Random Pictures

Here are some random pictures I wanted to share and remember.  Enjoy!

Conni is now using my old day bed.  She was so excited to put it together.  She insisted on getting under the bed in the back corner to help dad with the nuts and bolts.  

Before I found her catgirl costume, I found this pattern for a cute crocheted superhero beanie.  It didn't include instructions for the ears, so I just made those up as I went along.  Conni was so excited to wear it - and she shares with Dad so he can be batman sometimes too.  I love how simple the pattern was and how much it made Conni's day when I finished it. 

While I was at work one day, Conni and Grandma went with my sister to help while she had pictures taken of her new baby and all the kids.  While they were there, the other photographer said she needed some practice hours and asked if she could take some shots of Conni. This particular day, I had let Conni have more choices when she got ready - including letting her do her own hair.  Thankfully, Grandma had pulled it back a bit before they left.  

I love how these shots show Conni's personality.  And they were free!!

Pirate Conni in September for my dad's birthday party.  

Dad and Grandpa mowing his back lawn.  

This is a special memory for me.  Conni and I went to visit Dave at work in Orem a few weeks ago.  On the way back, there was a crazy wind storm with tons of debris flying across the road.  I couldn't avoid some and ended up hitting something.  When we got home, I was assessing the damage - a broken running light.  Conni told me she was going inside while I called Dave to inform him and discuss the damage.  I was pretty shaken from the whole thing - the wind storm was insane and I hate driving thru stuff like that.  Then to top it off, the car got hurt on my watch.   Dave and I finished our phone call and I was settled back down and came in from the garage to find this sweet scene. 

My amazing little bug was washing the dishes without any prompting from me.  She told me she wanted to help since I was upset about the car.  She wasn't using any soap, so we filled the sink and she proceeded to wash everything that was in the sink and lay it out to dry.  I was so proud of her!!!

Playing in the Leaves

Here are some pics from our first round of leaf clean up this fall.  Conni LOVED playing in the leaves!  She was very helpful too.  We got her a rake that is just her size.  She kept trying to use it like a snow shovel though, and as soon as we had any kind of a pile she just wanted to play.  So she did!

Conni and Dad using the leaf blower 

Even though there is a leaf directly in front of her face on this picture, its one of my favorites!  She had so much fun!

School

Conni is loving her preschool class.  She is starting to learn our schedule and the days of the week, and she remembers which days are school days.  She loves the different things they do and she is learning so much!  She has grown up so much in the last two months since she started school.  She can sight read all eight color words they have learned.  She can sight read several other words too.  She writes her name very clearly, albeit large, and can write many other letters.  Her "crayon coordination" has drastically improved too.  She loves to draw and regularly draws stick figures and maps and you can tell what a lot of her shapes are supposed to be!  

Dad and Conni practicing letters on the iPad

doing homework

Conni and her teacher Miss Gina at the school Halloween party

Halloween

We had such a fun Halloween this year.  Here are just a few of my favorite pictures and the stories behind them.   

The Witches at Gardner Village

It has become a family tradition to go see the Witches at Gardner Village multiple times throughout the month of October. (Actually, we start going once they are up in September).  Conni loves it and she has a knack for remembering each witch even if they are in different locations.  She also has to see each witch's face and tries to discern what they are thinking or saying.  

Here Conni is doing her catgirl "hi-yah"s while we are out visiting the witches.

Catgirl

Conni has known since early September that she wanted to be catgirl for Halloween.  Not catwoman, catgirl.  She was so excited when her costume arrived in the mail.  She didn't even mind wearing the mask or anything!  

Pumpkin Carving
I took lots more pictures of us carving the pumpkin as a family, but this is one of my favorites.  This is one of my favorite family traditions from my childhood.  Again - notice the catgirl theme?  Mom cleaned it out.  Conni designed the carving.  And Dad did the cutting.  Conni wanted nothing to do with the sticky innards, and she was a little intimidated by the cutting process.  But she really enjoyed the process and we all enjoyed the family time together.