Fall, Flu Shots and Clothes with Ears

Fall has finally arrived with a bang around here!  I went from wearing short sleeves and sunglasses to sweaters and raincoats within the span of a day or two, and though I knew it was coming, it's been a bit of a shock.

It's also time to break out the animal-head hoodies.  Last winter this tiger hoodie was my favorite thing to put on Thumper:

I wanted to get another one in a larger size this year, but apparently Old Navy switches up their animals each year (makes sense).  So we've got a bear instead: 

It hasn't even been a full year between these pictures - just cold weather to cold weather - and the rate at which he's growing just knocks me over sometimes.  

The entire family got our flu shots.  I have been getting them on and off since college and I bragged that I never experience any side effects (it always weirds me out when people claim they got the flu from their shot).  I therefore jinxed myself and while I didn't "get the flu," the shot actually hurt for the first time in years and burned for a good two hours.  Since we were literally all in the same room getting our shots (the Yeti and I going first to show Thumper it wasn't a big deal) I smiled through it with clenched teeth.  

Thumper, thus far, had never really shown a reaction to any vaccine, apart from screaming when he got the shot.  His flu shot is split into two parts, since he's a first-timer and a baby; he'll get the other half in a month.  This time he only squawked for a few seconds, and then the Yeti distracted him with some Superman action.  He was fine the rest of the afternoon and evening, but he slept in extra late the next morning and was sleepy the rest of the day.  

The Yeti appeared to be in the most pain out of the three of us - when he went to remove the Band-Aid a few hours later.  He's a furry dude.  

I actually did a tiny Halloween craft: taking Thumper's footprints to make a little ghost.  It was an idea from Pinterest.  It actually turned out rather like the ones on Pinterest, but then, when all you're going for is a vaguely ghost-shaped blob it's not like you're reaching for the moon.  I sent it off to the grandparents.  The finished product has Thumper's name on it but trust me, it pretty much looked like this. 

I haven't decorated much for Halloween.  My taste has always run to old-timey, classic Halloween stuff; not gory, not too cutesy, etc, and it's harder to hit that sweet spot than you'd think, so over the years my decorations have dwindled to next to nothing.  I've got some kitchen towels, a tabletop metal jack-o-lantern, and a few Welcome signs.  This was partly intentional; I knew I wanted kids soon, and I figured I'd get new stuff that fit the new family.  But that doesn't do me much good this year. 

Finally, fall means it's time for my not-famous-at-all veggie chili.  I make a big pot and then get lunch out of it for the next several days.  I've already made one batch, but it's been a few weeks and I'm getting a taste for it again...  

Not making an appearance: pumpkin spice anything.  I love pumpkin pie but can't really tolerate it in any other context.  Well, except this one.