Pumpkins!

Alma hits the patch.

Every pumpkin presents a weight lifting challenge.

She's got one...

Yay!

Many pumpkins were nearly smashed on the ground.

She loved riding in the wagon.

Even more fun with a friend (River).

The bounty. Four smaller pumpkins added by Alma. I think she could have gone on forever.

She really liked meeting the horse up close.

And the bunnies, bees, ducks and other friends. Thank you Peterson's Farm!

Neighborhood Nature Appreciation

Our daily morning walk includes visiting the ducks...

and trying to explain that these berries are for the birds to eat, not us.

Who's that cool girl on "C" Street?

Drawing, everywhere

It's so hard to capture Alma without her noticing the camera, but I was able to sneak in on her while she was drawing last week. I love her soft commentary. She says many words now...mama, dada/baba, no (a favorite), nose, kittie, Katie (our neighbor), tea, knee, hot, hat, up, duck, and as of today, button (for belly button). But her babbling is so sweet, her made up words, her approximation of "cockadoodble-doo" ("baba-deee!") and great animal sounds for owls, cats, monkeys, etc. She loves to read books now, too. We spend hours on the floor going through her little library. It's so fun to watch her make connections between the images in the books and the world she knows, which is rapidly expanding. She is so bright, funny and sensitive, and very determined when she puts her mind to something. It is amazing to witness all the "firsts" as she begins to talk.

Up Down Spin Around