Sesame Street

So November has just zipped right on by. I can't believe it's going to be December already. Not too much excitement here. Em is definitely not ready to be a big girl. She hasn't shown any interest in using the potty since my last post. My goal is to try again next month during our Christmas break since I'll be off for two weeks. We'll see what happens with that. We did make a cute Thanksgiving craft this week. We traced Em's foot and cut it out. Then she glued feathers, googly eyes and a beak on it. She loved doing it so much we made 4 of them!

This weekend John and I took Emily to see Sesame Street Live at the Bradley Center. We kept it a secret from her until we actually got there. She kept asking us what her surprise was but we told her she'd have to wait and see. When we got into the building she noticed a few kids were carrying stuffed Elmos and said, "Hey momma, she got an Elmo just like me at home!" Once we got up the escalator she knew something was up because of all the Elmo things so we told her what we were going to see and her face lit up with excitement.

We had awesome seats. We didn't want floor seats since it would be hard for her to see so we got first row of the lower section. Emily absolutely loved every minute of it! She was so focused on the show and was dancing in her seat. The show was called Elmo's Green Thumb. The story line was Elmo was trying to find a place to plant his flower. I didn't expect Em to really be able to follow the actual story but a few days after we had seen it, she was telling a friend

all about it! How awesome is that?!

On her way to being a BIG girl

Just had to post that my little girl took a leap to being a BIG girl. I have been trying to encourage her to use the potty for a few months now but she wasn't showing any interest. Well this past week we went shopping with my mom and she bought Emily a Dora seat that goes on top of the toilet. She thought that maybe she'd like that better than her little potty. Em tried a few times to go but as she says, "My water won't come out." Well just a little bit ago I was downstairs on the computer when she yelled down to me that she needed to go to the bathroom. I figured sure we'll give it a few minutes so I helped her get on. Of course she thinks it's fun time and wants to play with her tub toys while she's sitting there. After a few minutes I asked her if she was done and she said that she was waiting for her water to come out so she could get a MnM (M&M). So we sat there, and all of a sudden she started going. My poor baby had this scared look on her face like she had no idea what was happening. I smiled and told her she was going potty and clapped for her. And with a big smile on her face she said, "My water, my water come out mommy!!!"



So I know this is only the beginning, but still, I'm so proud of her and happy that I never pushed the potty training thing. This was all her!

Bad Mommy!

I feel like a terrible mother. Today I had to take Em to get a flu shot. When I picked her up from the sitter’s I told her that we had to go to the doctor’s before we went out to eat. Just then she lost it, crying all the way to there in the car, in my arms as we walked in, and kept crying as she was standing next to me as we were checking in. I was able to get her to calm down and then the nurse called our name and she took off running from me crying, “No doctor mommy!” So we get her in the room, hold her down and give her the shot. It wasn’t until we were in the car that I realized how bad I really was, I had forgotten to give her any pain reliever before her shot. It honestly never crossed my mind. Well as a reward for Em and a comforting mechanism for me, I let her choose where we should go for dinner. I thought for sure she’d say Culver’s so she could get ice cream but to my surprise she said fruit cup, which means Chancery! Unbelievable! I know that her two favorite things to eat are chocolate ice cream and fruit but what kid would choose fruit over ice cream? Only Em :)-

Later on that night, still trying to soothe my mommy guilt, I asked Emily if she wanted to do a project. Her eyes lit up and she was thrilled. I had a simple craft that I actually had put together for October but we never got around to it. But hey, pumpkins are for November too. I gave her a paper plate and little square pieces of orange construction paper. She glued them on and when finished we added the stem. Look at her completed pumpkin, she is so proud of her work. All she kept saying was, “I show daddy when he gets home.”

Halloween Fun!

Halloween has been a blast this year. This of course was the first year that Emily really had fun with the holiday. Besides hitting up all the pumpkin farms around, we also went to the RFC Halloween Party and a Halloween craft night. Emily just loves doing artsy things but I think she liked the cleanup time more with her bud, Cam. While the two of them were washing brushes, I caught Em hoisting herself up over the counter edge and putting her mouth under the stream of water to get a drink. Note to self: Let Em have fun in the kitchen sink more. :)

We had been asking Emily for weeks what she wanted to be for Halloween. The poor girl is taking after her mother with indecision. Things she named: monkey, monster, Minnie Mouse, butterfly. What did she end up choosing, Daisy Duck! Now lets just say that took some coaxing. We were at the Disney Store and I had her try on a Minnie costume. She looked so cute but her comment, “It no fit me.” (even though it did.) The reason, she kept eyeing a Donald Duck costume. I said that Donald was a boy but that she could be Daisy, so in other words, she settled but was happy. Here’s a pic of Em as an adorable Daisy. (Like her potato head pumpkin masterpieces?)

This was Emily’s 1st year trick or treating. John and I took her around the block. She carried a little pink and purple basket that looked cute with her costume, even though John teased me that it looked like an Easter basket. Once we went around the block she said she was all done since her basket was full so we went home and passed out candy and played in the front yard.

More Pumpkin Farm Fun

So October is at an end and I’ve been really bad at keeping up with the blog, go figure. So let me play catch up…… We ended up hitting at least one pumpkin farm every weekend just like I was hoping to. Em and I went with our good friends, Jennie and Aiden and Aiden’s grandma Sharon, who is also Em’s sitter, to Swan’s Pumpkin Farm on the 12th. Emily took her 1st hayride and loved it. One thing that she could have lived without, the animals. She wanted nothing to do with any of the animals and just kept trying to hide behind me. Aiden on the other hand, loved them!

The next weekend John and I took Emily and Aiden to Jerry Smith’s. What a great Pumpkin farm! We had never been there before. They have little scenes set up with the characters having “pumpkin heads”. Emily’s favorite was the JoJo’s Circus scene. (JoJo’s circus is one of her favorite cartoons on Disney.) We did a no no and let Em go in the scene so we could get her picture taken with them. I know, I know, what bad examples we are, but it was the only way I could get her to look at me for a picture ;)

Then the third weekend we finally got hit with the October cool weather. We had been so lucky up till that point! Of course, the weekend I decide to save for going to the Land of the Giant Pumpkins, out on Hwy 11 in Sturtevant, was the windiest and coldest, but Em didn’t care. Nana (my mom) came with us because I had to pick up 50 small pumpkins for the RFC Halloween party in addition to the pumpkins for our house. Emily had fun picking out pumpkins for her friends and playing in the small houses and hay maze. Em had a blast going to all the different pumpkin farms! If anyone might know of any pumpkin farms that we missed, please let me know so we can add them to our list for next year.

Fall Fun

It’s Fall! One of my favorite times of the year. I love the the fresh crisp air and the change of colors. I can’t wait for the leaves to fall so we can make big piles and Emily can have fun jumping into them. Speaking of which, mental note needed: Have John pick up a kid’s rake from work. ;)

We started October off right with a trip to Apple Holler on Saturday. We have made it a tradition to go there each year. We get up early (yes all 3 of us) and head there for their apple breakfast. The Apple Walnut French toast is sooo yummy and the apple smoked bacon is Mmm. After breakfast we go to the pumpkin patch and take Emily’s picture in front of the height chart. This year she’s really made it difficult to get any good pictures. She refuses to look at me when I’ve got the camera out. Here’s a picture from each year. It’s hard to believe that this is her 3rd Halloween. Oh, how time flies!

This was the first year that Emily really “did” anything while at the pumpkin farm. She rode the kid’s train and did the corn maze. She was so cute while doing the maze. John and I let her lead the way. Each time we got to an “intersection” in the maze she’d say, “ooh, this is a good way” and lead us on all while eating an apple and trying to eat the dried corn throughout the maze.

Speaking of apples….my oh my did she ever get us going. For those of you who don’t know Em is a fruit and veggieaholic! No seriously, she can put them away like nobody’s business. Well while we were trying to take her picture by the growth chart she saw another little girl eating an apple and persistently begged us until we finally got her one. I was a little concerned because usually I cut apples into slices but figured she would be able to handle it. I showed her the part she shouldn’t eat and John and I kept reminding her while we were walking around. When it was time to go she still had half of her apple so we let her take it in the car. (Yes I know, it could have been a choking hazard but you try taking fruit away from an addict J ) Anyway, on our way home we kept checking on her and reminded her not to eat the stem or seeds. Do you know where I’m going with this……….. Yeah, we get home and John lets her out of the truck. He asks her where the rest of her apple is and she gives him a blank stare. He asks her again and he says in a happy voice with a big smile on her face, “I ate it!” We ask her again, “No Emily the part with the stem and the seeds, where did you put it? Under the seat?” She repeats laughing this time, “I ate it.” Again, with disbelief, John asks “Em, no seriously, where did you put it?” Her final answer almost shouting with one of her hands on her hip, “Daddy, It’s in my BELLY!” as she’s patting her belly with her other hand. So are you wondering what happens when you eat an apple core? Nothing at first but a few hours later the stomach ache sets in and it resurfaces if you know what I mean.

So my plan is to check out a few different pumpkin farms this year. Hopefully a different one each weekend while the weather’s still good. But one thing is for sure, I think we’ll stay away from the apples!

So Smart

My baby is learning so much! Today I had to take a half day at work. Well I was in such of a hurry when I left that I forgot my purse in the closet in my classroom. Of course it had to be a Friday and I would defiantly be needing my things for the weekend so once school was over, I took Emily with me to go get it. My goal was to just be there for a minute but that never happens. Emily wanted to stay and play. She was busy sorting some plastic colored animals that I had at the math center. When I went to check on her I couldn’t believe my eyes. She had sorted them by color! How crazy I thought! What was more crazy was when we finally were leaving I tried to get her mind off of the fact that we were leaving so I asked her if she wanted to count the frogs on the lockers (they’re the locker name tags for one of the 2nd grade classes). I expected her to go to 7 since that’s what I’ve heard her do at home but to my amazement she counted to 11 and with one to one correlation! (meaning that she pointed to each frog as she counted it)

In addition to counting to 11 and sorting by color she can identify colors and names of shapes (circle, triangle, square, heart, star and diamond). Now before anyone starts questioning how she knows all this, listen up, we haven’t taught her any of it! She’s basically learned it on her own and even though I’m ashamed to admit it, Noggin has had an influence too. I’ve been selective with the toys that we’ve bought for her, lots of simple things that encourage her to learn these skills on her own. Em is also a great artist! She loves to draw and paint which has taught her the colors and shapes. I can’t wait till Christmas. I’ve got some great ideas of what I’d like to see her get!