Monday, September 29, 2014

Nursery Rhyme Theater

The Kindergarten classes have a Nursery Rhyme Theater at Collier's school.  He chose a few weeks ago what character he wanted to be.  He told me over and over again 'It can't be a fancy costume' and so I tried to oblige and keep it simple.  Collier is such a rule follower - almost to a fault.  I am after-all thankful that it didn't need/want to be fancy because I pulled it together in about 2 hours the afternoon before.

Collier chose the Dog from Hey Diddle Diddle and his roll was to laugh 'to see such a sport'.  He didn't sing at all while it was his turn to be front and center but sang every other song while in the bleachers.  He explained later 'I was not supposed to sing while up front because I was supposed to laugh.  But on the stairs you are supposed to sing'.  well, that explained that!

He did great and I thought he was so stink'n cute!  The whole program was very well done.  I loved it.










And Kenley loved it too.  She stood still - mesmerized - for a long time watching each of them acting and singing.  And then decided she wanted to sit down.  I rarely see her sit so still and quiet.  It was really precious to see her so fascinated with the older kids!  Way too cute!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Our Weekend Recap

Whew, a busy and fun weekend just passed by.  Just like time, flew by in a blink of an eye!  I am trying to take it in and appreciate and value my time together as a family.  As another friend said - enjoy these moments because in a few more years they will not be waving and calling our names in the middle of a ball game!

The church around the corner from our house had a big consignment sale over the weekend.  Mom went and found a 'new to Collier' bicycle.  Since we took the training wheels off of this other bike, it has been obvious that he is needing and ready for the next size up.  So, when I picked him up from school we went straight to their house to see his new surprise.  He was ecstatic!  It has a kickstand and a water bottle with holder!


Friday evening was a fun dinner with our church small dinner group.  Kids included and lots of fun to fellowship with our church friends.  I don't have any pictures but love to get to know one another better!

Saturday began with begging and pleading for a bike ride.  Justin and I both had lists of things that needed to be done.  So, we did our best to knock them out and off we went for a long bike ride for Collier and stroller ride for Kenley.  Both were very happy and content!






SMILE.  
Look At The Camera.
Put your bottle down
Oh, well!
It's impossible to get them both looking







We of course squeezed in football watching and napping in our day too!
Sunday was a wonderful church service that ended with us racing out to get home, lunch crammed in, clothes changed and to Collier's first Fall Tball Game!











After T-Ball, Kenley napped and Collier and I went for another bike ride adventure.  My house is a total mess, but I enjoyed every moment as watching Collier just beam with happiness on his new bike.  I only thought about my piled up laundry once or twice before being wrapped up in his smiles and pure joy of doing what he loves!  He had 100% of my attention - no phone, no sister, no distractions.  Just me and the road on his new wheels!

And just for the record - I think he has grown 2 feet in the past month..e has gotten so tall and is EATING A TON!  10 minutes after a big and full dinner (and usually desert) he is hungry and asking for something more!  I can't seem to keep the kitchen stocked.
Kenley on the other hand plays more with her food than eats it!  Oh well.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Kenley's Turn

Catch up: this is very late...

So, Kenley was next in line to start school.  She has started in 2 Year Old Preschool...or do you just call it mothers day out?  it is at preschool so that is what I am sticking with!  She could not have been more ready.  Although when she went to meet the teacher she wasn't as excited as she was the day that she started.  She calls it her Scool Class and is thrilled on Tuesday's and Thursday's when she gets to go.
This was meet the teacher and once she got her cookie and car magnet she was set and ready to leave!




On her first day, she ran in and jumped into Mrs. Jennifer's arms and gave her a huge hug!  

Side Note: I am glad that as she begins her first school experience at 2 she is potty trained and passey free! whew.

She loves going to her scool-class and runs and jumps all the way in.  She likes to name each of the children that are in her class on the way to school.  It is so cute how she says their names.  I am thankful that she has such sweet and fun teachers.  

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Goodbye Passey!

Is it Paci?  Or Pacey or Passey?  I can never spell it correctly.  Regardless that thing is GONE! I have a real love-dislike relationship with the Pass (as we call it in our house).  I love it because you.can.take.it.away!  I really don't like it when they can talk and are walking around with it in their mouth (sometimes they are so cute with it though) .  I love it because it comforts and sooth's which means that sleep comes pretty easy.  I dislike it because they get so attached and dependent.  And I really dislike how hard it becomes to take away.. it is heart breaking and yet has to be done. So on August 15th, we woke up and talked and talked some more about saying goodbye to passey.  Today is the day!!  My stomach churned and turned and I was nervous and really would rather just leave it as it is and not have to go through the adjustment.  I know exactly how determined this little baby girl is and I had decided it was time and I had to stick with it.  I told her we were doing it and Momma had to accept it as much as Kenley girl.




  And the ends of all her passey's were basically in shredsfrom her chewing on them so cutting the end approach wouldn't work for this one.  
 
I packed my baby girl up on that Friday morning and we went to Build A Bear with Pass in hand.  We had talked for weeks about saying goodbye to pass and the time had come.  We picked a bunny to be the recipient of that passey.  It was her favorite one - purple with a horse on it.   The ladies at Build A Bear were great.  I went back and forth on if I wanted her to really have it in the bunny or if I should have them sneak it out and not really be in there.  But decided to leave it in there (which now in hind-sight may not be the smartest).  She was clearly clueless of the real finality of putting it in the bunny because she did it willingly and with a smile!





 They even made her a special name tag to celebrate no more pass!
 We made it though and off we went.  Her next reward was riding the carousel and she was very very happy and no complaints at all!

And then as we got in the car she asked where her passey was.  I reminded her that it was in Bunny and it was all gone bye bye.  My heart sunk a little lower - it was done.  and nap time was a coming!
She didn't nap for 2 days crying for pass.  She tried to bite the bunny's tail off and told me over and over to get it out of the bunny.  This is why I would say not to really leave it in because she can find and feel it and really does know it is in there!  I reassured her that we could not get it out.  We rocked.  we swayed.  we sang and nothing helped to calm her down.  I was tempted to give in and giver her one that I had stashed.  But I told myself now or again in 2 weeks or 2 months - so I held tight.  I cried for her and with her.  She bounced around her crib.  She screamed.  She sang songs.  She cock-a-doodle-doo'd.  She did it all and I just had to let her work it out in her crib.  It was not fun.

We pushed through the rest of the day with no nap.  Enter BEST MOM IN THE WORLD.  Justin and I had a baby shower for a good friend and my Mom was willing to babysit the kids.  she took them to the park to be sure that Kenley was good and tired.  But at bed time Kenley cried for Pass.  So Mom laid with her in our bed, she rocked her, she sang to her, she sat on the couch with her, she read books to her and she wouldn't settle down.  By the time we got home she had fallen asleep.  Around 1am she woke up screaming crying.  She cried and screamed so hard that I thought that something was wrong with her.  For a full hour the sweet girl was hysterical and nothing settled her down.  I finally told her she had two options: car ride or lay on the couch with me.  She wanted to lay down on the couch and within 10 minutes she was sound asleep.  We slept very restlessly for a while.  Collier even woke up and joined us for a few minutes.  She would just lay and scream even with her eyes closed - it was cries of devastation.  And this Momma wanted so badly to give that stashed pass to her and calm and sooth her and make it all better.  After-all, I had exactly what she wanted but didn't need.  I stood my ground and loved her through it.  I finally was able to get her sleep and back in her bed.  Have I mentioned that I have the BEST Mom EVER!!  She doesn't handle crying well so this is not the ideal job for her but she was willing and amazing to love her through her first night night with no passey.

Saturday was much of the same.  She refused to nap, she asked for pass.  She tried to bite bunny's tail off to get pass out.  She told me she didn't want to be a big girl, she wanted passey and not big girl.  I was crushed.  I stood my ground, I fought through. I prayed.  I asked God to comfort as only He could.  Saturday night I rocked, I read, I sang and finally just had to let her work through it in her bed.  She cried, she fought and she finally gave in.  She only woke up the first time and was about about an hour.  Second time she was only up about 15 minutes and the third time was a potty break and back to bed.
Sunday - she napped!  She napped for 3 hours!  Ahhh.  Justin put her to bed on Sunday night and she went right to sleep.  We.did.it!  Praise the Lord.  It was hard.  It was sad. but now it was worth it.  I prayed my heart out.  I laid this little girl at His feet with confidence that He would provide and allow her to get through it.  It was tough [as most things with her are] but we did it and I am so thankful.

She carried BunBun with her a lot.  She snuggles with BunBun.  She will explain to anyone that asks that her Pass is in BunBun and will even tell you exactly where in BunBun it is (because she can feel it).  It has now been a few weeks and just this week she got a boo-boo and was crying and asked for Passey and I reminded her that it was gone but gave her BunBun and she was all set! I am so thankful to have it behind us.  I told her tonight how proud and how thankful that I am of her being a big girl with no passey!