Field Trip

Lyla's preschool class went on a field trip this week. One of the grandparents of a child in her class invited us over to pick pumpkins in their yard and they had a train in their backyard too. It was a huge yard, and it was fun. 

Lyla was a little weary when I put her in the train and walked away, but once it started moving, she was thrilled. Choo choo went the train, and choo choo is what Lyla said for the rest of the day.  

Then we went over to the little pumpkin patch where the kids got to pick their own pumpkins. Lyla was pretty excited about her pumpkin, and really wanted to carry it to the car when we left. But it was pretty heavy. She's still proud of her pumpkin, and talks about it whenever she sees it on our front porch. 

Missing Daddy

Daniel left on Thursday for some Continuing Education in Portland. He'll hopefully be back Sunday night. We have really missed him. Lyla especially. It's the first thing she asks about in the morning, and several times throughout the day. 

It's weird, but it's made me think about families with young children, where a parent is no longer around either because of separation or death or other... But how confusing it is for a young child, and it made me so sad for them. 

Of course, Daniel's coming back, but right now, Lyla is very confused and has no idea why daddy's not here, no matter how many times I explain it. Anyways!!!

Lyla and I have had fun just the two of us, but we are excited for daddy to come home tomorrow. 

Potty Training

I know that no body wants to hear about this, but I don't really care. I am so proud of Lyla and how awesome she is.

We decided to potty train over general conference weekend, since we were basically gonna be 'stuck' at home. I had done a bunch of research, and picked a plan that I felt was right for Lyla. 

She is just so awesome, I can't get over it. I love my little 'big girl underwear' wearing little girl. 

Preschool

Lyla loves preschool. And so do I. I love seeing her explore and discover new things. I also love when she learns new songs, and brings them home with her. She is officially obsessed with the 'Slippery Fish' song!!

Zoo Fun

We took Lyla to the zoo, and had a blast. It was fun for her since she knows all her animals and their sounds. It was a beautiful day.

Kissing the gorilla. 

Petting the Sting Ray's 

Brushing the goats.

Big Girl Bed

Lyla moved up to a big girl bed. It was sooner then we had planned, but I saw that this head board (which matched her dresser) was being phased out AND was 75% off. Lyla was sooooo excited about her big girl bed, and I just had to get her in it.

She just hangs out on her bed reading books. And she sleeps so much better. Which is hard to believe, because she has always been a great sleeper.... But now it's even better. 

1st Day of Toddler Preschool

On Monday, Lyla started preschool. It is a co-op preschool, so parents are asked to be in the classroom with the child. It's only one day a week, and 2 hours a day. Her class is specifically for children ages 18mth-30mths, so it's perfect for her. And since parents are in the classroom helping, it is at a very reduced rate. This school is a perfect fit for us, and I'm so grateful that we found it.

I love being in the class with her, helping her to explore new things and learn. When we first walked in the class, Lyla was terrified. She clung to me, and had zero interest in anything. But after she realized that I wasn't going anywhere, she relaxed a bit, and started exploring.

We had a lot of fun, and I'm excited to go back next week. As an only child, I think it's important for Lyla to learn to interact with other children so she can learn to play, share and be kind to others. 

Park Pics

We went to a new park the other day. It was so much fun, and it had a perfect backdrop for some pics. The park runs right along the lake, and is beautiful.

Labor Day Hike

I really wanted to do something fun and outdoorsy for Labor Day. I had done a little research, and settled on going on a little hike in Coulee City State Park, about 45 mins away. 

It was a gorgeous day, perfect weather (75'). I thought the hike was 1.5 miles long, but as it turns out, it's 1.5 miles in, and then another 1.5 miles back out. So it ended up being 3 miles, which was just fine anyway. I had chosen this path mainly because it was paved, and we could push Lyla in the stroller. We took her out every now and then to explore some of the cliffs along the way. She did really good, and loved climbing over all the rocks. The view was gorgeous too!

When we were done, we went over to a park and had a yummy lunch.

It was so nice being outside, but by the time we got home, Lyla was totally tuckered out, and crashed.