Cassidy is starting to learn all about the world around her. She likes to practice using new words and ideas that she has come across. For instance, last week she wanted to watch a particular movie, but when we opened the case, the DVD was missing. "It must be lost!" I told her. This is a new idea to her, things being lost or going missing. Later that day, when she woke up from her nap, I walked into her room and she very seriously said, "Mommy! 
My stomach is missing!" Really, I asked? Where did it go? "It fell in the sink and floated away! It's lost!" I tickled her belly and told her thank goodness I had found it. She also likes to watch mommy put on make-up, and last week I found her in the bathroom "painting her face like mommy." There was eyeshadow all over her cheeks and chin. Hopefully mommy gets it on better than that.She also does a lot of pretend play. Stuffed animals are a favorite part of her playtime. She talks to them, creates little stories with them (Oh no!
Leopard got stuck in this chair! I will save you leopard. *new voice* Oh, thank you for saving me, Cassidy! *back to her voice* You're welcome leopard! *Hugs all around). She likes to have them join her for mealtimes, and she often makes "snacks" for them to eat together. In this picture, she made green bean salad for herself and Boo (her favorite cow stuffed animal, named after the cow at Wagner Farm). Later on, Gavin was invited to the meal and got to gnaw on a few green beans too. Cassidy also spends a lot of time singing, dancing, and playing hide-and-seek (her toddler version). It's fascinating to watch her wheels turning as she absorbs more and more each day.A couple weeks back, Cassidy went on her first school field trip! We rode a big yellow school bus
to the pumpkin patch. (That big yellow bus was half the fun!) I went along as a chaperon. It was a rainy day, but the kids didn't mind one bit, and we got to pet baby goats, feed the lambs, and watch baby chicks and piglets take their naps. We had apple cider 
donuts and each child got to pick out a small pumpkin to take home. The kids had a great time, and I thought it was pretty hilarious fun. We had 15 two-year olds and 20 three-year olds, all trying to walk together holding hands in the rain, with their puffy coats and boots, it was a riot! I give her teachers a lot of credit for their willingness to tackle it!Speaking of school, Cassie does a lot of art projects at school that come home with her. We
decided to create an art wall in the kitchen. She picks out the spot and we tape it up for display. We're running out of room, so we'll have to start trading old pictures out for new ones. They do lots of finger painting and work with glue sticks and scissors. She is also busy learning to recognize all the letters and numbers, and learning about new things like red lights/green lights, the helpers in her community, and how fruits and vegetables are grown.
Cassidy has become a helpful big sister. She happily gets diapers for Gavin and helps us feed him bottles and food. She shares her toys (most of the time! so far she is actually doing pretty well with this) and pushes him in the tree swing in the backyard.On the horizon, we have things like potty training (no interest at the
moment), weaning from the pacifier (I can't even imagine how this will go), and moving into a big girl bed (for now she loves her crib). Thanks to the stores getting holiday items onto the shelves well in advance, she is already very excited for Christmas. Erik and I were just saying last night that it will be even more fun this year as she gets into the spirit of it all. We count our blessings every day for our happy, healthy little girl.And coming soon: All About Gavin at 8 months old!
