Nevada Day

October 31st (Halloween) also has another name to me and many from Nevada - it's Nevada Day - the day Nevada officially became a state! Yeah, a little weird, I know, but I enjoyed it growing up because we got the day off school. So, I forget that people actually have to go to school on Halloween (when it's not on a weekend). Sorry about that all of you who did not attend school in Nevada. Happy Nevada Day everyone :)

Tuesday night was our ward Halloween party. I got Reed dressed up as a cowboy and man, he is just so cute! I got a few pictures of him at home and we even got some pictures at the church. Reed loved dancing and trying to take apart the fake fire built in the middle of the floor. We got to watch a celebrity show - featuring Gladys Knight and the Pips, Sonny and Cher, and the Thriller dance. Reed just watched in awe as all the glittery costumes and dance moves flowed across the stage. To end the fun-filled evening, we did a trunk-or-treat, except it had to be inside since it was raining outside. Gotta love East coast weather! Give it up for a fun ward party :)

The cutest cowboy in the world!

He didn't like his hat at first, but warmed up to it by the time we got to the church.

The fake fire is in the background.....Reed loved the lights in the first. Yes, I did cut my hair, but it got rained on so does not super stellar in this picture. I will take a better picture later.

The cutest cowboy in the world with daddy.

Reed LOVES suckers - so he actually initiated the trick-or-treat on this one (by just taking a sucker).

After the sucker, he got the hang of getting candy from people.

He even put it in his pumpkin, which is the same pumpkin that Tyson used as a child (and maybe adolescent) :)

Pumpkin Goo and other news

Recently, Reed has found the washer/dryer very interesting. He helps me put the clothes in the washer and the dryer (although the latter is harder for him to reach, since it is a stackable washer/dryer combo). One day he decided he wanted to actually be in the dryer. Yes, daddy lifted him into the dryer and Reed opened and closed the door on himself for at least 10 minutes. It was a blast!



Last weekend we decided that it was time to carve at least one of the pumpkins in our apartment (note: the tiny pumpkin that we got from the pumpkin patch went moldy, but the bigger is still in tact!) We ended up carving the one that I purchased from our local Safeway. We tried to get Reed to pull out the pumpkin goo/slimey stuff from the pumpkin with his hands, but he flat out refused that. So, I ended up giving him a spoon to dig some of it out. He dug out a few spoonfuls, then decided he would rather watch daddy do it than actually do it himself.



Then, we decided to carve the pumpkin. Now don't expect anything super fancy or exciting. Neither Tyson nor I are good at that kind of stuff unlike some of our friends (James/Amy). We always go for the traditional geometric shapes, and we did the same this year. It has worked out thus far :)


The pumpkin turned out cute and Reed is a little obsessed with taking the lid on and off and on and off. We also put out fake lights in it - they turn different colors when you turn them on. Reed thought that was the coolest thing and knelt by the pumpkin for at least 1/2 hour playing with the lights. I think real candles will have to wait for a much later date! Someday.......




Reed also got a new Halloween tie on Saturday. Of course, he had to show it off on Sunday. I must say this is one of my favorite ties yet! Thanks Grandma Walker! Reed loves to point out the spiders on the tie :) He is just getting so big! What am I going to do?


In other news, fall is officially here and the trees are officially beautiful! I got a photo of one of the trees at our church - I do love East coast fall colors - some of my favorite scenery ever!

Reed's last tooth (besides the 2-year molars) finally broke the skin and is actively growing in! People have been asking what happened to his tooth - wondering if he got it knocked out or something. I just smile and say, "It's finally coming in!" So, hopefully those questions will stop soon. (Reed actually took this picture himself! Can you see that last little tooth poking through?)


Lastly, our primary program was on Sunday and I am on chorister (which = me waving my arms in from of everyone for the better part of an hour). It actually turned out great! I was a bit overcome with emotion at the beginning and started crying during one of the songs, but was able to pull it together. I probably could have cried through the whole thing (note: when I am pregnant, I can cry much easier than when I am not pregnant), but decided the kids might think that they had done something wrong. Really, I was just so happy it was all working out and could feel the little spirits of the kids. It's amazing the power that music has to touch your heart. For me, music is the most powerful way that I feel the Spirit. It was awesome to lead the kids and now that weight of the Program is gone - also an amazing feeling.

Butler's Orchard

Yes, in the title it says orchard, but it is also known as the best pumpkin patch ever! (It better be because it is all the way in Germantown, MD) I was so excited for trip #2 to Butler's Orchard. Last year we went, but Reed was not super excited about it - he was just too young. But, this year was a completely different story.

Reed was SO EXCITED to go on the hay ride to the actual pumpkin patch he almost could not wait. He kept trying to cut kids in line. Silly, silly. I tried to distract him with the apples we got for paying admission to the pumpkin patch, but it only worked for a few minutes.

He LOVED the hay ride there (they had decorated the forest with pumpkins and ghosts - yes, you are jealous of our hay ride), so much so, that he did not want to get off and get a pumpkin. I finally convinced him that finding pumpkins to take home would be fun as well.

When we got to the pumpkin patch Reed took of running, only to trip about every 10th step due to all the vines. But, he jumped right on up and went scouring through the pumpkin patch for the perfect pumpkin. He found a little one that was small enough for him to hold. He brought it to me to hold and then took off in search of another pumpkin (we both got one since we both bought admissions to the pumpkin patch). I thought that he would probably pick another small pumpkin, one he could carry, but I was dead wrong. I think Reed chose the largest pumpkin they had available in the pumpkin patch! He tried and tried to pick it up, but to no avail. He even looked at other pumpkins, but ended up going back to that same pumpkin. So, we picked it up and waited for our friends to be finished. (Check out the video below: it was Reed's second or third time going back to the same huge pumpkin)

Reed, again, was very impatient when attempting to wait for the hay ride back. He didn't quite grasp that the people in front of us got to get on first. He even started crying when the first tractor pulled the people away and he was not on that hay ride. Luckily, we fit on the second one, mostly because Reed pushed his way to the front (well, not really, but he certainly was trying). On the way back, he saw the animals (pig, lamb, goat) that they had. He LOVED the hay ride again, and did not want to get off, again. But, after counting down from 10, he decided it was ok to go and eat lunch.

We ate lunch as a play group, then we headed home because it was FREEZING that day. There were other fun things to do, but I just got so cold. Reed played in the rocks and was happy as a clam (although, are clams happy?). All-in-all a great play group activity! I am looking forward to it again next year. It is worth the drive - if only I could remember to go during berry season.


The first hay ride of the day. I know Reed doesn't look excited, but he was :)


Picking his first pumpkin all by himself!

"Look what I got!!!"

Ah, how precious!

Yes, I am holding the second pumpkin that Reed picked. Isn't it huge! I think we will carve that one!


Reed in search of the perfect pumpkin, not to mention the biggest in the pumpkin patch.

Fire House or Fire Station?

So, apparently instead of saying fire station I call it the fire house and Tyson always thinks that is funny. I was wondering why the other day and then it hit me - I read the book Clifford The Fire House Dog to Reed all the time. So, that solves that problem. Phew :)

Reed and I went to the Dunn Loring Fire Station with a play group from a different ward. I was actually pretty excited myself because I never remember any trips to the fire station. So, we packed up our stuff and were on our way. Reed did not like it as much as the 4-year-old kids that were there, but he was still entertained.

We learned about the fire truck and what the firemen wear when they go out. Right in the middle of the tour they actually got a call about a fire. So, the kids got to see the firefighters in action. So cool!!!

While they were gone, we learned about the rehabilitation unit which is used for the firefighters. It is a van that shows up after a while and checks the health of the firefighters. We also saw a rescue truck, like an ambulance. We got a tour of the inside of the fire station and by the time we were done, the other firefighters were back with the fire engine. The kids got to walk through the truck and I even snapped a few pictures :) Overall, a fun time.

Reed's favorite part was finding a small statue of a firefighter and "honking" his nose (one of his new favorite things to do) and playing with the firefighter hat he got at the end of the tour.


Going in the back of the rescue truck

The rehabilitation unit

Reed contemplating going in the rescue truck - he decided against it.

Apparently it's a fire department, not a fire house nor a fire station! Ugh, I am so confused....

Reed "honking" the firefighter's nose

He actually did get in the actual fire truck!

But, he would not sit down on the seat...

The kids who went, minus Reed. Instead, he went over....

here and sat by himself. Too much craziness for this little guy!

The hat!

He loved putting it on backwards.

He was smiling, but the wind kept blowing his hat off. So, this was the best we could do :)

My Belly; Like Father, Like Son; More Reedisms

This is a combination of a few posts....so bear with me :)

** Reed and I play at our community park quite often and I am always snapping pictures (well, when I remember). I thought that these ones were particularly cute. Those baby blues just get me every time!




Note: This onsie is actually from Finland. A girl in one of my past wards served her mission there and bought the onsie on her mission. Apparently, this brand (whatever it is called) is super hip in Finland!

** I teach piano lessons a couple of times per week out of my apartment. It actually has been really fun and just something for me to look forward to throughout the week. Reed is normally really well-behaved during the lessons (thankfully) or he is napping. I have recently figured out why he is so well-behaved (observe below):


Yes, he finds the stickers and places them all over his forehead! I think one of my student's did it to him once. Now, he is always finding the stickers and putting them on his forehead :) Funny kid!

**I have been a little nervous at what Reed will do when the baby is born. He will still only be 22 months or so. I decided to start letting Reed "practice" being a big brother with a porcelain doll of mine. We call her Baby. Reed has done remarkably well, considering. He holds her, gives her kisses, calls her "bee bee", gives her loves, and even looks for her hands and feet. On occasion I do find him dragging her around the house and one time he sat on her belly (which is nice and squishy, not porcelain), but I think he is shaping up to be a great big brother! He even lets Baby nap in his crib!



**One strange thing that I have noticed about Reed's teeth: he has all but one on the bottom, not the very middle tooth, but the tooth next to the middle one! How weird is that?! Actually, I can finally see that it is starting to come in, but still has not broken the skin. Weird - he got his first set of molars before this tooth! Go figure.....to see what I am talking about, check out Reed's smile in the following photo.

If you are looking at the picture, it is the tooth on left-hand side.

**Tyson and I realized that we haven't really taken any belly pictures this time around, probably because I am usually the one taking the pictures. It is hard to take one of my own belly. For those who care, here are some belly shots taken on October 9, 2009 - 27 weeks.



**I have noticed that Reed LOVES to do whatever Tyson is doing, it doesn't really matter what it is. For example, on Saturday, Tyson decided that he needed to snack on some ramen noodles (he still likes to relive his bachelor days of glory with this food item). Tyson makes the ramen, puts it in a bowl, puts the bowl on a plate (so it doesn't burn his legs), and watches some TV until he is done with his snack. Every time Reed sees this (usually on Saturdays) he asks for a bowl and a fork (because daddy eats the noodles with a fork), has to sit down right next to Tyson on the floor, and proceeds to stare at the TV exactly like daddy.

Reed, for those of you who don't know, is NOT a TV watcher. He will only sit to watch one movie and that is the alphabet movie that Grandma Walker gave him for Christmas. Anything else and he turns the TV off and does something else, EXCEPT when Tyson is eating ramen on the floor. So, I caught them on camera doing just this :)

Another one is if Tyson is having cereal, Reed HAS to have cereal in a bowl, even if he doesn't want to eat it. He just likes to be like daddy. (They also breathe the same when they sleep...yeah, weird that I know that)Little boys really do like to be like their daddies.

Will eat to blow out candles

Yes, I know the title sounds strange, but it is something that Reed did yesterday that simply cracked me up. Firstly, Reed has always loved candles/fire. He used to want to touch it (scary), but now mostly just wants to blow the candles. He has not really been able to blow them out, but knows what it looks like. The other day, I was teaching Reed how to blow out candles (because I don't want him to touch them, but rather blow them out) and he blew one out by himself! I got more excited than I like to admit that h could blow out the candle all by himself. So, at lunch Reed saw the candles and was asking me to light them so he could blow them out. I used this a little to my advantage to get him to eat some food he was not too excited about. He would take a bite, then I would like the candle. Then, he would take another bite in exchange for being able to blow the candle out. This went on until the meal was done and candle time with mom was done as well. I was shocked that he never tried to touch the flame, but always focused on blowing it out. Smart boy! I guess all the times of saying, "Too hot!", "Ouchie!", and "That's a no-no." really did pay off. No, it doesn't happen at every meal time, mostly because I won't let him see the candles that much, but I thought it was a great way to combine fire safety with meal eating!

The pictures really have nothing to do with the story because I cannot take pictures while trying to watch Reed blow out candles, but they are fun anyways. This is the rest of September (I know it is the middle of October) in picture/video form. Hope you enjoy it!



This is one of Reed's favorite little friends. Apparently, he likes to back girls into corners and chat with them. Check out the video below....it looks like he is hold her hostage! Good thing I know they are friends :)

Reed will often squint when he is trying to be funny in a picture. This is right before we moved out of our old apartment when Reed realized that he could climb on our closet shelves. He was extremely pleased with himself.


Reed showing his fake smile and laughing about it afterward.

Wow, I cannot believe that my baby is 18 months and going to Nursery! (First official day of Nursery - September 20, 2009)

Reed's old room - we forgot to take a picture with everything in there, but it was basically all against one wall. Ah, dens/closets are so much fun!

Reed's favorite cupboard in our new apartment. He climbs in, shuts the door on himself, then giggles when we ask where he is! Such a fun game :)

For play group, we went to some shows in the park. Reed loved the guitar.

Contemplating about stealing someone's food (he apparently is not shy when it comes to taking other people's food).

This was a one-man band. He played guitar, sang, played the drum, harmonica, and probably some other instruments as well. That is talent!




Daddy and Reed playing with Target bags. It's amazing how much fun free things can be when playing with daddy.

Reed sort of holding Taryn hostage. Thankfully, she was willing to be put in a corner, squatting. They did this periodically throughout the night. It was the ward chili cook-off and I won 3rd place! Go White Chili!!!!