Pure Michigan 2013 | Part I

So this post is actually several weeks late but definitely worth revisiting.

Early September we took our Fall trip to Michigan with our friends Ana and Sid and Colin and Steph, and boy was it a hoot. We got there Friday night and had some pizza and ran around outside and then basically hit the hay to get ready for Saturday.

We got to the apple orchard and beat a bit of the crowd, the weather was beautiful and it was go time.

Our trip was a little earlier this year so the seasonal apples were different than the ones we had gotten before, which made it fun. My favorite was the Blondie, Mae's was the Gala and the Macintosh (a tie, she says)

Then we jumped in the wagon... wait...

We forgot Sid. Okay, Sid's on board, much better. Off we go.

Here's a trip with us through the orchard.

Pax had himself a Gala apple and then a cat nap.

After apple picking we hit the hills for some quality roll time.

Mae paused for a second and Dad's heart pretty much melted.

After an afternoon hitting up some playgrounds and coffee shops and a pretty long day altogether we headed back to the house and settled in with our friends.

A little movie time and Day 1 was in the books.

Yes, that's a binky in my lap. I'm sure you've heard the old adage that when a kid still uses a binky at 5.5 years old it's a sign of intelligence, right? Oh, you haven't? Well, you must not be very well read. Your mom probably took your binky out when you were two.

My Guys!!

The little man turned five months so thought we'd saddle him up next to Cordy Roy for a photo opp.

A little bit more Paxton action on a beautiful sunny afternoon...

And my two favorite guys!

Feed the Beast

Well, after the last week or so of Pax just staring at us as we eat dinner every night we figured it was time.

So we saddled him up, mixed the cereal and he got after it.

Oh, and the festivities were so exciting that a jaguar strolled in to see what was going on and Bat Girl swooped in from... well... wherever Bat Girl is from. And yes, apparently jaguars suck their thumbs too.

And after yucking it up for a bit we jumped on in for a helping or two.

Pinch Hitter

So Mom was out of town for work last week for 3.5 days and one morning we were in the midst of getting ready for school and making breakfast and getting lunches made and all of a sudden Pax was hungry.

So dad makes a bottle and says, "Fin, to the couch! You're gonna have to pinch hit for me."

So me being the old pro I am, I get the kid ready...

And then I give him his bottle.

And everyone knows after a little man takes in six ounces of formula he needs to burp, SOOOOOO.

Yep, I think you can pretty much put it on the board. The pinch hitter knocked it out of the park.

PAX-TON! PAX-TON!

Listen, if I'm anything, I'm a woman who grants requests. And I've been hearing requests for more pictures of my best little buddy, sometimes known as P-Bucket, other times as Buddha Cracker, but very often just Pax.

Anyway, you asked, I answer. And yes, this is basically all he does when he's not sleeping or eating, and his smile makes the whole house smile.

1-2-3-4

Come on baby, say you love me. 5-6-7 times.

Sorry, Gloria Estefan reference there. ANYWAY, here's our little man at 4 months old.

But before we go there, let's take a trip down memory lane.

Here is me at 4-months.

Sheesh, look back at that first picture. Someone, and I won't say who, had a noggin that was awkwardly large compared to the size of the rest of her body.  I blame dad, heard he had a melon back in the day.

And that second shot? With the rings around the arms? It's like someone stuffed half a bagel in each cheek.

And here is Mae at 4-months.

And here you can see Mae and me when she was 4-months old and I decided to put 38 clips in our hair.

Okay, okay, I digress. Ladies and gentlemen, Pax. Oh, and don't mind his pants, he rides 'em up pretty high, that's just how he rolls.

Who Needs Two?!!

So we're about to eat dinner tonight and all of a sudden dad gets the urge to see when his first Hawks game of the year is and, lo and behold, it's tonight!!

So down the hatch go the pork chops and carrots and with a quick snap of the camera with the rest of the members of the Dorky Blackhawks Hat Family Fan Club...

we're off. CTA app says the bus is still 20 minutes out so we hitch an Ubercab to the game.

After an ice cream cone and a basket of buttery popcorn, and two Hawks goals...

we call it a success. So the best part of the night is over, right? Not. Even. Close.

We run into Harold, who owns this treacherously radical rickshaw complete with a massive stereo system, flashing neon lights, 5 bells, two horns and a chicken that sirens like a police siren.

Harold proceeds to ride us through, hmmm, how shall I put this... the not-so-amazing parts of town...

blaring 70's classic rock

until he safely drops us at our home, but not before he does this outlandish 360-degree spin move in the middle of the intersection near our house with me in the back.

Thank you, Harold. A spaceship would not have been a cooler mode of transportation home. The kicker? We told him while standing back at the bus stop at the United Center we had no cash on us and he said he'd take us home anyway. So when they say there are no free rides in life, well, they haven't met my man Harold and his blinking chicken siren rickshaw.