Giving Thanks!

With another Thanksgiving and almost another whole year under out belts, here are a few things we're thankful for:

For holidays spent with family, live or via Skype.

For the growing grin that comes from watching your child strategically eat around everything but the pumpkin pie.
For pleasantly warm winters (that drive you northerners down to us) and for big beaches where toddlers can stretch their legs.

For Sidney's fantastically gravity-defying hair. And little Velcro bows to stick in it.

For Poppy, and ALL the grandparents, who are willing to "go under again!" as many times as it takes to keep Ben smiling.

For conveniently packaged baby food. For wet wipes and Oxyclean. For living in these messy moments, and for all the happy chaos that's just around the corner.

And for old toys that are new again.

Happy Halloween

When Paula and Greg bought their Keys home in the Indian Mound neighborhood, we all lucked out. It's one of only a few neighborhoods where Keys kids go for fun and frights on Halloween. We gathered there with about a dozen friends and kids for some pre-trick-or-treat snacks, and then hit the 'hood.

Sidney and Ben practice saying, "Trick-or-treat!"
And again, in his Bob the Builder costume (with the axe he swiped from his fireman friend). Sidney toodled around in the stroller wearing her Little Pumpkin onesie, and fell asleep while making the rounds.
(The red shoe, blue shoe thing is all his doing. Now that he can put on his own shoes, he usually chooses colorful combinations.)

Ben and fireman Cayson pose on a fire truck. There is a big police and fire department presence in the neighborhood on Halloween. They hand out glow-stick necklaces to the kids and generally keep the "trick" part of the holiday in check.

I was worried that Ben would be freaked out by all the scary decorations but he charged ahead confidently -- gleefully...
Even at the lady who's leg was "chain sawed" off.

Giddy up, Mark Johnson. A cowboy in flip-flops. Only in the Keys!

Throughout the night, Ben would happily comment on how heavy his treat basket was getting, adding, "But it's not full yet!" And he did start November 1 with a mini snickers, a tootsie roll and some smartees. Hey, it's once a year, right?
Looking forward to doing it again next year!