We have a new addition to our little family...she's furry and four legged and she is too cute for words! Meet Tootsie...

I've been promising Alexa a cat for several months now. Itjwas my belief that we wold find an older cat that needed a home (perhaps one that had been declawed!) Having had a cat as a child, I know how long they can live (21 years in the case of my first cat!) and I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to make such an enormous time commitment. In early September, we walked into a local PetSmart store and had a look at the kittens and cats available for adoption. There were so many and Alexa enjoyed watching them play. We filled out a pre-adoption form and we waited!
About a week later, we were contacted by a volunteer from the Pet Adoption League and following a few questions, we were one step closer to having our kitty. Two references had to be called (Thanks to Chrissy and Carrie!) and then we were approved.
We picked our kitty up on September 26th. She was born on the 13th of July and she was so tiny. She was not my first pick, but Alexa had made up her mind and it was final.

We've had to learn some lessons (by we, I mean Alexa!) Like when to let Tootsie go, even when we just want to snuggle her! The consequences of not doing so have proven to be powerful reinforcement of my suggestions! But mostly, we are enjoying her and Alexa really likes the responsibility. She takes pride in her kitty, telling everyone she knows about Tootsie! Today she told another girl at gymnastics how her kitty runs around like crazy! It was cute to see the two talking about their pets together.

It's Autumn again and although it feels a little different than Vermont, I have been trying to get into the mood of Fall. We won't be decorating our front steps or windows with Halloween decor this year (Something I really enjoyed doing last year when Alexa had begun to understand the themes of the holidays). We haven't yet picked pumpkins (except for a few in Minna's garden at the end of the Summer) and we haven't gone apple picking, but we have been outdoors enjoying the crisp, cool air. We've found a few festivals and Oktoberfest celebrations to check out in the area too. Alexa is excited to dress up for Halloween (I ordered her costume yesterday!) and she had collected so many acorns that we finally made some crafts with them yesterday!

We spent Sunday afternoon at a local playground. It is brand spanking new and seems to be a local hot spot! Melissa and Ty joined us and we all got a workout in an exciting game of tag. Alexa adores Ty. She enjoys any and all attention from him. Ty, on the other hand, is hot and cold when it comes to Alexa. At times, he is attentive, cooperative (he pretends to look hard when playing hide and seek even when he knows exactly where Alexa is hiding!)t and engaging and then there are moments when he is not as welcoming of Alexa's attempts to hold hands or share a hug. But when I catch a glimpse of the two when they think no one is looking, I catch sweet exchanges of friendship that make me smile and grateful for my friends and the wonderful children they are raising!

Earlier that day, we went to see animals presented by the Staten Island Zoo in a traveling exhibition that brought us to State Line Lookout Park in Alpine, NJ. We enjoyed views of the Hudson River and New York from the cliffs. Alexa found some additions to her acorn collection and expelled a lot of energy running around as a horse!

Last weekend, we went to the Annual Chester Oktoberfest in Chubb Park. It had been a tradition that Mike and I would attend the Stowe Oktoberfest every year accompanied by Scott and Jessica MacNeill. For 8 years, we drove into Stowe to drink beer and eat bratwurst with sauerkraut and potato salad, listen to oompah bands and stroll the historic streets of Stowe for photo ops among the beautifully changing autumn leaves! This year we could not be there and so we attempted to replicate the fun at a local venue! It wasn't quite the same!!! Despite the less than authentic feel, we had fun watching the kids (Alexa and Ty) enjoy the bounce houses and we (Mike, Melissa and I) still ate good food and drank decent beer! And as it turns out, we met a celebrity! It was a good afternoon! But I would be lying if I said I didn't miss Stowe this year!