Thanksgiving Post

We are thankful for our family, friends and good fun. I think Amedeo expresses our happiness with this energetic train dance.




Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Trick or Treating

We had to go and see Grandma for some trick or treating! She has all the good candy.



Grandma took Amedeo to visit some of their neighbors...



I think the part that Amedeo liked the most was the socializing. He loved going door to door to talk to people. The candy was exciting, but I think he mostly liked the attention. So far, he hasn't asked to eat any more candy, fortunately.


One of our cool neighbors sets up a cave in their garage. They offer snacks and wine and beer to the adults. I was ready to stay there all night.


My mom made stuffed orange peppers. Delicious and cute. If you look closely, it looks as if this pepper has been barfing.

This one is a snarky pepper.


Thanks, mom, for the amusing and yummy dinner!

Pumpking Carving & Painting

This October has been weird weather-wise. At the Ren Fest, it was hot. Then, a week later, it was coat weather. Amedeo claims to dislike his coat. Too puffy, he says. Maybe he's right.


I really need to get him his own vacuum. He seems to enjoy sucking up dirt. We have lots of that at home...hmmmm.



Sheep on a swing!

Instead of giving him his own knife this year, we gave him paint. He was very serious about this.

He was generous with the paint. It was still wet when we put it outside for the trick or treaters to admire.

His first close-up of pumpkin guts. He was not inclined to touch them.


Happy pumpkin and scary pumpkin...which one am I and which one is Pietro?

Next...trick or treating with grandma!

Halloween Party

We were invited to a lovely Halloween party this year, hosted by Emily, Jack and Henry.


Vacuuming sheep? Why, yes, they do exist!




Denise and her Sunshine Bear, Jocelyn.

Jack, Amedeo and Jillian playing with the trains.


Our hostess, Emily and her fellow cami-wearer, Melanie.


The gang on the couch.

Jocelyn, Henry (monkey costume), Jack, Jessica, Jillian, Amedeo and Brooks.
We didn't get pics of Emily1...I didn't get any of her at Clark's Farm either...sorry Em1!

Thanks for the party, Emily2! We had a great time.

Edited to fix boo boos.

Clark's Farm

Our mom's group took a trip to Clark's farm this year. I didn't get super great pics of our friends, so I'll just put these up.

Amedeo enjoyed their giant wooden train.


I couldn't resist taking a pic of my mushroom eater sitting on a mushroom. One of the foods that he latched on to early in his solid-eating days was mushrooms. When we go to Five Guys, he orders a "mufroom cheese sandwich."


Luckily, we thought to color coordinate with the tractor. I asked him if he liked the hay ride. "No, it was too bumpy."


We got off the tractor ride at the pumpkin patch. He wanted to play with the runty green pumpkin. Silly child.



And...cute little goats.
More to come...Halloween parties to recap...trick or treating to recap as well.

Ren Fest

Last weekend, we went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. The last time we went was three years ago when I was pregnant with Amedeo.

Food is a big attraction. Here I am eating the required smoked turkey leg. Amedeo has his face full of fried mushrooms.


We thought we were about to see jousting. They were just riling up the crowd for jousting later. Phooey on them!



Amedeo wasn't worried about not seeing any jousting when he could go on a gigantic slide! He loved it and wanted to go again again!


Here he is on his first pony ride. As the pony walked, Amedeo was telling me, "this pony is SLOW. we are going SLOWLY!"


Amedeo fell asleep at 4pm. I tried to wake him at 5:30 with flash photography, loud music and gentle shaking. He was out cold!

Update for October

Nurturing stuffed animals? Check. Amedeo started putting his animals to bed on his old crib mattress. He tucked them in with washcloths and put cars around their heads, and kept an eye on them while they slept.


Every day tasks are awesome when you are 2 1/2! He spent a good half hour grating a carrot. So wonderful!



Keep trying and you'll find the right place to be. Zenzero spent a very long time trying to lay down in this box. Poor cat.


Who can argue with the deliciousness of pepperoni?


It was my mom's birthday on the 1st. Amedeo gave her a box of dark chocolate peanut butter cups. She was kind enough to share!



We went to the eye doctor. He recommended a pair of these glasses.



Pietro loves to have a fire in the fall.


Too bad I forgot to get marshmallows! Amedeo decided he didn't like being outside after dark. He wanted to go in and we told him, ok, in a minute. Then he said that he had to pee. We told him to go pee on a tree instead. Silly child, he thought we would fall for his ruse.


I made my mom a birthday dinner. Happy Birthday, Mom!



Grandma and Grandpa on the porch, tickling each other.


Pietro got a few rounds of golf in too. Nice that we have a driving range in our front yard, huh?


Happy Fall!