These days I generally spend my time confined to the house either entertaining Charlie (usually by folding his laundry or washing his bottles, etc.) or typing as fast as humanly possible during the times Charlie's sleeping. So I don't really get out much. Which makes you a little crazy, to be honest. You start thinking little things like trips to the grocery stores are REALLY exciting (even more exciting if you forget to wear pants, but I've only almost done that -- haven't actually walked out the door naked yet).

I have at least started going back to knitting night once a week, leaving Daddy Mike to babysit (I'm reasonably sure he and Charlie spend the evening trying to out burp each other), and that's been absolutely fantastic...but it's also at night. So I don't really see much of the world besides the inside of the car and then the inside of the Panera's where we meet. And while I loveloveLOVE my knitting group and -- they will be boggled to hear this -- they are a huge help keeping me sane, I also kind of like seeing other things.

So this weekend we scheduled in some outdoor time during the day, yay! Mike had to work Saturday morning, but Saturday afternoon we loaded up and drove to Cowan's Gap park to take some pictures of the fall leaves before they...well, fall. It was overcast, but I still got some nice shots and Charlie was actually awake for a good deal of the trip, so he got to see his first fall trees (we think he thinks they're actually giant containers of milk) and, as usual, the business end of my camera lens.

Here, for those of you who don't have fall (*ahem* Texas and Alabama peoples *ahem*):

















And here, for those of you who haven't see enough of Charlie (and, really, who has?), I give you the Many Expressions of Sir Charles M. Smith:


The "Making a Poo" face


The "Invest in Some Sunglasses for Your Kid, People" face


The "Oooooh, Giant Milk Containers" face


The "Don't Bother Me, I'm Solving World Peace" face


The "Practicing For When I'm 16 And OBVIOUSLY Smarter Than You" face


And finally, the "Happy to Be Wearing Donna's Sweater" face -- in which he pretends to smile but is really stinking up the car seat, but at least we know what he'll look like when he DOES eventually smile

We went out again today to the Adam's County Winery (we're starting the kid early), but no pictures were taken. Don't want any evidence, see? We tried to get some pumpkins while we were out, too, but all the stands were closed on Sundays and...well, okay, we were too lazy to try looking off our from-home-to-the-winery route. We WILL get pumpkins before next weekend, though, which is Jake and Sarah's big Housewarming-slash-Halloween Party Extravaganza 2K9, because we have to win the pumpkin carving contest. AND the costume contest. AND any other contest they throw at us. I definitely will be taking pictures.

I think that about covers our exciting existence for now. Yay Steelers today! Go Eagles tomorrow! Oh, and most importantly, happy birthday tomorrow, Mary Louuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!