Pumpkin Prep

Between Dexter's field trip for school and his pumpkin patch expedition with Grandma and Gunker, we ended up with four little pumpkins to carve into Jack-O-Lanterns.

Between my school and Ben's teaching, we had one hour and twenty minutes of family pumpkin carving time this afternoon.

We let Dexter draw the faces on the pumpkins and "help" cut the shapes out.  It was quality time at its best.  Stay tuned to see how they turned out!

I'm Calling It Karma

 Last month, another student in my cohort, Ray, was moving into a new place from a far away city and didn't have any household items so I pulled together a few items that we didn't need to help him get settled. As I was packing up a loaf pan for him, Dexter and I decided to give it to him full of lemon cake.  Last week, Ray and I had a brief exchange about intrinsic motivation and altrusim with me arguing that there is no such thing as altruism and him pointing out that it was altruistic of me to give him a bunch of necessary things for his apartment.

This morning, after our TA session for Statistics, Ray gave me a coffee cake and some Halloween-y cupcakes for Dexter as a thank you.  Not only did we get to enjoy these treats but I also got to frame my "altruistic" gesture as banking some good karma.

 Here is Dexter's face after wolfing down his chocolate cupcake.

Here is Dexter's face when I told him he couldn't have another one.

Halloween Hedge Trimming

Daddy, not Dexter...

Back to Work

Ben and I decided to use 41.2 lbs of Dexter to weigh down the raked leaves in the bin - got the job done and Dexy really enjoyed himself!

Union Break

After being such a big help with the yardwork, Dexter enjoyed a drink of bubbly water on the front porch steps.

Shoveling Leaves

Dexter is a HUGE help with the yardwork!

Pumpkin Patching with Grandma and Gunker

 Grandma and Gunker helped me out again by taking Dexter out pumpkin patching so I could do my Stats homework on Saturday while Ben was at work.  They are the BEST!

 When I looked at all the pictures they took, I couldn't believe how much they did at the pumpkin patch!  They rode a train and a pony...

 Fed some furry animals...

 Found their way through a corn maze...

And played/rested in a huge bin full of corn kernels. Dexter slept like a log that night (I bet Grandma and Gunker did too!).

Showing Off Skills

 Both Dexter and Ben got to show off their mad gaming skills for Grandma and Gunker!  Dexter was thrilled to play on a big air hockey table (we have a small one at home).

 Engrossed with pretend driving!

Shooting hoops!

In the Zone with Grandma and Gunker

While I was sitting all day at a meeting in DC, Dexter was living it up at Jump Zone with Grandma and Gunker (and Daddy)!

Dexy was intimidated by the big slide but eventually figured out how to do it in a way that he felt safe.

A Surprise Package for Dexter

Last week, Dexter received a surprise package in the mail from his friend, Kim!  It was so exciting to see the mailman deliver a package with Dexter's name on it, let alone open it and see all the goodies inside.  Kim had made an awesome seasonal collage for Dexy and included a bunch of east coast treasures ( a lobster claw, a seashell, and a rock).  She also included some funny glasses.  I got a kick out of taking pictures of Dexy in those!  Thanks Kim!  We love you!

Field Trip

 Dexter had his first class field trip of the year to a pumpkin patch.  Ben and I went along, riding the overcrowded school bus and singing along to "the wheels on the bus." We were so happy to find that our friend Monica and her son Marek were on the trip - we hung out with them the whole day. 

 The boys first wanted to ride the train (it went in a tiny circle behind a shed and through a "tunnel" but it was worth the half hour wait on line.

Dexter was excited to lead his friends through the corn maze (it was more of a corn path since there was only one way to go). Still, Dexter was very proud of having found his way through.

 Dexy got to work the steering wheel and pedals of an antique tractor (it was cemented into the ground).

 We all rode a hay ride though the corn fields.

Class picture - can you find Dexter?

Happy Birthday, Elissa!

Despite not being in the office on the day we were celebrating Elissa's big 4-0, I wanted to bake a cake to share at her surprise party at work. I was able to get the ingredients but when it came to finding time to bake the cake close enough to the party to not be stale, I was defeated by a mountain of reading, learning z-scores, and work deadlines. Luckily, Dexter and Ben came to my rescue!  I had requested that they make one round cake and 6 cupcakes - the plan was to place the cupcakes around the circle like petals on a flower. I could smell the chocolate when I got home after school and was so pleased that my guys had helped me out in this way.


Dexter excitedly told me all about making a birthday cake for Elissa! "Surprise, Mommy! We made a birthday cake for Elissa! Can we eat it now?"






Unfortunately, they filled the cupcake pans a bit too high and we had exploding cupcakes that, while delicious, would not pretty flower petals make. Elissa ended up with a big round sun birthday cake and Dexter, Ben, and I got to enjoy some strange shaped cupcakes. The surprise was almost ruined when Dexter called Elissa on her actual birthday (before the surprise party at the office) and asked her if she wanted to see his chocolate cupcakes.

Best In-Laws in the World

Grandma and Gunker try to visit us a few times a year. This fall, they planned to visit us in early October and then Ben's sister's family later in October so they could see Amanda's last soccer game of the season.  Unfortunately, I had plans for a meeting in DC during the same weekend that they had originally planned to visit Steph's family. Luckily for us, Ben's parents (and his sister and Amanda!) agreed to change their plans so that Grandma and Gunker could be here to help Ben out while I'm away (they'll catch one of Amanda's soccer games during their visit to Steph's but it won't be the last game of the season). I couldn't be more grateful to have married into such a supportive family.

Happy to Help Out...At the Zoo

Sweeping

 Mopping

Watering Plants

Hill Climbing, Carosel Riding, and Log Rolling

More fun at the zoo!

Crisp Fall Day at the Zoo

 Ben's church gig was canceled last Sunday due to the Chicago marathon running right past the church so he offered to take Dexter to the zoo so I could get some reading done for school. They had a great time, all bundled up for the first time this year.

 Dexy got to "groom" the goats (one his favorite activites) and visit with the reindeer.

They also took in a dolphin show and Dexter could barely contain his excitement as he recounted to me how "one dolphin walked on her tail and she caught a ball and threw it back!"

Little Pooper

I feel confident in saying that Dexter is finally potty trained!  There was a lot of resistance from Dexter and, even when we took away the diapers and pull ups he would hold his poops until bedtime and, well, poop in his underpants in bed during the night.  For a few weeks Ben and I got up every three hours to check on him and see if he needed to use the potty but more often than not Dexter still refused to go or we would open his door and walk into a wall of stink (too late). Then I thought I would give Dexter the option of wearing pull ups or his big boy underwear to bed.  For about a week, he chose pull ups every time but, miraculously, every morning he was completely dry and hadn't pooped.  After a couple days of "holding it", he decided to try to go on the potty and complained that he was scared it would hurt because it would be "big" (he was probably right to fear this since he had been holding it!).  I explained that it would feel good to get it out and that if he did a poops on the potty every day, it would be small and would never hurt.  He got the big one out and, that night, he chose to wear big boy underwear to bed.  Ever since, we've had a poops on the potty at least once a day and he has had no accidents, even during the night! I think giving him some choices and some information finally did the trick.  He doesn't like to go by himself (even though he does all of the appropriate steps by himself, he wants Ben or me to be there with him) so we are now awoken around 5am each day when Dexter comes into our room and announces, "I have to go pee on the potty standing up," or "I have to go poops on the potty." Usually Ben gets up and goes with him while I get up, get dressed, and leave for work or school. For Ben, it's not so great (especially if he's had a rehearsal or gig the night before) but for me, it's wonderful to see Dexter before I leave the house in the mornings.