Preschool

Kinnie started preschool on her birthday. No shoes or backpack for the picture because it was at our house the first week. It is a great set up for us and I think Kinnie will really enjoy it. Kinnie has just two other classmates and each week we switch whose house it is at. So last week I taught and then this week and next week she will go to her friends' houses. It is such a great little group and it is fun to be teaching a little bit again. I am so grateful that Kinnie is making new friends and excited for her first little preschool year.

Cute little group! I love this age!

The toy violin finally arrived. I think Kinnie didn't really know how to react. We were waiting for that big gasp or squeal of excitement when she opened it but it was almost like she was speechless. She has had a lot of fun with it. The violin plays music when she bows or touches the strings but she wanted the batteries out so she could "play" what she wanted to play. I kind of wonder if we should have just bought her a real violin. You can get toddler violins pretty cheap, but I guess this will be a good starter violin if she really does continue to show interest in it. She kept saying how glad she was to have a violin. We are glad she likes it!

KINNIE turns 3!

Labor day, the day before her actual birthday. We took Kinnie to the zoo to ride the carousel, pet the goats and ride the steam-engine train.

Andrew had to show Kinnie not to be scared. He loved it, and she eventually did.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KINNIE!
Here are the balloons she wanted all over the floor. She walked down the stairs and said "holy cow!"

She was dying to open presents. We let her open one present in the morning. A new outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Bruschke and a little pig. She wore her new outfit to her first day of preschool! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

We had pizza for dinner, her favorite.

And opened presents.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Bell for the cool glow bracelets, new water color paints....

and Mary Poppins! She has watched it a few times already and as I speak (type).

Happy Birthday to you!

Cake and ice cream.

That night she sat on the couch and watched Mary Poppins with her new dress-up shoes on (or glass slippers as she calls them), all while playing with her new tool box. I love that girl! More on her first day of preschool later and the package that finally arrived! I can't wait for her to open it!

Almost 3

I really can't believe that it was almost 3 years ago that Kinnie came into this world. It was such a surreal experience to finally meet her and I will never forget it. This past week I have been watching videos of her. It is so much fun to watch her as a baby again and to see the cute and funny things she did. It has been such a unique time for me to reflect on her life. I am realizing that turning 3 is a pretty big step and that she is far from being that little baby she once was. I really feel so blessed to have a healthy, happy, and sweet little girl.

When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday she said a hammer, tiny little books to read to my baby, a little sweep (broom), and her very own piano. She says she needs three presents because she is turning 3. She said she needed a candle to blow out and balloons all over the floor. I told her she could have 3 candles because she was turning 3 and she was excited.

She likes to pretend to play the violin. She uses wooden spoons or some drumsticks to pretend. She does this a lot. I ordered her a toy violin a couple of days ago, I don't think it will get here by her birthday and I wish I would have thought of it earlier, but we are so excited for her to open it!

She will be starting preschool on her birthday, have her 3 year old check-up, and start dance class next week. She really is getting old.

She is making friends and just learning and experiencing so many new things.

I am excited to see what this next year does for her.