Fall in Vermont

The fall has been wonderful here. The foliage is beautiful and the weather has been mild so far (although we have had snow flurries a few times). Temperatures are reaching the 20/30's at night but it is still warming up to 40's/50's during the day. I don't think we will be that lucky much longer.



We took Ian to a festival at an apple orchard to pick apples and get some fresh cider. The orchard had a petting zoo set up and he enjoyed seeing the goats, pigs, alligator and monkeys....especially the monkeys. Deuce and I were looking forward to the fresh donuts they were making, but decided it was not worth the 50 minute wait! We had lots of apples so I a made an apple crisp and Ian enjoyed eating the rest.

Ian dressed up as a monkey (Curious George) for Halloween. He loved his costume and was a good little monkey. His buddy Deke also chose the same costume and we called them "monkey see monkey do" for the night. The title is very fitting as they often have to try whatever it is the other one is doing, no matter if it is a good or bad idea. Despite not feeling 100% (he had a stomach virus the day before and a lingering cold), Ian did very well trick or treating. He would say trick or treat at the door and thank you when he received candy. It's hard to believe he was barely saying anything at this time last year and now he is counting, saying his abc's and singing songs.

We are all looking forward to duece's arrival (only 4 more weeks). We have been reading "The New Baby" to Ian every night to help him get ready to be a big brother. He gives my belly hugs and kisses. He also raises my shirt and puts his Taggie book and blankie on my belly to share with his baby brother. He'll say "dare go baby brother". It's so sweet. I hope he still feel that way once his baby brother gets here!

The last few months

So I have been planning on starting this blog since we arrived in Vermont 4 months ago, and now I am finally getting it started. I got the idea from a friend that moved to Indianapolis (Thanks Jennifer!) and I think this will be a great way for family and friends back home in Kentucky and Indiana to keep up with us.

As most of you know, we have settled into a nice 2 bedroom condo in Colchester. The location could not be better. It's only about 1 mile from Jim's lab and the neighborhood is great. We have hiking trails, a pool, playground and a large common area for the kids and dogs to play. I have been told they even set up an ice rink in the common area during the winter for skating and hockey.

Shadow and Sheba seem to be adjusting well to condo life. They have made friends with a couple of other dogs in the neighborhood. Ian is making friends too. Deke is his buddy that lives 3 doors down from us. They have a great time together....riding bikes, playing ball, jumping on the bean bag, and all those things little boys love to do. Deke's mom, Aurielia is expecting also. She is due about six weeks before me, so it has been nice to have a preggo partner here.

Ian and I try to start our day off with a walk each morning through the neighborhood. After our walk, we usually stop to play at the playground or with Deke if he is home. Ian loves to be outside. He doesn't seem to care what he is doing, as long as he is outside. Among his favorite things to do outside are.....ride bikes, play in the sandbox, play ball (any kind) and play at the playground and,uh, did I mention ride bikes. It's amazing watching him grow up. He is changing so quickly, both physically and intellectually. He's such a joy.

If we are not hanging out around the house or neighborhood, we usually head down to Echo Aquarium on the waterfront in Burlington. Ian really enjoys it. There is a nice indoor play area and a water table. Among his other favorites there are the turtles, frogs and fish. It's a nice indoor activity for us to escape the summer heat. I'm sure it will be good this winter to escape the cold and still get out of the house. Playgroup has started again as well. Ian and I are both happy about that. We head to playgroup on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Ian always seem to have a good time with all of the other kids. They have free play for the first hour, then snack with story and finish with songs at the end. Many of the kids at playgroup are from our neighborhood so it's nice to see familiar faces there. When all else fells, we head over to Barnes and Noble so Ian can play with the "Thomas" train table. He loves Thomas and Bertie the bus.


Jim has given Ian his first "clipper cut" since we have been here. He looks so much older now. It's kind of sad. I have a ziplock bag full of blond curls. His before picture was taken after he had finger painted a picture for Jim for his birthday. The after picture is what he looks like now with short hair.

Ian and I had a nice trip home in mid-August. It was a long drive, but Ian was a good travel companion. He does really well for a 20 mo. old that has to be strapped in the car for 16 hours. It also helps to have a few movies with us...Curious George, Cars and Elmo are some of his favorites right now. It great to be home and see everybody. Everyone took great care of us while we were visiting and Ian got spoiled just a little bit.



We spent last weekend at Cape Cod. Jim had a conference there. It would have been great if Ian and I had not been sick. The weather wasn't great either. It was overcast and rainy. It is a very pretty area though. It would be nice to go back when we can all enjoy it more. On a positive note, our hotel had a wave pool and Ian loved it. Jim took him swimming in the afternoons during his break in between sessions. Jim said the conference was good as well. Informative and he made a few good contacts.