Trick or Treating.

There are more pictures, but Blogger is giving me crap tonight and not allowing me to upload them. Thanks to Christine for the Scooby costume!

Dylan's Halloween Parade at School.

What a BIG Boy!

We saw the doctor today and....

At 29 months, Dylan is 34 pounds and 3 feet 3 inches.

He is at the 89th percentile for weight 

and the 97th percentile for height.

 

Johnson's Farm in Medford.

What a perfect day to go to Johnson's Farm for pumpkin and apple picking! It was a cool 60 degrees and perfectly sunny, without a cloud in the sky.

Waiting for the hayride!

He must have been a farmer in a past life, because Dylan picked apples like an old pro!

Dylan picked the perfect pumpkin, too!

Dylan assisting some young ladies with his vast knowledge of pumpkins.
On the way back to the farm.

The Camden Aquarium and Marlton Fall Festival.

Well, today was a busy day in Dylan-Land. First, we went to the Camden Aquarium with Dylan's grandparents, then met Daddy to spend the rest of the afternoon at the Marlton Fall Festival. And it all happened without a nap! Unbelievable.

We should have bought this fish-hat. It could have been used during time-outs.

Dylan hated being inside the shark's mouth but posed for a second with Mommy.
A huge lobster!
What a happy fish!

A piranha. There were scattered bones at the bottom of his tank.

After seeing the penguins.
Dylan loved petting the starfish.

Look! It's Nemo!

The Evesham Fair. Dylan loves singing and dancing with the ladies.

He liked watching the music too!

There was a great play area with kids his age.

A-Ha! The Secret!

If I only had know that there was ONE tiny little thing keeping Dylan from being potty trained....

Seriously.

He finally told me that he would go potty if I just close the door.

And then he did.

That is the ONE thing I never tried. 

Bad Mommy.

Ocracoke.

Today we took the ferry from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island. Ocracoke is small, with a population of about 800 people. It is one of the most remote islands of the Outer Banks, and cannot be reached by land. I was on a quest to see the lighthouse, but did not know what other treasures we would find. It turned out that there are a lot of wonderful stores and restaurants, as well as beautiful, unspoiled beaches. It is a little hard to get around by car, and most locals were on bicycles or mopeds. There are about four or five parking spots at the lighthouse, which makes visitors feel a little unwelcome. It is clear that the locals would rather have the unspoiled and remote town of Ocracoke stay just that. The stores were quite overpriced as well, so we did not buy many souvenirs aside from an obligatory sweatshirt. We bought it in a store called Mermaid's Folly, although the staff there was less than friendly. Since we were making a purchase, I asked if Dylan and I could please use their bathroom. The lady told us in her lovely southern twang that "ya'll can use the port-o-john across the street". So much for Southern hospitality.

Riding in the car on the ferry.I'm the King of the World!
If you are a beach person like we are, you will remember that last year, Ocracoke was named America's Best Beach by "Dr. Beach". Looking up at Ocracoke Light.
9/9 8:28 PM

Sunset on Day One.

9/6 8:27 PM

Our Nearest Neighbor.

This is our nearest neighbor in Avon. Which means that we were all able to walk around naked without offending anyone. Although when we did, we may have been spotted by the windsurfer below before he took a tumble into the sound.

Rodanthe, NC.

Chris took this photo as I drove down NC-12 in Rodanthe. The entire road was covered in ocean water for about a mile. Dylan loved the ride and kept ooh-ing and ahh-ing the whole way. As soon as we passed the flooded area, we stopped in the delightful Atlantic Coast Café for reuben sandwiches that rival those of the Carnegie Deli. (Ok, almost.)

We wondered if Paul Flanner (Richard Gere) and Adrienne Willis (Diane Lane) had to endure the same weather as us in Nights in Rodanthe. It's amazing how the local stores are already trying to make money off the movie. Sun Realty, a local realtor, is even offering a Nights in Rodanthe vacation package.  I read the book last year when we stayed in a house in Rodanthe, and am excited to see the movie. It was written by Nicholas Sparks, who also wrote The Notebook.

Kitty Hawk During Hurricane Hanna.

Here are some Hurricane Hanna photos from the first day of our vacation. They were taken off the fishing pier behind the Hilton. Click for larger images.

Kitty Hawk Beach getting it's ass kicked by Hanna.

Under the Kitty Hawk fishing pier.

Hurricane Dylan...Er, Hurricane Hanna

We arrived in Kitty Hawk at 12:00 this afternoon. While driving in on Highway 158 and NC-12, we watched the dark storm clouds travel alongside us as we neared the beach, and looked forward to seeing the huge waves. When we got here, we found that the locals were treating Hanna like a hungry seagull on the beach; an annoyance, but it would not ruin their fun. Their real concern right now is a scary-looking Hurricane Ike, lurking just around the corner, scheduled to land in South Florida by Wednesday.

Our personal concern is the loud, whiny, unstoppable force called Hurricane Dylan. Dylan hated his car seat. He hated the long drive. When we got to the hotel he dialed 9-1-1 and got Mommy and Daddy in trouble. He didn't want to swim. Or nap. He wanted to get his fingers on Mommy's camera and new cell phone. He is starting to calm now, but the violent, unpredictable storm can return at any second.

Tonight, we drove around the beautiful town of Duck, and did some shopping. We ran into several parents who looked disheveled and ready to kill their kids. It's nice to know that we were not alone.

Cranky Kid.

What I did On Labor Day, by Dylan Christopher.

7:30AM: Heard Mommy sneak downstairs for some quiet time, so I woke up and joined her.

8:30AM: Went for nature walk with Mommy and Daddy, then spent a while at the park.

11:00 AM: Played outside with the water hose.

11:30AM: Ate Mommy's homemade brunch of bacon, eggs and hash browns.

12:30-3:00PM: Went swimming at the pool. 

3:15-5:30: Took nice refreshing nap.

5:30: Woke up and decided to be cranky-poo because I have such a difficult life.

5:30-6:00: Pouted in my room.

6:00: Ate meatballs and pasta, and I was a happy boy again.