Week-O-Excitement

Week-o-excitement.

With super warm temperatures this week, Reed and I have been outside even more than usual, as if we have been given a second shot at summer these last few days. We went to the Denver Aquarium on Wednesday which he found a bit scary until he got used to the idea of hundreds of fish seemingly swimming all around him, and he really enjoyed the zoo yesterday (especially the carousel, I wish I'd had our video camera!). We wore shorts, basked in the sun and piles of leaves, gawked at the intriguing animals, shared a meal at the outdoor cafe's picnic table, and walked until the last possible pre-nap minute and it really was the perfect reminder of how much I love this "mom thing".

We are so excited to celebrate Reed's first Halloween tonight. We are headed to my parent's house in Colorado Springs as they have a big "to do" downtown near their house on the historical Tejon Street. Of course Reed doesn't 'get it' quite yet, but we are taking advantage of the warm weather (a Colorado Halloween rarity!) and having some fun people-watching of our own. The question of what costume to come up with always lurks, but I have a few more hours to figure it out :)

Tomorrow morning, we will be meeting our new niece, Megan Havenar. Her addition to the family makes for FOURTEEN cousins on Steve's side! Reed remains the one-and-only on my side, so he gets the best of both worlds....big family/hand-me-downs and spoiled-only-grandchild! And, tomorrow night is our annual "Urban Friends Thanksgiving" where we stuff ourselves full of turkey and all the fixings with our good Denver friends. With so many busy schedules, it came very early this year!

SUNDAY is Steve's birthday and he will be celebrating with Reed for most of the day as I have a friend's baby shower and another friend's book signing (check out: http://www.mucumbermcgee.com/) but we will do something special for him come evening. So much to celebrate!

FINALLY, as if the week isn't packed-full and exciting enough, the BIG election is around the corner, mere days away. I have never been so anxious and passionate for an election before (as most would agree, sans the Kennedy election which also brought much interest but of course my great presence had yet to arrive :)). Being raised in a "house divided" when it came to politics, I am thankful that I have always been fully informed and introduced to both 'sides', thus forming my own opinions instead of merely adapting those of my parents, peers, or church (though I am not saying that these aspects didn't have part in shaping my views). Believe it or not, I was even registerd as an independent until recently...yes, it's true! As a teacher, I feel the need/want/duty to advocate for education and "the kids". That is where I am coming from when I enter the booth and how amazing that each and every one of us has their own specific "reasons" for voting. However, I admit to already dressing Reed in "Babies for Barack" gear, taking him to a rally and debate party or tow, and so am not really sure that he will be receiving a bi-partisan perspective here at home, though I have a few years to think about this :).
No matter what your political views or interests are, the most important thing of course is that you exercise your right to vote, a privilege so many have fought hard for. Not to be too "teacher like", but this is my soap box message: Be fully informed when you vote, know why you are voting for who you are voting for...what's important to you?...and GET OUT THERE! And, God- willing, may whoever 'wins' turn this country around as there is quite a mess to clean up. I am confident that either candidate will only improve our state of affairs and, in that, we all 'win'!!!

Off to prepare for the fun ahead...Have a GREAT HALLOWEEN!!!

Well, it's been a LONG time since I have posted. I am in the process of transferring posts from Reed's site on www.babysites.com so that I will have those entries when my membership there expires! (Trying to budget a bit better these days since I am now earning half a paycheck :)).

I love this season so much! Fall is just the best. I attribute my obsession with this time of the year to my October birthday roots but maybe all love the change of foilage, crisp air, and seasonal flavors like pumpkin, butternut squash, apples at their prime and more. I could smell my spice candles and pumpkin crumb cake all year-round and probably still adore it, though maybe then it would lose some of it's luster. And the around-the-corner holidays add that much more excitement, too, especially with the seemingly earlier than usual store/shopping preparations. I could have picked up my Christmas lights along with my Halloween candy when shopping for my students back-to-school goods this year, I swear!

On the 16th, had a great 32nd (Lord, where has the time gone?) birthday, Steven's 33rd is around the corner, and Reed, too, will be a year old within the next few weeks (again, where has that time gone!?). Needless to say, we are having some busy fun around here.

I posted a few pictures from our neighborhood pumpkin patch and hope to post video of our new walker, too! Mere days until the BIG election, Halloween w/Reeders before that, and Thanksgiving in Kauai for us this year, too...our first time visiting the islands. So, much more to come and thanks for checking in on our family-o-three. Hope to be better about this blog thing in the months to come!

Until then, enjoy this October greatness :)