A beautiful day

Today is the first day the heat wave we were having finally broke. Thank goodness for that. I love the fall, the weather being crisp, the leaves changing colors, and not to mention it's a big birthday month in our house.

We decided to take a walk to breakfast this morning to enjoy the weather, and unsure how chilly it was outside I got Maeve ready to brave the breeze. Go figure, I bought that hat last year when she was just a few weeks old thinking it would fit this year. Guess she got cursed with Mama's small head.

We had a great breakfast, despite it being from a place that is a bit of a greasy-spoon (not my favorite) as Mark can attest to. The walk home found Maeve snoozing in the carrier. I took the time to walk around and admire all the things I love about fall. It's different when you slow down and breathe in the day. The leaves rustling, the water lapping at the shore. It was wonderful.

By the time Maeve woke up, I decided that the entire day should be spent outside. I returned home to change a diaper and gather some goodies for us to hang out at the park with.

We packed some water, Sophie, her fav book, crackers, and some stuff in there for me too. The sun was out, the breeze was blowing and we had a great time just hanging on a blanket together.

We did eventually head over to the playset 'cuz there were lots of kids and Maeve wanted to be in the mix. She sets herself in the middle of all the older kids playing, has no clue that they'll knock her over. She is just delighted to be in their presence.

Now I will admit, the pictures today were not just to fill everyone up with a little Maeve. My mission was much more focused than that. I know I am biased, but I just think Maeve is about the cutest thing going. I thought that perhaps others would think the same. Gap is having a casting call for new Gap babies. I took a peek at other kids entered in her age group and both Mark and I think she has a good a chance as any. We're hoping maybe Helen will post Milo's pic there too...they could be Gap babies together. (I'm goofy, I know.)

So here is how it works: A panel of judges will narrow all entries received down to 20 finalists (5 boys, 5 girls, 5 baby boys, and 5 baby girls). Those finalists will be voted on by the public from November 20, 2007 through December 15, 2007. The children who receive the most votes in each category will be announced as winners in January 2008.

If Maeve gets picked to be in the finals, I'm gonna bug you all to vote for her. I guess it doesn't pay much, but Mark and I would get a trip to San Fransico as well as a few other goodies. Besides, maybe someone will see Maeve there and we'll get some leads that will pay for her college. And, you could all be lucky and see Maeve plastered across your local Gap. So start early, send some lucky love!