Outside

We took advantage of the nice weather last week and played outside. I wore my boots cuz there were some puddles for me to splash in!

By the time I went in the house the puddle was gone! How did that happen? :)

Missed Daddy

We missed Daddy while he was gone hunting. "Wheels on the Bus" was on the list of "must reads" before bed when he got home!

Baking Cookies

Daddy went hunting - so we went to Grandpa and Grandma's to bake. Grandma made chocolate ship cookies with us while Mommy, Great Grandma and Aunt Sheila started the Christmas baking. We did a great job with these cookies - sprinkles and everything! Thanks Grandma!

Brayden helped us too!

Goof Balls

Trying to cure a little diaper rash with some "air time". Apparently she liked it.
Always interested in what's going on here.

Just a little clown

Alayna - 21 months

What am I up to at 21 Months:
- Size 18-24 mo clothes
- Size 3 diapers - I think I need to move up to size 4 though - I'm getting red marks on my legs.
- Size 4.5 or 5 shoes
- I'm very interested in zippers (the only reason I now love to wear my boots)
- Love coloring and playing playdough
- Really enjoy my music class. I sing all the time. I can do the ABC song, love Twinkle Twinkle, and have recently learned Ba Ba Black Sheep. Mommy and Daddy like it when I sing Sugarland's "Oh oh oh oh stuck like glue, you and me baby we're stuck like glue"
- Still spunky. I swat a lot still (and then end up in my bed - no fun!)
- Not too interested in TV/movies. I do like to watch Barney and sometimes Elmo - but the others I could do without.
- Love bathtime, toys, bubbles and everything that goes along with it
- Hate getting my toe nails clipped (taking after my brother on this one. Mommy and Daddy hope I grow out of it soon)
- Still have my nukie in bed for naps and at night
- In the last 2 weeks have become VERY interested in dolls/babies and my dog Violet. I like to carry them everywhere and take them places - even sleep with them
- I sleep with 5 things - white blankie, pink blankie, pink & brown blankie, soft bear and Violet - Hold UP! - 6 things - My NUKIE! I'm pretty sure I could go without most of them and sleep just fine with one blankie and nukie.
- I brush my teeth with 2 toothbrushes. I use one and Mommy/Daddy uses one
- I LOVE books now. A few of my favorites: "Maisey's Favorite Animals", Care Bears Opposites, Disney's "Special Friends", "Little Lamb", "Chicka, Chicka ABC"
- Like to help Mommy clean - sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing the floor
- Say "cheese" and smile nice for the camera when I see it out
- get incredibly crabby when I'm hungry
- Still sit backwards in my carseat. The dr says I should as long as the carseat directions say I should. Our carseat only gives a weight guideline - so I guess I will be like this til I just don't fit anymore
- Am pretty good with my manner words "please", "thank you" and "no thanks!" Sometimes Mommy asks me if I want something more for lunch and I say "no tanks!"

- can say the majority if my bedtime prayer and parts of our meal prayer

I'm lots of fun, but growing up way too fast (or so Mommy says)!

Zoo

Thursday was a nice fall day to visit the zoo. Some of our friends were able to join us - so we took advantage of the GREAT weather.

Showing off my muscles - first swing like a monkey - then go down the slide

Happy Birthday Aunt Sheila

Thursday was Aunt Sheila's birthday. Mommy and I made her this huge smiley face cookie to celebrate :)

Pretending

I'm all ready to get my hair cut. See my cape.

Swimming Lessons

2 of our teachers

Alayna and I (along with Mommy and Daddy) have been taking swimming lessons for the last 6 weeks. This class is also through the Tosa Rec Dept. It's 30 mins long and we are learning how to be comfortable with the water along with some basic swimming lessons. We learned to kick, blow bubbles, "reach and pull" (aka - front crawl), float on our backs, jump in the pool, etc Every lesson we sing songs and work on all our different techniques, swim after toys (rubber ducks, etc) and have LOTS of fun. This was my second session (I did it last year) and Alayna's first. I am like a fish....Alayna's getting there. My teacher would often use me as her demo kid b/c she knew I wouldn't mind being away from Mommy or Daddy. Occasionally I would think I was doing a little better than reality and push away from Mommy or jump in before Daddy was quite ready - but my smile doesn't get much bigger than when I'm swimming :)

Music Class

Grant and I are taking a music class on Monday mornings with Mommy. It's a lot of fun. It is through the Tosa Rec Dept and meets once a week for 30 mins for 10-12 weeks. We sing lots of fun songs. Not a lot of your typical nursery rhyme songs - lots of new ones. The teacher brings puppets that we sing about, instruments that we use in our songs and does a lot of fun motions. We both like it, but Grant doesn't get into it as much as I do in class. It's lots of fun! Below we are using our rainsticks.

Stitches Out

Monday, Nov 7 Grant got his stitches out. He was a champ once again. No tears! It's healing nicely. We were simply directed to make sure we put sunscreen on it every day for the next year for scarring purposes - but other than that - he is good-to-go. The scab below makes it look worse, but it fell off within hours of us being home. Now (Saturday) all you can see is a little red line above his eyebrow. Tough guy!

Babies

All of a sudden (the last 1.5-2 weeks) - Alayna's lovin' her babies. She plays with them all the time now and even insists on taking them places - even if they have to stay in the car :) Taking them for walks, wrapping them up in blankets, putting them to sleep and feeding them bottles - lots of fun

Grant at Age 3

What am I up to at age 3? Well, while I was 2 I think I accomplished a lot. I am potty trained. I started this quite early on (January). I've been good for quite a while - but it was the biggest accomplishment this year. This summer I learned to pedal a bike, hit a ball, shoot a basketball, kick a football, ride a scooter, ride a 2-wheeler (with training wheels), etc This fall I've been taking swimming lessons and a music class through the Tosa rec dept and just started skating lessons on my 3rd b-day at the Pettit. I'm pretty active and I think it's fun!

- I'm sorta in-between on naps. If we've had a busy morning or are in the car after lunch - I usually take a nap. If not though - no more nap.

- Typical wake up time - 6/6:30ish

- Favorite color is ORANGE

- Very talkative. (crazy the things he repeats, comprehends and spits back out at us at a later time)

- Eating is so-so. Not horrible but not great.

- Still drinking Carnation Instant Breakfast in my milk

- Favorite sleeping buddies - soft puppy blankie (#1), blue blankie, Spot and blue puppy, occasionally green blankie too

- Favorite foods - Scooby Doo mac n cheese, cottage cheese, fruit in general (pineapple, mand oranges, grapes, apples and strawberries), popsicles, corn on the cob

- LOVE watching tv - favorite show Curious George. I sit in my little red chair or on the couch and get "lost" in the show that is on. Now Mommy is limiting my tv watching time. Oh man!

- Love to be like Daddy

- Love being outside

- Wear 24 mos/2T pants (as long as they are adjustable waist) and 2T & 3T shirts

- Have size 7/7.5 shoe

- Like reading books - Favorites - "Bear Feels Scared"; "Jesus Calms the Storm"; Daniel & the Lion's Den story from his story Bible

- A few months ago started to realize my name is mentioned on a VeggieTale's music CD he received when he was baptised. I love this and giggle when I hear it!

- Sayings:

"Last morning" = past tense time period (yesterday, last night, etc)

"Pupcake" = cupcake

While eating dinner "Thanks for makin' this Mom"

- Like playing playdough, helping Mommy make stuff in the kitchen and helping clean (sweeping & vacuuming - I always need a turn"; I even help wash the kitchen floor)

- love brushing my teeth with my new electric toothbrush.

- LOVE balloons (helium, punching, deflated, etc)

- Can say my meal time prayer now along with bedtime

Haven't had my 3 yr dr appt yet, so I'm not sure how big I am. Still small - but getting bigger! :)

Grant's 3rd Birthday Party

My 3rd Birthday Party - Sat, Nov 6 with my family - Curious George

cake - made by Mommy
So much fun this year opening my presents (I finally 'get' it)

I was a bit crazy!

"woo hoo" (can you tell?)

Mmmm...

Can't leave frosting on George!

Tryin' out my cake

Fall Family Pictures

We went to Amy McManigal - McManigal Photography - for our fall photos. I love the color and think she does a great job getting the kids to cooperate! I highly recommend her. Take a look!

http://www.mcmanigalphotography.com/

Grant's 3rd Birthday

Happy Birthday to a wonderful little boy! Grant Arthur turned 3 yesterday! I know this is so overused but - TIME SURE FLIES! 1 & 2 still seem "babyish" to me - but 3 seems like a whole new stage. I'm sure this next year will teach us many new things :)

Kinda fun - this is the first year he was really excited when he saw presents.

Presents: hockey skates, a 6 week skating lesson at the Pettit, activity books, punching balloons, Curious George DVD, Electric toothbrush (he's been pretending his regular toothbrush turns on with a button - "just like Daddy's" :) )
First event: Strawberry Pancakes at Ted's Diner

A great little diner - makes you feel sorta like Mayberry...and they are willing to put candles and a monkey on a little boy's pancake...and sing...what more could you ask :)

THEN off to Flabbergast for running and jumping, slides, lunch and some games. Thanks to my buddy Grant and Taylor for jumping with me!

"I GOT IT!"

After dinner - we had dessert. Mommy made my cake for my birthday party - but that's not til Saturday so she made some Monkey cupcakes (pup-cakes as I call them) that we could eat ON my birthday. She had stayed up really late (1am) working on them and was excited when I really liked them) I thought they looked pretty cool. When I finished my dinner though - and she said I could have dessert - I asked for a POPSICLE!

Alayna dug in...but don't let her fool you - she only ate a couple bites and then saw my popsicle.

First Parent-TOT skating lessons with Daddy at the Pettit

I did a GREAT job and even skated by myself at the end!

Happy Birthday Grant! WE LOVE YOU!!!