It's Fall Y'all!

October is quite possibly my favorite month of the year. Mild weather, playoff/World Series baseball, so many colors! We've enjoyed our newly-fenced-in backyard, full of colorful, crunchy leaves. The girls like to have snacks on the deck and play in the tent (which is set up until the treehouse is built) and around the trees. Here are a few pictures leading up to Halloween...

Midweek Getaway

Acknowledging the fact that our lives are insanely busy, Peter and I decided to escape the madness sans kids, for a little R&R. On a Wednesday. My fabulous parents stepped in to provide overnight childcare, and we hopped over to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Famed for its mineral water baths and natural springs, this town is actually built around a small National Park which features these steamy creeks and waterfalls. Some of the hotels in the area capitalize on this water by offering thermal baths, spa treatments and the like. We checked into the Arlington Hotel, which has one such bath inside and an expansive porch overlooking the park entrance and the town's main drag. Within an hour, we were basking in mud mineral baths, followed by sauna, hot towel wraps ("human burrito treatment," we called it) and a full-body massage. Perfect. After our pampering, we shopped the main streets, landed in a lovely restaurant for dinner, drank some rich wine (which goes straight to one's head after a spa treatment, perhaps due to some level of dehydration or detoxification?), played some pool and listened to live acoustic music. The next morning, we explored the National Park, which was painted bright yellow and orange with autumn leaves at their peak. It was a rainy, foggy morning, so our plans for a hike were overtaken by a leisurely drive on the scenic loop. We stopped at a couple of antiques shops & a winery on our way out of town and made it back in time to welcome the big girls off the bus from school. Short but oh-so-sweet.

Midwestern Adventures!

I'm not sure if we're just determined to make sure our kids love multi-hour road trips or what, but last weekend, we took advantage of Molly & Rebecca's Fall Break to drive 10 hours (each way) to Iowa. Our old stompin' ground! We lived there for 4 years before moving back to Memphis. Rebecca was born there, and Molly lived half of her life there. Our wonderful friends, the Lawandes, live there still. So off we went, minivan well-stocked with DVDs, MadLibs, trivia questions, random kid toys, books and music. Amelia spent her time like this:



We arrived late Friday evening, and Molly, Rebecca, Sakshi and Eesha, hit the ground running with squeals and sharing. When we woke up Saturday, it was snowing. A lot. Not quite warm enough to accumulate, but everyone was oohing and aahing to such an early frost. Didn't deter us, though--we headed straight to the Pride of the Wapsi pumpkin patch. Pony rides, goats to feed, gigantic pumpkin-shaped moonbounce, fun treats, hay rides, train rides, face painting, farm kitties, and, of course, choose-your-own pumpkins right off the vines. All smack dab in the middle of the corn fields. Ya just don't get more Iowa than that!













We played a little basketball, watched the Red Sox lose the division championship, had a few drinks and a lot of great meals, swam in the hotel pool. We even went ice skating--a first for our girls, and for me, the first time in about 20 years. Once I get Pankaj's pictures, I'll download some from that (couldn't take my camera out on the ice, y'know!). The girls played board games & computer games. I had dinner with some of the midwives from the area, and the clinic where I worked ordered in pizza so I could see a bunch of them all in one place.







We drove past our old house, which looks great, with new siding and pretty landscaping. I was amazed how little the kids remembered from our time in Davenport. As one of my friends joked, "I guess you could have just sat around and watched TV for four years, if they aren't gonna remember all the stuff you did with them!" Ha! But I guess the bottom line is that they will remember a happy childhood overall, regardless of which parks they played in or which ice cream stores they frequented. Our little trip back to Iowa reinforced how we are making memories together, one day at a time!

Trekking Through The Tetons

Okay, not the REAL Tetons, but the new Teton Trek exhibit at the Memphis Zoo. I don't take my camera EVERY time to we go to the zoo anymore, because we go a lot, but we've been waiting and waiting for the new Yellowstone-themed exhibit since we moved back to the city. It opened this weekend. Only members can see it this week, and the peons can see it starting next weekend. We went with our friends Heather and Steve and their daughter Laney, enjoyed absolutely perfect weather, grizzly cubs swimming and a seal show. Eventually, there will be more animals in the TT area--for now, three bear cubs and 5 gray wolves, as well as some heron-type birds. There's a fountain in front, designed to appear like the geyser Old Faithful. I already foresee very wet children running happily through it during the hot Memphis summers! There's a huge log lodge, and a waterfall in the bear exhibit that visitors can walk over to peer down at the cubbies. Lovely. We're now looking forward to the Chickasaw Bluffs (a raised wooden boardwalk through 17 acres of old growth forest in Overton Park, where the zoo is located) and Zambezi River (for hippos) in the next couple of years. Bring it on, Memphis Zoo!

My Little Fireball!

On October 2, Amelia turned 2! My very last baby is officially a toddler, and I am officially...thrilled. I know, I know, they grow up too fast. That is entirely correct. There are absolutely lots of things I will miss about Amelia's babyhood and having babies in general. But when I really look at the big picture, I am quite okay with where we are with our family. Every day at this age is just a window into what Amelia's sweet little mind is taking in, and she can TELL me about it. I LOVE that. She's telling stories, using complete sentences, naming her emotions. She wants to do what her big sisters do, but she still snuzzles into the crook of my neck when I rock her to sleep. Amelia is determined to wear "those pretty boots" and not the boring old sneakers. Things send her into hysterical belly laughter, and we're reaping the benefits of her humor as well. She told the dog today "Quincy, you a dog. You say woof-woof. I do not say woof-woof. I say "time for juice!" She can tell on her sisters: "Molly did that to me. I said 'no-no Molly' cause I don't like that. She made me so mad." She likes to sit on the potty, mostly to name all the Dora characters on the potty seat, to wipe repeatedly, and to flush and giggle. So far, no actual deposits in the potty, but I have learned with the first two, this will come when she feels like it and not a day sooner. These are wonderful days, and I embrace each one!

Now for the sappier part. Here are a few of the million things I will miss from my Amelia's first two years:


1) Baby smell. Fortunately, with my job and my friends' kids, I can sort of recreate this. But my own baby's smell was unique and perfect, and darn it, you can't bottle that.
2) Onesies. Those are the greatest baby inventions ever. She's far too interested in other things to sit around waiting for the snapping process on a onesie now. It's a battle I am less inclined to fight, especially with independent potty use on the horizon.
3) Nursing. I posted about this a little less than 2 years ago, when Amelia was tiny. Go back and read it. Amelia stopped cold turkey one day around age 1, telling me "Nah!" and holding out her hand in a talk-to-the-hand sort of way. Broke my heart.
4) Containment. The ability to keep one's child in an exersaucer/swing/sling/carrier/crib/carseat is an under-rated luxury. No stopping that kid now.
5) Toe sucking. I adore that phase, with the feet in the mouth. Nice clean feet.
6) Amelia's hot body. When she fell asleep on someone, she would heat up like a fireball. With her red hair, this became a fitting nickname for her.
7) Other people holding her. While she's still pretty friendly and okay to go to others, the tiny Amelia would be happy to curl her hot little self up on anyone who was willing. And many were willing. People are still willing, but she's more choosy. Frankly, this makes my job harder.
8) Maternity Leave. It was never long enough, but boy was it awesome. Just me and the kid, hanging out, wearing PJs and getting to know each other.
9) Movies with the infant. Amelia could and would sleep through movies, as long as she could be nursed on demand as needed.
10) Teeny tiny baby feet. Enough said.

Here's hoping for not-so-terrible two's, because right now, I wouldn't trade this Moment In Time for anything on Earth. Amelia, I love you, my baby girl!