4 happy months

Evelyn is full of new tricks. She rolls to her tummy as soon as I put her down asleep in bed on her back, and rolls to her back if I lay her on the floor to play on her tummy! She has started playing with toys, even entertaining herself in the car if Malcolm passes her something interesting. When I cook with her facing outward in the Moby wrap she reaches out to feel the textures of everything that passes her way - a mesh potato bag was a favorite today. I emptied it out and gave it to her to hold for a while. She doesn't hold onto anything for very long, and I can't bend down very well with her in the wrap to pick up things that she drops. Dad doesn't seem at all surprised when he finds the kitchen floor littered with bags, towels, and utensils when he comes home from work.

Apple pressing at Nick's party

Malcolm was enthusiastically involved in every step of the process, from the apple orchard to the jugs of juice. Evelyn watched eagerly.

Playing trains together

Pumpkin patch

Malcolm's friend carefully adjusted his pumpkin so he would have a pumpkin head in the photo.

Good morning, sister

Malcolm likes to be the first one to Evelyn when she wakes up from her nap. Here, he is trying out the Evelyn-pillow.

Autumn clips

Evelyn has lately been practicing grabbing placemats off the table and stuffing them in her mouth. Watch your cereal bowl, Dad! She entertains us with giggles and even the raspberries. In other news, she has started napping in a bed!

"Wouldn't it be nice if you had three arms, Mom - two for nursing and one for sorting beads?"

"Mom, the motorcycles didn't wake Evelyn up going down the stairs because they put their silencers on."

We note in the weather page that a storm is coming to Eureka. Malcolm suggests, "We should hunker down but don't need to evacuate, I'd say." (words he picked up reading about Texans preparing for hurricane Gustav last month)

"Mom, I want to show you something amazing. Did you know that leeks have growth rings?"

Describing to me how to get to his music lessons, Malcolm said, "turn behind Walgreens, then take a left and the road curves around to her house." (OK, so it was Longs Drugs instead of Walgreens but otherwise right on).

Malcolm has for some time enjoyed typing his ABC's in different colors on the computer, asking me to change the color between every letter. With Evelyn in my arms, this got tricky so I showed him how to select new colors with the mouse in Word himself. He finished up and wanted to save it, but I was changing a diaper or nursing so I instructed him from a distance "click on the red X in the corner, then click on Yes in the box that pops up with the yellow exclamation point." It felt odd hearing myself talking in those terms to him and even more peculiar when he pulled it off.

Sleepyheads

Bringing back some memories

We found a complete Spirograph set (vintage early 1970's) at a local rummage sale.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Luke

A kazoo serenade for you, Uncle Luke