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We dubbed this sweater the 'walking sweater' when E was a baby.  I've pulled it out again this fall for X...and we mainly use it when we go out for walks.  Both kids were about 10 months old at the time the pics were taken.  Can you see the resemblance?  :)

Then and Now

Then (February 2009) she fit in the cabinet so nicely...she'd climb in just for fun.  She'd read some books...but just be her generally goofy self.

 Now, she doesn't fit in it so nicely...and she hops in it so that she can eat her sucker without little hands pulling it out of her mouth.  It is a safety zone for now...however, that probably won't last too long.

She hardly looks like the same little girl.  But, she had fun playing in the cabinet for a long time today away from the reach of her little, somewhat pesky, brother.

A day outside...

 I captured this day about a month ago...but just found the pictures tonight while I was going through Picasa looking for something else.  Enjoy!

 X loves eating sidewalk chalk. So yummy.  E loves drawing with sidewalk chalk.  So pretty.  They loved playing together with it!  So fun.  However, I loved it when X toppled over onto a colorful circle shape and changed his face into a beautiful pastel pattern.  So colorful.

After X's face was mostly cleaned off, we wandered over to the neighbor's steps.  She had pretty flowers and I couldn't pass up the opportunity for some cute pics.  I didn't get the perfect picture but we had fun trying!  E didn't do anything (that I remember) to X with that stone in her hand...even though it looks like X is keeping his eye on it.

Bible in 90 Days

Earlier this year a blog that I follow mentioned starting the schedule to read the entire Bible in 90 days.  I thought it sounded like a cool adventure but I wasn't up to task.  However on July 5th, I decided that it was time.  I embarked upon the quest to read the Bible straight through in 90 days in conjunction with Mom's Toolbox.  On Thursday, September 30th, I finished...on Day 88.  It was a great feeling to make my goal.  I rarely was on schedule during the weekly check-ins but the most I ever fell behind was 4 days.  I read quickly and spent 40-50 minutes most days reading.  I usually had to break it up into two chunks...one during 'rest-time' and one after the kiddos were in bed. It was a great way to get me back into the habit of having daily time devoted to my spiritual life, which had been very hit-and-miss since X's arrival.  I forced myself to spend less time on the computer and doing other 'trivial' things...sometimes that included some housework.  It was difficult to manage on some days but I always managed to find a way to do it when I made it a priority.

It was a great adventure.  I'd never made it through Leviticus before and when you only had to read it for a couple of days...its seemed much more manageable.  It was very interesting to read all the OT history in such a short time span.  I found myself wanting to beat my head against the wall with the antics of the Israelites, but then decided that God probably does the same things with us....wondering why we can't seem to figure it out either.  The prophets were difficult for me but it was still much more interesting to read them with all the OT history so fresh in my mind.  It made it more clear.  Reading all the Gospels in a week was eye opening also...it allowed me to see the whole picture so clearly.  Reading the entire Bible in 90 days gives a greater understanding of it all together and showed just how truly amazing God works everything together.

Mom's Toolbox is starting another 90 day read on January 3rd.  I highly recommend the program.  I needed the accountability that the website provided to keep myself on track and on schedule.  There is a weekly check-in and twitter discussion of the week's reading (however, I don't tweet and didn't use that tool).  I was assigned a mentor to help keep me focused on my goal.  Amy @ Mom's toolbox does a great job with encouraging everyone to be successful with the reading.

Little Boys and Dirt

We've been helping pick raspberries out to Mom and Dad's this fall. X was keeping himself amused one day playing with the car while we were picking. Jut finally looked to see what was entertaining himself so well...it was mud...lovely black, yucky, mucky mud. Apparently, it tasted good too. Instead of being good parents and cleaning him up right away, I sent Jut inside to get the camera. You gotta' love dirt!

My cuties

X at 11 months...

Please note:  "A" will now be referred to as "X" b/c "X" is not a word and I won't get as confused when I write.

Another month older...now only one month from the big 1st birthday.  Crazy.

Walking is X's big accomplishment this month.  On Tuesday, September 7th (the first day of school), I was lamenting the fact that I had passed up an opportunity to go back to work.  X rewarded me with his three first unassisted steps.  Yipee for him!  He's steadily worked on that skill this month.  He spent a couple of weeks really focused on learning to balance himself.  He's up to 10-12 steps if he really wants something but usually its 3-5 and then he crawls.

X also said his first understandable words this month.  He said "Bye" first.  He loves to wave bye and say "bye".  He'll say it and say it and say it.  He also changes it a bit to "Hi", I think...but its really close to bye.  He said "Kitty" last week at G'ma & G'pa's house when he was watching the kittens out the front door.  This week he said, "Be-Be referring to a baby.  He'll also put the sounds, "Ma-Ma" together...but I haven't really decided if he really means me yet.  (But, maybe I'm just skeptical about it since it took 21.5 months for E to say my name and then she called me "Hom".)

X also learned how to shake his head "No" this month.  It really doesn't mean "no" most of the time...but I know that he'll figure that out quickly too.

Tooth #8 appeared on the 27th.  Its the second bottom left one.

X met Jut's extended family over Labor Day weekend.  They had his Grandma's internment service on the 4th.  So, we spent the night downstate in a hotel.  Let the kids swim in the pool...Both of them LOVE the water.  X was bound and determined to crawl into the hot tub but we managed to keep him out of that.  Met all the family on Saturday and then headed home that night.

We had X's first head trauma this month.  We were at church and I had X in Jut's office looking for something on the bookshelves.  Well, I wasn't paying enough attention and X grabbed a power cord dangling from Jut's desk and BOOM!  The PS2 was attached to the top of that cord.  Lot of crying occurred and a some blood appeared.  Hit him right between the eyes.  Probably will leave a scar.  Poor guy.