Jack-o-Lantern

I think it is safe to say that if you have a 3.5 year old helping you carve your pumpkin it comes out much more awesome and extremely spoooookyyyyy (more so than if it is just two lame adults designing the face).  Hersh was psyched to carve the pumpkin and was very clear that he wanted a stick in its eye!  (Side note:  Hersh really needed to nap today, he was exhausted from the past few days of not napping and from waking early this morning.  In order to get him to nap, I threatened to give away the pumpkin if he didn't nap.  It worked, and I am mother of the year!).

Alte is all smiles and very delicious.  It's hard to believe how quickly time is passing.  I was dancing with Hersh the other day and remarked to Jacob that I couldn't believe Hersh had once been Alte's size.  Jacob then reminded me that even crazier is the fact that soon enough Alte will be as big as Hersh is now!  We are quite the crew!

Best friends

With the coveted monkey

Hersh wanted sticks in the jack-o-lantern eyes.

Alte Luna: 2 months

Our sweet AlteLu has been with us for 2 months.  Jacob and I kind of can't believe that we've made it through the first 2 months and all is good!  She is sleeping pretty well (better than Hersh did at this age), and is giving away smiles left and right!  Sometimes I worry that I'm not giving her enough of my undivided attention, but I have to remind myself that it's ok, and I can't compare her experience to Hersh's.  A friend reminded me that Alte was born into a different family than Hersh was, and she will love having a brother (actually, she already does).

Hersh is doing well.  He is creative with lots of ideas and often will tell us how to do things, make things, etc.  The best is when he retells a story or recounts something that happened--hand gestures, wide eyes, lots of expression.  Also, Hersh eats lunch at school 3 days a week.  Each day he expects there to be a note with a drawing from me in the lunch.  He and I discuss what the drawing should be the night before (Hersh: "I think there should be a flute, and a little mouse playing the flute and a drum, and a ..." Me: "Mouse and a flute, OK."  Hersh: "And a drum, and a moon, and ...").  I then draw the picture and write the message, which he then wants for me to read him--no element of surprise necessary.  One day I drew a picture and wrote "Have a ___rific day!" and the word that ended in "rific" corresponded with the picture.  Now he wants me to do that everyday!  Today's picture was a pumpkin and leaves, so I have to write, "Have a pumpkinrific day!"  Finally, lately when Hersh is upset/angry/being defiant, he will say, "No siree Bob!" to me or Jacob in an extremely emphatic tone.  When he says this he is extremely worked up, and we have to do everything we can to keep a straight face--oh Hershel.  What a hoot!

Classic Car Show!

Apple Picking 2013

We had a spell of rain and nasty weather through the end of last week, but wedidn't let this foil our plans--Saturday morning, accompanied by our favorite Aunt Mimi, we loaded up the car and headed to Homestead Farms.  It misted on and off throughout the adventure, but that's ok, it felt like Seattle :). Hersh kept reminding us that it was "just a little mist."  We picked lots of apples, ate lots of apples, and cooked with apples--applesauce, apple butter, apple crumble pie.  On the way to the farm, Hersh said, "Ok, tell me if this is crazy..." and proceeded to make up all sorts of different kind of cookies that we could bake (chamomile tea ginger cookies).

Alte is having lots more happy awake time and has started to give out lots of smiles.  It is so fun to be experiencing this part of babydom!  Her favorite person, naturally, is Hersh.  Jacob and Hersh have decided that Alte's favorite part of her day is watching Hersh brush his teeth in the evening--even if she's crying, she stops for a few moments to watch Hersh brush.

Hersh is the "book sharer" in his class this week, so I will go and read to the class on Wednesday a book of his choice.  He has also been napping a bit more which makes us wonder if he actually figured out that napping makes him feel better.  In Hersh's class, they are studying the moon, and he is getting more interested in constellations.  Each night he and Jacob look up at the moon and then draw what it looks like in his moon journal.

Modeling Aunt Mimi's boots

Hard to tell, but there's a baby in there.

There she is!

Hersh with his "squash telephone."

Alte says, "Oh man, I'm not sure I want to be in this picture."

First fire of the season!

L, Hersh; R, Alte

We were at the thrift store when Hersh said, "Oh looook, there's a Kiddush cup!"

Superfly glasses!

Summer in October

It has been unseasonably warm the past week, so warm that it truly feels like summer.  Yesterday we went to the MoCo Parks Harvest Festival, which was a really awesome festival.  We saw lots of animals, made our own marbles, dug for potatoes, and took a tractor ride.  There were lots of other things to do, but this is all our time at the Harvest Festival allowed for.  The one problem--it was 90 degrees.  It was SOOOO hot.  Hersh and Lewes nearly melted and we did everything we could to protect Alte from the sun.  Regardless, we had a great time, will definitely go back next year, and hope for more Fall-like weather.

Since the weather was so nice, my urge to be near the water kicked in.  Unfortunately, we do not live close to the water (so sad).  Jacob suggested a visit to Lake Artemesia which is in College Park.  Although it's not the beach, it was nice to be outside on a beautiful evening, and enjoy the lake.  Today we had soccer, heard some great music at the Takoma Park Street Festival (if you're ever in the mood for a mountain dulcimer, bongos, and "stick" rock band, Takoma Park's your place), and Hersh and I went for a swim this evening--the water was so warm!

"Trees and Tractors" L, Hersh R, Jacob

"Underwater Turtles" L, Hersh R, Jacob

So hot.  Showing me his sack of potatoes.

We got to see some turtles a fisherman caught at the lake.