Happy Halloween

Collin had a great Halloween! He was a little hesitant about his costume at first but eventually forgot about it and enjoyed all the festivities. This afternoon we met his pal Matney at a church festival. Collin got to ride on a hayride and get a puppy dog made out of a balloon. We then headed over to Chick-Fil-A to fill him up, and then met his neighborhood friends for some trick or treating. Daddy took Collin up and down the streets in his red wagon. It was misting but Collin had a hood on and did not care. He went up to the doors, let people tell him how cute he looked, and then came home to help Mommy pass out candy. Unfortunately every time a kid came to the door Collin thought he was supposed to leave with them, so him and Daddy were very busy going up and down the streets tonight. At 9:15 he finally crashed from all the excitement. There are lots of pictures below of our adorable little puppy dog. Isn't he the cutest thing you have ever seen!?!

Playgroup Halloween Party

Today we had our annual playgroup Halloween party. Miss Lindsay hosted again and did a fabulous job. She had the house all decorated and made mummy pizzas and a spider cake for all of the mommies and kiddos. So cute! The children all looked adorable. We tried our hardest to get a picture of all of them, but as you can see below they were not having it. Maybe next year will be better.

Pumpkin Painting

This weekend we decided to let Collin paint the pumpkin he picked out from Burt's Pumpkin Patch. We got the idea from our playgroup pals Lindsay and Charlie. Since it was cold and rainy, we laid out some old clothes on the floor and let Collin go to town. We quickly learned that he must paint with his fingers at school because he had no interest in the brushes but instead wanted to use his fingers. Oh well, at least it was washable! He had a lot of fun and was very proud to show his pumpkin off to the neighbors.

Fall Fest Fun

Today our neighborhood held a Fall Festival at the park for all of the neighborhood kids. Collin headed down after his nap along with his friend Matney. The festival was complete with singers, inflatables and a firetruck that the kids could ride around the neighborhood in. All of these are some of Collin's favorite things, so lets just say he was in heaven. He loved the toddler inflatable. He kept climbing the ladder and going down the slide, giggling the whole way. He must have done this for at least thirty minutes until we finally made him stop. The firetruck was a big hit too. He got to sit up front with the driver and just stared in amazement as we rode up and down the streets in the neighborhood. The driver even let him pull the chain to make the horn go off. He was holding on tight to Daddy the whole time but seemed to want to get back on when the ride was over.

So Proud

Every week at school Collin does a couple of art projects that he gets to bring home. Whenever I hang them up in his playroom he gets so excited and loves to show them off to everyone that he sees. Today when I was showing Patrick the scarecrow he made, Collin kept whining until I took it down and gave it to him. When I did, he ran around the house until he found Sweetie so he could show it to her. As you can see, it did not seem to phase her.

We Will Miss You, Aunt Gloria

Today we got the sad news that Collin's Great, Great Aunt Gloria unexpectedly passed away. She has been like a grandmother to me for as long as I can remember. She was the sweetest lady anyone could ever meet and always had a smile on her face. She was able to see Collin on many occasions and absolutely loved him. We were able to spend the weekend with her just a month ago and we are all so grateful for that time. It brings a smile to my face to know she is in heaven telling my mom, Collin's Nana, all about him and the funny things he did at her house. We love you and will miss you Aunt Gloria!

Congratulations Papa

This weekend my Dad, Collin's Papa, got engaged. We are so excited for him and absolutely love Robin. I have been praying ever since my mom passed away that my Dad would meet a christian woman to spend the rest of his life with who would be accepting of his kids and our mother. Robin fits all this and more. She is great to my dad and us kids and especially to Collin. We could not be happier!

Happy Birthday Granddaddy!

This weekend we went to Birmingham to celebrate Granddaddy's 79th birthday. Grandmommy had been planning a surprise party for him for about a year now and we were not going to miss it. He had no clue about the party which made it so much fun. At the party there was gospel singing which Collin loved. He just stared at the singers and even got up on his tiptoes to dance a few times. He loved the food too, especially the grapes. Everyone thought he was hilarious because he just carried a grape in each hand around all night. We had a great time and are so glad we got to be with Granddaddy to celebrate this special milestone.

Pumpkin Patch Fun

Today our family made our 2nd Annual Trip to Burt's Pumpkin Patch. Burt's is located in Dawsonville which is about an hour from our house. We got there right at 9:00 am when the Pumpkin Patch was opening. We immediately got in line to go on the hay ride. Collin loved everything about the hay ride! He loved the fact that a big, green John Deere tractor was pulling us through the curvy dirt roads. He also loved the farmer who was driving the tractor. He kept pointing to him and smiling. Patrick and I think Collin was saying "I want to go up there with him, please!" Collin was also a fan of picking up the hay in the wagon and trying to throw it everywhere. He was also fascinated by the talking pumpkins we saw. It was a lot of fun!

After we got off the hay ride, we let Collin loose among the thousands of pumpkins. He absolutely loved it! He ran up to the pumpkins and would pat them, and then run off to another one. After a few minutes he noticed the creek running beside the pumpkins and was all about trying to get in it. While we were playing among the pumpkins, we ran into Collin's playgroup pals Matney and Halle Kate. Collin was very excited to see Matney and run around the pumpkins with her. He then decided to take a break and catch a ride in the wheelbarrow Daddy was pushing so he could help us pick out some pumpkins to bring home.

Our adventure ended with a picnic lunch. We set out a blanket next to the creek and enjoyed some family time together. We always have such a great time at Burt's Pumpkin Patch and cannot wait to go back next year!

Thanks Daddy

This weekend Patrick decided he wanted to teach Collin a new skill. Since our cat Sweetie always hides under Collin's bed when he is awake to get some peace and quiet, Patrick thought it would be fun to teach Collin how to crawl under and get her. After a few attempts, he figured out how to get under the crib and scared her away. Even after the cat was gone, he kept crawling under the crib and laughing. It is now his new peek-a-boo game. Thanks for this wonderful new skill and game Daddy!

Collin Is Improving!!

As many of you know, Mr. Collin is notorious for having lots of crying and tears when I drop him off at PMO (Parents Morning Out). However, last Friday when Collin went to school he did a much better job. As soon as he saw his teacher she said "Hey Collin" and he got a little nervous, but when I handed him over he did not have a single tear. Yes, it is true, my boy finally got dropped off without crying so loud the whole building could hear him. When I picked him up I was beyond thrilled to see that he did not have the word "teary" circled but instead the teacher wrote that he had a GREAT day! We had to call Daddy, Grandmommy, and Papa to let them all know about this wonderful accomplishment. Good job Collin!

It was also Spirit Day at school so here are some pictures of Collin showing his school spirit.




This morning we decided to let Collin try Waumba Land (a.k.a. the church nursery) again after a month hiatus. I was warning Patrick that he was going to turn the tears on when we dropped him off. The two children in front of him were very upset about being left so we knew Collin would follow suit. However, when it was his turn Daddy handed him over to the worker and off Mr. Collin went to play with the pretend kitchen. I cannot express how good this made me feel. He is finally starting to feel comfortable in the fact that he can be without Mommy and Daddy and be totally fine. When we picked him up we asked the worker how he did and his exact words were "This little guy was no trouble at all". This is such a huge accomplishment!

While Mama is Away...

Collin will do a little more than play!



Here is a picture of what I caught Collin doing while I went to put something in the oven for dinner....standing on his activity table. He has been told several times that this is a "no, no" and knows not to do it when Mommy or Daddy are around, but apparently he has learned that what we don't know can't hurt him. Too bad he got busted!