It's one of those days

Actually, it's kind of been one of those weeks. And in talking to my sisters, they've had that kind of week too. Nothing hugely traumatic has happened....watch, now that other shoe is going to drop...and it isn't like I've had major breakdowns. Basically, it amounts to the kind of "hit and miss" week where mostly I've missed. I missed 2 of the 3 days that I was supposed to meet my running partner. And we're running buddies so it aint like we're going to wait around for the other if she's late--we're going to go running. One day it was Caleb's fault (and if he could talk, I'm sure he would claim full responsibility). This morning it was Cannon's fault for getting home so late and waking me up! I was so tired that I even slept through my alarm for 32 minutes--which is a huge feat because Cannon has it set to NPR. I HATE waking up to NPR in the mornings. It grates on me like crazy and I always wake up before Cannon does. And I've been driving around Anchorage, trying to find a quilt shop that doesn't exist. The building was vacant when I got there...I'd been on 3 separate trips to find it. Found one this morning but was an hour early. Nothing opens up here until 10am. Not even the DMV. And the DMV is another story--after waiting for 45 minutes and watching 3 people get helped AND after the DMV folks announced that it was lunchtime, so things would be going even slower, I walked out. Still don't have my DL. It's their fault, idiots!(said like Napoleon Dynamite) Like I said, I did find a quilt shop today but they didn't have any poofy batting, just cotton junk. I asked the lady about their thin batting selection and she said "Fine quilters like to see their work so we prefer the more thin batting. If you're looking for fluffier, go to Walmart!" Really? Are you kidding? So I was snubbed by the snobbish old quilting bat...the old batting bat. Oh, and we're paying through the nose for this fitness club up here. I took Caleb swimming last night at the club and the locker room was a rusted out, dingy joke. The water was loaded with chlorine and too cold for Caleb, who really can only float around. He isn't active enough to keep warm in the water yet. So it was a lot of work getting him in the pool and out of a swimsuit, then into warm clothes in a wet, dingy locker room. Not to mention me trying to change while chasing him from going under an occupied bathroom stall door. I'm just waiting for us to get athlete's foot or something. I'm cancelling our membership, stat! The toughest thing is that Cannon came home from work yesterday and announced that he had scuba certification last night and tonight. He's gone by 5:30 and home at 11:30pm. So really, it's like he's gone again. He travels enough as it is...can't he just be home when he's home? It's just been one of those quirky weeks...but in the big scheme of things, there will always be chocolate, so I'll never be totally distraught. Thank goodness for First Aid bars.

Caleb enjoys trucks and giving kisses...

I found this truck at the Anchorage Market and had to get it! It says "Alaska Trucking" on the side.


Finally got Caleb on camera giving kisses!

Eventful week/end

Cannon came home this week and it was a happy reunion! He left when summer was ebbing and came back to full fall weather. I found a free piano on c-list so we picked up the little gem and brought her home. She is the perfect addition to this little house.  A good tune up is all it will take to get her sounding great again.  Yesterday we picked blueberries.  It was a gorgeous drive and a simply beautiful day, hiking hills and filling our buckets (barely).  We look forward to doing this every year.  We hope you are all enjoying the wrap up of summer (or for Arizona family and friends, your equivalent of our summer is just starting!)

Labor Day Laboring

I've already outgrown my overalls...but look at those cute buns!

I can almost reeaach it...

While mom is hammering, I'm busy in the kitchen...

I volunteered to help her sweep after she brought the broom out. She calls me a "keeper of a sweeper" whatever that means...

Thanks to Luke and Heidi for the card. Caleb stared at it intently while he chewed on a taquito.

Fall is at the door...

There are mushrooms all over the yard!

We had found some more raspberries and he had stuffed them all in his mouth (you can kind of see the berries smeared on his lips).

Eggcellent

Caleb has the best morning hair!

Sooo, yesterday I had my first experience shopping with a fussy, wiggly, VERY determined baby. (Yes he was fed, yes he was well rested). I was one of THOSE moms who seemlingly had no control over her child. It started at Lowe's. Caleb didn't want to ride in the cart, he wanted to push it. As soon as he pushed it far enough, he would run away from me and start to wander. We had grocery shopping after Lowe's so I didn't have a lot of time to let him wander, and I was kind of scared that he'd get hit by one of those huge carts lugging 2x4's. Someone was bound to not see him, he's so tiny in that huge store. Everyone smiled and said hello to him, though, which was nice. He hollered a lot, especially after I swiped him off the riding lawn mower (it was a glorious cherry red color) and refused to be pushed in the cart. He writhed and yelled and squealed if absolutely necessary. And he found it absolutely necessary every 30 seconds. Finally, we checked out (after a guy cut in line to buy his one small item--sooo rude!) I made sure to burn him with a blistering glare. We made it out of Lowe's and the first thing we did at the grocery store was buy some jo-jos (potato wedges) to keep Buster's hands and mind busy. It worked for a while. We were just about finished with shopping so I wanted to do a quick peruse at the clearance aisle. I took him out of the cart so that he could get some more wiggles out. While he played, I checked out some candles. As I was thinking about which ones to buy, he wandered back over to our cart. I was still pondering the best deal on candles when I did a quick visual to make sure he was still close to the cart. (This next part took seconds) As I looked down, I saw him squatting and noticed his fat little fingers were reaching through the bottom of the cart. I did a double take!! Amazingly, he had fanagled the carton of eggs open and one by one, he was poking the eggs with his fingers, breaking them! After one would break, it would spill over the carton, through the cart, and down to the floor. He'd probably gotten through 5 eggs and I was horrified to find a big puddle of yellow oozing all over the floor. He started to splash at it with his fingers and smear it. For a second, I was embarassed, but I didn't give myself time to think about it. I summoned a cashier and told her to page someone for a cleanup of broken eggs. Of course, as I quickly grabbed Caleb to whisk him up to the cart seat, he stepped in the eggs. Off came the shoes! We made it through the checkout line, barely. The only thing that kept him occupied was the credit card machine. He kept pushing the green button, making it beep every 2 seconds while I took deep breaths and tried to be relaxed while the cashier slowly scanned my items. She seemed to be put out when a laundry basket didn't have a price tag and while we waited an eternity for a price check, I tried very hard to be friendly. Freddies has Clorox wipes at the doors fortunately, so I was able to wipe Caleb up. The last thing I needed was him to stick his egg-tastic hands into his little mouth. We made it home and he was so tired from playing at the stores he was asleep in 3 minutes. Our adventures were an eggcellent kick off to the many episodes will ensue in future shopping trips.

Organized Chaos

Hilarious & Sweet

Tis hilarious!! Someday Caleb will forgive me for laughing at his expense.

It's our first full week home in Anchorage since our family vacation to Idaho. I've come down with pneumonia and Cannon is on a fire at Mt. Hood. I'm resting and taking it easy, just not confined to a bed, so that is nice. The highlight of the week was finding wild raspberries in our backyard (see a previous blog). I haven't felt like doing much and Caleb is good to play happily in whatever room I'm in. Usually that has meant the livingroom, 'cause I'm on the couch. We've been watching Olympics 24/7. He sits and watches and claps when the crowd claps. We are excited for closing ceremonies! Yesterday I took him to a friends to babysit while I ran some errands and when I returned, he had a newly forming scab running under his nose and up his cheek...and nice little red bump on his forehead. He had taken a step (a concrete step no less) and fell right on his face before my friend could catch him. He was happily playing when I got there and no worse for the wear. If it wouldn't have happened at her house, I'm sure it would have happened at mine. Thankfully, there was only 1 step. This afternoon he wanted to play in the half frozen cool whip tub and I'm sure the cold felt good on his face!

Tis sweet, no?

Ride 'Em Cowboy

Yippeekaiay!

Caleb the Cowboy really give his horse Tonto what for...he jumps on and it's giddyup, giddyup let's go!! Back and forth as hard and fast as his little body will propel him! (Notice the "O boy!" face)
Whoooah, horsey!! After he's done scoutin' the land, he'll go take a nap in that hammock back in them woods.

All that ridin' gets his appetite worked up! As daddy says, "Hulkamania's gonna getcha brother!"