Dem' Bones

Halloween is coming, and though O.K. is small and won't likely remember it, we've got plans. This weekend we will go to a "Tiny Tots" Costume Parade with some parents from the West Philly new parent group we've recently helped to create. Oscar somehow managed to get two costumes (one lent to us, the other, a purchase I couldn't resist). Here's the latter, which he's been wearing as a sleeper (works well, AND glows in the dark).

Weaver's Orchard

Last weekend, we drove through thousands of gasp-worthy trees to get to Reading, Pennsylvania and Weaver's Orchards. We met our old friends and neighbors, Dan and Amanda, and their two daughters, Skylar and Morgan--a family we haven't seen in a while. Together we dared the clouds to rain on us (they barely did) and enjoyed catching up while doing all the things you do when you go to a Fall Festival.

Like a hayride through the orchard,

a stomp around the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin,

and buying local everything--crispy apples, unlikely dried fruit (kiwi?), chocolate-coconut covered pretzels, and sweet apple cider.

Not pictured: the goat eating treats on the roof, the fiddlers and bagpiper, the mountains of fruits, vegetables, gourds, squash, and flowers. Somehow, however, I managed to snap a picture of this pile of candy. Shows you where my brain was, anyway.

We don't want you to think we are doting, but...

Much has been going on around here -- nothing particularly newsworthy, but life just seems to be moving right along, sometimes faster than I'd like. John is adjusting to the demands of a new job (and more or less loving it), I have been busy with back-to-school night and a series of long days teaching, and in between we've both been keeping up with our "monito". I should use this blog to share more than just cute pictures of Oscar, and I promise I will (and have occasionally), but I can't help it. Here are two pictures I can't NOT share. If you are reading this blog then you just have to be okay with that.

The Smirk.

Check out those charming cheeks and chompers.

A Big Kid Tub

O.K. has been fighting with the "baby" tub for a while now. It just wasn't providing him with the freedom to move around to which he has more and more become accustomed. BUT he is still not steady enough to brave the hard walls of the "grown-up" tub. So John went out and bought him this "Big Kid" tub:

As you can see, he absolutely loves it.

Sweet Tooth(s)

O.K.'s on the verge of having a total of four dangerous little teeth. His bottom two are old news (not to mention, sharp as anything!), but his "fangs" (the two eye teeth which have yet to be captured on film) are quickly making their presence known. We've considered new nicknames to go with this vampire-ish look, my favorite being "Spike". Other suggestions?
We will post pics of these perilous pearly whites soon...

A Swinger For Sure

On Saturday, we walked to the Clark Park Festival. We didn't bring any cash, which was momentarily disappointing, but I'm not missing the cloth-covered hula-hoop I had my eye on, so it must have been a good thing. Instead, we watched all the people for a while, and then plopped O.K. on a swing. He enjoyed a pretty gentle sway, and we anticipate more days of pushin' this kid back and forth.

Sittin' Pretty

O.K. is meeting his goals in physical therapy, so we keeping having to make new ones. I'm not sure anymore if setting physical therapy goals is actually necessary to his healthy development, or if we are basically stating what we expect a 7 month old to do next and then encouraging him to do it. Either way, it doesn't hurt to have a "professional", whom we happen to like, spend a little time with Oscar each week. Our current goal is sitting up, and -- TA DA! -- here he is, doing just that.

In this video, O.K.'s putting all his energy into staying upright.