When I ask you what season it is, you say "fall." When I ask you what month it is you say, "September" first. When I correct your response you say, "It's Octover." I can't help but understand your confusion as to what month it is, as I am shocked myself that we are already more than halfway through the month of October.
The month began with Mommy and Daddy driving to Wilmington, NC to get Aunt Jennifer & Uncle Matt hitched. Despite Hurricane Matthew's impending arrival we were able to enjoy a wonderful (even if brief) celebration with some of our favorite friends. While we were away you spent a few days with Papa Bass and Grams. If I recall, you enjoyed special trips to the duck pond, and an endless array of delicious treats. Over that same weekend Uncle Nick and Aunt Mert came for a visit. You had a great time bonding with Aunt Meredith at the playground! You are so lucky, Kemper, you have so many people who love you so much.
We celebrated Mommy's birthday with Papa Tate and Beba by going out to dinner. You are becoming quite proficient in ordering dinner for yourself. You and Daddy bought me beautiful flowers and a gift card to Starbucks which I will savor. Not to mention a triple chocolate fudge cake. You will find that the older you get the less exciting your birthdays become. But, to be showered with love by your family and friends is the greatest gift to be given, no matter your age.
Daddy has cleaned out some of his bins in the basement and found lots of toys for you to play with! You have enjoyed racing new (to you) matchbox cars down the hallway, crashing dinosaurs on the coffee table, and generally throwing these toys from one end of the house to the other. Do we really have to think about what to get you for Christmas? ;)
We have had some fun fall adventures. We have gone on several bike rides with you being chauffeured in your bright orange chariot! It is a shame that when the temperatures cool the days also get shorter so by the time dinner is done there is not much daylight for bike-riding.
The library and the playground are still favorite locations for playing. You've been able to play at Penn Forest, Papa Bass' church and Mommy's church playgrounds. A slide is a slide, but you can never go down too many times.
At school you and your classmates painted a pumpkin so naturally we had to paint the pumpkin Grams bought for you last week. It was a lot of fun watching you add bright colors to the pumpkin. I'm not sure if we will carve it or not. It is pretty cool just like it is. We do have a pirate costume for you this year and you tried it on a few nights ago. Time will tell how trick-or-treating is done this year.
You continue to enjoy school and interacting with your classmates. Maya is still queen bee of your heart and Dalton is still your right-hand man. I'm not sure how it happened but you managed to make someone jealous by holding hands with another friend and got scratched on the face last week. I'm warning you now son, it might be best if you didn't play the field....
You've learned your colors very well over the past few weeks and can sing many songs. You love to dance too. You have been attending the toddler Sunday school class at church and I must say I've been amazed at how you have retained some details of the stories. Yesterday, you knew the order in which 3 pictures of Moses went, from being a baby in a basket, to standing up to Pharaoh, to the leading the people out of Egypt. Maybe it was just a lucky guess but you were very confident when you said it! I prefer to think you are going to be a genius.
You've been Daddy's boy this week, from stories at bedtime to helping out in the kitchen, you've stayed by his side. I can't say that I blame you, son, Daddy is pretty fun. No one else plays hide and seek or wrestles on the floor quite like him.
You bring light and happiness into every face you meet. You are our constant joy, bringing laughter to even the toughest of days.
We love you, kid.
