So This Is What's It's Like

Seeing the world facing forward is a whole new experience for Allie today!  After many battles of forcing a screaming, back arching, kicking Allie into her backwards facing car seat...Todd and I now longer have to argue about whose turn it is to strap Allie in.  We turned her around today at 22 months old (only two months shy of the NEW APA recommendation for 2 years old).

Allie let us know that she could now "See Mama and Dada."  Now, on every car ride we take Allie likes to point out all the cars she recognizes..."Papa car" "Nana car" "Dada car" ...and the silly thing is...SHE'S RIGHT!  She can pick out every Impala (Papa's car) and CRV (Nana's car) on the road.  What a little smarty pants.

On the way to the doctor's to get a flu shot...Allie did very well.

Happy October!

When I was growing up, my mom would give me little gifts for the holidays you don't normally get gifts from your parents for (Valentine's Day, Halloween, etc).  It always made me feel so special...even if it was something so simple or small.  I want to do this for Allie in her childhood years.  Hopefully I can stay organized and on top of things to continue this little tradition. 

Being the busy mom I am (and the frugal mom I am), I've picked up a lot things on sale, on clearance, with coupons, and even at mom 2 mom sales over the last year.  My gift closet is getting a little out of control and pretty soon here I'm going to have to put it under lock and key so my curious little Allie girl doesn't get her sticky hands on it.  For the Halloween season, I put together a little goodie bag for Allie.

Contained in Allie's Halloween goodie bag was an orange tutu and fairy wings for dress up, Scaredy Cat, Splat Halloween book, a Halloween pencil, an Elmo Halloween activity and coloring book (Allie loves her Elmo!), and glow stick bracelets for trick-or-treating. 

Check me out in my Halloween jammies, tutu and wings!

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween, Allie girl.  I hope you enjoy your Halloween season as an almost 2 year old.  Mommy and Daddy love you to pieces and can't wait to make memories with you this October.

What a Hay Day

I can't believe how many fun fall activities there are to do with little ones around here.  What better place to hang out on an autumn Tuesday than Heritage Park where the surrounding leaves are full of vibrant fall colors.  The weather was PERFECT...a warm evening to spend some time outside.

Hay Day had a bunch of fun things for Allie to do.  She painted her very first pumpkin tonight and loved every minute of it.  She's gotten rather good at painting lately.  She's had some practice at day care.  Allie carefully dipped her paint brush in the red, green and blue paint, and every so gently brushed paint on her pumpkin.  She managed to stay pretty clean too!

Picking out a pumpkin to paint

Working away so intently 

Look who we ran into...Allie's friend Savannah!

Allie's masterpiece

We were thrilled when we saw Savannah, Sherri and Dave at Hay Day.  These things are always more fun with your friends.  Allie and Savannah posed for a quick photo...girls, you forgot to smile.

 

My favorite part was the GIANT fire pit to roast hot dogs and s'mores on.  Mmmmm...Allie helped out in the roasting process...and she also helped out in the eating process.

 

Roasting her marshmallow

So sticky...but so YUMMY!

At the park we always have to make a quick stop at the swings.  Allie loves her rides on the swings.   She could have stayed there all night.

But I think her favorite thing about Hay Day was the BOUNCE HOUSE!  Allie when in the bounce house twice and didn't want to get out either of the times.  Todd had to go in and actually drag her out.  She had a ball giggling and jumping all around.  She did love it...until we had to leave.

"More bounce house"...Allie whined as we left

 

 I love doing these fun outings as a family, especially in the fall (I love fall).  This is what life is all about...new happenings and experiences...together.

22 Months Old

This was a rough month for Allie.  I went back to work and Allie went back to day care.  Allie loves the ladies at day care, but she had a difficult transition back.  She cried when I dropped her off for the first couple weeks.  It didn't help that she got sick with Roseolla her second week back.  Then a couple weeks later she caught a stomach bug.  She missed a good amount of day care this month due to being sick.  Allie often woke up in the middle of the night and called for Todd or I. This was an exhausting month for everyone.

 

Allie learned what McDonald's looks like and asked to go there whenever she saw one.  She ate chicken nuggets, fries, and an ice cream cone on most visits.  Allie enjoyed going on bike rides every day the weather was nice with me in her new bike seat.  She really loved working on her puzzles and learned how to do them quickly.  Allie learned how to count to ten and sing her ABC's.  Allie's new favorite beverage was apple cider and she continued to love pizza, hot dogs, grapes and applesauce.

 



 

Pumpkin Picking

It's fall and I LOVE this time of year...except for that it's the beginning of the school year and I'm crazy busy at work.  Not too busy to take a little time out this weekend and visit one of my favorite places...the Cider Mill (and I'm not particular, any cider mill will do).

 

Today was Papa Ray's birthday and we celebrate with a birthday breakfast and a trip to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin for the fall season.  Allie was overly excited about the cider mill.  "Apple Cideee!!!" was what we heard all the way there. 

 

I was looking forward to apple picking this year, but I'll guess we'll have to wait another year to make those memories.  Early frost = NO APPLES to pick!  Good thing the pumpkins survived.  Allie climbed up on the tractor next to Papa for a short ride out to the patch.  When we arrived, Allie enjoyed running through the patch and touching all the pumpkins in her path.

 



Just a few photo ops...that's our little PUMPKIN!

What a funny looking pumpkin!

Papa and Daddy picked out a good one.  It's the perfect size for carving this Halloween...and it wasn't too heavy.

Happy Birthday, Papa!

The cider mills now-a-days are like a mini carnival...haunted houses, bounce houses, 3D movies...Allie had fun jumping on the hay bails in the hay maze and riding the tricycles.

But her favorite thing about the cider mill today was her long awaited, well deserved apple cider in her very own pumpkin sipper.  Thanks, Papa!  She loves it and will be drinking apple cider out of it until well after Halloween...as long as we can afford to buy her cider at $12.50 a gallon!!!

2 Year Old Photo Shoot

Allie isn't quite two yet...but we have to prepare for her big extravegant 2nd birthday...so we needed to have Allie's photo's taken a little before the big day.

Allie did an AWESOME job having her picture taken this go around. I WAS SO PROUD OF HER! She sat so nicely and even smiled on cue. Go, ALLIE! A few bribes with M&M's can go a long way!!!

Are You Kidding Me?

Allie JUST got over an illness.  She was finally feeling better and we were getting back into our routine.  Then...a fever appeared at 1:00 am early Tuesday morning.  Before we knew it, Todd was cleaning the rugs in our bathroom.  I was covered in Allie vomit from my hair all the way down my arm.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?  Another sleepless night with Allie sleeping in bed with me.  She was up every 30 minutes whining...probably because she was feeling a tad bit awful...I can't really blame her. 

Super grandma to the rescue (again).  Grandma stayed with a sick little Allie while Todd and I trudged to work, half awake hoping to make it through the day.  Lucky for me I had Wednesday off (Jewish holiday)...but it was NO holiday for me.  "Mama, hold ju," was what I hear most of the day.  My little Allie girl did not want to be put down.  The only thing that gave my poor aching back a break was a tasty batch of Rice Krispy Treats.  Allie loves making herself a tray of marshmallowy yumminess. 

The best part of making Rice Krispy Treats is licking the spoon!

By the end of the day her fever broke, but not soon enough for her to attend day care tomorrowrr (24 hour rule).  She'll be home again tomorrow with Grandma...then back to square one again on Friday at day care.  We are STILL working on having a pleasant "goodbye" in the morning.  Allie...I would LOVE to stay with most favorite girl all day...but, I just HAVE to go to work (sad face).