Poppy is 7 Months!

Well here she is, our big baby on the downhill slide to 1 year. Hallelujah. This age definitely brings its own challenges but I'm super glad to be out of the newborn era.

So. Poppy has changed a ton in the last month. First, she actually sleeps most of the night most of the time. Progress! Next, she cut her first tooth (bottom right) on November 17 and loves to feel it with her tongue and fingers.She has also made the executive decision to skip baby food and go straight for the good stuff. Despite having only one tooth, and a tiny nub at that, she insists on having whole crackers, bread heels, carrot sticks, whatever we will give her that is not fed by a spoon. I've scoured the grocery shelves and come up with some unexpected solutions - more on that in a future post.

Poppy's current nicknames include One-Tooth Wonder, The Great Pooparoopa and Ruggabugga. Because she is often found face down on the rug. This kid is ready to crawl but just not there yet. She sits for awhile, then spots something out of reach and dives for it, usually ending up on her face or in a split configuration any dancer would envy. We're just glad she's not crawling yet, and hopefully won't until after Christmas (all those low hanging ornaments are just too great a temptation.)

Here are a ton of pictures. She has a crest of hair that stands up straight unless I hairspray it down (which I only did once, for the photo shoot. When her hair is wet down in the bath the girls say she looks like a boy.) You can see it well in these pictures:
Favorite toy: the remote -
Chewing on her "mini me", our baby doll Zoe -
I just LOVE this hunched over concentrating posture they do at this age. Often accompanied by a focused groan -
And, I never, ever, ever get tired of this smile:
That's our 7-month-old!

Pics from the Shoot

It's already been a month since our family photo session with Alia Cardwell. But I am finally posting some pictures. It was hard to choose, but here is the very narrowed down set.

Fall Goody Plates

(This is one of those rare posts that is like, which blog do I put this on? But in the end it is more about what we did than what we made, and besides, it is all recipes I've posted before. Except one.)

One of the things we did to keep busy while Hazel was on fall break, and Ed was gone hunting, was to make some fall goody plates for our neighbors. Although we have been in the house over a year we are still very slowly meeting the neighbors. Not the ones right next door and across the street, but the ones around the corner, the ones down the street, the ones down the street and around the corner. We have met some through walking to school, and some through Hazel's classmates. Some through other neighbors and some through conversations in passing. It is a new experience for us, to meet our neighbors and build relationships with them, in a we-are-all-going-to-be-here-awhile way. We've never had a neighborly community. It's kinda nice. And we wanted to show that with, what else, goodies.

Over two days the girls and I made:
Gingersnaps
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Shanna's Ooey Gooey Caramel Popcorn (with almonds)
Apple Bread (this was the new recipe; it is a variation at the bottom of this muffin recipe)
Then we packaged them up and delivered them in the stroller, I think six or seven plates in all. We got nice-looking paper plates at the grocery store, and autumnal ribbon and stickers from the craft store. New fine-point Sharpies and white tags from Staples topped things off.
Making goody plates is fun. What would you put on yours?

A Few Things on Halloween (with bonus videos!)

Not that this comes as a surprise, but Halloween is a big deal in the little kid world. I think the schools are just so happy to have a holiday without any religious conflict (arguably.) I'm not crazy about the holiday myself, but have a reasonable tolerance for its milder side - pumpkins, costumes, and candy. When things get gory, creepy or overly spooky I turn off.

Like my neighbor, who has some kind of zombie chainsaw massacre all set up in his front yard, and which we have to pass walking to and from school each day. Thanks, man. Luckily the girls don't even notice it anymore, due to another neighbor on the walk who has a giant inflatable black cat in their yard - seriously, it is as tall as the house - with sharp teeth, red eyes, and yellow claws. When the wind blows, as it often does in October, the cat looks alive, like it is about to pounce on us, and even I am freaked out. Ginger named it Scary Skip. Again, thanks man.

But mostly it has been a fun couple of weeks. As mentioned in the last post, there was the church party - a simple way to have some fun and see everyone's costumes. Here's the pumpkin we (Ed) carved. We put a rainbow clown wig on it and won "Silliest" in the contest. I spent some time trying to come up with a great couples costume for me and Ed, but most retail adult costumes are hoochie, and I didn't have time to make something, so togas was a default. I want to think of something better, but still easy, for next year. Suggestions? I have more to say on costumes further down.

Friday was really the BIG DAY for us because both girls had school parties, and had to take their costumes. Friday morning we took Hazel to school, came home, and Ed took Ginger to her school while Poppy and I walked back to Hazel's school. We sat in her classroom while they sang us the cute songs they've been learning. Then the moms left and spread out around the block and waited while all four kindergarten classes paraded by in their costumes. So cute. They all had plastic bags and we handed them candy as they went by. It's hard to hand out candy and take pictures but I managed a few. Poppy was a trooper, as it was the first truly chilly day we've had this fall.Then we hustled home, fed and changed Poppy, and headed over to the preschool for Ginger's thing. Parents gathered in the gym and the classes filed in and sat in the middle, facing parents. The music teacher - a gem among gems in enthusiasm - led the kiddos in a Halloween sing-along showcasing all the songs they've been learning this month. I have got to get the playlist; some were fantastic and most I'd never heard before. Then the parents - this time I was toting my 20-pounder asleep in her carseat - went outside and lined up along the sidewalk, again awaiting the costume parade. Here is the music teacher. In case you're wondering, she is "Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate" (which Ginger sings below.)That afternoon I recorded the girls each singing one of their songs.

Friday night was the PTA Halloween party at Hazel's school. Ed took the older girls. They were tired of their costumes so they just delved into the dress-ups and wore whatever. This, to be precise: While they were gone, I bought myself a few precious minutes to unload the dishwasher by sticking cups on Poppy's feet.And finally, tonight they are having a blast handing out candy and pretzels to the trick-or-treaters that come to our door. Again, dressed up from the dress-up bin. That rainbow wig gets around. Honestly, I think passing out is as much - or more - fun for them, especially when they see kids they know.

I know this post is like, forever because of all the pictures and I ramble, but a final word on costumes. They are hard for the uncreative! My mom gets all the credit for Queen Hazel and Mary Poppins - she bought their dresses and Ginger's hat at Unique (best thrift store ever), and sewed Hazel's cape and Ginger's red waist thingy. I think the best costumes I saw this year were:
Baby - Yoda
Kid - Cookie Monster and a Peacock (two different costumes)
Family - Star Wars crew
Couple - Dorothy and Scarecrow

The costumes I hate the most are muscle-y Transformer-y things, and I'm not just saying that because I don't have boys. I am equally sick to death of all princess-fairy blah-blah-blah costumes. We walked a fine line this year with the Queen but next year I will think and plan way ahead, planting seeds deep and offering way different options. I am not creative, but others are and the internet is a wealth of help if I just take the time.

So how did Halloween go for you? What were the best costumes you saw? Any serious candy meltdowns? How about unusual events or traditions? It was a good year. I actually wish it was on Sunday more often.

Six Months