What we're reading

At least for the next couple of weeks

I picked out the book on horses, the artic and antartica and chicago.  I also picked out the two books for Hannah to read to Riley, How do Dinosaurs Love Their Dogs and Funny Mother Goose.  Hannah picked out the rest.  

A failed experiment

This is a super fun experiment I had planned for Hannah and I today.  At least I thought it would be.  Except Hannah kept peeking.  So I called it off for another day when hopefully she'll listen!

Can you guess what we were going to do?

Upstairs

She started here.  This started 3 or 4 days ago.  

Hannah was, and still is, more cautious, even timid at times.  Not like this.

She's so happy with herself! 

Today we did this.  

And eventually made it all the way up the stairs.  

The stairs are a great place for her to play. While most moms fear stairs and babies, we encourage Riley to play there.  Babies are aware that there is a lack of support.  For Riley, this encourages her to do it herself.  She works on the "sit to stand" movement which is an area that needs a lot of improvement.  It also encourages her to pull herself up, another area that needs a lot of improvement.  

Of course, now that's she made it too the top, and knows she can, we'll have to supervise her like crazy.  As good as the stairs are, the thought or her tumbling down is terrifying!  

Kinesio Tape

So the past summer Olympics, I noticed this tape on many of the athletes.  Especially the swimmers.  I would see it in all different places and it was different colors.  I googled, to try and figure out what it was.  Now I know........meet kinesio tape.  

Kinesio tape is tape that will inhibit muscles, activates muscles or relieve muscular pain.  Crazy to think this can be done with tape!  It's works by supplying support to muscles or tendons, based on where its applied.  

It lasts for 3 or 4 days, can be worn in the shower and is super elastic.  It's thin, set to mimic the epididymis.  

For Riley, the goal is to keep her knees and quads inward when she's in the crawling motion.  Right now, after 5 or 6 strides, she splats and her legs go out.  

It didn't last as long as it can.  However, the therapist told my that it doesn't last as long on infants as it does on adults.  It seemed to help.  She seemed more successful in her crawling with it on.  So here very soon, we should get our own tape to tape her at home.  Progress keeps coming!

Halloween candy + homeschooling

This week has been a lot of fun for Hannah and I with our homeschooling adventure.  We've done a lot of hands on stuff this last week.  

The day after Halloween, we used Halloween candy to practice our math.  

First we dumped a little bit of our candy out to do a candy graph.  We only did a little bit because it would've taken all day to graph all of her candy! 

Here's her completed graph.  

Then we did math with our candy.  

And even tackled some 3 number addition problems!  

Happy Halloween - 2012

Riley did this on her own. 

Hannah's costume.  The one on top was taken about a month ago, when she first got the costume.  The one on bottom was taken on Halloween.  

Me and my sister.  I miss her.  

Round 1.  We headed out a little after 4 pm.  Trick or treating hours lasted from 4 to 8 here.  That's the longest I've ever seen but it's kinda nice to head out before it gets frigid.  

Ready to go

And she's off

Me and the bear. 

The Griswold's House.  Or so one would think.  

I have never seen a house so decorated for Halloween.  Really.  You can't walk through their front yard.  But I like it.  I think it's great they are so into Halloween.  

Insert dinner break.  We had chili.  And Hannah got to hand out some candy, which she really enjoyed doing.  

Round 2, after dinner.  It took a minute for her to get back into it.  We explained that trick or treating in the dark is much better than going out during the day.  

Riley, all bundled up.  She enjoyed being out, babbling and smiling most of the night.  

Cherry Grappa and Coffee, a quasi cafe correcto.  It was quite yummy.  And I forgot how cold I was.  Okay, who am I kidding, I didn't forget anything, I just didn't care as much.  

Hanging in there.  

Hannah was super excited to go to this house because she liked the decorations.  

I liked this.  

By the end of the night, she was dragging her candy bag.  But she still wanted to keep going. 

End of the night candy inspection.  Also known as let's see what you got and what I want! 

David explaining something to Hannah.  Who knows what it was.  

Riley found a lollipop she enjoyed.  

Then Riley propped herself in the middle of Hannah's candy and played with it.  

It was a great night.  Hannah was more into this year than last.  She enjoyed being out at night, and seeing all the lights and decorations are they are intended to be seen.  And we had fun.  Aunt Debbie lives in a great neighborhood for trick or treating.  They have nice, wide streets and sidewalks everywhere.  It was obvious that a lot of people from around here travel to this neighborhood to go trick or treating.