Goodbye September

We are excited about Fall. We just want the Fall temps to come with the season now! I mentioned going to an apple farm and picking apples, and that is ALL Madeline has talked about since! I guess I am going to have to deliver on my promise now! 

Some exciting things we started in September... First, Madeline started Awanas. Technically, she is supposed to be three before starting, but our children's minister invited her and the other 2-year-old to come a year early. Awanas is a great program that teaches kids to memorize the Bible. I wasn't so sure about this, and I really didn't think she would be able to memorize much,  but she has already memorized 4 verses in two weeks, earned her Cubbie vest, AND her Cubbie book! AND she is LOVING it! I am loving that she is learning Bible verses already! Here is a picture of her standing on a chair at the end of the night saying her verse for the week. Daddy was so proud of her for standing on the chair and saying her verse in front of all the other kids. I love that I get to help out in her class. It is more quality time we get to spend together. 

 Here she is taking pictures with her camera in her Purple princess pirate costume. I never know who is going to greet me when I come home!

 Madeline also started SOCCER! This is also a Parent and tot class. The first class was a little difficult. She tripped over the ball when she was trying to run and started crying. Which is when Momma had to step in even though she wasn't dressed for soccer. I am concerned she is going to have her Mom's coordination- or lack thereof. This last week, she did great!

 Warming up with Daddy

Her favorite part of soccer is the slide after! She loves slides! In fact, she turns everything into a slide at home. If I am on the floor with her, she pretends I am a slide and tries to slide down me! 

GOAL!!

Some other things happening lately:

She has been starting the terrible twos. We had been dealing with tantrums and cryfests! Let me tell you, parenting was much easier before now! So, we've started Time outs for now. Today, Aaron told her if she didn't listen she was going to have to go in time out, and SHE PUT HERSELF THERE! We had a hard time not laughing! Bless her heart! Time outs are actually really good for her. They help her walk away from what she is getting so mad about, has time to forget about it, and calm down.  By the end of the two minutes, she is ready to cooperate- for at least a few minutes. We are really blessed! She is a very compliant, well behaved little girl. We've had to change up her morning routine-it takes her a while to wake up like her momma!- and I am finally able to make it out the door on time again!

She has been saying the funniest things! Tonight she kept saying, "Mom, Check this out." before she would show me something. Check.this.out?? Where did she learn that???!! And she has been saying, "Hey, I have an idea!" also. Seriously! She is hilarious! I do not know who she is hearing this from. She has also started repeating EVERYTHING we say to her. If I say, "It's time for a bath." She replies, "Time for bath?" About everything! The other  morning I was getting ready and she wanted my attention and kept saying, "Mom, mom, mom..." I was thinking back to the time before she could even say MOM and how much I longed for that. I still love it every time she calls my name, but repeating it over and over... oh my! 

The bedtime battles have gotten better. She only wakes up once a night every few nights because she wants her blanket covering her completely. We can live with that! 

Life is good. 5 more weeks til I am done with my M Ed.! The countdown is on!!