Happy Halloween!

Cheer Bear

Pumpkin Day Finale

"I want my pumpkin to be sad. He's sad because he's not with his Mommy and Daddy anymore, and he doesn't even know where they are!"

The Worm Today

Who Chloe is today:
An emergent reader
A ready soccer player
A 100-piece puzzle putter togetherer
An excited Sparky
Future baker
Kind and gentle
A patient teacher
A gift giver
Painter, colorer, and overall crafter
Pizza eating machine
Beautiful both inside and out
Brother's best friend
An exerciser
A reluctant eater of vegetables
Owner of the world's largest sweet tooth
Biker (of the 4-wheeled variety)
Only ten months away from school
A neck-breaking hugger
Mommy's favorite student
Neat and tidy
Possesser of a heart 10x bigger than average
Logical
Thoughtful
Weather geek
Map lover
Presidentially obsessed
Loves her family, and can't bear to leave them
A singer, dancer, and songwriter
Too much tv lover
Mommy and Daddy's little girl
A precious child of the King.

Happy Birthday, Chloe!

Chloe is 5 years old today. Five. I just can't believe it. I've spent the day filled with all kinds of emotions. I've laughed and loved. I've cried some tears. I've reminisced, and I've settled myself back down into the present. I feel so blessed to be her Mommy, and am so incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to spend the past five years of my life discipling, disciplining, and watching her grow. I pray the Lord will watch over her and keep her all the days of her precious life.

A Special Visit

We had the opportunity to visit with my Grandma and Grandpa Millikan from Indiana this weekend while they were vacationing in Myrtle Beach. Chloe got to play putt-putt for the first time and loved it "almost as much as soccer!" We had a great dinner followed by a nice, long walk on the beach to wrap up our day. The kids had a wonderful time, and Chloe, in her sweet spirit, is devastated to know it will be a long time before we get to see them again. I'm thankful for the wonderful day we were able to share with them!

Fall Means Fair!

It was state fair time again, and per usual, the kids and I made it out two times before the fair packed up and moved on. Chloe would have nothing to do with the animals (mine and E's happiest part), except of course the mules which had signs indicating they were biters. She has seriously taken the My Little Pony fan thing to the next level. Chloe's favorite part was the rides, and I don't mean the kiddie ones. That girl loves to spin! The first day we rode a lot of younger type rides along with the Merry Mixer. We learned our lesson for round 2, and spent our monies on faster rides like the Tilt-a-Whirl and the Spider. I drug the kids' favorite babysitters along with us for round 2, to ride spinny rides in my place. I was so thankful they came!

Covil Preschool: Days 12-13

Since my last update we have had two very special sessions of Covil Preschool. Since Autumn is a favorite time of year in our house, and since every preschool in America celebrates apples and pumpkins, I decided we would have Apple Day and Pumpkin Day.

For Apple Day, I was completely unable to check out any apple related books from the library, since, as stated earlier, every household in America was celebrating apples. I found two fun printable books for the kids to cut and color, and took the opportunity to talk about authors and illustrators. The kids were thrilled to illustrate their own stories, and took every opportunity to read them over and over throughout the week! One book was about the seasons of an apple tree, and the other was a rhyme called Five Apples Up On Top. We also made apple pie pops like Bakerella, and cut apples in half to reveal the star pattern, talk about the apple's parts, and dip them in paint to make prints on canvas bags. It was a wonderful day of fun and learning.

Today was Pumpkin Day, which was quickly revealed to be Chloe's "favorite preschool yet." We read a couple of books on pumpkins that I got early from the library (and am now paying daily fines on,) and then got down to business. We described the outside of an official Holden Brothers pumpkin, then cut the top off and dug in! The kids were fascinated by the strings, slime, and seeds that were found inside. Chloe insisted that the strings were actually cheese. She did a great job digging around and pulling out the innards. J hated it, and refused to play with us, disliking the feeling of slimy hands. After our hands-on pumpkin station, we headed to crafts. We made paper plate pumpkin pies with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg sprinkled on them and completed with a cotton ball dollop of whipped cream. Earlier in the morning the kids and I made Pumpkin Pie Play-Doh, and after our first craft, they spent awhile making Halloween cookies and pies out of the yummy smelling dough. Then, we ended the morning with one more craft, a pumpkin inside and out, complete with real seeds and yarn for strings, and a few fun pumpkin songs. It was a fun and exhausting day!

I would LOVE to show you pictures, but for that I would need an assistant! Any volunteers??

Covil Preschool: Days 10-11

Day 10

Book: Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tarfuri

Emphasis: Counting, Repetition

Game: Memory Match- match the Mommy Duck with and uppercase letter to her Baby Duck wearing the correct lowercase letter

Craft: Paper plate ducks

Snack: Duck food (aka Honey Nut Chex Mix)

Letter: E (for eyes.. I know it doesn't work phonetically.. it was the only thing I could come up with to stick on)

Day 11

Book: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Emphasis: Sizes, Love and Kindness

Game: Bunny Hop, Stop, and Hug

Snack: Skipped for McDonald's lunch :)

Craft: Bunny Hugs cards (aDORable!)

Letter: G (is for glue)

On Nutrition

Chloe comes to me after we return home from a fun day at the mall, with her stomach audibly gurgling and rumbling.

"Mommy, I think my tummy is saying, I don't want that chocolate drink! I like water and ice best!, but my mouth is saying, More, more chocolate drink! That's yummy!"

I think that pretty much sums it up!