Air Mail

Mr. Mailman

 Mailman Alekzander

 He sure was a handsome postal worker...

 

 And took his driving quite seriously.

Busted

I was busted twice today by smarty-pants Alekzander.

This morning as Andrew and I were rushing out the door, Alekzander was telling 'Reen about the ice cream "fruck" he saw yesterday near/behind Quail Corners.

The conversation went like this:

"I saw ice cream fruck at Harris Teeter and... and... and...and Mommy said, "Oh crap!""

At this point, I wanted to defend myself, but could only laugh.  Andrew left the room to crack up and Maureen tried to keep a straight face, but was unsuccessful.

Unfazed, Alekzander continued with his story about how we had to drive around the parking lot to the back of Harris Teeter because of the "orange tape" since the parking lot was being paved.  

I tried to defend myself and tell him {and my two other witnesses} that I didn't say "Oh crap!" but instead said, "Oh poop!" 

Alekzander corrected me, made a big circle with his hands, and said, "No, Mommy you say, "Oh crap! Uh, I mean, Oh poop!" because of all the orange tape."

There was no stifling laughter this time; the three of us belly laughed until we almost cried... all before 7:45 a.m.  

 **** 

Later this afternoon, Alekzander wanted to make slice and bake cookies with me.  He had already made pumpkins with 'Reen and saved the ghosts for me.

I sliced and he arranged the cookies on the pan.  I stuck the cookies in before oven was preheated, added three extra minutes to the timer, and chased him around until the cookies were done.

Pulling them out of the oven, I immediately knew they were burnt.  Alekzander tried one anyway and told me they were crunchy and proceeded to spit burnt crumbs on his seat. {Insert major fall off the kitchen chair, silent scream-crying, tears, snuggles, and ice packs... no big deal, right?}  

Ten minutes later, Andrew called as we were sitting on the couch and Alekzander told him, "Mama messed up the cookies.  They yucky and crunchy." I knew, from his pithy comment, that the head trauma really was no big deal! 

When Andrew got home, I ran upstairs to change and heard little feet come up the stairs.  Andrew was tasting the cookies, and Alekzander felt the need to come upstairs and say, "Mommy, I still love you even though you burned cookies."  

Unprompted, totally honest comedy from an almost 3-year old.  {Love him even when he busts me!}

A Delicious Process

We were able to take part in Cider Day 2012,

a fundraising event for the Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency.

It was quite possibly one of my all-time favorite fall family activities.

We got to be part of the entire cider making process...

and we got to take home some of the delicious results.

the following photos :: courtesy of  s. waybright (organizer/host of Cider Day 2012)

It all started with 46 bushels of apples.

A hand-crafted apple press.

And lots of teamwork and muscle power!

Eating his fair share of the apples was Alekzander's favorite part!

 Dropping apples in to be ground to a pulp.

Helping grind!

 

 Pressing the pulp and "ta-da!"...

Fresh, amazing, delicious apple cider.

35 Months

In celebration of 35 months...

snippets of conversations :: glimpses of his persnickety personality

favorite things :: celebrated skills

 1.  Carries around a 2013 calendar from World Wildlife Fund.  His favorite month is August with the Hawkbill Turtle ::  Daddy, I want to show you this big, big turtle. It is humongous.
Wow, it is humongous, great word Vocab Boy.
No you're not a cowboy, you're Daddy.

2.  Recently found his "rubby ducky" with his outside toys and had to wash it in the bath tub.

3.  Obsessed with Shaun the Sheep; he would sit transfixed for hours.  When he was sick with an ear infection 2 months ago, in the middle of a sleepless night, I brought him downstairs to the lay on the couch and watch Shaun to distract him from the pain.  I dozed on the couch, hoping he would do the same, but he watched episode after episode and asked, "One more, please" after each.

4.  There is no longer whining and crying over "No TV Tuesday and Thursday".  We have survived two months of this practice!  After nap sometimes, he  will ask, "Is Tuesday over yet?!" and acts disappointed for a second when he realizes it is not yet a new day.

5.  He became extremely picky about shoes after he outgrew his first pair of StrideRite sneakers.  For a week, blue sea turtle rain boots were worn with every outfit, rain or shine.  After having a tantrum about putting on shoes, he finally explained to Ms. Reen that his new shoes felt too soft!?  Since then they have been broken in and he is "weally fast" when wearing them.

6.  Had several fits over new clothes at the change of the season.  I couldn't tell if he was just being extremely opinionated or if he was having a hard time with change.  Long sleeves and pants may restrict his crazy play/exercises!

7.  Does "push ups" to show off.  Used his mini-rake as a weight today and pressed it over his head.  Knows he needs to get "exercise" every day to get all the sillies out!!!

8.  Uses great manners most of the time.  At the doctor, he knows he gets Goldfish if he is good and before the doctor leaves the room, he has reminded him or her about this several times by saying, "Can I please have my Goldfish now?".

9.  After an extra long Fall Break with Mommy, he said, "Ms. Reen, I like you, but I "lof" my mommy and daddy.  I want Mommy here today." 

10.  Says "lof" instead of love.  In a sleepy voice, this is the sweetest thing to hear :: I lof you, Mommy.  I lof you, Daddy.

11.  Uses interjections properly in conversation like, Oh!  Really!?  Now I know!  Oh my goodness!

12.  Tells Syra "You're a good girl" at least 10 times a day.

13.  Reads Are You my Mother? to his animals at night.

14.  Brushes sugar bugs out of his teeth at night.

15.  He is pretty convinced that alligators live under tables in restaurants.  Its not a scary thing to him like it was during my childhood; he is just matter-of-fact about it when he drops something under the table and states that the aggigators will get it.

16.  Thinks sugarfree oatmeal cookies are delicious.  They actually quite resemble cardboard!

17.  Fruit is used as a bribe to make him eat his dinner.  We tell him it is dessert and he loves it.

18.  He is quite deprived of sugar-laden foods.  As a result, when he does eat sugar/sweets, it goes straight to his bloodstream and he is crazier than normal immediately!

19.  If either Andrew or I are not feeling well, he becomes a little helper and pets our hair or props up our feet and asks, "This feel you better?" instead of "Does this make you feel better?"

20.  Hops like a frog :: high and long.

21.  Loves to do "projects" whether it is gluing on noodles or googly eyes or stamping to his heart's content.

22.  Has a great imagination...  plays "construction site" often with the help of a vacuum/sweeper, rolling elephant, and kitchen tools.

23.  Can be hired out to vacuum and dust cobwebs.  LOVES to use the vacuum on his own.

24.  Has been waking up at 6 a.m. in the pitch black ready to shine.  This morning he even turned on his CD player to listen to his "night-night music" and got back in bed until he heard me come in from the gym.

25.  Got sent back to bed yesterday {after waking too early} for being grumpy.  He had to stay in his room until Andrew got out of the shower.  As soon as Andrew was through, Alekzander came running into our room with his little blue Bible telling me that "God said to be nice to people."  Apparently he got a Word from God while in timeout.  

26.  Struggles with naps every 2-3 days.  Other days he sleeps 2-3 hours.

27.  Can carry a tune and has better rhythm than me!  Sings along with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song and holds the notes perfectly!  "Hot diggety doooooog!"

28.  Listens to all our conversations and follows them even while playing in a different room.  Picks up on our tones too.  One day he reminded me to, "Be nice to Daddy."  We have to try hard not to laugh at some of the things he says.  

29.  Likes to play doctor and check out all his animals with a flashlight and fake otoscope.  He even called it an otoscope today a while after I told him the name of his doctor tool.

30.  He refused to consider any other Halloween costume besides mailman.  We went to the post office today to stock up on boxes to try to make him a "mail fruck" to ride in.

31.  Breakfast is still his favorite meal.  Usually it is a 3 course meal at least.  Dinner is sometimes a struggle, but if he could eat noodles every day, he would.  The other night we had a friend over and he was too busy showing off to eat, but as I was clearing the table, he snagged a chicken leg and took a big bite and said, "Mmmmm".  I was shocked because he hardly ever eats meat.

32.  Tonight at dinner I gave him the other chicken leg; it sat on his plate for the majority of the meal until he started studying it, asking what the bone was ... then he asked, "What this called again?"  I told him "chicken leg" but Andrew quickly said "chicken" afraid the "leg" part would gross him out.  He proceeded to make the chicken leg hop along the plate while saying his walking sound, "ba doop a doop, ba doop a doop."

33.  Favorite phrase and beginning of selective hearing:  "What you say again?"

34.  Hides in plain sight and waits to be 'found.'

35.  If he is in the right mood, he will laugh silently and uncontrollably when tickled.  Most ticklish spots:  between his shoulder blades, under his arms, on his thighs.

Apple of His Eye

Sweet Izzy & Alekzander checking out the apple tree.

While the dads were busy coming up with a bushel and peck of apple puns,

we could only imagine what these two were talking about!

 I'd love to see this scene replayed in 10 or 15 years. 

 

 

I hope they both stay sweet as pie.

Apple Friends

Celebrating Colin's 4th birthday at Skytop Orchard

Responding to silly prompts from daddies

"Reach for the sky!"

"Show us how old Colin is."

Maybe 2 of the crew knew how to show "4".

 

Surrounded by cute blondies...

Being an individiual.

AKA not participating in the group photo per Mommy's request.

SkyTop Orchard

Amazing fall palette.

Family adventures.

Sweet friends.

Tractor pulled hayride.  

Apple cider donuts.

Tree houses, apple houses, lofts and slides.

Alekzander's happiest day!

 

U-Pick & Eat

 Skytop Orchard

Alekzander got the picking part down pat...

From way up high in the tree or down below on the ground,

he filled his basket until it was brimming with Fugi apples.

  

The best apples were obviously 15 feet up in the tree.

We didn't see this sign until the end of our first picking adventure...

long after Alekzander had eaten several apples to the core!

Hard Work on the Farm

Will work for snacks 

I'd hire him for sure!

He nearly dug a hole to South Carolina

and filled up a bunch of "dump frucks"

and paved the road for me in the sand box.

Be it a shovel, a broom, or even a vacuum,

Alekzander takes after his grandpas

and doesn't ever shy away from manual labor.

Pumpkin Adventures

 Pumpkin Crossing

On the way to find the perfect pumpkins for "Reen"

On a mission to visit the lone pumpkin

The best pumpkin seat

 Duck races at the water pump

So blessed to have adventures with my little blond boy

 

A-Maze-Ment on the Farm

Alekzander flew through the mini-maze at Hall Family Farm.

My sense of direction is 'under-developed' {to say the least}, 

but I am sure we went in a few circles under Alekzander's leadership...

and we had to get some hints help as to the location 

of the final stamp to complete our hunt!

The completed hunt was supposed to be traded in for a candy treat,

but a purposefully forgetful Mommy pocketed our hard work 

{collecting 7 stamps around the maze}

and rewarded the mini-explorer 

with a bag of fresh popped popcorn instead.

After over an hour of fun on the farm,

Alekzander said his favorite part was the popcorn anyway!

To Todd - Love Trains

In Todd, NC, there is not much more to see than three old train cars 

except for a General Store, a small bakery, 

a post office, and a volunteer fire department.
However, the River Girl Fishing Co. mascot,
a giantic black potbelly pig
was quite a spectacle to see!

We explored it all, though, on our afternoon in Todd,

and we loved the trains!