When Life Gives You Lemons, Cuddle Your Baby

With all the ups and downs of life in a too small cabin with a tight budget and a mobile toddler who doesn't know how to play by herself or sleep by herself or not nurse so much, life can get pretty rough. That's when it's a good time to step back and watch our adorable the baby can be in the simplest way, how she can get so excited over something so mundane.

On this particular day, the little moment came when the baby discovered her Auntie's sweater and decided to wear it.

So we tied it around her and she raced through the store laughing, looking so happy and chewing on the nearest sleeve {to her Auntie's dismay}.

She was my little cuddle-bug, all ready for winter to arrive.

And the next day we had a bit of a food adventure, leaving me tired and her all gleefully covered in baby food mush.

That was a rough day for her. She got so upset by evening that we had to cuddle her, wrap her in daddy's really soft bathrobe and let her have a whole container of onion rings to choose from while she watched TV snuggled on the bed next to her Daddy.

She was a little uncertain when he got a call but brightened up to see the camera.

Briefly at least. She did sleep well that night which was nice.

Cozy Afternoon Walks With Baby

There was a brief cool down around the end of August so we took advantage and went for a little walk. The baby really enjoys walks.

And Daddy loves taking pictures of his girls.

We found this very colorful snake coming back home. It was a ring-necked snake {we looked it up but I can't remember the exact name}; it was harmless and pretty. Husband doesn't like snakes though.

I wish this picture hadn't turned out bleary; it's so hard to get a good shot of her smiling.

She and I had gone for a walk on own later in the week while Daddy was at work and when we came home, she put my purse and dagger on.

She paraded around the porch looking so cute and happy.

But only after investigating the iPad.

She even posed for me, making an interesting giggling expression.

And then she had to play in the water and get all wet.

When I took the purse and knife away, she discovered her car-seat and entertained herself while I did dishes.

A Round of Funny Faces

I'll never get over how many different and amusing facial expression the toddle baby can make, so enjoy this round of cute snapshots!

This is usually her "I just did something you might not like but I love you Mummy" face.

Stickers!

She tried putting on her Daddy's new shoes. He found it highly entertaining.

An Adorable Garden Baby

I have a hotshot garden baby!

While we were on break at the store during a heatwave, we headed outside for some fresh air and the baby decided it was a good time to play with the hose.

Auntie helped fill up the watering cans for her and then we sat back to watch while she dumped the water out and splashed around, her little feet making the cutest slapping noise as she ran across the pavement.

The water kept her feet cool on the hot ground.

When she was done with that, she investigated some potted plants and carried several to her Auntie.

So proud of herself!

My sweet little baby.

She had a blast helping Auntie close up the store later in the day.

She even rounded up the cans for us.

Autumn is Coming!

While working on my neglected primary blog, I set up three months worth of Autumn poems for September, October and November. It's something I've been trying to consistently do for a year or two now, partly because I really enjoy it and partly because I'm a bit of a lazy blogger. I think I'm starting to run out of really good Autumn poems that I like, which means there'll either be lots of repeats or I'll have to find something else to do with myself on Wednesdays. Anyway, while reading the poems and selecting some lovely pictures to go with them, I found myself missing Autumn more than usual and longing for the return of my favorite season.

Autumn is always so lovely, with cool evenings and gorgeous colors everywhere. I always mentally describe it as a riot of color, because that's exactly what it is! In my childhood, we had frequent delicious rainstorms arrive around mid-October that would quench the thirsty earth for anywhere from three days to nine days in a row. One time we had a series of storms last for over two weeks! I loved every minute of it. When it rains, you have the cooling affect of the water washing away the dirt and grim of the world, paired with the enchanting sound of drops splattering the house, trees and car. And the smell, oh my gosh, the smell of a freshly washed world just after a rainstorm has ended! It rivals that of baking cookies, books and babies' heads.

And when it's not raining, you have pumpkins everywhere! The harvest bursts forth, yielding a bounty of fruits and vegetables, the most important one being pumpkins because they scream Autumn with their brilliant color and their classic association with the season. I try to sample as many pumpkin things as I can and have this idea of a pumpkin themed gift basket brewing in the back of my mind {though what I would need a gift basket for, I'm not sure}. Pumpkin tea, cakes, bread, cookies, cocktails, soups even! The sky is the limit when it comes to the orange treat. In addition to pumpkins, there are also yummy mandarin oranges ready to be peeled and passed around. Whenever I have an orange, I share it with whoever is nearby - my Dad, my husband, my baby. And my favorite apple, Granny Smith, is ready for harvest right around Thanksgiving.

And Thanksgiving! My favorite holiday! So festival and fun, spending weeks cleaning the house and planning menus to someday host my own Thanksgiving dinner, while getting ready to attend it at my Aunt or parents' house. We'll have pumpkin pie and pecan pie, of course, and turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberries galore, salads, apple cider, wine and mashed potatoes with baked sweet potatoes and all manner of snacks to nibble on. I bake pumpkin cookies and chocolate chip cookies every year, regardless of whose house we're going to. We spend all day with my Dad's relatives, talking, catching up, taking pictures and sharing a special day with people we love. Our family has grown with the addition of new spouses and children, hinting at a return of my childhood memories of playing with my cousins. We might even have enough kids one day to have an Easter egg hunt again!

But some of the best things about Autumn aren't all about the rain or the pumpkins or the busy socializing with relatives. It's the little daily things. Snuggling under the cozy warm blankets with my husband and Baby, knowing we don't have to get up to brave the cold outside for awhile. Or sipping a hot cup of Chai Spice tea while snacking on some yummy pumpkin bread or chocolate chip cookies we made earlier in the day. Having pumpkin pancakes my sister made or treating ourselves to a hot chocolate while out shopping. Sometimes we'l have spiced apple cider and did I mention Sam Adams Pumpkin Ale?! Divine! Other times I'll wrap Baby and I up in soft warm layers {long sleeves are my favorite!} and we'll go for a long walk, enjoying the recent rain or the dancing colors, or listening for the sound of geese flying by overhead. When nap-time rolls around, I pretend to sit by our invisible fireplace like I used to do with the real one of my childhood, and I'll dive into a new book or work on one of my many writing projects. Autumn is my favorite time to write; it's the most inspirational and I feel like I could write 50,000 words every month, not just in November, or turn out best-selling poems.

Now that I have a little one to share my joy of Autumn with, I'm looking forward to collecting leaves, splashing in puddles, getting all muddy and taking a hot bath before settling down for some cookies and reading Autumn or Thanksgiving themed books. There's a rise of such themed stories in the children's market lately and I intend to take full advantage, building my baby's library little bit by little bit.

And while Autumn is still not quite here yet, I know she's coming. I can hear the faintest rush in the wind whispering of her approach, I can see the first effects of her touch in the yellow leaves beginning to change and fall, and I can feel her coming. Autumn is coming and I'm ever so happy!