Mama Bear, Daddy Bear, and Baby Bear
Edmund went to school wearing his "so cute it's scary" outfit. He is definitely "so cute", but it's scary that he's almost too big for the outfit. We're glad he was able to get one last wear out of it on Halloween. It was the perfect outfit for school and one my co-teacher was happy about. She 
had quite a time trying to change the diaper of Edmund's "giant pumpkin" classmate, so was relieved to find that Edmund had on a functional, yet holiday appropriate outfit.
This morning Edmund's preschool held a mini fall festival. Edmund and his classmates enjoyed sitting in the laps of teachers while listening to the toddlers sing fall songs. They also loved watching the older children jump in piles of raked leaves. It is hard to believe that next year Edmund will be jumping in leaves with the best of them, since currently he doesn't even possess the muscle control to sit unassisted. After the exciting morning the day continued on like any other, that is, until daddy returned home.
When Steven arrived home we packed a well-rested and well-fed Edmund into his carseat and headed to the Chapel Hill Bible Church's Fall Festival. When we arrived at the festival we put Edmund in the bear costume his Aunt Becca sent him. The costume was perfect for a chilly night, not to mention a big hit. People cou
ldn't tell at first there was a baby hiding behind the fuzzy bear hat. When people finally saw Edmund they gave a chuckle and commented on how cute he was. Of course I wouldn't expect anything less. As we entered the festival Edmund dutifully delivered the bag of candy required for admission. His mommy and daddy took advantage of the food the candy got us. Edmund didn't seem to mind that we ate his share, as he had yummy bear paws to chew on. After eating we walked around and looked at the games Edmund can participate in next year. His mommy and daddy would have loved to participate in the games, though we may have looked strange playing games intended for preschoolers. After taking a hayride around the parking lot, Edmund showed signs of fading fast. Edmund had as an eventful Halloween as any four month old could hope for, but all good things must come to an end. We took our little bear home to hibernate, until next Halloween that is!
Mommy and Edmund at Ganyard Hill Farm
We first visited the animal pen full of goats, pigs, and chickens. Edmund got up close and personal with a goat who was making an inquiry as to whether or not Edmund had food 
to share. Edmund ignored this encounter in favor of chewing on the Baby Bjorn. He is in the "everything goes in the mouth" phase. Next we made our way to the small cotton field. I picked some cotton and held it up for Edmund to feel. Edmund grabbed the piece of cotton and clutched it in his fist. He is also in the "if I can grab it, I'll take it" phase. I tried to make this a learning experience by rubbing the soft cotton on his face. Again he found chewing on his Baby Bjorn of more interest. Oh well!
Every year Steven and I venture deep into the corn maze to find corn to feed to the animals. This year I didn't venture, as I had Edmund with me. Steven went on a mini search and found a few ears. Unfortunately when we shucked the corn they only had a few kernels each. I'm afraid the animals wouldn't have been pleased with such minuscule meals, so we left the corn on the ground. I'm sure the older children found plenty of corn to give the animals their fill. After making our way through the maze we boarded a hay ride. Edmund stayed awake for the first half of the ride, but despite the bumpiness of the ride managed to fall asleep before we completed our circle.
With a sleepy Edmund in tow it was finally time to pick out our pumpkins. In past years we hav
e picked our pumpkins straight from the vine, but this year there were few to be found. We settled for choosing prepicked pumpkins, though hopefully next year Edmund can have a true pumpkin picking experience. This year he didn't even contribute an opinion as to which pumpkin would be best. He was out cold! We decided to go with daddy, mommy, and baby sized pumpkins. Next week we plan to carve our pumpkins. We may even let Edmund feel the slimy pumpkin guts--that is if he promises not to put them in his mouth!
Edmund is 1/3 of a year old
Last night Steven was talking on the phone with Nancy (Edmund's Chapel Hill grandmother). The two of them were making arrangements for Edmund's visit with Aunt Sharon. I was holding Edmund facing Steven as I finished dinner. About a minute into the phone conversation Edmund started "talking" more pronouncedly than I had heard before. He made a series of dramatic "ahh, ooh, ahhs." After a minute of this Steven told Nancy that Edmund wanted to talk to her and put the phone up to Edmund's mouth. As soon as he brought the phone near Edmund, Edmund went silent. So Steven took the phone back and continued his conversation with Nancy. Again Edmund started emphatically making his "ahhs and oohs.". Steven eventually finished his call and said his good-byes to his mom. When he ended the conversation Edmund, too, stopped "talking." It was then that Steven and I realized Edmund believed he'd been having a pleasant chat with his daddy. Fortunately for him he has yet to realize his father was having a conversation with someone else.
Mama Bear, Daddy Bear, and Baby Bear
had quite a time trying to change the diaper of Edmund's "giant pumpkin" classmate, so was relieved to find that Edmund had on a functional, yet holiday appropriate outfit.
ldn't tell at first there was a baby hiding behind the fuzzy bear hat. When people finally saw Edmund they gave a chuckle and commented on how cute he was. Of course I wouldn't expect anything less. As we entered the festival Edmund dutifully delivered the bag of candy required for admission. His mommy and daddy took advantage of the food the candy got us. Edmund didn't seem to mind that we ate his share, as he had yummy bear paws to chew on. After eating we walked around and looked at the games Edmund can participate in next year. His mommy and daddy would have loved to participate in the games, though we may have looked strange playing games intended for preschoolers. After taking a hayride around the parking lot, Edmund showed signs of fading fast. Edmund had as an eventful Halloween as any four month old could hope for, but all good things must come to an end. We took our little bear home to hibernate, until next Halloween that is!
