I don't like coming up with titles

I'm without a car today, so I can't run any errands or put Halloween costume stuff together, so I'm blogging. Chamae is happily playing and chewing on everything so now is as good a time as any!

I'm not sure how the pictures will turn out so I'm not going to caption them. I haven't been taking as many pictures as I usually do, we've had a lot going on and I haven't been making a point to take along the camera.

Brad's team is doing well. They started out slow, but they have won their last 7...or 8...(I lost track) and they are moving up in the polls!

Chamae has 5 teeth and likes to bite everything. Including her mother. She hasn't bit me nursing yet, but I have a nice bruise on my arm where she bit me through my sweater at church on Sunday. How do you teach a 9 month old not to bite? Is that even realistic or possible? Despite her biting, she couldn't be sweeter. She still wakes up between 5 and 6 for an early morning feeding, but I'm okay with that. She is so snuggly and cute, she gives some pretty sweet little hugs and slobbery open mouth kisses. Brad is still the best at making her giggle, but she still prefers mommy...I have a feeling that will change pretty quickly after she is weaned, she loves her daddy, but she knows where her milk comes from. She loves trying all kinds of new foods. We had meatloaf last night and she ate it really well! She loved it. We still give her mashed up foods when we don't want her to get too messy, but it's not her favorite. If I give her an extra bite when she doesn't want anymore, she'll take it out of her mouth and fling it on the table...or the wall. She is turning into a little spitfire and constantly jabbers. Her new word is, "whoa". She'll be talking in sentences before we know it!

Donovan is such a big boy! He's still loving school and having that independent time away from home. He likes to tell us what he has learned and loves to tell us what certain words start with. He's also our little artist. This kid would draw on the sidwalk with his chalk all day if we let him. I tried to get him to look at me and smile while I was taking pictures of him drawing, but he said, "Um, no thanks, I'm drawing." We have some neighbors we know through the soccer club in town and they are living here until their house gets finished. Their youngest daughter loves to play with Donovan and if she doesn't have anything going on after school, they are out there drawing or running around together. Donovan was almost out of chalk, and of course they aren't selling it right now because summer is over, so Alayna (his new best friend) went in one of their storage units and found her big box of sidewalk chalk and brought it over to him on Sunday evening. She had crossed "Alayna's" off the box and wrote "Donovan's". It was really sweet. The first thing he wanted to do after school yesterday was draw outside with his new chalk. He also loves going to soccer games to watch the "soccer girls" play. He always gets to see them and hang out with them for a few minutes after the games, so he loves it. He meets a lot of new friends at the games too. He always heads over to a new family or person he hasn't met and plops himself down as if he belonged there. He is not shy. He has a pretty loose grasp of what a stranger is. I think he has the same concept as Forrest Gump. Just introduce yourself and they won't be a stranger anymore. We'll need to help him understand not to talk to strangers as he gets older and a little more independent. He is a great big brother and has figured out that he can carry Chamae around. She tolerates it and he's pretty good about putting her down if she fusses. He loves when she smiles or laughs at him and has to announce it to me everytime. I often hear, "Mommy, she smiled at me!" Or "Mommy, I made her happy!" throughout the day. He tries to be really helpful and always wants to help if I'm cleaning or making dinner. He especially likes to help if I'm making a treat...which happens a lot, I love baking in the fall! We just made some pumpkin bread Sunday night and he was SO excited for it to be done so he could try some. Now that's all he wants for his snacks. Surprisingly enough, Brad has consumed quite a bit of it as well! Not that he doesn't like baked goods, he's just a lot better at limiting himself to one or two pieces...whereas I, have no control.

I'm staying busy! I remember feeling like some days never ended, but ever since Donovan started preschool and Chamae became mobile, it feels like there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I'd like to do. I don't know how working moms or even moms with more than 2 kids do it all. I'm exhausted at the end of the day...even if I haven't been very productive! There is always something that needs to get done. Between kids, husband, and church calling, the days have been pretty full. Since I don't have a car today, I feel like I can't get much done. I should probably be cleaning, but I am getting some laundry done. This year, I am attempting to do homemade Halloween costumes...for the whole family. Brad will finally be in town for Halloween and has agreed to dress up, so I'm taking full advantage. I have my game plan, I just have to get out to get supplies. Hopefully I can pull it off!! On a quick sidenote, we're getting a minivan. I always said I would never drive one, and laugh if you will, but we're getting one. Brad isn't that excited, but I am. We're both practical people, and a minivan just makes sense. There is so much space!! Also, the one we're getting, has a rear entertainment system...aka:DVD player and cordless headphones. Score. Suddenly the solo trip to Utah in November doesn't seem so daunting.