pumpkins galore...and much more!

We met some friends at the Pumpkin Patch today. Emma Jane didn't know where to start with so many cool things to touch and climb up on! As usual, she was on the go and so were we!

backyard fun

As most of you know, Emma Jane LOVES to climb, jump, and swing. We were lucky that the owners of this house decided to leave their wooden playset in the backyard. It's pretty intricate as far as playsets go with 3 regular swings, a 2-seater glider, trapeze rings, a good-sized slide, 2 rock climbing sections, monkey bars, a covered platform, and a little wood-slat bridge. Most of this is pretty challenging for a 2-year-old, but that hasn't stopped our little monkey! She loves to swing and shouts, "High-rer! High-rer! Look, Mommy, I can reach the sky!" She has even mastered the rock climbing and has no trouble boosting herself up (with either me or Paul spotting her the whole way!). Unfortunately, our crazy climber is fearless, but not quite capable of doing all of things she thinks she can do, so today Paul worked on making this playset a little safer for Emma Jane. He replaced the rock climbing section so that it is easier for her to climb independently. He also replaced the bridge boards to ensure that they would stay in place. Emma Jane enjoyed watching her daddy fix the playset and was thrilled to use some of the things that have been "off limits" for the past few weeks. In the last picture you can see her hugging Paul as she says, "Kank you fo fissing my playset, Dad!"

first lollipop

Emma Jane enjoyed her first lollipop today. I'm not sure if that means we are thoroughly conscientious parents or obnoxiously paranoid ones! She loved it and savored every lick. Of course, at the rate she was going, it would've taken her all day to finish, so we snuck the lollipop away from her after awhile. She has informed us several times tonight, "Mmmmmm...I wuv wowwypops! They are so tasty!"

again daddy!

Our little fish loves her afternoon swim with daddy, especially when he throws her up in the air! I caught a quick video the other day. Who knows how many times Paul actually tossed her in the air. He can't resist Emma Jane's plea of "Again!" no matter how many times she asks! As you can see in the video, he did start making her work for it by asking her to swim to him first!

pink for a princess

We've finally finished decorating and organizing Emma Jane's room in the new house. I thought I'd share some photos of her VERY PINK room. The extra bedrooms are smaller in this house, but we made the most of the space and mangaged to fit almost everything in her room. Believe it or not, Emma Jane likes to keep things in their place, so hopefully her room will stay this way! Now for our next project....the nursery for Baby Street!

28 weeks

Just wanted to share a picture of the baby bump at 28 weeks. I went to get a much-needed pedicure with some friends this weekend. It was a nice treat for all of us mamas!

bouncing ballerina

Notice the title does not describe our ballerina as "graceful" or "elegant". There is a reason for that! For the past two weeks Emma Jane has been attending ballet class with some of her friends. I have to be honest and say that I'm pretty sure she's not a natural! I see our girl as a future track or soccer star, or maybe even a gymnast, but while I can still call the shots, we are going to try ballet! During class our wild child had a little trouble focusing, but her teacher, Ms. Mimi, is very good at trying to keep her on track. Emma Jane has a mind of her own and only wants to do what SHE wants to do, so I think the structure of this class will be good for her. Regardless, I think she makes a pretty cute ballerina!

kitty cat muffins

Most everyone knows that cooking and baking are not my forte, but I am blessed to have a husband who enjoys doing both. Of course, I do attempt the occasional meal, but always with detailed instructions in hand or ready-made ingredients. Emma Jane loves muffins, so I make the instant muffins once a week for breakfast. You know, the kind where you just add milk to the mix! This morning as I was getting little missy out of bed, I asked her what she wanted for breakfast and she happily replied, "Muffins! Kitty cat muffins!" Okay, what in the world are kitty cat muffins?!? I have no idea how this request popped into her head, but I decided I would try to to honor it!

I used the usual strawberry muffin mix and let Emma Jane help me stir in the milk. As you will see from the picture below, Emma Jane impatiently waited for the muffins to bake in the oven. Then the creative mom in me decided to see what we had in the pantry to magically transform these ordinary muffins into "kitty cat" muffins. I decided to use mini chocolate chips for the eyes, a dried cranberry for the nose and a fruit bar cut into small strips for the whiskers! Emma Jane was thrilled! Of course, after looking more closely, I probably could have come up with something for pointy kitty cat ears, but Emma Jane was ready to eat her muffin!

labor day fun

Emma Jane had a very busy Labor Day. Since Paul had to work, I decided to take her to the zoo by myself. Big mistake! The crowd there was terrible with all the kiddos out of school. I almost turned around to go home, but I couldn't disappoint my girl! She had her mind set on going to the zoo. The highlights of our visit were her first "all myself" Icee and a ride on the merry-go-round. Notice from the carousel picture that I actually trusted her to hold on by herself (just for a few pics, of course!) I'm sure she has been capable of doing this for quite some time, but mama wasn't ready to trust her. On the tram ride back to the parking lot, she laid down on the seat and said, "Nap time, Mom!" I guess our quick zoo trip wore her out!

Later that afternoon Paul and I took Emma Jane for a swim at the neighborhood pool. Paul has been taking her most afternoons when he gets home from work, but this was the first time I went with them. She is becoming quite a little swimmer with the newest floating device and has no qualms about jumping in the water to Paul. I had to add a bathing suit picture of me with a 26 week pregnant belly. Just two months ago that swimsuit top completely covered my belly, but not anymore!

this is my friend george

Emma Jane has been saying the funniest things lately and if I don't document them, I just know I will forget. Here are a few of my favorites...


"This is my friend George!" (said while introducing me to Curious George...she went through all of her favorite stuffed animals with this introduction)

"Mommy, I not screaming, I squealing!" (said in earnest after I chastised her for screaming in the backseat of the car)

"Daddy, sometimes it's hard to leave." (first thing she said to Paul after returning from a friend's birthday party)

"Mommy, I not sleepy!" (trying to postpone bedtime)

"Mommy, I wuv cupcakes! They taste so yummy!" (imagine this statement shouted at the top of her lungs with seriously overenthusiastic gusto)

"Just a lil' bit" or "Just a few mo minutes" (when she's trying to talk me into something I've already said no to)

"Sometimes balloons pop!" (spoken every time she sees a balloon as she remembers the tragic day her balloon popped)

"Daddy, I don't like it. It too spicy!" (said frequently at dinnertime when she doesn't want to eat something)

"Mommy, not supposed to throw toys!" (after she witnessed me taking the lazy approach to cleaning up as I threw a toy across the room into a basket)

"Ms. Bonnie says, not time to touch toys", "Ms. Bonnie says, no touch dolls now", and "Ms. Bonnie says, only teachers touch doors." (these rules are recited anytime I ask her about her new preschool class...she's obviously listening to the rules, but does she follow them!?!)

There are so many more, but it's hard to remember them all. What I really love is how she addresses who she is speaking to before she says something. I can't wait to hear what she has to say tomorrow!