I’ve had my first Pumpkin Spice/White Chocolate latte,
and real pumpkins just started to be found around these parts.
The cardigans and boots and scarves and leggings are still hoping for a day cool enough
although all you northern folk sure make the layers sound alluring.

There is something so invigorating about the air this time of year.
Only 70* instead of in the hundreds?
Yes, please!
 I declare as I stepped outside this morning,
that 70* (or somewhere there about) felt actually very crisp and cool!

Hello, Autumn.
I am so very happy you are near.

Weather such as this almost makes me feel giddy.
Just as a rainy day can put me in a mellow mood.
This time of year may very well be my favorite.
After the blistering heat of the summer,
being able to step out my door without breaking into a sweat.
Excitement about exercising without feeling like 200 degrees at the end of it.

It’s almost as perfect as it can be in this area.
We can’t boast of much natural beauty here, not many leaves that change colors other than brown.
No mountain peaks, although my girls consider the only overpass in town “a mountain.”
But this is perfect weather for visiting the ocean…
Be jealous, be very jealous.

For me, it’s often really the small things that bring so much happiness.
Not the huge events as much as precious, sweet everyday things.

So here’s my happy list right now…

… a few precious hours of quiet while Husband took the two girls with him.
I am grateful indeed. I can’t even express how grateful.

… tea parties mid-afternoon with two giggling girls.
They loved the little tea party.
They weren’t nearly so thrilled about the etiquette lessons I desired to teach them.
“But, I don’t wike being a wady.” – Olivia

… paint brushes are being pulled out often.
…re-doing little chairs.

 

… re-doing little footstools

 

 

… re-covering old chairs and pillows with happy fabric

… fiiiiinally stripping, sanding, sanding, sanding, scraping, sanding, and painting the old doors in the house.
yes, we’ve had them installed. yes, they’ve looked terrible for 2.5 years.
 there is a reason we’ve procrastinated.
but what a good feeling to be getting them completed one by one.

 

… a laundry door painted a light aqua
[yes, the picture is intentionally on the side.
i really didn't want to show the cat food, the overflowing shoe rack,
or the piles on top of the freezer.
i.e. in our limited-space cottage, it's my messy room of the house!]

… coffee and biscotti for little girls on the front porch

 

… Zoe’ practicing cursive letters on the chalkboard

 

… a very rapid trip to Pennsylvania, the three kitties and I, with a friend ♥

… a fall-ish bouquet from my husband upon my return home from said trip

… mini-quiches, inspired by my friend Ruth, to freeze and pull out for quick breakfasts

 

… pumpkin roll! probably my most favorite autumn dessert.
wait, there’s also apple dumpling…

… first soup

 

… a fun little soap dispenser. who knew that a normal top fits in a coke bottle?
it was a happy moment of discovery.
and mrs. meyers. she makes me anticipate cleaning day.

… happy stripey straws amid glass vases

… Converse.
Why are little shoes so cute?!

 

… Daddy and his Little Man. ♥
Who ever knew you could be in love with two men?

… and who knew that being a mommy to these three would be the hardest and best thing I’ve ever done?
I am so so blessed.

Happy Monday!

 

~ clarita

 

 

Or HUTson. Or Sonshine. Or Shunshine. Or Little Man.

Goodness, I have so many names I just can’t keep track of them all.
Mommy says the Barkmans always use sweet names for their kids,
and cuz she’s a Barkman I guess she does it without thinking.
But now even Daddy does it, all the time.
And my sisters, Lovies and Sweetie, talk to me so funny I can’t always understand them.
Sometimes they even call me “Son.”
I think they don’t know that’s a name just special for Mommy and Daddy.

Mommy laughs at me all the time.
She thinks I look like I’m surprised at the world all the time.
Guess I kinda am.
There’s just so much to see,
and my little head bobs around trying to look everywhere.

One thing I do know though, I really like my family.
I can be in my crib, all alone, and I’ll call out for someone to come find me.
If no one comes soon enough, I’ll start crying, because I just LIKE to be with them!
And it sure brings people running!
Usually Lovies and Sweetie race to see who can get to me first,
and Mommy has to tell them to be kind to each other.
Guess they sure do like me.

One day I think they forgot I’m a little boy,
and they pulled Mommy’s scarves out and dressed me all up.
Boy, was I embarrassed.
And then Mommy even laughed and took pictures of me!
She said I’ll think it’s funny some day.
Some day.

My sisters can make me laugh so hard.
They try to see which one can make me laugh the most,
and I laugh and laugh until nothing is even funny anymore,
and I can’t even crack a single smile.
So then they try to tickle me a little bit, and boy, am I ticklish.
I just start laughing all over again.
And everyone in the whole family laughs when I laugh.
I thought they knew what babies sound like,
but I guess they like me.

Sometimes, though, they like me so much it hurts!
Lovies will come and hug me so tight around my neck,
and Sweetie will squeeze me so hard on my arm,
and Mommy quickly comes running and tells them to stop!
Sure am glad when she does that, cuz sometimes I get worried.
She tells them almost every day to be more gentle,
and I hope one day soon they’ll learn how.
But I guess that means they like me.

I’m getting pretty good as laying on my tummy.
But my head gets tired after a while,
cuz everything is sooooo high and everyone looks like huge giants!
Guess they are, compared to a little guy like me.
So then I just roll over, which really scared me at first.
That rolling over thing, boy, I didn’t know what happened at first.
I cried so hard that everyone came running.
And then instead of feeling sorry for me, they were laughing!
That’s when I learned that rolling over is a good thing, I guess.
Cuz now I can roll when I’m tired and spin around in circles on my back.

I heard Daddy tell Mommy he doesn’t think I’ll crawl for a long time.
He thinks I’m kinda like him, a little more laid back.
He doesn’t think I’m very motivated.
And I guess he’s right.
It’s just so fun to watch everything going on around me.
Plus, I kinda weight a lot and it’s hard to get around.
But I’m still just a little kid, so he doesn’t know what all I’m gonna do.

I finally got Mommy to let me try some food soon before I turned 4 months.
I would sit beside everyone at the table,
and boy, did it ever smell good!
I’d try so hard to get out of my seat and sit with them so I could eat too!
But they’d just laugh at me and think I wanted to talk.
I sure didn’t want to talk – I wanted food!
Guess they know now that I really did want to eat.
I like to eat real food twice a day, and milk just isn’t enough for me anymore.
And I don’t like baby food either.
I like real food best.
Once they tried to give me just plain rice, and ugh, it tasted awful.
And it really hurt my feelings that they thought I should have something like that.
I mean, I really like guacamole and salmon and yogurt that Mommy makes.
They haven’t even tried to give me more nasty baby food stuff.
Boy am I glad.
Daddy and Mommy laugh at me so much.
But I think that means they like me.

Mommy likes to wear all kinds of hats on me,
and Daddy really teases her.
Guess I really don’t have much hair,
but that’s not my fault.
She started dressing me all up to go places too,
with little shoes that hardly fit on my fat feet.
But she tugs and pulls and fiiiinally they go on.
Then she laughs and thinks I look so big.

I’ve already gone on three big trips,
two times to Pennsylvania and once to Ohio.
The first two times I was so little that I didn’t mind.
But this last time was a really fast trip,
and I squirmed and fussed and made it a long trip for Mommy.
But 13 hours is so long to be in a car seat, Mommy!
After we got there it was soooo fun.
I got to see my family that I hardly ever see,
I think they really like me too.
They sure do make me feel special anyway.
Aunt Jana especially really likes babies,
but it seemed like everyone was fighting to hold me!
After we got home to Georgia I cried because someone couldn’t hold me all the time.

I just love my daddy sooo much.
When he comes into a room, I just watch and watch him
and wave my little arms around until he sees me and picks me up.
He always goes to Mommy first and hugs her real tight, then gets me.
I’m so happy when I’m with him.
Mommy sings to me a lot and tells me verses about a Kind Shepherd,
and then she tells me that Jesus wants me to be a Man of God someday.
I hear her praying for me when she tucks me in my crib.
I don’t really know what all she prays about,
or what a Man of God is yet.
But I know that my Daddy loves Jesus a lot,
and I want to be just like him someday.

Well, that sure was a lot of talking for a little guy like me.
I’m getting tired.

Goodnight!