Military Man

Sam is doing the army crawl all over our house. He started a couple of days ago, and since then he has figured out the following:
*It is fun to pull out all the DVD cases from the video tower
*Electrical cords are great to chew on (!)
*He can reach Jack's toys and they are very interesting (much to Jack's dismay)
*If someone leaves it on the floor--it's fair game
*Pulling on curtains is fascinating

Rub-a-dub-dub

Bubble baths will never be the same...
Everyone knows that if you put bubble bath in your bath water, well that's just fun. But, what if you put bubble bath in, and then turn on the jets? This is your answer.

Pumpkin Hunting

Recently, we took the boys to meet Rick's parents ("Nanee" and Papa) and some friends at a local pumpkin farm. While there, we took a hayride to a little barn with a petting zoo. Jack got to feed and pet some of the farm animals. He chased a turkey into a field (you can barely see the turkey on the right side of the picture with Jack in front of a barn), and got a little too close to a cow with an attitude--who quickly let him know she wasn't in the mood. Once Rick had sanitized AND washed Jack's hands with soap and water, we jumped back on the wagon to return to the pumpkin fields. The boys loved sitting on the retired tractors that sat amid the gourds of all sizes. Jack chose our pumpkins (with Rick's help), and Sam gummed a few stems--yuck!

Oktoberfest in the 'Wood

Our neighborhood holds this Oktoberfest party every year on our ball field, and it is always so much fun! We enjoyed great weather, food, bouncehouses, games, and our neighbors.

Race for Isabella

Jack, Sam and I enjoyed a fun morning walking/running a 5K race for a little girl named Isabella who is fighting a rare form of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. We left Rick at home (still lame with his sore club, um...I mean foot). We walked most of the race, which was run at a local business park, but when Jack saw the Merrill Lynch bronze bull statues, he asked, "Mommy, may I play on the dinosaurs?" There were three of these huge statues in a large grassy area, and I have to admit--it did look like fun! Sam was sleeping away in his seat, so we stopped--mid-race--to play on the bulls. Then, we had to run to catch up to everyone. It was a great workout for a good cause, and who was there to meet us at the finish line? The Chik-fil-a cow, whom Jack thought was very cool.

The Little Drummer Boy

I noticed that Jack was playing the drums with extra flair one day. To end each little drum solo, he'd raise one drumstick up into the air, and--in true rock-star style--turn his head to look up at it for several seconds. It was very dramatic and, because he was so serious, very cute. In this video, he decides to sing the ABC's, stop mid-way and tell us what he's singing (in case we were wondering), and start again. Check out the rockin' finish.

Jack meets Barney

I read in the paper that Barney would be at the mall, and Rick needed some new shirts and ties anyway, so away we went. While Rick shopped, the boys and I headed toward center court--there was Barney! And there was the line to meet him! Ugh! The good news was we were in line BEFORE it started forming out the door. The bad news? We waited 45 minutes to see him, and as we were pressed up against the velvet ropes--finally! We were next--awaiting our opportunity, a representative announced that Barney would be taking a small break. I panicked and pulled the "But I have two small children who need lunch and naps, couldn't Barney take one more picture? Take-pity-on-us, please" card...to no avail. Off Barney went to his little PVC pipe and tarp tent. So, this was the breakdown: 45-10-45

Waiting in line for Barney: 45 minutes

Faces against velvet rope while Barney took break: 10 minutes

Brush with fame, eternalized by photo: 45 seconds

Sam's 6-month check-up

Poor Sam! It just so happened that Sam's nap and his appointment were at the same time this morning. Of course, it had to be a busy day at the doctor's office just to torture the little guy even more.

He actually did pretty well until the nurse got a little too close for comfort, and he started making strange. I was trying to convince him that getting weighed and measured would be the highlight of his visit, but he wasn't hearing that (over his screaming). While we were waiting for the doctor, he tore up the paper on the bed, which was great fun for him. So, he was all smiles for Dr. Wrinkle...until he got a little too close for comfort. More screaming.

To round out the morning, he got two shots (new levels of screaming). An hour past naptime, we headed home (a 3-minute commute, seriously), and when I went to get him out of his carseat he was fast asleep. Here are the stats for my big, six-month-old:

Height: 28" (90th %)--yikes! Up from 50th % at 4-month visit

Weight: 16 lbs., 14 oz. (50th %)

Noggin: still 10th %

Special Skills and Interests:

*spins in circles on his belly

*scoots backward

*can catch himself with his hand if he starts to fall from sitting up

*master drooler and bubble blower

*can stand and play against a table or couch

*rocks on all fours (thinks about crawling)

*cracks up if Jack tackles him (picture above)
*enjoys playing in Jack's bed with him

*sleeps 11-12 hours at night and 3-4 hours during the day (in three naps)