Pumpkin Mania

The past two weekends we have been in town and partaking in all the Fall activities around our home.  Fall is my favorite time of year, so I for one really enjoyed soaking it all in, and we all loved so much family time.  

Luke is pretty much the cutest little boy of all time lately.  All of this talking is awesome.  He is starting to point out everything he sees, like "moon!" and "airplane!", and things he would like to see, like"apple bread" (he helped me make some yummy apple bread yesterday), "more spin" (this one is his new fave, I get dizzy after spinning him only once though!), "mama read" (he is choosing more books these days before bath time instead of iPad time, it is astounding!).  A funny thing he's doing these days is that he is getting "me" and "you" mixed up.  Luke when he wants something he'll say "Cheese! You!" and then pat his own chest to further emphasize that he wants it.  Very confusing because it is already hard to understand what he's saying because his pronunciation is at the early stages, then you have to interpret it too.  It IS kind of a hard concept to explain, we're like "No, Luke, you're "me" and I'm "you."  What?  Part of all the fun of this new stage:)  He also is getting so smart and remembers so much.  Last night Donna was over (Emil is visiting Uncle George in Washington DC), and so she gave him a bath and put him to bed before heading home.  This morning when I got Luke up the first thing he said is "Gram?" and ran into the guest room to see if she was in there.  Super cute!

Our little pumpkin in the pumpkin pile - Isolene took him to the Botanic Gardens

Highlights from two weekends ago...

At the dog park with Grandpa and Gram last weekend.

New dog beach and the dog park - Spumoni loved it

Trying to get back to the car before the rain storm hit.  We made it!

painting a little pumpkin, although he had a brush, it was more like finger painting

Carving his first pumpkin!  Getting all the innards out.

Luke loves to take the top on and off and fit the shape of it back on AND peek into the  inside of the pumpkin.

Hello?!  How is that lighting up?  

And now this past weekend's highlights.....

Donna, Matt, Luke and I hit the Highwood Pumpkin Festival.  Anyone who goes carves a pumpkin and their goal was to have 32,000 pumpkins!  It was simply amazing.  HGTV was even there to feature the festival on one of their shows.

Luke is really into fire trucks these days.  He loved the fire truck and the free plastic fire hat from the local firefighters.

Sun setting on the Pumpkin Fest, time to get Chinese food with Gram!

Mom and Dad came for breakfast and a visit this morning on their way to Chicago to see a show.  Mom read books to Lukers with great enthusiasm!

We went for a little spin on the boat.  Cool hand Luke.

Matt cruisin'

Throwing stones into the water.

Running up the ramp.