Trick or Treat!

This was Camden's first year trick-or-treating. It didn't take him long to figure out the process, and once he got going, he didn't want to come home. The little stinker ran me ragged. Lots of people gave him extra candy because he was so cute or because Pooh is their favorite. He did very well, saying "Trick or Treat!" "Happy Halloween!" "please," "thank-you," and at one particular doorstep where there was a sweet little family with 2-year-old twin boys handing out candy, "Bye! I love you guys!" I did have to restrain him a couple times when he tried to walk in people's front doors ("Mommy! I want to come inside!"). He cracks me up! Lucky for us, it got up to 80 degrees during the day, so it was a beautiful, pleasant night to be out and about. We missed Daddy, though. He stayed home to give out candy while we went traipsing around the neighborhood. Thanks hunny! You're the best! :)

The Price of Home Canning

We got a pressure canner this year to help preserve some of the abundant harvest from our garden and bulk up our food storage. It's a lot of work, but at least I have a little helper.

Today we did winter squash. You see, while I was doing this...


Camden was doing this...


... and this ...


... and this.


And I thought I'd only have to worry about cleaning up the kitchen when I was done. Silly me! (Okay, okay, so I didn't really think that. I must admit I watched it all happening out of the corner of my eye.) Good thing he's cute. I mean, who can resist that little grin?!

Pooh Bear preview

Cam donned his Halloween costume a couple days early this year for our Moms & Tots Halloween Party.


For anyone who's never experienced Moms & Tots, "controlled chaos" is the general feeling at a party where tots out-number moms and the tots' ages all added together still don't equal my own. Hah!

Ethan G. was a washing machine. What a creative costume!

"Stick the Nose on the Pumpkin"

Ethan's mom, Leah, and her little ballerina.

Camden lounging on Tanner's bed. I asked him to pose for a picture, and he plopped up there and crossed his ankles. He cracks me up!

Some of the mommies and small babies taking refuge in the front room.

Cam's best buddy, Jackson, concentrating hard on some man's work.

Henry, the serious whale watcher.

This was as close as we got to a group shot.

Ethan C. leading the way following the "monster footprints" to find the treasure.

Andrew the train engineer: "What are we supposed to be doing again?"

Camden, taking off with the loot from the end of the monster trail.

Breakin' out rations.

Whoah! These Swedish Fish are sticky! (I know... amazing... I actually allowed my little boy to have some candy. What can I say? It's a party...)

Katie and Evelyn

Cam and Nater having a word in the car.

A cowboy playing in the dirt with a Tonka truck... It's hard to get more classic little-boy than this.

My little guy on the slide.

I voted!

And you should, too. (And don't ask WHO I voted for! It's "secret ballot" ya know...) Get out there and exercise your right, people. Lots of polling places are already open for early voting. But PLEASE make an educated decision. Read up, listen, watch, and research for yourself. This is not an election year when we can afford to be passive.

This is one of the best resources I found, especially for you Colorado voters:

Colorado Voter Guide: My Ballot

An excellent site! If you didn't get a mail-in ballot, it's the next-best thing.
-compare candidates and issues in columns side-by-side
-print out your decisions to take with you to the polls on election day
-clips, quotes, and answers to questions about the issues directly from the candidates
-links to proposed amendments and referenda translated into plain English
-"my notes" section to fill in as you go
-especially nice for accessing information on local candidates, which can be difficult to find

P.S. Mail-in ballots rock! It was so nice to have weeks to research with my ballot in-hand and not to have to drag my almost-two-year-old to the polls on election day or get a babysitter. If you have this option, take it!

Happy Birthday, Granmy!

Ridin' like a little pro

Day in the Country-Fall Festival 2008

Confession time

Cam decided to start potty-training himself in September, so in an attempt to develop an environment of mutual trust (and motivation on his part), I've been more apt to leave the bathroom door open for him.

Today, he came to me with this face and said very quietly, "I put on Mommy make-up. Das a no-no."

Anybody got a bright idea about how to get mascara out from under an almost two-year-old's fingernails?