Sterling Takes His First Cake

Sterling had his first birthday on Sunday, October 19th. At birth he weighed 8 1/2 pounds (I could hold, but not lift him, at first). Now I estimate he weighs 24 pounds. Since we were spending Sunday with his paternal grandparents, we celebrated a day early. First Cory turned his car seat forward, then we went to a pumpkin farm, where we took a hay ride and chose a pumpkin about as heavy as him. There were domestic animals in cages. He seemed vaguely interested in board book words (pig, sheep, chicken, etc.) announced in front of wiggly animals. At home, again, Cory fixed our old electronic toddler toys for Sterling. The highly assertive older siblings left him a small empty box, and would have taken over the new noisy toys entirely, if it hadn't been for adult intervention.

For his official birthday, his Aunt T. had made him his own chocolate duck cake. As you can see, he appreciated the honor and made the most of it.

Our Haunted Home

We recently visited the paternal grandparents, whose house was elaborately decked-out for Halloween. Kaith and Trevor were very excited to see all of the "haunted decorations," as they called them. Then, for family night treat, Kaith chose to make haunted cupcakes with ghosts on them. Friday, I finally got out our little box of Halloween things, where I had stored the garland we bought last year. Today, in Language Arts, Kaith and I reread a poem called "Theme in Yellow," by Carl Sandberg. Then Kaith got to write his own poem:

Theme in White

I "boo" in the dark on Halloween.

I am called Ghosts.

I talk by magic, saying bats are coming to steal me.

I am called Paper.

I turn into dragons and scare the jets away.

I am called Clouds.