We're baaack!

Boy, November, where did your first three weeks go?  I know things get busy during the holiday season, but we're not even really there yet and it's been crazy! 

Anyways, to my small constituent of readers, I apologize for the scarcity of Arlo updates over the past few weeks.  I will try to catch up over the next couple days.  :)

Why not start with a little football rivalry from earlier in the month?

You probably already know this wasn't our year.  (Nor were the last four.)  But there's always next year! 

And there is definitely always basketball season.  ;)

Charlie and Arlo and I headed out to Raleigh to tailgate with friends and family.  First, we had some snacks.  Arlo picked the Carolina blue pasta pieces out of the pasta salad.  (Look at that shaggy mop!)

Group photo! 

Grandpas and grandsons.  Blue v. red.

Grandmas, too.  (Arlo is apparently making his "walrus" face.)

Family.

SOOO big!

It was a gorgeous day and a great tailgate.  I must say that tailgating at State is SOOO different than tailgating at UNC.  These people go all out.  Everyone has music and tents and grills and tons of people and dogs and insane amounts of food and the atmosphere is super fun.  Some of the rowdier fans were not particularly welcoming - we were booed A LOT (who boo's a one-year-old???) and one of the cops even warned us that it may not be safe for us to walk through the crowds with our son in his stroller. I think she was kidding but I'm not sure.  Most people were super nice and courteous and we had a great time!

BIG thanks to the Barwicks for hosting - we had a blast!

Seriously, check out that hair.  Time for a haircut, don't you think?

Love, Katie

Happy Halloween!

It turned out to be a little cold and rainy here on Halloween night, so we didn't get to get outside and take any cute family pictures. :(  When I got home from work yesterday, I quickly put Arlo in his puppy dog costume and tried to snap a few quick pics before he'd had enough of it (which didn't take long!).

But trying to get him to sit still is a challenge always, but it's especially so when he's dressed in a silly costume and found something he's not supposed to have (a pen!) so he's trying to play keep-away with me. 

 A sorry attempt at getting all "three" dogs in one picture.

Looking for trick-or-treaters out the window.

Okay, mom - I've had enough.  Get this thing off of me! 

We had hoped to hit a few of the nearby neighbors to say hello and show off our new puppy, but between the weather and a sleepy boy, we skipped it this year.  We'll have PLENTY of years of trick-or-treating ahead of us. 

By the way, were anyone else's trick-or-treaters totally LAME this year?  We had a few groups of super cute kids early on, but by 7pm, it was nothing but older kids (some too old), barely in costume (like wearing a black t-shirt and pantyhose on your head...ummm, what are you? Are you robbing me?) and most didn't even say "trick or treat!" or at least "thank you".  Kids these days.  :)

-Katie    

Sunny Sunday

I was off this past weekend and after a rainy, cold, dreary Saturday (we had fun nonetheless at the Carolina game with friends - and a win!), it was lovely to have a totally GORGEOUS Sunday with absolutely NOTHING planned.  That never happens in our world.  So after a nice little trip to Home Depot that morning, we headed up to playground at the elementary school by our house. 

Arlo was obsessed with the state of Washington.

And the slide of course.

And yes, I know I have frizzy, flyaway hair bordering on an actual Afro, but this craziness was at least partly due to the static electricity from going down the slide with Arlo. I think. I hope. 

This playground doesn't have the infant bucket seats, so he had to sit on our laps (we did make a second trip to another nearby playground JUST for the bucket swings and it was totally worth it - he loves them). 

This will possibly be Arlo's elementary school in a few years.  It's crazy to think of him playing on this same equipment during recess someday!

-Katie

Music Man

I feel certain Arlo will follow in his Daddy's footsteps in many ways, but one will surely be a love of music.  We've always exposed him to music...he loves listening to Charlie play guitar and strumming the strings himself or banging on the drums.  Lately, we've noticed him paying even more attention to all of his musical toys.  Things he can shake or bang on - bells, maraccas, rattles, drums, etc. - are his favorite.  But he also loves just listening to music.  He sways back and forth or bounces up and down to the beat.  Here he's trying to figure out how the sound comes out of this giant speaker. 

"Mama, how do I make it louder?"

He has a few toys with buttons that will say something or play a song.  Lately, he'll keep pressing the buttons until a song comes on.  Then he looks at us and smiles and starts swaying to the music.  SO cute!  Here is a great video of this exact thing while he was playing in his bin full o' clothes. 

I hope he continues to love music as much as his daddy and I do.  And I hope he has good taste.  :)

Love, Katie

Dirty Laundry

It's not really dirty laundry, but a bin full of wonderful hand-me-downs from a great friend (with a VERY stylish little boy - such cute clothes!).  I've been stalling on putting them all away because Arlo LOVES to climb in and out of this thing. 

Love, Katie

Arlo's New Face

The silly scrunchy face still makes an appearance once in a while, but now we're seeing more of this pensive, furrowed brow, concerned-looking face. 

This is the face I imagine we'll see again during his teenage years when he thinks we're so weird and annoying.

Fortunately, the most common Arlo face is still the sweetest smile! 

Love, Katie

Wheely Bug

Arlo's grandparents got him a Wheely Bug for his first birthday.  What's a Wheely Bug, you ask?  Check out this video!

How cute is that?!

-Katie