We made some pumpkin bread.... YUM!
Katie shows us the ingredients: pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder... We have such a friendship and love for learning in the kitchen. Whenever we're in there together, she says, "I want to help! I want to help!" I am letting her experiment with more and more tasks... So what if there is a little mess? Mess can be cleaned up---and the learning is forever.
The pumpkin bread batter was absolutely heavenly. It is difficult to see in this picture, but Katie was actually using TWO spatulas to lick the bowl. The best part of baking is the batter!On Friday morning, we had our Music Together class in Fallbrook. I was so proud of Katie, for she did not once ask for "pa" or "cozy" (her pacifier or her special blanky) the entire time. She never used to, but the past few weeks, she has seemed to want those items once every class (whether for music or Toddler Time). Just feeling the need for comfort, I guess. To help with that (and because we need to know the songs), I played our Music Together "Fiddle" CD over and over and we look at the book and the music notes together. We sang the songs constantly (we get two CDs with our registration---one for car and one for home, and I copied one onto the iPod so that we could have one upstairs and one downstairs and one in the car). So every song in class was very familiar to Katie, and I think that familiarity helped increase her confidence and comfort. She participated much more than last week, enjoying instruments and dancing especially.
Katie's favorite instrument so far seems to be the little eggs that make noise when you shake them.
Playing with the eggs and getting ready for "Roo, roo, roo, roo/Sing roo/Sing hokey dinkum..."
Katie with her backpack before class begins. We have class at the Fallbrook C.A.S.T. Academy, in the dance studio. It might be a good place for dance lessons eventually...
After class, we did some rehearsal time with Boppa for his first formal Toastmaster's speech on Tuesday. He made such rapid gains in confidence, sense of timing, and memorization in such a short time! While he finished practicing, Katie and I made Amanda's birthday cake!
Amie and Katie petted the goats.
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We love the pumpkins!!!!
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Katie shows "Baby Pumpkin" to "Bumpy Pumpkin." We picked out some pumpkins to take home this time.
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Katie ponders the possibility of a pony ride.... I was hoping, and we even took her in the corral to see the pony, but ultimately, she did not want to. Maybe next year. Later, she explained that seeing the ponies made her sad... I wondered if she felt sad because the ponies are tied up? I guess there is no way to know...
So, we took the train ride and had lunch instead and waited for the pig races to start....she thought the pig races were a hoot!
Katie with her backpack before class begins. We have class at the Fallbrook C.A.S.T. Academy, in the dance studio. It might be a good place for dance lessons eventually...After class, we did some rehearsal time with Boppa for his first formal Toastmaster's speech on Tuesday. He made such rapid gains in confidence, sense of timing, and memorization in such a short time! While he finished practicing, Katie and I made Amanda's birthday cake!
On Friday we got to celebrate Amanda's 24th birthday with her at our house! We had roasted turkey, stuffing with apples and bacon, creamed corn, and mashed potatoes... Fall birthdays are so much fun to plan menus for, that's for sure! Hayden is sooooo close to walking, and Katie had fun watching him explore our family room. The next day, she pretended to be Hayden ("I'm Hayden") and went around repeating many things he did.
On Saturday, we went with Amie to the Peltzer Pumpkin Patch again. Part of me really wants to take Katie to Bates' Nut Farm, because that is where my brother and I went every year when we were growing up... but the Peltzer Pumpkin Patch is quickly becoming the source for happy memories with Katie.
Amie and Katie petted the goats. .jpg)
We love the pumpkins!!!!
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Katie shows "Baby Pumpkin" to "Bumpy Pumpkin." We picked out some pumpkins to take home this time..jpg)
Katie ponders the possibility of a pony ride.... I was hoping, and we even took her in the corral to see the pony, but ultimately, she did not want to. Maybe next year. Later, she explained that seeing the ponies made her sad... I wondered if she felt sad because the ponies are tied up? I guess there is no way to know...So, we took the train ride and had lunch instead and waited for the pig races to start....she thought the pig races were a hoot!
Today, Katie woke up and asked for a "jammies morning." I usually dress us both right away to get the day rolling, but today I said yes, and we spent the first half of the day in our pajamas playing and spending time relaxing together. We made our own version of a pumpkin patch near her Little People Barn. We used all of our mini pumpkins, and then we took our bathtime Piglet and other pig figures and made a pig race. We used Legos to build the train ride... We collected some farm animal figures and made the petting area. Katie and I took her Disney princesses all around our pumpkin patch and Belle rode the train for awhile.
Later, we got dressed and put away laundry and then Amie came over and we made apple oat scones and played outside.
With darkness coming ever earlier, I like to get dinner finished up early and baths early to be cozy by nightfall. Katie helped me to make pizza dough for tomorrow's dinner, as well as brioche dough (which must be started waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay in advance of needing it) for tomorrow's Autumn Snack. We're having a mini Autumn Day tomorrow: a salt dough ghost craft and autumn snacktime with Amie, Boppa, and Uncle David. Can't wait!!!
