Fall is in the Air

...at least in my foyer.  I might have a slight addiction to Glade Plug-ins and my house smells deliciously like apple cider.  I'm saving the exceptionally fall-scented "Pumpkin Spice" for next month.  The weather hasn't seemed much like fall with temperatures in the 90's last week (right after all the pools and spray grounds closed!) and 50's now.  Add in some rain and it's been a pretty icky couple weeks.

We did squeeze in a playground visit:

Some time in Congress Park:

And a 5k that Bob and I ran in:

sitting in a fire truck wasn't as fun as it looked.

With a playground stop afterwards:

But then during the weekend before last, MiniM.E. really wasn't herself (seen here looking utterly unimpressed with everything):

I had one of my worst "Bad Mom of the Year" moments Monday before last when I took MiniM.E. to the doctor after a couple weeks of extra fussiness to find out she had screaming ear infections in both ears.  Arg.  It was a rough couple days nice, relaxing break to lie on the couch with a cuddly, exhausted, sick toddler (even though I felt awful that she felt awful).  Unfortunately, it took her a while to get back to herself (I'm still not sure she's 100%) and we had a couple play dates we had to leave early and a couple activities that we started last week that she definitely wasn't excited about.  Hopefully this week will be better.

Last weekend we drove to NH for H.'s 2nd birthday party.  Remember his 1st?

We didn't plan much for the weekend since I made the cake this year and it took up a lot of time, but we did get to see my sister's new puppy "Crumpins" (named by MiniM.E.).

MiniM.E. helping to bake the cakes

Hi Crumpins!

THE CAKE!!

A playground break 

At the party

Crumpins in MiniM.E.'s kiddie pool

Happy Birthday E!

Last weekend was our neighbor, Baby E.'s, 1st Birthday.  1st birthdays are kind of a big deal, and E.'s mom enlisted me to bake the cake and help with the decorations.  I was more than happy to help out!

Cake, decorations, and one happy birthday girl!

Too Nice to Be Inside!

It's really hard to sit inside at a computer when the weather is so beautiful.  Must enjoy it before it gets too hot!!  Though I'm pretty sure with MiniM.E.'s love of playgrounds, I'll be getting my fair share of vitamin D this summer!

I'll make my posts short and sweet- lots of photos, little text... and we can all get back outside sooner!

What we've been up to this week:

We went out to dinner with our neighbors and their daughter, Baby E. and had a great time.  Here's MiniM.E. waiting for our table at the bar.

I made a 1st Birthday cake for a friend.  MiniM.E. helped decorate (her own cake).

more went in the mouth than on the cake...

the party cake 

the smash cake

 The playground we walk to finally got a (70-year old, rusty) baby swing!  Yay!

The Horse Show is here this week and next.  We went to check it out.  We even got to pet a horse.

more interested in the tree bark than the horses 

playing in the dirt (instead of watching horses)

sorting grapes (instead of watching horses...)

The Farmer's Market is outside again!  Elmo came too!

We visited MiniM.E.'s favorite playground, the Yellow Triangle one...

love this photo.  must make wood photo transfer...

And we hung out in the grass at the Spa Park (for 15 minutes before MiniM.E. wanted to go home).

beautiful!

Happy First Birthday MiniM.E.!

Sunday we had a party for MiniM.E.  

This is why I haven't written a blog post in forever.

the cake

MiniM.E. got to open a few presents early... 

the bow was the best part

 MiniM.E. seemed to have a good time, though she really didn't have a clue what was going on.  The whole cake thing?  She didn't have a clue.

"seriously? what is going on?"

"you really wanted me to wear this?"

"am I done?"

blowing out the candle

 I was hoping for a baby smashing her face into a cake.  Instead I got this:

daintily "smashing" the cake

feeding Mommy

feeding Daddy

 Typical MiniM.E.  She didn't even TASTE the cake.

at least WE liked opening presents

"that's right I'm one.  and don't you forget it!"

MiniM.E.'s favorite part of the party was the balloons.  A huge thank you to my parents, who, despite the helium shortage and the extreme difficulty of finding a place to buy helium without remortgaging their house, managed to find us enough helium to inflate more balloons than any one-year-old needs at a party (I needed them though-all of them).  THANK YOU!!

 

...Okay, it might have been a tie between helium balloons and Daddy juggling

Oh, did I forget to mention it was also Bob's birthday?  Lucky him: from now on his birthday is all about MiniM.E.  But  birthdays aren't important when you're old anyway, right?  Still, he got a present. No, not MiniM.E., though she does look cute in a bow... A wheelbarrow.  Which, actually... is more of a present for MiniM.E. since it's purpose is obviously giving her rides...

Monday was actually MiniM.E.'s birthday and my mom and I took her to...

BOWMAN ORCHARDS!  Again!  Because she really loves it.  She rocked the teeter totter.

and the tractor

and the slides

Until it started raining and we had to move our mini-party to the Tiny Tots Tea Room... which, if you live near Clifton Park and have a child under the age of 6 is a fantastic place to go.

I was a little worried about MiniM.E. turning one.  I've only been dreading it for months.  BUT... as it turns out, she's even awesomer today than she was yesterday.  And today she was one.  All day.  So... I guess it will be alright.  I just have to get used to the fact that she's not a baby anymore.  Officially.  She'll always be my baby...