A Quick Conversation

Staley has always been very verbal and a great communicator.  However, she still has some toddler pronunciation errors that interfere with understanding everything she says.  Her 'l's are 'y's, her 'r's are 'w's.  If you were to ask her, Staley would tell you that she 'yikes her wain boots.'  Last night, Staley wanted to give Zach 'five'.  Zach held out his hand and Staley gave him five.  Then she hit his hand 3 more times fast.  They then had this conversation:

Staley:  "Those last 3 were quick fives."
Zach:  "Quick fives?"
Staley:  "No.  Quick fives.  You know, like when you have a strap and it quicks."

So apparently her 'l's are 'y's, her 'r's are 'w's, and her 'cl's are 'qu's.  Sometimes it's hard to understand her with some of these little nuances, but once you figure it out, it all quicks.

Last One

Adelie has 2.  Now Staley has 20.  Staley has just cut her final baby tooth.  It took her a little over 2 years from her first tooth to her last, and in a few short years they'll start falling back out.  It seems a little unfair, doesn't it?

Staley-isms

Staley:  "My hands are all aunt jemimy."
          aunt jemimy:  (def) Sticky hands from eating a syrup-y pancake without silverware.

Staley:  "Ackerman Farms is all pumpkined up."
          all pumpkined up:  (def) Having a giant display of pumpkins.

Fall Fun

There is so much to love about fall.  From football season and pumpkin farms to apple picking and fall festivals, fall is my favorite season.  And one of my favorite things about fall?  Fun fall pictures.  So to catch you up on all the fun things we've been doing this fall...

We always enjoy spending time at the Morton Pumpkin Festival.  The highlights this year?  Meeting some princesses, listening to Julie K., riding carnival rides, eating pumpkin ice cream, and watching the insanely long Pumpkin Festival parade.

Staley and Snow White at the Pumpkin Festival

Ackerman Farms is always a fun way to spend a morning.  Staley and Adelie enjoyed spending time with Aunt Jill and Lila at the farm a few weeks ago.  Staley especially liked the 'funny pumpkins', playing in the play house, petting the baby goat, and trying to make the turkeys laugh by saying 'banana pants' (which is a scene out of a Dora episode).  Adelie especially liked playing with the grass while I tried to get a cute picture of all three girls together.

Staley with the 'funny pumpkins'

Our little pumpkins

Rader Family Farms is my favorite pumpkin farm.  So we enjoyed some family time yesterday morning there with Aunt Melissa and Liam.  It's hard to pick a favorite at the farm because there is so much to do.  From playing in the corn bins to the duck races to the train rides, Staley loves it all.  And Adelie is happy to go along for the ride.

Pumpkins are always a great picture background.

Pretty serious about driving her train car

Liam and Staley racing their ducks.

Liam and Staley posing for pumpkin pics.

Adelie just hanging out.

To cap off a fun day of fall fun yesterday, Aunt Melissa watched Adelie for the afternoon while we took Staley and Liam to the State Farm Yee Haw Fall Festival.  The kids made necklaces, decorated pumpkins, ate cookies, got their faces painted, and rode ponies...over and over and over again.

Liam and Staley checking out their newly painted faces.

I doubt it's the highlight of the day for the ponies, but riding around in circles was high excitement for the kids.

We've had a full, fun fall so far.  And we still have at least another month (hopefully) to enjoy some beautiful fall colors, cool sunny days, outdoor fun,...

...and more Bear's football.

She Says...

Unfortunately, Staley has been back to her no napping antics over the past two weeks.  She stays in her bed, but keeps up a constant stream of talking and singing.  I've found that if I can give her incentive to lie quietly (like "if you aren't quiet, you won't get to go ride horses"--glad she didn't try to call my bluff on that one), then she usually falls asleep.  One day last week, I went up to remind Staley (again) that she needed to be quiet and sleep.  She told me, "I'm being quiet and closing my eyes and trying to go to sleep, but the snake keeps hissing in my ear."  When I told her that there was not a snake in her room, she replied, "Yes there is.  It's right here" (as she pointed at her blanket).  Just a few days later, when she was again not napping, my reminder visit to her room revealed yet another excuse.  Staley told me, "Yellow Bear was telling me there is a fire in my room.  But I told Yellow Bear, 'That's not a fire.  It's Thomas' smoke stack.'"  And I realized that it's not her fault.  How can I expect Staley to nap when her room is filled with hissing snakes, smoke, trains, and talking bears??? 

My dad often asks Staley for a hug.  Sometimes she obliges and sometimes she doesn't.  So my dad taught her a phrase that she now consistently uses.  When he asks, "Can I get a hug?", Staley answers, "Not likely, Grandpa."

The other night, Zach was talking about his Fantasy Football team at dinner.  After listening for awhile, Staley asked, "Who were you playing fancy football with?"  I can just imagine Staley's vision of football players in princess dresses and lacy gloves.

Every Cowgirl's Dream

What could be better than getting new cowboy boots that have pink, sparkly stars on them?

How about wearing said boots to ride an actual horse?  My little horse-loving girl was THRILLED to be invited out riding by our friend Libby.

Staley spends lots of time brushing her plastic horse in the basement with a shoeshine brush from Zach's shoeshine kit.  So brushing a real horse with an actual horse brush...well, that in itself was a special treat.

Staley thought she was big stuff leading Kracker out into the pasture.

Staley rode and rode and rode.  She learned the sound to make Kracker go and how to pull the reign to make Kracker stop.  With each circle around the ring, Kracker would step over a pole that was lying on the ground.  Staley called it 'jumping'.

My little cowgirl

Thank you, Libby and Kracker, for fulfilling my little cowgirl's dream.

Look Out World...

...she's on the move.  As I've frequently shared, Adelie has been a mover since birth.  She never stays in one place.  But last night, she officially figured out how to use her legs AND her arms together to move herself forward.  It's not yet pretty.  It's not yet efficient.  But it's definitely forward mobility.

My little mover