September

September was another busy month. We played at home, enjoyed having family come for a visit, and went on another trip.

Langdon discovered the stairs - and this mama just got a little busier:

Bathtime is still a favorite activity. I love how Langdon is looking at Mary Laine in this picture (and also love looking at those chunky legs!):

Big man is 11 months - and this was the only decent picture that I was able to get. He refused to sit still:

We had been anticipating the arrival of some very special visitors for about a month. Gary's parents came to town, AKA Grammy and Pop-Pop. Here are the fun things that you get to do when grandparents are in town for a visit.

You get held alot:

You dance and sing:

You get on the ground and play:

You eat like a baby bird:

You read....and read, and read, and read...:

You play at the park (and some friends were there when we went - what could be better than the park with grandparents AND friends???)

I have to point out what is so special about these next two pictures. These children are all terrified of dogs. Not just a little uncomfortable, but run screaming if they see a dog in the immediate vicinity. Not quite sure how Gary did it, but we had to document the occasion with a picture (Robin and Elizabeth, I'll get you a copy):

You know who's not afraid of dogs? This guy:

Since Grammy and Pop-Pop were flying out of Jackson, we decided to all drive them down and visit the Children's Museum. I took them in January, and Mary Laine wasn't quite old enough to appreciate it. She is definitely ready now! We were there for hours and didn't even make it through the entire museum.

January, 2011:

September, 2011:

(Thanks for the idea, Aunt Laura!)

The next weekend, we headed over to Auburn to visit Aunt Su-Su. Ever since Mary Laine was old enough to say "Ma-Ma", Susanne has been teaching her that Aubie says, "War Eagle!" It has definitely been ingrained in her.

So happy to see Aunt Su-Su

Slightly afraid of Aubie

The following picture needs an explanation. Mary Laine loves Dr. Seuss's ABC book. A few months ago, she started jumping off of a chair in our family room onto her smaller chair, and as she jumps, she yells "Aunt Annie's Alligator", almost like a battle-cry. It's very funny. I'll try to get it on video one day. Well, on the way home, we stopped to play at a McDonalds, and saw that, in their playplace, they had, live and in-person, Aunt Annie's Alligator. Christmas came early this year:

The month ended with Langdon's first haircut. I gave Mary Laine her first haircut and it went very well. So, I thought that I'd try to replicate the memory for Langdon. Let's just say for now that this event deserves it's own post.

Mary Laine's first haircut: March, 2010

Langdon's first haircut: September, 2011

I'll leave you with a video. Be warned: it's quite long. I told Mary Laine that she could read a book while I dried her hair one night. I missed the beginning of the story (Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes), but got the end. Can you tell that we've read this one a few times?