Fall Fun!

We had quite the adventure today! It was a gorgeous day outside....sunny and 85 degrees! We all piled in the '55 Chevy for a drive up to Westin, MO to the apple orchard we like to visit each year. However, when we got there, we discovered there were no apples to pick! And, the cider mill was not running either. Apparently, the late freeze we had this year killed off the apple crop. So, we didn't stay long as there wasn't much to do. After eating apple donuts and drinking fresh cider, we hopped back in the car. Cole loved the drive since we saw many trains running along side of the road, we went over the Missouri River a couple of times, and even went by the downtown airport to see the fighter jets and the Goodyear blimp that were in town for the big NASCAR race this weekend! After that, went to Liberty, MO for lunch at The Corner Cafe. Cole was happy since he got to eat french toast for lunch and then even conned the manager of the restaurant out of a free chocolate chip cookie on our way out the door! :)

Liberty was having their fall festival and we decided to take the kids to it. They had a pretty big carnival which Cole loved! He wanted to ride some of the rides and he had a ball! We thought he might be afraid on some of the faster rides, but he wasn't! He just laughed and giggled the whole time! (Well, when he wasn't busy studying the rides trying to figure out how they all worked!)







After a long day (with no naps!!) and lots of fun, we decided we better call it a day! It wasn't long until both kids were crashed out for the drive home!

Cereal!

Chase got the OK yesterday to start cereal. So, I gave him a little last night and again this morning. As you can see by the look on his face, he is less than thrilled! Guess we'll keep working on it!

Chase's 4-month check-up

My little chunky monkey is continuing to grow! Here are his stats:

Height: 25 1/4" (60th percentile)
Weight: 16lbs. 14oz. (90th percentile)
Head: 42" (48th percentile)

We got the OK to start on cereal, so we'll be trying that very soon! Great appointment, other than the 3 shots he was given. Ouch!

Little Entrepreneur

As we were driving home from Nonnie's house last night, Cole and I were having a conversation about his friends at school. Then, he started talking about his new friend in our neighborhood, Ashley. He then wanted to know Ashley's brother's name, and I explained that she was an only child with no siblings.

Cole: What is Ashley's brother's name?
Mom: Ashley doesn't have any brothers or sisters.
Cole: Well, if we sell Chase to her, she will have one.
Mom: Cole!!! We can't SELL Chase! Besides, that wouldn't be very nice. He is part of our family. Why would you want to get rid of your brother?
Cole: Because he crys in my ear and I don't like that.

You have to admire his perseverance! And, he has even moved up from just giving Chase away to selling him. Not only could we get rid of the drool monster, but we could make a few bucks too! The kid is always thinking.

First Impressions

Over the weekend, we finally met our new neighbors. They actually moved in several months ago, but with busy summer schedules, we never seemed to be home at the same time. They have a 4-year-old girl named Ashley, who is cute as a button. Cole, who LOVES to be around other kids, was fascinated with her and followed her every command. They played on her swingset and then ours. They played hide-and-go-seek. They rode bikes in the cul-de-sac. And, by the time the sun was setting, it was time for the kids to go inside.

I had just taken Chase inside (who was beginning to get fussy) and left Daddy and Cole to say their goodbyes and pick up all the toys in the driveway. Ashley's mom and Chris were standing in the driveway when Cole came runnng up to show Ashley his "secret." Chris said, "Cole, what are you talking about? You don't have any secrets." Cole says, "Uh, huh" and attempts to whip out his pee bug!! Thankfully, Daddy knew what he was up to and stopped him before any damage was done!!!!!

However, we are now convinced that the neighbors probably think we are child molesters because of Cole's little "secret." Sigh. So much for making a good first impression. I'm pretty sure this little girl will not be coming to our house to play any time soon!

Coming around?

Cole never really has made up with Chase. I mean, he more or less just tolerates this new "thing" in our home, much like he tolerates the dog. He really has no use for either one, but its nothing he can change so he just tries to pretend neither exists.

Lately however, Cole is more disgusted with Chase because he drools. He'll holler from across the room, "Chase is drooling on his shirt!!!" And, its gotten to the point that Cole will not walk within 10 feet of Chase becuase he might get drooled on. Its pathetic.

So, today I decided that I would start forcing Cole to at least acknowledge Chase. I begged him to talk to him, look at him, show him a toy, anything would have been fine. Cole wanted no part of it. Finally, when the choice was given that Cole either come over and touch Chase or I would put the two boys in the same bath tonight, he immediately chose the lesser of two evils and began to talk to Chase. When he did, Chase lit up and reached for his big brother. I told Cole that Chase wasn't a monster, and that he was just a little boy looking for a friend. Cole responded and even gave Chase a hug! (Although, he was quick to pull away and inspect his shirt for any signs drool!) Cole was so proud of himself for hugging his brother, that he wanted to call Nonnie to tell her about his accomplishment! Then, he even went so far as to go to his room and find his stuffed Blue's Clues dog to give to Chase to play with! While he was in the moment, I posed the two of them for a quick picture. Its not the best shot, but for Cole to even sit on the same couch with Chase is monumental...let alone touch the drool monster!

Cole's Quote of the Day

Its been a tough week with Cole. He hasn't been himself lately. I'm not sure if it is because he has been sick or if it just all for attention. But, I wish my sweet boy would come back! He refuses to eat, sleep, get dressed, and just about anything in between.

Cole: There's a smile, Mommy!
Mom: Yes, Cole.
Cole: Are you happy now?
Mom: I'm always happy, except when you do things to make Mommy and Daddy angry. Why do you do those things?
Cole: Because, I'm Cole. That's what I do.

'Nuff said.

Look what I found!!!

The one that got away...

Cole and Papa went fishing today! It was crisp, cool morning and just perfect fishing weather. They went to the neighborhood pond where they had fished once before and had good luck. The pond is very well-stocked and not fished much, therefore, it doesn't take long for those guys to jump on the line. Papa had dug up a few worms to use as bait for Cole's Scooby-Doo fishing pole. Cole caught "A! WHOLE! BUNCH!" of fish, two of which were catfish. He threw them all back and, later that night, was sad that he didn't have any fish at home. I had to remind him that Nemo was sad when he was taken from his friends and family, so the fish were better off in the pond with their other friends. He was ok with that.

After fishing, Mommy, Daddy, Nana, Papa, Cole, and Chase had lunch at Culver's. (Well, Chase slept through lunch...) Of course, Cole had his usual....corn dog and an M&M concrete. He's quite the corndog critic these days and was sure to tell me that Sonic's corn dog was better....

A Near Crisis...

The local public television station re-vamped the line-up of fall shows for kids. We turned on the TV the other day precisely at 10:00am for Calliou (because life stops at our house for that 30 minutes) and....it was gone! G.O.N.E. It was a near crisis for poor Cole who just might DIE if he misses his favorite TV show. Nonnie e-mailed PBS to find out the status of Calliou and was told that they lost their contract and can no longer show it. Cole was crushed.

Thankfully we have a few episodes still on the DVR that have yet to scroll off the list. And, Nonnie saved the day when she bought 4 Calliou DVDs. I think we have enough episodes for him to still get his Calliou "fix." Crisis averted.

Sonic

Sonic has become Cole's most favorite place to eat. Afterall, no meal is complete without a corn dog and an M&M blast, right? We pass a Sonic on our commute twice a day and, without fail, Cole is always hollering from the backseat that I need to TURN!!! TURN, MOMMY, TURN!! You PASSED it!!! (As if I didn't know.) Somehow I still can't convince him that he doesn't need ice cream at 6:30am.

So, today after picking Cole up from pre-school, Nonnie stopped by the beloved Sonic to get Cole his favorite lunch. He, of course, was thrilled! As we were driving home that evening, our conversation went something like this:

Cole: Nonnie got me what I like.
Mom: What's that?
Cole: Sonic.
Mom: Oh, your favorite!!!
Cole: Yeah. She got me what I like. YOU are not a good listener!

Point taken.

Update on Chase

Chase had his first physical therapy appointment today. We met his therapist, a really nice girl named Amy. She officially diagnosed him with "left torticollis," meaning his tight muscle is on the left. She showed us several exercises we need to do daily, and ways to encourage him to turn his head to the left. Many of these things we were already doing. And, she eased my fears about forcing his head when he is resisting so much. She assured me that I won't break him!! Anyway, he will continue physical therapy every other week for several months. And, in approximately 6 weeks or so, she will re-evaluate the need for a helmet. IF (and that is a big "if") he strenthens his neck muscles significantly, it may help the flat spot in his head, and he might get around wearing the helmet. I've got my fingers crossed!

Picture of his misshapen head:













Oh, and on a side note... Today is Mommy and Daddy's anniversary. 10 years!

Quote of the Day

Cole and I were discussing his need for a haircut today. I told him that I called Leo and that he'll be going first thing Saturday morning:

Mom: Leo has a brand new barber shop!!!
Cole: And, its coming up on Playhouse Disney, right?!?!?

I'm starting to think the boy watches too much TV.

First Day of School

Cole's preschool started today! He moved up into the 3's and 4's Preschool class this year and is now officially one of the "big kids"! Ms. Stacy will have a different theme each week, with this week centered on "I am Special." She is also going to emphasize kindness this week, so that the children can learn how to play with new friends and share. Just so you can see how much of a big kid Cole has become, here is a comparison between last year's First Day of School picture compared to this year's:

First Day in 2-year-old class:














First Day in 3- and 4-year-old class:

Quote of the Day

Ok, so the kid is fascinated with his "parts" these days...

Cole: Look, Mommy! My peebug is as L-O-N-G as a giraffe's neck!!!"