Mobility and Cookies

News from Toddland:

Todd has learned to stand up, if he has something to hold on to.

He and I are both glad he's mastered crawling, because now he can explore and he isn't as dependent on me for entertainment (cuz ya know, I'm so entertaining).

"Forget the upside-down stroller--I'm coming for your camera with its flashy light!"

Todd also wishes everyone a happy first day of autumn.  Per tradition, I made pumpkin cookies to celebrate the event.

Todd was pleased to discover that pumpkin cookies are good for both food and recreation.

Rides and Slides

Some of my favorite pictures from our outing to the park today:

Daddy leads the way

Sandy Sisters

Sliding Brothers

E Ticket Ride

B Ticket Ride

There's More Than One Way to Play on a Slide

Family Construction Project

Hogwarts

Crunchy Leaves

I love the telltale signs that fall is approaching.  This morning we went out front and found hundreds of golden leaves scattered on the ground.

Anna loved running back and forth through the crackly leaves.  As for Todd . . .

"Mmmm . . . crunchy!"

Mushrooms and a Crazy Hat

School is in full swing again, which means our jogging stroller is getting a lot more use these days . . .

. . . and the yellow mushrooms are blooming again (do mushrooms bloom?).

Anna was curious to know what this mushroom would feel like.  It looks kinda squishy, but it's not.

Joy's class had Crazy Outfit Day last week.  She wore her apron and Anna's raccoon hat.

Speaking of school, Todd is studying his ABCs.  He can't tell one letter from the other, as far as we know, but he loves that they stick to the fridge.  He's also sitting up really well these days.

Only Sparklers!

I heard something on the radio today that made me laugh out loud.  England burned our fair capital 200 years ago in the War of 1812, and the British embassy in D.C. decided to celebrate our much-improved relations by commemorating the event with . . . a barbecue.  On their Twitter account, they posted a picture of the dessert: a cake with a miniature White House and the caption . . .

"Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House.  Only sparklers this time!"

I thought the idea was hilarious, but apparently some of my countrymen were less than amused.  The embassy diplomatically tweeted an apology a few hours later.

Sorry!

Mom Fail: I didn't remember to take pictures of the big kids on their first day of school.  I was probably too busy rushing out the door with them to get to school on time.

They've enjoyed their first days of school, but on Saturday it still feels like summer time.  Joy went swimming, then she and Daniel played a game of . . .

Sorry!

Mama the Hairdresser

I've been cutting Daniel's hair for a few years now, but I've never quite had the nerve to cut the girls' hair.  Boy cuts are pretty straightforward, but girl cuts require a little more know-how and finesse.

Still, desperate times call for desperate measures.  The friend from church who used to cut Joy's hair moved away in spring, and I dreaded the thought of taking all four kids to a salon, so today I grabbed some scissors, turned on one of Joy's favorite movies, and prayed for help.  I've watched people cut her hair enough that I figured I could manage on my own, but it's wise to hedge that kind of bet.

The haircut took two or three times as long as I'd expected, but I think it turned out pretty well.  I'll probably even do it again in a few months when she needs a trim.  The only trouble is that I can't remember which way I angled the scissors to get things to look right.  I may have to consult my friend YouTube before my next attempt.