11 Months

Gemma turned 11 months old on Thursday.  Can you believe it?  With it being a Thursday, which is when Kelly works during the day and at night, things got a little crazy.  On her way to work, she texted me saying "I wasn't able to take Gemma's 11 month photo today.  Can you go outside and take a few?"

Well, now I'm stressed, because typically Kelly takes the monthly photos, and you've probably seen that she does a terrific job.  I have some mighty big shoes to fill.  Hopefully, if I just took enough photos, I could get some good ones purely by coincidence.  Even the blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut.

One thing to notice is the curly hair!  The weather warmed up, the humidity came in and BOING!  Gemma went from her straight hair, to having little ringlets around her head.  Looks like she may be taking after Mama and big sister, Amelia. 

The one photo where you could actually see the sign

What the 11 months sign looked like most of the time

Doing a little yard work.

I put Gemma down and she stood there, but would not move.  I think the grass may have been a little prickly on her feet.  

Yes!  She finally is looking at me and smiling!

Well, at least she's still smiling.

William and Amelia were also outside during this photo session, and Gemma was very distracted with all their antics.  

William stop!  Don't go in the street!

The next series of photos I think are kind of funny, since they show a bunch of different faces that Gemma made in a rather short period of time.

About this time, the neighbor came out with her two kids.  Now, there were five big kids to watch running, and riding around.   Photography session over. 

Father's Night

A few weeks ago it was Father's night at Amelia's preschool. It was on a night that Kelly works, but luckily a friend was willing to babysit William and Gemma (on the sitter's birthday no less!). Thank you!

The preschool was divided into stations. Crafts in one, snacks in another, photos and stories in another, and games in the last one. Apparently there was a theme to the party. It was Western night, and you were supposed to dress up! Oops!

In the game room there was Nerf guns to shoot at targets. Play-doh, dress up clothes, and a sunflower seed spitting game. Amelia's first choice was the Nerf guns. Who would have guessed?

 

Get it?

William's joke this evening!

Amelia conversation

I feel like Amelia says plenty of cute stuff, but as the neglected middle child, she doesn't get as much written down here.  So, on Wednesday, the two of us were driving to ballet class (a ten minute drive) when the following conversation took place:

Amelia: I want to listen to the dinosaur music.
Mama: The dino music is in the other car, I don't have any dinosaur music here.
Amelia: Can we please listen to dinosaur music?
Mama: Thank you for being so polite!  I still don't have any dinosaur music.
Amelia: Then I want to listen to Car Talk . 
Mama: What?
Amelia: Can we please listen to Car Talk*?
Mama:  That is only on the radio on Saturday mornings!
Amelia: I just love that show.

-----

The same evening on the way home, we had the following conversation:

Amelia: Do you remember when Grandpa Heidt was a baby?
Mama: Nope. 
Amelia: Can you tell me about Grandpa Heidt was a baby?
Mama: I think I know some stories about Grandpa Heidt when he was a baby.  He used to have very curly, beautiful hair.
Amelia: So you remember.
Mama: No.  Grandpa's sisters told me about his curly hair and about when he was a little boy.
Amelia:Grandpa has sisters?!?!?
Mama: Yes.
Amelia: Do you remember when Grandma Kim and Grandpa Kevin were babies?
Mama: nope.
Amelia: You don't?  Why? 
Mama: Grandma and Grandpa are older than Mama.  So, I wasn't born when they were babies.
Amelia: What? You DO remember, right Mama?
Mama: (are we home yet?  we hit every.single.red.light) No, I can't remember that because I wasn't there when they were babies.
Amelia: Where were you?
Mama: Hey!  Let's play the letter game!  I'm looking for a letter A.....


*In short, Car Talk is a public radio show featuring two brothers who discuss car repair and other car related topics when they aren't insulting each other.  I admit John and I are big fans.

Tooth #8&9

Yesterday I noticed Gemma has 2 new teeth starting to poke out. The top incisors on the right and left are coming in.

Sent from my iPhone

Field trip! Part I

On Wednesday I got to go with William's class on a field trip to Purina Farms!  A big thanks to daddy for taking the day off to stay home with the girls- no siblings were allowed!

We haven't been out to Purina Farms yet, so I was excited to scope it out with a bunch of kindergarteners.

We arrived and caught the beginning of the dog show.  William was completely mesmerized by the bigger kids having a dance party to the loud music while they waited for the show to begin.  I don't think he even saw the dogs.

As the show got under way, we had to walk away as we were scheduled for lunch.  I had some disappointed friends!  

They got over it quick - especially when lunch included Sprite.

After lunch, we pet animals and ran around.  And ran and ran.

 

Field trip part II

I got tired of chasing my little crew, so we settled in for a fun tractor pulled wagon ride.

Later, we found a play area with a series of tunnels.  I thought we would never get out of there.  All4 went in and then came out different places at different times.  I kept sending them in after each other and then having them disappear for the next ten minutes.  I finally got smart and didn't let them go back in.  It took awhile, but we finally got everyone out 

Of there and onto the next thing: rope swing!  William loved it and I had to drag him away kicking and screaming.