a day at the park

Last Wednesday was a perfect day. We scouted out a new Farmer's Market/Stand in a little town next to ours. Kate had a fun time sampling all of the goods, especially the natural bath & body products. I had an equally fun time trying some delicious jam. After I picked up a few tomatoes, cucumber, and strawberry-fig jam, we explored. You know the type of exploration that has you turning down small streets that feel as though they should be one ways, and pausing at 4- way stops a little too long as you try to decide whether to go left, right, or straight. Around a corner and through a stop sign, we came upon the sweetest little city park. The play area is surrounded by trees and benches, and they even have some old fashioned playground equipment like a merry go round! I wish I could have caught it on film, but the early yellow leaves were cascading down like golden snow on a perfect fall day. We've already been back for a picnic lunch, sliding down the tandem slide with two girls, and Rachel's first time in a swing.

Evidence of a truly happy day.

Although not in focus, you get a great view of Rachel's beautiful smile. :-)

catching up

My usual shutterbug tendencies have been shriveling up as life gets busier. This results in fewer pics taken, and longer periods between downloading the photos. Today when I sat down for this project, I got a real cornucopia of subject matter. Hope you enjoy!

Time for a haircut! (Sorry, no post haircut pic -- she basically just got a trim, so it doesn't look that different to the untrained eye).

Silly dress-up girls!

Time to put those leotards to use! The girls had great fun at their friend's gymnastics party.

38 weeks (and so the countdown begins!)

All 3 girls!

sunshine in the park

We've definitely enjoyed the nearby park, Little Mulberry, but I had only been to one side of the park--the part with a huge playground and lots of paved walking trails perfect for strollers. The other side of the park is a bit more au natural and has a much larger lake with a fun population of ducks & geese. So, come to the park with us!

Mmm. . . third lunches!

Mom, you want some?

Piggie-tails are the best!

The explora! (She wanted to go offroading with daddy through the woods. Mommy declined & met them at the top of the hill via the gently sloping path).

Really, dad????

Ooh, momma, it was so 'siting to walk in the woods. We saw some leaves, and trees.

Not awesome, but captures a 5.5 month belly. I had my 27 week check-up yesterday & everything is going quite well. I gained 4 lbs over the last 4 weeks, and I definitely felt it! I'm well into all-maternity clothes, and have had to do some saavy shopping at consignment shops & supersales at OldNavy in order to beef up my winter/spring maternity wardrobe. I wish it were as easy to lose 4 lbs in a month as to gain it. I'm pretty sure it was the must have dessert every night mentality that contributed to my healthy weight gain! :-) This pic is in the middle of that 4 week period, so I am 2 lbs heavier as I type!

i came home with a potty

So, today was the big day for Babies R Us around here. I've been waiting & waiting for a new BRU that's relatively close to us, and close to other things I go to, to open up! I set that as my date for buying Kate her little potty. So, today, opening day, I went & bought 2 potties & potty covers for public toilets! :-) One potty in the house, one in the trunk. I know we're not really to the point of needing the one in the trunk, but I thought I would put my $5 off coupon to good use. Star94 was there to assist BRU in their Grand Opening & were giving away prizes. They had just about used up all of their prizes, so as we were walking towards them, I saw the lady at the booth putting away their prize wheel (as in spin the wheel to find out if you win a water bottle, t-shirt, or a Little Einstein DVD). I didn't really get the significance of her putting away the wheel until afterwards. We walked up to the booth & asked what they were giving away. She offered us a water bottle & I took it. Lydia noticed the Little Einstein Dvd's & saw that THEY had the same one as she did at home. So, she wanted this one for her 'friend Kate.' I told her her to ask the lady. She did. . .and the lady gave it to us! Hurray for cute kids! Having Lydia & Kate with me helped me swing another deal inside, too. I had two $5 off coupons which you aren't supposed to use on the same purchase (or probably the same day), but the cashier let me split my purchases into two transactions & I got to save $10. So, we came away with 2 balloons, some free chick-fil-a coupons, a Little Einstein CD & 2 potties! Yeah Grand Opening!

boat on the lake (what a summer!)

Josh's parents recently put a contract on some land in North Carolina. Their piece of property is up on the ridge above Lake Nantahala. There are actually 4 families who bought an 8 acre tract (Bob Baileys, Len Autons, & two other families). Neither the Autons nor the Baileys have any immediate plans to build on the property, but they both plan to use their property for camping & day trips. In order to facilitate camping or just picnics, Jake (Josh's brother), Andrew (Josh's cousin) and Matt (Jake's friend) constructed a deck in four pieces & hauled it up to the property. This will provide an above ground tent pad or just a place to sit & eat around the fire pit.




What I'm most excited about is not camping, but getting on the water. This last weekend we had a foretaste of hopefully many such days on Lake Nantahala. We rented an 80 hp pontoon boat that could accommodate 13 or 14 people. We definitely tested out the capacity! The seats were cozy, there was plenty of room to maneuver without falling into people's laps, and Kate did pretty well walking around from person to person (or from snack to snack). She loved the freedom to roam around on a vehicle (something she cannot do in the car, of course!). And, she especially loved driving with her papa!


Kate also enjoyed being the only baby on this particular trip. Jen had a gig, so her family didn't accompany us. Kate was the star of her own show, and was able to spend a lot of quality time with her favorite people. No competition or shared limelight. Even Uncle Lenny got some respect on this trip! She is usually quite tentative around him. . not realizing that he is the sweetest guy. . and doesn't deserve the reputation she gives him of being 'sceery' or gruff. This picture was taken right after . . she touched his finger. Duh, duh, duh!!!!


Besides just boating around to see different parts of the lake, the major highlight of the trip was jumping off Super Tower Mongo the Second. Some of you may remember the original was an old jumping hole in MN that the Baileys affectionately titled Super Tower Mongo. This cliff deserves the name & more! The cliff is somewhat hidden as you approach. We turned the corner, and I could just see everyone thinking, this doesn't look that bad! Those who had jumped before, however, knew that looks could be deceiving. We made two stops at the Tower & many of our troupe of 13 gathered up courage & made the jump! I know my own strengths (and weaknesses) & declined! Andrew, Jonathan, Jake, Matt, Jackie, Josh, & Bob all made the plunge. It was quite something to see Josh take a few minutes to fly off that ledge. If he had pause, then I would never have made it. Later that evening, I had a dream of just climbing right up & walking off the edge. No thinking, just walking off. Of course, even if I prepared myself, I think I'd have a LOT of trouble taking that step into thin air.


This was my favorite picture of Kate.This is her obeying my request to Smile! She rarely gives such a big smile these days, on command, at least.


The problem with being behind the camera is that . . well, that I'm always BEHIND the camera. We got two family pics, though.



The lake itself is gorgeous! It's a mountain lake fed by the Nantahala River. (If you're ever in this area, the Nantahala Gorge is also worth seeing!). So, you get the beautiful water shifting from green to blue depending on the clouds and sun, and the mountains all around, with several layers of mountains in certain vistas. I told Brittny that I could hardly believe that this lake is OUR lake. It's like finding a treasure and knowing you'll be able to enjoy it for years to come.



Kate loved being on the boat & really thought that the 'pool' was pretty neat. We boarded the boat at 1, and didn't get on our way home until 8:30 pm. She took no nap, ate LOTS of sugar, and was generally sweet natured the whole day, until we got her in the car for the ride home. She napped for about 30 minutes, then woke up angrily crying, "No car! No like it! Hold you! (which really means hold me! of course)" and then just repeat. After 15 minutes of that track, we stopped for gas, and we were finally able to calm her down. Then she played & sang merrily with me until 10:45 pm. Finally, she dropped off to sleep. I simply could not believe it!

girls day

Last Wednesday, the girls had a really fun day! We had lunch with Claire S., Megan T., Jen, and her girls. Then most of us went to the playground in Jen's neighborhood for some good old fashioned running around. I got to try out Jen's new jogging stroller and let me tell you -- it was great! I even jogged! It seemed easier to push than my "cadillac" for just Kate. However, the true test was turning the thing, which was NOT easier. You have to tilt the stroller up in order to make a turn. That would have been fine for direct right or left turns. The only problem was it was hard to make a curve in the road without some real strain or stopping to readjust the course. Let's just say that the stroller riders had some fun off road, too!

After playtime, we took Claire & Lydia back to our house for some craft time (aka Kate's nap time). Claire, Lydia, and I made cards. Well, Lydia mostly painted & played with playdoh, but I knew she wouldn't last long without doing the same thing as the big girls, so we made a card for Jen (her birthday was on the 4th), and for a cousin who was having her tonsils out. What a perfect little activity for young and old.

After Kate woke up, Claire had to go home, but Lydia got to stay for dinner. When Josh got home, I could finally spare a second to record these fun moments with the camera. It was so adorable watching the girls play on the slide outside while I was making dinner. It felt like a real Mommy moment. When I ran out there to watch a little closer, Lydia informed me that they were so cute, I should take a picture. So, like a good auntie, I ran back to the house for the camera.

One of the things they enjoy doing "together" the most is playing on the bean bag in Kate's room. Lydia loves to jump on it & off it, and Kate barely manages running into it. But, they have fun being together, and that's a great thing. All of this makes me think of the countless sleep overs & slumber parties to come!

Other great Lydia moments -- she is a real card, so she's always good for a story or two. She had to go potty a couple of times while she was here. Once, she had to go #2, but before she announced it to me, she ran around the house looking for the travel potty seat and then grabbing her pants. Finally, I noticed there might be a theme to her behavior, so I asked her if she needed to go potty. Yup! Well, we get in there, and she tells me she has to poop. So, she poops, I clean her up, and I'm about to get her off the potty, when, HEY, here comes some more. I did this one more time, and finally Lydia told me, "Just sit on the stool, auntie." As in, I have some more in here, so just wait until I tell you I'm done! Too funny.

The other great moment was after supper. She started talking about wanting to take a bath with Kate. She "needed" to take a bath, etc. A couple of minutes later, I noticed that Lydia's delightful although constant chatter was coming from the bathroom. I told her that I needed to see her right now-- out she hops, totally naked. She was convinced that we were going to take baths, so she was going to be ready!

And now, some of the moments caught on film. This slide is so perfect for both girls. We put Kate up at the top & she scoots her little bottom until she picks up speed and slides down. It is sooo cute to see her play like a really big girl.

NoteKate's waif look in this picture. It prompted a *rash* action the next day!

Before we took Lydia home, she asked if she could have "one last jump" on the bean bag. Two peas in a pod!



This is my total favorite! It perfectly encapsulates their attitude toward each other -- love & giggles all rolled into one! And, they're holding hands!

words:
bi-ci-bi (bicycle)
be (Ben)
Mi-ca (Michael, Micah -- two boys at school)
side (outside)
side (slide)
otay (okay -- this I heard for the first time today, and I'm pretty sure it had a t sound in there)
buh (book)
spoo (spoon)
ni-ni (Night)
These last two she has said for a looong time, I just don't know that I have written them down.
hi-ya (Hi)
bah-bah (Bye, Bye)

Halloween

Although I grew up in a region and church where Halloween was dramatized as a huge holiday for Satan, I did go to a church that celebrated fall neatly on the same evening as Halloween. As a kid, I just thought it was a bit hypocritical to get kids to dress in sheets & turbans as Mary, Joseph, and Abraham but call it a Fall Festival. . do people dress up for Spring Festivals? Oh, do people even HAVE Spring Festivals? As an adult and parent, I've decided that the real reason this holiday is popular is that parents love dressing up their kids in costumes, and then the kids love getting candy. And who could blame either party. We decided to have fun and go to the Hebron Fall Festival with the cousins (and Megan & aunt & uncle). Unfortunately (or fortunately) for us, we got home too late to pass out candy, so my pantry is full of bite sized Snickers, M&Ms and who knows what else.

This year, we borrowed a costume from cousin Lydia, which fit Lydia a bit snugly seeing as it was a 6-12 monther and she was 16 months Oct 2006. However, the cozy leopard costume fit Kate just perfectly. She was sooo cute, and even though the festivities were made for cousin, she seemed to enjoy just being with everybody. That doesn't remind me of me at all!!!

The fam, Kate is distracted by cousin on the ground saying, "Say Cheese Kate!"

Although we brought the stroller, dad was a good sport & toted me around most of the evening.

I am leopard, hear me roar.
Incidentally, she does say "roa". We're trying to condition her to say that when we ask, "What does a lion say?" She thinks its quite fun when we ask her, but she hasn't become consistent in her responses.

Megan came with B & J. Boy it was nice to have an extra set of hands when we were trying to eat our hot dogs & eat our popcorn. Kate really wanted hot dog & popcorn, but her palate isn't quite developed enough for that.

I LOVE these things. Do you think I could lick it or eat it?
The Money Shot

She was a little off her feed when we first arrived. I think she was put -off by the crowds. The moment she saw cousin Lydia and was able to get down on the grass and play, she was all smiles.



We can't convince Lydia not to say "cheese" when she gets her picture taken. This is the face that results. I've started telling her, JUST SMILE, DON'T SAY CHEESE. Then she says. . .

"Smile"

With dad, checking out all the people, BEFORE Lydia showed up. This is her jowly look.

Finally Fall

The weather & colors are gradually whispering "fall" to my tired summer ears. I do love the summer, but there's just something about reds, oranges, and yellows along with long sleeve shirts that really make a season. On our trip two weekends ago to Amicalola Falls, we were able to enjoy the season as it should be enjoyed -- out of doors. It happened to be one of Jen's only free weekends, so the Johnsons joined us on our little Fall Adventure. The fact that you drive directly by the Dawsonville Outlets had nothing to do with it, I'm sure.

Josh & I arrived before B, J, & L's, so we decided to check out one of the possible trails. Our checking out turned into doing the hike to the Falls. It was one of those things where you just kept saying to yourself, "It can't be THAT much farther, can it?" The hike is relatively easy, except for the 273 stairs that you must climb to get to the observation deck at the foot of the falls. Yup, you read correctly, two hundred seventy three. Now, that was quite a trek for my out of shape self, but then, I did it TWICE. We saw the waterfall (which was beautiful), and then decided that Ben & Jen should be here by now, so we walked down the hill, fully intending to tell them that we should probably take the handicap accessible path if they wanted Lydia to walk. Well, it seems I underestimated myself & Lydia. (In the back of my mind, I'm thinking, those little Harpers did, you can, too!) I made it back up the stairs, this time at Lydia's pace, which was just faster than a snail's, but much, much cuter.

Lydia did all of the steps on her own!

What a cute, cute snail!

Baby Lauren was with momma, and baby Kate was with her dad. Both kids seemed to enjoy their carriers immensely. This is somewhat of a surprise for Kate, since she rarely spends time in hers. We took a more challenging route back down to the cars. Let's just say some parts were "tricky," and I wasn't even holding a baby! The sweet air, beautiful colors, and great company made this trip a lot of fun! Next time, we'll just make sure that downtown Dawsonville isn't closed down due to a HUGE, HUGE Dawson County Fair. We spent 15 or 20 minutes in a town that should have taken us 2 minutes to drive through.

Momma & Boo both love our hoodies.

At the foot of the falls. . .

Josh gave her a leaf to play with, which of course, she tried to eat. Guess who had to pick up a leaf to be like her cousin?

Can I have some salsa with this leaf? (YUP, Dad gave her salsa last week. She didn't really like -- as you can imagine!)

Jen had Lauren strapped on the entire time. Way to go, Jen!

Kate's thinking: Get me out of this thing! I've got a diaper the size of a burrito!