Tick-o-teet, Happy how-oh-ween!

Sydney the Tiger outside a neighbor's haunted house.

Tonight was the big night!  The weather here in the Northwest cooperated, the clouds parted, and the evening was absolutely balmy and perfect for trick-or-treating!  We took Sydney around our little block, to about 20 houses, and she had a blast.  Then we returned home and she had an even bigger blast handing out candy.  We think she said "trick or treat" more than all the kids that came to our home, which was approximately 270 (we keep a tally by the door).

Here's Mom, Sydney and Grammy before we headed out into the night.

Grandpa and Sydney hand out the treats.

Scooping out the juicy pumpkin guts!

                                          

Busy at Bi-Zi Farms

Sydney's pick of the day.

I couldn't end October before mentioning our second trip to Bi-Zi Farms in Brush Prairie to get our pumpkins (sorry, gourds - Brian dislikes that pumpkin word) where Sydney enjoyed her first taste of hot apple cider and hot chocolate...

 first hay maze (the big corn one was, well, too  big)...

and first hayride. 

  

She got licked by a baby pig and a baby cow...

 she fed a goat,

and saw some turkeys up close and personal.

 

She rode yet another pony like a pro (paid the money herself and then left us standing and watching without any help from us).  

Her boots got muddy before we even reached the gourds, so thankfully Grandpa was there to tote Sydney around and keep her busy.

Here's my favorite picture of the day - Grandpa and Sydney were trying to sneak up on Mom while traipsing around in the pumpkin patch.

The grandparents and Dad with Sydney, who is about to fall asleep at this point.

Tired but happy gourd-getters!

Walking by the Wah-der

There's the wahder!

We sometimes head down to the Columbia River waterfront for a nice walk with Ellie and our family.  Sydney can now say "water" as opposed to wah-wah, which she says is how a baby says it.  She also says she is "two and two-thirds" as best she can, moving on from two and a half.  So our big 2.667-year-old girl loves to jog along with us and "exerwsise".  It is a great way to wear her out, which seems to be getting harder and harder lately...

Sydney found a feathery frond from a plant and toted it along with her, trying to tickle our butts.

In other action, 

Sydney likes helping out in the kitchen whenever possible.

Finally, here's Sydney doing her best Lion King imitation of when Rafiki the baboon holds up the baby.

Tickling Mom's butt.

                                            

Sydney in motion, pausing briefly!

                                            

Pederson Family Bowling, Again?

"Again, again? Two times, again?" This is what Sydney likes to say when things happen again. Believe it or not, it was that time again - the wacky family bowling day.  This year cousin Gary was "not scary" to Sydney and she became pals with him.  The theme this year was the election/patriotic colors, and below, Gary  dressed as the new middle-class under the Bush admin.  Sydney went right up to him and said "Not scary!" 

Cousin Vicki was there!  Sydney liked her cellphone.

Kaylee was there too!  She really liked playing with Sydney and keeping her occupied, which Mom and Dad greatly appreciated!

Sydney remembered Grayson from last year.

Here she is contemplating her next move.

Sydney trying to get Blake to dance with her.

One more picture with Sydney! Uncle Rod and Aunt Roxie, Colby, and Grammy and Grandpa mug after pizza following bowling.

Sydney passing the time while waiting for the grownups to stop talking.

She actually got in and buckled herself in.

A Widdow Bit of Sydney

Sydney enjoys the feel of warm water on the back of her head.

Surprise! I updated the blog! Sit down, if you're not already! I've been spending more time on Facebook, so there are inevitably more pictures there, although less stories about them. So that's the way it goes, Grandma and Grandpa Joe.

I know it's been a month since you last heard anything. Sydney is now 32 months old (or as Brian may say, 2.667 years old), still growing (about 35 inches tall and 26 lbs.) and adding to her word bank, rapidly. I told a friend recently that I wish I could have a permanent video camera mounted to my head to capture the cuteness at any given time. Seems like we never have it available when we need it.

This doesn't begin to show our bumper crop of tomatoes this year! We had bowls and bowls of them and gave lots away too, all from just three plants. Sydney loves the cherry ones!

Fall has fallen for sure. The weather has changed and the days are shorter. We like the crispness in the air, the talk of Halloween (Sydney wants to be the tiger from Ni Hao, Kai Lan, at least today), and establishing our weekday routine of going to Grammy and Grandpa's, walking Ellie, warm baths, stories and earlier bedtime. Sydney has also been gravitating to our bed in the middle of the night, often unbeknownst to us. We sometimes will feel the bumps of little stuffed animals she's brought with her, along with her Pooh blanket.

Of course, we still try to get in some exercise whenever possible!

Back in August, we took a day trip to Timberline Lodge up near Mt. Hood, Oregon. Here's a couple of shots of Sydney there, where "The Shining" with Jack Nicholson was filmed. We found out later that they only filmed exterior shots of the lodge, but we took our own version of the freaky child in the hallway.

Standing on the huge hearth of the lodge's fireplace.

Here's a small sampling of the kinds of things Sydney has been saying lately.
Some Sydneyisms:

"Stop skeezing my wayg!" (Followed by a request to actually squeeze her leg, which I love to do.)

"And bigger and bigger and bigger and then can do dis!" (I've told her many times that when she gets bigger she can have gum or Dad's mints or reach the upper car door handle.)

"It happens." (When something unfavorable happens, she'll sometimes say this.)

"I can do it!" or "No can do it!" followed by "I need help!"

"I want cheese." (Every morning she seems to state this.)

"You nevuh know!" (This is the warning at the dog park when walking and trying to avoid poop.)

"Dat's okay, just water." (Or just milk, or whatever happened to spill.)

"My dog Ewwie" (Ellie - those Ls are tough!)

"I sowwy I do dat." (Followed by specifics of things like "bug Ewwie", "kick Mom", etc. - often days after the offense has happened.)

"Widdow bit" or "Widdow bit I did."(Said after being denied a treat or anything she may want at the moment, for example. Also said when told she didn't bug Ellie or kick Mom just now but is apologizing anyway.)
"Tuff cookie" (Said after falling or bumping head or getting an owie.)

"Okay" (Used by itself, or at the end of statements. Made me realize that I say it a lot to Sydney which is where she picked it up, okay?)

Here are some more random photos I thought you'd all enjoy.

A visit to our friends Denise, Pat, Erin and Megan Boyle yielded this shot of Sydney with their beagle Daisy, who didn't mind sharing her bed for a while.

Honestly, one night all our silverware was in the dishwasher so we used chopsticks.

No problem!

And last but not least, here's a widdow bit of Sydney a few months ago this summer, after swimming in her pool and then stripping off her swimsuit. Nothing like the feeling of naked!