Happy Halloween!

 

Are words really necessary?!

Priceless

In my update post about Colin, I recalled him putting my breast feeding shields up to his chest to mimic me.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to snap a picture...until this weekend.  Did I really just say it was unfortunate that I wasn't able to preserve such an embarrassing memory?  Yep, I did.  He'll thank me in about 15 years, I'm sure!  Oh and for an added bonus, he's minus his pants. 

Weekly Recipe: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Hello Pumpkin, I love you!  I adapted this recipe to incorporate some leftover cream cheese icing I had.  I mean, anything with cream cheese is always better, right?!  This was moist, perfectly pumpkin-y, and delicious!  Go make a loaf, or 12 today.

Here is the original recipe with my alterations added in red.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
 adapted from Allrecipes

• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese (I used 6oz reduced-fat)
• 1/2 cup white sugar  (I used 1 cup powdered sugar)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (I omitted)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I increased to 1 tsp and added another 1/2 tsp nutmeg)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (I used allspice)
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I omitted)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar (I decreased this to 1 1/4 cups because of my cream cheese filling.)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar (1 cup powdered sugar in my case), 1 tablespoon flour, 1 egg and orange zest (cinnamon and maple syrup); beat until smooth. Set aside. Sift together 1 2/3 cup flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice, cloves and pumpkin pie spice; set aside
3. Place pumpkin, vegetable oil, 2 eggs and 1 1/2 1 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl; beat well. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the pecans if desired. Pour 1/2 of the pumpkin batter into the loaf pans. Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of this layer and then pour on the remaining batter.  I'm not sure if my pans were bigger than 8x4 or what, but it was all I could do to spread the batter thin enough for both loaves.  After the cream cheese layer, it's tricky to spread the pumpkin layer on top.  I found putting it on in small blobs worked best.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes (again, maybe because of my pans, my cooking time was less than 1 hour - maybe 45 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hair Raising

Friends, I could not make this up!  Just look at this cowlick on poor little Sawyer.  

I realize his hair looks red in this picture but it's really not.  It's still brownish with tinges of blond. 

This is what it looks like 99% of the time - the other 1% is when it's still wet from a bath.

Going...going

...almost gone!  Sawyer's belly button hernia is starting to deflate.  I can actually push it in and it will stay tucked in until his next grunting session.  I had gotten so accustomed to it being there that I really hadn't stopped to examine it for a while.  A friend thoughtfully asked how it was and that made me take a look that night.  Coincidentally, it was his 3-month birthday.  I was so excited to see that it was getting smaller!  I immediately called Wes in so we could do the happy dance together.  It's the small things you know.  I guess the stronger stomach makes for less grunting and straining, and therefore the hole can start closing.  Another 3 months and maybe it will completely be gone!

This is when it's stuck out.


This is pushed in.

Weekly Recipe: Corn and Chicken Chowder

It's been a while since I've made something that both Wes, Colin, and I all just gush over.  Either I end up loving it and Wes is indifferent or vice versus.  Well the stars aligned just right last night with this one.  This is a serious contender now for one of our favorite recipes!  Holy cow, that's a bold statement coming from me!  But really this soup is quick, easy, delicious, healthy, and a perfect blend of flavors.  Wes hadn't even finished his bowl before declaring that he couldn't wait to eat lunch the next day!  You'll probably even have most of the ingredients on hand, so what are you waiting for?!  Run, don't walk, to your kitchen right now and whip this up.  You won't be sorry, I promise.

Chicken Corn Chowder Topped with Avocado and Tomatoes
only slightly adapted from Picky Palate

 

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks of celery, diced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 14 oz cans chicken broth (I only used about 32 oz.  I also used a new broth to me, "No-Chicken Broth" by Imagine brand.)
2 lb bag frozen corn or 8 fresh ears of corn, kernels cut off (I only used about 1/2 a bag.)
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
½ Cup heavy cream (I used 1/2 and 1/2)
8 oz sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

1 avocado, diced (A definite must!  I normally would have skipped it but decided to give it a try for it's nutritional value and to stay true to the recipe.  I'm so glad I did.  It added a creaminess that I loved.)
1 tomato, seeded and diced (Another must.  You wouldn't think it'd add that much but it really does.)
Fresh ground black pepper

1. Heat oil into a large dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, sauté onion, carrots and celery until slightly softened, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for for 1 minute then add chicken broth, corn and chicken. Cook for 5 minutes ( let it simmer about 15 minutes or more), until heated through. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream, sour cream, salt and pepper to taste.

2. Top with avocado and tomato. Add fresh ground black pepper if desired.

What can I say?

He's his father's child.  Safety first!

Weekly Recipe: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

You may recall my love of pumpkin.  One of my coworkers jokes that I'm going to start turning orange.  Would that really be such a bad thing?  I am sort of pasty white.  I could use a little color!

I also love cinnamon rolls but have generally avoided them and anything else involving yeast.  Each time I use it, I hold my breath, cross my fingers, and put it in a room so I can't see it.  After the allotted rise time, I can hardly wait to see if there is a risen ball of pillowy goodness under there. 

Well la ti da, these babies rose and they rose a lot!  The pumpkin flavor wasn't intense but they were still really good.  I would recommend upping the brown sugar filling but then again, this was supposed to be a Cooking "Light" recipe.  I also opted to add a little cream cheese to the frosting, also negating the "light" part.  Either way, these have helped me regain my faith in my relationship with yeast.  Perhaps we are not enemies after all.  I'll give him a second chance, especially since I only used 1 out of the 3 yeast packets.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin-Cinnamon Streusel Buns
from:  Cooking Light

• 1  package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1/4  cup  warm water (100° to 110°)
• 2 3/4  cups  all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2  cup  Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2  cup  1% low-fat milk
• 1/4  cup  butter, melted
• 1  tablespoon  granulated sugar
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• Cooking spray
• 3  tablespoons  granulated sugar
• 3  tablespoons  brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 2  tablespoons  chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• Glaze:
• 3/4  cup  sifted powdered sugar
• 1  tablespoon  hot water
• 1/4  teaspoon  vanilla extract

Preparation

To prepare the buns, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Add 2 cups flour, pumpkin, and next 5 ingredients (pumpkin through nutmeg); beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of the remaining 3/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).(I skipped the whole kneading thing and used the hook on my Kitchen Aid mixer.  It's a little harder to tell if the dough is sticky, so I just started with 1/4 cup and that was enough.  When I transferred the dough to the floured surface, I probably added about another 1/4 cup.)
Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into the dough. If an indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)
Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll the dough into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Roll up the rectangle tightly, starting with a long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal. Cut roll into 12 (1-inch) slices. Place slices in a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 25 minutes or until doubled in size.  (You can cover and refrigerate them at this point, which I did.  If you do, you'll need to let them come to room temperature for about an hour before baking.)
Preheat oven to 375°.
Bake the rolls at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden brown (I ended up cooking mine for about 25-30 minutes). Cool for 15 minutes in pan on a wire rack.
To prepare the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and vanilla extract in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over buns. Serve warm.

Update: Colin

To continue with yesterday's post about Colin, I thought I'd give you few more updates.  To start, the picture above is a glimpse into my future - he's reading Daddy's Cat's Pause Basketball Yearbook.  Lord help me survive being the only sane female in the house!

******

Having two children now really forces me to utilize my time management skills.  I have to make sure I'm giving both boys equal attention and sometimes that's a bit tricky.  Being Sawyer's only source of nourishment means that the time I spend with him is usually while he's eating.  And he eats a lot.  For the first couple of months Colin seemed fine with this.  He asked to sit next to me and watched me intently, but I wouldn't say there was any jealousy there.  Fast forward to now and now I'm starting to see Mr. Jealousy rear his ugly head.  He wants to be picked up more (not so easy considering he's 35+ pounds), he wants us to sit down with him more, and he has to be in the same room as us at all times.  All of this is perfectly normal and just part of the adjustment stage.  I was expecting it early on and actually thought we had escaped it.  We just try to reinforce that we love him by giving him lots of hugs and kisses.

As I mentioned, he often watches intently as I feed Sawyer.  He told me at one point that Daddy couldn't feed Sawyer because he doesn't have boobies.  True Colin but he does have hands to hold a bottle.  Then last week I had left my pump on the floor in our bedroom and I caught him putting one of the shields up to his chest.  He told me he had boobies too.  I agreed but reminded him only mommies could produce milk and feed their babies.  I can understand his fascination with the pump though, it is pretty amazing. 

******

He is thriving at both of his schools.  One of his teachers brags on him all the time and of course I just eat that up.  She said they were working on shapes last week and Colin knew what an octagon and hexagon were before she even told them.  He asked me how come there wasn't a septagon?  Good question, son, I don't know.

He officially knows more Spanish than I do now.  Both schools are teaching it to him - I guess that's the way things are going - and he also hears it from Dora.  I guess he's going to have to tutor me.

******

In the mornings he eats his breakfast and watches Martha Speaks (on PBS) as Wes and I get ready for work.  Martha is a talking dog but she's so much more!  She teaches a lot of vocabulary words and encourages children to ask what words mean.  While this is great and all, it is sometimes challenging to think of definitions to words you say and use every day.  I'm not used to trying to define words like suppose, impressive, certainly, actually, or interesting.  I love to hear him use the words in context.  He loves to end sentences with "I suppose" and describe his outfits as "interesting."  It just makes me smile to hear him using such grown up words.

All of us were in the car this weekend and Wes switched lanes to pass a slow-moving car.  Colin, without being prompted, yells, "Pay attention!" to the driver.

Wes just laughed and said, "I wonder who he's been riding with?"

******

He had his fork taken away last week at the dinner table for using it in the wrong way (down his shirt, on my arm, on the table).  He promptly told Wes, "You're going to have to give it back to me sooner or later if you want me to eat my food."

Darn that little schemer! 

******

The kid not only hears everything but internalizes it and uses it again later.  He has caught us saying "stupid" more times than I can count.  He knows it's not a nice word and loves nothing more to point out when we say it.  Trust me, you don't realize how often you say a word until you live with a 3-year old!

I'm sure there will be more and more of these tales as he grows and learns.  Wes and I have already had to turn our heads to keep from laughing many a times.  I'm sure more head turns are in our future!

A Funny For Your Wednesday

I'll preface this story by saying this is only funny because it didn't happen to me and I didn't have to deal with it but I did feel terrible for my mother! 

A bit of background before we begin.  Colin has had nap issues for a while now.  It began pre-Sawyer, so that's not the cause.  We've tried a lot of different things and now he'll basically sleep for me and at one of his schools (the other one is ends at noon) but that's it!  My poor mother has tried to duplicate my every step but alas, Colin refuses to sleep at her house - to the point where he'll blatantly tell you that, "I'm not going to take a night-night."

So after asking me again exactly how I got him to take a nap, my mom braced herself to try again.  She took him to bed, kicking and crying, and laid him down.  After 5 minutes, she heard nothing and she was encouraged.  She held her breath and went on about her business.  A few minutes later, here comes Colin with no pants and no underwear on.  He told her that he had pooped but he had cleaned it up!  He was very matter of fact about it.  In his hands was his underwear that was wringing wet!  My mom started to get up, only to be told, "No Buff, you just sit right there, I've taken care of it.  I don't want you to come back to my room right now.  I'll can get my own underwear."

My mom is no dummy and waited about 2 minutes before heading back there.  When she opened the door, she found him with his underwear on inside out, still no pants, an entire cubby of books spread out all over the floor, and the markers.  THE MARKERS!  He had used them to draw tattoos on his feet, legs, and a throw rug.  Thank goodness the carpet was spared but I'm sure it would have only been a matter of time before it was colored on as well.  My mom asked him why he did it and he didn't know.  She said we don't color on these things, do we?  He said no, we color in coloring books.

I'm not sure if he was bored or just being mischievous but whichever it is, he's getting very good at it!  My mom didn't see any traces of the poop or any wet spots.  She asked him where it was and he said, as if she was a total moron, "In the toilet!"

I later asked him why he went in his pants and he said, "Sometimes you just have to go so badly that you don't make it to the toilet.  I just couldn't make it." 

What could I say to that? 


No Buff, you just sit right there, I've taken care of it.  Don't come back to my room.

Ride 'em Cowboy!

You may recall Colin had his first date several months ago with long time Gymboree companion, Cady.  I'm not sure how this budding romance began but rest assured, it's still going strong even after a couple months of separation.  I guess "distance does make the heart grow fonder!"

After I basically invited ourselves to their house, we ventured out to the outskirts of town - Winchester for those of you familiar with the area.  Colin must have asked a dozen times where her house was and I all I could see was the terrible movie "Are We There Yet?" with Ice Cube flying off the handle when asked that for the umpteenth time.

We finally arrived and were welcomed with this beautiful artwork.  In case you can't read it, it says "Welcome Colin and Pete!"  And for those of you that may not remember, Pete was the name that Colin had given to Sawyer while he was in utero and has since vanished into thin air.


It was amazing a) how quickly these kiddos picked up where they left off and b) that Colin actually played with another child.  I have arranged many a play date, only for Colin to sheepishly stare at the other child, all while sucking his thumb.  I guess he's known Cady a bit longer and she tends to take on the dominant female roll, so she just takes him by the reins.  See, every man needs a good woman!  Here they are up in her playground.  She was telling him how to play with the toys and unlike with me, he actually listens and responds to her commands!

Here they are at the sand table - one of Colin's new favorite activities.  Of course as Wes says, if we had one at home, he'd be tired of it within 2 days.

Little man was the perfect angel.  Of course being held is his favorite pastime, so he was in heaven! 

Then Cady's mom had a slight go-to-pieces when she saw this:

Apparently this was the first snake she had ever seen on their farm.  Kind of hard to believe but I didn't want to look around to disprove her!

Then the kids moved from playground to bikes, on the way to the barn.  Of the 2 bikes, which one did Colin go for?  Yep, the pink one!  I thought it was funny, Wes was a bit nervous.

This next picture reminds me so much of Laura Ingles.  They weren't holding hands but I thought it looked close enough. 

And for the piece de resistance...

Colin rode a pony!  All morning he kept saying he didn't want to go because he didn't want to have to ride a horse.  I told him he didn't have to if he didn't want to.  Well when his turn came, he still didn't want to do it.  It has been my experience that he needs a little nudging and often does more if I force him to.  So I gave it a whirl and picked him up and put him on the pony.  Yep, he gave me that devilish grin and life was good. 

After the barn, it was back to the house.  I just love this picture of the 2 of them in the backseat.  Cady wouldn't have it any other way than to sit right next to him!

We ended the afternoon with a trip to Chick-fil-a where Colin promptly devoured all of his meal and part of mine before Cady took one bite.  I guess he'll have to be the chef in that relationship! 

Weekly Recipe: Paella

Every once in a while my brain freezes and I can't think of things to put on our weekly menu.  My first recourse is to ask Wes if he has any suggestions.  The conversation usually goes something like this:

Me:  Wes, I'm making next week's menu.  Do you have any ideas or requests?  

Wes:  Um (long pause).  Not that I can think of right off hand.

Me:  Well think about it today and see if anything comes to mind.

Wes:  Okay, will do.

Later that day...

Me:  Did you think of anything for dinner next week?
Wes:  Not really.

So when he does make a suggestion out of the blue, you can imagine my excitement!  Even though I love cooking and love searching for recipes, it does get a little tiring to do it week after week with no added input.  Thankfully, he does eat whatever is put in front of him so I guess that's a plus.  

A couple of weeks ago he mentioned, in passing, that he'd like a good paella.  I was taken aback because a) I didn't know he had ever had paella and b) he made a dinner suggestion!  I put it on my mental list to add to the menu.  

Little did I know what lengths I'd have to go to to complete this dish.  Did you know there are no less than a million recipes for paella on the interweb?  And did you know each of those are different?  That's a little overwhelming considering I've never made it or tasted it before.  Where do I start?  I decided to start with my Old Faithful, Cooking Light.  

After I decided on a recipe, it was off to track down saffron.  Well being the fru-gal that I am, I had to search for the cheapest source.  The first place I looked was $16.59 a gram!  Holy cow!  I expanded my search to nontraditional locations, i.e. international grocery stores.  After calling 4 places, I finally tracked it down for $6.99 a gram.  I felt like I had won the lottery!  That is until I went to pick it up.  He only had a 2-gram package but after some sweet talk and batting of the eyes, I was able to convince him to open the package and sell me half.  I carefully watched as he eyeballed 1/2 of the red threads into a baggie.  As he was carefully transferring, I was carefully watching to see which one had more.  Before he could hand me anything, I picked up the baggie with the most and claimed it as my own.  I walked out of there with my little clear baggie feeling like I had just made a drug transaction.  After all, I did just pay $7 for a gram of some crocus stamens!

After all that I expected this dish to knock my socks off.  It didn't.  It was fine but I didn't think it was worth my efforts.  I still have quite a bit of saffron left so I do plan to try this again sometime.  This recipe has a lot of potential and I think I know where to begin the alterations.  I used a pork sausage from the Whole Foods meat counter in place of the chorizo.  I think that was my major mistake.  Apparently the chorizo renders a little more fat and crispy goodness than the sausage.  I also think a little hot sauce would help, as would the capers that I omitted.  I should have salted the dish since I omitted the salty capers but alas, I did not.  I'm posting it below so you can use it as a springboard if you so desire.  Again, it was good, it just wasn't spectacular.  Remember, I do have pretty high standards though!

Paella Vallencia

adapted from Cooking Light

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 3/4  pound  peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/2  cup  thinly sliced Spanish chorizo sausage (about 2 ounces) (I used spicy pork sausage)
• 2  (2-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, quartered (I used chicken breasts)
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  cup  chopped tomato
• 1  tablespoon  capers, drained (I omitted)
• 1/4  teaspoon  saffron threads, crushed
• 1  cup  Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
• 2/3  cup  white wine
• 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  cup  frozen green peas
• 1/4  cup  water
• 18  mussels (about 3/4 pound), scrubbed and debearded (I omitted)
• 2 1/2  tablespoons  chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper (I omitted)
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro (I omitted)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until shrimp are done. Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Add chorizo to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until browned. Add chorizo to bowl.
Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Add chicken to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the tomato, capers, and saffron; cook 1 minute. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, rice, wine, and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
Add shrimp mixture, peas, 1/4 cup water, and mussels to pan. Cover and cook 8 minutes over medium heat or until mussels open; discard any unopened shells. Remove from heat, and stir in bell pepper and cilantro. Let stand 3 minutes.

Weekly Recipe: Eggplant Dip

I realize I lost a good chunk of you all with the title alone.  If you give me a chance though, I think you'd be willing to give this a try.  Let me start by saying that Wes is not a fan of eggplant but he loved this dip.  It's very similar to babha gahoush but it adds a little feta cheese to the mix and who doesn't love a little cheese?!  I got this recipe from the blog of our CSA.  After 4 eggplants, one tends to run out of ideas that a non-eggplant lover will eat!  This recipe solves that problem.  Please note this recipe is very simply written.  It provided enough guidance for me but I will add a few notes to it.

Sarah’s Special Eggplant Dip

2 eggplant
juice of 2 lemons, squeezed (I used bottled)
¾ C Italian breadcrumbs
¼ C extra virgin olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ C feta cheese
handful pecan pieces (I omitted)
2 T minced parsley (I omitted)

Pierce holes in eggplant and broil whole for 1 hour.  (I found it was helpful to put the eggplant on a piece of foil because goodness does ooze out, creating a lovely mess if you don't have foil down.

When smashed down and done, remove from oven and let cool. Scoop pulp out into bowl.

Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Add enough breadcrumbs to soak up some of the moisture, depending on how liquidy you want your final product.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve with favorite bread, pita chips, or crackers. Store refrigerated.  (It does start to loose it's intensity after a couple of days, so it's best to enjoy right away.)

Happy Boy!

Is there really anything better than a happy baby?  I think not.  It appears as if Sawyer's belly has finally adjusted and grown to the point where's he's not miserable and uncomfortable (praise God!).  These days when he's not sleeping or eating, you can find him giving a lot of these.  Talk about a heart-breaker!  Girls, watch out (:

Since I can't get enough of that gummy grin, here's another (thanks Cindy for the adorable shirt!).

And not to be outdone, someone else was ready for his photo session as well.

Handsome

Look at these handsome boys.  Sawyer is sporting his best work attire, Colin a new shirt, and Wes is wearing my favorite sweater - a trifecta!

A closeup of that adorable shirt - thanks Brooke!  Sawyer liked it so much he had a nice, big blowout in it a mere hours after putting it on.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

One of my favorite fall events is our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.  I'm not sure why I enjoy it so much with the exorbitant prices, large crowds, a child that refuses to partake in any of the activities, but I do.  I guess I keep hoping Colin will one day enjoy it as much as I do.  There's just something about the crisp fall air, ample bright orange pumpkins, and kids running free that puts a smile on my face.  This was Sawyer's first experience and he shared in Colin's sentiments - he slept the entire time.

Initially, Colin refused to pose with the pumpkins (just as he refused to slide down the slide, play on the playground,  and ride the hayride) but he eventually warmed up a bit and posed with the scarecrow and rode the train.  All was not lost after all.

And someone had to ride the train with him.

Please notice the gut in this next picture.

The chosen pumpkin.

And Sawyer was there too (: