Fall Festival

Connor's school had a Fall Festival that was so fun. The kids had a great time going to each booth and winning prizes.

Connor's favorite part was getting a fire-breathing dragon balloon hat made for him. He also loved the train and jumping castles. Way fun event!

Cupcakes

We had a great time making and decorating cupcakes for Halloween. Actually, Connor lost interest until it came time to bring out the candy to decorate them- typical. Both Connor and Olivia loved eating the frosting- and getting it all over their faces. Way cute.

The swing

Our baby swing has always been a popular backyard attraction for kids of all ages. Connor is mostly too big for it now so he just hangs on the bottom and swings. But Olivia is just the perfect size. She would ask for the swing just about all day.

Here she even shared some of her precious swing time with her new buddy, Elmo.



Did you say something?

She even fell asleep to the rhythmic swaying of the swing. Aw, sleeping beauty.

Disney on Ice

My Aunt Brenda found us tickets to go to Disney on Ice with them and the cousins. I, unfortunately, was still on bed rest but thankfully, my sister had just arrived and was able to go in my place taking Connor and Olivia with her. They had a great time being with their cousins!

Check out Olivia's face. Laura said she looked that way the whole time- just mesmerized by what was going on. I wish I could have gone!! Thanks Aunt Brenda!

Pumpkin patch!

Laura took the kids to the pumpkin patch for playgroup. The kids had a great time (see Olivia's obvious joy ;)-) on the hayride. Connor seemed to enjoy himself and appears to have done all the choosing of the 3 pumpkins they brought home. Laura had a hilarious story about getting those pumpkins from the patch to the car. She said they had no carts so she had to try to carry 3 pumpkins (one very large) and 2 tired, cranky kids to the car! She said she would pick up the kids, put them down a few feet away then go back and get the pumpkins putting them down a few feet past the kids, go back for the kids and repeat the process. Finally a worker noticed her trouble and came to help. Oh, I can only imagine. Poor Laura- what a trooper! I just wish I could have come to help out (I was on bed rest)- and to have witnessed this eventful day.

Water play

Something Connor and Olivia both love is water. They had a great time playing in this baby pool we bought for Connor's birthday party. They just would play alongside each other- Olivia pouring water from one container to the other and Connor pouring water out of the pool. It started getting hot so we pulled the tent over for shade (left out from the previous night's "camp out" with daddy). So much fun!

Teacher Connor

Connor often talks about what he wants to be when he grows up. Lately he's said a teacher. He just loves his kindergarten teacher and will often come home and teach me a lesson he learned at school. A recent example is when he was learning to write his letters. His teacher obviously exaggerates all the wrong ways to make letters and asks the kids to find out what's wrong with the various ways she writes the letter. Connor will do this with me on a white board drawing the "high water", "highway" and "below water" guidelines for making each letter. Too bad I didn't take a picture of that but here is an example of him "helping" Olivia learn something.

Also please note the gorgeous flowers my parents and brothers sent me when I found out some bad news. They are so thoughtful and their support means so much to me! Thank you my dear family!!

Pirate walk

One of Connor's favorite things to do lately has been to take "pirate walks". You dress up like pirates and search for letters A-Z on signs and so forth (see a previous post when my brother visited for another example).

Connor was so lucky to have his little cousin, Olivia, along for this adventure. My sister enjoyed taking them but, this time, Olivia wouldn't stay in the wagon for long. She got out and insisted on pulling for most of the walk! She is what my sister calls "freakishly strong". She is always picking up things that look to be way too heavy for her but she somehow manages. Wow, a miss universe in the making! ;)

Connor, the photographer

Here is a small collection of the Connor's most recent pictures. If you'll notice, he's taken them according to their shapes- circles, triangles, rectangles, arches, etc. Very, uh, artistic! That's my boy. :)

Kindergarten Color Songs

Every week Connor learns a new color song in kindergarten. Here he is singing his heart out.

These are the words to these adorable songs:

BLUE: To the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”

B-L-U-E spells blue, B-L-U-E spells blue, hi-ho did you know B-L-U-E spells blue. The big sky is blue, the ocean is too. Hi-ho did you know B-L-U-E spells blue.

RED: To the tune of “Frere Jacque”

R-E-D red, R-E-D red, I can spell red, I can spell red. Fire trucks are red. STOP signs are red too, R-E-D, R-E-D.

GREEN: To the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

G-R-E-E-N, G-R-E-E-N, I know how to spell green, G-R-E-E-N. Caterpillars are green and grasshoppers too. I know how to spell green G-R-E-E-N.

YELLOW: To the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”

Y-E-L-L-O-W spells yellow. Y-E-L-L-O-W spells yellow. Like the early morning sun when the day has just begun, Y-E-L-L-O-W spells yellow.

Daffodils and baby ducks are yellow. Lemonade and scrambled eggs are yellow. I like the smiley face that’s yellow, he’s such a HAPPY fellow. Y-E-L-L-O-W spells yellow.

PURPLE: To the tune of “Camptown Races”

P-U-R-P-L-E, Purple, purple, P-U-R-P-L-E, purple’s what that spells. Purple grapes on the vine; purple kool-aid’s fine. P-U-R-P-L-E, purple’s what that spells.

PINK: To the tune of “Jingle Bells”

Cotton candy, fat pink pigs, girls with socks and bows, P-I-N-K, P-I-N-K, that is how it goes. Bubble gum, valentines, these are all pink too. Pink icing and pink balloons, we can spell can’t you? PINK!

BROWN: To the tune of “BINGO”

There is a color we all know, can you guess what it is? B-R-O-W-N, B-R-O-W-N, B-R-O-W-N, that’s how we spell brown. Teddy bears and squirrels are brown; autumn leaves are too. Chocolate candy’s always brown, chocolate cake is always brown, chocolate milk is always brown. I like brown, don’t you? Yes!

BLACK: To the tune of “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain”

B-L-A-C-K spells black. B-L-A-C-K spells black. Flying bats are black, scary cats are black, jelly beans are black, I like black. B-L-A-C-K spells black; B-L-A-C-K spells black. Sunday shoes are black, Santa’s boots are black, B-L-A-C-K spells black.

WHITE: To the tune of “Little Brown Jug”

W-H-I-T-E that spells white, sing with me. Milk is white and so is glue, ghosts are white and they say BOO! W-H-I-T-E that spells white, sing with me. The clouds above, the snow below, Santa’s beard, Hohoho!

ORANGE: To the tune of “Mr. Blue” or “One little, two little, three little Indians”

O-R-A-N-G-E, O-R-A-N-G-E, O-R-A-N-G-E, orange is what that spells. Jack-o-lanterns are always orange, carrots are always orange, oranges are always orange. O-R-A-N-G-E.

GRAY: Connor’s song for GRAY (he invented this), to the tune of “Angels We Have Heard on High”

G-R-A-Y, G-R-A-Y, G-R-A-Y, fountains are gray. Metal’s gray, G-R-A-Y and that’s the end. G-R-A-Y!