Arts in the alley : Fried cookie dough

Oh my goodness. 

First, I should say that we headed to Arts in the Alley in downtown GC to see the attractions, maybe pick up a few holiday do-dads and check out the kids' area.  What we WEREN'T planning for was an insistent toddler who wanted 'cookies' not understanding (though I tried) that it was fried food--specifically, cookie dough.

We had meandered down a street where music was playing and it wasn't too crowded, enjoying the sights and people, and we had allowed to have dinner there if we found something we loved, but didnt' really have an agenda.

When Amara spotted the 'cookies,' "no" wasn't acceptable.  Sure, it was later and she hadn't eaten and it was kind of warm and she couldn't really walk around, so she wasn't her happiest self--but she persisted and I caved.  I got in line, not realizing there'd be a wait too--but we did. Eric took her to walk a little more while i waited the 5 minutes which felt like an eternity--

at last, our piping hot confections were delivered.

They looked like hush puppies really, and smelled--well, like heaven.   I knew that they'd be scalding, so we all found a seat on the curb and I forked one in half and started blowing.  Before I could stop her, she grabbed a piece I was blowing on and crammed it in her mouth.  I was worried it was too warm, that she wouldn't like it and spit it out, or that she'd love it and grab a whole (hot) one and run--none of which happened.  She just started...dancing.

Our girl is not a twirler.  Only on RARE occasion will she have a moment of spinning in a dress or skirt, but doesn't make a deal of it.  This girl, started wiggling and clapping to the music, running circles around me (still sitting, blowing pieces of the confection) and Eric was grinning from ear to her--he had to try it too.  We all tried it.  It was good.

I can't remember if they gave us 2, 3, or 4 balls, but there were only fragments left.  Not officially the most nutritious dinner we've ever had, but we all enjoyed ourselves.  Our typically "salty over sweet" girl was transformed, if only for moments, into the cookie monster herself.

I don't know if we'll venture down this path at our next festival, but yet again, she has forced us to try something new, and made it work.

Bear Cubbies

About a month ago, we started Amara as a little bear cub at the Gantz Park Barn in GC.  My friend Amanda was starting her daughter and asked us--so we thought it would be a good opportunity to all do something--plus, Eric and I rarely get to take her to little gym.  You could call it a beginner tumbling class of sorts, no real formal instruction, save a demonstration here or there, more playing--fine with us.

At first it was packed--as usual with these types of things, some drop out, and kids get sick from time to time, so i think there are usually somewhere between 8-10 in the class.  Each kid has a mom and dad or both chasing them around, and there are various siblings and grandparents watching on the sidelines too.

Right away, Amara was interested in this little book nook, while we waited on class to start.  We wondered if we could pull her away (she loves her books) but it was no problem. 

Next, to start class, we do the big bird song where she jumps, kicks and hops on one leg--all of which she has all but mastered at 5 weeks in the class (the hopping on one leg was the hardest--the others she knew).

After that and the peanut butter and jelly song, (where she also learned to crunch the nuts, squish the grapes, spread the bread and put it on a table--where she makes a bridge up on her hands and feet)  the kids basically have open gym for 15 minutes or so.  Each week there are different obsticles, donuts, bars, beams, mountains, ladders, etc. to manuver, all of which she loves--especially the ladders.  At the end of class, they all come together again and either do the parachute, the big trampoline, or more songs.  At first she was timind on the big trampoline, but now she loves it and bounces quite well!

Lastly, the teacher does stamps on hands (and for Amara, feet, belly, whatever she asks for--she has started combining all the locations for all her various classes) and they get a tootsie roll or sucker.  I usually have water and an apple for her as we head out the stairs and get shoes on too.

Sometimes if it's nice, we'll play on the little park outside--quite a nice park actually with a lot of different obsticles.  It's becomming quite funny which things she takes to, things that she wasn't afraid of then, but is now, etc.

I don't know if we'll do this forever but it is fun and close, and CHEAP compared to her other classes.  We have fun seeing our friends there each week and she definitely likes to try out her new confidence and skills!

New ice cream truck

At the old house, we would hear the ice cream truck it seemed all the time.  However, it seemed to only come while Amara was down for naps, or just as we were finishing up ice cream, or something like that--well, not too long after being here, we heard those familiar songs playing.  Without hesitation, Eric and Amara ran down to the curb to hit up the truck!They grabbed a push pop (a first for her) and we enjoyed it outside (note the white dress) after i grabbed a LARGE bib for her! (thanks dad)

Great fun and yet another first, and new tradition for us.

Working with daddy and pappaw Young

On Grandparent's Day, we had all the G'parents over for a special brunch.  After eating and watching some TV, our attention turned to 'house stuff,' and while the Grandma's dug out Fall and Halloween decorations, the men tackled the fireplace.  It has been inoperable since we moved in, but they were sure they could tackle it....Amara had to be involved.  She got right in there with Grandpa Young and even offered her services as a flashlight holder!She's always a great helper, no matter what task we're doing, from putting dishes away to sweeping, tools are especially fun though--they didn't get it fixed right then, but we actually did have it professionally fixed last week. Seems there was some metal piece in the line and the guy was sure it hadn't even been used at all.  Fire it up!

"I really SO HUNGRY!"

(This is kind of out of order, so bear with me)  

After our recent jaunt to 'the new park' we decided to head for an early treat lunch--we never really all go out to lunch much together, certainly not inside--so this was different for us.  As we were heading out to the road, Amara pipes up "I really SO hungry!" from the backseat, and Eric and I both died laughing!  

Sure, we had told her that was where we were going, but it was the exaggeration and the hand gestures that accompanied her statement that really just cracked us up. She has started adding the "really" to a lot of statements--"I really so tired, I really, really want the sucker, etc." so we knew she could use it appropriately--it just caught us off guard.  We enjoyed our burgers, nuggets, and fries, mostly the frosty as you can see--then headed home.  A big morning for the little girl, and time for a big nap :)  I told my mom, if i knew who in Wendy's marketing dept. to send these to--don't these pics just say it all?  What vocabulary and emotion--one thing she does VERY well is communicating :)

Breakfast with Dora

We found out that the 2nd weekend of September, there would be a very special visitor at the zoo.  Of course, being members, we dug and found out that we could have breakfast with Dora ( and sundry friends) on Sunday morning and jumped at the chance!  Being still very warm out and not fall like at all, we wanted to take advantage of the day and headed up with MeMaw, all ready for the big day.It's kind of a hike up there for us, so we were prepared, we had videos to watch and games to play, but truly--none of us knew what to expect (we're kind of new to this character breakfast thing, though quite a few there were veterans.)  We arrived to a huge breakfast of sausage and eggs, breads, cereals and juices.  Not to mention they had giant birds who flew to trainers literally over our heads, and armadillo, some kind of groundhog looking guy, and a snake--there is always a snake.  I particularly enjoy watching the parents and grandparents squirm and move away, while the kids run to the animals--no fear.

She was particularly fond of Chilly, the Polar Bear--no surprise sine that is her favorite attraction at the zoo--and no matter where we went in the room, she always had her eye out for him.  I bet we visited him half a dozen times.  She also liked this turtle/chameleon/dinosaur guy (i never got clarification on what he was) and there was an eagle and a few others too.When we finally got to visit Dora, she was starting to get worn down by all the excitement.  She enjoyed seeing backpack and map especially--and wasn't scared by anything, but not entirely enthralled either (especially up close).  Funny enough, we saw them all in a character caravan in the streets later that morning, and she seemed much more interested in them AFTER we had seen them, and in cars, than while we were in the room with them.  Since she loves the merry-go-round, we headed over that way before going home.  I didn't realize the zoo had converted from tokens to paper tickets, so we had to wait in line (excruciating for an anxious 2 yr old) not once, but 4 times b/c she kept asking to go again :)  It was worth it though, she LOVED it!

After all the merry go riding, we headed over for a snack of popcorn and lemonade and watched some kids jumping rope for a bit--that was a good enough note to end on, but not before hitting the gift shop (a tradition we can thank daddy for) and a small stuffed eagle to match one of the characters from the morning that she liked a lot.

Overall a very fun and action-packed morning for all of us--we hear Diego is coming to COSI in November, so we'll have to look that up and round out the experience for the year!

Big girl bed

The moment, the topic every parent dreads and looks forward to at the same time.

For me, it really didn't have much to do with "she's out of her crib...not a baby anymore," which, she hasn't been in a LONG time--but more "oh lord, think about all she could get into."

Last night, as we watched the OSU/Wisconsin debacle, I sat on the couch, heart in a jumble, questioning each creek, each breath (on the monitor) each cough, and certainly--each look Ily would give towards the upstairs.

I told Eric I wouldn't likely sleep, worrying that she'd come down the stairs and get into anything and EVERYTHING she could.  Would she come to our room?  Hopefully--she has to walk past it to go downstairs...would Ily let us know?  Would she try to turn the TV on?  (we've heard stories from friends of finding their toddlers in the living room at 2 a.m. watching Elmo or Nemo--good luck kid, I can't figure out those remotes MYSELF!)  Would she come to Eric's side of the bed?  He's such a sound sleeper...would his snoring scare her?  Would I hear her and wake up?

By 10ish, I had worried myself into drifting off, and we headed to bed.  Though we heard a cough or two (still recovering from her massive cold) we didn't hear a peep.  As I record this, it's quarter after 8, and though the dog has harrassed us to go out, nothing from the toddler.

Can't tell if she's up and lying there, admiring her new leaf canopy dad lovingly constructed, or reveling in her bigger space, all her animals surrounding her, or even enjoying the new cozier corner of the room that we had to relocate her bed to--away from any direct light?  OR--equally possible, did she silently find a good book (or 5), hop in her new Poang chair, and is enjoying the morning?

Since we skipped the video monitor in there, it's hard to tell.  I don't dare go up and risk waking her, but I'm dying to know if I will hear her, and go up to find her all snuggled, or if I'll see and hear her little pitter-patters coming soon...never know with this one.

Regardless, the transition is done.  New bedding, FUN new bed and the room actually has more open play space now, believe it or not.  We did move the crib into baby sister's room to clear it out though yesterday and we all had a somewhat teary moment of confusion...it went like this.

Amara got up from her nap, the first time in the bed, and we went up to meet her on the landing.  She had opened the door and was bleary at best, standing outside her room.  While we let her wake up, we all played up there with craft supplies, and one by one, Amara went into the baby's room, found 'her' things that we had CLEARLY misplaced, and carried them back into her own room.  Two blankets, a bookend, and a book or two--makes me uneasy for this whole "sharing" transition.  Eric peeked into the other door of the nursery and he said Amara was standing on the mattress of her crib with this confused look on her face--not saying a word.

She then came out onto the landing and almost getting teary-eyed, said "I want my mattress--"  referring to her new twin-sized mattress that we had let her jump on since we brought it home Sunday.  We tried to explain that it was on her new bed--so maybe she was confusing the new and the old mattresses?  

Sure, you could attribute this to general confusion, but by her attitude, I'd say there was some lament for her " baby things" too.  I infer a lot, so who knows.  Regardless though, at bed time last night, she was excited to go up into her new bed and we read stories and got her acclimated to her new place in her bed.  We were happy to be able to read to her and be closer to her, and not have the 'fence' of a crib wall between us at bedtime.

I have to keep reminding myself sometimes, "change is good."  ( Right?)