Cock a doodle doo

We had lots of fun while Gramma Lou was in town. Thursday we hit up yet another pumpkin patch and found a good one that Daddy carved into "Peep and the Big Wide World." It was windy but sunny so afterwards we tried to explore Wildwood State park, but the beach was closed due to mass erosion from Hurricane Irene, so we ended up just playing on the playground there.

We are now calling the color of Emma's hair: Dried Cornstalk.

In the car coming home that afternoon, Em was yammering on about this and that and she said something about something and I said to her, "How do you know that?" "I know everything," was her reply. Gotta admire the confidence!

Sunday after our semi-failed mission to get family pictures, we gave Gramma the quickie tour of where Daddy grew up on the south shore of the island. While driving along the beach in the Robert Moses / Fire Island area, Emma noticed all the signs that ask you to please NOT feed the deer. "Why can't we feed the deer, Daddy?" "Because then they will want to hang out near the road and they might get hit by a car and die." "Oh," she said contemplating his answer. Five minutes later, "Why can't we feed the deer, Daddy?" "Because, as I just said, then they will want to hang out near the road and they might get hit by a car and die." "Oh," she said. Seriously, not TWO MINUTES LATER she said again, "Why can't we feed the deer, Daddy?" and proceeded to ask this question at least 5 more times until we got off the island! The whole get hit by a car and die was just not resonating! I think she wanted a happy ending...

Ben, when accomplishing anything these days will exclaim, "I did it! I win!" As in, getting up the stairs fast, or drinking all his milk, or brushing his teeth. It cracks us up!

What doesn't crack us up is after two months of Ben staying put in his toddler bed until we come and get him in the morning, he has discovered that he can take charge and wander out into the hallway to rooster us awake at 6am... I don't like 6am. What is going to happen when we change the clocks back and 6am is really 5am? HELP!