Fall Fun 2013

This post is basically going to be a large photo bomb of all of the fall fun we've been having :)  Two weekends ago, we went to visit Brian's family and managed to squeeze in a trip to the pumpkin patch:

Fall fun continued this past weekend, when we were able to make our annual trip to Zoo Boo with GG! Jake is hilarious; every single year, he is always more intrigued by the costumes of other kids than anything else.  Giant, majestic lions and tigers?  Rare breeds of animals?  Cute and cuddly penguins?  Who cares!  Captain America is at the zoo!  Oh my goodness, there are the smurfs! It's so cute, it's like he really thinks that all of the kids in costumes are celebrities. 

Another funny thing about that day: Jake's costume is Peter Pan.  95% of the people we passed thought he was Robin Hood.  By the end of the day, Jake just looked defeated and kept saying, "why do they think I'm Robin Hood??"  Poor kid, I was about to make a sign and stick it around his neck that said "I am Peter Pan!".  

I swear, Liam was more excited than he looks in this picture!

I want to break through that glass and steal the red panda, it is TOO.CUTE.

We hope you're enjoying fall!!

Liam's report card

Daycare does a progress report every few months on each child's development, behavior, etc....we just got Liam's most recent report (he's almost 2.5!!)  Here are some of the highlights:

Physical (fine and gross motor): Liam walks up and down stairs by holding onto the railing.  He loves to play on the playground.  He feeds himself with a spoon and fork very well, and drinks out of a regular cup without spilling.  He enjoys cutting paper and is skilled in that area.  He shows some interest in using the potty, and is able to wash and dry his own hands with little assistance. He can build a tower of several blocks. He is able to remove his socks and shows, but needs help putting them back on.

Knowledge and skills of math, science, and social studies: Liam enjoys stories and songs.  He can name and identify objects in pictures.  He is able to count to 5 consistently, and  up to 10 with some prompting. He knows most colors and some shapes.  He knows his ABCs.  He has started to sort shapes and colors with little assistance.  He enjoys browsing books on his own.

Social/emotional: Liam shows a lot of empathy and caring towards others; he will often comfort another child if he or she is crying or hurt.  Sometimes he finds it difficult to wait his turn or take turns, which is normal for the age range.  He is excited about the company of other children, but does often turn to adults for comfort and company throughout the day.  The vast majority of the time, he excels at obeying and respecting the rules of the classroom. 

Communication, Language, and Literacy: Liam forms short sentences, and verbalizes his needs throughout the day appropriately.  He uses please and thank you without reminders.  He knows his first and last name, and recognizes the faces and names of familiar people, objects, and body parts.  He seems to love music, singing, and dancing.  He follows simple instructions most of the time, though has his moments of not listening when he is intent on continuing to do what he is doing at that time.

She feels pretty....oh so pretty!!

She may look like she's ready to fall asleep directly on the pumpkin, but I swear, she loved the photo session.

Wordless Wednesday: Little Helpers

Wordless Wednesday: Fall Fun & Brotherly Love

Another reason to love Pittsburgh.

Why do I love Pittsburgh?   Because GIANT RUBBER DUCKY!

Pittsburgh is an awesome city, for many reasons, including but not limited to:

• Access to many cultural events and locations, including museums, a science center, theaters, and much more.
• One of the top zoos in the country
• Steelers (and even though I'm not a fan of hockey or baseball, I should have in a shout-out to the Pens and the Pirates, too!)
• No shortage of colleges and universities (including Pitt, which is near and dear to our hearts as alums)
• Tons of parks and other family-friendly places
• And the most recent reason.........the arrival of a giant duck!!!

He is here and he is magnificent.   Honestly.  I was jazzed to see him and I've been looking forward to meeting him for months, but I was even more impressed in person.

If you're not familiar with the duck, you may be sitting there thinking, "What the quack?  I'm confused.  What is the point?"  The rubber duck is a work created by artist Florentijin Hofman, and he has been to many other cities (although Pittsburgh is the FIRST city in the US to welcome this big guy, I thank you very much.) From the artist's website:

The Rubber Duck knows no frontiers, it doesn't discriminate people and doesn't have a political connotation. The friendly, floating Rubber Duck has healing properties: it can relieve mondial tensions as well as define them. The rubber duck is soft, friendly and suitable for all ages!

So basically, the answer to the question "why a giant rubber duck?" is "Why not??"

 

 

 

 

It was also the first time we've been to visit Point State Park since it had been remodeled.  It was beautiful!  They really put a lot of work into the area, and we can't wait to visit again next summer.  While the kids definitely loved the duck (in fact, we couldn't get Liam to stop staring at him long enough to snap a picture!), they were obsessed with the fountain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quack-quack!!!