I know it doesn't look like it...

But this baby is mad at me. She is enjoying some exploring of finger foods. She has a few puffs (quick dissolve baby food) on her tray and she is very angry because she can't figure out how to put them in her mouth. If you look carefully, you will see she has a spoon in each hand. If she wants to put a puff in her mouth, she would have to put down a spoon. And she doesn't want to. So, she cries and cries. Just like a baby.

It's a good thing I took pity on her (after taking her picture) and helped her out!

Dinosaurs

Every week kindergarten is studying a new letter. They learn to write the letter and talk about the sounds it make, etc.

As part of William's homework every week, he has to come up with 5-10 words that begin with this letter and then draw a picture to illustrate (which is separate from the letter assignment featured here other times). As part of the directions, the teacher has asked parents to let students work on this independently. In particular, we aren't to help with spelling.

William sat at the kitchen table this last week, working on his letter 'P' homework page. It should be a simple task for him to come up with 10 words starting with 'P', but William has taken it to the next step by requiring himself (keep in mind this is not part of the actual assignment, this is something William is putting it upon himself) to have every single word be related to dinosaurs.

So, on this particular evening, William had come up with parasaurolophus and pachycephalosaurus. He was asking John for help with coming up with more dino names. John reminded William that William needed to try to come up with the words on his own.

Which is when Amelia piped up and said "how about pterodactyl?"

William and John looked at her with jaws dropped.

So, she helped them out by explaining to them "pterodactyl does start with P. It is just a silent P.".

So he did. See below. The assignment was then lovingly transported in his backpack TO school and crumpled up to come back home by the student himself.

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Conversations

Amelia: (chatters about preschool friends, snack time)...and soon we will have a party! Santa is coming and we are going to eat pancakes and salsa!

Mama: pancakes and salsa?

Amelia: yeah! Pancakes and salsa!

Mama: I think it is pancakes and sausage Amelia.

Amelia: that's what I said! Pancakes and salsa!*

* so here is where I admit my kiddos are well versed in salsa, but have no idea what sausage is. Because we don't eat sausage. Not for any deeply personal/religious reasons. Neither John or I enjoy it, so we don't buy it. Simple.



Sent from my iPhone

Tooth #4

Front left tooth

Sent from my iPhone

Tooth #4

Tooth number 4 broke through last night, and for perhaps the first time John was the first to notice!

Gemma crawls!

6 Months Old!

Dear sweet Gemma is now 6 months old as of yesterday. I baked half of
a cake to celebrate her being half of a year old. It was adorable
until it fell apart and the frosting didn't stick. Oh well.

We are in full Christmas prep mode - which is crazy this year.
Thankfully there has been this gift of an extra week between
Thanksgiving and Christmas or there would be some serious crazy.

Here is what is going on in Ms Gemma Bean's world.

Gemma is wearing 9-12 month clothes and and a few 12-18 month clothes.
We finally used up the size 2 diapers and have happily moved into
3's. this hopefully means we will be using our cloth diapers more
often since I'm not trying to use up the too small 2's any more.

Gemma is all about moving. You'll see in the pictures below, she
doesn't hold still for long. It was a fight to get any pictures of her
at all. She is army crawling everywhere which means we have had to
take a hard look at what toys are laying around in order to keep her
safe. She is loving her new found freedom. She is also working very
hard on the hands and knees crawling piece. She is able to do it and
practices and every opportunity.

We now have 3 teeth with at least one more coming soon.

I don't know if it is the crawling, the teeth or something else all
together, but Gemma has not slept through the night in.....I can no
longer remember. Most recently, she has been waking twice a night.
Which would account for my tiredness, perhaps.

On the food front, we are eating solid food everyday in very small
amounts - maybe 1-2 tablespoons is what I start with in a bowl. I
would estimate roughly 25% of it makes it until her belly at this
point. So far, Gemma has had peaches, squash, oatmeal and carrots.
Carrots are the runaway favorite - she has enjoyed these a great deal.

Although Gemma is not as one track minded about eating, her favorite
activity is far and away being snuggled up with mama for a snack and a
cuddle. She strongly prefers to sleep snuggled up with me (we are not
encouraging this) and loves to nap with me. I have to say it is a lot
of work and a lot of fun to be this little ones favorite person.

Nickname: somehow this month Gemma bean has picked up a nickname. I
know I gave it to her, I just not entirely sure where I got it from.
It just sounds super cute together! (Try it, you'll see)