Hot Hot Hot Chocolate

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

I just watched Polar Express for the first time last week and I can't think of hot chocolate without that song! Bowie loved his hot treat. But loved the whipped cream more. Just like his mama.

Unfortunately, Bowie has been sick for three days so we did not get to do our final photos for teh advent calendar. A big IOU to the grandfolks. But it will be worth it. I promise!

About to travel to Chicago to visit the inlaws. I am very sad that it looks like we'll get no snow. I may convince Chris to chase it if it is anywhere semi-near. Merry Christmas everyone!

The Hat I Knit My Son

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17



Day 18

I knit my first hat. And it turned out okay I think. Bowie rejected it the first time I showed it to him. But he happily wore it for over an hour at the capitol grounds when we took these photos. He'd be doing somersaults and the hat would slide off and he'd ask me to fix it. I hope to make ones for my neice and nephew.

His Pleasure

Day 13

Day 14

Oh my boy. He thinks it's very funny to stick out his tongue, blow raspberries, and is really enjoying potty humor. Lots of talk about poop. He also is loving rhyming words. Dr Seuss style with totally nonsensical, madeup words is his pleasure.

Also, for those that have asked, I promise to take some pictures of my advent calendar photo album and explain it a bit.

Wreath from the Grandfolks

Day 11

Day 12

Bowie has been doing on alot of sucking on his lips and fingers. That last 2nd year molar is descending. Finally an end in sight to teething.

Baking Date

Last week our friend Carolyn invited us over for a cookie baking date. Bowie and his friends Oslo and Daniel rolled the peanut butter dough in sugar and sprinkles. Bowie then unwrapped just about all of the chocolate kisses after eating one. I was so pleasently amazed that he was satisfied by that one and didn't ask or sneak another one at all. He really loves cooking and helps Chris with baking almost every weekend. The peanut butter blossoms turned out wonderfully and it was great fun. Thank you Carolyn!

Day 9

Day 10

I took these photos outside of a little shopping center. There is a wonderful shop called Rootin Ridge where a husband and wife handmake wooden toys. There is a little workroom in this itty bitty shop with huge window . A riser is in front of it so children can watch them work. Bowie was fascinated watching a table and chairs be sanded and vacuumed clean. If you are looking for something special and handmade check them out!

http://www.rootinridge.com/

Strawberry Lolli

Day 7

Day 8

Well, Bowie is totally and completely initiated into the world of sweets. Halloween. The candy advent calendar from the grandfolks. And the photo shoots. But he is brushing his teeth more often! I don't think of it as a bribe but as a consequence...if he cares for his teeth he can eat things that aren't so healthy for his teeth; if he doesn't brush, he can't have additional sugars because nutrition is a component of good dental health. Plus, it really is a darling thing to share things that I love; and boy do I love sweets!

I had hoped taht he'd slowly savor this all natural and quite costly lollipop like he did for last year's advent photos. But he just chomped through it in no time!

The Most Handsome Santa

Day 5

Day 6

Santa's Milk and Cookies

Day 3

Day 4

Bowie dressed as Santa eating his milk and cookies. I bought this little Santa suit half off last year after the holidays planning on it making it's appearance in the advent calendar this year. I wasn't sure what to do with it though, but Bowie helped me with the idea of him eating Santa's milk and cookies. SO FUN that he is participating in this with me.

Christmas Advent Calendar Time!

Our third year of making advent calendar photo albums for the grandfolks. This year I promise to make one for myself!!!! Here are the first two days. Bowie and I went hiking at Wild Basin ona warm and overcast day for two hours in these adorable lederhosen that my mom found thrift storing. These are really from Germany and true suede, the real deal. SO cute.

When I Don't Take Photos

I have a terrible photographic addiction. To the point of returning from a marvelous, perfect, dreamy family/friend holiday campout and feeling sad that I didn't take enough pictures. That I woke up from nap just at the golden hour and that it was time to cook dinner. That Chris waded all the way across the river and I could see beauitful naked Bowie skipping rocks with his Papa, but that I was too far away to get a shot. That my gorgeous little 7 week old nephew bravely took his first camping trip with grace and I didn't get a single, not ONE!, photo of him.

Photos are how I reflect on my life and the people I share it with. When I don't have these images as proof of my love and joy, I feel sad for awhile.

Baby Teeth

Bowie is getting his last baby tooth. His upper right 2-year molar. It poked through the gun a smidge while we were camping. He's having a hard time staying asleep at night the past few days, which is unusal. HOW did it finally get here that he USUALLY sleeps through the night? Amazing how fast the phases pass. Amazing that my babe who was once toothless and soft gummed quite nearly has a mouth full of teeth. Sharp, long teeth according to Bowie.

Happy Thanksgiving

We have just returned from Garner State Park. Chris and I have camped out 7 of the past 8 Thanksgivings. The last 3 with Bowie. Our familes almost always join us and now we are camping with friends as well. It is a dream come true. I may have written here before how much I love camping, how I grew up camping, how I feel it is a precious gift that I give to Bowie that he have these freeing and frequent trips out of our daily city life. And that we can share this with our parents, my sister and her family, and now the families we are raising our son with makes it all the more precious.

Homebodies

Bowie and I have been spending a lot of time at home recently. And taking spontaneous trips to the children's museum. library, skating ramp which means we've been loners. It's totally his wish right now. This seems to be part of a cycle for him. There simply times when he wants to be home and just family if we do go on outtings. Seems to be during times when he is working through social lessons. And he learns so much during these times, socially and academiically since we are one on one and creative with our activities at home, and because we read the smae books over and over again.

Skeleton Family

BOO! We had a great Halloween. Bowie went trick or treating for the first time. The first house gave him one little bag of m&ms and he sat down in their lawn and ate it, piece by piece there! He loved it. We had prepped him for trading his halloween candy with the halloween fairy (had even found a little book about it at Halp Price Books). When we got in the car to come home, he started crying out of the blue saying he didn't want the fairy to take his candy away. We said he'd only trade if he wanted to. He did end up putting two babe ruths (out of about a total of a dozen candies) out on the porch for the fairy without any coaxing.

I am really impressed that he wasn't afraid. Last weekend we went to a Dia de los Luertos festival and he wasn't frightened there either. He watched me put my makeup on from start to finish. But he didn't want any on, which I'm sure was just as well since we literally crashed a church's fall festival when Bowie got into their bouncy house. (I was trying to hide the beer I was drinking during our trick or treating, hee hee!)

Pumpkin "Farm"

We drove out to Swwet Berry Farms on Saturday last weekend (they are a farm but don't grow pumpkins). I had put it off waiting for cooler weather and the weekdays had been wonderfully chilly, but Saturday was less than autumnal. We sought out shade, especially since Destiny's family was with us, inlcuding 8 day old Pablo! Oh, I am amazed by how well they are all doing. As my friend Michele said, "Some people make it look easy." Honey sure was happy to get her ya-yas out with Bowie. They ran and ran, and climbed pumpkin mounds, and slid off the haybale, and painted pumpkins, and ate freshmade, churned ice cream (we adults all went for the pumkin while the kids chose strawberry), pulled wagons. They have so much energy. I have so little.

By the way, I'm feeling lots better. He's such a wonderful, funny, sweet boy. And I am a strong mama that will help him through this...(that's what I keep telling myself)

Sometimes it's Hard Too

I am personally having a bit of a hard time. Bowie is teething his upper 2 year molars. And never napping. I sleep on his bed next to him and wake up to him whispering, playing and reading. It's sweet, I get to nap, but he sure needs to nap as well.

And he hurt his friend Friday. Bleeding and bruised on the head by a stick thrown in very close proximity. I cried and cried all night. I was so mad at him and so disappointed in myself for not raising a totally pacifist child and afraid of the future. And so upset with myself for being so shaken; I mean it is normal and natural.

Happy Birthday Honey

Happy Birthday Honey. Isn't she stunning. She's a great big sister already. And a fiery darling. Des finished sewing Honey's gorgeous birthday dress the day she went into labor with Pablo! I am always awed by my sister. Love her so and wish her great happiness.

Birthday Masks

Des and Paul had a great idea for Honey's birthday party- decorating masks. The kids seemed to really love the activity and we were all impressed by how they turned out. Isn't Honey just a lovely four year old?

Pablo

Pablo was born this morning, Friday the 13th, at about 12:30am at my parent's home in Driftwood. It was a shot labor (4 hours) and everyone is beautifully healthy.

Des Called Between Contractions

My sister is about to birth her first son. We all thought it'd be Saturday (Honey's birthday). But it may just be the day before. Or two days, if he comes really quickly! I'm off to be there...

Storyteller

Storyteller, originally uploaded by autumn fawn.

i had forgotten that he called himself this. he put that stool in the middle of the carpet, chose his books, told me the stories as well as he could remember or interpret through the drawings, and he called himself a stoyrteller. for an hour afterwards, he asked, "aren't i a great storyteller?" or congratulated himself on being a great storyteller.

this is one of the reasons i am so addicted to photographs. i had forgotten, and this photo with his finger pointing, brought that memory back to me. i so want to cherish these moments but they can get lost. and found.

The House Where Papa Grew Up

Last weekend we went to visit Chris' parents. They still live in the house where they raised their two boys. We sleep in the room that Chris shared with his brother their whole childhoods, until Peter left for college. It is lovely and comforting to be in such a lived in home. Bowie read many books that were read to Chris. Bowie played the family piano. Very sweet.

Have Board, Will Skate

We foudn this today for $3.99 at Saver's (plus I had a $5 off coupon). Couldn't resist it. Especially since Bowie has such grand daring designs.

Last night Bowie revealed his plans for the greatest trip ever. He said that he wanted to parachute (yes, he really said parachute) from a plane, to a diving board, then jump down to a trampoline and skateboard, then jump into a pool. Honestly.