Snippits

Yesterday CoCo went for a walk with Dexter and I, to the playground. Which, really, is news in and of itself. Believe me, it was FAR from her idea - she'd have rather stayed home and napped. When we got home, she did her usual "yay, we're finally home!" dash in to the house. And met... a closed baby gate at the top of the stairs. So instead of waiting the 1.7 seconds for me to open it, she slid between the banister railings. She was halfway through, and I was looking at her wondering how I'd get her butt un-stuck, because it certainly looked like she was going to be stuck. Then she wiggled a bit and she was free, and galloping around the house. All of which, of course, made Dexter very happy. Oh, how he shrieks with glee when CoCo runs around the house!

This child. Has, like, an OPINION and stuff. It kind of amazes me. I took him out of the swing at the playground yesterday, and he apparently wasn't done swinging because he cried. Like the WHOLE. WAY. HOME. He tried eighty bajillion times to grab CoCo's dog food bowl, and eighty bajillion times I told him he couldn't touch it. After the eighty bajillionth time he finally laid down on the floor and screamed. This one's gonna be a fun one when he's two!

Dexter spends the first half hour of most naps standing in the corner of his crib, playing with the window blinds and looking out the window. He eventually falls down, cries, falls asleep. And inevitably wakes up early and is off again - corner, blinds, must play. When you lay him down for a nap you can't even get out of the room before he's up and in the corner. Need duct tape, I think.

Since July, I have worked about 75 hours for work. Not exactly what I would call taxing. But 45 of those hours came in the last week, working for Maryland Million Day. It was fun for a week, being a working person again, and leaving the house without a baby to worry about. It was fun driving a golf cart around a pretty golf course, chatting with nice folks while they played golf. It was fun getting dressed up in a little black dress and some flip flops (my $20 Payless shoes finally died after 8 years of service, but I had flip flops in reserve) so I could wander around a fancy party and eat raw oysters. And it was even fun escorting people to the winner's circle to present trophies, and running around the grandstand of the race track doing whatever little tasks needed to be done. It was entertaining for a week. But... I am happy to be home. I am happy to be done. That whole going to work thing - it's a lot of work.

Fall has fallen in Maryland. I turned the heat on for the first time last night. I'm not sure if it actually kicked on, but I figured I'd better be safe. The baby slept in cute footie pj's for the first time in forever. I slept with socks on. And for morning walks, Dexter is seriously pissed off that I am making him wear mittens. Because, really, Mom, how am I supposed to grab and touch stuff during our walk when I have these THINGS on my hands?

Yesterday Dex and I went to the last Two Dollar Tuesday at Bomboy's. It's the last week they will be open on week days, and they are only open on weekends til the end of October. Maybe they will have a gigantic ice cream sale at the end of the month, and we can stock up enough to last us a while. Ah, who am I kidding. A pint of Bomboy's will last a day in this house, tops.

Dexter tried bread for the first time on Sunday. Actually, he really tried it on Thursday, when he grabbed my hamburger roll off my burger and shoved it in his mouth. But Sunday, first intentional time with bread. And while he LOVED it, it did not so much love him. He reverted to a spitting machine for about 24 hours, and he hasn't been spitting at all recently. So... I guess we wait a bit on the bread?

ME: (while eating a corn bread muffin that I made from scratch. Yes, read that again. I MADE CORN MUFFINS FROM SCRATCH. Am insane.) This muffin needs... something
JOHN: Like what kind of something?
ME: I don't know. That's why I'm not a chef.
JOHN: Oh, is that why?
ME: (flips John the bird and gives him a look of death, because, DUDE! You are eating dinner that I made! Steak! That... well, you made that. And sweet potato fries! That... hmmm, you made those, too. MUFFINS! I made the damn muffins!)

Eight months. Two thirds of a year. My how time flies. My, how huge this child is. And how fun. And how cute. Eight months. Happy birthday, Dex!

Dex practices his Hokie football skills. Which means all defense, baby. Offense, be damned!

Dex went hiking with his friends Kevin (left) and Jacob (middle, and who could quite possibly be Dexter's long lost brother)

Oh, Dexter didn't go hiking BY HIMSELF. No, no. Someone had to carry his ass.

Peek-a-boo!