A New Introduction

Collins met Santa (Ho Ho) for the first time yesterday. She wasn't overly scared, but preferred to keep a safe distance between her and the man in the red suit. No sitting on the lap this time!

A Jumping Bean

Collins has a new favorite activity- jumping. After her nap, she used to want to snuggle/read. Now, she wants to stay in her bed and turn it into a trampoline. Jump, plop! Jump, plop! This can go on for awhile. This jumping also happens on our bed, on the dance floor, and randomly throughout the day on all surfaces- cushy and not.

Of course, there's also lots of jumping in gymnastic class on Thursdays. They have four large trampolines that the kids can go wild on. Well, we've been taking this class since August, and she hadn't been able to jump on the trampoline with both feet landing at the same time until yesterday. It was an exciting moment to see her finally figure it out! Guess all that practice paid off! Here's the moment...

Memory Making

A couple of days in the town I grew up in, a couple of visits to my favorite childhood spots, and a couple of conversations over the Thanksgiving table made me realize how precious our memories are. So much changes over the course of our lives- people and traditions come and go- but these remarkable moments are always with us.

This Thanksgiving, I was most thankful for the time and opportunity to make new memories with the ones that I love. A few fun moments from Hickory...

A piano lesson from Poppy (and lots of banging from Collins)...

The Catawba Science Center wasn't nearly as cool as we remembered it, but the Green Screen technology was entertaining. C was just very confused.

 

Baba and Mimi are always a big hit, but on this particular visit so were their pets. It was really cute hearing Collins's version of "Zoe", "Lilly" and "Mia".

 

Christmas card posing...

 

A classic toy comes down from the attic...

 

Jumping is a new obsession so Heather's new trampoline was a well-timed hit...

Fascinating dinner conversation with cousin Noah...

 

Many thanks to all of our family in Hickory and Raleigh for such a special holiday!



Weekends are...

Hanging out with your family...

 

Fun get-togethers (tailgating, birthday and other kinds)...

 

Trying new things...

Catching up on chores around the house...

Getting outside to play...

And this particular weekend was getting excited about the holiday season that is officially here!

Marbles Fun

We love Marbles. The downtown kids museum offers so many cool programs and events in addition to all their neat exhibits. We just completed a four-week program there called "Toddlers Together" which combined songs, rhymes, learning stations, and play. Very cool- we will be signing up for more sessions this winter. Here are some pix from our time there. Is it any surprise that Collins kept gravitating towards the "messy station"?

 

 

 

Toddler Times

Parenting a toddler is an interesting thing.

I love this stage in Collins's life for many reasons- her curiosity, her excitement, her expanding vocabulary, her ability to soak up all kinds of new information, her energy. When she is not trying to say a new word (high ho's=high heels), she is either sprinting down the hall or giving us a hug. She is so fun.

Of course it's never all easy or perfect, and we're learning what makes this age so trying too- her frustrations from not being able to communicate clearly, her need to show independence, her pushing boundaries and trying to get a reaction, her not wanting to eat anything besides cereal, cheese or toast!

Our latest challenge is a combination of all these things I think. Collins has been swatting at/hitting/pushing other kids lately. It's a problem. It's embarrasing. It's got to stop. I've been doing some research on it, and I think she is either trying to communicate with the kids, get a reaction out of me, or testing her limits. Regardless, I am desperate to stop the behavior or no one is ever going to want to hang out with us again!

If anyone has any words of wisdom on this toddler problem- please help! In the meantime, I will be trying some new strategies and reminding myself that my sweet, fun girl is only going through a phase. :)

 

 

In Costume

I think we managed to thoroughly confuse Collins this weekend. Between a visit with Mr. and Ms. Wuf and the N.C. State Band at the football game, seeing ballerinas dressed up as mice and soldiers for a library performance of the Nutcracker, and meeting Brother and Sister Bear at Quail Ridge Books- there were lots of strangely dressed "creatures" everywhere we went.

Collins wanted to know where Mr. Wuf's shoes were...

"Boom, boom, bye, bye!" is what the band says...

 

Storytime with the Berenstain Bears...

 

I can see why a small person would be intimidated...

Much better from a distance!

 

Can You Say "Trick or Treat"?

Collins's vocabulary isn't quite there yet, but we did get a couple of tiny "thank yous" out of her on her first night of trick-or-treating. Even though she couldn't say the magic words, her ladybug cuteness was more than enough to reward her with plenty of treats.

 

 

Halloween was really fun last night. We had our first-ever neighborhood "parade". Question- if a group of 20 people (some in costume, some not) walk down the street at the same time is it actually considered a parade?? Regardless, it felt festive and we got a group picture at the end.

 

Collins wasn't the only cute bug in the neighborhood, and she and Kinsey helped each other figure out the whole trick-or-treating process.

 

She got excited once she realized people were trying to fill up her pumpkin, but then tired quickly after a couple of houses so we headed home. She handed out candy to a couple of "babies" (i.e. 10-year-olds dressed up as football players) and called it a night. Between the perfect Halloween weather (cool and blustery!) and experiencing trick-or-treating again for the first time through the eyes of my child- it was a memorable one!