"I want that!"

Connor is not a very verbal kid. Well, I guess he is verbal, but we can't understand a lot of what he says. We DO however understand when he says, "I want that!" It is his favorite sentence. I think he says it like 100 times a day at least. He wants the remote, the TV changed, a snack, his juice, his milk, anything and everything. At first it was cute, but now it is getting a little old. If we could just tack a "please" onto the end of that sentence, we would be good to go. Here are some other words or phrases that our little one loves to say...
* Mama go or Dada go
* More
* Where?
* Ball
* Brady
* Night Night
* apple
* juice
* Cho cho (for train)
* Mama
* Dada or just Da

Like I said not a lot of words, but what he lacks in vocabulary he makes up in facial expressions and in jesters. He likes to let us know what he wants, when he wants it. Ah, the joys of almost being 2.

Stonycreek Farm 2009

Today was our annual trip to Stonycreek Farm, and my what a difference a year makes. Last year we plopped Connor from photo op to photo op with little fuss. This year was a different story. Our little explorer loved to roam around the pumpkin patch and through the hay maze. (He only tripped over the vines 3 times in the patch.) He proved that he is becoming a big boy and climbed to the top of the hay pile and road the pumpkin train for the first time. Jason and I would have liked to stay all day, but 2 hours was enough for our little guy. We did manage to get our precious pumpkin and take some pictures of him too!

Chillin' by the wagon.

Mommy found one just my size.

Which one should I choose?

We got the best picture of him here last year. This year we were not so lucky. He wanted to stick his head all the way through and look around. Oh well, still cute.



My first ride on the pumpkin train. I was a big boy and rode by myself.

Connor kept looking down at the big step. He was not sure if he could step down, so he looked frozen.

Hanging out with the pumpkins!

Horsing Around on Jacoby's 5th Birthday

Saturday was my niece Jacoby's 5th birthday, and for a birthday surprise Julie and Jon had a horse at her birthday party. It was not a pony. No, we had to do one better. They had a Clydesdale at her birthday party! She was very surprised. We all had a lot of fun going on rides around the property. It was Connor's first time to ride a horse, and it was mine as well. I enjoyed it, but Connor whined the whole time he was on the horse with Daddy.

Look at me!

Hold on tight!

Connor enjoyed petting the horse with Grandpa Biery much more than riding him.

My first horse back ride! It was very bumpy, but still fun.

Deb and Wyatt taking a turn

A Few of Our New Favorite Things!!!

Here is a sampling of a few of our new favorite things!

I love Daddy's old cell phone! I answer it whenever Mommy's phone rings.

Are you serious! No way man!!!

ROFL CU L8R

Daddy fed me a Popsicle for the first time on Saturday. I am not sure why I have not had a chance to eat this yummy goodness before. Daddy had to take my shirt off, so I would not get it all over.

Seriously good, but seriously messy!


I love my cups! In fact I scream and cry until Mommy takes them all out of the pantry. I like to line them up on the table and take turns drinking out of them. Too bad only one of them has something in it.

I love the lids the best. The Colts' blue one is my favorite!

Super Silly at 20 Months!!!

Yummy, toes for dessert!!!

My future is so bright!! I gotta wear shades!!!

Connor is 20 months old today!! I can hardly believe it!! You blink and suddenly your baby is such a big boy.

Tractors and Trains and Food, Oh My!!!

It was an unusually cool day for Connor's first trip to the Indiana State Fair. We all had such a great time. We took the train down and back. Connor fell asleep instantly on the way down and back. We were kind of bummed that he was not awake for his first train ride, but glad that he slept and was not trying to run around the car. Connor sampled his first fair food, chicken fingers, fries, and an elephant ear. I think that the elephant ear was his favorite, hands down. He was a sugary mess when we were done. He loved the tractors, more so than the animals. I think he is just a little too young to really enjoy the animals. When Jason and Connor got on the tractor, he grabbed the stearing wheel and pretended to drive. He even would stop every once in a while to switch gears. We had a wonderful relaxing time at the fair. We can't wait to take him again next year. Maybe next year he will be just as excited about riding the train and seeing all the animals as mommy and daddy!!!

Clickety, clack. Clickety clack. The train lulls our little guy to sleep.

Even though he didn't care much for the animals, Connor did enjoy seeing the baby chicks.

Look Daddy, Bunnies!!!!

My first fair food, chicken fingers and fries!! (This is not a huge surprise because we can't get him to try many new things.)


Yummy!!!!!

Playing Legos with Daddy at the Lego experience. We were glad he didn't try to eat any!

The Lego Experience Truck

Our huge elephant ear. We all three split it, and afterwards I was stuffed!!!

A sugary mess. It brings new meaning to the phrase sweet lips!!!

Connor sitting in a John Deer tractor wheel.

Driving the tractor with Daddy

Look at us go!


Driving all by myself!

Mommy and Connor


Heading home, fast asleep!

Change, Change, Change

No, we have not fallen off the face of the Earth!! We have just been really busy going though several major transitions in the Smith family.

First, Jason started his new job at Brebeuf and has been there for about a month. He is really enjoying what he is doing. Their students start back tomorrow, and he is very excited about that. The fall is his busy season as they work on recruiting 8th graders to come to Brebeuf. We are both looking forward to the middle of November when things really slow down for him.

I had my first week back in the classroom last week. It has been 6 years since I had my own classroom. Not only has it been 6 years, but I never taught 5th grade, so I had nothing that was appropriate for my new kiddos. The kids are great so far. I was not prepared for all the drama of 5th graders and lockers, but other than that being in the classroom for me is like riding a bike. (HSE has Intermediate buildings with 5th and 6th graders. It is run a lot like a middle school, so they have lockers and switch teachers among teams.) Being back in the classroom is a ton of work. I look forward to getting in a routine, so I can spend more time at home with my guys!!

Connor started at a new daycare this week. He is handling the transition very well. I love the fact that it is so close to my school. Jason has the hard job of dropping him off, so I can be at school by 7 am. I pick him up, so he is always happy to see his mama!! It hurts both of our hearts to leave him everyday. The one up side of Jason loosing his job was that he was home for the past 8 months with us. We know he is in good hands at the new sitter, so that makes both of our days a little easier.

At home our time is filled with visiting splash parks, playing in our baby pool in our backyard, and just hanging out. I realized that we don't have any great recent pictures to share, so once we do I will pass them on.

While all these changes are for the best, it makes for a little more stress. Luckily I think we will all adapt quickly and then be able to tackle inevitable changes to happen in our future.