October 2017

 I printed a bunch of simple science experiments and left them in your "mailbox" so you could choose one when you are bored.  Your favorite by far was making a balloon rocket using a piece of string tied to two points, a straw threaded onto the string, and a balloon taped to the straw.  We did this over and over for at least 30 minutes before I declared bedtime.

 Children's museum with Shea.  This was such a treat for you, mostly because you got to go with Shea.  It was an added treat that they had just changed out their temporary exhibit to a fairy tales exhibit on loan from the St. Louis Magic House (where I remember going as a kid, side note).

Love this photo of you two holding hands, though it also makes you seem so grown up and I get a little choked up.

 Riding in Cinderella's carriage.

 Shoemakers.

 New tutu for dance class has been a big hit.  You finally got to be Dancer of the Day this month, which is a BIG deal for a 4-year old.

 I agreed to let you play with Dorty in the bath and you gently and thoroughly cleaned every inch of her.

 We never made it to a pumpkin patch this year, so we'll just count this display at Lowe's instead.

 You have been asking me to teach you how to paint windmills ever since my Paint Nite event.  So we got out your easel and set up next to each other and you did a really great job!

 I bought all these little pumpkins for a MOMS Club play date, but until we needed them, you used them to play Pumpkin School.  The flamingos were the teachers and below they are reading to the pumpkin class.  None of the pumpkins had names except for the two that you'd carefully selected to be the Kinley pumpkin and the Shea pumpkin.

 You have been practicing writing your name all month and are doing a fantastic job.  This was pretty early in the month during a point in which you were writing from right to left.  You refused to write the Y because you ran out of new colors.

 Play date at Shea's house with Shea and Ally.

 Picnic.

 Swimsuit dance party.

 And swimming!

 Yes, those are Christmas decorations in October.

 Out of the blue one day:
"Can you adopt pets?"
"Yes."
"Can I get a kitty?!?"  (In the most excited, sweet manner you could imagine.)

I didn't even know you liked cats.  Never in a million years would have guessed you would ask for a cat before a dog.

 Love Bear ready for vacation!

 You were thrilled to discover that my friend Erica owns a wand!

 Play date with Micah.

 MOMS Club pumpkin decorating play date.

 When the pumpkins were done everyone got in on playing dress up.

 I think every girl who visits our house wears the First Communion dress at some point.  You almost always choose the star leotard though.

 Looking at pictures from Aunt Brandee's wedding and referring to a picture of Uncle Matt:  "He looks pretty weird, right?"  I'm not sure what was weird about it, but it had me cracking up anyway.

 Watching the big girls dance before your class starts.

 I've been working on a quilt made of your baby clothes for OVER TWO YEARS.  Once it started getting close to being done you became very excited about it.

 PVS Fall Festival.  Despite the October date, it ended up around 100 degrees that day.  We didn't stay long due to the heat, but tried to do as much as we could while we were there.

Spin art.

 A little bouncing.

 Snow cones!

 Petting zoo.

 Pumpkin decorating.

 You cracked me up the day you put on the witches hat and then got out your broom with it.  I was trying to capture you in your natural play but you caught me so I had to settle for this posed photo instead.

 Complete!  Woohoo!  You asked to sleep with it the VERY FIRST NIGHT and it's been on your bed ever since.

 More name practice.  Vertical this time.

 Fairies need doctors too.

 This doesn't exactly pertain to you, but was perhaps the best conversation I heard all month, so I'm sharing anyway.  This was Daddy, from the kitchen, while I was in another room:
"Is there more peanut butter?  Oh....*CRASH, BANG*  Found it.  Threw it on the floor....just keeping you up to date."