I did not want breakfast, but I would drink milk.

I went to the park with Mimz on this beautiful day and had fun and was very happy.  I also put on my fireman’s outfit and put out a fire in the backyard. 

We met Barbara at the school around 10:30am so Mimz could take Aunt Kathy to doctor.  I was not happy until Barbara told me where we were going:  We went to the small playground in our neighborhood. 

 I played on both the baby swings and the big boy swings and on the big slide.

 I did not like it when my bottom got wet because the sides were a little wet.

Video of me on slide.

 I climbed this little rock wall....

I did it with ease.   I did not want to go home but Barbara said we needed to get home because the painters were there and if they had a problem we needed to be there.

The painters have started painting the trim and the enamel paint fumes are strong. 

 So we played outside...

 on my castle.  I'm really too big for the slide, but I like to climb on it.

Downstairs we opened windows and some doors and turned on fans to make it bearable.

Video of me playing with Play Dough

 What really made it bearable was our spending most of the day in the garage playing on a large piece of carpet.

 We played out there with Play Dough and reading some books for over two hours.

We talked with our neighbors.  

Most of the carpet pad has been taken in our regular trash pick up.  But they won't take carpet. (insert picture of pool table in garage)
PaPa came over to be here when the men came to take apart the pool table and carry the pieces into the garage for storage. 

 Barbara dressed me in my Halloween costume so that as soon as Mommy got home from work I would be ready to go a church festival.

 There was the only child in a fireman's costume but there was another fireman there.....

 ..and he was a REAL fireman.  I got to wear his big heavy helmet.  Mommy brought me back to see him after we finished playing the little games.  He was the best thing at the festival.

 I played several games to win candy. 

 I fished for candy.

I decorated a tiny pumpkin.

 I got a couple of rings over the pins.

Here I'm just watching everything that is going on.

After the festival Daddy came to our home and he went Trick or Treating with Mommy and me.  I was very good about saying “Trick or Treat” and saying “Thank You.”

That is me with digging into my sack of candy.  I ate several pieces of candy at home but that did not keep me awake.  Since our television has not worked since Sunday, we have been going to bed earlier than usual.

Mommy won second place in a pumpkin decorating contest at work.  Her prize was $15 card for Subway sandwiches.   

 Mommy and her department all wore pajamas as costumes.

 Mommy had Barbara put pink curlers in her hair.

I slept from 10 to 6:50am.  I did not want to stop playing at Mimz’ home to go school and I cried when Mimz took me to school, but in the end I’m glad I went because we had a Halloween party with candy and cupcakes.  When Mimz arrived to pick me up I was very happy and ready to go to the park on this beautiful day.

I climbed all the way up this rock wall all by myself at least four times today.  I was so proud.  A month ago I was only able to climb up four steps, and then I would go back down.   I also played with a little boy named Ben.

I had a great day with Mimz.  Daddy fixed dinner for us.  After Daddy gave me a bath, I did not put on socks or boots…. That is very strange for me.  Guess I was so busy playing I forgot about them. 

Papa went to a billiards place to make arrangements for them to take apart the pool table, re-felt the table, and replace the bumpers.  Grandma and Barbara went shopping for light fixtures for the lake house and for our staircase.

Grandma and PaPa came over early to do some more prep work before the painters arrived. 

 I helped PaPa remove electrical plates.

I had a little bag for each room and my job was to put the plates and the screws in the bag.
I turned the vacuum on and off for Barbara.  If she forgot to let me do it, I had to turn it back on and then off.  Grandma worked to get up the last of the tack boards and staples. 

A funny thing: PaPa took down the long row of Andy's swim team ribbons. 

Grandma had an idea.  She and PaPa put them back up in the garage.  Too bad she did not think of that last week and she could have put Bridget's ribbons in the garage also.

Five painters arrived ready to paint the upstairs ceilings, walls, trim, and doors.  They were not painting inside the closets.

I was a super good boy and stayed downstairs with Barbara, not once trying to go upstairs to see the action. 

I use new words every day.  Today’s words were “serious”, “never”, and “inch.”   For example: “It is serious that motorcyclists wear helmets.”  PaPa is serious when he tells me to not go into the street.”  “I’ve never had bean dip.  I like it.”    Barbara told me she had just a few more inches of carpet to cut, and then she would have a minute for me.  I said, “What is inches?  I don’t know inches.”  We reviewed these words to get them solid in my little brain.

One minute I was playing, the next I laid my head down on the sofa,...

 and one minute later, Barbara lifted me onto the sofa to take a nap.

 I got very close to the edge so Barbara put pillows on the floor just in case...

When I woke up we went to meet Mimz, so Mimz could enjoy my company and to get me away from the “work site” and to let Barbara rest and be able to work on the big project. 

The computer that I share with Barbara has been unplugged for Project Upstairs so my blog will not be updated for several days.

We worked very hard today getting ready for the painters arrival in the morning.  I was very good about letting everyone work and my mostly just watching.  My nose was running when I woke up but most if the day it was fine.  That is a bit surprising since I was around dusty old carpet all day.  My favorite thing to do was to turn on and off the vacuum.  The only problem we have is the DVR is not working right since we unplugged two TVs and their boxes.  We are to tired to deal with that tonight. 

At 6am PaPa and Uncle Tim left for Norman, Oklahoma.   Hope they are not too cold and are excited with the outcome of the OU - Notre Dame football game.  Before they left they installed my car seat in Grandma's car.
At 7:30am Grandma, Barbara, Mommy, and I drove 2 1/2 hours to The Great Pumpkin Train ride. I was awake for 15 minutes and then slept the rest of the trip.  I did the very same thing on the return trip.  We got back to Grandma's home at 4:20pm.  It was a long day and the adults are all exhausted, but everyone had a very good time.
First thing we did was put my Fire Chief Halloween costume on me in the parking lot.

 Later we saw three more firemen but none of them had on my very same costume.  I was very comfortable because it was sweatshirt weather.  I wore my cowboy boots in the car and changed into my fireman's boots for the train ride.  I am very comfortable in boots. 

Mommy and me getting on board.

 We had two seats facing each other, so everyone had a good view of my antics.

I looked at everything from the engineer to the conductor, from engine to dining car, I was enthralled.

The train left on time for the 30 minute trip.  I enjoyed every minute.

 We got off the train...

... and were greeted by several workers dressed in Halloween  costumes.  I was willing to get closest to the witch because she was giving me a little skeleton.   There were approximately twenty things to do or play on. 

 The first thing we did was take a hay ride.

I enjoyed it all but I did have a few favorite things.

 "Mommy, I can do this by myself."

 I went down the big roller slide seven or eight times.

It was made out of PVC pipe.
I swung on a real big boys swing.

 I went down Trick or Treat row and used the knocker...

so the person inside would open the door and give me candy when I said, "Trick or Treat."  I said thank you.  There were 7 or 8 little house.

 I like the tire swing...

 ...and the tire tunnels...

 I was the perfect size to go through them.

There was a small petting zoo, live music, a lemonade/hot dog/funnel cake stand.  There were tables decorated with pumpkins if you needed to sit and rest. They were pricy so we all shared a lemonade.

 In the pumpkin patch, I picked out a pumpkin to bring home.

Barbara went down the roller slide with me one time.
There were several arcade type activities.  I really enjoyed throwing the baseball.  I tossed a ring over a bottle and won a prize.
I think I did everything except the cork rifle shoot.  That was for bigger kids.
The activity I played the most was playing in a big box filled with dried corn.  It was fun to push it around, to run my fingers through it, to walk in it.  It was just fun.  I stayed to play in that box while Grandma stood in line to get us seats on the train for the return thirty minute ride. I ate four pieces of my candy and wanted more, but somehow that was all I given.
There is another event at Christmas time.  I want to go and so does everyone else.  We will wear pajamas when we go on that ride.
Mommy and I drove home.  Barbara stayed at the lake to watch the OU vs. Notre Dame game with Grandma.

Bridget and Chris went to a Hallowen party as golfers.