Playing with Amos. And, happy October!!

Amos got new shoes! I finally found some at Target that fit!

We have been enjoying playing with Amos, as he is becoming more playful and interactive (if you can believe that!). He has been enjoying the play kitchen, which belongs to the Berends (and we may inherit!) and is also enjoying the tool set and drum/percussion set we bought him at Target. We had fun, too, making faces through the window one day.

When we watch him play, we see the wheels turning as he inspects or dismantles each toy, pushing each button and poking each little hole.

It seems like I can see the Partain in him as he is thinking and being curious, and see the Meeks in him when he is noticing things and staying awake so as to not miss out! Of course, it's all of the cheerful genes he inherited from earlier generations, via grandmas Meeks and Partain. It is so cool and fun and just plain wonderful to have such a happy baby!

The week was a good one, complete with walking through a house that is a potential one--close to the church, in a good neighborhood, big enough, done in our style and in our price range. We're not totally in love with it and feel the need to flush out other options, but are encouraged to find one that we both like.
Thursday night, we went to the Neals' house to see the season premier of The Office. It was so much fun, complete with trivia and a viewing of last season's finale. Of course, it was so satisfying to see what happened to everyone!

On Saturday we went shopping at the mall, which was crazy to do, because it was Saturday, but we went nonetheless and got our fill of mall culture. While I was getting my hair trimmed, Nathan and Amos had first dinner and then played at the children's play area, which Amos loved! As always, he made fast friends and was delighted to watch all of the excitement and activity. He added to it, too, by crawling around and getting his wiggles out.

Sunday was a neat day, being at church, lunch with new friends and then a great nap. Amos tried the older kids' nursery and did much better. When he started to cry, Nathan went in and hung out with him, hopefully helping him to not cry for me! That evening, we went to another church service, called the New Deal, which meets at our building and is a church plant. The church was pretty unconventional and small, with the sermon being in more of a teaching style and the singing being full, loud and so moving. I really enjoyed it!

Today we drove around, looking at houses and getting things done. Tonight Mike, Zach and Zane Berend, Nathan and our friend Matt, all built a wall over at the Broadway house, to enclose a space upstairs that was sort of the play area. The room already has a closet, so they made it into a fourth bedroom! Amos and I hung out and watched and it was really cool, seeing the wall go up. After a while, Zach, Zane, Amos and I came back home for baths. Amos was splashing in the boys first bath (which was really dirty!) and soon dove in head first. Luckily, I was right there and pulled him out super fast! He was a bit surprised, but not affected too badly! We soon fetched the bath seat and Amos was in the water with the big boys, having so much fun. We drained the water and made a second bath, which was much cleaner! We ended the bath with fun hairdos and pruned fingers and toes. We'll miss having everyone around!

Today is also the first day of October and I am so excited. It is the best month of the year, I think, and I am excited to celebrate all of the birthdays:

Anna Pease: Oct 2

Beckie Stokes: Oct 4

Cindy Neal (new friend here): Oct 6

Joel Meeks: Oct 7

Thom Yorke (singer of Radiohead): Oct 7

Jeff Overstreet: Oct 9

ME!!: Oct 14

Dan Ribera: Oct 14

Christa Shoot (new friend here): Oct 15

Mom: Oct 22

Emily Roley Smith: Oct 28

My cousin Nathaniel: Oct 31

I think that's everyone I know, and if I left you out, I'm sorry! So if you know any of these folks, wish them a happy birthday!!

Later this week, we are slated to move into the Broadway house. It is a bittersweet thing, to think of not sharing our lives with the Berends. But it will be good to be in our own space and we'll make sure to visit often, as now we feel like family!