Pumpkin Patch

Back in October we gave Morgan her first-ever pumpkin patch experience. We all had a blast! I did some research to find out what would be the best one for her age and The Cotton Picking Pumpkin Patch did not let us down. Here are some fun pictures from our adventure:

Our souvenir, oops! =o)

Halloween

Yes, I am aware that it is December and I'm posting about Halloween, but since I'm still playing catch up and we still have wrapped gifts under the tree because of Morgan being so sick, I'm taking this time to post about Halloween. =o)


We had so much fun with Morgan this year! She is at such a fun age and so go-with-the-flow that all the chaos and candy really didn't affect her at all.

Being a teacher, I am limited in the amount of parties and special events I'm able to attend at Morgan's school, but this time her "party" was at 3:00 so I asked special permission to leave early and I was able to go. When I got there, my sweet girl was still napping. I wasn't surprised; the girl LOVES her sleep and can sleep through anything! I got the special privilege of waking her up and she was so excited to see her mommy, so heartwarming! Once the few others were awakened, it was time to party! Having just left my classroom party with 20 seven and eight year olds, it was amazing to see how calm these one year olds were. They ate their snacks and drank their juice, unsure why parents were in their room during snack time. Once they finished their snack, it was time to play. It was so much fun getting to be a small part of her school routine that day.

After school we came home, changed back into her costume, and had fun with Ms. Anna and Taylor. Anna and I work together and her 5-year-old, Taylor, was begging to come see and play with Morgan. They came over and we all had fun playing in the yard. He really is so good with her and they always have so much fun together.




This year we opted out of trick-or-treating since it was the same night as the downtown activities. We knew that Morgan wouldn't really "get" trick-or-treating and we really didn't want/need more candy so we went downtown where we knew she would have tons of fun. Let's just say that we weren't disappointed! Several of the downtown shops are open with workers standing in the doorways giving out treats, coupons, etc. and a band is set up at the intersection of College and Magnolia, under the now infamous Toomer's Oaks. We didn't stand in the lines to get the treats, but opted for the live entertainment instead. She had so much fun dancing and being the center of attention! Strangers were coming up and asking to take pictures with her... is that weird to anyone else?! After refusing the third request, we decided to venture on down the street where we saw our nephew, Josh with the fire truck. Morgan got some special VIP treatment from her cousin and then we decided to call it a night.

... Hello Fall!

Morgan was able to attend her first, official, Auburn game this year. Rachel and Adam have season tickets to all the home games, but due to scheduling conflicts they did not come to September 24's game vs. Florida Atlantic and gave us the tickets instead. I was a little nervous about taking her to a game by myself, but I really felt like she would do fine once we were settled. This little cheerleader LOVED every single minute of it! Seriously, she sat in my lap, never asking to get down as I had feared. She listed and danced to the music, watched the game, cheered, looked for her best buddy, Aubie, signaled a few touchdowns, and had an absolute blast!

Here's my little Tigerette holding her ticket before we left for the game.


We stopped to admire the outside of the stadium and do a little running before actually going inside.

I'm not sure she knew what to think about the eagle flying, but she knew everyone was cheering so she joined in as well.

Daddy surprised us and made it to the game about half-way through the first quarter. He may be an Alabama fan, but he is first, and foremost, a football fan and a wonderful Daddy who didn't want to miss out on this special moment with his little girl.


The next day we put her Auburn gear back on and went to visit Toomer's Corner for some fun pictures. We're not sure how much longer these celebrations will be possible so we tried to soak up every opportunity we could this year. Her daddy sure is a good sport being the avid Bama fan that he is.




One of the greatest things about living in Auburn is all of the wonderful opportunities we have to see Aubie! Morgan is absolutely infatuated with this lively, fun, bundle of excitement. Each Fall our school system has a "Fall Festival" where all the schools join together for an afternoon of chaotic fun. Each of the six elementary schools has at least 2 booths and other groups also host booths, jump houses, petting exhibits, etc. It is always a lot of fun to see everyone, but without a doubt Morgan's favorite attendee was Aubie. She patiently waited her turn, mesmerized by him, while the older kids terrorized the poor guy.


He saw her, realized she wasn't going to scream (or pull his tail!) and he scooped her up for a few minutes of dancing and playing. I really think she got the most one-on-one time with him and they had the best time together. I think she expects that type of time and attention each time she sees him and has been slightly disappointed since that visit.

Good Bye Summer...

I have never claimed to be wonderful about updating the blog, but I have gotten WAY behind so look forward to a few "catch-up" posts now that I'm at home for a few days. :)


A wonderful thing about living in the South is how long the temperature stays warm. I took these pictures in September while we were soaking up the last moments of being able to enjoy running barefoot and playing in the pool. We got home from school one day and decided to enjoy some mother-daughter time outside while daddy was still at work. Reliving these pictures makes me long for daylight savings time to return! I can handle the cooler weather (although I much prefer the warmth!) but I'm not a fan of it getting dark by 5:00. I miss the days of playing outside when we get home.

18 Months!

Our sweet, precious angel is now 18 months old and more fun than we ever thought possible! Here's a few things about little Miss Morgan at 18 months.

You are still tiny for your age, weighing in at a whopping 22.5 pounds (25%) and 30 inches (10%). Food is not something you are interested in. In fact, cheese is the only thing you'll eat consistently.

You are extremely smart for your age. Yes, I'm biased as your mother, but others think so too. You mastered almost all of the developmental milestones for 24 months. We still have to work on "treating a doll or stuffed animal as if it's a living thing" and "talking about yourself using 'me' or 'mine.'" Other than that, I think you're good to go.

We've really been working on identifying letters and colors lately. You can identify red, green, blue, and yellow most of the time, but you still have a little trouble, especially if you're distracted. You're doing terrific with your letters and you consistently identify (point to and name) A, E, T, M, G, and O. We've done a little work with shapes, but you really only know diamond and heart, the perfect girl shapes, right?!


You are a girly girl! You love your pearls, will pitch a fit if you don't have a bow in your hair, and you love playing with purses and bracelets. You're just getting into a "dress up" phase and your favorite thing to use for this activity is our shoes, especially daddy's boots. You do not like to be dirty and you'll rub your hands together until you get every speck of grass or dirt off your hands.


You continue to be the easiest child ever! I would say you're about 90% potty trained at home. School hasn't quite jumped on board with taking you very often, but they are not accustomed to having to take 18 month olds to the potty so I can't blame them. I'm just thankful my diaper changing days are down to a minimum. You have gone an entire weekend without messing up a diaper, even at night! We are so proud of you!
Your favorite things right now are anything with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, reading, dancing, playing with your stuffed animals in your tent, and coloring. You also LOVE to be outside sliding or riding in your car. You're so happy-go-lucky and we're so grateful!


You're a wonderful sleeper and will often let us know you're ready for bed by walking into your room and reaching up for your bed. You still get "pass" (pacifier) at bed time, but you throw it into your crib when you wake up in the morning. You have also started sleeping with "Pickey" (Mickey) but I don't think he is a necessity at this point. You do get your pacifier during nap time at home, but you have been paci-free at school for a few months now.
You enjoy school and have made many friends. You come home talking about Riley, Bella, Tip, Kelsey, and "Au-Do" (Austin) most of the time.


You have learned the much-dreaded word "no" recently and that's the only answer you will give to a yes or no question. Another funny thing you do is respond "treeeee" when asked how old you are. I know you feel like you're a three year old, but let's not rush these years away please ma'am.


We have so much fun playing with you every day and we truly can't imagine life being any better! Thank you, sweet girl, for teaching your mommy and daddy what love really is. We love you angel and we're so grateful and blessed to be your parents!