue for a post...I know it.  We've packed and moved since the last update, and I only just plugged the computer back in after being at my Mom's for the past 2 weeks...Let's just say life is busy and exhausting! But, that's not unique to us or news to any of you, just the lame-o explanation for lack of posting over here.

Dexter Cider Mill

Norah's doing great! She is 17 months now, and is every bit a full blown toddler. She has so many new words and expressions, I couldn't even count them anymore if I tried. She's been saying two word sentences (things like "bye mama", "two puppies", "more please") for a while, and I'm so curious as to what the first three word sentence will be...hopefully something appropriate because she is into repeating whatever she hears now! Time to watch the language over here ;)

Bird bath at Grandma's is fascinating, and she points it out every day saying "Ucky Wata" (yucky water). She's also looking in the sky at an airplane here, and she usually waves and says "Hi Ah-pane" when they go by. 

She did a somersault the other night and wouldn't stop after she figured out what she did - it's her new trick and she loves it! I see some gymnastics classes in her future!

We are loving the fall - the colors are absolutely brilliant this year, which is a surprise to me given how hot and dry the summer was, but I love it nonetheless! We've been to the Dexter Cider Mill and Norah enjoyed her first cider mill cinnamon donut, and of course she loved it (how could you not?).  I'm working on her Halloween costume slowly - it's nothing major this year because I didn't think she'd leave a costume on for long and didn't want to spend a ton of time or $$ on a short lived novelty. She's going to be Olivia the Pig, which she adores.  Photos of that to come soon!

First taste of a cider mill donut

She kept asking for "more please!"

The girl is obsessed with busses - she points them out when we see them driving or if she hears one go by.  She can answer "what color is a school bus" with "ell-oh" and she loves to take a turn behind the wheel when she gets the chance. 

We went to the Harvest Festival at the Child Care Center and Norah got to see and pet some baby animals. She was NOT sure about the goats, but she did like the cow and the piglet.  She kept her distance though, unless she had a grip on one of us. 

I scraped my leg pretty well moving and have had quite the healing scar for a few weeks, and Norah has spied this. She was very concerned when I told her I had a boo-boo, and that it hurt but I was ok. She is now very interested in talking about "hurt" and "ow" and pulls up her pant cuff to look for her own boo-boo. So interesting how toddlers absorb all of the things in the world around them, and what they can remember day to day.

Overall, life is good. We are exhausted from moving, not sleeping enough, and trying to fit in all of the enjoyable things around us, but we are so lucky to have family here who loves us and helps us out when we need. Hopefully I'll be better about posting more often again, now that we are getting settled and the computer is plugged in again (that usually helps!). Looking forward to enjoying the rest of my favorite month and Halloween, followed by the glorious holiday season. I'm really just wanting a simple, relaxed holiday time this year, and want to enjoy Norah in her littleness for the time being. Excited to see what she thinks of some of the fun Christmas things in store for her now that she is more interactive than last year. So much fun to look forward to!