Little Horses

My grandmother  took us to the Land of the Little Horses. We used to go when I was little, and it was finally time for Kate to get to experience the fun.

You can walk up and pet/feed the little horses before the show. Kate would walk up to them, then just before petting it she would turn and run away.

During the show, the little horses, along with some dogs and goats, show of their tricks. Kate wanted to get up to the railing and touch them again.

After the show we walked around the farm, saw a lot of animals, 'rode' the tractor...

...and some fake horses...

....And of course took some cowboy pictures.

If you're ever in the Gettysburg area, I highly recommend this farm. You could literally spend all day there and any kid who loves animals would have a great time.

Children's Museum

Prepare for a photodump of our trip to the National Children's Museum. We went this August with My friend and her son.

It was kind of expensive ($10 each plus parking) and there was only so much for them at their age level that we only spent about an hour there. But the kids had fun, and were so exhausted they slept the whole way home.

My Little Monster

I don't remember how the nickname started (maybe with the shark hoodie towel), but we have been calling Kate the Kate-Monster for ever. So, naturally, it was no surprise that our little monster developed an obsession a love for dinosaurs.

Some of the things she takes a liking to are no longer her favorites after about a month or so, but dinosaurs have stayed.  She will roar for you, loves to watch and sing to Dinosaurs Go Rawr, and can now say the word dinosaur.

When trying to plan out this Halloween, I knew she needed to be a dinosaur of some sort. I found something that might work at Costco, but they didn't have her size. I thought about making a costume- all I would need would be green pants and hoodie with taped on spikes or something.

Then I found out that Kid to Kid was unveiling all their Halloween costumes on Saturday. I had some things I wanted to sell anyway, so we went hoping to find something.

And for $8 we got it! (actually I didn't have to pay because of the store credit I got for selling old crib sheets and toys, but the price can't be beat)

OK, OK it's not a dinosaur... more of a dragon... but she doesn't know the difference. Kate absolutely LOVES it. She ran around the house in it and cried when I hung it up in her closet.

It fits her well, is easy on/off, and is actually the one we looked at last year at Old Navy (but decided against getting her a costume).

I cannot wait for Halloween.

Bumps and Bruises

And scratches and scrapes.

Kate has fat  wide feet, and when I noticed her sneakers were getting a little snug, I went to Stride Rite to get her measured (figuring they would have a good selection of wide shoes). Yup, she was measuring bigger than the size shoes she was wearing.  So we looked around, tried on some sneakers, and picked out one to buy. It cost way more than if we just went to Target or Payless, but I figured she needed good quality,  durable shoes now that she is running.

Well, after only a month I need to replace her 'good quality, durable shoes'. The velcro is completely frayed and actually falling off the straps. One shoe has even fallen off of Kate's foot while she was walking.

And now Kate's knees are covered in scrapes. Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe it is because of the shoes, maybe her feet are growing too fast for her to adjust the way she walks. Either way I am annoyed that I have to replace shoes after 1 month.

I am so disappointed and frustrated. Adam encouraged me to write to customer service and request a refund or a replacement pair. They actually responded and said I could take them to the store for a replacement.

Though, we've been so busy and I already bought her new shoes at Payless, I don't know if we'll actually get back to the store for a while.

To - Do

On the to- do list today:

• Grocery store
• Post office
• Kid's consignment store to sell some things and pick up a Halloween costume for Kate
• Develop a couple pictures of my class
• Plan for next week at school
• Clean litter box and take out trash
• Laundry
• Shower
• Attend high school reunion

All while Adam and my parents are out of town.

What I'm missing by having this list:

• Happy hour last night
• A trip to the beach
• Play date with a good friend
• Turning off my brain on the couch in front of the tv

But I do get to spend all day with Kate, I  just hope I don't mess up her nap time...

A New Baby

Nope, not mine, but my new adorable nephew. He was born last Monday, just a day after his mom's birthday and on the same day as his new cousin. Yes, two babies were born on the same day on opposite sides of the state. Such a finny coincidence.
Over the labor day weekend, we went up to visit my little nephew. I loved snuggling up to a newborn again.

And Kate didn't have a problem with me holding another baby. I took that as a sign that we should have another baby ;)

Adam didn't think so. In fact, the only way he held the baby was if he could still drink his beer. Men...

Rainy Day Play

One rainy day, when we couldn't get to the park, I made some play dough for Kate to explore.

Using the recipe my mom always used (you can find it here), I whipped up some dough in  a few minutes.

"this doesn't taste good, mommy"

I loved seeing her reaction, poking it, and trying to eat it. I showed her how to stamp the dough with some of her wooden blocks (and discovered the letters in her name are perfect for making mirror images and a readable impression).

I am keeping the dough in an air-tight container, and it is still soft weeks later. Every now and then Kate will bring it to me and say 'open?' and play with it a bit.

What a great, cheap, easy way to entertain a toddler!

Playtime

With the school year fast approaching, during a summer that seemed to last about a week, I had been trying to spend as much time with Kate as possible. I tried to get out of the house at least once a day. When it wasn't raining, I took Kate to the park. I am going to keep trying to take Kate on the weekends, now that I'm back to work.

Because she gets up so early, we are usually ready to leave the house around 8. We are typically the only people at the park, which is great in the freedom it gives Kate. Some times there is another kid her age, which is also great in the social interaction it gives Kate.

The big park about 5 minutes from our house was just re-built a couple years ago and it is awesome. There is a sand box, slides, swings, climbing structures, and even a historic carousel and train. Unfortunately the train doesn't open as early as we get there, and when I have gone later the train has been broken. I can't wait for our first ride, though.

Kate loves the park. She will play for hours if I let her. I miss taking her every day.