Grafton ferry

It's that time of year again! This morning we set out and boarded the first ferry to Illinois to go apple picking. I prefer a lower temperature (low 90s was a little warm for me while toting a 20+lb toddler a camera and several bags of apples.), but one of our favorite apples was in season (honey crisp). So it was a hot one, but we came out with a big pile of apples and a considerably smaller pile of peaches. The kids enjoyed running around and looking for the perfect apple.

Gemma was enthralled by the boat ride and spent most of the trip with her little finger pointed out the window as if to say "hey guys? Should there be water all around the car?" I was totally taken by surprise by her fear of the orchard transport tractor, she spent the whole ride firmly about my neck.

Meet Betty. She arrived on Thursday and has been making delightfully small ice cubes and has produce drawers that won't slice your skin when you open them.

((shivers))

There is a game we've played with every baby/child in our house.

The rules:  Any time there is a railing with slats in it, you stop and push your face through (not all the way through, it wouldn't fit.)  Any family member standing on the other side of the railing is obligated to stop what they are doing and kiss your face until you remove it.

I was coming up the stairs and I saw Gemma's face pushed between the slats of the railing.  "Mmmmm..." she hummed, which is her way of saying she is waiting for a kiss.  I reach on my tiptoes and cover her chubby cheeks with kisses until she giggles breathlessly.  I press my face between a different set of bars, which is consistently the most hilarious thing ever ("Hey look!  You were here....and now you're over there! Unbelievable!!")

Gemma leaned over and to allow me to kiss her (although the rules of the game dictate SHE kiss ME, she never does.  She just leans in and waits for me to do the kissing.) when she suddenly leaned away with a confused look on her face.

She looked down at the vent (the air had just kicked on).

Then she blew out with her mouth (like blowing out a birthday candle) and shivered while saying "oooohooo".

This girl is hilarious.

Ball

Can you hear it??

Those shoes

It was time to go.  I called to the big kids, who were playing in their room to put on their shoes.

I grabbed a few things and came into the laundry room (that leads to the garage) to find Gemma sitting on the rug in front of the door.  This is a new habit of hers that I find charming, adorable and convenient as well.

I grabbed her shoes off the washer (otherwise she carries them around the house and I find them stuffed in the oddest places.  Also, I CANNOT find them when it is time to leave the house) and bent to put them on her all the while reminding William to grab his backpack, Amelia to put on her school shoes, etc.

I was taken aback when it registered that Gemma was pushing the sensible pair of tennis shoes away from me.  When I looked closer she had a frown on her face and was most certainly pushing the shoes away and kicking her feet so I wasn't able to put on the shoes.  Her tiny pointer finger directed me back to the washer.  I grabbed a less sensible, yet adorable pair of pink shoes that match her outfit next.  I let the big kids out into the garage while I bent to put the shoes on my girl.  Hands waving the shoes away, frown, feet kicking, a squawk of displeasure, and the tiny finger directing me back to the washer.

With a sigh, I pull down the pair of red sandals that do NOT match what she is wearing.  This should not matter to me, but it does.  It matters because I hate people feeling sorry for my neglected (opinionated) child who has to wear mismatched clothes because her mother is too busy to figure it out.  In reality, I know I am probably the only one who notices, but it still makes me crazy.


I get ready to put the red shoes on and notice the great big smile on Gemma's face.  She helpfully lifts one foot and then the other so I can slide the mismatched shoes on her feet (with socks no less!  The horror!).

Yes.  My child is 14 months old and I am already choosing my battles with her.  Can you imagine when she is 14 years old?

Gemma's words

It has been a long wait for this mama! Gemma is our latest talker of the bunch, although that expected due to her super early and strong gross motor development. Still, a mama likes the reassurance that vocabulary development brings. In the last week, we have been hearing words consistently. Previously, she would pick up a sound, use it randomly for a few days and then never use it again.

In use, we now have:

Hat (haa)- pats head when she sees a hat

Ball (baal)- when she see a ball, wants the ball, is holding the ball or when someone takes her ball away (which happen frequently)

Book (bk)- this one is hard to tell if she is saying ball or book. I usually have to look around to see if there is a ball or book. And I get it wrong at least 50% if the time.

Hi (ai)- to everything. William, Amelia, the school bus, cars driving by while we wait for the bus, dolls and other toys, to daddy, but not to the lady at the grocery store.

Belly (buh)- and lifts her shirt to reveal adorable belly

Amelia (mei)- very hard to catch and understand still, but it is coming along

William (lim)- ADORABLE. Kills me every time. Again, somewhat difficult to distinguish from her other random babble. William totally lights up when he hears it though.

Baby (bayb) when holding a baby upside down by the foot.

Woof - when she hears the neighbor's dog barking or sees a dog outside.

This little monkey made us wait, but she was usually able to get her point across using body language, facial expressions and her adorable little pointer finger.

Sent from my iPhone

The Cousin Get Together

The cousins have managed to get together for the Labor Day weekend for
the last several years. With all the miles we have traveled this
summer, we decided this one we needed to stay home. The to-do list is
at an all time record length. After being gone much of the summer, we
have SO much to do to get caught up.


Then, at 8:30am we decided seeing family has always trumped almost
everything and anything. This time that should be true also. So, we
packed the car and hit the road 2 hours later.

The kids saw all of their cousins (8!) in 3 short days. They played
and played and played. It. Was. Amazing.

We didn't get pictures with Andy and Zelda, but we did manage a group
shot of the Heidt cousins.