Trick-or-Treat...

A Halloween TRICK:

Instead of cutting the top ("hat") off your pumpkin before carving it, slice a large square portion out of the back.

You'll still be able to scrape out the seeds, be able to put a candle inside, and have enough oxygen for the flame to stay lit.

A Halloween TREAT:

Preheat your oven to 400°.

Place your pumpkin square (as above, cut from the back before you carve), meat side up, in a 9x13 baking dish.

Slice a butternut squash in half and spoon out the seeds from both sides. Place these, meat sides up, in the dish next to the pumpkin. Spread a pad of butter along the meat of all three pieces.

Peel and dice two pears (any variety), and fill the squash "holes" with your pear bits.

Sprinkle your pumpkin and squash with cinnamon and nutmeg, and if desired, pour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla into each squash "hole."

Fill your baking dish with about 1/2-inch water, and cover with aluminum foil and bake in the heated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and scoop out the pears, pumpkin meat, and squash meat, leaving the skins behind. Hand mash all ingredients together in a large bowl (puree in blender/food processor for newer eaters). Spoon mixture into ice cube trays, cover tightly, and freeze overnight. Pop cubes into a large ziplock bag until ready to serve individually to baby.

(Yes, we are giving out what my sister calls "the sucky candy." For the record, I LOVE Smarties and gumballs!)

Happy Halloween!...

We wish for all you goblins, ghouls, ghosts, and other wonderful characters to have a safe and fun Halloween!

The Thing About Eight Months Is...

...that Casey has finally cut her first tooth!

(I discovered it tonight - wow!)

Eight Months Old...

Amazingly, We're Still Here...

Hells Kitchen aired a finale last night, and guess what? We missed it. And somehow, miraculously, I still haven't checked online to see who won Chef Gordon Ramsey's top spot at a new restaurant.

We dumped cable about three weeks ago, and I've got to admit that it's not too bad. I thought that I'd miss our shows tremendously, that life would be extremely different without DVR capability. And while I do feel a pang of regret when I hear the words "Project" and "Runway" in the same sentence, I think Tee Jay and I are both quickly realizing that there is, indeed, life beyond television.

If the cable box were still present here in our living room, I know that we'd be watching, DVR'ing, and constantly playing catch-up on Modern Family, Glee, High School Reunion, Top Chef, Holmes on Homes, Project Runway, Hells Kitchen, Survivor, Amazing Race, America’s Next Top Model, The Office, House Hunters, Income Property, CBS Sunday Morning, Southland, Medium, Jeopardy, Say Yes to the Dress, Jon and Kate + 8, House, Brothers & Sisters, Community, Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live, This Old House, The Soup, Iron Chef, Wife Swap, The Next Food Network Star, Law & Order, Heroes, Lie to Me, Mad Men, So You Think you Can Dance, Cold Case, American Idol, The Late Show with Conan O'Brien, Landscaper's Challenge, and probably countless other shows.

(If that's not one of the most pathetic paragraphs I've ever written, I don't know what is.)

Do we watch TV? Sure - The Jay Leno Show is on in the background while I type this. But I've got to say, there's a little something freeing about our spare time no longer being dictated by fictional or reality-based story lines which don't include Casey, our cats, our families, our home, or our conversations with one another. I dare you to give it a try.

Catching Up...

Here's some of what we've failed to post on the blog in a timely manner...

Professional Six-Month Photos:





Some more play time with cousin Violet:




Dressing in argyle with Dad:



Talk Like A Pirate Day:






Thank you, Sam Moon, for hosting us!

I'll Show Her Who's Boss...

Casey says something that sounds surprisingly like, "Tee Jay." So I let her know tonight that Tee Jay is NOT what she is to call her father.

"Casey, his name isn't Tee Jay to you. You may call him Daddy or Princess Daddykins or My-Favorite-Man-Daddy."

My vote's for the second option.

School Days...

It's funny to think of my seven-month-old in school, but it sounds nicer than daycare. And at Chesterbrook (Academy, that is), there is a curriculum and "lessons" for even the youngest sweeties.

So, with school comes cheesy (a.k.a. adorable) photographs and first-time artwork.

Prayers...

I was going to post some school-related stuff tonight, but then heard the news that my niece's first school friend had passed away yesterday.

I have been thinking about this poor 5-year-old boy's family ever since, and it is so upsetting to me.

Having Casey is one of my greatest joys, but it's also a tough job to undertake. There are times when I am less patient than I should be, and I know that I have a lot to learn. But I can't (and won't) imagine life without that peanut. If she wakes up every two hours tonight and keeps me tired and dragging and not sure how I'll make it through work tomorrow, I will praise God because it means she's alive and able to communicate, in her own way, with us. I need to remind myself to feel this gratitude (and thank the Lord for it) every day.

Tonight, my prayers go out to little Payton's family, his teachers, and his friends. Please send out your prayers as well...