Fun with Crayons

Some days I just like to watch Katie and try to figure out what is happening in her mind. I was watching her the other day when she had her crayons out on the floor. She started out by very carefully arranging her crayons into a design. She definitely had a place in mind for each crayon.

After enjoying her design for awhile, she ran her hands quickly over her design, scattering the crayons every which way.  Then she lied down on the messed up crayons like she didn't want me to touch them.

She finally got up and then turned into a careful artist again. This time, instead of making a design, she was intent on putting everything in a very straight row.

Do you like my crayon design? 

My crayons got messed up, so I better lie down on them. 

I need a new plan. 

Sometimes I need some quiet wait time before I begin. 

These might look good in a straight line. 

I knew I liked to organize things. 

I better add my favorite instruction booklet. 

Just examining my work. I think it looks good.

A Surprise Gift

Katie received a surprise gift in the mail from her Grammy Noreen. She sent her a Chinese New Year calendar that had lots of Chinese characters for Katie to look at. She had fun with the calendar, but she also loved the packaging. It has provided lots of entertainment!

I found a sticker to peel off! 

I already like this, and I don't even know what's inside yet. 

Hey, I suddenly have two pieces! 

Look at the bright colors in here! 

How did I already get to the last page? 

I found a picture and some Chinese characters! 

Thank you, Grammy Noreen!

Tug-of-War

While my mom was out of town, Katie helped to walk her dogs each day. One night after a walk, Katie and Max decided to play tug-of-war with the leash.

I can pull harder than you, Max! 

This is fun! 

I think it's a tie!

(I love Shelby's face in the corner as she checks out the camera!)

Involving Friends

After the Christmas tree came down, I moved Katie's table and chairs into the room where the tree had been. Sometimes she wants the table back in the living room. On those days, she typically just pulls the table to where she wants it. One afternoon, she pulled the table in and got all of her friends involved in her fun.

There's not much action in this room. 

I'll just pull my table in here. 

I have my tea, a can of olives, and my bunny. 

Everything is perfect! 

I'll just pour the tea. 

I better test it for flavor. 

I made sure to give Winnie my berry strainer, so he wasn't left out. 

C'mon, Bear! You can come too.

I'll just leave my measuring spoons there for now. 

Not everyone knows how to use a whisk like me. 

You're not scared of this whisk, are you Bingle? 

Hmmm…what next?

I better make sure my guests are comfortable. 

Are you warm enough, Bingle? 

I'll just help to cover you up in case you're cold. 

Here, Chloe. I want to keep you warm too!

Making Up for Lost Time

Over the holiday season, our cat got really sick. A few days after Bingle got sick, Chloe got sick. It was a long, hard couple of weeks. It has been good to see both start to feel better.

Katie has been making up for lost time with Chloe after hearing over and over, "Leave Chloe alone. She doesn't feel good."  Now she's safe to play again!

I missed you while you were sick! 

It's nice to see you back on the couch. 

Have I ever told you I love you? 

You're the best dog ever! 

I just have to hug you! 

Your nose is cold and wet again. 

I'm glad we're friends!

Let's Play!

Katie wanted to play. We started by playing chase. She loves to run around the kitchen island over and over with someone chasing her. She usually likes the person chasing her to pull her clacking alligator with them, but on this particular day, she chose to drag the alligator and hold her polar bear at the same time.

Are you going to run after us? 

Faster! Faster!

After playing chase for awhile, Katie decided to hide under my mom's jacket that was hanging on the dining room table chair.

I bet you can't find me! 

I'm not coming out! 

Here I am! 

I think I'll go back into hiding!

Then it was back to chasing - this time without the alligator. Katie ran over to her running path and did what Aunt Jennifer taught her to do. She bent her knees and said, "Ready, Set," while she looked at me to get in the same position, and "GO!" Off she went!

Ready, Set... 

…Go!

Uh-Oh! Oopsie!

Katie has had continued fun with her tea set she got from Aunt Jennifer for Christmas. After using the tea set for awhile, I decided to add water to the tea pot, so Katie could practice adding her "tea" to her cups. I anticipated that some water would be spilled, but Katie is much better at getting the water in the cups than I expected. Even though some water spills, the whole tea pouring routine came pretty naturally to her.

When Katie does spill water, she'll usually say one of her favorite phrases, "Uh-oh! Oopsie!" Then she'll either show an adult what she did, or attempt to clean up her spill on her own. She does pretty well with the cleaning too - when she wants to.

When I added water to the teapot, I also anticipated that Katie would want to have water in there quite often. Boy, was I right! She'll run out of water, bring the teapot to me and say, "More please! More please! More please!" I think she now drinks a gallon of water a day!

Uh-oh! Oopsie! 

I need to find my towel. 

I try to be responsible and clean up. 

Now I can have more tea. 

I think I'm all done for now.