Monday, October 5, 2009

SuperFranks

I'm really warming up to SuperFranks. I think this is Katherine and Chloe's favorite place to go, and each time we come back I like it more and more.The first time we went Holly was so interested in the strollers and tables and purses that I didn't get to sit for five minutes and have a conversation.But now that we have come a few times and she is familiar with the place she doesn't get into stuff as much and spends more time playing with the toys and structures.She loves the little car, though she doesn't know how to propel herself yet. She likes this little slide too, and she has learned how to climb up the front and then go back down.We had a lot of fun at the train table. Thought Holly is more interested in chewing on the train cars then she is in pushing them along the track. But soon she will get older and know what the trains do.Holly also really enjoys playing with this little kitchen. She takes the drawers in and out and she open and closes the cabinets. She plays in the sink and turns the stove knobs.Unfortunately at a place like this you can't really keep a collection of toy food and play pots and pans, so Holly was playing with all of the openings instead.Here is little Simone. She is about 2 and 1/2. She is such a sweetie and we have so much fun chatting with her mom Gigi. It was amazing at this play date I actually had a chance to talk with the other grown ups. Here is little Chloe riding on a cute Giraffe. its pretty amazing, but she is fearless climbing up on everything these days.SuperFranks has several play rooms. We don't spend a lot of time in this one because it is mostly for throwing and kicking balls and riding "tricycles" around and around in circles. But there is an area for tumbling, and Holly likes playing in there. She also loves watching the other kids ride around the room.This is what Kat calls Holly's Duck face. I didn't realize I had caught it on camera. It is so sweet. I am not sure what she is doing, she puffs up her cheeks and puckers her lips. Its adorable.This is the upstairs room. Holly is playing with Gabriel and they are building blocks. I love these super sized lego's they are so much fun.They also have these adorable stacking blocks that Simone is playing with. Holly is just starting to learn about blocks and putting them on top of each other. On a lucky day she can do three or so.Here is a little xylophone. We call the stick's her "Bam bam's" and she has several sets of these at home. I am convinced that she is going to become a drummer when she is a teenager.Though at this rate, it might be well before then.. Hmmm how many 5 year old drummers do I know. She loves them, bangs on her drum, her piano, this toy. Its one of her favorite things to do.We recently got her these very sophisticated electronic drum sticks that you can bang on anything and they make a drumming sound, like for practicing, and then on different settings you can have a backing track.Obviously she doesn't use all the advance features, but she sure likes the sounds they make as she drums the carpet and the bolster and the ottoman.The girls here are playing in one of the mini themed rooms, they have a classroom, firehouse, kitchen, and even a stage. Its pretty cool. They have Holly sized furniture inside and doors and roofs just her height.This is the little kitchen, I think the fridge is really cute. There is more play food and kitchen items up hear as it is much easier to keep it all organized in this room.This is Kendall and his mom. They are in one of our groups but live out here so rarely come to events, but Superfranks is right around the corner for them, so it was nice to see them again.Here Holly is in the bouncy house. She gets more used to it every time. She doesn't jump or bounce on her own yet, but she isn't scared to be inside anymore, or of getting jostled around by others.When the big kids jump she gets bounced around and she is starting to like it, and of course learning how to walk and balance on such an uneven surface.Here the girls are eating lunch. Emi the organizer of one of my groups is here with her son Parker and another little girl she is watching for the day. They ordered pizza and shared with us which was nice.Because of course Holly didn't feel like eating the food I ordered which was chicken tenders. She likes them on some days and on others not, its like that with everything though. She ate the sausage off the pizza and some of the cheese and bread.This is the base of the big blow up bouncy slide. I am trying to teach Holly to jump, so it is fun to sit her up hear and play the bouncy game.Here Katherine was able to put Chloe on the slide in hopes she would come down, but she dug her heels in, instead and tried to stay perched up high. She did of course eventually slide down.Here Holly is trying to gain her balance and walk across the bouncy surface, its a fun game and very good PT for her. I tried to get her to go down the slide, but it was hard to climb up holding her, and when I handed her up to Chloe's mom, she wasn't thrilled about it.Maybe next time. Holly will find fun in anything, these little cones make the perfect nesting toy. She loved stacking them and of course taking them apart. We had a wonderful afternoon, and on the way home she fell fast asleep.

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