Some movies from September

The kids meeting Pinocchio.



Caleigh in the twirling dragons.



Caleigh getting the hang of jumping on a trampoline. [She was much more confident - and jumped very high! - week 2.]

Caleigh new sport

Caleigh is a new Tumble Tyke at Kehler's gym near us.  These are pictures from her first day.  What a good listener and excited participant she was!  She loves her 'uniform' shirt with her name on it.  She excitedly tells anyone who will listen that she can do a sommersault all by herself!  She is learning the ways of the gym -- follow the arrows, put your hands and feet here, airplane arms on the balance beam, jump high on the trampoline, do the spider (third picture which looks like it takes a lot of strength and effort!)...

She isn't cautious about trying whatever is asked, but she listens hard and long and wants to do it right.  So...she's a bit slower around circuits that her other two classmates (who have participated before at Kehler's).  But she is having a blast and her two instructors are very patient with her and they try to remember that she needs prompting to continue onto the next thing.  She and Mama are working on it, though.

She is exhausted after the 45 minute class straight to 30 minute free play on the inside fun factory (jungle gym, slides, ropes, etc.).  Some snacks & drink in the car before a quick lunch and straight to nap is her routine.  Then a bigger 'meal' and more drink immediately after nap.  Good stuff.  She usually will 'rest' in her room for at least an hour (read play and look at books) but on Tuesdays, she sleep soundly.

We're so proud of her effort and enthusiasm in trying new things, and how well she listens and exerts herself.  And she is so proud of what she is learning and how she improves week to week.

Mushroom Festival!

Hey, it was Mama's birthday and she got to pick the excitement!  So...we went to the mushroom festival in Kennett Square, PA.  We made it in time for the opening parade -- there is Zach looking on at the human sized mushroom coming toward him.  The next pic is of Caleigh and Mama during one of her rests during the parade -- she was so cute (and we were near the beginning of the parade w/o kids around us) that they threw TONS of candy our way and Caleigh felt obliged to pick it up.  At one point she said, "I don't want to pick up any more candy" which made us laugh.  We had promised her a lollipop and she didn't have time to eat it. ;-)

The kids enjoyed a rendition of Alice in Wonderland on stage (during a sprinkle).  We shared a large mushroom soup and I reluctantly shared a couple battered (YUMMY!) mushroom tops.

We missed the food show and needed to get back on the school bus to our car (the kids might have enjoyed the school bus rides most of all...) so we just posed our beautiful girl beside the mushroom display. Pretty impressive how they grow these things.

A good day, but we took a break the third weekend of September (to work around the house and go on a date night!).  Perhaps if no baby the fourth weekend, we'll catch a free museum entrance somewhere!  Really, we're resting up soon - maybe October.

Zach at 21 months

Posing on the steps after an evening out of the town with Mama and Daddy.  And just in case you missed it, LOOK AT THAT HAIR!!  It's blond, it's curly and it's everywhere...brushing makes it look no different.  And we all love it!

He is such a joy!  He will spontaneously hug Caleigh or one of our legs.  He gets involved in playing with something and will turn around and say, "happy!"  Such a bright big smile and boisterous laugh!  His new-found love is play-doh and making 'worms' (strings he pushes out of the fun factory toy).  He is good about taking his shoes and socks off to get in the sandbox.  When we mention going outside he either says "GO!" "hat" "bike, helmet" and/or "shoes" to remind us what to do next.  He loves going familiar places like Bible study or the park.  The kids still like going to the zoo and do pretty well staying in the stroller or walking near me if Mama needs a break from pushing nearly 70 pounds around in a stroller.  We look forward to how he adapts to being a big brother!!  We are sure he'll be a great one.

When Caleigh turned 21 months she gained a little brother!  Now, Zach just has to wait about a month more in life to get a new baby sibling.  [Mama is ready any time now...;-]

They love sitting on the couch together for a video.  Zach usually requests Elmo.  Caleigh has a more diverse appitite.  We try to limit these zoning sessions, but it's not all bad (right!?).  They usually also have a pillow behind them and a drink -- really kicking back for the show.

Look at these animals!

We have plenty of pictures with the kids and cows so we thought we'd take pictures of them with goats and sheep.  Caleigh has become a petter and Zach is getting more brave about petting the animals too.  We had just taken her hat off in the first picture so she looks all matted and crazed (quite unlike the perfectly maintained and passive animals we were viewing).  She kept talking about how soft the sheep and lambs were.  Zach tried to pat from a bit too far away....And here's a goat encounter for Caleigh.  Zach couldn't understand why the sheep didn't want to eat the bedding he was trying to feed them. ;-)

We also saw a lot of poultry --  really big/fat one and a really long-legged/tall one.  The rest kind of merged together for me.  All in all we got what we expected from the fair.  Good times.

There go the pigs!!

Waiting on the pig races with funnel cake and water bottles.  A bit hot in the sun, but the kids didn't mind.  Caleigh was selected to root for our section's pig.  Alas, he didn't win so she doesn't have a pig hat or whatever they gave the winner.  That's okay -- she and Zach both have a cow hat from Papa.  ;-) 

And look at them go...!  Some ran around the track and some went through the water.  It was fun and a good sitting break.  We were surprised how interested both kids were during the festivities.

Caleigh riding the midway

We let Caleigh ride two rides (Zach was too little for any of them we found and he was v. disappointed he couldn't ride the airplanes!).  She immediately decided on the airplane, which she also rode & enjoyed more than a year ago at Hershey Park.  This ride didn't give her as much control manuvering up/down, but she still got off with a big smile.  We did a bunch of other things (pig racing, animal petting & viewing, funnel cake eating) before getting on the twirling dragon.  I was surprised to find myself 36 weeks pregnant and sitting with Caleigh on the ride.  Kind of like a teacup ride, but in a dragon.  She had a great time and the two older girls in the ride with us were very nice, encouraging her to twirl the wheel faster so we'd spin...faster (oooooh says Mama...;-)  I still don't know exactly how I went from making sure she got into the ride okay to 'enjoying' the experience with her... [alas the baby is kicking heartily and still in the womb nearly a month later so it must have been okay!]

Allentown County Fair

One of the highlights Labor Day Saturday was the marionette show.  Here's Zach in front of the boat which housed the show.  The kids sat on Mama's lap for most of the show, but needed to be on the green carpet to meet Pinocchio - they were so cute sitting together & we were pleased they waited their turn so patiently.  Neither was overly excited by being up close and personal with the puppet, but were curious and at least not scared.  Well...Zach did say "No!" and then "Hi!" as Pinocchio got in his face.  He liked it better when the puppet was behind sister's shoulder.

We had planned all summer to go to a county fair, but waited until September (!) to actually get out there.  A pleasant day weather-wise.  Glad we got it in this year!

Caleigh at 3 1/2

She's a smiler!  And likes to giggle and have fun.

She has recently started repeating to Mama, "I love you and I like you!"  So sweet, especially with those angelic eyes and adorable grin aimed up at me.  I think she's being sincere (but she's not too young to manipulate...).

Caleigh told Zach today (very earnestly) that "after you get married a baby will grow in your tummy."  There was a little more to my version of the story, and some inherent problems with her teaching Zach about babies, but she has an essential! ;-)

We aren't the best detail givers, it seems.  Caleigh told Dan recently as he put her to bed that when the baby came she would scoot over so Zach had room to sleep in her bed.  We have told her that she and Zach will share a room, but I guess didn't specify that we'd get him his own bed! ;-)

Caleigh and Daddy were hard at work this past Saturday.  Caleigh enjoyed helping seed the grass and water it (and enjoyed being watered by Daddy!), and zooming around on the bike and scooter on the driveway Saturday morning before Daddy sealed it that afternoon.

Daddy made Caleigh and Zach a special treat of a bear pancake (pictured), which Caleigh obviously enjoyed.  And the first picture (Dan pointed out) was really about the play-doh purple elephant they created before anyone else got up that morning.  It's cute too, but the Daddy/daughter picture is still a better reason to love the shot.

And the really hot hike

It got REALLY REALLY hot after we decided to see the Safari Village or whatever it was called - it got so miserable so quickly I really didn't care. The main problem with the walking tour (other than you had to walk) was once you got to the end of the path, you had to turn around and walk the same path back. You can't get out early because you'd be in the wildlife zone -- it was looking tempting...

But we made it up eye to eye with the giraffes and that was really was it was all about. And Caleigh surprised us all by petting and feeding the goats. She normally shies away from touching such creatures (dogs, cats, fish included) but we had to pull her away from their pen. Of course, we got to go by it again later....errr.

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Safari Park 2009

It's been two summers so it's now a tradition -- going to Safari Park when the youngest is nearly 2. Both kids enjoyed it. It was funny to see Zach acting much like Caleigh did a couple years ago -- slightly afraid of the animals, but wanting someone to feed them. Zach kept motioning for us to feed the animals, imploring them to "EAT!" after we dropped them food. Caleigh was all that sitting/standing in the front seat for a better view.

It's a beautiful place - near Natural Bridge, VA. Soon after we arrived on a bright sunny day the rain poured down and we were able to witness a mass animal (gentle) stampede to the trees. Pretty funny to watch. But the sun came back out shortly (and it got HOT!).

Caleigh was more into making sure we saw everything promised in the field guide book this time around. She wanted to know the names of the animals we passed. Upon hearing it was a moose she exclaimed, "It's a moose on the loose!" and rolled over laughing. Look at that smile! ;-)

By the way, that is not a real giraffe. ;-)

After the camel bucket incident of '07 we decided to steer clear of these ferocious beings. Ask Caleigh if you don't remember - her verbal skills have gotten better since then but she tells pretty much the same story about how Mama lost her bucket to a hungry camel.

We plan on going back in '11 with the new addition. Guess Zach and Caleigh will have to share the front seat of the mini van.

Visiting Great-Grandpa

We had a nice, but too short, visit with Great-Grandpa during our time in Floyd. While waiting Zach and Caleigh were each given a balloon to play with...would have amused them for hours, I believe. They enjoyed the visit and entertained the greats - good stuff.

More fun in the backyard

Playing in the sand pile.

The boys with their trucks and tractors.

Caleigh motoring away from Zach.

Zach and Caleigh having fun.