Get your Video Fix

I haven't posted any vids of Carson for a while, partly for the reason you have seen on the videos: he cannot help himself from grabbing the camera and touching the lense and vid screens, which drives me crazy. But this morning he woke up in such a good mood, that I had to grab the camera. This first one is for all you Carson Dance fans out there, or all you 'N Sync fans--either way. And just FYI--this energy lasts pretty much all day. And check out that physique!

I was only able to take this next one because I turned the little screen around so Carson could see himself. That usually keeps him from grabbing it for a few seconds. The only bummer is, the viewfinder doesn't work when the screen is out, so I can't see what I'm shooting! Also, it documents our attempts at helping C-dog learn to count from 1-10. We obviously have a ways to go, but he actually is doing pretty well, considering the number three is ruthlessly left out each time.

Some Colors of Fall

These are some pics I took at the pumpkin patch. It is so fun to see all the bright colors at the market.

Brazen History

I recently got a bee in my bonnet about scrapbooking some old family pictures. I don't have the time or energy for a full-blown family scrapbook of my ancestors leading up to me, and I don't even really have a PLAN about which era I'm going to record, but I knew I needed to digitize some of my favorites so I'll have them when the urge strikes me. I went to my parents' house and grabbed a handful from their childhoods, their college days and then through mine and Peaby's childhood. It was a hoot. In case you have not figured through my blog, little bro blog and other references, photos, especially family photos, are kind of sacred in our family. We thrive on nostalgia. I won't give you all 50 pics, but I thought they might give me some great material on those days when I don't have a lot of noteworthy things to post.

So, here are some significant photo milestones in my early life:

Second b-day.Obviously: 1980!

If this was after elections in November, little Mikey was about 5 months old, and as you can see, I started trying to covertly strangle him at an early age.
First backpacking trip! I had just turned 5 and Mike was 2 1/2. Veta Lake!
Underoos baby! This is me and my cousin Frankie. I'm thinking from the open suitcase that they were visiting and this was a fresh-from-the-suitcase gift.
Peaches and Cream Barbie. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was my first Barbie.

T.G.I.S.

Don't you love Saturdays? I love them. And this is the first one in quite some time that we have been home and Trent hasn't had to work. I don't really notice anyone else who notifies the rest of the blog world about their mundane daily updates, but I feel the need to post every few days and when nothing thrilling has happened, well...you get "Saturday with the Tompkins."

We finally got around to painting the front door today--of course we chose a rainy and cold day. Perfect! Bye-bye, fuscia. I didn't remember to take any pictures of the door after the paint. I'll save that for another slow news day. Carson has become the ultimate poser. When we were with some Bible study families at the pumpkin patch the other day, another mom was trying to get her son to smile for the camera. The other kid (older than C) wouldn't slow down or look at her, but Carson walked right up to her and slapped on his cheesiest grin. She took a picture of my son, the ham, out of obligation, I suppose. (The jacket and boots have become our go-to outdoor fall combo.)
Yeah! Pumpkin carving!
In addition to posing himself, Carson also now will PULL you into the shot and say " 'Mile, Daddy!" " 'Mile, Mommy!"
I am wearing Trent's shirt because of the pumpkin goo and a hat because it was cold in the house because the front door was open while the paint was drying. Carson wouldn't wear his hat. Even though I just bought it for him. At full price. Which I never do. Sigh.

Go glo-sticks!

What started out as a trinket from the $1 bin at Michael's to occupy Carson while I found what I needed turned into quite a bit of fun for us at home. These glow sticks were cheap, but they worked, especially when we went into the window-less laundry room, where we spend two separate sessions of 10-20 minutes each! In pictures 3-5 you can kind of make out a hand or face...mine or C-dogs. The last picture was when he decided we were all done, but the camera didn't get the memo.

Am I first?

A few of us in our blog family participated in an annual family tradition of the pumpkin patch last Saturday. I didn't get a ton of pictures, but I got a few keepers. Hopefully more will come from Steph and Peaby. Enjoy!

A Walk and a Hat

We finally got a chance to go for a walk today. Walks are different now. It used to be a time of exercise for me, with Carson in a stroller. He is no longer content in a stroller for longer than, oh, I'd say about 10 yards. Actually, make that 10 feet. So walks are now to explore and for both of us to get some fresh air, even if it's not getting my heart rate up. Today Carson was sporting his new hat from Sarah and Tommy! (Directly from NYC, I might add.) He was proudly wearing the Yankee logo, and looked like a bonafide little boy. Thanks, guys!

We passed an old rain gutter (is that what you would call it?) and I showed Carson what would happen if I dropped a leaf inside, down into the water below. Well, that opened the pandora's box of a 2 year old's mind, so we stayed on this corner gutter for about 15 mintues. Carson put everything he could find into those little slits in the drain. I didn't mind, though. I went a little camera crazy. As Mike would remind me, overcast skies are great for photos.

Top Five Things I Have Learned about Substitute Teaching in the Last Three Weeks

5. Don't forget to put your deoderant on. Nothing can make you feel more like the crazy, self-conscious middle school students you are teaching than pinning your elbows to your waist all afternoon for fear of someone smelling you.

4. Always check your shoes on different surfaces before you leave the house. Loud, squeaky shoes on public school linoleum just calls more attention to yourself in aforementioned middle school than necessary.

3. Brush up on your peripheral vision. It really boosts your cool/don't-mess-with-her factor when you can call out "Do NOT throw that, Ryan," to the kid in the back row while never taking your eyes off the paper on your desk.

2. Go ahead and tell the kids how old you are. Most of their teachers never do, so answering honestly catches them a little off-guard, and plus, they think 30 is nice and old. (Which is actually a good thing when you are wanting to give the aura of experience and authority.)

1. If you are having trouble figuring out a new and different projection/overhead system, be sure you have the machine facing in the proper direction before you call someone in from another classroom to help you fix it.

I'm sure more lessons will be forthcoming. Stay tuned.

Tear-jerker quote of the day:

Small boys become big men through the influence of big men who care about small boys.

-Anonymous

Such a steal!

This random post is for my Oregon blog readers...at least I think this only applies to you. If you have never purchased spices in the bulk food section at Winco...you are really missing out! I decided I was craving the taste and smell of pumpkin bread, and that instead of paying $1.85 for one slice at my beloved Starbucks, I should figure out how to make it myself. It calls for several spices that I was low on or didn't have, so I went to Safeway, where I was looking at paying $3.98 and $4.69 for 2-4 ounces of these spices. So I waited and went to Winco, where I paid $ .10 for 8 cinnamon sticks, $ .18 for about 2 ounces of cinnamon, $ .17 for ground ginger, $ .38 for ground cloves and $ .48 for several ounces of nutmeg. HELLO?!?!? What a deal! I had to share this exciting news. They also sell little empty plastic spice jars I filled and labeled at home. (Would you call them jars? Bottles? Containers?) Anyway. Had to share. Perhaps I will let you know how the bread turns out.

Great Grands

I have been meaning to spend more time with my grandparents now that I live closer to them. Of course those intentions don't always become reality, but we had a fun chance to spend some time with them this afternoon. I brought my camera to capture some shots of Carson with his great-grandparents. Carson enjoys the toys they have at their house, especially a little train. He calls my Grandpa "BOB" with his deepest voice, imitating him.

Carson used to be really shy around them, but he is warming up. Today he gave both Great Gma and Great Gpa hugs!

Carson with Gma Jo-Jo and the Great Grands. (Her parents.) I want to add that it is laundry day, and that is why he is wearing high-water pants.

GNO

When I was in college, we shortened Girl's Night Out to GNO. I don't get to use that acronym that often anymore, but we were blessed to have an awesome Girl's Day/Night this last weekend. Hopefully Jenna didn't get too tired of hearing "music" talk and Steph didn't get to tired of hearing "teacher" talk and Becky didn't get too tired of us chatting about our toddler boys. (Then again...she knows she'll be there SOON!) It was such a fun time a nice chance to get out and then relax with some nachos, movies and lots of magazines! Thanks a ton to our hubbies who watched the little guys to give us a break. Maybe next time we'll massage your feet while you watch football. ;)

Here we all are in downtown Portland.

And this is a shot of those funny girls from the second level after they let me bound onto the "down" escalator and they stayed on the third level. Thanks a LOT!

Budding sense of humor.

Not quite blossomed, but budding. The other night in the car, Trent and I thought Carson was trying to tell a knock, knock joke. We would hear him quietly saying to himself: Knock, knock. Uh-oh. Hehehehe. We have no idea if that was, in fact, what he was doing and if so, where he heard it. But, of course, we could not let this small sign of attempted humor go without constant proding and modeling. (It is suprising how few knock knock jokes I actually know off the top of my head...any suggestions?) However, as we tried harder, his "jokes" did not improve much. In fact, the double knock at the beginning of each joke from which the genre gets its name has somehow morphed into one, loud KNOCK! Also, the only name he can remember to say after "who's there" is Jo or Jo-jo. (Holla!) And always after that the joke kind of dissolves into fake gaffaws. You'll also noticed I have reverted to the high chair video, which may become our only means of procuring a clip of this kid, because he canNOT keep his hands off the camera or lense, and I think we've established that I am not the laid back type of mom who will let my child play with my semi-expensive digi cam. So, for now, I give you: Carson's joke. Ready....set.....