Fall Farm Fun

Saturday we took a little trip over to Philadelphia to see Grams and Pop and to go out to the farm.  It was so much fun!  We ate lunch at Grams and Pop's house and played for a little bit.  Then we went out to the farm and Papaw joined us.  We took some pictures of the trees and rode around on the mule too.

I can drive this too!

Emerson loved riding around on the mule.  He wanted to move around and see everything.  He wasn't quite sure of the tractor, but I think that he'll be more than happy to play on it soon.  Crawling around and playing with the acorns though, that was the most fun thing ever.

with Grams and Pop but that mean old sun is in my eyes

four generations

checking out the tractor with Pop.  I can't drive this yet.

We headed back to Grams and Pop's to play and have supper.  Emerson crawled all around and found the stairs.  Last Sunday, Emerson mastered the stairs at church.  Since we don't have stairs at the house, the church is the only place he sees them.  But, he found the stairs and made it all the way up five steps before the turn in the stairs just threw him off.  He just couldn't figure out that he needed to move to the other side of the stair where it wasn't so thin on that turn.  Before long, he's going to be crawling all the way up!  As always, much fun was had.      

Aren't I cute!

Story time with Daddy

Goodbye Summer

As we say goodbye to Summer...well, summer weather (maybe...it is still October in Mississippi after all) We have to catch up with our CelticFest pics.  We weren't able to take a lot due to the lighting and just the general fun times, but we did manage a couple.  We loved the different Celtic groups and the Irish step dancers.  Mommy and Daddy's favorite singer/songwriter/storyteller from Cork, Ireland was even back this year.  Emerson had so much fun with all the sights and sounds.  We arrived early Saturday morning, then left for Emerson's nap time.  But after Emerson woke up, we were right back out there enjoying the weather, people, and music.

Driving already

I'll get us home!

Keepin' it fresh!

Take and Toss bowls
Keeping our crunchies fresher longer!

We love, love, love our crunchies, but we just can't eat them fast enough.  These bowls are perfect and even help our yogurt bites and puffs too!

This is my dance... or Why we love Kindermusik

This is my dance
It's new every time
It began as my heartbeat
And sprouted a rhyme

Since we're at our fall semester midpoint and starting our new class, I thought is make a few notes and post a few pics.
I had heard of Kindermusik a long time ago and promptly forgot about it.  Kindermusik came around my thoughts again after the most awesome & amazing niece/cousin (Ellington) was born.  Again, it was promptly forgotten. 
Once Emerson was born, I'm not sure what reminded me of it.  I just remember wanting to sign up to try it out.  We finally signed up for a summer class and he loved it.  I was afraid 6 months might be a little too young but not at all!  After the summer "camp" was over, we immediately signed up for the fall semester of Village (the youngest level ~ kindermusik goes up to 7 years) and also the Sign and Sing class.  I used to know quite a bit of sign language, but if you don't use it you lose it so most of it has been forgotten.  This class will be a fun way for Emerson to learn something that we might never have really thought of otherwise. 

Emerson loves his teachers Ms Mandy and Ms Robin.  He's right about in the middle age wise in his classes so it's perfect.  The kids have the best time watching, talking to, and even playing with each other. 

We start off by singing hello to everyone with our Hello song.  Then we have our massage and exercise time to a couple other songs.  (I wish I could get a massage every week!)  Getting up and dancing around and being active with one another during various songs and games comes next.  We have a reading time and a quiet time too.  Quiet time being a relative term after the kids get comfortable with one another.  We even have a goodbye song to sing before we leave.  Everything has a purpose even if the kids don't quite get involved because they're distracted.  Fun and comfortable is the name of the game.  Every class we incorporate something new to the routine, whether it's a new song, and new verse to a song, or just a new game or dance.   

As someone who was surrounded by music their entire life, it's a wonderful feeling to have a creative outlet for Emerson this early.       


This is our dance
as we step to the beat
in our colorful musical circle of feet.
This is my dance lyrics ©  Kindermusik International 

Playing with Ms Mandy while we wait for our friends.

Our new buddy Corland

Sign & Sing and a ball pit!

Ms Robin rocks!

Bubbles with our friend Samuel

Kindermusik at the fair & daddy got to join in!!

Sundays

Emerson usually doesn't give us the opportunity to take pictures of him playing at church.  We happened to sneak into Ms Betty's class and catch a couple before he was ready to go.  He's the youngest child that Highlands has ever moved up from the babies to the toddler room.

The big # 2

October 2nd was our favorite cousin Ellington's 2nd birthday.  On the 8th, she had the ultimate Minnie Mouse party! We didn't think we were going to make it as we all were feeling bad from various ailments during the past week and Emerson even had his first ear infection.  But, as we played for two whole hours in the backyard that morning, we decided we were heading to Starkville.

Since we decided to leave a little early so Emerson could get his full nap in the car, we headed over to Mississippi State's drill field to play

Ellington is such a lucky girl!  She had a full house of family that loves her to pieces!  She looked so cute in her little Minnie Mouse dress!  Lane and Robert were even able to borrow a bouncy house from a friend for her!  Ellington and her cousin Connor didn't want to stop playing in it!  It was a cool addition.  Her other cousin (Connor's brother) Brody and Emerson also got in to play with her for a little bit, but they mostly left it up to the "big kids".
Robert grilled some delicious hamburgers for us and then Ellington's cake was awesome. The cutest two tier Minnie cake!
After we ate, we watched a video of pictures of Ellington's past year.  It's amazing how much she's grown!  She's all big girl now.  Then we got to the best part...presents!  It's always fun to watch a child open presents.  The excitement just can't be faked at that age.  She received a bunch of great gifts and even quite a few that fit her Minnie Mouse theme.  By far her best look of the day was wearing her Minnie dress with a Minnie tutu, Minnie ears, and her MSU pom poms!