Flashback to the Arboretum

It is my belief that a majority of people are frustrated when Christmas decorations go up before we even celebrate Thanksgiving...and understandably so. I mean, Thanksgiving is an important day, too, but I guess businesses just don't profit from this seemingly forgotten holiday that to some is just a roadblock to Christmas.

In fact, I wasn't even able to find an "official" Thanksgiving outfit for Peanut...and it wasn't from a lack of trying. The phone call would go something like this:

Me: "Hi, do you have any Thanksgiving outfits?"

Store clerk: "Ummm...I don't think so...let me check...you said Thanksgiving??? Let me check..."

-A minute passes-

Store clerk: "We have Christmas outfits..."

The stores seemingly jumped from Halloween to Christmas as soon as the last piece of candy was handed out and left moms like me (i.e. ones who are not crafty and able to make a turkey onesie out of ribbons and craft glue, and ones who aren't able to think far enough in advance to order something off etsy...sigh...poor Peanut) out in the cold.

For what it's worth, I'm normally shaking my fist at the people who insist on putting up garland before we cook the bird, although this year I admittedly snuck in a few Christmas tunes before Thanksgiving...which is usually a BIG "no, no" in our house. I shouldn't say usually. It IS a big "no, no" in our house until after Thanksgiving, so I'm not sure what came over me. I was baking cookies and pumpkin bread to take to the ranch for Thanksgiving and before I knew it, I was listening to Christmas music on Pandora. In my defense, it was instrumental...so it's not like I was actually listening to the words...but I might have mindlessly begun to sing along...but that's neither here nor there.

All this is say that skipping over Thanksgiving and fast-forwarding to Christmas is not a popular move...so I'm wondering, now that we're officially in the Christmas season, will people be upset at me for going back in time and writing a post about going to the Arboretum to enjoy the fall decorations? I have decided to ask for forgiveness instead of permission and hope that you will accept these pictures from the 9th of November when we took a little trip to the "Autumn Wonderland" that is the Dallas Arboretum...

The gardens are filled with over 40,000 pumpkins and gourds. It's really a sight to be seen.

The weather was PERFECT when we went. It had been really warm the week before, but a storm came through and cooled things down. It was the perfect sunny, crisp fall day.We began our visit with a picnic. As I've mentioned before, P could probably live outside...as long as we provided him with enough Cheerios, which he can be seen happily inhaling in the picture above.My mom organized our event because she had gotten a deal on Groupon. P enjoyed the great outdoors with his GiGi and Aunt Jan.
Aunt Jan wanted to see the frog fountains...P didn't seem to like that idea so much. :)

Here's one of the awesome pumpkin houses.
And what's a little boy to do when his mom puts him in the doorway of a pumpkin house and tries to get him to look/ smile at the camera? Play with the hay on the ground, of course.
What is this stuff, mom?What a face. :)
I'm appreciative that my mom brought her camera...there's normally no photographic evidence that I even exist because I'm the one taking the picture. See, Peanut...you do have a mom! :)More hay.

And more hay...think he ever tried to eat it? ;)

P loved the pumpkins...here he is showing off a new trick - standing while holding on to something. I won't lie...he might have fallen...more than once...but no worries, the hay cushioned his blow!

All smiles.A happy Peanut.Look at me!

Sweet bubba...in looking at his hair in his picture, I'm realizing how much it's grown in the past few weeks! I know a few Eastburn men who wouldn't mind knowing his secret. ;)
Pretty sure he's smiling at a leaf...sigh...whatever does it for you, little man.

A picture of a picture...

"I love pumpkins, Mom!"
and I love you, little Peanut.