Happy Halloween, 2012!

Katie had a big day to celebrate Halloween this year.  This morning, my mom brought her to visit my school. She dressed up in her costume and brought some Halloween goodies to some of her friends. Then she visited my class and entertained my students for a short bit of time. For as shy as she can be around adults, she loves to be the center of attention with other kids.  After leaving some treat bags for my students, she went home to take a nap before her big night.

Katie's costume came with a very cute, beanie-type of hat. Of course, she refused to wear it even for ten seconds. A short while before she left to go trick-or-treating, Katie found a food storage container in her toy basket and decided that it had to be worn as a hat with her costume. I have no idea where the container even came from. It was old, stained with food, and didn't even look familiar. I thought it must have come from Garyldine's house, but she didn't recognize it either. Katie left the house with her food-stained container on her head!

I didn't think Katie would want to go trick-or-treating this year. She doesn't like to eat candy, so I didn't think there was any point to her going. However, Garyldine and my mom were nice enough to take Katie trick-or-treating at Katie's music teacher's house. When they got there, her music teacher was teaching, so they ended up going to some friend's houses. Katie liked her new friends that she met, and she ended up visiting three houses - the perfect amount. At the end of her visits, her small honey pot was full of candy. She was ready to come home and relax!

I'm a bee with a Halloween balloon! 

Halloween is a fun day! 

My mom told me to smile for the camera, so this is the face I made. 

Just waiting for the big night! 

Everyone should love balloons. 

Look at my Halloween present from Garyldine! It's the Costco elephant! 

He sure is heavy when I try to lift him! 

You should just sit on the couch. 

Let's color until it's time to go. 

I love you! 

I'm as tall as you, Grandma! 

This hat just completes my costume!

 Don't take my hat, Aunt Jennifer! You can keep that one on your head!

Where's Garyldine, Sammy?

You must not recognize me with my hat. 

Hey, Jim, did you see my stickers? 

This is one of my new friends. He's a pirate! 

Here's another new friend. Her name is Nadia. 

I'm getting ready to ring the doorbell! 

Trick or Treat! 

Home at last. It's time for a quick snack and then I can get a bath.

Happy Halloween!

Ice!

One of Katie's favorite words to say is "ice." She loves to get ice out of the freezer and put it into her water. She loves to shake her ice in her cup and hear it rattle. One night Katie decided to put ice in Chloe's and Bingle's water too - a trick she learned at Garyldine's. When I told her the ice was gone in the freezer, she decided that she could still play with the ice anyway.

I love ice cubes! 

I have to pat my hands together and shake them all over to get the water off of them. 

Here I go back into the water. This is fun!

Two University of Wisconsin Fans

Since Jennifer bought Katie some University of Wisconsin shirts, she and my dad dressed in their shirts together. We tried to get a picture, but it was harder than I thought it would be. If only my camera took pictures a little faster, things could have worked out a little better. Oh well.

It's funny that Grandpa and I have matching clothes! 

Grandpa likes to have a lot of my toys before he has a picture! 

Wait! We weren't quite ready! 

Are you looking at Bucky Badger, Grandpa? 

I'm tired of pictures now, but Grandpa is ready.

Sunday Morning Fun

Katie started off her Sunday morning with some of her favorite things.

I have berries to go with my breakfast! 

I love to spin! 

I hardly ever get dizzy! 

I get to look at magazines now! 

Grandma found a giraffe puzzle with the alphabet on it! 

I found a different puzzle with letters!

Enjoying the Jack-o-Lanterns

After the Pumpkin Patch, Garyldine took some of the pumpkins home to make Jack-o-Lanterns for Katie. Katie was asleep when the Jack-o-Lanterns were delivered. We put them on the back deck, so she'd be able to see them at night. She didn't see them until the next morning, and she was very excited to get her first look.

I see pumpkins out there! 

I wish I could open this door by myself!

I want to see the pumpkins! 

My mom finally opened the door! 

Look what I found! 

I can reach my hand right inside this one! 

Look! The top comes off. 

What's inside? 

I think this one looks good right here.

I love to take the top off and put it back on. 

I could stare at this all day long! 

Chloe, I found a bucket to carry the jack-o-lantern in! 

Thank you, Garyldine!

Grandpa's Visit

Over the weekend, my dad came over to visit. Katie loves to share with him, so she gave him one toy after another until his arms were very full. If any toy ever came off his lap, Katie was sure to pick it up and put it right back in his lap.

Look at all the toys I gave Grandpa! 

I like coloring with you! 

I wonder what I should get him next.

He really liked coloring!

Playing with Winnie and the Stuffed Cat

The other day, Katie was playing, and she got out her stuffed cat, and like usual, had Winnie the Pooh with her. Then she did something that really made me laugh. As I thought about where Katie got her idea, I realized that she had spent a lot of time with Garyldine at the Pumpkin Patch watching kids ride the ponies.  Maybe that was her inspiration!

You need to sit on the cat's back like this. 

That looks like so much fun that I think I'll join you! 

Whew, that was a lot of work. Time for everyone to take a nap!