Happy Fall

We (mommy) carved a pumpkin and roasted (burnt) pumpkins seeds. We've been enjoying the fall temperatures and Nickolas is getting eager for trick-o-treating in 2 days. One thing nice about the D.C. area is that Fall lasts a long time and all of the various trees are ever-changing.

We're just about at peak for fall colors.

Nickolas a few days ago pre-carving.

Burnt pumpkin seeds -- good thing for Penzey's Seasoned Salt!

The kiddies with their Jack-o-lantern

Fire Safety Week

Nickolas participated in Fire Safety Week a few weeks ago and visited a few fire stations (or Fire Truck Houses, as Nickolas calls them) in Arlington County, Virginia. All ten fire stations had open houses and we hit three of them: a historic one engine one nearby, the newest, biggest, and most modern one near the Pentagon, and the one up the big hill from our house. Arlington's bravest were so kind to Nickolas and let him sit in the driver's seat, turn the lights on, sit in the back of a rescue ambulance, answered all of our questions, gave him cookies and other goodies, and they weren't mad when Nickolas accidentally pressed the garage door button. The fire fighters were particularly impressed with Nickolas's firetruck and could clearly see that it does go everywhere with him. We had a very fun and educational day!


Nickolas likes to buil fire truck houses for his fire trucks, including his baby fire trucks.

Known as "the Little House", this one engine station was built in 1940 and is so small, the fire fighters sleep below the garage. They were one of the first to respond on 9/11.

Nickolas with his truck,

Where's my fire fighter hat? (In the driver's seat)

How did Lucy get it?

This hat is too big and HEAVY!

This fire fighter showed us what his outfit consists of. Nickolas got a little frighten when he put his oxygen mask on.

On to the shiny new station with the huge ladder truck! (Before Nickolas closed the middle door)

This friendly firefighter up the street from our home showed Nickolas the back of the ambulance.

THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS!

Little Packer

Nickolas is his new Aaron Roger #12 jersey.