pumpkin patch fun

On Halloween I knew I wanted to get out and do something fun with Superman and it turns out we had a very busy day!  His grandmother took us to hear the Knoxville symphony for a little while.  They put on a program for the local elementary schools.  My kids were actually there too!  I saw where their school was sitting and I think I saw Mr. Happy although of course I couldn't actually go say hi.  Superman loved the music!  

After we got home and his grandmother left, we turned around and headed to Oakes farm.

 (Ok I don't know why blogger is being dumb and won't let me reposition these to pics...ugh. oh well.) 

When we were driving there it started sprinkling so I just kept praying that God would let it stop raining while we were there.  It sprinkled until we got on the hayride...and then it stopped until we got back in the car to go home!! :)  A sweet reminder that He cares about the little details. :)

Superman looved the field of pumpkins!!  He tried to pick one up...

...and it threw him off balance and he plopped down.  :}

Then he found one with a longer handle...much easier to pick up! lol 

Back on the hayride.  He loved this too.

Wearing the squeaky shoes I brought him from China.  They get lots of fun comments.  :)

 Some of the other adults on the ride were impressed that he wasn't scared. What's there to be afraid of as long as you have your Kiki with you?  :) 

Next we went to see the animals and he walked right up to them like they were no big deal. 

But when you have a dog the size of a small horse at home, these are nothing!  lol 

 This funny pig kept wagging it's tail like it was just a happy little thing.  :)

  Don't worry...I was holding on tight and standing much closer than it looks in these last three pics.  :)

Giving this goat some lovin'...

Last we explored just a little part of the corn maze.  He thought the crunchy corn leaves were very interesting.  I wore him out this day so much that when I put him down for his nap at home, he didn't even bother rolling over onto his stomach like he usually does but just fell asleep where I lay him down!  :)

Happy Halloween!

catching up...kid-wise

Yes...I know...I'm behind...again....  :}  The last few weeks have been a little crazy with working, moving, weddings, etc.  Here is what I've been up to nanny-wise...  :)

I loove being outside in the spring when the weather is perfect!  The boys and I will walk towards the playground down the street and stop at this big grassy area with picnic tables and they will just run and explore and pick up leaves to bring to me and basically have a blast.  Then we head to the playground...if we haven't run out of time.  :)

Mommy got us a treat - Trix cereal - to use for some color sorting play!  A most delicious way to learn your colors...  :}  

When in doubt about which toy Superman wants to play with...I just stick him in with all of them! lol  Mostly cuz I think he looks super cute sitting there in the toy basket...  :} 

Mommy and Daddy get a Little Gym collage like this every Thursday.  :)  We love Little Gym! 

I just liked this one a lot.  :) 

Yay for outside playtime!! 

The table was being used as a drum here... 

Aww.

Ok so these are a little fuzzy...but it's hard to shoot a moving target! lol  Superman has learned to pull up on everything and is cruising along the couch or whatever he pulls up on.

Big Brother was soo proud of himself for being able to climb up this ladder all by himself!  Now Little Man thinks he should be able to do it too...  another year or so Little Man...be patient....  :} 

 Just to clarify...Superman isn't quite this dependent on his paci, however I always clip it to him at Little Gym because otherwise he of course tries to taste everything and while I may not be a complete germaphobe...eww.  :}

He does, however, like his paci a lot.  I call him a "paci connoisseur"...he has tried just about every paci brand out there and approves of pretty much all of them! ha.   

A "real" cell phone to play with and a truck picking up branches to watch out the window makes for a pretty great morning when you're two.  :) 

So.  Superman has officially reached the developmental stage of "object permanence"! He knows you're still there when you disappear into another room even for just a split second and does NOT like it! But I refuse to pick him up every single time so he is learning to quickly follow me (I know he does that for mommy too) to the other room and as long as he can see me, he's a happy guy again.  :)

(Don't worry...those tears only lasted a couple seconds.)  :)

See?  Happy baby again! :)

New swing! 

Haha! I love the pic in the top left corner!  And the one in the bottom left corner - we had three or four babies at the start of that little object course and I didn't know if Superman would crawl over those gaps or not, but as you can see, he was the first baby to go for it and didn't stop until he was at the end!  

Mommy text me this picture on Mother's Day.  Oh my stars how cute is that outfit?! 

Sensory play:  a cup of split peas in the empty water table = 45 minutes of busy playtime!

So see? Even when I'm not posting...I'm still busy behind the scenes!  :)  More coming...

little gym!

Usually I send a collage picture of our hour at the gym to

mommy and daddy after we get back to the house, but today I took too many pictures and I couldn't choose so I'm just going to post them here.  :}

Just waiting for class to start...

I think Superman is starting to recognize where we're going when we get out of the car.  Today he started "talking' to me and smiling as we were walking to the building.  In this picture we were waiting for the class before ours to finish up so he was intently watching them through the big glass windows.

Excited already!

This is a funny picture, but that is a little scarf he has on his head.  I love that everything they do at the Little Gym has a purpose - one purpose for this is that because they float kinda slowly, it is a good activity to practice tracking with their eyes...and playing peek-a-boo...and pulling it off their heads etc.

"What is that??"

I will admit that I have been eyeing these overalls for a while now.  They have been hanging up in Superman's closet just waiting for a warm spring day...and today was the day! Besides, we have to look super cute on days we get to go out! :)

We practiced standing on the balance beam today, although I didn't get a picture of that since I was too busy holding on to him. :)  He also liked just standing on the floor and holding on.  The balance beam provides a new texture for their hands and feet to explore.  :)

Haha!  I was talking to him and just happened to snap this pic at the moment he looked at me like "What are you saying, Kiki?"

Balls and bubbles time!  He likes sitting on the ball and can almost hold himself up on it...

Hi. Just sittin' here on this green ball like a boss.

That little girl in the background is one of our friends, Baby A., and she is always dressed in THE CUTEST little girly outfits ever! She has the best smile and laugh! :)

Baby G. is the one trying to take the ball.  Her family goes to my church!

See? He's a pro...my hand is on his back, but I'm really barely helping to balance him.

This is Baby B...Superman's girlfriend.  :)  

Somehow we usually end up sitting together when we're on the big red mat and Baby B and Superman like to stare at each other or sometimes pat each other's arms.  :} 

After we're all done, we always get to have a stamp on our hand!  They're always different...today was a letter N.  When he gets older and cares more, I bet he'll end up like Maddox, who also goes to a class at the Little Gym - he sometimes ends up with stamps on both hands, both feet, and sometimes even his nose!  :}

Yay for another fun day at the Little Gym!!  :)