Gymnastics at the Y

Emma started preschool gymnastics on Sept. 7th. It's her first class experience without Mom and Dad! I was nervous about her reaction...she hasn't been receptive to working with people she doesn't know well in the past. We were quite surprised when she joined right in with her little class as if she's been doing this her whole life! She spotted us watching from the floor above, but she just waved and smiled! Each child had a little round mat to sit on while waiting their turn, and they carried them from place to place by carrying them on their heads...too cute! We were also impressed with her skills; she was able to hold onto the bar for several seconds while the instructor guided her through a series of positions. Best of all, she had a big grin on her face the entire time!

Kings Island!

On Sunday, Sept. 5th, Karen, Todd, Emma and I went to Kings Island Amusement Park. Emma was the perfect age for a first visit...at 3'2", she was just tall enough for many of the rides, but she got free admission! Us Central Ohioans always have the great dilemma...head north to Cedar Point, or south to Kings Island? As a roller coaster rider, I generally prefer Cedar Point, but I'd heard such good things about the kiddie rides at Kings Island (previously Nickelodeon-themed, now called "Planet Snoopy"), that we decided to check it out and were very impressed! Emma rode almost every ride she was allowed to, with Todd and I riding with her for the rides stating "those over 60 inches must be accompanied by a child"! The highlight, though, was when Emma and I rode "The Great Pumpkin Coaster"! A cut above the ones you see at carnivals, this kiddie coaster actually had a first hill drop and a few stomach-turning hills, but Emma LAUGHED all through the ride, the little daredevil! We enjoyed the water park, too, which also had several areas designed just for young kids. We finished off our evening with a Snoopy light show (complete with LED lights on the Pseudo-Eiffel Tower) and fireworks!

The Sweet Corn Festival

It seems ironic that I should post this as one of Emma's highlights, since she didn't touch the sweet corn at the festival (even though Gramma Karen, Dad, and Mom loved it)! However, she did enjoy the kettle popcorn and the rides (pony ride, flying tiger, and train). She also enjoyed meeting up with her friend Madelynn...the two of them had a great time dancing to some music that was playing and checking out the animals in the petting zoo.

Happy 3rd birthday, Emma!

It's hard to believe our baby girl is 3...hardly a baby anymore! We had a butterfly-themed birthday party this year (her choice, even over Dora or princesses). She had a beautiful day for her party; bright and sunny, but not as hot as it's been for much of the summer. We set up tents in the backyard and enjoyed the afternoon. We invited both family and friends this year, so we had a lot of people, but Emma seemed to enjoy all of the attention. She was a bit better this year about opening her gifts; she wasn't begging to open up her toys and play with them before she was done unwrapping, like last year. Emma also chose cupcakes over one big cake this year, and she was not the least bit phased when the wind kept blowing out her candles; she just pretended to blow them out when we were done singing! She and her friends Maci and Madelynn also enjoyed a dip in her wading pool!