Haystacks and Train Tracks

Wow, already mid-November! Why did it just occur to me this morning that next week is Thanksgiving? Already? I guess because Beth & I were thinking of next week's playdate when it hit us both that we'll be busy most of the week!

I just wanted to share a picture of Carter from last week playing on our neighbors' haystacks and tunnels. This is what fall is all about right here! We really enjoyed being with Jimmy last week. He took the picture from on top of a haybale. He likes to take a few days off in the fall for a little work and a little play. The Clarks (our country neighbors) set up some haybales and tunnels for their church kids and grandkids and invited us to play on them, too.

Carter is also crazy about Thomas the Train, so through those tunnels he would say, "Choo choo." He wakes up in the mornings asking to watch Thomas. He only has 3 plastic (like bath toys) trains, so Christmas will be super easy this year! Santa load up on some train tracks and trains for our house!

Happy Halloween!

Tractor Costume

So last year I was way more on top of things with Carter's outfit purchased sometime in the middle of September, on a hanger in his closet so the wrinkles would fall out, and ready to go. This year, not so much. Thankfully this idea came to me slowly with still enough time to get it finished, so I wanted to share the process in case anyone else feels inspired to make a Halloween costume. (It was inexpensive. We figured less than $10!)

It started with a picture of a dozer/digger cardboard costume on a website I saw. When Jimmy & I decided the implements were too much to handle, I searched again and tried to copy a Kubota tractor picture I found, also using Carter's toy tractors and our real one (in the background below) as inspiration.First some different sized boxes that came in the mail with the Birthday & Christmas gifts I ordered started to resemble a tractor when they were sitting next to each other, so I cut them and taped them together. Then I remembered Jimmy had a can of spray paint for touching up our own (real) tractor.I used the whole can.

Then I painted some bowls and plates, a yellow stripe and piece for the grill on front. Jimmy bought some stickers. I added a triangle and red tail lights to the back. We found some touch lights at Wal-Mart ($1.50 for two, hard to beat!).

Then all the pieces jumped on the box and Wah-lah! Ready for one kid, insert in hole in top. Just kidding, there's really a lot of duct tape, Gorilla tape and hot glue on this little tractor! Carter loves it! It's just a little front heavy, so we're going to try clipping it to his overalls on Halloween night. Happy trick-or-treating!

(Photo of Carter in his costume to come Sunday.)

This is Carter...

The St. Louis Zoo...it's reputation preceeds it (quite literally, read previous post). But does Carter care about all those animals, well, yes, unless there's something better. A bit determined, particulary driven by the price I paid to park there, I was going to try to see those big old hippos if it was the last thing I did! The exhibit was partially closed, but someone said they thought we could still see a few animals. So here I go pushing the stroller with a tired little toddler inside promising we could at least see the elephants and maybe more. We arrived at the elephant exhibit and what did we find? "A scoops!" as Carter exclaims. He jumped out of his stroller as fast as I could help him and ran over to it. People passed us & even came back down the hill, and all the while Carter was enamored with this "Scoops." He didn't want me to take a picture of him all day, but now with the "Scoops" in the background it was one "cheese" after another! This kid! This is Carter!

St. Louis!

Why is it when you're away from the computer or pen & paper, the best thoughts flow? Particulary when in a beautiful place! I wrote five or six great posts in my head during the days we were in St. Louis. If I hadn't been so tired at night and getting ready for the next fun-filled day to come, I would have written them. Then upon our return home (see previous post), I was a little overwhelmed by getting our "act together" as my mom often puts it, which is probably good so you were spared ALL the details...

St. Louis has more to offer than one city should be allowed. I appreciate how kind everyone was there. I wish I had posted during that week because the thoughts seemed to flow as we had such wonderful experiences there. We accompanied Jimmy to his work conference where we stayed in the historic Union Station Hotel (please Google it). It's worth your time. The hotel is a destination unto itself, which we enjoyed every night. We tried out the Whispering Arch in the hotel lobby, and it is true! You can hear a whisper across the 40-foot expanse. Our room was spacious and very well-furnished. The hotel really should have a 5-star rating. The staff is courteous and helpful above and beyond the call of duty!

The St. Louis Zoo is incomparable. First of all, it's free! Once I figured out the parking, we were set! However, our first day there, I didn't know parking was free, too, so I made our $11 count! We saw it all! The next day was rainy, so we took our time. We spent nearly 2 hours in the children's zoo...it was that cool! Many of the toys inspired Christmas & future birthday gift ideas! One of the neatest stations was a wooden cutting food table where the food is held together with Velcro until you cut it with a knife. The table was in front of a big window where a real zoo chef prepared food for the animals and then came out to feed them! Carter enjoyed the childen's zoo the most!

Our last day there we visited The Magic House. (Worth it if you are going to St. Louis with small children.) It is an old renovated house, with additions to expand it into this huge interactive museum. The little kids' section was really fun with a sand table, a water table, huge Lego blocks, slides, a racecar and busy town where kids could do "grown-up" things on their level, like a kid-sized kitchen and grocery store. There was a pond where you could catch a fish (fishing lure with magnet in the mouth) and take it to another pond, drop it in, and follow it downstream back to the big pond! It was really a neat place!

We also visited the Turtle Park where you can run & play on giant concrete turtles and, of course, saw the Arch. Jimmy & I can be so different at times. We got close to the Arch, took a few pictures, and he turned to go back to the car! "What?! We're not going to touch it? Are you kidding?" (That part is me.) I told him, "You know me better than that. I didn't come all this way not to go up to it, touch it, walk around it, walk past it, and get some more pictures! I'm not a look & see kind of girl. We're going over to it!" He just grinned because by now he knows it would take more time to try to talk me out of it than just humor me. It's metal, by the way. So we did! I would have loved to have spent time going into the museum, going up in it, but by this time, we were hungry & the Arch was closing for the day. St. Louis has so much history! I hope we get to go back and do more! Yes, there is a lot more to do!

Update...another episode

I owe an apology to anyone who has checked this blog within the last month! I'm sorry I have been behind on any updates. Hopefully we've talked in person so you know what we've been doing (mostly catching up from our trip, dealing with another fever (see below), planning for our next trip, getting ready for Halloween, and enjoying the beautiful weather in Tennessee!). Thank you for checking in with us!

Carter has not climbed out of his bed again, but he has had another spell where he couldn't walk. He had a low grade fever and no symptoms; then it shot to 103.3, so they had me bring him in for an evaluation. After examining him and checking bloodwork, the doctors determined he had a virus (that was a Thurs/Fri, 2-day visits to the doctors, for whom I am so grateful.) The following Wednesday, during our hike after Wild Things, he collapsed. Not crying, but a little upset, I carried him back to the car, we had to cancel lunch plans with friends, and went home to call the doctor. She said it was another episode and just watch him closely for fever, in which case I was to bring him in immediately. Apparently he has an uncommon condition where the virus settles in his joints and keeps him from walking. He was better in 12 hours or so. Thanks to all my family members & friens who were so kind and gracious to help me out during that ordeal. It may seem small now, but it was scary at the time. You know who you are!

Mr. Gimpy, Bumped & Bruised

Yes, I realize "Mr. Gimpy" is not the nicest thing to call your son, but he's earned it with a week of tumbles like never before. Wait. It's only Wednesday. I'm locking him up in a padded room! Monday night after eating some hot dogs by our little fire outside, Carter must have turned his ankle. We didn't see it happen, but suddenly he tried to get up and couldn't walk. He couldn't put weight on it at all, but he also wasn't crying about it. We played with him inside and put him to bed. When he woke up Tuesday morning, he still couldn't walk and just cried, "hold you." I took him in, and our doctor wanted to take Xrays since we couldn't figure out which foot or leg was hurt. Thankfully, Carter is fine with no fractures or breaks. She said a virus from when he had a little cold could have settled into his joints or he could have a mild sprain. Nothing a little rest, lunch with Daddy, and a short visit to play with Thomas the Train at Barnes & Noble couldn't cure. I thought I could hold him in the chair and let him play, but no, he wanted down and limped around the table determined to play with those trains. He seemed fine by the time we left. We just took it easy the rest of the day. (Please allow me a quick interjection of thanks to Aunt Sara "Hey"! She helped through this ordeal of Xrays, and we couldn't have gotten through them without her! I'm sorry your job hasn't started yet, but I'm super thankful you were free to go with us! Hey, just for the record, Carter doesn't hate you anymore. He wanted to call you today.)

Then this morning he hollered for me as usual, and as I walked to his door I heard "thump!" He jumped out of his crib! He was just curled up in the floor bawling for the 2 seconds it took me to get in there! He has a huge rug burn on his forehead! Is it time for his big boy toddler bed already? No, where has my baby gone? That was too fast! We're hoping it won't happen again before we can get his bed converted. I was really hoping to wait until closer to his 2nd birthday to change his crib to a toddler bed. Maybe we'll wait and see, but I'm also scared for it to happen again. A couple of hours later, we headed to his class at the Wilderness Station. I was a little cautious about letting him run on the trail, and he did a good job staying close. Several moms asked about the knot with the scrape on his head already, so I told them. They had their own stories to share, which is why I love talking with them...surprise that their baby had grown up so fast, crib nets, locked bedroom doors and baby gates. Needless to say, after our recent ordeals, I made him hold my hand to walk down the biggest hill, but decided it would probably be ok to let go as we reentered the room. He ran ahead and...splat! Right on the concrete...what? Again? Please don't let there be any blood or missing teeth...phew...no...just more tears and another red knot right there in the center!

Totals this week: hurt ankle...1, red knots on forehead...2, scrapes on knots...2, tired sore little boy...1, tucked in bed! He either needs a helmet and kneepads or to get back in his baby walker! Just kidding. We're thinking maybe some new tennis shoes would help, and I guess I'll just keep reminding him to slow down. His new found speed is a bit hazardous!