Photo Friday-Happy Halloween

More tomorrow...I promise.

Photo Friday-Late Autumn Afternoons and Random Updates

This is still how we spend our late afternoons before dinner. Although, when it's still 80 degrees during the day, it doesn't really seem like Autumn.Whenever Kate sees anything Halloweenish, she says, "How-een is coming!" It's usually followed up by "I be a Yady Bug for How-een!" Great. She was a ladybug last year. The costume still fits. Less work for Mommy.Padyn has quickly adapted to kindergarten. She loves her teacher and some of the other kids in her class, especially one of the little boys. He broke his leg a couple weeks ago and is in a wheelchair now. Padyn likes him so much, she's willing to give up her lunch recess on the "big kids' playground" to play games with Mr. G.Kate hasn't adjusted to kindergarten as well as Padyn has. If I need to be home during that time, she gets extremely bored and just wants to watch TV the whole time. It's like she really can't figure out what to do when Padyn's not around. Well, that or she's so excited to finally get to choose the video, she just wants a chance to watch what she wants while Padyn's not home.Potty training for Kate is going well. Her pull-ups are usually always dry and I don't remember seeing a poppy diaper this week. I would put her in underwear, but the days I tried it she peed in them after her nap both days in a row. (She was in a pull-up for her nap, and then when I switched her back to underwear, she would pee.) I don't like pee on my carpet, so it was back to pull-ups. Which she hates, by the way. Oh, but that's the next update...Kate is a very strange child, and is driving us crazy in the car. She seems to have an aversion to wearing clothes in her carseat. As soon as she sits down in her carseat, she arches her back and whines, "It's buggin' me!" She could be referring to her shirt, her pants/skirt or her diaper. I don't always know. I know she doesn't like buttons or bows on her back and apparently pockets on her pants are also a problem. If I don't take the offending clothes off, she spends the entire car ride screaming at the top of her lungs and spitting. Oh. So. Fun. It's always an internal battle-do I just give in beforehand and take her clothes off? Or do I decide she needs to get used to it and just let her scream? Such a dilemma.Oh, Padyn hates homework. Who doesn't? Sorry, Padyn. You better get used to it.Padyn can now spell cat and other words that rhyme with it, as well as the, go, I, she, like, my, look, to, are, you, and a. Her class is memorizing sight words and she can read 22 out of 24 of them.

I think it's time to get Kate a little bike. She loved riding our neighbor's two wheeler (with training wheels, of course). Maybe a Christmas present.

Happy Friday. Hope your weekend is a bit calmer than mine in going to be.

"Dis Is Good!"

That's what came out of Kate's mouth as she ate her breakfast...a combination of foods that she created:

Scrambled eggs on Peanut Butter Toast

It reminds me of another creation my other child came up with a long long time ago: a turkey and peanut butter sandwich.

I don't think I'll put this one on my food blog.

Photo Friday-Sky High Adventures

Can you guess what we did two weeks ago?

The Zip Course at Mt. Hermon. The initial terror of being 150 feet off the ground (and yet only half way up a redwood tree) worn off after the second zip. Once the fear subsided, the rides were just what you'd expect: exhilarating. (Plus, the line was wet due to the sprinkling of rain, so it made for a pretty fast trip between the trees.) But before that, jumping off that ledge, even knowing you are very securely hooked to that line, was one of the scarier things I've ever done. If you haven't done something like this before, and you don't think being that high up with make you vomit, then you should do it. So. Much. Fun.

There are not many actual zipping photos of our time. The ones that the photographer was close enough to take came out blurry. Well, except for that one above of Joel. I guess we were just going to fast for the camera.

While Joel, Uncle Greggie, Aunt Hezzie and I flew through the air between the Giant Redwoods, Padyn and Kate hung out with Grandpa and Mimi. Thanks, Grandpa, for being our photographer. You did a great job. Happy Friday. Maybe you should plan a new adventure for this weekend.

She's so Cute...

...even with a pigtail in her face.

Ever Expanding Vocabulary

Mommy: Padyn, you got a card in the mail from Camille. I think it's a thank you note.

Padyn: Really? I LOVE thank you notes. They are so thank you-ish.

My Daughter, the Rock Star

A few weeks ago, our church had an open mic night at our local coffee shop (the church happens to own the coffee shop, but shhhhhhh...). Anyways, one of the kids ministry staff members had the awesome idea of having a kids open mic before the grown-up event. Padyn and Kate had decided that they were going to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" with Miss Wendy. Well, in the end, Kate and Miss Wendy sang it. Kate didn't get stage fright like her sister did.

Now I'm not bragging, but my daughter brought down the house. She was, in my opinion (and others that I have spoken to), the best act of the night. There she was, in her almost 2 and 1/2 year old glory, up in front of a packed-out room. She knew exactly what to do. She grabbed that microphone and told everyone that she would be singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider." She told them 3 times, just so they didn't miss it. Then, clearly and loudly, she sang it, with the hand motions, into the microphone. While Miss Wendy helped make sure she didn't fall of the stool and that she remembered all the motions, Padyn stood behind, wanting to be up front, but not in the lime-light. (That pretty much describes the difference between my daughters-one is the performer and one wants to be, but is too shy to take the risk.) And there was Kate. The star.

Somewhere it is on video. Someday I will show it to you. But for now, you can try to visualize with these pictures that I shot with my friend's camera (because it didn't even occur to me to bring mine.)

This is my favorite, where she's grabbing the mic and looking right at the camera. And there's Padyn, hiding behind Wendy.

Maybe I should read more into it when Kate says, "Let's ROCK AND ROLL!" (which she does, with surprising regularity.)

Photo Friday-Kate the Fish

e patient...I can't get the photos up today. But here's one I don't think I showed you from the lake back in September.Isn't she cute? And now she's a two and a half year old terror. But that's a whole other blog post.

Hope you are having a good Friday where you are.

I'm a Big Girl Now

Kate will tell you today that she is potty trained.

If peeing on the potty 5 times and pooping on it twice in one day is potty training, then bring on the Dora underwear.

Well, I wouldn't go that far just yet. But she was amazing today. We haven't pushed the whole potty issue yet with her (even though she did turn 2 and 1/2 yesterday), but we haven't been ignoring her requests to practice using the toilet, either. At least once a day for the past couple weeks she'll say she has to go on the potty. She hardly ever goes, but hey, you have to learn somehow, right?

But today. Today she was spot on almost every time. I think she only peed in her diaper twice and once was because I won't take her to the bathroom since we were in a restaurant and there was a line. I didn't even have to ask her if she needed to go. She just would tell us she had to go, then we'd go, and she'd go. We were blown away. And the cutest part is when she's done she's SOOOOO proud of herself she can hardly stand it. She comes running up to you and throws herself into your legs for a big bear hug. Half the time she says, "Mommy, you so poud (proud) of me!" It isn't a question.

But, today is just one day. We'll see how she does tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. It could all be a fluke.

But just in case it's not, I did wash her new Dora and Jasmine underwear tonight.

Photo Friday-Padyn Ballerina and the Cupcake Princess

Sorry sorry....long week. Didn't take any new photos. These are from the beginning of the month. I think I've posted a couple in each series, but here they all are in their glory.

This first batch is from Padyn's first day of dance class back on September 4th. But really, they could be from this past Thursday seeing as how she wears this leotard EVERY SINGLE WEEK. (Grandma, I think a new one for her birthday is a GREAT idea.)

These next ones are of Kate pounding down a chocolate cupcake at C's birthday party on Labor Day. The way she was going after this baked treat, you'd think she hadn't eaten in 15 days. I'll be better with the camera next week. As Kate would say, " I POMIS!"

Happy Friday.