Officially Fall

So, as September comes to a close, I am finally ready to admit that FALL is officially here. Florida residents don't get much in the way of fall weather, but we are enjoying temperatures in the mid-80's as opposed to the mid-90's. And I'm no meteorologist, but I'm pretty darn certain that the humidity levels have dropped as well. The mornings and evenings have a crispness to them that invite you to welcome in fall.

There are several things, besides the cooling weather, that make fall my favorite season. I have decided that I can go ahead and confess that I love most things pumpkin. I enjoy looking at pumpkins, carving pumpkins, calling Eli "punkin'", but even more so, eating pumpkins! I am game for just about anything flavored with pumpkin spice....and it makes me taste and feel fall.

I love me some non-fat, no-whip (although i do indulge in the whip every now and again...it makes it oh-so-much-more delicious) Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Normally, I prefer iced coffee, but this is a flavor that, to me, is only good hot! These cooler mornings have tempted me to stop at the Bucks-o'-Star a few too many times...more than I probably should...

And then there is the tasty pumpkin cream cheese here for a limited time at Brueggers. Rumor has it that it is only around until Halloween...what is up with that? I bought a tub and it is halfway gone already...Eli and Matt are fans as well. If you like pumpkin flavor and you like cream cheese....hurry up and go try it. It is delightful on the also limited time baked apple bagels. They even have a yummy pumpkin cheese cake recipe that I'm eager to try:

BRUEGGER'S PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

• (4) Bruegger's Pumpkin Cream Cheese containers
• (2) 9" prepared graham cracker crusts
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325° F. Mix cream cheese until softened in mixer for 1 minute. Add sugar gradually while maintaining mixing. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs one at a time, blending after each addition. Add vanilla; mix thoroughly. Pour batter into prepared graham cracker crusts. Bake at 325° F for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely, then refrigerate.

I love pumpkin bread.

I love pumpkin rolls.

I love pumpkin muffins.

But surprisingly, I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie. I think that is more that I'm not a pie fan...I don't really like pastry pie crusts. If it were in a graham cracker crust...I might like it more. Hmmm...maybe I should try that.

I am just so stinkin' excited that fall is upon us. Eli has been happy with the cooler weather as well. We're starting to make plans and get ready for Halloween around here. While at Target, Eli picked these out, and we found a spot for them in our guest bathroom. Next project, figure out what Eli will be for Halloween...he has a few ideas he's choosing from. You'll have to check back in a month to see what he chose.

As usual, September flew by. Eli had fun spending time with both sets of grandparents this month. He wows them with his song singing and counting these days. I love listening to him count cars, trucks, and buses and sing songs to himself as we drive around town. Many times, I join in...only to have Eli *shoosh* me as he finishes on his own. Now that the weather is more inviting, you can often find us at a park...Eli has become a fan of the monkey bars. He hasn't mastered them yet, but he's onto something.

Hope everyone had a delightful September...bring on October!

You can check out this month's pictures HERE.

A Picturesque Weekend

A wrap-up of our weekend at the beach with the fam...in pictures.

Loving time on the beach...sitting in the "BIG" chair

Chili - Batch #2
REALLY yummy and a great base to continue to add a few minor details to...I think he's on to something!

Eli and his first "Push Up Pop." A total hit! He loves his weekend treats.

A beautiful sunrise over a very calm Gulf of Mexico

So still....

Hamming it up for the camera...swinging at sunrise

Swinging is so much fun. I love the joy on his face....

Playing with his Dada in the water
(i'm beginning to realize how rare i'm in any of these pics...i'm always BEHIND the camera!) :)

Our little man...striking a pose

Getting more and more confident in the water...maybe a little too brave! :)

Eli's on the go; running up and down the water's edge. We chased him all weekend long.

Home base...our beach set up.

We are truly blessed!!!

Saturday = Gameday

GO GATORS!!

(my homemade ribbon wreath...another idea from Darby)

Most of you are fully aware that we are pretty big Gator fans, and fans of football in general... both college and pro... So Saturdays around here center around when the Gators play and what other games are on to watch. We often have family and friends over to watch since we are the only ones in the fam with HD, a big screen, and a toddler with specific nap/bed times. Luckily, no one ever objects to coming over..this might have something to do with our food spread each week. And this Saturday was no different.

Matt spent the morning prepping for his first batch of competition chili to serve to our willing guests for feedback. For those of you that don't know, there is a Chili Cookoff at St. George Island the first weekend of March every year. Since moving back to Tally, we look forward to this fun-filled event. It is known for its tasty chilies as well as the out-of-this-world people watching. Those who have attended know exactly what I mean by this. And every year, Matt talks about entering...this year he's serious! He's putting his chili pepper where his mouth is and has researched all the rules and regulations. This Saturday, he made his inaugural batch of competition chili!

And the consensus was........

It needs work! Good taste, good meat, but WAY TOO HOT to enjoy. Matt's got some tricks up his sleeve and ideas as to how to vary the recipe to maintain the goodness, add more goodness, and tone down the heat. I'm already looking forward to the second go-round.

Eli was geared up and ready to watch his first complete Gator game. He even donned his new "chomp chomp" hat for a few pictures. He is a happy Gator celebrating a 30-6 victory over Tennessee! GO GATORS!
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Jam-Packed

Our trip to Dunedin was full of fun! We sure crammed a whole lotta fun into one trip.

Eli woke up just enough to wave and give hugs to Grandma and Grandpap Carson Friday night. And then he was up bright and early on Saturday, ready to play...and there was a new toy waiting for him....
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Grandma thought the microphone looked like one from a fast food joint, so once she said "hamburger and fries" into the mic....Eli followed suit. Monkey see....monkey do! :) We got a kick out of him saying "hamburger and fries" all weekend long! Once he got a reaction, there was no stopping him! He thought (*knew*) he was being super cute and super funny.

First on the morning's agenda was to hit the Florida Aquarium in Tampa.

Eli had an absolute blast! He ran around from tank to tank. He loved all the fish, alligators, and more. We are already thinking about taking him back to experience it again as he gets older.

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Eli crashed on the drive home, but we managed to squeeze in some pool time before heading to Mass that evening.

Saturday was also Grandpap's birthday, so we celebrated at dinner with the whole Carson Clan!

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Sunday, Eli woke up ready to get back into the pool. He tried to go in in his pjs both mornings. Eli is really starting to feel comfortable in the water. Here is a quick video of our little fish in the making....

(the jets in the pool made it super hard for him to swim "upstream" after turning around...and sorry for the fogging lens at the end)

Mama and Dada got the treat of going to a Bucs game with Grandpap and Uncle Mark. It was the Bucs home opener against the Atlanta Falcons, complete with a tailgate, flyover, and VICTORY! (With the way the Bucs have been playing lately, a win is a pleasant surprise!) GO BUCS! We made it home (with ice-cream for all...) just in time to help put Eli to bed.

We stayed over Sunday night and took Monday off for a travel day. It made the trip feel much less rushed and more relaxed. Thanks for the great weekend, Grandma and Grandpap Carson! I think we are staying put this coming weekend and the next couple of weekends. We love staying busy and taking day/weekend trips, but it is wonderful to stay home every now and again too.
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Busy Busy

I'm completely and utterly exhausted. I don't know what it is about this week, but it wiped me out. Eli beginning to cut his two-year molars probably isn't helping.....(I do have to brag on him a bit here. He is waking up at night because of his teeth, but putting himself back to sleep. We, unfortunately, wake up each time with him...and listen on the monitor, and then WE have to put ourselves back to sleep.)

I have quite a few more responsibilities associated with school this year than I did last year. I do much more planning, assessing, and reflecting. All of this has to be done in my *spare time* each day at home. That's funny....spare time....what's that? With a toddler at home, I lack spare time.

Here is a cute example of one of the oodles of things that keeps me busy each day:

The boy loves his oatmeal. He can use a spoon, but why?...when your hands are much more fun. I think oatmeal is up there as one of my least favorite foods to clean him up from (second only to grits...) but at the same time one of my most favorites to feed him. What a healthy breakfast choice...especially when he adds his own blueberries too!

We're off to Dunedin this weekend....stories to follow, I'm sure! Happy weekend!

Where Did it Go?

Well, August flew by. Don't know if it was coming down off of my vacation high, school starting, busy/fun-filled days, or all of the above. Probably the latter. Anyways, it was a good month...so good I barely had time to post. I tried to make it a priority during today's nap time to get caught up. Oh well, the housework will have to wait!

I've caught myself saying a couple of times this month that Eli is going through a mechanical stage...he must figure out how things work. Trying to take them apart, flip switches, on, off, opening doors, undoing latches; he is all about cause and effect.

He has also discovered Blue's Clues. We let him watch in the mornings while we're getting ready for work and school. Eli adores watching it and is picking up on more and more everyday. Yesterday, he requested that I turn it on by using his hands to do the Blue's Clues sign. And I just about fell out laughing as he ran around the corner of the kitchen to do the mail dance perfectly, without missing a step. For those of you novices in the world of Blue's Clues....check it out! It is a cute, interactive, and even educational show. He loves the "routine" of it, and I'm hoping he'll grow up with the show. There is still so much it has to offer that is a little over his head at this point. But for now, we all love it! :)

Eli is also booming with knowledge these last couple of weeks. He's really starting to sing along here and there with songs he's familiar with. He continues to request his favorites to be sung or played on CD. This week, he went from kind of randomly counting to actually stopping as he's finished counting buttons or dogs or whatever it is he's counting. He's made a shift in his brain there as to what it really means to count...and how to do it! I'm amazed!!! And my favorite...he's starting to SING the ABC song. We can take turns and get through the entire alphabet. At the beach this weekend, he just busted out with "h, i, j, k, lmamoaodonp." Yeah, the last part there was a little garbled, but still super cute. Yesterday's favorite letters to sing over and over were W and X. Too cute! He even does, "Now I know my...." And of course, while singing, he's trying to sign along too. Oh yeah, he can also identify some letters by sight...he gets O and S right every time. I love it! He's a genius, right? Or at least he is in my mind... :) FYI...the other song of the week is "Twinkle Twinkle." And the book that we read everyday...multiple times a day is Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. He just adores it and now knows what comes on some of the pages. You should hear him read along. Love it!

It is so much fun to see him grow and learn so much so fast. I'm sure I'm sharing more than you want to know, but I can't help it. I'm just so proud.

Things I'm not so proud of: his inability to share, pushing, whining when things don't go his way, not always listening, getting into things he knows he shouldn't, claiming all things as "mine." I don't think these are unusual at this age...it just leaves us lots to work on. Lots of these things are getting better as the days go by. But it is trying in the mean time.

Here's the picture link of the month.

I'll leave you with one last story:

Yesterday we were getting stir crazy and the toys had been played out. I decided to try and make sidewalk chalk paint. I had read about it in one of my parenting magazines. Eli ended up spilling it, pouring water in to water them down, dumping bubbles while I worked at it, mixed all of the colors rather than actually paint on the patio, and basically drove me bonkers while I tried to make this fun toy for us to try. So much for creativity...next time I'll plan ahead better and make it while he naps. You live and learn.

our mess....it was a fun idea

Eli watching from inside while an exasperated Mama cleaned up the messes
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Underestimated Gustov

We headed to St. George for Labor Day with Aunt Kristi and some friends from church. We all knew Gustov was out in the Gulf, but I don't think any of us realized how affected we would be.

Saturday started out nice. After a yummy breakfast, we headed out to play in the sand and surf. Eli loved it! Surprise, surprise, I know... After a nap and lunch, we hit the beach again. Thankfully, Eli managed to dig, bury, and throw fistfuls of sand a lot because this was the most time we got to spend on the beach. The winds started picking up that evening, and we began to get a lovely exfoliation due to all the sand that went flying. I quickly realized that if the sand was hurting my legs...and hitting my knees...that meant it was hitting Eli in the face!! So, we packed up and headed in...and there we stayed for the better part of the rest of our 3-day weekend.

We did, in fact, spend Sunday under a Tropical Storm watch and warning. Sustained winds started out around 15 mph or so...and got all the way up to 25ish mph with gusts over 40 mph Sunday night. It was pretty awesome to stand outside (when the sand wasn't pummeling you...) and experience the power and wonder of the storm. The surf was rough and angry...getting close to the house, but mini dunes slowed it before it got too close. The wind brought lots of sand under the house...crazy how the beach changes so quickly in a storm like that.

(look how high the water came in the lot next to us)

To get Eli's wiggles out...and ours too...we did let him play on the beach near the water Sunday before dinner.

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And then Monday afternoon, it started looking almost sunny, so we got to play a little more....squeezing in all the beach time we could. Otherwise, we entertained ourselves with games,

card games,

cupcakes,

magnetic toys,

and Eli, of course, kept us laughing and busy.