The Kate Effect

crime scene.

I am not sure what Kate what was really trying to photograph but this reminds me of the Wizard of Oz where the house fell on the wicked witch and all you could see were her feet. Brad thinks it looks like a  CSI episode...canyou imagine finger printing a bunny?

Another ramdom stuffed animal photo:

 

This is 'Tiger' laying on her desk with his hands on his eyes. Is he being tortured or playing hide-n-seek?

(Yes, I know it is a leopard but K8 insists that it is a kitty cat named Tiger. Feel free to argue with her about it.)

i love how her little plastic snowglobe is actually on because all the little white balls are flying through the air.

the stuff of love

 

Kate likes to take photos of these two. She rarely ever plays wih them but since she got the camera they were promoted to Top Models.

self portraits

 

Kate's Camera - Test Run

     

    

For Kate's Birthday Brad i got her one gift. a tech kid camera. she is always asking to use mine and loves taking photos and videos with everyone camera. even as a little baby she wanted to see herself on the little camera screen. so we induged her and got her one. This will protect my camera and provide tons of entertainment for us all. I love the camera because it is thick and has great grip, big buttons and TWO eye holes. Sort of like binoculars. Of course I taught Kate how to look through with one eye to use mine and now she refuses to look with both eyes.

this was her test run with the camera... obviously it is not the best quality indoors but it has tons of space and does video and games. She is having a ball. I am considering having a certain day of the week dedicated to posting her photos...we will see how well I follow through.

Introducing Kate from the Happy Monster Band!

I startt hinking about halloween costumes months in advance ... along with birthday party's and christmas. I have gone through a million ideas this year. Since Kate's birthday is so close to Halloween I always envision a costume or theme party. This means I need to decide on a theme and plan the party to know what Kate will wear to trick-or-treat.

First started with plans for a Peter Pan Party thus making Kate Tinkerbell. That seemed very cliche' this year witht he fairy movie coming and every other girl dressing up as Tinkerbell. So I shelfed the ideasf or another year. After much debating and scheduling issue we decided to skipp the "party" aspect and just have a family cake and ice cream for a birthday celebration.

So now what to do for a costume....hmm. I stopped at a garage sale(something I rarely do) and kate spotted a little Dorothy costume from the Wizard of OZ. She loved it and I loved that it was 25 cents. All I had to do waa mke red sparkle shoes. Easy Squeezy.

I thought Halloween was covered. But Kate loved her costume and played with it everyday. It was no longer special. Plus she had no idea who Dorothy was and the movie is quite scary for three year olds.

A week before Halloween and I am back at square one. ugh.

Since we have been painting Kate's fingers with "oogly eyes" and reading silly monster books... I thought maybe just maybe I could make her a monster.

Maybe.

I ran to a few places looking for "hairy" fabric and settled on two little hairy pillows and some coordinating fuzzy fabric. Even o'clock on Wednesday (after an entire day of birthday events) and begin the creation. I hand-sewed because I didn't want to wake anyone up with the sewing machine. 

As soon as Kate tried it on she grabbed her new guitar (thanks Uncle Justin & Aunt Rach) and began to rock out! I said who are you?  fully expecting her to say an oogly monster.

"I am a happy moster band!" she squealed.

I died laughing. Click here to see a clip of Disney's Happy Monster Band. She amazes me everyday!

 

   

 

      

"jack-o-lantern - ooooh, spooky" - kate

yesterday afternoon, kate announced that we needed a Jack-o-lantern. After I recovered from the slight suprise that she knew the word 'jack-o-lantern' much less that she wanted one, I asked her where we should get one.  

She replied, " At a pumpkin patch like that one with the cross."

Suprised once again that she knew that pumpkins are used to make jack-o-lanterns, that she did not ask for a pumpkin but a jack-o-lantern, and that she had paid attention when driving to school and knew the church down the street had a pumpkin patch selling pumpkins.

   

She obviously had been formulating all of this in her mind so I thought I would ask...

"What is a jack-o-lantern, kate?"

"Jack-o-lantern is a pumpkin. You cut it and make a face. A spooky face and spooky eyes. we need steps and pumpkins sit on steps and kids say 'Boo'. You get treats right here in your hand like this ( holds hands together cupping them to hold invisable candy) and you say thank you. Then eat it all up. yumyumyum (cookie monster style)"

"Where did you hear about Jack-o-lanterns, Kate?'

"Charlie & Lola."

Thank you Disney for educating Kate in the Fine art of trick or treating.

**I have sat down and watched this episode of Charlie and Lola and LOVED it! Cartoons with British accents Rock!**

   

"There's snake in my boots" - woody

Kate like horses. I wouldn't say love but definately Like, Likes horse. She loves to play with her my little pnies and she names the horse in the field we pass everyday. So I thought it might be fun to go and ride a horse for her birthday.

  We skipped the whole party thing and planned to go to Arrowhead Ranch right after school. We did a one-on -one with the horse. Buddy was supposed to be our horse but he was off wandering around so we had Scout. Later Buddy showed up and snuck in the gate to eat all of the treats we had for Scout. Amazing that an animal that big can *sneak*!

 

Kate loved it! She definately had her moments off shy-ness. One minutes she is so excited she cannot contain her self and the next she is crouching behind me, peering through my legs.

Shyness gets annoying when you are trying to gauge her reaction to something...it is so drastic and you never know when it will hit her. The part that really bothers me is that she thinks that it is safe to hide behind me. I am obviously wide enough in her mind that she has plenty of time to get away before the attacker gets around me. Or maybe it's because she figures I am so mean and scary that no one would dare to get past me and chase her. Kind of like owning her own troll.

Kate was acting shy when we started to comb and groom the horse. She did not want anything to do with touching or brushing it. I thought, Oh great. If she won't touch it she is going to scream when I suggest we ride it!

I was completely wrong. A few minute late Kate was asking, Can I ride now?  She jumped right up and went around and around and around. Content as could be on her "HIGH HORSE".

She also had no problem feeding the horse the green cubes of alfalfa. She let the giant horse lick her and slober on her. I thought maybe we should try the grooming again. Nope, she would not brush the horse.

In the end we went home with a huge horse shaped balloon, pink stuffed horse, and a pink cowboy hat. Kate did care for any of those things. Instead she talked the whole way home about ABE the donkey who rolled around in the dirt and brayed at the car. She told me that she loved to chase chickens and she would like to have one someday. One that did not lay eggs of course.

There is nothing predictable about my child - and I love it!

   

   

sweet gum tree

 

 

we took a walk yesterday in the brisk afternoon and played under a neighbor's tree.

 

No, we did not move to Vermont and yes, I said 'brisk'. Texas has finally had a bought of fall like weather. I am loving the cool crisp days. They are the one of two things I miss about Denver. This neighbor has an awesome tree with beautiful leaves that change color. It makes me think of Vermont and Maple syrup and snowy mornings.

bedtime reading...

the books I have been reading! I have successful knitted a full "item"

It is beautiful, for a first time knit. it took alot of practice and I love it. Unfortunatley I can't share it with you because everyone I know reads this blog and christmas is coming....

If you have wanted to knit or crochet but don't have time to take a class or think it is too confusing...pick up knitting pretty or cozy crochet. They don't use the abbreviations and they spell everything out..with drawings! I have crocheted blankets, scarfs, dishclothes - anything square. For the first time I am able to actually make hats, sweaters, and gloves thanks to this little read.

if i can do this you can! 

Paisley Paisley Paisely

 

she is growing. she is learning fast. she is not biting me anymore. she is now chewing the furniture. she is chasing birds. she is retreiving balls. she sits. she settles (lays down). she stays. she plays hide & seek. she doesn't fit in her crate.

she chewed Brad's laptop charger in two. she hides her bones in the couch cushions. she sits in her water bowl. she gets in the bathtub with Kate. she got caught standing on the kitchen table. she comes when she is called. she 'points' when you say "ready". she has very "smelly toots" as Kate would say. she like Dr.Pepper and knocks mine over if I leave it. she has a new collar with a paisley print. she fertilized our yard yesterday by dragging a bag of potting soil around the yard. she stole an play-instrument with from Kate's room, it is her favorite toy now.

i think i'm falling for her.