Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Matt posing with his pumpkin before our Halloween party this morning

We've had a busy few days with Halloween-themed celebrations, starting with Halloween story time at the library on Wednesday. Matt was too busy to sit still then, but I got a couple of shots of him in his skeleton shirt.

Thursday Matt went trick or treating for the first time. We went with some friends to Fenway Park, and Jon was able to join us.

In the outfield

Excited to get started

The scoreboard on the Green Monster

Best seat in the house

In the visitors' dugout

Yes? What do you mean the left-hander's not yet ready?

Walking on hallowed ground

Behind home plate

Look who's on the Jumbotron!

With the three World Series trophies

No home team's batting helmets here today

Sitting in the home team's dugout, checking out his loot

By Pesky's pole

By the bullpens

One last shot from today's party

Week 51

Last week we went to a couple of relatively new places in addition to our usual haunts, trying to keep ourselves entertained during a very rainy period. Monday we went to an open gym at a local summer camp, then we gave the literacy play group one last try. Matt did his first craft.

Three guesses who was responsible for the stickers and pipe cleaner and who was responsible for the "deconstruction" and "sculptural elements."

Tuesday we went to the Y play space, and Wednesday we went to library story time. That night we had a massive rainstorm with lightning, thunder, and strong winds; luckily Matt slept through the whole thing. Thursday we went to the other play space, where the theme was superheroes.

Friday we tried the local children's museum again (we went last winter, when Matt was very little). Matt is just about old enough to enjoy it and its offerings; this will definitely be a place we spend a lot of time during bad weather over the next few years.

In the dinosaur room

Going to the moon. Be right back.

Ahoy, mateys!

Not yet into fire trucks

Of course, what's even more fun than a children's museum is a cabinet full of pots and pans at home.

Friday afternoon we went to play group. Saturday we had a birthday party for one of Matt's friends. It was a costume party, and Matt was able to wear his new costume from his grandma.

Sunday we had a quiet day at home while Matt recovered from his busy week and what seems to be a cold (as well as perhaps some more molars on their way). That gave Matt plenty of time to get to know his new play kitchen that we got as a hand me down (we couldn't beat the price of free, and -what's almost better - it came pre-assembled).

Checking the oven and preparing some coffee

Matt is walking more and more; he now walks more than he crawls. And he's still working on making friends with the cat.

Playing string

Practicing his pats

Finally, this photo is technically from this week, but Jon has been working on it for a while, so I want to share a photo of the renovated Cozy Coupe, now repainted as the Batmobile.

Gotta go. Gotham needs me!

Week 50

Let's start with my favorite photo from the week: Matt and Jon going for a Sunday drive on a fall morning.

After the holiday on Monday, last week was more of our usual: the play space at the Y on Tuesday, a walk with other moms and our library story time on Wednesday, the other play space on Thursday (where Matt was the oldest baby and enjoyed showing off), and a quiet day Friday. The weekend was busy with chores getting ready for the freezing temperatures on Sunday night, but late Saturday we got away for a little gathering celebrating the completed basement renovation of one of Matt's buddies. We joked that maybe we'll start Saturday play groups, especially when a sports game is on for the dads.

Matt bouncing on the trampoline at Thursday's play space

Matt has really stepped up his walking this week, starting at library story time on Wednesday. He still crawls a good deal, but he's definitely moving towards walking as his primary form of locomotion. He also started holding the toy phone near his ear and sort of babbling into it on command. He now will place the rings on his stacking toy.

He is becoming more and more interested in his shape sorting toys, too. He's also expressing definite opinions, like which book he wants to read (the more factual the better right now, and he also is a big fan of books with cutouts) or which kind of fruit he wants to eat. He's a sharp-eyed observer of what's going on, and if someone does something he finds interesting he'll try to do it himself.

Matt has figured out the cat likes to play with balls and strings, so he has been chasing her around with those in an effort to play with her. (He has also tried stacking cups, wooden train pieces, plastic dinosaurs, and measuring spoons, with much less luck.) She continues to be wary of his intentions, and we can't blame her since Matt is a bit enthusiastic. But she's starting to soften. Here is Matt crawling quickly (he can really move) to give the cat (who's on the stairs) a ball, which she batted around a bit:

And here he is holding a string for her:

I'll finish with a few more shots from the week:

+ =

The inevitable

A hungry little guy

Taste testing the homemade ice cream

Skipping right to the fun by sitting directly in the toy bin

And two final shots of the happy driver