Video Games and Crochet

Today was a sleep in day…for me anyway.  Darling Hubby got up with Bug and let me stay in bed until 10:30!  He even did the dishes and made rice pudding and just after I got up, took Bug outside to bag the leaves that I raked up yesterday.  This is the last of the leaves off the tree so hopefully we won’t have to rake and bag until next year.  Fall is almost over and winter is on the way in.

Oh, a funny story.  Darling Hubby wanted to show Bug the little helicopter seed pods falling off the tree in mass quantities so he tossed Bug’s yellow plastic baseball bat into the tree, knocking some down.  I was in the house and he wanted to show me their new fun, so he banged on the window.  When I came to watch, Darling Hubby tossed the bat into the tree, knocking down some of the seed pods and I watched as the yellow bat sailed across the fence into the neighbors yard.  lol  Thankfully our neighbors don’t care if we need to get back into their yard so it was easy retrieval.  It was still kinda funny.

After lunch we just watched some recorded tv and then we played Ultimate Alliance on the Xbox.  I think I drive Darling Hubby nuts because I end up beating up everything in my path, which takes away from running around dealing with the villians.  My fingers are so sore from the last big battle.  We had to give up because I couldn’t feel my thumb anymore…typing this is difficult.  lol

I’ve been working here and there today on the afghan for Darling Hubby’s Grandpa for Christmas.  It’s coming along nicely.  I like how the 3 colors work well together and it’s going to be so warm.  I’ll have to take some  pictures of it soon.  It’s very thick and fluffy, too.  It will be so nice to curl up under on a cold winter day and watch some tv.  I think I may want to make one for me at some point!  lol  I’m loving the Q hook, too.  It’s so easy to manuver.  I should probably have it done tomorrow or Tuesday…depending on if I have the time.  Tomorrow is craft night, but I don’t know if I want to drag it with me.  I may just work on a scarf or something simple.

I also don’t know if I’ll be babysitting tomorrow.  A friend of mine asked if it would be possible to watch his kids as his normal sitter is being investigated by CPS for an incident and isn’t allowed to watch kids during the investigation.  I’ll also be watching Baby Girl on Tuesday since it’s a holiday and her regular daycare is closed.  It should be a fun week.

Back to crocheting.

Halloween – Past and Present

My friend Shannon posted some pics of her daughter Cassie in her Halloween costumes over the years and it made me a bit nostalgic of Bug when he was littler.  I dug through my old pics and pulled out some of his past costumes.

Here he is October 2005 about 9 months old. I whipped this costume up Halloween day in a few minutes from some red Christmas felt I had floating around (after I insisted for months that he didn’t need a costume cause he was too little). It worked out well that I had a pair of red sweatpants with a hole in the tush that was the right place to add a little devil tail. I think this is my favorite costume of all!

Here he is dressed in his “Purple Paloo” costume in 2006 at 21 months. He was some sort of little monster and he was most adorable!

Last year he was on a big superhero kick and wanted to be Superman. Here’s my little Superman at 33 months in 2007.

Superman and Mommy

And I know it’s not Halloween yet, but Bug has been dying to wear his costume so we’ve taken him to a couple Halloween events so he can wear it. Here he is at 45 months (again – since I’ve posted this picture once before) donning his Spider-man costume. We are still on the superhero kick…and I have a feeling he’s going to want to be a superhero for the next few years…we’ll see.

Don’t worry, I’ll have more pics from Friday of Mall-o-ween at the mall and maybe some trick or treating at the neighbors if it’s not too cold and rainy. (Hopefully I’ll get them uploaded and edited this weekend so I can start NaBloPoMo!)

Still Chugging

Here are some more pictures of our train ride on September 28th.

Cemetery

Some wet cows

This is the view from the back of the train at the Roxbury station.  It’s rather blurry because it was taken through a wet and foggy window.  I think it’s rather artistic looking…lol  I love the colors and the leaves strewn over the tracks.

There were old signs above the seats in the passenger car; ads for old products that are no longer available.  I thought this one was funny.  A camera for $5 was probably a bargain in the old days.

This is one of my favorite pictures.  I love the colorful trees and the water and even the falling rain.

You can see the train rounding the corner.

This is the old engine that pulled the train back in 1989 when I rode with my parents.

This is the view from the back of the train at the Arkville station.  Bug took this picture through the same wet and foggy window I used before.

Bug decided to take my camera and run around snapping pics.  He snapped this one of Grandpa.

And then had to run find Grandma and take her picture.

My picture wasn’t far behind.

Overall, I think we all had a great time, despite the rainy weather.  I loved taking Bug on something that I did with my parents and I’m so glad that my parents were able to come with us and experience Bug’s enjoyment.  I’m hoping that in the future we’ll go back again for a new experience.

Chug Chug Chug

Sunday, September 28th was a special day.  It was Bug’s very first train ride.  We’d been trying to make this trip to the train for some time, but the weather always seemed to be against us.  We’d hoped that Sunday would be an exception to the rainy day rule that was in effect, but despite the decent start to the day, the afternoon was filled with dripping drops.

On our drive down to the train, we took a spur of the moment detour to the New York State Power Authority’s Gilboa Dam.  It was a nice place to stop and rest our legs even though we hadn’t been in the car long.  The leaves on the trees were just starting to turn leaving the mountains dotted with color.

Here’s Bug showing off his dandelion that he found.

Bug and Daddy

This bench was great fun.  What better place to “hide” behind and jump out hollering “boo” at “unsuspecting” parents.

After our quick break, we hopped back into the car and headed down to Arkville to the Delaware and Ulster Rail Ride.  The last time I was there was in 1989…I have the old pamphlet to prove it.  My parents found it and gave it to me (My family is such a bunch of pack rats!)

When we pulled into the parking lot, Bug got so excited.  He kept saying, “We’re here!  We’re here!” and as soon as we got out of the car he wanted to ride the train…despite the fact that we arrived around 12:30pm and the train didn’t leave until 2…poor dear had to sit through a torturous lunch and then another wait after the train arrived until the allowed us to board.

Bug and Daddy watching the train pull into the station. The train was returning from it’s earlier run and was dropping passengers off. Bug wanted to get right on and go, right then and there.

To kill some time before we were allowed to board, we went into the Arkville station’s museum and gift shop.  Bug found a hole in the wall and kept peeking thought it to make sure that the train didn’t leave with out us.

So after what must have seemed like utter eternity to a three and a half year old we boarded the train.  He decided that he wanted to sit with Grandma and Grandpa rather than Mommy and Daddy.

Bug and Grandpa

My Mom and Dad (aka Grandma and Grandpa)

Looking out the rainy window.

We stopped at the Roxbury station, while the engine switched positions, and braved the rain to see the small train museum inside the original station.  They have a few displays of how the trains looked back in the day and some old pictures.

These buckets and barrels made a good photo opportunity.

Bug and Mommy.
He was getting tired…a long day without any naps…so he ‘nuggled with Mommy for a bit.

This was Bug on our way home.  Poor thing crashed.  Must have been a good day.

Stay tuned for my next post with pictures of the train and some of the things we saw.

Your Eyes Do Not Deceive You!

I’ve changed designs.  I took my new header picture during a quick stop at the NY Power Authority (Gilboa Dam) in Gilboa today on our way to the train ride with my parents (which I will blog this week when all the pictures have been edited appropriately.)  I wanted something a little more fallish and I think this header and theme work well together.  Enjoy.  I know I do!

It Must Be Fall

My clothesline is dotted with warm pj pants, sweatshirts and lots of socks rather than shorts and tank tops.  We’ve started curling up with blankets and drinking hot tea and hot cocoa (the homemade stuff with milk, not that watered down powdered mix made with water – blah)  And I’m thinking about making some soups to warm us at the end of a long day.  There is a crispness in the air that wasn’t there a few weeks ago.  Then there are the apples.  Lots and lots of apples.  It’s one of the best things about living in NY state.

This past Friday we took a trip to our favorite apple orchard to pick our favorite apples.  Bug was super excited to go.

Warning!  This post is photo overload!

The first apple of the season – a macoun.

Taking the first bite of the season.  Yummy!

Bug loved picking the apples and putting them in the bags.

He also enjoyed running up and down the rows of apples.

With Daddy’s help he was finally tall enough to reach those top branches.

“Yeah! I did it!”

My strong men carrying the apples to the car.

Outside the bakery with a fresh quart of apple cider and a warm cider donut.  Yum!

Playing on the playground at the orchard.  Bug loved the wooden train.

The tire teepee was lots of fun, too!

Isn’t he adorable!

He’s the apple of my eye!

There were even little goats to feed.
There was also a sheep, some pigs and 3 alpacas, but they were anti social.

Their tongues tickled!
(Don’t worry, we all washed our hands afterwards)

Bug was very interested in this water spigot.

We had to have one more train “ride” before heading home.

On Sunday, Bug helped me make our very first apple pies of the season.  Course, we do all our baking wearing our pjs.  His favorite part was turning the handle on the apple peeler/corer (which I don’t have pictures of – drat)

Oh, and yes, those pies were delicious!

Fall is just one of my four favorite seasons!

New Look!

I had a few extra minutes and thought I’d change my header and colors. What do you think? I took that picture of the flower when we were at the park yesterday. It’s very fall-ish.