Halloween 2011

  Audrey with "manket" which fortunately did not have to go with her trick or treating.

  Goofing in the tent before we went to Bow Tie for dinner on Halloween.

  A with our neighbor Monroe at Bow Tie.

  Audrey still unsure about this whole Halloween thing.

   With the neighbor kids on St Gregory.

 All of us at the candy corner of Hatch and Carney which is where all our closest neighbors grouped for candy pass out.  The weather was great which contributed to the fun.

  Tuesday am Audrey was still interested in wearing her wings so I put her in the basic black in case she wanted to wear them to class.

  Intently coloring at her desk in the kitchen this morning.

Halloween Eve 2011

Yesterday  morning before church we had some time to kill so we re-introduced the ladybug costume to Audrey.  She insisted on the duck lips (hanging from cord around her neck).

At church our friends Reg and Charlotte invited us to their "garage party" open house that day from 3-7PM.  It wasn't until we were on the way to the party that we learned from Paula that this garage stores Reg's Morgan cars. 

  Audrey had a grand time due to all the attention she received at this party. 

  Checking out this "cours d elegance" 3 wheel car.

She must have re-arranged the contents of her purse (scarf, fake $5 bill, two Musicgarten sticks, and a cyclops from CAM wee wed) a half dozen times at this party.

  It seems this one reminded her of  the car from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, probably her favorite movie at the moment.  At this party she  learned the phrase "oh boy".

  Our friends, Reg and Charlotte drove this red car last summer on a 4,000 mile New England / Nova Scotia trip.

 So after their party we attended the neighborhood Falloween Party at Tap N Go.  The local businesses sponsored the bounce house.

  One minute Paula and I were admiring this stranger (a neighbors co-worker) red coat and the next minute I see Paula talking to her.

  While John was picking up a pizza from the local pizza shop Audrey and I waited at Bow Tie..

  My friends Anna and Paula posing with Miss A in her 2011 Halloween costume. 

Learning new traditions and mastering new skills

 So tonight Miss Audrey learned about another tradition ... carving pumpkins.

  The final product.  More about that later.

 Another new thing she learned recently is that this tent (purchased with the intent of being a super portable travel bed which did not pan out) is actually a fun play tent instead.

  In this picture she is signing "helicopter"  which is a sign she absolutely loves.   Technically she is signing this word upside down.

  Showing off her 1 eye wink... a skill she learned on vacation in Florida last week.

  This picture shows her genuine love of ice cream.

 At the Children's Museum this week driving one of the buses.

 And playing in the sand area.

  Parallel play.

  Today as we were cleaning I found this silk jacket we purchased while we were in Guangzhou.  Just had to roll down the sleeves and it still fits.  I'm thinking Miss A will wear this to church tomorrow. 

  Baba outlining the pumpkin carving.

  Since pumpkin carving is kinda long (and boring) Audrey played a game of bowling while baba finished.

  In this picture she is signing "game".

  This is also probably the last time she will wear these blue corduroy pants, primarily because they are too short.

  Tonight she learned she can put on this cardigan all by herself.  We had to coach her on "other hand" for the sleeves but she listened, was successful and oh so proud of herself.  She high 5'd and "pounded the rock" to both baba and myself on this accomplishment!

Bow Tie Art, Kroger Race Car and Wee Wedenesday @ CAM Creepy Crawlers, Ghosts and Goblins

 Audrey's creation this week at Bow Tie. 

 The final product.

 Race car cart driving at Kroger's after Hyde Park play group this past Tuesday.

 Today we went to Wee Wednesdays at the Art Museum.  This month's theme was Creepy Crawlers Ghosts and Goblins.  The museum had 4 stations in different galleries with volunteer providing interactive story times.  They also give the kids stickers for their passport books.  CAM was recently yarn bombed.

 Audrey waiting outside CAM holding up her purse which held her sticker passport and sunglasses.  An interesting and I think funny story about this purse from this morning  ... we were in the bathroom getting ready and I dropped my eye shadow on the floor.  Since I am in the practice of narrating life I told Audrey that I needed to get a broom to sweep up the mess.  She followed me into the kitchen which I assumed she was waiting for me but a couple minutes later she appeared with her purse and her broom.  She threw her purse on the bedroom rug and came in to the bathrooms to help me sweep.  So sweet.

Just found a picture on my cell phone of A and the purse/ broom combo:

Miss A in the Contemporary gallery.  An interesting thing happened while we were in this gallery.  I think some kids set off some sensors for the Andy Warhol Pete Rose portrait.  Soon after I saw them get real close to it a museum employee showed up and casually hung out in the gallery. 

  Last year John and I attended  a gallery talk titled "the Art of the Deal" given by a local art deal Carl Solway.  It was the 25th anniversary of the commission of this piece.  CAM paid $100K.  This piece was installed on 9-10-85.  the next day Rose broke Ty Cobb's record.  Two years later Warhol died and in 1989 Rose was banned from baseball.  So no doubt this piece is worth a whole lot more than $100K.

 Audrey in a rare moment of sitting on one of the carpet circles for the story.  She is going through a phase now when she does not want to sit and listen to stories being read except at home.

 But she did enjoy the interactive parts of story time.  In this picture she is pointing out the monsters in this Mural by Joan Miro that is opposite the museum cafe.  It was originally commissioned for the Terrace Plaza downtown.