Trick or Treat!

I'm calling this year a success.  Cal did not hate his costume - he didn't fight it one bit, not even the hood.  He may not have actually said "Trick or Treat!", but he did say "Thank you" unprompted multiple times.  He went crazy for his candy initially, but promptly forgot about it when I hid it.  A win all around.

We kicked off our festivities with a trip to the Lake Sherwood Halloween Party. 



My little dragon!

Walking in the parade with Grandpa.

Loving his costume!

Daddy had to work on Halloween (boo!), so Cal and Mommy hit up the festivities in downtown Northville just like last year.  Cal loved all of the dressed up doggies and the fire engines parked outside the station.

Cal and Mommy

Cal and Grandma

Checking out the fire engines with Uncle Rick

Cal and his ladies!

Making the most of it...

We headed back to the Henry Ford this weekend, with no specific plan in mind.  Why?  Because we can.  I swear, the decision to buy that membership was one of our best.

Grandma and Grandpa L. joined us, and we spent several hours exploring the museum.

Driving the combine.

Checking out the huge generator.

Cal's favorite place in the whole museum...

Working on the car.

Like father, like son!

My big, happy boy!

Between the cars and the trains, Cal is in heaven!  We can't wait to go back and check out the new Lego exhibit and the holiday decoration!

Pumpkin Hunting

A Michigan fall is never complete without a trip to the cider mill.  We set off on a crisp Saturday morning (Why yes, we were wearing shorts just a few days ago.  This is Michigan.)  While Cal is starting to get a little shy around strangers and large groups, he warmed up quickly when he spotted the tractor we got to ride out the the pumpkin field.  

Following Daddy.

This one?

Searching...

Winner?

Excited for cider and donuts!

He had a blast, and can put his momma to shame in a cider drinking contest.  Man do I love this kid!

Indian Summer

One last warm snap sent us running to the park.  One more chance to wear shorts and a t-shirt.  One more opportunity to wear those adorable orange Keens.  One more trip done the slide.  One more skinned knee.  It.was.glorious.

He loves the bridge

I can't believe how much bigger (and more confident) he has become since park season first started.  I still hover (because he still has no fear), but not quite as close.   As much as I'd love to give him space, ballsy kid tried to join a tackle football game with some of my eighth graders...sometimes hovering is necessary.

Sometimes there are no pictures...

Billy works every other weekend, 12 hour shifts.  This means that Cal and Mommy have a lot of quality time.  This weekend was one of those weekends.  However, like many Mommy/Cal adventures, I have no pictures to prove it actually happened.

After sleeping in (what a good boy!), Cal and I headed out to the Harvest Happening at Hess-Hathaway Park.  As soon as we pulled in, Cal yelled "Truck!"  At first I thought it was because he saw a truck, but it soon became clear that he remembered this place from the Big Wheels event a few weeks ago.  Boy was he bummed when I wouldn't let him climb in every vehicle he saw!  He got particularily pissed when I pulled him out of the driver's seat of the police car.

One of the activities available was pony rides.  After putting Cal on his pony, I reached into my pocket for my phone to grab a quick picture...only to discover that I left my phone in the car.  Sorry kid.  You rode a pony and you liked it.  You said "Neigh!" 

Cal also went in the toddler sized bouncy farm.  He enjoyed it...until he was agressively hugged by a little girl.  She ran up, bear hugged him and fell over into the little inflatable pen with him.  She then proceeded to roll around, still clinging to him.  Cal was not a fan.  I try not to hover, but I ended up tapping her through the mesh and asked her to let go.  Poor kid.  Luckily cider and donuts made it all better.

I hate wishing that time would speed up, but this was one of those events where I found myself wishing for "next year"... Maybe next year he will be able to enjoy more of the activities.  Maybe next year Daddy will come so Mommy can take pictures.  Maybe next year...

Touch A Truck

"Car" was one of Cal's first words.  Every vehicle was a car for a while, but then he started to distinguish.  Soon, he added "boat" and "bus".  Then came "truck."  Now he is starting to be even more specific.  There are "race cars" and "tow trucks" and "big trucks."  The kid loves him some vehicles, from tractors to bulldozers, dump trucks to semis.  I was so excited when I saw that our town was having a touch a truck event called Big Wheels.  Basically, a ton of local businesses and services brought in different vehicles and kids were allowed to climb in, honk the horns and pretend to drive.  Perfect for Callahan, who hasn't met a steering wheel he hasn't wanted to take for a spin.

The weather could not have been better, sunny and crisp.  There were so many vehicles: a school bus, mail truck, ambulance, police car, fire truck, tow truck, moving van, helicopter, army truck, dump truck, plus several different types of construction equipment and tractors.  Cal was in heaven.



Checking out the wheels on the school bus.

Driving the tow truck.

Loving the steering wheel in the moving van.

So many buttons to push!

Daddy giving Cal driving tips.

He's a pro already.

Hanging out in the army truck.

Fire Truck!

Checking out DTE's plug-in electric hybrid truck.

Big Truck!

Of course, a trip to Hess-Hathaway isn't complete without some fun at the play ground and a visit to the animals!


Playing in the sand.

Checking out the pig...



Peeking at the peacocks.

One Last Hurrah

Labor Day weekend is always a little sad.  I love my job, but I miss the freedom of lazy summer days.  We kissed summer good-bye with another trip to Indian Springs.  We had Ingrid, the daughter of Cal's godfather Chris, staying with us overnight, so we figured the best plan of attack was to tire both kids out.

It worked.  After a quick dinner and a bubble bath, both kids went to sleep without a single complaint.  Beautiful.