You can call me Cupcake - Part 2

Halloween!

Mama has been talking about Halloween ALL month!  We have read books about Halloween, she told me about all of her favorite costumes from way back when she was a little girl, and every time we go to the store she shows me all of the yummy candy!!!

Mama found me a pretty great costume...I was a Cupcake!!

(Don't worry, this was taken a couple weeks ago when it was warm)

Being a cupcake in Minnesota takes a LOT of work.  First mama changed me into a long sleeve onesie and tights...then she put fleece pants and a fleece jacket on, then she found some fun striped socks, then she did the shoes (I kicked those off...only the nerdy babies wear shoes) and then FINALLY, the cupcake costume!  Aren't I cute!

I had a lot of fun playing out in the grass while mama handed out candy.  It was really neat seeing all of the big kids dressed up...it might take me the entire year to decide what I am going to be next year!

I really wanted to bake cupcakes and hand them out, but mama said that we would need to bake a LOT of cupcakes.  Mama did pick out some pretty great treats to hand out (glow bracelets and fruit snacks).

The next post (hopefully tomorrow) will be about the fun pumpkins that we made...here is a sneak peek!

I think it time to watch Charlie Brown...he is going to teach me about the great pumpkin.  With all of the pumpkin fun I had today, I am sure it will be great!

Happy Halloween!
Linden

(In case you didn't remember..."You can call me Cupcake" was the name of a post from back in January when I was just a week old!!  I sure have gotten big!)

C is for Cookie

This is going to be a short post tonight because it is almost bedtime, but I just HAD to show you my cute outfit today!

Mama saw this onsie when she was in New York last year and she thought I would love it.  Turns out, she was right!  How did my mama know what I would like before I was even born?

Anyways, every time I have worn this before today mama would sing this silly song...

C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me
C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me
C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me
Oh Cookie, Cookie, Cookie starts with C
 

I never understood why she sang this silly song until today when she gave me some cookies!

They were really yummy.  Mama told me that Cookie Monster likes chocolate chip cookies the best, but I am too young for those.  Mama found some blueberry flavored cookies that are just for me!

That's it for tonight!
Linden

How Big is Linden?

Mama and daddy have this "game" they like to play...They say "How big is Linden?" and then hold out my arms and say "SOOO Big!"  I can't possibly see why they think it is so much fun...personally, I think it is pretty childish.

None the less, I am getting pretty big.  I had my 9 month appointment with Dr. Bob yesterday and found out I am 28 inches and 18 pounds 4 ounces!  I was pretty excited for this appointment, I heard from the other babies that there aren't any shots at the 9 month appointment!  Unfortunately, it is flu season which means I had to get a flu shot.  I tried really hard to be brave and not cry, I just couldn't help it.

Like I said, I am getting pretty big, I am trying REALLY hard to learn to walk...mama keeps telling me to slow down.  Life is WAY too short to stay in one spot!  Dr. Bob tested my walking while holding his fingers and said that for being 9 months I am not walking, I am sprinting!  Mama and daddy got me some really fun toys for me to practice with.

I am also getting really good at eating big girl food.  Mama and daddy like to share their dinner with me and have also started giving me peaches and pears!  Daddy also got me my first Camelbak water bottle, he was pretty excited because it came from Cabelas.  I am getting pretty good at drinking out of water bottles and cups!

Time to go, I am off to lunch with my Auntie Heidi!

Linden

Finger Painting?

Hey Everybody!

This weekend we went to Grandma Carolyn and Grandpa Tim's house to do family pictures.  It was a little chilly but we had a great time!  I am really glad we made the trip because when we got home we found out that Great Grandpa Glen fell down and broke his hip.  I am so thankful that we had the chance to take some fun pictures with him!

Because Great Grandpa Glen hurt himself mama and I decided to make some cards to send him to cheer him up.  Mama went to the store and found finger paint and decided it sounded like fun.

Mama decided that tonight would be a good night because it is bath night so she stripped me down to my diaper and in the high chair I went.

I really like how the paint feels, and the bright colors are a lot of fun!  Mama claims playing with finger paint helps my brain grow...evidently I was learning, not sure how that works, I was having too much fun! 

I am really confused about why they call it finger paint, I had it all over me, I am certain it is impossible to keep it just on your fingers, and even if you could, what kind of fun would that be?  I really wanted to try painting with my tongue but mama wouldn't let me...

I had a great time, and I am sure Great Grandpa is going to be really excited when he gets my cards in the mail!

Didn't they turn out great!  If you see Great Grandpa Glen don't tell him or show him these pictures, I want him to be extra surprised!

Mama always tells me how lucky I am to have a Great Grandpa and a Great Grandma.  Mama isn't always right, but she sure is about this one!

Off to bed,
Linden

You gotta read this book...

Alright folks, I am throwing in the towel on being America's Cutest Baby...There just isn't enough time left.  Thanks for all you did!!

Mama loves to read to me, and I get pretty excited about it too.  Mama's two favorite books are by Nancy Tillman, "Where Ever You Are, My Love Will Find You" and "On the Night You Were Born".  Both are very sweet books and make mama very happy.

Mama was at Kohls one night and saw that they had all of Nancy Tillman's books for sale so she decided to buy the Christmas one (mama doesn't really like the 4th one that much, so I don't have it).

Even though it is not Christmas time mama decided to read it to me anyways, mama loves it so much she got kinda choked up (I've said it before, she is such a sap!)

The book is called, "The Spirit of Christmas".  If you don't have this book in your collection you need to go get it.  The lucky part is that it is at Kohls right now for $5!!  Not only do you get a great book for a great price but you also get to support Kohls' organization to help kids.  Can't get any better than that!

Off to grandma Carolyn's house!
Linden

VOTE FOR ME!!

Mama told me the other day that if I want to go to college I better get a day job.  I figured, what better time to start than now.  Everybody keeps telling me how cute I am so I decided modeling was my ticket.

I decided to enter myself in the American Baby Magazine Cover Model Contest!

Click HERE to Vote for Me!!

I think you can vote once each day (I think...) but you can certainly vote from multiple machines, so get your phones, your laptops, your work computers and your desktops out and VOTE VOTE VOTE!

I promise, when I become famous, I will remember this moment and each and every one of you and thank you in my acceptance speech!

Linden

Big Day

I had a REALLY busy day today. 

Sunday is a lot of hard work, I never know what is going to happen so I have to be prepared for anything.  Today I woke up in Owatonna which means we were going to church.  I like waking up in Alexandria because it means I get to play with Grandma Carolyn and Grandpa Tim, can't get much better than that!

I like going to church, there is lots of music and plenty of space to crawl around.  The problem with church comes because I am just so darn cute.  All the old ladies LOVE me!  From the time we get there to the time we leave I have to be all full of smiles, giggles and cuteness.  A girl can only handle so much cuteness.

Just like every Sunday, I survived.  Thank goodness it is nap time right after church, I was exhausted!

Mama woke me up from my nap a little early today which was kind of weird.  Turns out, daddy was busy and mama had to go into work for a few minutes to get some stuff done, that means I got to go with!  Mama works in a really big building, and the stairway has a really neat echo, I liked that.  Right outside her desk was a REALLY long hallway for me to crawl around in.  I got to sit on mama's lap and watch her type (she wouldn't let me help), I got to tip over some garbage cans and I got to play with her friend who was in to help her.  Going to work was a lot of fun.

After we were done at mama's work we stopped by the Owatonna Curling Club to see how things were going.  Daddy joined a curling team a couple of years ago and he really likes it.  Mama and daddy took me to my first bonspiel (curling tournament) when I was only 2 weeks old!  They are getting the club ready for the ice which looked like a lot of work.  Good thing I was there to help.

After we got home from that I found out daddy bought me some new toys at a garage sale.  Mama and daddy sure do love garage sales.  I got a new car/walker thing, I really like to push it and walk behind.  I am getting pretty good at it too!

After I got to play for a bit mama and daddy decided we should walk to the grocery store and get dinner and some groceries for the week.  After all I did today I was REALLY tired and I just couldn't help but take a nap.

Aren't I cute?  The biggest problem with being me is that I have to be cute all the time.  It is a lot of hard work being this cute. 

Off to bed.  Another big week of playing with Miss Gretchen!
Linden

More Apples

Good Morning Everybody!

I like Saturday, I get to hang out with mama and daddy all day!  I like playing at home and I get to do lots of extra fun things.  Most weekends we are out of town, but not this one, we finally get to stay home.

Like I told you last time, mama is a crazy lady when it comes to baking, and when she gets on a roll, she doesn't stop. As promised, I got to try some of the applesauce that she made last week.  I wasn't so sure about it, it doesn't look like any of the apple sauce I have ever had...

Daddy got the honor of feeding me.  I like when daddy feeds me because I get to make a BIG mess!  I don't know if he likes it, but it sure is a lot of fun!

Turns out, mama's applesauce was DELICIOUS!  Mama said the reason it was so good was because of the cinnamon and a little brown sugar.

The other night Hailey came over so she and mama could make some applesauce for Hailey's family.  I like when Hailey comes over, she has lot of little brothers so she knows how to have fun.  I think she also likes that I am a girl, there are too many boys in that house!

Yesterday mama spent the afternoon making some cookies from a recipe she found on the internet.  The recipe was for Spices Apple Cookies and came from another blog, The Naptime Chef .  The cookies were VERY easy, taste great and look really pretty.  The only thing mama said she would change would be to use a slightly more tart apple so you taste the apple more.  Don't they look great? 

Afterwards, the house smelled AMAZING!

We are getting low on apples, I think I heard mama say she is making a couple pans of apple crisp and then I think she will be close to being out of apples, thank goodness, I don't know how much more of this apple madness I can take!

Have a good weekend,
Linden

It's Apple Season

Evidently it is apple season, and evidently that means mama goes crazy in the kitchen.  What is it with that lady and cooking?

After mama picked me up from daycare we got daddy and went to the apple orchard!  Fireside Orchard, just outside of Northfield, is a pretty neat place.  They have a little shop where you can buy apple donuts, fudge, popcorn and of course, Apples!  But of course, not my mama, she has to do things the hard way, "for the experience" so we bought a bag and headed out to the orchard to pick our own.

There were a lot of trees that were FULL of apples!  We got three kinds, Keepsake, Haralson, and Fireside.  I bet you can't guess what Grandpa Bob's favorite is...Haralson, of Course!! (his last name is Haroldson, in case that didn't make sense to somebody!)

Of course mama and daddy, in their usual fashion, were insistent on getting a picture of me.  There were lots of neat places to take pictures there.  They had pumpkins up front, a pond with waterfalls, all sorts of flowers, a rose garden, and lots of fun chairs and benches.  I was NOT in the mood.

When we got home mama decided to try making apple sauce.  She got this fancy apple peeler/corer/slicer from Great Grandma Dottie which worked out pretty great for prepping the apples.

Next, she put them in a pot on the stove with water and cinanamin...cminanimanin...cminim...I am sure you know what I am talking about.  When the apples were done boiling mama poured off the extra water, it was some pretty tasty apple cider!

Then mama put her fancy KitchenAid to work.

It didn't take long, and we had Applesauce!  Mama said it was too chunky for me, and it was almost my bed time so I didn't get to try any, but she promised that I could have some tomorrow for dinner.

 Doesn't it look tasty?

Here is one last shot of the delicious apples we picked at the orchard.

Have a good night,

Linden

Fun with Oatmeal

Hey Guys!

Tonight is Monday Night, and that means Baby Class night!!  Mama and I enjoy going to baby class through our local ECFE (early childhood family education) group, time for mama and I to play together, time for me to get to play with other babies my age, and time for mama to talk to other parents and try and figure out what she is supposed to do with me (I think we are going to have to join a couple more groups to get her up to speed...just kidding mom).

Tonight the opening activity was playing with oatmeal.  Evidently some babies don't know that you shouldn't eat sand which is why they use oatmeal because you can eat it!

I had a lot of fun, it felt really fun in my fingers...

I even got a scoop to play with!

I decided that if other babies thought eating sand was a good idea then I should try eating the oatmeal.  It tasted kind of funny, I don't know why anybody would eat sand...

I think my favorite part was dumping out the oatmeal and using the pans as instruments, my grandma Carolyn will be so proud!

I think the ECFE girls were playing a trick on me though, every time I would crawl and try to grab a pan I would hit the edge and oatmeal would fly all over the place.  It was kind of funny, except it landed all over me!

The really crazy part was that every once in a while it would start RAINING oatmeal!  That's right, oatmeal was falling from the sky, inside.  It blew my mind!!  I am pretty sure mama and daddy were playing a trick on me too, I noticed they had their hand above my head when it would start, I wonder how they get oatmeal to rain out of their hand??

After all that playing I need to get a good night sleep!
Linden