TODAY was a busy day for us! The girls and I got up early to get out the house and over to Suzi's to help with Eli. We are helping her with him a Monday a month until her baby comes (she is due two weeks before me). She is on bedrest, so our job is to show up at 8:30 when her hubby leaves for work and stay until his naptime at 1:30.
I think Calla and Kelsey were excited to go; a change of scenery is always nice! We spent the morning reading lots of books, playing with Eli's toys, eating snacks, catching up (well, Suzi and I did!), and using the potty (Eli is being potty-trained). Eli is two and a half, so he's at an age right between the girls. I noticed that he and Calla played together more than they've probably ever have; I think now that he talks she interacts with him more!
They had a very complex "going on a trip" game going on in the basement. The couch pillows where their cars, although I noticed they kept getting out of their cars to take "naps." Calla told me they were going to Pennsylvania. Supposedly they reached the airport and Calla told Eli, "Now hug Mimi!" and he looked at her like she had two heads. First off, Eli doesn't have a Mimi (I think he has a "grandma" and "Nana") and obviously Calla was just pointing at the thin air. I did notice that Calla considered herself the "Mommy" and Eli the "child." (Sometimes when she's playing she names her playmate the "daddy.")
We ate lunch with them and then got Eli all settled with his nap before going home. I also took their dog outside to relieve himself; you can imagine that put Calla in a tizzy (it's a big lab). She stood on the couch. Kelsey is much more interested in dogs, but I've noticed she's even got more cautious. She prefers if I hold her. I guess that makes sense; the dog could level her in a second.
We drove home and Kelsey was snoozing in no time. She took a great nap...Calla tossed and turned and then played a puzzle game on my phone for a while until Kelsey woke up. We only had an hour or so of doing (actual) puzzles and coloring before Daddy got home.
Tonight my friend Jenny invited us over for dinner. Bless her heart! She's been feeling so bad that I've been sick with this pregnancy that she wants to have us for dinner once a week. I think that's ridiculous since she's juggling three kids as it is. Today's invitation worked out wonderful since I didn't get to my Monday trip to the grocery store.
Jonathan and I had planned to go see the house we are interested in for a second time but the owners could not accommodate our request. Instead we are going tomorrow at 5:30. But we did draw up papers with Jenny while we were at her house anyway in case we make an offer tomorrow. That way the annoying part is done with! I kept joking with Jenny that she should make up a new real estate tagline, such as "I Make My Clients Dinner!" or "Come for Dinner; We'll Make an Offer!" or "See Homes, Including Mine! (Dinner included)"
Calla and Norah had such a fun time playing before and after dinner. Kelsey and Erik sorta follow them around, probably being a pain in the neck. Kelsey found a baby doll at one point so she spent a lot of the evening carrying it around and feeding it/putting it to sleep. She is also very interested in baby Dane; watching him keeps her entertained!
By the time we got home at 7:30, it was time for bed. Calla gets so tired when she doesn't take a nap. I wish I would have taken a picture of her when we were at Jenny's; she wore a dress (of course), then her Dorothy costume OVER her dress, paired with white Sunday school shoes, and a bandaid right in the middle of her forehead (she had hurt her head during her nap somehow).
I'll have to remember to take some pics tomorrow!
~ Pray for my laptop! I did some troubleshooting with Uncle Curtis and have to remove the hard-drive to see if I can clean it tomorrow. I really hope it works! ~
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
A Nightmare Night (Actually, wish I would have slept long enough to have HAD a nightmare)
TODAY we all woke up exhausted. I am not sure what is going on at nighttime around here, but it isn't good. I can honestly say I probably got less sleep than Katelyn down there in Texas with her 10-day-old newborn. I went to bed at midnight, planning on seven hours of sleep. Very acceptable! At some point about two hours into my sleep, Calla woke up fussing about her ear hurting. I am not sure what that was about; it wasn't hurting this morning. But I did give her some medicine because she is of the age where I can say "this will make it feel better" and she believes it. (-:
Calla's crying woke up Kelsey. Kelsey could NOT go back to sleep. I am not sure why; it was pitch dark and I could have fallen asleep standing up at that point. I tried keeping in her crib; she was content in there but couldn't sleep. Which would be all fine and good except that she protests LOUDLY in the meantime and Calla was complaining she couldn't sleep with all the noise. (Kelsey's protests involve loud yells such as: "JUICE!" "CUP!" "BA-BA" (pacifier) "CALLA! CALLA!" and on and on.)
Finally I laid in Calla's bed with both girls. Calla feel asleep instantly. Kelsey was still awake, so I put her in her crib. She made a very solid attempt at trying to go to sleep. Never happened. By this point it was pushing 3:30 in the morning. I brought her in bed with me. She never feel asleep; in the contrary she woke up Daddy, much to his annoyance. I tried her back in her crib. She woke up Calla. Calla fell right back to sleep. At 4:30, I did something I've NEVER done - I decided to see if she'd fall asleep laying with me on the COUCH. In the living room. On the very uncomfortable couch pillow. After much prayer the little lady fell asleep. I wasn't going to leave there alone so I just scrunched onto that couch and fell asleep myself.
At 5:30, Calla started crying from her bed. Not sure why, but Daddy tried to deal with it and she would have none of it. She wanted Mom. So he sent her out to the couch (I think it took him a while to figure out where I was too!). She curled up on the other side of the couch in a ball and fell asleep.
At 6:30 I woke up because I was cold. Which woke up Kelsey. Kelsey's loud morning exclaims (happy, mind you) woke up Calla. Jonathan suggested we miss Sunday school after such a rough night. I said, certainly not. I didn't want to spend anymore time with "these people." So we went to church and dropped them off to innocent, unsuspecting Sunday school class workers.
The girls actually did really well at church, although they really crashed at naptime. They slept for three hours, and I had to actually wake up Calla. She was very crabby about it (let's be honest; nobody likes being woken up!) until I told her we could go to the sports center to swim. I figured I'd have to throw in some fun activity for them to be tired enough at bedtime after the marathon naps!
Daddy left this afternoon for Uncle Ben's final home basketball game, so it was just the girls and I. We ate an early dinner, made a detour to Target for diapers (soo wish they had a drive-through - who wants to go all the way inside Target for diapers??) and then to the sports center to the indoor pool.
I wish I could have gotten some pictures of the girls in the pool because we had so much fun! I actually brought my camera, but realized there was no safe way I could leave the girls in the pool long enough to go retrieve it from my seat! Calla is obviously very cautious, but Kelsey is a bit of a wild card.
The girls and I were in there for over an hour; the water was warm and they were in great spirits. Calla kept making up songs about the pool. Kelsey kept insisting on hanging onto the side without me touching her (I would just hold my hands right under her bottom so that if she lost her grip she'd plop right into them). They jumped over and over from the side, which gave my arms a workout. They stared at other kids playing in the pool.
I didn't keep a close enough eye on the clock and we got out of the pool at 7:40, just in time to hear an announcement saying the sports center was closing at 8. Which is all well and good except all the family changing rooms were occupied. Plus, I wanted to grab a quick shower since we are helping Suzi with Eli tomorrow and I don't anticipate having time to wash my hair before we leave the house at 8am. (Note: I am being an optimist and am assuming my girls will sleep in! Haha)
We stood and waited for 11 minutes! Yikes, but somehow in 9 minutes, I dried us all, changed us all, showered myself, put on pajamas and coats and socks and boots, and we were out the door on time. I was so heated from all the effort that I wasn't even cold when I walked outside. Haha.
The girls went to bed when we got home after lots of ice-water and crackers (isn't there something about swimming that makes everyone so hungry?!).
Callaism~
~ Kelsey was crying because I wasn't pouring her apple juice in her cup fast enough today (yes, CRYING) and Calla turned to me and said, "What's her problem?" That- Calla - is the million dollar question. What is her problem.
Kelseyism~
~ If anyone could please come here and translate "Gah-Me!" (not to be confused with "Ga-Me," her phrase for "Carry me") I would sooo appreciate it. She says it all the time and I am so confused. She always says it as if it's a matter of life and death.
below: Random videos from my phone from the past 5 or so days....
Calla's crying woke up Kelsey. Kelsey could NOT go back to sleep. I am not sure why; it was pitch dark and I could have fallen asleep standing up at that point. I tried keeping in her crib; she was content in there but couldn't sleep. Which would be all fine and good except that she protests LOUDLY in the meantime and Calla was complaining she couldn't sleep with all the noise. (Kelsey's protests involve loud yells such as: "JUICE!" "CUP!" "BA-BA" (pacifier) "CALLA! CALLA!" and on and on.)
Finally I laid in Calla's bed with both girls. Calla feel asleep instantly. Kelsey was still awake, so I put her in her crib. She made a very solid attempt at trying to go to sleep. Never happened. By this point it was pushing 3:30 in the morning. I brought her in bed with me. She never feel asleep; in the contrary she woke up Daddy, much to his annoyance. I tried her back in her crib. She woke up Calla. Calla fell right back to sleep. At 4:30, I did something I've NEVER done - I decided to see if she'd fall asleep laying with me on the COUCH. In the living room. On the very uncomfortable couch pillow. After much prayer the little lady fell asleep. I wasn't going to leave there alone so I just scrunched onto that couch and fell asleep myself.
At 5:30, Calla started crying from her bed. Not sure why, but Daddy tried to deal with it and she would have none of it. She wanted Mom. So he sent her out to the couch (I think it took him a while to figure out where I was too!). She curled up on the other side of the couch in a ball and fell asleep.
At 6:30 I woke up because I was cold. Which woke up Kelsey. Kelsey's loud morning exclaims (happy, mind you) woke up Calla. Jonathan suggested we miss Sunday school after such a rough night. I said, certainly not. I didn't want to spend anymore time with "these people." So we went to church and dropped them off to innocent, unsuspecting Sunday school class workers.
The girls actually did really well at church, although they really crashed at naptime. They slept for three hours, and I had to actually wake up Calla. She was very crabby about it (let's be honest; nobody likes being woken up!) until I told her we could go to the sports center to swim. I figured I'd have to throw in some fun activity for them to be tired enough at bedtime after the marathon naps!
Daddy left this afternoon for Uncle Ben's final home basketball game, so it was just the girls and I. We ate an early dinner, made a detour to Target for diapers (soo wish they had a drive-through - who wants to go all the way inside Target for diapers??) and then to the sports center to the indoor pool.
I wish I could have gotten some pictures of the girls in the pool because we had so much fun! I actually brought my camera, but realized there was no safe way I could leave the girls in the pool long enough to go retrieve it from my seat! Calla is obviously very cautious, but Kelsey is a bit of a wild card.
The girls and I were in there for over an hour; the water was warm and they were in great spirits. Calla kept making up songs about the pool. Kelsey kept insisting on hanging onto the side without me touching her (I would just hold my hands right under her bottom so that if she lost her grip she'd plop right into them). They jumped over and over from the side, which gave my arms a workout. They stared at other kids playing in the pool.
I didn't keep a close enough eye on the clock and we got out of the pool at 7:40, just in time to hear an announcement saying the sports center was closing at 8. Which is all well and good except all the family changing rooms were occupied. Plus, I wanted to grab a quick shower since we are helping Suzi with Eli tomorrow and I don't anticipate having time to wash my hair before we leave the house at 8am. (Note: I am being an optimist and am assuming my girls will sleep in! Haha)
We stood and waited for 11 minutes! Yikes, but somehow in 9 minutes, I dried us all, changed us all, showered myself, put on pajamas and coats and socks and boots, and we were out the door on time. I was so heated from all the effort that I wasn't even cold when I walked outside. Haha.
The girls went to bed when we got home after lots of ice-water and crackers (isn't there something about swimming that makes everyone so hungry?!).
Callaism~
~ Kelsey was crying because I wasn't pouring her apple juice in her cup fast enough today (yes, CRYING) and Calla turned to me and said, "What's her problem?" That- Calla - is the million dollar question. What is her problem.
Kelseyism~
~ If anyone could please come here and translate "Gah-Me!" (not to be confused with "Ga-Me," her phrase for "Carry me") I would sooo appreciate it. She says it all the time and I am so confused. She always says it as if it's a matter of life and death.
below: Random videos from my phone from the past 5 or so days....
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Kelsey's 1st Visit to Bass
TODAY I woke up to a little girl crawling into my bed. It was still dark so I'm not sure what time it was, but I do know that around 5:15 both that girl and myself were wide awake. Calla can be a bit of a koala bear as she lays there; she likes to wrap her arms and legs around me and normally I can fall back to sleep but this morning was an exception. By the time Kelsey woke up at 6:45, I felt like I had been up all night.
Daddy went to the gym this morning but I couldn't motivate myself to go in my walking-dead state. I made some pancakes for the girls and laid my head on the table while they ate them. Jonathan and I had decided earlier in the week that this morning he would take the girls to the Bass Pro Shop (he took Calla when she was Kelsey's age; click here) so that I could reorganize our bedroom. Like in the drawers and under the bed. Eek.
Calla and Kelsey were excited to go. Of course Kelsey had no idea where she is going but she always gets excited when I pulled out her shoes and we get her coat ready. That girl likes to be OUT! (-:
below: Calla and Kelsey with the only pic they took on the camera before the battery ran out. Oops. I convinced Calla to change out of her diamond dress into this more casual number:
below: Daddy resorts to using his phone for pics...He met two friends, Luke and Jeff, at the Shop which made it so fun for the girls. Here's Norah, Calla and Erik. Clearly Norah is the only one who can see what's going on...
below: Friends!
Haha friends! plus Erik...
Hahaha this is blurry but Erik has Kelsey in a bear-hug (aka, headlock!). Erik is super affectionate with Kelsey and she usually hands it pretty well but I think this would be enough for anybody to feel uneasy...
Posing in the tents! One of dozens. (Sidenote: Bass Pro Shop is, according to Jonathan, full of fishing/boating/hunting supplies and fun for families to come and play around in all the equipment.)
The girls, with red-eye...
Calla looking like a natural........
Kelsey spinning...
Oh boy! Squeeze on...
That's better! Poor Kelsey got sandwiched in the middle.
above: I would like to take this moment to point out the horrible seatbelt usage here. I am guilty of this too. One shoulder pad is missing (and the other is more on her chest than her shoulder) and the center section should be up at her armpits, not down by her bellybutton. Let this be a lesson to myself.
Daddy went to the gym this morning but I couldn't motivate myself to go in my walking-dead state. I made some pancakes for the girls and laid my head on the table while they ate them. Jonathan and I had decided earlier in the week that this morning he would take the girls to the Bass Pro Shop (he took Calla when she was Kelsey's age; click here) so that I could reorganize our bedroom. Like in the drawers and under the bed. Eek.
Calla and Kelsey were excited to go. Of course Kelsey had no idea where she is going but she always gets excited when I pulled out her shoes and we get her coat ready. That girl likes to be OUT! (-:
below: Calla and Kelsey with the only pic they took on the camera before the battery ran out. Oops. I convinced Calla to change out of her diamond dress into this more casual number:
below: Daddy resorts to using his phone for pics...He met two friends, Luke and Jeff, at the Shop which made it so fun for the girls. Here's Norah, Calla and Erik. Clearly Norah is the only one who can see what's going on...
below: Friends!
Haha friends! plus Erik...
Hahaha this is blurry but Erik has Kelsey in a bear-hug (aka, headlock!). Erik is super affectionate with Kelsey and she usually hands it pretty well but I think this would be enough for anybody to feel uneasy...
Posing in the tents! One of dozens. (Sidenote: Bass Pro Shop is, according to Jonathan, full of fishing/boating/hunting supplies and fun for families to come and play around in all the equipment.)
The girls, with red-eye...
Calla looking like a natural........
Kelsey spinning...
Oh boy! Squeeze on...
That's better! Poor Kelsey got sandwiched in the middle.
Daddy said he was surprised at how shy Kelsey was with all the fish. They arrived just for the "feeding of the fish" event where kids can feed some huge rainbow trout. There was even a catfish, according to Calla ("lots and lots of whiskers!"). Kelsey kind of held back from the fish, even the fish in the big fish tank. Oh boy. I don't think we have any animal lovers in our family. Hahaha.
Anyway Bass Pro Shop definitely tuckered them out....
above: I would like to take this moment to point out the horrible seatbelt usage here. I am guilty of this too. One shoulder pad is missing (and the other is more on her chest than her shoulder) and the center section should be up at her armpits, not down by her bellybutton. Let this be a lesson to myself.
below: Oh my goodness! NO, NO! Calla has taken over hooking herself in, and apparently she got lazy today. She didn't even hook in the bottom. Not to mention the center part is not at her armpits either. I would like to make mention that this seat was supposed to be for Kelsey (we bought the Graco one for Calla) but Calla loves, LOVES this seat. Supposedly it's much more comfortable. Doesn't really look like it based on her sleeping position here.
Well the girls came home and the fun was over. They took naps - even Calla. Looong naps. I think we will be visiting Bass Pro Shop more often. The afternoon was practically over when they woke up, and Daddy gave them baths. Nothing like a bath after a long nap. I am being sarcastic. Calla really, really didn't want to take a bath. She said she doesn't like the part when we take her out and she's cold. None of us like that part, Calla.
For dinner we got together with a family we haven't seen in a while, the Claytons. We went with them to Portillo's. Calla and Kelsey split a cheese sandwich (yes, cheese melted on a bun. It is 10x cheaper than a hot dog and it's something Mommy "couldn't" make at home - it least that's how I sell it to them. after all, I don't have the proper buns). The Claytons have three boys, so they asked us if we were having a third girl. Haha. Most people - nay ALL people - tell me I am having a boy. There will be a lot of surprised people if I have a girl. That's why it's fun to keep it a surprise!
The Claytons brought little trucks and matchbox cars to keep their boys busy and my girls brought coloring books and crayons. What a different life I'd have if I had two boys.
We got home at 6:30 (hahaha; early bird dinner) and the girls played some before bed. Calla and I made up some new Bible memory verse cards. She loves getting new ones, although she flubs them up pretty bad at first. I need to tape her attempts sometimes. Jonathan was trying not to laugh.
She and Sissy went to bed at the same time. They like doing that. I am thinking about having them share a bed (a double or something) instead of getting another twin bed for Kelsey. They both love snuggling so much that maybe they should just snuggle with each other. (-: I asked Calla her opinion and she said she'd love that! She said "a big enough bed for two pillows though Mom." I guess everybody needs their "space."
Callaism~
~ We were talking about God tonight before bed and finally I asked, "SO do you have any other questions about God?" and Calla answered, "Yes. Is Daddy going to be in my Bunny class tomorrow?"
Kelseyism~
~ new refusal of the day: refused to say fish
A Little Late
TODAY I am a little late with yesterday's post. Yesterday morning the girls and I just stayed home - there was a pile of laundry beginning to amount to Mount Everest (figuratively and literally) and so the girls and I went through their closet, organized some toys, and did manicures in between switching loads.
The basement carpet is dry and clean and so the girls spent some time rediscovering their toys down there. It's amazing what a week away from their toys does to renew their interest! I know some people rotate toys in and out every couple weeks and it makes sense to me!
For lunch Kelsey discovered a love for hot dogs. Who knew? She's tried them before and never been interested but this time around it was a whole new dog!
Yesterday afternoon Kelsey took a nap and Calla laid in bed. Somedays I wish that girl would just nap; this morning she woke up at 5AM for some UNKNOWN REASON and is cranky and crying and in a horrendous mood. I guess that really has nothing to do with a nap, except that it's 9am and I feel she needs a nap right now.
After naps I made a meal for my friend Emily who had a baby this week and then the girls and I dropped them off. I need to stop taking the girls when I drop off meals; I keep them in the car for the sake of time but it always takes longer than I think when I go inside and in the meantime Kelsey just cries and cries in the car. I got back out to the car yesterday and she had tears all down her little cheeks. )-:
From there we went to see a house. Whaaaat? We saw a short sale in our area over TREND (my friend Jenny has had us in a real estate search online for months) and decided to go look at it. We liked it enough that I want to go look at it again; I'll have to put up some photos of it if we decide to make an offer. Don't get too excited; it's pretty similar in size to the one we are in now. The living space is bigger (kitchen/dining/living rooms) so that is nice and overall the house is in much better condition. Plus, it'd be nice to own something and build equity for someday when we can finally buy something long-term (in other words, BIGGER).
It was so nice to see Mema and Opa again; they made the trek down and we did dinner at a place in Wheaton called The Bank. They seated us in a more secluded area at a back table, which was nice because I felt it made the girls feel a little less "on display." (Haha in other words, less embarrassing for us when Kelsey had a minor breakdown over the fact that she didn't have apple juice in her cup. Clearly JUICE is a main priority in this girl's life.)
Mema brought some little gifts for the girls that kept them busy over dinner. She got Kelsey a stuffed animal duck to feed her duck obsession; I'll have to get a pic of her hugging it. She has a soft spot for ducks! Calla is at such an easy age for going to dinner; she talked nicely or sat and colored. Kelsey is much harder but thank goodness she is interested in watching videos of Haley/herself on my phone. That kept her occupied!
We said goodbye and the girls went straight to bed! I would have done the same thing if I could have anticipated being up at 5am. Eek.
The basement carpet is dry and clean and so the girls spent some time rediscovering their toys down there. It's amazing what a week away from their toys does to renew their interest! I know some people rotate toys in and out every couple weeks and it makes sense to me!
For lunch Kelsey discovered a love for hot dogs. Who knew? She's tried them before and never been interested but this time around it was a whole new dog!
Yesterday afternoon Kelsey took a nap and Calla laid in bed. Somedays I wish that girl would just nap; this morning she woke up at 5AM for some UNKNOWN REASON and is cranky and crying and in a horrendous mood. I guess that really has nothing to do with a nap, except that it's 9am and I feel she needs a nap right now.
After naps I made a meal for my friend Emily who had a baby this week and then the girls and I dropped them off. I need to stop taking the girls when I drop off meals; I keep them in the car for the sake of time but it always takes longer than I think when I go inside and in the meantime Kelsey just cries and cries in the car. I got back out to the car yesterday and she had tears all down her little cheeks. )-:
From there we went to see a house. Whaaaat? We saw a short sale in our area over TREND (my friend Jenny has had us in a real estate search online for months) and decided to go look at it. We liked it enough that I want to go look at it again; I'll have to put up some photos of it if we decide to make an offer. Don't get too excited; it's pretty similar in size to the one we are in now. The living space is bigger (kitchen/dining/living rooms) so that is nice and overall the house is in much better condition. Plus, it'd be nice to own something and build equity for someday when we can finally buy something long-term (in other words, BIGGER).
It was so nice to see Mema and Opa again; they made the trek down and we did dinner at a place in Wheaton called The Bank. They seated us in a more secluded area at a back table, which was nice because I felt it made the girls feel a little less "on display." (Haha in other words, less embarrassing for us when Kelsey had a minor breakdown over the fact that she didn't have apple juice in her cup. Clearly JUICE is a main priority in this girl's life.)
Mema brought some little gifts for the girls that kept them busy over dinner. She got Kelsey a stuffed animal duck to feed her duck obsession; I'll have to get a pic of her hugging it. She has a soft spot for ducks! Calla is at such an easy age for going to dinner; she talked nicely or sat and colored. Kelsey is much harder but thank goodness she is interested in watching videos of Haley/herself on my phone. That kept her occupied!
We said goodbye and the girls went straight to bed! I would have done the same thing if I could have anticipated being up at 5am. Eek.
TODAY
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Finally some Fotos
REWIND...to Monday! Here are some pics I took of Calla before her first haircut:
FRONT VIEW: (you can see the diamond dress behind her...she reluctantly took it off Monday morning when I coaxed her into this leopard attire...a hand-me-down from her friend Ellie)
below: Kelsey saying "Cheese!" She thought I needed a pic of her hair too!
BACK of the hair...a straggley, uneven mess...
Haha this was supposed to be Kelsey's back but she couldn't resist whipping her head around at the last minute:
below: Calla getting her first haircut! This was the face she wore through the whole thing.
Okay except for this face....she is studying herself in the mirror...
below: FRONT...Calla's after pic! As you can see, barely a difference. The hair cutter asked if I wanted her to give Calla bangs and I just couldn't decide. So I opted no for now. I am open to suggestions though for next time!
BACK....as Daddy says, you can barely notice a difference but it is shorter and all even finally! She rounded out her hair so that the shorter hair on the side looks intentional. Someday the short hair around her ears will grow out and we can do a little bob. (-: That's the long-term plan! She may be in second grade by the time it comes to fruition.
Norah!
below: Kelsey saying "Cheese!" She thought I needed a pic of her hair too!
BACK of the hair...a straggley, uneven mess...
Haha this was supposed to be Kelsey's back but she couldn't resist whipping her head around at the last minute:
below: Calla getting her first haircut! This was the face she wore through the whole thing.
Okay except for this face....she is studying herself in the mirror...
below: FRONT...Calla's after pic! As you can see, barely a difference. The hair cutter asked if I wanted her to give Calla bangs and I just couldn't decide. So I opted no for now. I am open to suggestions though for next time!
BACK....as Daddy says, you can barely notice a difference but it is shorter and all even finally! She rounded out her hair so that the shorter hair on the side looks intentional. Someday the short hair around her ears will grow out and we can do a little bob. (-: That's the long-term plan! She may be in second grade by the time it comes to fruition.
TODAY....at Monkey Joe's. I didn't take any pictures, but at one point Calla asked to "borrow" my camera for a couple pics of her own....
First up: her unsuspecting sister...
Norah!
Haha Norah took this one of Calla....
Erik looks smiley but at this point he is complaining because he wants a turn with the camera...
See?...
TODAY followed a rough night. Apparently, "juice" has become a big deal in Kelsey's life. A life-or-death thing, really. For months and months she only ever drank water (or milk occasionally). Then lo and behold over Christmas, Grandma served her apple juice at her house and Kelsey fell in love instantly. Now she is constantly requesting "juice." And she does not mean orange juice! Only apple will do. Well yesterday she drank the rest of the apple juice, and I did not think it was a big enough deal to merit a trip to the store solely for juice.
I put water in her cup at bedtime (you aren't supposed to give them juice anyway soo shhh) and Kelsey woke up at some point (I think around 1am) in a rage. She was yelling at the top of her lungs for juice. I knew she woke up and took gulps from her cup during the night (her diaper is always soaked!) but this scream for something in particular was new. I think she had been crying for some time when I finally woke up (I was dreaming about Haley and Haley was crying in the dream...except I woke up and realized it was Kelsey ! haha) because she was all worked up. Her sobs did not keep her from clearly yelling "Juice!" between gasps for air. I tried to explain to her that we had run out. (Thought I'd give her the benefit of the doubt and try a logical approach.) That didn't work. I took her to the kitchen and fumbled around in the dark for the orange juice container. Maybe I could trick her. Lo and behold there was probably a tablespoon and a half of orange juice left. Yikes. I turned her so she couldn't see and I filled the rest of the cup with water and ice.
It actually worked! Until 4am....when she woke up screaming "JUICE! JUICE!" I guess the water-down orange juice was now completely watered down, because she was not fooled. She was so mad that I wasn't giving her juice. The logical approach wasn't working, so I tried a distraction method (rocking her like a baby).
After a loooong time, she got her mind off the juice (reminds me of a pregnant lady craving) and fell asleep. I think she lasted until about 5:45, when she was awake crying for juice and then up for the day. At this point I felt like a sleep-deprived newborn mom. Everything was foggy. I put a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode on for Kelsey to try to keep her quiet and from waking Calla.
Calla woke up at 7:30 or so and the day began. Calla wanted pancakes but I was too cranky to want to go through the effort (I made pancakes on Tuesday and Calla ate exactly three bites.) The girls ate bagels and grapes instead. A lot less effort!
Our rocky morning got worse when the girls just kept fighting. They wanted to play with the same baby doll. No other doll would do. I gave them a bath and they spent most of it fighting over bath toys. If they were old enough to send to their room I would have, but the fighting would have just continued in there! Instead I did exactly what I should not have - I "rewarded" their bad behavior with a trip to Monkey Joe's.
We went to Monkey Joe's with Mimi a couple weeks ago, and it's one of Calla's favorite places. My friend Kate's son Braden has been begging her to go all winter, so she invited us and Jenny and her kiddos to go this morning. I could not wait to get out of our house and go. (Our wet carpet in the basement is keeping us upstairs and I think the lack of toys is starting to get to the girls! There is only so much coloring one can do! - especially when that "one" is Kelsey!)
We packed a lunch and met them there at about 10. Calla was so tickled. And the girls actually got along great while they were there; Kelsey is pretty little to do most of the inflatable jumping thingies and so Calla stuck by her to give her a hand. At one point I heard Norah asking Calla if she wanted to "take a trip with our pretend babies" (they were holding invisible babies for most of the morning) and Calla said, "No I can't because I have to stay with my sister."
There was one pirate-shipped inflatable thing that Kelsey Mae could navigate with no problem. She and Braden's sister, Kelsey, who is 9 months older spent a lot of their time on that! The two Kelseys were pretty inseparable most of the morning. At one point I discovered them chilling at the water fountain in the back by the bathrooms. Kelsey Ann was pushing the button, the water was flowing, and Kelsey Mae was trying to reach it to take a drink! Double trouble!
The kids had such a fun time; the nice thing about going with their little friends is then Mommy isn't asked to go up all the slides with them! (-: Haha. Kate, Jenny and I realized a couple hours later as we were getting ready to leave that none of us had to enter the inflatables! Success! The older kids just sorta slung the younger kids around and helped them out (although their rough grasp may not have always felt helpful to the little ones!).
Kelsey fell asleep the minute we got in the car and took a decent nap at home. Calla never fell asleep but she did spend an hour and a half "relaxing" in her bed. I wish I could know what she thinks about for that long!
Carpet cleaners came mid-afternoon to help get rid of the musty smell down in the basement. The carpet is pretty dry now, with only a damp icky smell remaining. I am glad we only have plastic toys to worry about down there. Calla and Kelsey sat on the couch and watched the cleaner bring his equipment in from his van. Very entertaining.
Daddy came home from work and we ate dinner right away. I wanted to get the girls to bed early! Kelsey especially was exhausted from her early wakeup. We read some books. Daddy taught Calla a game on my phone where she can play puzzles. She did it least a half a dozen puzzles. I may have to hide my phone from now on (she's always going to want to be on it!).
Kelsey has yelled "Mommy!" in her sleep several times so far tonight. I am not sure what she's dreaming about but it's causing her to yell for her mother! Fortunately the girls and I took a 10-minute trip to Target before dinner to get her that precious juice. I am not enduring a sleepless, juiceless night again!
Erik looks smiley but at this point he is complaining because he wants a turn with the camera...
See?...
TODAY followed a rough night. Apparently, "juice" has become a big deal in Kelsey's life. A life-or-death thing, really. For months and months she only ever drank water (or milk occasionally). Then lo and behold over Christmas, Grandma served her apple juice at her house and Kelsey fell in love instantly. Now she is constantly requesting "juice." And she does not mean orange juice! Only apple will do. Well yesterday she drank the rest of the apple juice, and I did not think it was a big enough deal to merit a trip to the store solely for juice.
I put water in her cup at bedtime (you aren't supposed to give them juice anyway soo shhh) and Kelsey woke up at some point (I think around 1am) in a rage. She was yelling at the top of her lungs for juice. I knew she woke up and took gulps from her cup during the night (her diaper is always soaked!) but this scream for something in particular was new. I think she had been crying for some time when I finally woke up (I was dreaming about Haley and Haley was crying in the dream...except I woke up and realized it was Kelsey ! haha) because she was all worked up. Her sobs did not keep her from clearly yelling "Juice!" between gasps for air. I tried to explain to her that we had run out. (Thought I'd give her the benefit of the doubt and try a logical approach.) That didn't work. I took her to the kitchen and fumbled around in the dark for the orange juice container. Maybe I could trick her. Lo and behold there was probably a tablespoon and a half of orange juice left. Yikes. I turned her so she couldn't see and I filled the rest of the cup with water and ice.
It actually worked! Until 4am....when she woke up screaming "JUICE! JUICE!" I guess the water-down orange juice was now completely watered down, because she was not fooled. She was so mad that I wasn't giving her juice. The logical approach wasn't working, so I tried a distraction method (rocking her like a baby).
After a loooong time, she got her mind off the juice (reminds me of a pregnant lady craving) and fell asleep. I think she lasted until about 5:45, when she was awake crying for juice and then up for the day. At this point I felt like a sleep-deprived newborn mom. Everything was foggy. I put a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode on for Kelsey to try to keep her quiet and from waking Calla.
Calla woke up at 7:30 or so and the day began. Calla wanted pancakes but I was too cranky to want to go through the effort (I made pancakes on Tuesday and Calla ate exactly three bites.) The girls ate bagels and grapes instead. A lot less effort!
Our rocky morning got worse when the girls just kept fighting. They wanted to play with the same baby doll. No other doll would do. I gave them a bath and they spent most of it fighting over bath toys. If they were old enough to send to their room I would have, but the fighting would have just continued in there! Instead I did exactly what I should not have - I "rewarded" their bad behavior with a trip to Monkey Joe's.
We went to Monkey Joe's with Mimi a couple weeks ago, and it's one of Calla's favorite places. My friend Kate's son Braden has been begging her to go all winter, so she invited us and Jenny and her kiddos to go this morning. I could not wait to get out of our house and go. (Our wet carpet in the basement is keeping us upstairs and I think the lack of toys is starting to get to the girls! There is only so much coloring one can do! - especially when that "one" is Kelsey!)
We packed a lunch and met them there at about 10. Calla was so tickled. And the girls actually got along great while they were there; Kelsey is pretty little to do most of the inflatable jumping thingies and so Calla stuck by her to give her a hand. At one point I heard Norah asking Calla if she wanted to "take a trip with our pretend babies" (they were holding invisible babies for most of the morning) and Calla said, "No I can't because I have to stay with my sister."
There was one pirate-shipped inflatable thing that Kelsey Mae could navigate with no problem. She and Braden's sister, Kelsey, who is 9 months older spent a lot of their time on that! The two Kelseys were pretty inseparable most of the morning. At one point I discovered them chilling at the water fountain in the back by the bathrooms. Kelsey Ann was pushing the button, the water was flowing, and Kelsey Mae was trying to reach it to take a drink! Double trouble!
The kids had such a fun time; the nice thing about going with their little friends is then Mommy isn't asked to go up all the slides with them! (-: Haha. Kate, Jenny and I realized a couple hours later as we were getting ready to leave that none of us had to enter the inflatables! Success! The older kids just sorta slung the younger kids around and helped them out (although their rough grasp may not have always felt helpful to the little ones!).
Kelsey fell asleep the minute we got in the car and took a decent nap at home. Calla never fell asleep but she did spend an hour and a half "relaxing" in her bed. I wish I could know what she thinks about for that long!
Carpet cleaners came mid-afternoon to help get rid of the musty smell down in the basement. The carpet is pretty dry now, with only a damp icky smell remaining. I am glad we only have plastic toys to worry about down there. Calla and Kelsey sat on the couch and watched the cleaner bring his equipment in from his van. Very entertaining.
Daddy came home from work and we ate dinner right away. I wanted to get the girls to bed early! Kelsey especially was exhausted from her early wakeup. We read some books. Daddy taught Calla a game on my phone where she can play puzzles. She did it least a half a dozen puzzles. I may have to hide my phone from now on (she's always going to want to be on it!).
Kelsey has yelled "Mommy!" in her sleep several times so far tonight. I am not sure what she's dreaming about but it's causing her to yell for her mother! Fortunately the girls and I took a 10-minute trip to Target before dinner to get her that precious juice. I am not enduring a sleepless, juiceless night again!
ALSO....another sidenote....as I was putting Kelsey to bed for the night she had the AUDACITY to ask me to put water in her cup (there was juice in there). I said, "No way."
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
No Photos (boring)
TODAY I still can't get my laptop up and running so I am punching this out on my phone. How boring is the lack of photos? What a snooze.
This morning the girls and I had church. They arose at 6;30 so needless to say we has plenty of time to get out the door (2.5 hours) ! It even gave calla and I enough time to negotiate whether or not she could wear her diamond dress. Her white rights were dirty , so she launched into a pretty compelling argument about wearing pants under the dress instead. But she didn't even have a pair of leggings that remotely matche (she tries convincing me that pink and red are practically the same thing) and she seemed so disappointed about not wearing the dress that I let her try on a pair of Kelsey's rights, siZed 6-18 months (complete with ruffles on the bottom). Calla barely had them over her feet before she was declaring them a perfect fit. Ha! I am sure they were very comfortable, and I did notice she took them off on the front mat the second we got home from the study!
When I picked Kelsey up from her class, she was being held in a newborn position in one of the teacher's arms. Her name is Paige (she's about college age) and Kelsey has a soft spot for her. Kelsey also loves being held "like a baby". It's a frequent request of hers and it cracked me up that she wanted Paige holding her that way!
After the early wakeup time, we finished our lunch and then I put the girls down for their naps. Churchiat have tired Calla put because she fell asleep for the first time in six days. I mentally carved put two hours of "free time" only to be interrupted by Kelsey, awake randomly only 45 minutes into her nap. I felt sleepy myself so I decided to lie down with her in my bed to see of she'd go back to sleep and lo and behold she and I slept for two hours! Pregnant women can sleep on command!
We all woke up groggily at 4:30, which gave us just enough time to get dinner on the table for daddy. He's only home about an hour on Wesnesdays because of core groups, and Kelsey really cried when he left! I think she wanted to go with him because she kept saying "bye mama!" when daddy hugged her goodbye.
So tonight the girls and I colored, did the dishes, played tea party, jumped on the bed (the girls that is, not me), and read lots and lots of books. Kelsey is at the age when she just loves reading books, so it's nice we have an activity that both girls enjoy (Kelsey aging candyland, on the other hand, is a disaster). I wanted give them baths but it kept randomly thundering, and I don't put kids in water when storms are in the area. Kelsey kept thinking the thunder meant daddy was home. I'm not sure about that connection...his thunderous voice?!?
Callaism -
- calla learned about Hannah and Samuel at church today and her recounting of the story was so cute. I asked her about Eli, and she gave me that disgusted look of hers (I call it her "teenager look") so I guess the teacher only went into "so much" detail!
Kelseyism-
- new word of the day: backpack
This morning the girls and I had church. They arose at 6;30 so needless to say we has plenty of time to get out the door (2.5 hours) ! It even gave calla and I enough time to negotiate whether or not she could wear her diamond dress. Her white rights were dirty , so she launched into a pretty compelling argument about wearing pants under the dress instead. But she didn't even have a pair of leggings that remotely matche (she tries convincing me that pink and red are practically the same thing) and she seemed so disappointed about not wearing the dress that I let her try on a pair of Kelsey's rights, siZed 6-18 months (complete with ruffles on the bottom). Calla barely had them over her feet before she was declaring them a perfect fit. Ha! I am sure they were very comfortable, and I did notice she took them off on the front mat the second we got home from the study!
When I picked Kelsey up from her class, she was being held in a newborn position in one of the teacher's arms. Her name is Paige (she's about college age) and Kelsey has a soft spot for her. Kelsey also loves being held "like a baby". It's a frequent request of hers and it cracked me up that she wanted Paige holding her that way!
After the early wakeup time, we finished our lunch and then I put the girls down for their naps. Churchiat have tired Calla put because she fell asleep for the first time in six days. I mentally carved put two hours of "free time" only to be interrupted by Kelsey, awake randomly only 45 minutes into her nap. I felt sleepy myself so I decided to lie down with her in my bed to see of she'd go back to sleep and lo and behold she and I slept for two hours! Pregnant women can sleep on command!
We all woke up groggily at 4:30, which gave us just enough time to get dinner on the table for daddy. He's only home about an hour on Wesnesdays because of core groups, and Kelsey really cried when he left! I think she wanted to go with him because she kept saying "bye mama!" when daddy hugged her goodbye.
So tonight the girls and I colored, did the dishes, played tea party, jumped on the bed (the girls that is, not me), and read lots and lots of books. Kelsey is at the age when she just loves reading books, so it's nice we have an activity that both girls enjoy (Kelsey aging candyland, on the other hand, is a disaster). I wanted give them baths but it kept randomly thundering, and I don't put kids in water when storms are in the area. Kelsey kept thinking the thunder meant daddy was home. I'm not sure about that connection...his thunderous voice?!?
Callaism -
- calla learned about Hannah and Samuel at church today and her recounting of the story was so cute. I asked her about Eli, and she gave me that disgusted look of hers (I call it her "teenager look") so I guess the teacher only went into "so much" detail!
Kelseyism-
- new word of the day: backpack
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sick Day
TODAY the pregnancy-sickness was back with a vengeance. Yuck! The girls and I stayed at home all morning and it was all I could do to get any motivation to do anything besides feed everybody! I made a half-hearted attempt at cleaning the house and fortunately Calla was in the mood to help. She did a very thorough job dusting her room. In fact there is probably furniture polish caked all over her night stand. Kelsey is trickier to manage; I gave up and let her play on the sink (she requests to a hundred times a day) and that kept her busy for a half hour or so. She cried when I told her the water play was over (the kitchen looked like a tsunami had rolled through).
We ate an early lunch and then the girls went down for naps. Of course Calla didn't nap so she colored instead. She colors laying down so it least she is in a "position of rest"! Kelsey woke up and we got ready to go to the sports center. I get my hair cut and colored there and arranged for the girls to go in child care for the two hours I'd be "busy." the nice part about going after naps is there aren't many kids in there. Calla had a great time and I assume Kelsey did too; the child care workers say she does great in the tot lot! When she turns two she will move to the main room where Calla stays.
Tonight Jenny invited us for dinner and the timing could not have been better. I know it's just dinner, but all day long I felt awful and to not have to worry about making dinner was such a Godsend! Jenny made a delicious dinner and the kids had lots of fun playing. Norah tried to teach calla how to ride a bike with training wheels in the basement (only one foot
Could reach the pedals). Kelsey discovered a drawer of kids' plates and cups on the kitchen and kept dumping them out! Daddy fed Baby Dane his bottle and Kelsey was very interested. I think she will be a very attentive big sister!
We left at 7:30 to get the kids in bed on time. On our way home, we got stuck at a ten-minute freight train which the girls thought was fabulous! They love a long train!
Callaism-
- bea and "notty" visited us all day. I even had to set places for them at lunch. Calla talked about them and "to them" more than she ever has; I have to say that sometimes it's hard not to laugh!
Kelseyism -
- Kelsey has said "ga me" for months and o can never figure out what she means. She says it all the time! Finally today I translated it to "carry me". Phew.
We ate an early lunch and then the girls went down for naps. Of course Calla didn't nap so she colored instead. She colors laying down so it least she is in a "position of rest"! Kelsey woke up and we got ready to go to the sports center. I get my hair cut and colored there and arranged for the girls to go in child care for the two hours I'd be "busy." the nice part about going after naps is there aren't many kids in there. Calla had a great time and I assume Kelsey did too; the child care workers say she does great in the tot lot! When she turns two she will move to the main room where Calla stays.
Tonight Jenny invited us for dinner and the timing could not have been better. I know it's just dinner, but all day long I felt awful and to not have to worry about making dinner was such a Godsend! Jenny made a delicious dinner and the kids had lots of fun playing. Norah tried to teach calla how to ride a bike with training wheels in the basement (only one foot
Could reach the pedals). Kelsey discovered a drawer of kids' plates and cups on the kitchen and kept dumping them out! Daddy fed Baby Dane his bottle and Kelsey was very interested. I think she will be a very attentive big sister!
We left at 7:30 to get the kids in bed on time. On our way home, we got stuck at a ten-minute freight train which the girls thought was fabulous! They love a long train!
Callaism-
- bea and "notty" visited us all day. I even had to set places for them at lunch. Calla talked about them and "to them" more than she ever has; I have to say that sometimes it's hard not to laugh!
Kelseyism -
- Kelsey has said "ga me" for months and o can never figure out what she means. She says it all the time! Finally today I translated it to "carry me". Phew.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday
TODAY the laptop is not working and I am so bummed because I have the most adorable photos of Calla's first haircut! It has also taken me about two full minutes to type that sentence on my new phone so no doubt this post will be brief! The girls slept in until 8am which is a great start to any Monday! I made them pancakes and then we got dressed and headed to the library. As a side note, we got some water in the basement last week so the girls and I are trying to stay out of there while the carpet dries (there's fans down there). So they have not played with their toys which is starting to get old! So I thought the library would be a good escape.
There's a pretty extensive children's section there with puZzles and games and calla and Kelsey were entertained for over an hour. They picked out some books to check our and then we bundled up (rain boots and raincoat and all) and headed to the grocery store. Calla pushes her own cart so once we were almost done, I let Kelsey out of her car cart to walk with us. At first she held on obediently to the side of my cart but that was short-lived. As soon as she yanked four boxes of cereal down she was back on the cart.
We got home for lunch and naps, although for the fourth day in a row calla never fell asleep! oh boy. My alone-time may be gone forever, or it least for the next twenty years haha. After Kelsey woke up, we got ready for Calla's first haircut. Calla got a teeny bit off last summer compliments of Mimi, but she's never gotten a real hair cut nor has she ever seen one. So I wasnt sure how she'd React. I talked it up big time all day. We went to a young girl who works out of our house since that's where Jenny takes Norah. Calla thought Norah may be there so I explained that even though it was a BIG deal that only mom and Kelsey would be there. Ha
Well the hair cutter was so sweet and calla climbed up on the chair like she was getting set for a full makeover! she wAs just beaming with the black apron on. We were there for all of 15 minutes (I only asked to get her ends trimmed since Calla wants "long hair like a princess" ) but calla sat like a statue and soaked it all in. Every girl enjoys a little pampering, even if it's limited to a spray bottle and scissors! Ha. Kelsey was transfixed by the whole process, although she burst into tears when we first walked in. That girl is not a fan of strangers! I think she assumes they are all babysitters!
Calla did not want to leave but I told her we weren't there for a play date and could go back someday ( in 3 more years haha ). That girl's hair grows so slow! Just like her mama poor thing.
Daddy made a big fuss about the new do when he got home (he couldn't tell a difference in reality!). He gave the girls a bath after dinner and made the proper announcement about it being the first wash since the "big cut" (teeny really). I put the girls to bed and then went over to the hospital for a half hour to visit my friend Emily's newborn! She has a baby girl Lucy and i got to hold all 7 pounds 3 ounces of her. (2 pounds heavier than Haley!) Lucy reminded me of calla because they weighed the exact same and Lucy was wide awake ANd super alert the whole time I was there (and Em said she had been up for a while) !! Yikes I felt like commencing with a whole warning of the pitfalls of a spirited baby but kept my mouth shut! Haha. It was pretty amazing how a newbie could be so awake in her first hours of life! Holding her made me: (1) wish I could meet and hold Haley and (2) excited for august 14th! uh oh!
There's a pretty extensive children's section there with puZzles and games and calla and Kelsey were entertained for over an hour. They picked out some books to check our and then we bundled up (rain boots and raincoat and all) and headed to the grocery store. Calla pushes her own cart so once we were almost done, I let Kelsey out of her car cart to walk with us. At first she held on obediently to the side of my cart but that was short-lived. As soon as she yanked four boxes of cereal down she was back on the cart.
We got home for lunch and naps, although for the fourth day in a row calla never fell asleep! oh boy. My alone-time may be gone forever, or it least for the next twenty years haha. After Kelsey woke up, we got ready for Calla's first haircut. Calla got a teeny bit off last summer compliments of Mimi, but she's never gotten a real hair cut nor has she ever seen one. So I wasnt sure how she'd React. I talked it up big time all day. We went to a young girl who works out of our house since that's where Jenny takes Norah. Calla thought Norah may be there so I explained that even though it was a BIG deal that only mom and Kelsey would be there. Ha
Well the hair cutter was so sweet and calla climbed up on the chair like she was getting set for a full makeover! she wAs just beaming with the black apron on. We were there for all of 15 minutes (I only asked to get her ends trimmed since Calla wants "long hair like a princess" ) but calla sat like a statue and soaked it all in. Every girl enjoys a little pampering, even if it's limited to a spray bottle and scissors! Ha. Kelsey was transfixed by the whole process, although she burst into tears when we first walked in. That girl is not a fan of strangers! I think she assumes they are all babysitters!
Calla did not want to leave but I told her we weren't there for a play date and could go back someday ( in 3 more years haha ). That girl's hair grows so slow! Just like her mama poor thing.
Daddy made a big fuss about the new do when he got home (he couldn't tell a difference in reality!). He gave the girls a bath after dinner and made the proper announcement about it being the first wash since the "big cut" (teeny really). I put the girls to bed and then went over to the hospital for a half hour to visit my friend Emily's newborn! She has a baby girl Lucy and i got to hold all 7 pounds 3 ounces of her. (2 pounds heavier than Haley!) Lucy reminded me of calla because they weighed the exact same and Lucy was wide awake ANd super alert the whole time I was there (and Em said she had been up for a while) !! Yikes I felt like commencing with a whole warning of the pitfalls of a spirited baby but kept my mouth shut! Haha. It was pretty amazing how a newbie could be so awake in her first hours of life! Holding her made me: (1) wish I could meet and hold Haley and (2) excited for august 14th! uh oh!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Calla Can't Decide
below: a blurry picture, but Calla was the "Mommy" and Kelsey was the "baby."
below: reading books to pass the time....
below: BIG NEWS...see Kelseyism for big news about Kelsey & Blake ("Blakesey")
below: reading books to pass the time....
below: BIG NEWS...see Kelseyism for big news about Kelsey & Blake ("Blakesey")
TODAY was a rainy, icky day! Calla wore her rain boots and took her umbrella to church. As we walked to the car from the house she sang, "I love my umbrella! I love my umbrella from Kelsey!" (It was the gift that Kelsey had "given" her on Christmas.) I think she was tickled about the rain (although she also uses her umbrella in snow).
Daddy dropped us off at the front door to avoid melting. I took Calla to her "Bunnies" class and then stayed there to help out (I just help every third Sunday of the month). She was soo excited about me being in there. In fact, Daddy said when he woke her up this morning she refused to get out of bed until he told her that I'd be in Bunnies; suddenly she leapt out of bed! Haha.
Calla wanted me to sit with her most of the class. She spent a lot of time touching my face and holding my hand. Hahaha. Such a poor neglected child! She is so quiet in class. It is interesting to hear her interact with her peers. She was very busy coloring at the beginning of class and Norah sat next to her talking a mile a minute. (-:
There are lots more boys in her class than girls. For some reason, there must have been a lot of boys born in our church the year and the year above Calla. There were four girls in her class and they sat real quietly during the Bible story while the boys either: (1) wrestled (literally); (2) got put on time-out; (3) asked to put the toy back down; (4) oh and sit back down on your circle; (5) oh please raise your hand to talk; (6) stop bothering your neighbor, etc. The maturity difference is pretty evident at 3 and 4 years old!
I was only with Calla for first service, but she was real cheerful about leaving me to go to her "Froggies" class. That's her favorite of the three she is attends. When I picked her up after the second service, two of the teachers told me they are really impressed with her coloring. "She's going to be an artist!" one of them said. The other one told me she's never seen a 3-year old color like Calla (and she has a three year old! she added haha). Mimi mentioned to me that she thought Calla was pretty exceptional at crafts/coloring but neither of us really know what other 3-year olds' coloring looks like. Anyway I told the teachers that Calla's uncle is an artist and they said they weren't surprised to hear it's in her genes. Calla was too busy showing me her crafts to hear what they said.
It was pouring down rain when we left church ready to go home and get into some comfy clothes! We spent the afternoon doing rainy day things....Kelsey napped (Calla colored in her bed for an hour and a half), we played Candyland, we played Memory, the girls played tea party with their tea sets from Mema, we played puzzles, we read books....wow I'm tired! haha. While the girls napped, Daddy got some downtime and I went to visit my friend Jenny's "Open House." Jenny is a Realtor and talking about it with her always makes me miss selling real estate!
Uncle Ben's game started at 5, so Daddy attempted to watch it among the chaos of the girls. Calla and Kelsey were beginning to get restless, so I served them dinner (and a popsicle for dessert of all things!) and they played tea party until there was more water spilling on the floor than being poured into the tea cups.
I put the girls in bed at 7:30ish and Daddy and I commenced with a lively evening of playing Scrabble. haha. (not real lively.)
Callaism~
~ I laid four dresses on the floor of Calla's room this morning before church and told her to pick one. She told me she would and closed the door behind me so that it would be a "surprise." Ten minutes passed and we didn't hear a peep, so Jonathan ventured in. He found Calla tearing up on the floor and saying, "Daddy, I can't decide! I can't decide what to wear!" He pressured her to hurry and she said, "But Daddy I need more time ! I need more time to decide what to wear!"
Oh my word! It starts! Daddy suggested Calla wear the dress that matched his black shirt and fortunately she was easily convinced.
Kelseyism~
~ When Daddy picked Kels up from her second service class, the teacher told him that Kelsey is moving up starting next week. She is moving up with her buddy Blake because the two of them are talking so much and making so much noise that they are skipping a class and moving to "Fireflies." Sharon (the teacher) said she sat them down and gave them a talk about the "big move." Hahaha. I think it's so cute they are moving up together! All part of "The Plan" (the arranged marriage plan).
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Cleaningday!
TODAY the girls got up so early! Well, for some reason I go into Saturday mornings with an expectation that everybody sees it as an opportunity to sleep in....and obviously the girls don't know that and today it was the furthest thing from their minds when they woke up at 6:30. Daddy set them up with the 20-minute "Go Potty Go!" video so Mommy could get out of bed a little slower. (-:
We decided to go the gym; why not? The class I take on Saturdays has a sign-in, so I actually have to be there 15 minutes early. So I brought the girls into the locker room with me and they hung in the lounge while I signed in and waited for 8:30 to arrive. They always get silly in the lounge! I dropped them off at the childcare. Ever since we got back from PA (okay so only twice now), Calla has been real cheerful about going to childcare. She did another craft today so I'm sure that contributed to her good spirits!
Daddy and I got done at the gym (he plays basketball) at the same time so we picked the girls up together. Calla thought this was fabulous. We went home and had a pretty lowkey morning. Daddy had a pretty busy day, including cleaning out the minivan which is akin to volunteering to clean-up in the aftermath of a hurricane. He said he found three pacifiers alone in Kelsey's carseat.
We gave the girls an early lunch and early nap. I was sure Calla would take a long nap since she didn't take one yesterday, but lo and behold she never fell asleep. Eventually Jonathan caught her going into our room and I found her laying on my pillow. Well I had no other choice but to climb in there with her. She kept me awake whispering and playing with a sticker book.
After Kelsey woke up, the girls helped me clean out some of my bedroom drawers. I tend to be a packrat so long-neglected areas such as my lower night-stand drawer usually result in some long lost treasures. Today did not disappoint; I found a pair of glasses from when I was in middle school, a "note to my future husband" penned back in 1994, a thank you note written to my sister Corinne after she gave Calla a first birthday present, and a program from the Chicago Orchestra which I saw with Kelly back in 2006. I am about ten years away from being qualified for a feature on "Hoarders: Buried Alive!"
Daddy was giving the girls a bath when our friends Dutch and Julie called and invited us over for pizza. Yay! Of course. We asked Calla if she wanted to go see Blake and said, "Hmph!" which is her version of "yes."
We had a relaxing evening over there...Calla and Ellie had a Little People community going on (they arranged them in a large circle for "Ring Around the Rosy") and the culmination of the evening was all five of the kids jumping until their heart's content on a blow-up mattress (Julie had a friend staying in from out of town last night). The adults decided all we needed on next year's Christmas list was a blow-up mattress, so to say.
We got home and the girls went straight to bed! It's a good thing they fell asleep and missed my Skype date with baby Haley. They would have been jealous! (-:
Callaism~
~ Calla loves to imitate me. Jonathan to me: "Want to go to Dutch and Julie's for dinner?" Me: "That sounds great!" Calla (with identical intonation): "That sounds great!"
Kelseyism~
~ new word of the day: puzzle
p.s. Sorry about the lack of photos and videos....boring!
We decided to go the gym; why not? The class I take on Saturdays has a sign-in, so I actually have to be there 15 minutes early. So I brought the girls into the locker room with me and they hung in the lounge while I signed in and waited for 8:30 to arrive. They always get silly in the lounge! I dropped them off at the childcare. Ever since we got back from PA (okay so only twice now), Calla has been real cheerful about going to childcare. She did another craft today so I'm sure that contributed to her good spirits!
Daddy and I got done at the gym (he plays basketball) at the same time so we picked the girls up together. Calla thought this was fabulous. We went home and had a pretty lowkey morning. Daddy had a pretty busy day, including cleaning out the minivan which is akin to volunteering to clean-up in the aftermath of a hurricane. He said he found three pacifiers alone in Kelsey's carseat.
We gave the girls an early lunch and early nap. I was sure Calla would take a long nap since she didn't take one yesterday, but lo and behold she never fell asleep. Eventually Jonathan caught her going into our room and I found her laying on my pillow. Well I had no other choice but to climb in there with her. She kept me awake whispering and playing with a sticker book.
After Kelsey woke up, the girls helped me clean out some of my bedroom drawers. I tend to be a packrat so long-neglected areas such as my lower night-stand drawer usually result in some long lost treasures. Today did not disappoint; I found a pair of glasses from when I was in middle school, a "note to my future husband" penned back in 1994, a thank you note written to my sister Corinne after she gave Calla a first birthday present, and a program from the Chicago Orchestra which I saw with Kelly back in 2006. I am about ten years away from being qualified for a feature on "Hoarders: Buried Alive!"
Daddy was giving the girls a bath when our friends Dutch and Julie called and invited us over for pizza. Yay! Of course. We asked Calla if she wanted to go see Blake and said, "Hmph!" which is her version of "yes."
We had a relaxing evening over there...Calla and Ellie had a Little People community going on (they arranged them in a large circle for "Ring Around the Rosy") and the culmination of the evening was all five of the kids jumping until their heart's content on a blow-up mattress (Julie had a friend staying in from out of town last night). The adults decided all we needed on next year's Christmas list was a blow-up mattress, so to say.
We got home and the girls went straight to bed! It's a good thing they fell asleep and missed my Skype date with baby Haley. They would have been jealous! (-:
Callaism~
~ Calla loves to imitate me. Jonathan to me: "Want to go to Dutch and Julie's for dinner?" Me: "That sounds great!" Calla (with identical intonation): "That sounds great!"
Kelseyism~
~ new word of the day: puzzle
p.s. Sorry about the lack of photos and videos....boring!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Easy-Going Friday
below: crafting a card for cousin Haley
below: puzzles at the library...
below: puzzles at the library...
TODAY was a laid-back day! We mostly scheduled it around being able to Skype with Cousin Haley! I still can't believe that 5 lb-of-preciousness is alive somewhere and I haven't met her.
This morning Kelsey missed the laid-back memo and woke up at 5:45am. Let's review this: yesterday when I wanted to get up early to go the gym, she didn't wake up until 8 or so. Today we have no plan on the agenda and she is up before sunrise.
I gave up on her falling back to sleep (she got to say goodbye to Daddy which is rare! she was pretty pleased...she kept peeking around the corner at him and saying "peek a boo!"). Instead, I made the girls pancakes for breakfast. Calla was in complete awe that I had learned how to make pancakes. Apparently she thought it was something that only Pops knows how to do. She even told Pops later on Skype that I had "learned" how to make pancakes!
The girls worked on some cards for cousin Haley and then we went to the post office to mail them. Somehow the post office brought out the silliness in the girls and at one point Kelsey was crawling around on the floor acting like a dog with her tongue out. That can't be sanitary.
We moved on to the Wheaton Library. I have thought about getting a library card for months now and somehow just made it over there. Jenny Moo went to storytime every week last year and said it was so fun. They do have a neat children's section with lots of puzzles and games and spots for reading. I could barely tear the girls away from there. I let the girls pick out three books. It would have taken Calla forever to decide except she was so excited to play with puzzles that she ended up being able to settle on three!
For lunch we joined my friends Jenny and Jenny (I know, it's a generation thing there's tons of them) at McDonald's with all the kiddos. There was a big happy meal-drama....you know, the sort of thing that 3 and 4-year olds consider drama-worthy. One of the kids didn't get the proper toy (he got a girl toy instead of a boy toy). Jenny M didn't get her kids happy meals since they need more nuggets than are served in one, so they didn't get toys at all. Then of course my girls split a happy meal (Kelsey ate a half a nugget and Calla ate one nugget - I could have technically asked for a "happy meal lite") so they had to share a toy. Oh the agony of not having your own sex-specific toy at McDonald's!
But other than that the kids had a great time playing. As much as I am looking forward to having a baby, my girls are at very easy ages for being out and about. First off, their nap is at a coordinated time so I never have to worry about that. (Although sidenote: Kelsey fell asleep in the car on the way to McDonald's because of her super early wakeup time and ended up STAYING asleep while I walked in, while I ordered the food, while I waited for it, while I carried into the loud kids area, while I sat her down, while I took her coat off....poor girl if she didn't need to eat lunch I would have just taken her home! - Fortunately it didn't disrupt her nap, she needed up taking a full two hour nap once we got home.) And the girls are close enough in age that they enjoy doing the same things. Anyway....
Before naps we got to Skype cousin Haley and watch her diaper being changed. That girl is in love with her paci. The green newborn paci takes up half of her face! She is so teeny tiny.
After naps we couldn't stand it anymore and skyped again. This time Haley was sleeping. Oh the life of a newborn! Kelsey and Calla loved showing her random toys (Kelsey kept holding up her "Go Potty Go" DVD and saying, "BOO BOO! BOO BOO!"). Daddy got home in time to meet Haley (over Skype).
Then we met some friends for dinner at Qdoba. We haven't hung out with Brian and Emily and their kiddos Ashlyn and Grant in a while. Emily is getting induced with her third on Tuesday so we thought it'd be fun to see them one more time as little families of four! (-: Calla and Ashlyn chit-chatted and colored.
After dinner our friends Bryan and Ali invited us over to their house. They are leaving for Florida in the morning so we did the best to keep their toy room from looking like a tornado hit it (actually a tough order when six kids are involved haha). Kelsey loves Ali's baby Blake who is 11 months. She and Daddy spent a lot of time playing with him and coaching him in taking some steps. (-:
8 o'clock hit and the kiddos were tired and we headed home. The girls watched a couple videos of Haley sucking her paci before bed. Kelsey is always asking for her paci now. (-:
G'night!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Cousin Haley
TODAY the girls and I (okay, mostly me) were on pins and needles all day waiting for Aunt Katelyn and Uncle David's baby to arrive. She was induced this morning at 5am, and as most first babies do decided to take her good ol'time arriving! (Although 11 hours is under average so good for her!)
I could not resist showing some pics of my first niece!
beautiful mama and baby
below: What a little peanut! She is 5 lbs, 4 ozs and 18.5 inches! What a teeny tiny little stinker!
We are thanking God so much for giving Katelyn and David a healthy baby after some concerns arose during her pregnancy. He is so good! That tiny little bean is just perfect.
I could not resist showing some pics of my first niece!
beautiful mama and baby
below: What a little peanut! She is 5 lbs, 4 ozs and 18.5 inches! What a teeny tiny little stinker!
We are thanking God so much for giving Katelyn and David a healthy baby after some concerns arose during her pregnancy. He is so good! That tiny little bean is just perfect.
My parents and ALL my sisters were in Texas for the birth so as you can imagine I was throwing myself a big pity party up here in rainy Wheaton. It's depressing missing out on life's big moments!
This morning the girls and I went to the gym for something to do. Kelsey overheard it was Thursday and decided to sleep in, which caused me to miss my friend Ali's class. I ended up feeling pretty relieved after greeting a few friends coming out of Ali's class looking half-dead. Ali is a workhorse. (-:
I did my own workout and then picked up the girls. I had timed our visit so that Calla would spend almost the entire time in the craft room and she had a great time and an adorable craft. Kelsey's friend Blake was in her class so we know for sure she had a great time too! (-:
We got home and spent our day cleaning and doing laundry and waiting for updates on Aunt Katelyn. I am not sure what people did before modern technology; I could barely contain myself between the continual stream of texts and pics. Once I put the girls down for their naps, Corinne skyped me in and I got to talk to Aunt Katelyn! Thank God for epidurals!
Baby Haley was born at 4:00-ish. Hmm I'll have to check on the time. Calla predicted this morning that it was a girl so she wasn't surprised. Haley's middle name is Corinne, which is my sister's name....Calla always calls Corinne "Rin" so she calls Haley Corinne, Haley Rin! It's so cute. A couple times she said, "Haley Rinnie." I can't wait for the girls to meet their new cousin!
Tonight Aunt Courtney, after a loooong day at school and THEN a few hours at work, drove all the way down to our house to babysit. Our regular sitter could not make it and Courtney was so sweet to sacrifice her time after such a big day. Calla was so excited to see her. Kelsey would have been much more excited if it didn't mean Mom and Dad were leaving, but Courtney said she calmed down right away.
Court read books to the girls and then put them to bed. When Jonathan and I got home from Bible study, I showed her some pics of Haley! Aunt Courtney thinks she looks just like Aunt Katelyn! I'd love to hear the verdict from the aunts down in Texas!
Callaism~
~ Daddy walks in the door from work. Calla: "Daddy, Katelyn's baby popped out of her belly! Haley Rinnie!"
Kelseyism~
~ new word of the day: spill (I should not be surprised; she spills all the time)
NEW DEVELOPMENT: Kelsey can jump! Two feet off the ground! I put a jacket on her today (it was 60 degrees!) and she got excited and did three or four jumps in a row!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tea Party
below: a picture of Calla and her tea set before church...
below: tonight watching Uncle Ben's game....Kelsey's favorite part-BUCKY
below: TEA PARTY!!
below: it got messy (-:
below: tonight watching Uncle Ben's game....Kelsey's favorite part-BUCKY
below: TEA PARTY!!
below: it got messy (-:
TODAY the girls and I headed to Bible Study. We haven't been in three weeks, since last week we were in PA and the week before was the big blizzard. But Calla chatted about her Owl class the whole way there and Kelsey bid her goodbye at the door of her classroom like usual. I thought Kelsey may cry when I dropped her off, but she walked right in there with her purse and got busy playing.
Calla and Kelsey and I packed a lunch and stayed to play and visit with Jenny and her kiddos. Erik gave my girls big hugs when he saw them. He always has an enthusiastic greeting for them! We got the kids to eat as much as they could when seated in close proximity to the indoor playground. And then we headed in there for a while. I didn't stay too long since Kelsey got up early and I knew she was tired. When I picked her up from her class, the leaders in there said she seemed tired! They said she kept laying on one of the rockers. (-:
Sure enough, she fell asleep on the drive home! Calla took a nap too. But both girls were awake and waiting when Daddy got home. He arrived early so that I could leave for my first doctor's appointment. It's official: WE'RE PREGNANT! (-: Hahaha. 14 weeks is pretty late to go to the doctor but scheduling made it difficult since we wanted to avoid getting a sitter if possible.
Daddy and the girls ate dinner and watched the beginning of Uncle Ben's basketball game. Kelsey was looking out the window when I got home. I arrived just in time for Daddy to get his shoes on and head out to his high school core groups.
Daddy may have watched basketball with the girls, but once I got home they wanted to play tea party. They know their audience! I filled their tea pots with water and they played for a long time. Calla served goldfish on the little china plates.
I put Kelsey to bed early. She is such a snuggler - she always wants me to hold her 'like a baby' (she even says "baby! baby!") for a couple minutes before she gets uncomfortable and motions towards her crib!
Calla and I played another long game of "Memory." I have stopped being easy on that girl; she beats me every time. She went to bed after another look at the ultrasound pictures. I got a couple with my ultrasound today and Calla loves looking at them. It's so fun to talk to her about baby stuff! She asked me today, "Is the baby coming the day after today?"
Callaism~
~ Calla still loves to sing her "big sister" song. I catch her singing it throughout the day. I found out today that my official due date is August 14th, which is good since that's the date in the song!
~ While we colored today, I asked Calla some of her favorites....
Favorite color(s): purple and pink
Favorite song: "Jesus Loves Me"
Favorite food: chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese
Favorite friend: she named every friend she knows
Kelseyism~
~ new word of the day: tea
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