Happy Devil's Night...

May the bumps in the night grow louder and the wind outside becomes eerily quiet.  Someone is watching.

Now THIS is scary!

I can guarantee this is going to soil a lot of underwear this season!  BEWARE!!!!!  

Ryan, I took the liberty of including you in our Halloween, sir.  I hope you don't mind.  (FACT, I only used 2 kitchen knifes for this master piece.  I did it old school.)

Another Quality HGTV Moment

I should have known... that is all I'm going to say.  I should have known.

Since April 10th, we have virtually done zero to our new house.  Sure, we put in a few lights, tossed some mulch around, even cut down a few trees, however, nothing substantial has been altered.  As my wife keeps reminding me "we have done nothing to make this house our own."   

Let the fun begin...

Ethan's birthday is almost 1 month away.  Apparently in the female handbook of child rearing, all things must be perfect in order to celebrate this once in a lifetime occasion.  This is especially true in the chapter, "Your Worthless Husband and Upgrading Your Child's Bedroom."  Rule number 1 states: A toddlers bedroom must be in tip top shape and have a theme completed BEFORE their first birthday.

It was quite obvious I was negligent of this book.  The first sign I noticed was when my wife raged for 2 weeks on how we needed to get ready for Ethan's birthday.  Then the frequent trips to Lowes ensued.  Finally, the unsolicited questions regarding colors and knick-knacks I liked for a boy's room.  Then I made two fatal mistakes:

1. I didn't share the same sense of urgency.  

2. I tried to be financially reasonable about it.  

Needless to say, the second was the most costly (in more ways than one).  Big mistake... Big.

Well, this weekend was the start of getting his room ready for November 30th.  We'll keep you posted on the progress, and the status of our marriage.

Pearly Whites

Ethan now has 8 teeth... 4 on top and 4 on the bottom.  Since he is just about switched 100% to adult food, it was time to start brushing the enamels.  I was actually concerned at first.  I thought he would fight, cry, bitch and moan.  On the contrary, actually... he kind of enjoyed it.  Probably felt good on his gums.

P.S.  Please ignore his shirt.  It's TERRIBLE.  My son in a rainbow shirt... how sad.

Soap Box Walker

Ethan has been pushing around his Radio Flyer walker for over a month now.  I decided it was time to replace his stuffed animals with one little monkey and shove him up and down the hallway.  He LOVED it!

One Small Step For Ethan

... one big problem for Mom and Dad.  That's right, he is starting to attempt to walk.  A couple of step here and there, but he is not afraid at all.  Matter of fact, he still has issues standing up on his own, but for some reason, trying to walk feels more comfortable to him.  Go figure...

Fire Starter... Wicked Fire Starter

It was another beautiful weekend for a fire.  Mid to upper 50's and a high pressure system, you simply can't beat it.  Usually we start the festivities after Ethan hits the sack, but this time we decided to light the fire beforehand.  This was about as close as he got, but I haven't seen the dude more concerned in my life.  It cracked me up.

Primal Instinct

Apparently cats aren't the only ones who bring back their catch to show their masters...

Stage 3 No More

Ethan seems to think anything he can't pick up on his own is food not worth eating.  He officially is no longer on stage 3 Gerber food.  Now he eats whatever Mom and Dad choke down their necks... and in this case, it was ravioli and veggies!

P.S.  His favorite food... Grilled Cheese!  It seems to run in the family, Elizabeth!

Ridin' Dirty

Christina found this sweet ride at Target some time ago.  It was suppose to be for his 1st birthday (shameless plug), but lately Ethan has been getting bored with his toys.  In the name of all things sane, I broke it out of storage and put it together.

He seems to enjoy bikes... like his Grandpa!

Afghan Apparition!

Ethan was getting grumpy as usually before dinner time.  I got irritated and tossed our afghan on his head.  He LOVED it, flapping his arms arond and making squeeling noises.  I looked underneath the afghan, and this is what I found.

The little dude was real pleased.

Sip on this...

Christina has been helping Ethan learn to use his sippy cup.  Up to this point, he has refused.  I can't tell you how many gallons of formula he has launched from his high chair, crying and fussing until he gets a bottle.

This Saturday we stopped to eat at a Mexican buffet (yes, I hurt myself badly).  Christina filled his sippy cup full of water, not expecting much.  All of a sudden he reached out and grabbed it like he had been doing it for years.  Amazing how quickly they learn, considering I still haven't learned put down the toilet seat.

What's up, Tom-Ass!?

Sorry... couldn't resist.  I found it chillin on Tom's farm.  Not sure why they crack me up.

Down On The Farm

Tom's Farm, that is...  Ethan, Christina and I strolled out to Tom's Farm this Saturday to grab a few bulbous, orange gourds to slice and dice.  As as as it was, it was the closest thing to a pumpkin patch Tennessee has to offer.  Ethan did manage to pick one out.  My mission is to carve it... somehow.  I better get out my Dremel.

Click here to view a few more pumpkin pictures.

Autumn is Back

My favorite time of year, by far.... Autumn.  Finally we get a break from the 105 degree, 97% humid days of summer.  Lately it has been in the upper 50's, low 60's at night; perfect for a fire.  So, when Ethan went to bed early after playing at the zoo all day, I fired up the outdoor fire pit.  Christina and I spent a few "quiet" hours outside listening to the wood crack and hiss.  We were able to chat without having the TV blaring or a phone ringing.  It was nice.  

Saturday at the Zoo

Since we are entering the 2 week period in which Memphis calls "Autumn", Christina and I decided it was a good time to take Ethan to the Memphis Zoo.  Although Ethan was more interested in the 2 legged creatures more than anything else, it was a good time.

Click here to see more pictures of our adventure at the Memphis Zoo.

Q-in

As most of you know, I love cooking BBQ, especially pork shoulder.  Any chance I get, I fire up the side fire box and get my smoke on.  Last weekend a good friend of mine, Cody Fisher, asked me to grill up 150 lbs of shoulders for his horse show.  I jumped at the chance.

10 hours later and 200 people served, nothing remained but a few sad pieces of gristle and a spoonful of beans.  I'd say it was a job well done.

While cleaning up, I received one of the coolest compliments in a while.  A group of people walked up to me after the feeding frenzy subsided and said the previous night they went to Smokey Bones, one of the best BBQ joints around Memphis.  They said the Q I served was 10 times better, and they would recommend me to anyone.  Pleased... real pleased.

The only uncomfortable situation I ran into was when someone asked me what I was cooking, and I mentioned it was the horse who finished in last place overall, and I hope the meat wasn't too tough.  He was not impressed.

 

Tupper Be-Ware

Lovely... and it begins.  Ethan has learned that drawers open and cabinets hold treasures of unimaginable entertainment.  Looks like Pops is going to have to buy some safety clips.