why did the chicken cross the road

To trick or treat, of course! (And if you think this is cute, just wait for the video)

With Max, (Wild Things), ready for some wild rumpus!

Chicken on the move!

Chicken down!

Chicken with eggs!

my mom is such a dork

But I really do like riding a bicycle. 

Toddler

our pumpkin in the pumpkin patch

 I had this fantasy:  a pumpkin patch, a beautiful fall day, my little pumpkin.  So I hunted, and found a real live pumpkin patch, in Staten Island, believe it or not. 

So we crossed the Verrazano and found the place.  Took a shuttle bus to the farm.

Maybe it was a bit of a sham.  There's something very suspicious when pumpkins aren't attached to vines.

Still.  Beautiful fall day, cutest pumpkin in the patch.  It's all about plausible deniability.  Right?

one morning, two horrifying pictures

There will be a time when Seb says "seriously, do I have to have you guys as my parents?" 

We are really not helping ourselves out here much.

I'm not making this up, I swear

This picture has nothing to do with this post, but it's cute, so why not.

Sebastian's first word:  Thank you. 

Seriously. 

OK, kind of.  He says a lot of things, and most of the time we can't figure it out.  Mama, ok, that's pretty obvious.  Dada, but he also uses "dada" for anything fun, or that he wants.  He's mastered "uh oh" when something falls on the floor (or when he throws it there).  And then there's "Euh".  We don't know what that means.  Sometimes it's Daddy.  Sometimes maybe Enzo.  We're not sure.  He definitely means something when he says it, and I guess we'll find out eventually.

And then there's what we've been thinking was "atchoo".  Is he mimicking us sneezing (there have been a few colds passed around lately)? 

No.  It's "thank you".  How do I know?  Well, lately he's been handing us stuff.   Mostly he wants it right back, but generally I always say "thank you" when he hands me his gear toy, or bottle, or pacifier, or pea off his highchair tray, whatever.  And today when he handed me the CD case I said "thank you" and he promptly said "atchoo."  Steve didn't believe me, but then he did it again when Steve came home.  The syllables and intonation match right up. 

Grammie is going to be SO PROUD!!!!!!!!!

jeans

First really chilly fall day.  Perfect for...

Jeans!  Just like a big boy!  And, look how he's balancing there, all on his own.  Getting ready to call Grammie.

Striking a pose, the little ham