A Change of Season

Welcome September! This is my favorite month of the year in San Diego because it still feels like summer, but the tourist season ends so no more crowded beaches or urban running trails. Seaport Village once again becomes a good spot to hang out on the grass after a good stair workout at the Convention Center. Penasquitos Canyon wildlife starts reappearing for lack of fear that they will be run over by crazy mountain bikers. I am set to try, for the first time ever, canning my own pickles. Mom claims that her secret recipe is just garlic cloves, dill flowers, and peppercorns. I have this theory that there is some special flavor that also comes from 30 years of food preserving experience...but that is just me :)

Baby H and I decided to kick things off by making some cinnamon-rich, organic baby applesauce. He loves sitting in his highchair and watching me put stuff in the food processor. I usually give him his own cooking utensils and let him push buttons. I want this little man to grow up feeling totally comfortable and safe in the kitchen!



We said goodbye to summer by celebrating Baby H's 9 month birthday, BAH not being on deployment for the first time in 3 years during the month of September, and going to our favorite sushi place in Hillcrest. Baby H's reach has become so fast and so far that we spend equal time eating as catching glasses, grabbing soy sauce, chopsticks, and wasabi from his hands, but he has fun. He always seems the most content and happy when BAH and I are together, no matter what we are doing.

Future chef? UFC Champion? Librarian? We will love you no matter who you are. We will love every season of you.

"It is fun to sing
if you sing with a Ying.
My Ying can sing
like anything.
I sing high
and my Ying sings low,
and we are not too bad,
you know."
-Dr. Suess

Our Ying has found his voice...Pods of whales everywhere can attest to this. 



We've signed up for Gymboree. At 9 months, Baby H is getting extremely sociable, and although this Momma has done her best to make sure he gets out and about and has play dates, it just doesn't seem to be cutting it lately. The real sign we needed something more was when BAH recycled Baby H's best friend...the kid on this cardboard box from our his basketball hoop. They had a lot of good times...but it was time for this little Ying to say goodbye :) 



You know fall is coming when I attempt to get crafty. Some of you know I am an avid crocheter, and I love to cook (eat), write, and look for plants and birds and bugs and wild things...But being crafty, or at least what I have always considered crafty, is not my first language. I was pleased as punch at my little dry erase board. Just took an 11x16 frame I had laying around, put some of my pretty leftover wedding paper in it, super-glued an Expo pen on the frame, and wah-la! A super awesome message board. I am pretty sure I saw this in Real Simple at some point while preggo...

Not my image! But certainly my inspiration for a new story...Was just going to jot down a few notes, but I now have half of a journal written. The real inspiration was the horribly tragic story of the 11-year old gal who went missing in the small New Hampshire town not long ago. My story starts out as a thriller/horror story, but will have a feel-good ending (hopefully).

Happy Autumn!!