H A L L O W E E N !

Check out these adorable animals. (Do bats and fish count as animals?) We later had an adorable kangaroo, two Dorothys, Pebbles, little-bo-peep, a cheerleader and a clown.

Scott and I had some friends in the neighborhood over for chili cheese dogs and cider on Halloween. I think this is my new favorite Halloween tradition. MMmmmm... chili cheese dogs....

We didn't have nearly as many trick-or-treaters as I expected. There are at least 50 kids on our block alone, and so I figured we would get about twice that many kids at our door. Apparently most of the local churches had a Halloween party that night, so we were left with 3 big bags of unopened candy. Darn. : ) We did use about 4 bags of candy though.

A Puppy and the Fall Festival

Our neighborhood association put on a Fall Festival this weekend. It was very well attended, but there wasn't much for a 6 month old to do. So we made an appearance, saw our buddies the Harveys, and then went home.

Ian's costume was a big hit though. Some people mistakenly thought he was a sheep, a stuffed animal, a bunny rabbit, and a baby girl. But he was in fact a baby boy dressed as a puppy. It was fun to dress him up, and he really acted the part by sticking his tongue out for most of the evening.

The bat in this picture is Ian's buddy Matthias, who is about 4 months older than Ian.

New Friend

This caterpillar was waiting for us on the threshold of the front door after Ian and I took an afternoon walk around the block. His protective coloration gave me a good clue about where he might like to hang out, so after our photoshoot I put him in a bush outside our front window.

HAPPY 27th BIRTHDAY SCOTT!

If you are reading this blog, you probably know my sweet husband Scott. That makes you a lucky person. He is the kindest, silliest, most hard-working and good-hearted person I know. He is an ideal husband in every way, and the perfect father and therefore I am the luckiest woman. I am so glad he was born 27 years ago and that his parents raised him the way they did. Happy birthday, sweetheart!

The birthday boy's request, O'Boy Oatmeal Cake. Here is what was left after I ate half the batter. Soooo good.

Singing Ian's current favorite, Slippery Fish. Thanks for teaching me, Aunt Allison!

Birthday dinner.

The farfalle pasta recipe is forthcoming on Telestial Kitchen.

I loved this card from Scott's parents. Picking cards must be a talent. After I spent an hour reading every birthday card on the rack and still couldn't find one for the birthday boy, I am even more impressed at how fun that card was.
I have to share some of my favorite lines from it:

"Son, now that you are an adult, it is time you learned the truth about a few things:

It is theoretically possible to know you won't like something without trying it. Very few emergency room doctors ever notice underwear. You weren't really told anything a thousand times. Nobody on vacation tends to turn the car around. If you make a goofy face, it won't really freeze that way. You are the nicest, most talented, loveable son in the whole world. But that one is true."

Some black dress socks for my workin' man.

Scott wearing a birthday present.

27 candles!
This is one handsome baby. He sure looks like his daddy.