'Tis the Season

Week before last, we finally got our Christmas tree. It is a great size/shape but it is pretty dried out already and has hardly any scent. Hopefully it lasts through the holiday! Marshall also helped his Grammy Mary Ann and Poppy John pick out their tree. Lucky Marshall has gotten to make two gingerbread houses this season. Very messy, very cute!

Conversing

For some reason, Marshall has taken to saying, "What'd you say?" in response to EVERYTHING. I am repeating myself all day long. I'm not sure if he is no longer paying attention or has actually lost his ability to hear!

We had a rather comical, albeit frustrating, conversation this morning. An excerpt:

Him: What do I want for a snack?
Me: I don't know. What do you want for a snack?
Him: Ask me.
Me: Um, I just did.
Him (screaming): Ask me what I want!!!!
Me: I'll ask if you stop yelling at me.
Him (politely): Ask me what I want for a snack.
Me: What would you like for a snack today?
Him: What'd you say?

Marshall has taken to talking like he is reading out of a book. He loves to read, so I guess this shouldn't be surprising. Yesterday, as he was playing with his trains he said, "I am a really useful engine, puffed Thomas." This morning, as Chris was getting some blueberries out of the freezer, Marshall yelled, "No, those are my berries, I shouted loudly to daddy."

Silly Boy

I recently tried to take some photos of Marshall to give to the family and to use for our Christmas cards. These days it is impossible to get him to look at the camera AND smile, as evidenced below.

Excessive Cheese

I love cheese. I eat it every day, incorporated into just about every meal. With the upcoming holiday meals, I seem to have amassed an abnormal amount of cheese, even for my standards. My current inventory:

• block of white cheddar
• package of grated Parmesan
• package of shredded mozzarella
• 2 packages of shredded jack/cheddar
• package of cream cheese
• package of sliced provolone
• package of sliced muenster
• container of feta
• 4 packages of Laughing Cow light (love that Costco carries this!)

Big Boy Room

Weekend before last we re-did Marshall's room. He requested blue walls so Chris repainted. We moved the dresser and desk from the guest room to Marshall's room and bought Marshall a twin bed. The transition has gone mostly well. Now that he has the freedom to roam, Marshall has been getting a little less sleep but thankfully he still naps every afternoon. This week he has been waking up exceptionally early (5:30 today), which I'm hoping we can curb before the time change this weekend. YAWN!

Out with the old

In with the new

The guest room during the transition...YIKES

Halloween

As to be expected, October was filled with Halloween related activities. We spent an afternoon at the pumpkin patch during a heat wave (90+ degrees), which felt a little incongruous for autumn. Marshall picked out some decorative little pumpkins and gourds, played in a huge lima bean pit, and ran through the hay bale mazes with his friends. We also went on a train ride and the kids got to milk pretend cows. Marshall's exuberant reaction to that activity was, "mama, that cow is PEEING!" An entertaining outing for us all.

The week before Halloween we went to the city to trick-or-treat at Grammy Mary Ann's office. She and her co-workers all had candy and cars for Marshall at their desks. We didn't carve pumpkins until Halloween day but had a fun time deciding on silly faces with my mom, who came to town for a nice long visit. On Halloween evening, my friend Aundria hosted a chili dinner and then we took the kids trick-or-treating around the block. Marshall fit into his dinosaur costume from last year and had a blast collecting candy. I am now having a guilt-ridden blast eating it all!

At the pumpkin patch with Donovan

Out to lunch with Grammy Mary Ann

Carving pumpkins with Grandma

The dinosaur

Blurry shot of our jack-o-lanterns

Spring Chickens

My friend Anne had a beautiful baby girl, Claire, at the end of July and I passed along some of Marshall's gender neutral clothes. Anne and Claire came to visit last month and Claire was wearing one of Marshall's onsies. Check out these eerily similar photos!

Marshall - June 2007

Claire - September 2010