Happy Thanksgiving!

We had Thanksgiving dinner at the new Timberlake Lodge...it was a nice buffet with lots of berries for Paul. Raspberries are definitely his favorite! He didn't really eat anything else besides a huge plate of berries. We tried ham and potatoes but he didn't want anything to do with them.

We were able to get a few cute pictures of Paul in his cute sweater vest. After we got him dressed, he went right to the full length mirror to check himself out!

Funny hat

Some more pictures of Paul playing in the cupboard...he really likes this little mixing bowl because it fits perfectly on his head. The "lip" of the bowl even looks like the brim of a hat so when he was wearing it, he almost looked like he was wearing an old-fashioned police helmet. He looked pretty funny marching around with this on his head!

Playing...

Just a few pictures of Paul playing in the tupperware cupboard...this has become a favorite in the last few days. He loves to put them on his head and then tip his head to the side to make them crash to the floor. Oh, what cheap entertainment!

Also, he has been really into pointing at the camera when I try to take pictures of him. He also LOVES to immediately look at the pictures on the camera which I remember my nephew Jack liking to do as well.

Haircut!

It was definitely time for Paul to get a haircut...he has a funny, swirly cowlick on the back that was getting pretty wild! Carolyn let him sit on the counter while she did the cut which I think he really liked. He hardly moved a muscle while she quickly did her cutting.
I love his "little boy" look!

Measuring tape

Paul has always liked the measuring tape...it's nothing special, a "freebie" promotional item but he loves to pull the tape out and push the button to make it retract. Lately, he'll wait til I'm watching to push the button and then will laugh like crazy when the tape gets sucked back up. Regardless of all the great toys he has, this cheap tape measure is a favorite!

Hanging out

Just some pictures of Paul from last week...check out the cute Anytime Fitness shirt which all of a sudden is pretty snug so I thought I'd better get some pictures before it goes into the box. His latest trick is to dance on the couch which we may have to stop pretty soon.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

I thought I would get a jump on the craziness of December by putting up our Christmas tree. Diane found this 3 foot tree and some really cute little ornaments. We do have a bigger 6 foot tree that we used to put up but I didn't even bother last year because I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to keep Paul from pulling at it. I thought I would ease him into the idea of a tree by starting with this little one from Diane.

Paul loves this little tree! I know he is very tempted to inspect it closer (i.e. grabbing the ornaments) but so far he's just looked at it. We'll see how it goes...I love the second photo where it looks like he's contemplating if he should make his move towards the tree when I'm not looking!

P.S. I thought I was really ahead of the game by putting up our tree but yesterday we received our first Christmas card!!! Woah, someone is super organized!

On Top of Spaghetti...

While we have been making progress with using utensils, the pictures certainly beg to differ! Paul loves spaghetti but it's hard to use the fork because he tries to "stab" at the spaghetti and that doesn't work that well. And the spoon is pretty useless when it comes to spaghetti so hands it is! I know I could patiently feed him small, neat bites myself and we'd avoid this mess all together but he loves to take big handfuls and cram it in. Plus, I wouldn't get these great photos to share! I don't know what's better...the bright orange face or his crazy hair!

A few good books

No matter how busy things get, I always try to find time to read. I like to read so many different types of authors...ranging from "deep" literary fiction to easy suspense thrillers. I do tend to stick to fiction and rarely read nonfiction unless it's a topic that really grabs my interest.
Here's a few books I've enjoyed this month...


This is a great book! I admit I stayed away from this one for a long time because I didn't think I'd like a novel about circus life but it was terrific. I can see why it has been ( and still is) on the best-seller's list for such a long time.



I usually enjoy anything by Anita Shreve and this new book was pretty good. Each chapter was from different character's point of view which is always interesting. It did seem a little like a Jodi Picoult rip-off but it was still a good read.



Anything by Patterson is a easy, "fluff" read and I admit I haven't read anything by him in a LONG time because they were getting so lame but I did give this one a try and it wasn't bad. If you're looking for something to finish quickly and not have to give much effort, then Patterson is perfect! This book was mostly set in Africa which I think helped to make it interesting.



Unless you've been living under a rock lately, I'm sure everyone has heard something about this young adult series. They have been the hot seller for quite some time and with a new movie based on the first book coming out this weekend, the sales have been increasing. I've read the first two in the series and although they are definitely written for a teenager, I still really liked both. I'm not into vampires but I can see why they're so popular! I figured I should read a few so I can see what all the fuss is about!

Children's Discovery Museum

Last Saturday, I took Paul to the Children's Discovery Museum. We had a great time! It's a really neat place with tons of interactive displays/rooms for all ages. There are different themed rooms to explore and Paul really enjoyed the fire hall, the huge sandbox, and the water table. I really recommend checking out this fun museum...it's also inexpensive; admission is only seven dollars and Paul got in for free! It will be really fun to go back when Paul gets older and can understand more of the interactive stuff.

Paul loved playing in this huge sandbox...it was in the "dinosaur" room where there was a huge triceratops head which kind of freaked him out!

Impressive game room but the lionness was a little creepy!

This was definitely Paul's favorite room...we spent a long time in here playing with the different fire trucks. There were fireman outfits/hats to try on but Paul had no interest in playing "dress-up". It would have been a great picture though!

Happy Halloween!

We had a great Halloween! The weather was a perfect temperature so Paul's fuzzy giraffe costume was plenty warm. Abby was kind enough to lend me the giraffe that her son Matthew wore as a toddler...it fit great and was so cute!

We went to the bookstore first to check out Grandpa and Ann who were handing out candy. Trick or treating has become very popular at the mall and last year they had over 800 kids. Grandpa's costume was a little scary but Paul didn't seem too bothered by the creepy mask! Then, we went to a co-worker's house where Paul got a little treat bag which he immediately grabbed out of Deb's hand and headed for the car...I guess he got the concept of Halloween! Then, it was on to Great-Grandma Maxine's and a quick stop at Grandma Diane's where Paul's costume was a big hit at both!

We finished the night by going back to our neighborhood to visit a patient of Ryan's and go to our next-door neighbor's. Paul was still in a great mood and I think he kind of liked everybody "oohing and ahhing" over him! We spent the next hour handing out candy at our house which was also fun for Paul...he liked coming down the stairs each time the doorbell would ring. It was a terrific evening!

I think both boys tired from all the excitement and Paul was almost falling asleep in the chair while watching a Halloween cartoon.