Apple Hill 2011

We had a fun day at Apple Hill today. Carter had his early day at school, so we just got him out 1 hour earlier & headed up to Apple Hill to beat the weekend crowds. It was really warm today, mid 90's, so instead of sweaters, jeans & hot spiced cider it was shorts, flip flops & caramel apple milkshakes!! The kids picked out a treat in the fudge shop & I got my apple covered in caramel, chocolate & mini chocolate chips. Kate's favorite activity was riding on the merry go round. She LOVED it!! It went around so quickly it was hard for Cory to keep up with her while running around the ride. Carter & Claire's favorite was playing in the pumpkin patch. We got some really cute pictures of the kids, it was so hard to choose which ones to post!

Having Snack Like The Big Kids

Kate can climb up on these chairs & sit herself down like a pro. Today she enjoyed her gold fish at the little table, instead of her high chair. She was pretty proud of herself!

Hall Monitors

Kate is at that wonderful age where we can't go to our classes at church. She's just too loud & wants to be down on the ground crawling around. Not to mention it is her nap time, so she is extremely tired & cranky. We usually roam the halls during the third hour of church. Today Kate hung out with her pals Jillian & Katelyn. Kate & Katelyn are only 1 week apart & Jillian is 2 months younger. So fun to have little friends to play with!

Thanks For The Ride

Carter gave Kate a little ride around the house this morning before school. She loved it...and hated it. Half the time she was smiling & laughing, the other half she was crying!

Milk.....It Does A Body Good

Kate started drinking whole milk from a sipping cup once she turned one. She seems to be tolerating it well. I haven't had much luck getting her to drink from a sippy cup until recently. She still likes to spit the milk out on occasion or let it roll out of her mouth.

Next up on the list to do.....start weening Kate.

Awaiting

We're ready for fall to begin with our autumn colored M&M's out. Just need to wait for Mother Nature to catch up. Expecting another 100 degrees today. It looks as if we will find some relief next week!

Guess Who Claire Brought Home From Pre-School?

Claire finally got to bring Clifford home!! She has been wanting him ever since she brought the butterfly home a few weeks ago. Every day I pick her up from school she is upset because she didn't get Clifford. Kate loved playing him just as much as Claire. She was rolling all over the floor with him.

Cha Cha Cha

Kate says the "cha cha cha" part when we sing Happy Birthday to her. It's so funny that she already picked up on that. She even does the "hi-ya" and puts her arm down at the end. I took a couple of videos of her, I think I'll post all of them!

It Must Be Your Birthday!!

It must be Kate's birthday.......Cory let her have some cake!! She was standing right at his feet waiting for some.

Kate's First Year

Happy, Happy Birthday, Kate dear!

What a quick year it has been. It's amazing to look back on your first year & see all of the changes you have made.

At 1 year old you:

can walk across the room

have 4 teeth

enjoy being outside

love blueberries & most table food

usually sleep from about 8pm to 6:30am, with 2 naps during the day

are a Mama's girl

don't like being in the car

know sign language for more & all done

love to clap & scream

We love you Kate!

Happy Birthday Kate Jordyn!!

Happy 1st Birthday to you, Kate Jordyn!!

You have brought so much happiness into our home!

Collecting Acorns

Kate is the happiest when she is outside, so we have been going on lots of walks.

We usually go after her morning nap or in the evening, after dinner.

Claire has been fascinated with acorns lately. There are lots of oak trees at the park & she has started a little collection of acorns. Today I gave her a little basket to put them in & she was so excited! Her favorites are the ones with the little "hats!" We have found some perfect acorns on the ground. We usually end up at the park with the swings, which makes Kate even happier. She loves swinging!!

Kate Performs

After our hike today we went to Chick-fil-A for lunch. While Carter & Claire were playing in the kid area Kate was performing for me. I would say to her "clap your hands, too loud, blow kisses, wave" and she would do them all! Too bad I had the camera turned, so the video is sideways!!

Family Hike

I thought it would be fun to take the kids on a hike today. Cory found a hike online that he thought we could all do. We went to Hidden Falls Regional Park off of Highway 49, between Auburn & Lincoln. It was about a 45 minute drive & towards the end the roads were winding. Claire said "Mommy, I have to throw up." I passed a plastic bag back to her but when we arrived at the park I soon realized that most of her vomit did not end up in the bag. Her clothes were covered in it. I did not bring a change of clothes for her, so she had to wear the yucky, wet clothes on the hike. Cory had Kate on his back in the Snugli. She did fine back there unless he stopped & they she got whiny. She missed her morning nap so she was really tired. The hike was about 3 miles long. Carter & Claire did a great job all the way to the half way point where we found a water hole. The took their shoes & socks off & waded in the water. Carter slipped on a rock & landed in the water. He had to wear wet clothes for the remainder of the hike. It was getting close to noon & we had not had lunch so we started the hike back to the car. The kids were getting really tired. Kate finally fell asleep in the Snugli & Claire was dragging along. Cory finally picked her up & carried both girls for a while. It was a beautiful hike, just a little bit too long for our little ones. They were troopers though & did a great job!