Bleeding Purple and Gold

We took a family trip down to Baton Rouge for the LSU/Auburn game last weekend. I'll just say - it was a LONG drive there and back (9 hours each way) with a 15 month old. :) I'd like to say a special "thank you" to Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, A Bugs Life, the Jungle Book, and Over the Hedge - we couldn't have made this trip without you!

Tailgating on Saturday was fun - just exhausting trying to keep up with Luke. He crawled around in the dirt, tried to eat acorns, and narrowly avoided sitting in an ant hill. We brought his little wagon so he could "walk" with it, and walk he did! He ran all around with that thing charging full speed into large groups of tailgaters! Luckily he didn't break anyone's ankles and everyone seemed to be amused by the tiny wagon-pusher.

(Luke trying on Dad's hat):





After tailgating for a couple of hours, Luke was starting to get a little squirmy so we took a trip over to the bookstore to get some loot. Since it was so crowded, I sat outside with Luke while Andie ran in. Within minutes, Luke fell asleep in my arms. The two of us were sitting on a little bench - there were hundreds of people around and it was really loud - not exactly perfect sleeping conditions! Everyone that walked by was "ooooh-ing" and "awwww-ing" at the precious sleeping child - apparently we were quite a spectacle amongst the tailgating crowd. I knew that this was his only opportunity to sleep all day, so I just sat there with him (and got in lots of good people-watching!) while he snoozed for an hour. :)

The trip was a lot of fun, but I'm not gonna lie... I'm happy to be back home!

(the fam!):

Pumpkin Patch

46 degrees. wet. muddy. miserable.

I had big hopes of getting cute fall photos with Luke - but instead, we left after about 10 minutes. Seriously... too cold!!

Checking out the farm animals (Luke referred to the goats as "dogs"):





Pumpkins sitting in the mud:

"Mom, it is freezing out here! Can we go now?!":

Utensils

Mealtimes can be such a rollercoaster of emotions! Happy, sad, frustrating, hilarious...

Don't get me wrong, Luke is an excellent eater - not too picky at all. He likes a wide variety of foods and even enjoys trying new things. So, my complaint is not with the intake of food, but the method of feeding.

I'm talking about the use of utensils. More specifically, Luke using his own utensils.

I hate to admit it, but I've been a slacker at teaching him how to feed himself with utensils. He does great using his fingers and things just get SO MESSY with utensils (I realize how funny that sounds... things are messier with utensils than fingers - but with fingers the food goes right from hand to mouth, with utensils, food gets thrown all over the kitchen).

He tries really hard to use his spoon and he totally knows that he needs to scoop food from his plate and put the spoon in his mouth. He goes through the motions and usually manages not to get anything on the spoon. If he does actually get a few peas on there, the motion from "scoop" to "insert in mouth" will somehow be accompanied by a "flip" and he'll turn the spoon over (dumping out its contents) before it arrives safely in his mouth.

I know what you are thinking... try something that sticks to the spoon a little better - maybe oatmeal or yogurt. Well, done and done. True, he does manage to get a few tastes of oatmeal in his mouth, but the entire area will inevitably get covered with sticky goo as well - tray, bib, table, floor, me, him (not ideal when trying to get out the door in a timely manner during the week!). :)

I do want him to get in some practice with the spoon, but more than that, I want him to actually eat his meal! After 15 minutes of him feeding himself, not only is the kitchen a disaster, but my boy is still hungry!

I suppose it is sweet to watch him try so hard, but for some reason it is so frustrating for me sometimes. I just want to reach over and say "no, you are doing it all wrong... THIS is how you do it". Isn't that terrible?! Deep breath... patience....

So, I've been working hard on trying to relax and let him figure out utensils and new eating methods. That's right, I looked the other way when he threw a spoonful of oatmeal on the floor. I just smiled when he put pieces of buttered toast (butter side down) in his hair. I bit my tongue and just grabbed the cleaning wipes when pushed his entire plate of food off of the tray while chasing around corn kernels with his fork. He's trying. And that is good.

I think he's starting to make a little bit of improvement. He had some oatmeal the other morning and did a pretty good job with it. He was able to get a couple of really good scoops to stick on the spoon and make it into his mouth. Sometimes at dinner he'll let me assist by putting some food on the fork for him, then he'll take it from my hand and put it in his mouth. Other times he'll get frustrated, scream, and throw the fork behind his chair. Hey, nobody is perfect, right?

I don't have any recent "eating" photos to accompany this topic, so here are just some pics of the little guy playing:

the Knitty Gritty

I'm back!!! Back to knitting, that is! I've been feeling "crafty" these days and have been itching for a fun project, so I dusted off my knitting needles and got back in the game.

Just to clarify, I am BY NO MEANS a professional knitter. Basically, on a whim, I bought a knitting book a few years ago and taught myself how to do it.

My very first project was a simple scarf. This little scarf actually ended up being pretty pricey as I bought really nice, super soft alpaca yarn.

The scarf turned out really well and I wear it all the time! I only made one small mistake - somehow I missed a stitch when I was about halfway done, so one half of the scarf is one stich smaller than the rest. You really can't tell though - you have to look pretty hard to find the error.

My next project was a striped scarf using this funky, curly yarn and much bigger needles.

I started this project about 2 years ago, completed 90% of the scarf, and hadn't picked it up since then!

So, my first order of business is to finish this scarf (which I can probably do tonight) then get started on something new!

I'm thinking I might do one more scarf (I love scarfs!) before I try something a little more complex. With my first scarf, I learned how to cast on stitches, perfect the knit stitch, and bind off my work when completed. With the second scarf, I learned how to use different balls of yarn to create colored stripes. With my third scarf, I would like to do a knit and purl combo to make a ribbed scarf. Fancy, yes!

Once I get three scarfs under my belt, I think I'll venture on to trying a hat!

Did I also mention that I really, really want to get a sewing machine?? Because I do. Imagine the possibilities! I could make curtains, throw pillows, monogram things (yes, I want a super expensive sewing machine!), quilts... I'm really channeling my inner domestic diva these days!

Fun with Friends

Lucky us - we got a brief visit from the Barnsby's on Thursday and Sunday this week! They were en route to Chicago and were able to stay the night with us both days (on the way there and back).

It was fun to let the boys play together - they hadn't seen each other in a couple of months.

Luke showing Andrew how to push the buttons on the truck:



Andrew - the Entertainer, Luke - the Observer



fun, fun!

(also, congrats to Scott for completing his first marathon in 3 hours and 9 minutes!! What an accomplishment!)

Ready for Fall

"Dress Like a Farmer Day" at school:

Consignment Shopping

Two of my co-workers, Angela and Laura, have opened my eyes to the consignment world. It has totally revolutionized my way of shopping for baby clothes!! If you have kids and you are not consignment shopping, you DEFINITELY should check it out!!

I've been to two consignment sales to stock up for fall/winter clothes for Luke. Just to give you an idea of the savings, at the last sale I spent $42. Normally, I'd drop $42 at the Carter's store and come away with maybe a couple pairs of jammies. Or maybe two onesies and a pair of pants (if items were on sale!).

What can you get for $42 at a consignment sale? Let me tell you: 1 pair of overalls, 3 long-sleeved jammies, 5 pairs of pants, 1 short-sleeved collared shirt, 4 long-sleeved shirts, 1 heavy jacket, 1 hoodie, 1 sweater, 1 zip-up sweater, 1 long-sleeved button-up shirt, 4 long-sleeved collared shirts, and 2 books. Seriously! All that stuff for $42!!

I should also mention that it is good quality, name-brand items: Carters, BabyGap, Old Navy, etc.

I'm in love with consignment shopping!!

Gameday: LSU vs. UGA

* please note: Luke has bites all over his face. Most likely he got attacked on the playground at school (one of the teachers had some bites too).

Bachelorettes & Babies

Last weekend was my first official trip away from Luke - 3 days / 2 nights in Destin, Florida with 13 girls. It was so much fun to have a little getaway!

I could go on and on about this group of girls - we've all been friends for at least 14 years - some of us longer (ok, with the exception of Candice - but she fit right in!). It is so amazing that we've all stayed so close through the years! Among the group, 3 girls are married with kids, 1 is married and pregnant, 1 is married with no kids, 1 is engaged (hint, the bachelorette), 3 are dating someone, and 4 are single. So, needless to say, we are all in different stages of our lives, but still just as close as ever!

Not only do I just love these girls, I love growing and changing with these girls. It is hilarious to think about how far we've come in the evolution of the bachelorette party. Several years ago, our bachelorette parties were pretty classic: a troop of girls got all dolled up - the bride was decked out in a gawdy veil, as much penis paraphernalia as possible, and a suck-for-a-buck shirt - we'd hit the club scene, drink as much as possible, take as many shots as possible, and dance the night away. Throughout the years, we've managed to party in Destin, Birmingham, Nashville, Atlanta, and Huntsville. We've gone to countless clubs, a gay bar, a drag show, and a couple of Sugar and Spice parties. Trust us, we KNOW how to to a bachelorette party!

As the years have gone by, not only have we all gotten a little older, but our idea of a party has matured as well. And for this, I am grateful! :)

Rather than one night of crazy drinking, we maximized our entire Destin trip. Marianne took care of all the planning and we were fully prepared in the condo - from lunch on the beach to breakfast in the morning, our refrigerater was stocked. We had beer, champagne, wine, snacks - even Pepto Bismol.

Friday night, we all arrived at various times of the afternoon/evening. We sat out on the balcony of the condo with drinks and gossiped until about 1am.

Saturday morning, we all got up bright and early to hit the beach. It was so fun to spend the day bobbing around in the ocean on a beautiful sunny day with a beer in hand and friends at your side.

(margaritas anyone?)

That night, we had a lovely lingerie shower for Meghan...


...then headed out to McGuires for dinner. At dinner, we probably became the first people ever to fully utilize the giant lazy-susan in the middle of our table. We took "fun" to a new level when we all put our cameras on the susan, facing outward, 10-second timers set, then gave it a whirl to see whose lovely mugs got captured by each camera. That's just the kind of goofy, silly fun that we like to have!


Once our bellies were full, we hit our final destination, a piano bar. I'd be lying if I said that we stayed out past midnight. We all had so much fun though! During the night, we did manage to get out on the dance floor and shake it to Baby Got Back (Laura's request, I believe). Yeah, we've still got it!

In the morning, we had a baby shower for Marianne. It was a great shower and I was most impressed with the attention to detail - diaper cake, gourmet breakfast, and bakery cookies! Marianne got some great baby essentials and lots of fun books for the little one.


It was such a wonderful weekend in honor of two amazing girls - Meghan and Marianne! Yay for Bachelorettes and Babies!!