Train to Maine

For an adventure, we decided to take a train up to Portland, Maine and explore. Matthew loves trains, and since Amtrak was running a special, it was cheaper than driving.

The leaves and scenery were beautiful.

Nick enjoyed playing with his iPod instead of focusing on driving.

Matthew looked out the window for a bit, but then wanted to see what Daddy was doing.

He loved the freedom of being able to walk (run) up and down the aisles! He did pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised. After all, 2 1/2 hours is a long time for a toddler to be relatively quiet and well behaved. Luckily, the few people around us for the whole trip were amused by Matthew, and the train was empty enough that we could spread out a little.

The ride back was a little rougher for Matthew, but he was pretty well behaved. Luckily, a bunch of freshman college boys were sitting in front of us. They were entertained by Matthew, and he was entertained by them. He stayed awake for most of the trip home, which was surprising because it was way past his bedtime.

Spice Obsession

I have a spice obsession. I blame my friends Amie and Anne for introducing me to

I'm not sure if it's good or bad, but there is a location right in Arlington. They spices and herbs are so fresh and delicious! And the catalog they send usually has a coupon for a free item.

I love to wander around the spice store. I was telling one of my friends that, and she misheard me say "Spies store". Then she wondered why the spy store carried cinnamon.

A Basket is Not a Hat

Or is it?
Matthew thinks so, and was quick to show me it was.

And it's a one size fits all kind.

Pumpkin Picking

It was a lovely, beautiful, fall October day with temps around 80 degrees.

Okay, so it was a hot day and strange to be picking a pumpkin in the heat. But pick we did.

Some needed tasting before he could decide,

Then he saw the big pumpkins! Oh my.

We helped him settle on three, 2 small and 1 big.