happy caity

Photos taken on Nov. 7, after a trip to buy Jelly Belly jelly beans.

Do you love to dress up your kids? I know I do! Kids themselves love to play dress up too! Here’s a chance for kids to share what they wear when they’re out on a trip, to school, parties, in the playground, at home or just about anywhere they go.

To celebrate kids’ fashion, Happy Caity will launch Kids’ Style! Oh! Did I mention we’re also cooking up an exciting blog giveaway that will happen soon? Yes, we will! Stay tuned for that one.

First entry participants will also get a chance to win $5. So join in and let’s see adorable tots strut their style!

*If you want to be our sponsor, click on this link: Kids’ Style sponsors

We went on a weekday and there weren’t any activities for the kids to do, but the plain sight of the pumpkins got Caity all excited and happy already. She was in awe looking at the piles of colorful pumpkins on display. “Can I touch this? Can I buy this?” In the end she chose a small round pumpkin for herself and later on came with a much smaller one “This is for Adie“.  What a thoughtful big sis!

There were no real tractors and wagons around but Caity and her little bro enjoyed taking turns riding in the toys vehicles they have.

I heard they also have chicken and turkeys but we only saw the rabbits.  The cute bunnies were enough to bring a smile to Caity’s face.

One pumpkin for Caity. One pumpkin for Adie.

On the way home, we stopped at a small store to buy refreshments.  Behind it was a small park with lots foliage bursting in colors of golden yellow, burnt orange, reddish brown… a pretty sight! We sat on a bench and munched on our food while enjoying the beautiful show of nature – leaves falling at every blow of the wind, and the crackling sound they make with every little steps the kids made.

Then it was playtime!

While riding the elevator…

On Tuesday, Caity and I made awesome autumn leaves out of melted crayon on paper. It’s all about the proper blending of colors to give your leaves that authentic autumn look.

Up close:

If you want to know how we made these lovely leaves, please click here.

I was too busy making the project and forgot to take photos of Caity playing with the leaves.  But she managed to take a pic of the leaves on the plate being eaten by wriggly worms.

Caity isn’t in a tiptop shape and we decided its best for her to stay at home until she’s well. Her fever didn’t come back anymore but last night she got up from her sleep and coughed wildly.

I’ve been running a homeschool for her since Monday so she doesn’t miss her school. What do they do in school anyway? They learn and sing songs, do artworks, play and play and play. Nothing this Mama can’t do. But oh well, you toss in other things I have to do at home and that makes me a very busy Mama!

Anyway, here’s what we did on Monday (little Adie included). It’s all about indoor fun these days as the weather has been deplorable but not as bad as in other countries in Asia like Thailand.

Colored rice in a tub!  I threw in some fusilli and animal pasta to make it more interesting.   Others call this as sensory tub.  Then I gave them stacking cups and ladles for scooping the rice.  It was instant fun for the kids.

It lasted a little longer until Adie started pouring the rice out of the green carpet. Yikes!  It was easy to clean up anyway but takes time! Extra work for me.

Caity sorted out the animal, and fusilli pasta (which we called wriggly worms).
And in the afternoon, when the temperature got a bit warmer, I let them play outside in the balcony with their coats on!  Their sensory tub needs a little upgrade though.  I’ll try mung beans, and other pasta forms next time, add in some new cool tools for scooping and pouring too.

Try this with your kids! It’s too easy to do! And I’m 100% sure you’ve got the materials hiding there in your kitchen cupboard.

I think her bike is one of the nicest and useful gift we ever gave her. She enjoys riding her bike, its quite obvious from the look on her face – its beaming with joy and pride. (: hehe

Yesterday, I had another amusing conversation with Caity.

I was putting her to bed when she suddenly complained that her leg was painful.  “It’s ouchie, Mama.“  “Why?” I asked.  “Coz I fell!“  “Where?” I asked again “I fell in the internet!“.  I gave a loud laugh, and she immediately continued.  “I fell in the grass, Mama.”  “Coz I was running fast.” Hmmm I think Caity is just trying to sound like an adult by using this internet thingie in her vocabulary.  Whatchathink?  Coz  I’m sure she knows that it didn’t make any sense falling in the internet. ((:  Funny kid!

Related Post:
How? how? how?

Caity’s curiosity about origin of things is at its peak. She’d go “HOW? HOW?” instead of the usual WHAT or WHY kids would ask.

I’d get a shirt from her closet, and she’d ask, “how did you get it, Mama?” I’d answer, we bought it from the store, or it’s a gift from Tita, etc. Then she’d say, “Thank you Mama, thank you Táta! Thank you Tita!” Yes family and friends, those gifts you gave her when she was still too young to even appreciate are now given credit and are profusely thanked for by Caity.

One time, I played her a new Winnie the Pooh video in the computer and she asked “how did you get it?” I told her I got it from the internet.  Sometimes when we buy things online, we tell her that we got it from the internet too. Where did Adie come from?  That question had been asked already, folks. Fortunately she still remembers when I was pregnant with Adie, so telling her that her little brother came from my tummy didn’t elicit countless questions.  This Mama was spared from a bit of explaining! (:

Yesterday, when we got home from school, she started calling my attention. “Mama! Mama! Look I have *bolí!”  She pulled up her leggings to show me a small bruise on her knee.  “Oh!  How did you get it Caity?” I asked with concern.  In a matter-of-fact tone, she answered . “I got it from the internet.“  Haha Are you kidding me Caity?  Really, I don’t know if she was joking or not, but whatever.  It simply sounded funny!

Did your kids go through this phase too?  I know kids often ask “what’s this?” or “why?” at a certain age but I want to know if asking “how?” is also common or it’s just my Caity. (:

*bolí = Czech for pain or painful

“This is Mama, this is Táta, this is Adie, this is Caity, this is Bába, this is Tita…” and so on.

Aren’t they cute?  Some look like the one-eyed monster Mike Wazowski from the movie, Monster Inc.

Caity is back into drawing and coloring lately. This is one activity that they do in school often. Every time I pick her up in the school, she always hands me a drawing or pictures she colored.

Last weekend, her dad bought her a ream of bond paper coz we ran out of scratch papers for her artworks. I also bought her a new set of watercolor.  When we got home, she immediately asked for the papers, took out the colored pens and started doodling.  In only few minutes, she filled about 10-15 papers with her kiddie arts.  And yes, she painted too! (:

I framed her painting and displayed it in the living room.  At her speed-of-light rate in making artworks, I’d say we’d have to buy a truck load of frames to display them all!
*Oh, if you have papers with one side unused or without print that you need to discard, we’d gladly have it. Let’s recycle and save trees!

That was an awesome, art-filled, and Colorful Weekend for Caity!

11 challenges! Kids of different ages playing the games! Parents going gaga helping and cheering for their kids! Who will succeed? Only those with perseverance to finish all the tasks given and and the stamina to endure the long, tiring walk! That’s Pohádkovy Les.

So we came, joined and … didn’t win any prize. hehehe but Caity had fun (at some point) until she got tired and didn’t want to do two of the obstacle games. Out of the 11 challenges, we failed to join the first one coz we didn’t know then the whole concept of the activity. The two tasks, she got stamped on her booklet even when she vehemently refused to participate. The guys in charged probably took pity on our tired little girl who was being carried by her dad.

Starting the game with cotton candy.

Challenge 3 – building a pyramid.

Pausing for a pic. (:

Challenge 4 – Fishing.

Challenge 6 – Pushing the cart, going through those orange cones.  Bigger kids had to push with water bottles in their carts.

Challenge 7 – Pirate looking for the treasure chest.


Challenge 10 – Solving a puzzle.

Checking out her booklet.

Grumpy pose with Winnie the Pooh and Piglet.

Happily riding the pony.

Anyway, Caity went home with loads of new experiences, free goodies and got to ride on the pony for free too (she’s crazy about pony rides!), so it was still a time well-spent.