This post is stuffed with pictures. All sorts of random ones. It’s been far too long since my last post, and I have been getting better again at making sure to take pictures of our every day life. Of stuff that really matters. I did really well for awhile there back in March and April, but then once wedding season hit, I lost my streak.
But this week, the camera was out and back into action.
Ever since Carter was born, James and I have been really bad at planning things. We used to be ahead of the game on everything. The meal list planned out for two weeks. Travel plans set in stone months before. Mini-vacations in the horizon. . . something to look forward to for a couple of months. Plans for nights of the week all down on the calendar. And people could count on us. If we said we were going to be there, we were going to be there. The Chases were always there and prepared, and on time.
That’s not so much the case anymore.
Now most days, we decide what’s for dinner at about four o’ clock, when James walks in the door. Travel plans? Well, I’m sure we will figure out what we are doing for Thanksgiving and Christmas no sooner than the week before we are actually doing it. And getting into the festivities for holidays? Ha. That’s a laughing matter. I went out and bought a pumpkin for carving the night before Halloween. I found a place that had a few left. Some lousy, lopsided things, marked up for last-minute procrastinators like me. We decided our trick or treating plans sort of as the day went on. And then James decides to whip up this Halloween dessert, just because it was fun to try to squeeze one more thing into the day.
It’s just strange. Let’s not decorate or do anything festive until ohmygoodnessthedayishere! and so we freak out and do a bunch of things all at once. It’s kind of fun though. In a rushed, enjoy it for only a day sort of thing.
But hey, at least there are pictures to remember how much fun we had.
And would it be appropriate to carve anything in the pumpkin other than the Incredibles symbol?
My wonderful husband texted me a couple hours ago saying that he wishes I would write a post soon. I think it’s something for him to look forward to–a little glimpse into our lives when he’s not home. So right now I am neglecting the pile of dishes in the sink, overflowing onto the counter, as high as Mt. Everest. I am leaving the high chair and booster seat a mess of lunch spills. My hair remains greasy, there are crusties in my eyes. And the stuff I just bought at Target is starting to freeze as it sits in the back of the Jetta. BUT, I am taking some time to sit and do something that I enjoy. So this is for you, James. And it’s for me too.
It seems like Carter will be walking in a month. The boy is a little ball of determination. He can get from one side of the room to another by doing the army crawl. He’s pulling himself up all over the place, can get up steps and is cruising up and down the family room by means of the couch. He’s intrigued with paper. And Brayden. And if you are a book, you better run the other way when he comes near. He’s a book monster. Very similar to Cookie monster. . . but instead of gobbling cookies, he gobbles pages.
He puts his arms up in the air if you say, up. And my favorite thing that he does is give kisses. If you ask for a kiss while holding him, he will open up his mouth and sort of plant it on your nose. More like eating your nose than kissing your lips, but he’ll get it down soon enough.
We went to the museum last week with some good friends on a playdate. That’s what we were planning on– a playdate. You know. . . one of those arrive right when they open and it’s still dead and we can get a parking spot in the first row sort of thing? Turns out everyone and their brother took off of work that day to bring their child to the museum, where it was Halloween party day. I had to wait in line to get in. Outside. In the rain. With two kids.
Needless to say, I did not get a parking spot in the first row. Nor did we have a relaxing, enjoyable time. Our eyes darted here and there, trying to keep track of our older child, while we maneuvered our strollers through the masses and broke out into sweat by the pure overstimulation of the whole scene.
Next year, we won’t meet at the museum on the Friday before Halloween.
And of course, the weather is turning into something I don’t even want to talk about. But don’t worry. . . I have been faithfully wearing my flip flops whenever the temperature is still in the forties. Back to the really bad planning thing I was talking about in the beginning of the post. . . you will find it interesting to know that it is now November, and I still don’t have a winter coat for Brayden. Yikes.
Whatever happened to the good old days of planning ahead?
newborn, child and family photographer
rochester new york