Well we’re moving right along on our Fall To-Do List. This weekend we went to the Raven Hill Orchard for some apple picking. The weather was sunny and crisp — a perfect day for roaming in a beautiful apple orchard!

I highly recommend the Raven Hill Orchard. It’s certified organic, and no long lines!!! They don’t have the donut machine hooked up yet though. That’s ok, we had our fill of donuts last weekend. And I do have to say I’ve never tasted a better McIntosh in my entire life! I know, I didn’t have any molars last fall, but I’ve sampled plenty of apples THIS season.

The best part about Raven Hill was all the eye-level apples. You know how I love to be self-sufficient.

But occasionally I spotted a real winner that was up too high, and that’s where Dad came in handy.

So we’ve still got a busy agenda for the rest of the season. I still don’t know what I’m going to be for Halloween. Any suggestions?

Things have really slowed down for the Tessers (that’s me) these days. Now that Story wants to tag along everywhere I go, it’s much harder to jet around the way I used to.

But we do still get out on occassion. The other weekend we went to Sebago Lake to check it out. It wasn’t as exciting as the ocean, but they did have a wicked huge (hey, I’m almost a native Mainer!) sand castle on the beach. We’re talking Guinness Book action, check it out:

Don’t get me wrong, I love having Story around. And I don’t mind the extra responsibility of being “the Big Sister” — you know, making sure no one drools on her at the playground, or drops a marracca on her at Music Together. In fact, I kind of like it.

I have been asked if Story will start her own blog, or if I’ll let her have a voice here…. well… I love the little shrimp but lets not get carried away. Speaking of carried away, it’s my bedtime, so I gotta run!

xoxo
-Tess

With all the hubub around here over Story’s arrival, I forgot to say good-bye to Eliza, my first and only best friend in Maine!!! I will always look back on the summer of ‘07 fondly, all thanks to Eliza and her knowledge of all the toddler hot-spots in and around Portland. We had many a good time at the beach, the playground, Mackworth Island, and my personal favorites — Story Time, and the PETSTORE!

Anyway, Eliza moved on to bigger and better things, and we had to say goodbye. ::sniff sniff::

Well, gotta run, now that Eliza’s not here, I’m real busy keeping Mom entertained.

xoxo
-Tess

It all makes sense now!!! Mom hasn’t been herself for quite some time now. Since May she was napping more often, she wouldn’t pick me up no matter how much I demanded “Up! Up! Up!” (I was beginning to think she was hard of hearing!), and the space on her lap was getting more and more cramped as the days went by. It was pretty confusing to me, but now I understand what all that jibber-jabber was about. The non-stop talk of the “baby” and “big sister” and the pointing to mommy’s belly, they were trying to tell me that I was having a baby!

So, the news is, I’m a big sister now!!! Last week Mom and Dad brought home my very own baby sister, Story Straw!!!!

Here is one of the very first shots of the two Straw sisters together, it was tough holding this pose, Story is HEAVY!

Well, I’m off now to get some rest. It’s a lot of work having a baby in the house!

xoxo
-Tess

This weekend we made another outing to Crescent Beach State Park. I’m starting to really warm up to this Ocean thing. It was a bit scary at first, and I much prefer the sand anyway.

Dad eventually got me to put my toes in the water, and before I knew it I was frolicking in the waves like a pro.

I know you’re wondering, what’s up with the fuzzy photos? Before you panic, no, the paparazzi aren’t hounding me, not any more at least. The photos are from mom’s cell phone camera. Mom says she didn’t bring the real camera because we were trying to “be in the moment,” whatever that means. She still spent half the time fiddling with the cell phone!!

Well, I have to go take a bath and wash the sand from my toes.

xoxo
-Tess

I’m still alive. Things are happening. I’m a Mainer now. Dad’s not a student anymore.

It’s crazy. I said Goodbye to Maggie, not sure what that means, but I haven’t seen her in a while so it can’t be good.

Also said Goodbye to New York. Not sure where it’s going?

Once I figure this all out I’ll come back and report more.

xoxo
-Tess

I got a problem. I’ve got an unflattering condition I call Bankle.

bankle - n the unsightly buldge in otherwise adorable baby fat created as a result of outgrowing ones socks too quickly; not to be confused with the cankle often complained of in some women’s late pregnancy.

Bankle Images:

Not sure why Mom hasn’t gotten around to updating my wardrobe. I know she’s been busy, and she’s been awful tired lately…. I wonder what’s up with that?

When she wakes up can someone tell her I need some new socks???

Thanks!

xoxo
-Tess

Ok, lesson for today: Face Parts. Ask me about various face parts, and I’ll show you where they are. Ok, let’s give it a go.

Where’s my nose?

Where’s my Eye???

Where’s my Chin??

Ooh, ooh, this is a tough one, I KNOW I know this one…..Garrrgh, let me think!

Oh yeah, here it is!

Did you follow all that? I know it’s complicated.

What? Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face? I do!!!!???? Why didn’t anyone tell me sooner!!!???

Don’t worry, we can review again tomorrow.

xoxo
-Tess

Did I ever mention how much I love books? Some babies have their blankets, others have binkies, yet others have loveys, bottles, nuk-nuks, pacis, thumbs, teddies, tattered pieces of worried thread-bare fabric… (woah, are we babies a bunch of comfort addicts or what?). Well, I have my books.

When I get down I like to go to my little library and just start swimming in the books. Mom likes to keep them lined up neatly on the shelf, just so I can pull them all down, one by one. She knows I love nothing more than a floor covered with a sea of books.

Whenever I’m bored I can take a book to Mom or Dad, say “Book!” and they’ll drop what they’re doing, pop me on their lap and read my chosen book to me. It doesn’t get any better than that.

It doesn’t have to be a story, or even a real book. I have a subscription to Wild Animal Baby magazine that makes for some very interesting reading.

Nothing beats a good educational magazine with breakfast.

At night I like to take good bedtime titles with me when I have my milk: Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Maine are some of my favorites.

Speaking of which, I’m headed to bed now. I had an AWESOME day with Mom out in the beautiful weather today. Unfortunately I’m too pooped to write about it. Tune in later and I’ll tell ya all about it!

xoxo
-Tess

I’m trying to get something sorted out and I need your help. I’ve been trying to straighten out the A, B and C. No, No, No, not the ABC’s, that’s what everyone keeps saying. I’m just talking about A. B. And C. I can’t figure them out!

Is the C the clingy one? It sort of has a renaissance collar effect, don’t you think? Or maybe it’s more Elizabethan? I always thought those things were called Buster Collars, but let’s not get bogged down in the details.

One thing I know is my favorite is the B! Why? I just think of all the cool words I can say that start with B? BALL, BABA, BOOK. Is B the bubbly one?

The worst part is I hear there are 23 MORE letters to learn…. I better hit the books!!

xoxo
-Tess