So today I get off easy with putting a post together for Molly because I'm just going to steal the little update that Molly's teachers sent around about what they were up to this morning! Before that, I'll just briefly say that Molly seems to be really enjoying her new daycare. Everyday she comes home so chatty and happy! And she always comes home covered in something they've been playing with that day and often having gone through many changes of clothes. Her teachers always say that they like to get "down and dirty" in the classroom. Yesterday, she literally went through four pairs of pant and three shirts! Most often the culprit is playing in muddy puddles, the sprinkler, the sand box, ooblek, marker or paint. The email we got today came complete with pictures that'll give you a little insight into Molly's day to day at OSU's daycare!
Daily Activities... Early
this morning, we continued exploring sand in our sensory table using toy cars
and tractors. We also did a collaborative crayon drawing on the table (some of
the crayon may have made it on to the walls as well…oops!). We spent the better
part of the morning outside. We set up a pastel painting idea on the easel that
also turned in to a body painting idea. Then, we rinsed off by running through
the sprinkler and stomping in puddles! Before lunch, we sang songs together as
a group and read some of our favorite books. Have a great day!
This past weekend was quite a festive one with a kid's birthday party Saturday morning, a friend's BBQ on Saturday night and daddy/Jeremy's birthday on Sunday! Of course, Molly was most excited about dada's birthday!
Dada's birthday started off with a yummy breakfast at Katalina's Cafe.
Afterwards we headed to the topiary park in downtown Columbus. The park is a topiary interpretation of George Seurat’s famous painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte. Some of you (like me!) might know this painting best as the painting in Ferris' Bueller's Day Off that Cameron stared into at the Art Institute. It was a pretty cool little park, actually! Here are a few pictures. Hopefully you can see some of the topiaries in the background.
After the topiary park, it was off to the water fountain park in the heart of downtown Columbus along the Scoito River walk. Molly had a blast! We didn't come totally prepared, i.e. we didn't have her bathing suit & it was still a little cool, so she only lasted about 15 minutes or so before she started to get cold. But she loved it! Can't wait to go back. Here are a few pictures & a little video clip.
We ended the day with some Jeni's ice cream. Who needs birthday cake when you can get cantaloupe ice cream! While it didn't compare with daddy's homemade cantaloupe milkshakes, it was still pretty good. Overall, hopefully a good birthday celebration for dada!
It just occurred to me that there are a few toys of Molly's that have been meant for when she's walking that she's only explored really before she started walking. For example, she has a very cute little wooden alligator from mom mom & pop pop Brooks that's a pull toy for kids to pull along side them when they walk. She's really only played with it by pushing it back and forth while she's sitting down. So of course when I showed her she could now hold the string and pull it around with her when she walks, she picked it up right away. But as with many new experiences, Molly took it very seriously and once again, proceeded to pace the floor practicing pulling along her alligator. She had the most serious expression on her face the entire time! Hopefully with more practice she'll see it as a fun activity rather than a task she has to perfect. Funny child!
What do you think... is she ready to walk a dog?? ;) The second really short clip captures her expression a bit better.
Not sure if it's vanity or just pure amusement, but Molly enjoys checking herself out in mirrors! I think often she's watching herself doing something new. For example, she's started to realize that she can walk backwards and as with most new things, she likes to practice over and over. The cutest thing about her learning to walk backwards is that she can now backup into your lap, often with a book in hand and the expectation that you'll read to her!
Here are two clips of Molly monkey shining and walking backwards in front of the mirror at the base of our steps.
Molly loves to "help" dada in the garden, especially with the tomatoes! Helping usually involves moving the rocks around, but also picking the grape tomatoes ripe or unripe. Grape tomatoes are a favorite of Molly's. Our larger, heirloom tomatoes are also now in full production, so of course Molly has to help dada harvest them. Unfortunately Molly hasn't been able to taste many of them yet, but hopefully soon. She had a bit of a sour stomach for a few days last week & although she's feeling better, we're staying clear of citrus for another day or two. In the meantime, here are some pictures of Molly the gardener...
