Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and More Pumpkins!

Yesterday, we went with some friends to a pumpkin patch! It was so much fun! Anna Claire couldn't get over just how many pumpkins were within reach! There was face painting, pumpkins, a petting zoo, pumpkins, little riding tractors, pumpkins, a cotton patch, pumpkins....and yes, you guessed it...more pumpkins! Now, living in the South, we don't really have "Fall" and it was almost 90 degrees yesterday as we were on our hunt for a good pumpkin! This will explain Anna Claire's lack of fall attire!

Come Shower With Us...

Look closely at the picture above. You will see: a water hose, an opened bar of soap (on the right window ledge), and our church building. Let's put these clues together to figure out that a homeless person has been using our water hose to shower in the evenings. Now, we only have witnesses to one incident, so let's hope this is not a nightly practice for said person.

This and That

The other night, we went to dinner and Barnes and Noble. Kerstin and Brad were off looking at books in various parts of the store, so I took AC to the kids' area to see what we could find. She immediately started trying to climb out of her stroller, saying "Out, Mommy, Out!" and I noticed she was pointing at the train table. So, I let her get out of her stroller and play with the trains. She was thrilled! She quickly figured out that she could put one on the train cars on this bridge, give it a little push and it would go down the track and around the corner in a flash. She would push the train and then run around the track to watch it go! This entertained her for a while until another kid showed up, and she wasn't too sure about him.

Anna Claire has decided that any time she walks past the baker's rack in the kitchen, she needs to pull off these two cookbooks. There are many to chose from, but she always brings these two to me and informs me that they are "Gigi's books!" Well right. When we first moved in, I told Anna Claire that Gigi had written the blue cookbook she is holding, and I guess since the A&M cookbook is similar is shape, Anna Claire thinks it belongs to Gigi as well.
A growing animals update: The frog is about to take over our house. I wake up thinking I hear him calling from the kitchen that he not comfortable in his current living conditions. The cat is just odd, but then again, most cats are. The turtle is about to grow out of the shell....how do you explain a naked turtle? Hmmm....
And finally, in true Anna Claire fashion, as I am cleaning up a mess, she is making one! Yesterday was no exception. I was straightening the kitchen, and Anna Claire found it necessary to pull out every piece of Tupperware she could find. And I wonder why I can never find a lid and dish to match.

Random

There is no creative title to accompany this post because...well...it's just too random. I haven't updated in several days, so just get ready.
First things first...Gigi sent Anna Claire 3 new "put it in water and watch it grow" animals (remember the duck??)! Anna Claire was THRILLED! Our new animals include a frog, a turtle, and a cat. The turtle is, by far, the cutest because he is only a shell, until you put him in water and his little head and legs pop out....ha! The frog and cat are a bit scary after spending a couple of days in the water, I'm not going to lie. They look odd. Check 'em out.



This next picture is soley for Kerstin's sister because I think she will appreciate it! Here is Kerstin working on her new hair style...flat iron and all.
Before going out to eat the other night, Anna Claire and I took advantage of the fact that we now have sidewalks on which to take a walk! Anna Claires loves to be outside. She even stopped to feed the (fake) bunny that sits in our little side yard on our way to take a walk. The purse she is carrying is one that her Aunt Ro-Ro and Grandpa bought for her. It has a belt that goes around the waist and a leash that attaches to it. Greatness. Right now, we're just working on keeping the purse on.

After our walk, we played in the backyard with sidewalk chalk. Anna Claire likes to lay on the ground and have one of us trace around her. On this particular day, she decided to try it herself. Not so successful, but it made for a cute picture.
Can you say she enjoyed her chocolate chip cookie?
On Saturday, we were adventurous and went downtown to the Red Stick Farmers' Market. The first Saturday of the month, they also have arts and crafts booths. The farmers' market was a bit disappointing - a few tomatoes and cucumbers here and there, but there were lots of neat arts and crafts. Oh, and the Smith Creamery was there, selling the best milk I've ever tasted, and I don't even really like milk!


While out on the town on Saturday morning, I picked up some pumpkins for Anna Claire to decorate. She switches between her left and right hands, but just look at the concentration on her face. Please also notice in the second picture how she is sticking out her tongue....that's Gigi coming out in her!

And finally....the Centennial. Yesterday, the Nazarene Church celebrated 100 years as a denomination. We had a big service, lunch on the grounds, and an afternoon celebration. Here's a cute picture of Anna Claire and some of her friends. I guess someone else caught AC's attention just as I was taking the picture. Lovely. And the cakes....no church celebration is complete without good 'ol cake from Sam's!

A New Look

Kerstin has been talking about wanting to cut her hair...and today, she did it! Her new style is SO cute!

Spa Treatment and the Retreat

Friday morning, we were rushing around trying to get out the door, and I noticed Anna Claire's feet were black on the bottom and needed a little scrubbing. So, I let her soak them in the sink. Well, she thought this was the ultimate spa treatment! Ha! Nothing beats eating breakfast while having your feet washed.

This weekend, Brad and I went to our district church retreat - Ministers and Mates - and we had a great time! It was in Vicksburg, MS, and we were able to spend some good time with our other friends on the district.

The Big Switch...

We have officially spent 2 nights in our new home, and all is well! We were determined to stay there Wednesday night, so before heading to church, we filled our van with one last load. When we were taking apart Anna Claire's crib to move it, we made the executive decision to set it back up in her new room as a toddler bed. The first night, she fell asleep in the car, so we put her in bed already asleep and she didn't know the difference (until the next morning when she awoke and was thrilled at the idea of being able to get out of bed all by herself)! Night 1: Last night was a different story. I had her all ready for bed, and she willingly climbed up into her "big girl bed". I turned out the light, closed the door, and walked out. She was quiet for a few minutes until she started knocking on the door and calling out my name. She then started sliding her pacifiers under the door and into the hallway. I let this go for a few minutes, and then I picked up the pacifiers, went in her room, and we had a little chat. I told her that she needed to lay down and sleep and I would come back in a few minutes to check on her. 20 minutes passed, and her room was quiet...maybe a little too quiet. I slowly opened the door, and she was not in her bed. I looked over and this is what I saw..... ...our little darling sound asleep in her chair. Melt my heart. I picked her up and placed her in her bed.
Here are a couple of random videos from the past two days. Anna Claire has started singing songs. She makes them up, but when you ask her to sing, she is always ready for a song! Yes, she is her father's child!*grin* (You will need to pause the music on the blog to hear her singing. You can do this by going to the left sidebar of the blog and pressing the "pause" button on the music.)

Also, Anna Claire's new favorite 'treat' is a mint. Last night, she hit the jackpot when I came out of Target with two bags of mints (and yes, Gigi, they are sugar free)! She even did a little song and dance for the mints.