Tanner has something to say!

If the video isn't working, try this link to go to Youtube: Tanner Talks 

Happy Halloween!

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating her curds and whey.

 Along came a spider who sat down beside her, and frightened Miss Muffet away!

Tanner was really intrigued by his own costume. He stared and smiled at himself in the mirror (we were at a hotel on Halloween because our house was under construction).

 We went trick or treating to 5 or 6 houses. Tanner really liked the jack-o-lanterns and wanted to touch them. Tanner said "chick-a-chee" in the car, but not actually to anyone at their doors. He didn't want to do any walking, but I made him walk up the pathway to each door (he has to do SOME work for his candy!) Most people let him take his own candy from their bowl, which he did very slowly, as if he was in dis-belief that a complete stranger was letting him take their food. We had a tiny bucket for him that fit about 8 pieces of candy in it- just his size!

 

 The last door that we trick-or-treated at was Lucy's. We joined their baby party. She had yummy treats like these mummy dogs (above) and the seven layer graveyard (below).

Tanner LOVED his mummy dog. He chomped on it diligently and left a little trail of crumbs around the kitchen. He held his own plate and dipped his treat in ketchup.

 For awhile, it was just us and the Corey's. This was perfect because it gave Tanner and Matilda a chance to get used to each other in weird clothes. Eventually, we had a good little group of 6 families and lots of little monsters that mostly just stared at each other.

Jeremy also managed to come up with a costume. 

We had a super fun night! Thanks Lucy for such a great party!!

Apple Orchards

Last week, Tanner and I went up to Oak Glenn with our friends, the Bendheims. We spent most of the day at Riley's Farm. (Jeremy spent the day with his "little" from the Big Brother/Big Sister program).

 Tanner and I made fresh apple cider. All the kids helped us. 

First, you collect a variety of apples. The more variety, the better the taste.

 Second, you wash them in a giant bucket of water. Third, you toss them into the grinder and you grind the apples up, which is a lot of work.

 Then, you press the chopped up apples so that all you get is the yummy juices. Tanner really wanted to touch the cider as it drizzled into the bucket.

 Finally, you pour the juices into a carton and take it home to drink! We have been drinking it all this week. It is soooo delicious.

The farm had more than just apples. We enjoyed flower gardens, browsed the pumpkin patch, shopped in the gift store, and ate lunch in a barn while a country family band played for us.

We also picked a bag of our own apples. Tanner immediately understood the concept. He collected all kinds of apples from off the ground and put them in his bag.

 

 We came home with a bag of apples, a gallon of freshly pressed apple cider, a mile high apple pie, apple blossom honey, and apple doughnuts! This week, we used our fresh apples for apple pancakes and apple quesadillas. Yum!

We had such a wonderful autumn day. Before our trip to the farm, Tanner really didn't enjoy apples. Now, he loves gnawing on them, drinking apple cider, and chewing apple pieces. I think it was a great educational day for him! Personally, I just loved being in the hills and basking in all the autumn festivities. Happy Autumn!

Photo Journal

Here are some pics from late Sept to early Oct.

Sept 22- We went swimming at the Corey's new house during our heat spell. Tanner loved the water more than ever before!

Sept 25- Look how light his hair is getting!

Sept 27- Tanner has figured out how to hold his toy phone and our cell phones on his shoulder while he "talks."

Sept 29- Tanner was drumming on this bowl with a spoon. It's supposed to be unbreakable. We were all pretty surprised when it shattered. It lasted about 35 years!

Oct 4- Whiny face.

Oct 6- He loves pushing and pulling his stroller. Now he knows how to climb in!

Oct 7- Walk on the beach.

Toddling Tanner

My sister requested to see some videos of Tanner being a toddler. Here's a few minutes for everyone! You can also watch it on YouTube.

Hot, Hot, HOT!

 We've been enduring some unusually hot weather for this area. Normally, it's 70-76 degrees with a week or two in Aug of 82-85 degrees. In Huntington Beach it's been 88-95+ degrees almost everyday for over two months.

Like us, most people in HB don't have air conditioning, so we get pretty toasty in this heat...and sticky. Sticky enough that things like quarters will stick to our bellies.

 And we get a little uncomfortable...

And extra tired...

And we even get a little crazy!

 And sometimes the heat makes us lose our common sense, and Mom let's her baby fall off the couch and sprain his wrist.

 Tanner wouldn't put any weight on his arm for 2 days after he fell. So we took him in for x-rays. They couldn't get very good pictures, but they are pretty sure it was just a sprain.

 It was too hot to wear the brace and bandage longer than a day. He seems fine now!

 With this heat and humidity, Tanner's hair gets a nice curl. I love it!

 And since it's too hot to play upstairs or outside, Tanner is getting good at watching TV.

He points, bounces, claps, stomps and even spins to the music from the TV shows. He learned how to spin from Kayla's girls. Kayla is Tanner's babysitter who watches him while I work.

During one heat spell, we made a fort. It was the first fort we've made as parents! It looked bigger, I promise. But Tanner tore it down.

 Tanner didn't want to come in under the blanket, so we coaxed him with some snacks. 

 That only lasted a for a few minutes.

 The best place to go when it's hot is anywhere with air conditioning.

 But even though we're hot, we still find many reasons to smile. Life is going super well for us!!