Driving in the Sun. . .

A HUGE thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for enabling what was a very much-needed vacation. Kristopher and I had a great time in Northern California. We hiked. We tasted wine. We pigged out. And speaking of pigs... we even took a mud bath. Anyway, it was a great way to celebrate 10 (wow) years of marital bliss.

Esme had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa. She went to the playground. Ate at the diner. And enjoyed getting to know them a little better, I'm sure. Fortunately, she didn't seem to register our absence. Though Grandma did report one incident. It occurred while they were watching The Today Show together. Apparently seeing Al Roker and Meredith Vieira on the screen prompted Esme to say, "Mama, Dada." Ohh, so that's where we were off to.



Anyway, the trip wouldn't have been possible without Grandma and Grandpa. And knowing that our little girl was in good hands enabled us to relax and truly enjoy ourselves. I'm happy to be back home now. And though happy to have me back, I know that Esme is also missing her Gs. She's a lucky girl indeed.

The Great Pumpkin

Since autumn is in full swing and Halloween is just around the corner, it was time to hit the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. Aunt Stephie and Uncle Kevin live in Jersey "farm country" and were kind enough to host the event. We missed out on most of the apple picking due to naptime, but Esme more than made up for it in the pumpkin patch.

We thought it would be cute to photograph her perched upon a pumpkin. However what was simply a photo-op for us turned out to be some serious conditioning for Esme. Now as far as she's concerned pumpkins are not some crazy autumn vegetable from which we get Jack 'o Lanterns and pies. No. They're little Esme-sized seats.



She spent the rest of the afternoon attempting to climb upon every pumpkin she saw. And even now, more than a week later, she happily sits upon the one at Grandma and Grandpa's. And I'm really not sure how she's going to feel about it when we start carving up the one we have at home.

Apple picking has not changed Esme's opinion on apples. She just doesn't like them. She even rejects applesauce. Pears, too, are not a favorite. She does say "apple" however, which is too cute. I'll try to get some video up soon. It's one of her few multi-syllabic words. "Ahhh-pull" she says with the stress on "pull".

Sleepover!

Last weekend may very well go down as one of Esme's all-time favorites. She relishes any opportunity to spend time with her cousins, but never before has she had the pleasure of their company for an entire weekend.

Though Saturday was rainy, we still managed to get outside for a bit. That was followed by pizza, bath and bed for Esme, and a screening of The Muppet Movie, complete with popcorn. Ethan was partial to Animal. While Ella appreciated Miss Piggy's karate moves.

In the morning we hit the diner for breakfast.




























Then we joined Grandma and Grandpa for a trip to Liberty Science Center. That was tons of fun, especially the IExplore Room where all three kids had a ball trying out all the different activities. Esme just loved painting...



Look how good Esme is getting with her letters! I'm sure it's all thanks to all the time Ethan and Ella spent drilling them with her.

Seriously, her much more advanced cousins did have some influence on her. Just days after their visit, Esme took her very first steps! I guess she wants to be absolutely sure that the next time she sees them she'll be able to keep up.

Oktoberfest

Hard to believe that another Oktoberfest has come and gone. This year was especially fun. The weather was beautiful. And it was such a nice mix of new and veteran 'festers. I'm also super-appreciative of all the help– from Mom's beloved potato salad to Deb's delicious pie, Steph's sugar cookies and Andrea's sweet treats. Kenny and Jen supplied one very potent case of German porter. And thanks to Tara and Cynthia and their big backyard (it's all relative!), the kids had much more room to frolic about.

Though this was technically Esme's second Oktoberfest, this year she was much more involved in the festivities. Here she is scooting about, eating a hard pretzel like a good kleines mädchen.








I'm only guessing here, but I think one of Esme's favorite parts about Oktoberfest was being able to share the head of the table with her BFF and next-door nabe, Sofia. We all agree that the girls eat best when stealing each other's food!


Here are some more fun highlights...

Bienvenue Chez Chicco

Welcome to Chez Chicco. We have a tantalizing menu today that we're sure you'll find very appealing. For starters we offer a silky-smooth purée of yogurt and ripe avocado. What's more, our staff will be delighted to spoon each bite directly in your mouth. Then to ensure you won't grow bored waiting for the next course to appear we have an amuse-bouche of only the finest kidney beans (organic and free range). Throw them? On the floor? Mais oui, no problem. The customer is king here at Chez Chicco. Coming up next you'll find matchsticks of boiled carrot each precision-cut for your dining pleasure. And the pièce de résistance. . . whole-wheat penne topped with a dollop of Zippy Cheese Sauce à la Moosewood. To quaff alongside your meal, whole milk, bien sûr, served up in your favorite sippy cup. Bon appetit, petite mademoiselle.

Labor Day

We had a fun-filled Labor Day weekend. We started out with a quick day-trip to Sandy Hook National Park– just an hour's drive to what is truly a beautiful beach with lots of hiking and other activities to offer as well. Here's a short clip of Esme dipping her toes in the Atlantic.






Though we remembered to bring snacks and drinks, etc. I neglected to bring a change of clothes. Or towels for that matter. I mean, we're going to a beach. Who brings towels!? Fortunately Esme can still rock the diaper-only look, and seemed to really enjoy herself in the process:

Fang

As promised, photo documentation of the teeth. This was no easy feat. As it is, preserving Esme for posterity as something more than a blur is a bit of a challenge these days. Plus getting her not only to sit still for the camera, but to also open her mouth wide enough so that I can capture her sesame-seed-sized choppers was at moments beyond my capabilities. But persist I did, and so here it goes...



What we have here are two, pointy little eye teeth on top. And two front teeth on the bottom which you will have to take my word for. Poor Esme has been under the weather all week. Runny nose. A low-grade fever one night. General punkiness. I think her still-in-seclusion front teeth may be the culprit. We'll see.

Anyway, she may look innocent enough. But let's just say I've been keeping extra heads of garlic around. Just in case...