31 Months

Dear Otis,

It is my favorite time of year and we have been having a lot of fun.

We hosted our house warming party at the beginning of October. The last two weeks of September were a great big blur in preparation for the party. I decided it would be a great time for the next push in home renovation. I made a great big list with over 40 things on it. The majority of the items were finished. I did cry uncle on a few items realizing that they had to be moved to the next push likely in the Spring.

The most exciting thing has been the fact that everything in our house now has a place. This means it is much easier to keep the house Tidy. Now that there are more rooms for your toys to be spread out in the less mess you make instantly. You seem to play with them more instead of just taking them out of their containers and leaving them everywhere.

I was just wondering when you will put your own toys away and thought to myself probably when you have your own place.

Our friends Ryan, Jade and Harper came down for the whole weekend of the party. You and Harper got along so well. I was very happy to see this. Usually when two little ones are around each other for this long there ends up being some sort of catastrophe. None to be had though yeah.

The week after the party was Thanksgiving. Nanny and Lawrence came to pick you up on the Thursday so you could visit with them and go apple picking on the Saturday. There were whole pile of you that went. I don't have any pictures though. I will have to get them sent to me.

Daddy's Cousin Tim and his son T.J. went with you guys. T.J is 6 months younger than you. You went on a tractor ride and picked apples. I got a great big bag of them. I made apple sauce and apple butter with your pickings.

Next year we are definitely going to pick strawberries. I love having the room to store canning.

For Thanksgiving we had turkey dinner at Auntie Donna's in Oshawa. mmm you loved the dinner as usual. After dinner we headed to Guelph to hang out with the gang. We just missed uncle Sean and Auntie Andy. We decided to go for a griddle breakfast in the morning and out to Strom's for our first of two pumpkin patch outings.

That next week flew by. On the day of our second pumpkin patch trip we went to Nauman's we have been there before. Maybe we will go there for our strawberries. So the patch led to a pony ride at the market and chili dinner. You seem to love chili even when it is a bit spicy. The weekend was so awesome. Chock a block with fall fun.

• Canning
• pumpkins
• leaves
• second hand shopping
• house decorating
• Chili
• Football

Leaves, Copious amounts have fallen from our trees. Thank goodness for our neighbour Steve who has been looking after the front lawn for us with that magical leaf blower. We only have to deal with the back yard which we haven't been doing a good job of. We did at least manage to rake them all to the back of the yard by the fence. You have loved playing in them. You tell us to "fro them at Otis".


There are a few things I have noticed about you this month. One is how large your vocabulary has grown and how much clearer your speaking has become. You often say things in a question form or as if you had been looking for it for days. "OH there it is" is a common phrase and if I ask you if something is to hot you will say "No actually warm". You use "actually" for every thing. The other day you came upstairs for some chocolate milk because the "chips were to ficy"(spicy)

One of the other things is that you have learned this month is how to lay blame on someone else even if you were the culprit.


The day we were playing in the leaves. I watched you take you pants off and then tell me "Noah did it". Now I can't prove he didn't tell you to do it, but I do know you did it by yourself. Rose has also been telling us that sometimes when she asks you about things you say either Daddy or I "Do it. I wonder if you will continue down this path.

Hampton has been with us for almost two months now. you and he get along well. He lets you torture him and other then some scratches he hasn't hurt you. On the other hand your dad and I are going crazy. He is a terror to us. I have been bit so hard it brought tears to my eyes. Hopefully after he gets fixed all will be well. We also can not training him the spray bottle doesn't work he loves water. I am telling you if you didn't love him so much he likely would be gone.

You have made yourself a little hiding place in the corner cupboard of the kitchen. You and he go in there regularly. By he I mean you throw him in and shut the door. One day I couldn't find Hampton for over an hour. I asked you where he was and you went to the cupboard, opened it and said "Oh there he is!"

Any time I ask you what you are doing you answer with "Playing" and sometimes you will answer "Cooking" On one occasion you had put an egg in almost every hole of a muffin tin. Some of them had even been cracked.

You are becoming a great helper with laundry, the dishwasher, and you always want to help with the cooking. you push up you chair or stool. usually you can be satisfied with playing with the utensils.

Next week is Halloween. I wonder if you will get the concept. This is the first year you will actually Trick or Treat. I can't wait.

Love,

Mom