Things Genevieve says...

- Dah-dee! (I lost the favorite parent competition again. Damnit)

- Uh oh

- Nigh-nigh

- Yeah

- No no no. (always in threes)

- Bay-bee! (She's more generous in her naming of Creepy Tiger Baby than I am)

- and finally, she mimics putting a phone up to her ear and exclaims "Ah-oo".

Of course, all of this means she's a genius.

The first pumpkin patch.

We are all about the fall festivities here people. Houston gets a leeeetle manic, actually.

Personally, I think it's because October is the month where our burden of 100 degree highs is lifted (only a high of 90 today. Hurrah!). All of my fellow Houstonians rush outside to scamper about in relative comfort.  There are tons of festivals, pumpkin patches, zoo boo, halloween carnivals, church fundraisers, and county fairs.

So today we did the small pumpkin patch. The big pumpkin patch will be this weekend. And yes, there will be a different set of coordinating (coughmatchingcough) outfits. I know you'll be waiting with bated breath.

Let's consider this the "getting our feet wet" pumpkin patch, where we're learning protocol for the more serious arena....

"So, ok. A yard full of vegetables. What do you want me to do exactly, Ma?"

 

"Ooh, G. We could smoosh them!"

 

(G stares on in a calculating manner)

 

(insert arm flailing and yelling on the part of the photographer)

 

"Orrrr we could use them as an obstacle course!"

 

Genevieve resigned herself to some light conditioning. Maybe next year.

 

"Oh wait, Payne. I think I figured it out...."

 

"Uuuuungh! Hmmmmmph!"

 

"I caught one! The damned gourd was fast, but I was faster."

 

"Let's pose with our kills..."

 

"And now, we eat."

 

Well I WAS GOING to present you with funny photos,

but for two days now blogger has been rejecting my attempts at uploading them.

I'll admit I'm more annoyed by this than I should be.

I suppose for now I'll just have to tell you some funny stuff that Payne said.

- The other night at dinner, we set down a bowl of Edamame in the shell in front of Payne.  He responded enthusiastically with "Beans!".  We were all "Yeah, they're called Edamame".  He corrected us "No, it's beans in dehr homes."

Well duh.

This is probably a good place to reveal that, when presented with sugar snap peas, Payne will methodically peel them apart, remove the teeeny "beans" inside, and eat them with relish.  He discards the shells, of course.

- I was giving the kids a bath and Payne was getting increasingly irritated that the bath toys were floating into him.  He eventually yelled out "My toys are tagging me!". Heh heh.

Kids these days...

-Recently, Dan was talking to Payne about Halloween and was trying to give Payne an idea as to how far away it was.  Dan said "You have to go to school six times."

Payne's response?

"Dat's not nice to say dat word, Daddy."

(snort)


-Genevieve is a thief.  She has taken to sneaking into the pantry whenever possible, and nabbing a coffee creamer cup out of the giant box of them we keep on hand. Then she wanders away (to a carpeted area of course) and bites the cup until she breaks the seal, so she can slurp out the creamer.

I generally figure out that she's done this afterwards, based on her general level of stickyness and the fact that she smells like an oreo on steroids.

She did it twice just yesterday.

(sigh)


HOWEVER, my children have also both managed to melt my heart this week:

- Payne was leading Genevieve by the hand through the living room and I heard him tell her "Here you go, widdle wady (little lady)".

(sniffle)

- Genevieve came up with her first two word phrase a couple of days ago.

It's "Nigh nigh dah-dee".

I think she just secured ice sculptures for her wedding day.  "Dah-dee" is toast.

The Renaissance Festival

I wanted to go. I've been trying to go for at least five years now and no one would go with me.  I calculated that the last time I had been was 13 years ago, when I was 16 (Wait. What? How the hell did that happen?), and decided this year I would find a victim and insist on being accompanied. 

 

My sister quite willingly agreed. Our plan was set.

 

Witness our cultural education:

 

"No, I'm not in my pajamas, nor am I a mental patient. Why do you ask?"

 

Giant wooden swing ride:

This is why bringing along an indulgent aunt is an excellent idea.

 

Pony ride:

His pony didn't pee. Win!

 

Various meats on rigid frames:

Who can put a price on meat on a stick?

 

Pop-coooooorns!  

"My precioussssss..."

 

The smallest wooden sword I could find:

He promptly re-titled himself "Dwagon Fighter".

 

Embarassing photo for the purposes of future blackmail:

 My, that horse has some very fashionable shoes...

 

Elephant ride:

Who says no to an elephant ride? Well not I, apparently.

 

A helmet for the wee knight in training:

Or, as Dan put it; "The brave knight atop his noble steed".

 

My sister is awesome.  It was a good time, even without copious amounts of ale or shopping in stores with breakables. And obviously, Payne came home with a near encyclopedic knowledge of the Renaissance; dragons, swords, knights, elephant rides, and sausage on a stick. Duh.

 

Things I have accomplished today:

- Succesfully taught Genevieve to make the "It's good!" arm gesture every time she gets a giant plastic coin into the slot on her giant plastic piggy bank.

- Recorded this for posterity:

 

 

Poor Creepy Tiger Baby.

 

So every morning at some point Genevieve wanders back into her room.  She notices Creepy Tiger Baby.  She wants Creepy Tiger Baby.  She reaches through the bars and grabs him. She yanks.  She fails to accept the realities presented within the science of Physics.  Creepy Tiger Baby is now hung by his exceptionally large plastic head.  There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth (on the part of Genevieve, although I'm sure if CTB...can I call him CTB?... had vocal chords and the powers of animation then he would join in).  I then save Creepy Tiger Baby from his inhumane circumstances.  There is much rejoicing, which mostly manifests itself in gleeful drooling all over Creepy Tiger Baby's face.

 

That's pretty much it for today.

 

OH! But yesterday I managed to keep a straight face when Payne presented me with his 50s finned matchbox car and said "You see my car? It's called Horny. Dat's he's name.".

 

I think my work is done here.

 

 

So...

It was nap time, and I was chillin' in the family room, messing around on my phone.

I heard a door open and close.

I looked up.

I saw this:

.

.

.

.

 

 

Well, there goes another day knocked of of my total life span.