Monday, October 29, 2012

October Fun-ness!



Playing in the garden/dirt...

This was just a few weeks ago - one of our recent 80-degree days (and now we're down to 30-degree nights!).

I left the backdoor open and came to check on her, and found this sweetness.  I enjoyed just sitting on the back steps and watching her...all focused and intent on using that shovel and 'bucket.'  It just kept going on and on...I finally had to sneak inside and get the camera, and eventually take some video (video link posted below - nothing 'exciting' happening in it, just a cute watch for a momma (or maybe a grandparent.))

Love the toes pointed inward.  That, plus the bright bandaid could make a greeting card, I think!





A couple of weeks ago after church, the cute, black-and-white plaid skirt she wore came off, but the tights and long-sleeved shirt stayed on...and then she got into a few library books on our cozy Sunday afternoon.  :)


Not only is this cute, and not only is she picking the least comfortable place to lay down (!), but it made me think of what it'll be like in just a few short years...sitting on her bed reading or working on homework.  Gosh, it'll happen so fast!  :(


A Helicopter Landed at Our Park!


At the park just up the street, a helicopter came in and landed.  The (head?) coach at Mizzou came in to scout an athlete at the high school football game and then left again by halftime.  See the video below (it's brief)  and EJ's cute reaction.  :)



Right after the helicopter landing, we headed over to the Maplewood Fall Festival at the elementary school...it was hard to get any good pictures, but we did get this one.  I was so busy trying to explain to her how to stick her head through, that I missed the attire of the superhero girl - once I saw it on my camera, I was mortified that EJ was 'in' such skimpy clothes!  :)




A much-needed GIRLS NIGHT: pizza and wine...lots of changes for each of us to celebrate, process through, and just be girls. 

Mmmm....




More BAKING!!
Time to make a pumpkin cake.  Since we pulled out a couple of trick-or-treating buckets, we decided to use one of them to mix the cake batter in!  Why not, right?

Now my super-duper-baking-helper is even cutting the bags all by herself!


For those that know my kiddo, that slightly-pucker lip and almost-furrowed brow is her "concentration" look.  She's totally into it.  :)



Always the reward at the end for a job well done! :)

Got a chance to play with some of Mommy's cake decorating tools...AFTER she helped design the pumpkin's face.

EJ insisted that this pumpkin guy get eyebrows.  :)





She's under there!

Sweet little thing - delays and delays naps until 4pm, and then picks up the largest book in her room and can't stay awake long enough to read it or put it down.  Yes, she's under the book, and if you look closely, you'll see a hand of hers on either side holding on...she had a pretty good grip that I had to pry that book from her.
Btw, this isn't the first time I've caught her sleeping under a book! :)


Boo at the Zoo - Princess Fun!
So, Grandma sent over (just in the nick of time!) Aunt K's old Snow White costumer.  I don't totally remember the days when my sis was wearing this (heck, I was like 10 or something and had big girl, 10 year old stuff to do, I guess), but I DO remember us calling her Snow White all the time.  Aunt K had much darker hair, and probably already knew all the words to 5 Disney movies at that point.  EJ doesn't really know who Snow White is yet, but she seemed just fine being in the dress...  LOVE this precious little smile (especially because all I'm getting lately are the fake smiles...I know...ALREADY!?!).

A repeat of our Boo at the Zoo friend and picture by the pumpkin of last year.  This year, however, they didn't trade costumes.  
Aww...pals.



Getting free candy as we walked the paths!


...was told to make a 'surprised' face...

...was told to make a scary face...

...was told to MEOW like a kitty...

So, even though she's standing at the 'butt' of the elephant and trying to pull its tail, this is kinda fun: this kid was TERRIFIED of the big elephant every time we went to the zoo last year, and even during Boo and the Zoo last year when I was holding her.  Had that "mom" moment when I just watched her walk right up to it (and then try to pull its tail!)...fun to watch them move past their fears.

OK, if you were to take out the elephant leg...and, oh...say, replace it with a tree...with the wind blowing her little 'princess' dress, AND knowing that Snow White would sing to all the trees and animals in the forest, can't you just see a little bit of Disney reenactment? :)



SQUEEZES!!

CJ and N...although N was done with sitting around at that point.  This kiddo pushed her own stroller around for nearly the entire zoo.  I can only hope she took a great nap for Mommy and Daddy later that day!







I Got Sticker-ified!

EJ's 5 minutes of fun with Mommy on Sun afternoon...I finally had to cut her off as my face was itching like crazy. Then, she (excitedly) took a picture of her work. 


Poor Mommy!!

CHECK BACK SOON!  HOPE TO HAVE SOME HALLOWEEN PICTURES AFTER WEDNESDAY!

Saturday, October 6, 2012

After 5 New Blog Entries...

...one last precious picture of my sweetheart...



This is a picture from her 2 1/2 year photo shoot we did.  I don't have the rest of them yet, but if they are close to this, I love them all with that sweet little smile and twinkle in her eye (and some of Mommy's favorite flowers)!

It's Been a While Since We Went to the Zoo

Although we've been to the zoo a few times this year, we've never made it to the carousel like we did last year.  It's been a while!  And, it's fun to see the difference from sevearl months - how much bigger EJ is and how much more she can enjoy it.  

Petting the baby gorilla ride.

We also made it into the Children's Zoo area before the 'free' cutoff time...and we got to pet the stinky goats.

OK, the browner goat was quite literally trying to sleep on the back of the white goat.  Poor the stuck lil' white goat!

The kiddos can also brush the goats.

She's as bigger as a river otter!


RRARRRR, she says!

See video below - pretty funny...
  EJ's First Monologue!



Totally not afraid of petting the snake....


...and another snake...

Cute little baby elephant...
EJ said, "Look, Mommy!  It's Mommy and EJ!"
(seriously, did she just call me an elephant? Am I the size of the elephant?  Or is she talking about my wrinkles that remind her of the elephant?  :)  Poor me!  Tee hee)

Sometimes this little guy would suck up water through his trunk and then put it into his mommy's mouth!  It was cute.  :)