Sail Away, Sail Away, Sail Away...

We're going to sail around the world!

Not really...but we wouldn't mind that, someday. I think we'd have to learn to be better sailors first! That and build a bigger crew.... ;)

Connor tried out some overalls today that were his Daddy's when he was little!

They were perfect with his sailboat socks from Aunt Laura.

Dear blogger,

Why do you insist on rotating my photos when they are perfectly rotated already?

Love,

Lindsay

This morning I wanted to take a picture before Jonathan left for work, and ended up snapping this ridiculous one while we tried to get C to stop crying!

Later Gators!

Go Cuse!

Connor says they'll win again when he's awake enough to cheer...

but he and Mommy are happy that TCU won again!

Also that Connor is "Daddy's #1 draft pick!" (Thanks, Peggy!)

The cute sweater that was Daddy's lasted for a quick chilly stroller ride.

Apparently he gets hot pretty quickly like his Daddy too!

Grar! Connor met a lion today! :)

Flashback Friday: Fall Football

I graduated from a NY state college where the Canadian border was 30 minutes away and the most popular sport was hockey. Now, I like hockey. I like snow and cold weather and skiing and skating and all those fun things that come with living in a place that has a (very) long, (very) cold season. I can't imagine and have yet to see something in nature that takes my breath away more than the changing seasons and especially autumn in central/northern New York.

When I began to look at grad schools, though, I looked anywhere and everywhere, ready to expand my horizons a bit. I landed at Texas Christian University, home of the HORNED FROGS, and the glorious color PURPLE everywhere! Of course, I am still faithful to my hometown blue and orange, and I always will be, but in grad school, I discovered my love of college football. Before then, football was a fall-time background noise for me. Syracuse had not done well in football in the later half of my life, then at the first college I went to I was forced to play in the pep band for a not-so-hot football team, and when I transferred to Potsdam there was just no football team at all (like I said, hockey was it!).




At TCU I got to experience football as it is in the SOUTH, no matter how big or small a school you are, it is huge. I mean, nothing better than every home game with a big stadium full of purple and white and tons of spirit! I think I missed one home game the entire time I was there, and even that day I was able to see the game on TV.

Not only does TCU have a great team, they also have

an awesome band and award-winning drum line!

It would be strange now to have a Saturday go by without seeing some college football. I blogged before about how we don't get to see OUR teams too much (just the scores) - but now there are a number of teams I like to keep my eye on, and teams we just have to know about - like during the two years we lived in Hokie land!

Jonathan's visit to TCU when we were dating.

By the way, if you didn't know, TCU is having another undefeated season and has been ranked around #4 or #5 in the BCS since the beginning of the season. Granted - their conference doesn't allow for a lot of tough competition - but what are they supposed to do? I hear there's talk of moving them into the Big East (I know, how does that make sense?) - but if that were true we'd get to see them all the time and playing in great games! I can only hope...

Sweet friends and football fans Emily and Sara

Cousins and rivals - I'd like to see them

play again this year Brando!

Jonathan and I even got to see the Horned Frogs cream the UVA Cavaliers up in Virginia last fall. Our friend Dan was wearing the wrong color that day, but we'll forgive him since his friend gave us the tickets!!!

Mean graphics that UVA makes...

Too bad then the real cavalier got bucked off his horse -

sword flying and everything!

Look at all those fans in purple, so far away from home!

Singing our alma mater with the team at the end of the game.

So let's just say - Connor already has a pretty good football wardrobe - mostly consisting of blue and orange - but I'll be getting some manly purple in there soon! He's going to try out some of his first Syracuse gear tomorrow, pictures to come!

Oh and may I add, I believe Syracuse football is making a comeback - did you see the scores of those last two games? Did you SEE them beat West VA?! :)

Wall Mockers

Is there such a thing as dyslexia when you speak? Jonathan's grandfather loves to switch his words - but he does it on purpose..."I like your dolka pots (polka dots)!" I usually catch what he is saying now but at first it takes you totally by surprise. Jonathan does it sometimes too but usually he is reading a billboard or something that I am not looking at and I am just totally confused. Anyway...not the point. When I was in 10th grade I began taking voice lessons. I loved my teacher and she gave me a great start in singing - but it was very hard for both of us to not waste lesson time with chatting (because talking is so hard for me...). One day I arrived and I was really excited about something (typical) and got into this whirlwind story (really? Lindsay?) and who knows what it was about but I got going a little too fast and she said, "What are wall mockers?"

Whoops! The MALL WALKERS! To this day I don't know why I was even telling a story that had anything to do with mall walkers, but I remember almost not being able to sing after we laughed at my "mall walkers" that became "wall mockers".

Now you've heard yet another random story just because today Connor and I took a trip to a tiny mall by us to make a quick exchange, and since it was very rainy outside, I decided to take a few loops of the mall with the stroller. I didn't think it would be a big mall for walkers but boy was it ever! I almost got overtaken by a little old man and couldn't figure out how he was going so stinking fast until I finally saw him taking a little short cut! It reminded me of my Grandpa who walked every day no matter what - inside the mall only if it was very bad weather (I'm talking more than a little snow here!). I miss him a lot!

It was quite a day for Connor. Besides the mall, we had to take Jonathan to an appointment because he was going to have some anesthesia and we were his ride! Little boy decided that the tiny waiting room was no place to take a nap, and the sign on the window said, "Patient's ride MUST remain in the building or procedure will be CANCELED." Yikes. So for two hours we...

Played with the carseat toy...



Read a book...



Had a coke...



and walked and bounced and jiggled and danced until finally we got to pull the car around for a groggy Daddy.

Yesterday it was actually a little "cool" here so I got to put Connor in some warmer clothes.

LOOK OUT! It's a...



BEAR! Cutest one you've ever seen, I bet!

I tried to put Connor in his crib for a nap. Doesn't he look sweet and sleepy?



Here's 30 seconds later.




Yeah. It didn't happen. 20 minutes later? Here he is in his vibrating seat.



He has been sleeping really well in his crib for 3-4 hours at a time at night. Now to work on naps... :)

Connor for President!

Let's see...he'll be old enough in 2045???

Connor and I took a good little walk today to our community center to vote! He told me which bubbles to fill in and off we went! Kidding, kidding. I was totally bummed though that our voting place essentially had scantrons and not a booth for me to hop into with Connor. We hope you studied up on your candidates and went to vote too!



Here's what Connor really did while I voted. Isn't he awesome??



Yesterday I had a sweet phone call during lunch time with some friends from the school where I taught music in VA. I had been feeling a little nostalgic after a halloween weekend without a halloween sing-a-long! It was so good to talk to them and get a bit of an update. People keep asking me if I miss teaching. The answer is yes, I do miss teaching! A few days before I had Connor, I went into a friend's classroom to help out with a project, mostly because I missed being with kids at school! I also miss it when I am reminded of it in any way - by teacher friends, by kids who have an upcoming concert, etc.

The answer is also no. While I miss it, would I want to leave Connor with someone else so I could go back to teaching? No. We are so blessed right now that I can stay home with him, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Being a mom might have just as many challenges as being a teacher, but in the end, I wouldn't miss this time with Connor for anything else!!!

So, there might be a time when I am a "real" teacher again. I keep reminding myself that I am still a teacher, whether I am in a classroom full of kids or I am with my one sweet son.

Here's one of the best things about not teaching...if I want to stay in my pj's just a little bit longer, I can! Connor doesn't mind. :)



Starting to catch those amazing smiles!!!


I apologize for the red eye...I fixed it in my iphoto...apparently that doesn't transfer to blogger...sigh.

Happy Halloweenie!

Hey Y'ALL, Happy Halloween! I am 6 weeks old TODAY, and it's my first Halloween!



This morning was also my first time going to a whole service at church. I heard my Daddy singing an awesome song, "I Will Rise", with all of the choir, and Mom gave me a bottle when I started to fuss. It was only the third time I've had a bottle, and Mom realized that I make a pretty big mess - time to pull out my cool "C" bib!



Mommy found me a costume that is something Daddy loves...a HOT DOG! Don't you dare call me a weenie though, 'cause I am one tough dude!



I tried it out before it was time to show it off...Mom had to put some blankets in the bottom because she thought I would fall right in. I'm pretty long, but not quite that long!

I am starting to show off my handsome smile a lot lately - although usually I wait til both of Mom's hands are busy and she can't quite get the camera on time. I know she'll catch one eventually. Mom and I were both sporting our Halloween socks today. Mine are from Summer Ray (thanks Summer!).

Our church has a special event for Halloween called "Trunk or Treat". Many cars get all dressed up and their owners hand out candy! Hundreds of kids come through the cars. The Jones' had a car this year - here is Levi with their trunk. He did a good job handing out candy!

I met lots of people from the choir who had been waiting to see me, and I did what I usually do in very loud crowded places...slept in Daddy's arms. This is Mommy and Daddy's friend's granddaughter - cute, huh? Mom doesn't know her name....C'MON MOM, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CALL HER NOW?!

They have games and inflatable bouncers and at the end of the line, HOT DOGS!

Daddy was ketchup...

Mommy was mustard...

And here they are with their little hot dog!

Hey...wait a minute...I know I'm sweet enough to eat but don't do it!

When we got home, there were still many trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood so Mom and I handed out candy for a while. In fact, there were so many trick-or-treaters left that we almost ran out of candy and had to start handing out single Starbursts - obviously not the best house on the block to go to!

I'll catch you all at 2 months!

Love,

Connor

Flashback Friday: Halloween!

Let's flashback to one of my favorite costumes ever....

The climbing wall.



In May of my first year at TCU, Laura came to visit me and we decided to try out the rec center's sweet climbing wall. That day, I did not even make it to the top on an easy route, but I was hooked (should I say tied? With a figure 8 knot?). I quickly paid my dues for a climbing wall pass and spent many hours through the next year climbing those ever-changing holds and routes.

Tying in!

A couple of times throughout the year, the rec would hold climbing wall competitions. The first that I competed in was the Halloween Costume Climbing competition. Points were awarded for completion of routes with varying levels of difficulty, as well as for the best costume, of course. So what better to dress as than a climbing wall myself? I blended right in!




Not to forget the nerd though...oh my friend Marla, rec center worker extraordinaire!



Well, you're going to have double flashback today, along with some current events! Since we've been married, Jonathan and I have gotten to have an awesome night of carving pumpkins with his sister Sarahann and her soon-to-be husband, Jay. For two years in a row we carved the most interesting designs we could think up, roasted and ate pumpkin seeds together, and took plenty of pictures. A great time! That was in VA. Sadly, now SAS and Jay are a 14 hour drive away from us and this year they carved pumpkins with the rest of the Schallmo family in NY.

Ahh memories. 2008!





And 2009!






So this year we asked the Jones' if they had any interest in carving some pumpkins with us. Turns out, they didn't get to carve one last year so it would be Levi's 1st pumpkin and Connor's 1st pumpkin!



Here are the guys scooping out pumpkin guts. Though I love to do it, my hands were busy with baby holding this year! They are using our brand new picnic table that Jonathan built a few weeks ago all on his own (go honey go honey go)! Levi enjoyed it too.




We had a great fall dinner: chili, rolls, and pumpkin pie (made by Daniela!). I will disclose chili and pumpkin pie recipes, but only if Daniela gives me the go ahead on pie and if my Dad wants to give out his "award-winning" chili recipe, which Jonathan decided to try out! We had pumpkin seeds later on too. :)



Daddy decided to carve out Mickey Mouse for Connor's 1st pumpkin - so he got Mickey Mouse ears!



The boys were getting to know each other, it will be fun to see them grow. Levi found his reflection in the dishwasher and was cracking us up!





Carving away...



Finished and lit!



Family and friends photos!







Isn't pumpkin carving a great tradition???