After Kaitlyn was born, I took my kids over to the Winter Park YMCA that is less than a mile away from our house. The purpose of this trip was not for me to work out, but for me to see what goes on in their childcare center while parents are gone. I'll just put it this way... we never returned. Ah, well, I take that back. Nathan took James there a few times, and since it was before James was in school, James bawled his eyes out every time Nathan dropped him off. Very, very sad, and we could never leave guilt-free from that place.
So we stopped going, I didn't want to go because of the 50 kids that were in there with only 5 women watching them, and Nathan didn't go because he just got out of the workout routine.
A few months ago, I started bringing them to the YMCA that is still near our house but further than the other one that I talked about. The Crosby Y is fabulous, but it has an older crowd that attends. Since it is smaller, the care center is small and in less demand. Perfect! We started going, so I could get some exercise. After going two times in one week, Kaitlyn got Roseola and James got strep AND a virus at the same time. Awesome. We didn't go back... until I couldn't handle it anymore. It was just too HOT to walk outside.
I decided to try again, with the commitment that I would thoroughly wash my hands and the kids' hands for like a minute and a half for each finger (ha). So far, we've been good, no sicknesses except for maybe one or two that James brought home from school.
This was another motivator for me to go to the YMCA, the fact that James would be bringing viruses, etc. home from school anyway, so what harm would it do Kaitlyn to get out a little bit.
We have come a LONG way with the childcare at the Y. Kaitlyn started out by crying when I left, although she always seemed to get over it within a minute of my leaving. We met Miss Lindsey at the Crosby Y and she makes a big scene (in a good way) when Kaitlyn comes to play. This helped a lot, and I'm very thankful to Miss Lindsey for making this better for us.
After getting comfortable at the smaller Crosby Y, I ventured over to the Winter Park Y and decided to give it another go-round. Their group class schedule is way more focused on the harder strength training and exercise for younger to older people rather than just an older crowd. They have an outdoor area for the kids that is covered and has a playground and cars and trucks to pedal around. Perfect, absolutely perfect! The kids LOVE it, and now every time I tell the kids that we're going to the Y, James asks, "Are we going to the Y with a playground?" He gets so excited, and he actually has cried when I come to get them and has asked me to go back to work out because he's having so much fun.
Even Kaitlyn runs in there with excitement now, which leads me to believe that she'll have an awesome transition into school next year. That makes me happy because we had a rough first four school weeks with James (once a week though).
Yesterday I took the kids to the park playground since it was gorgeous weather. James couldn't understand that we were going to a playground, but not the Y with a playground. He finally figured it out when we got there, that it was an actual park instead of the Y playground.
This afternoon, around the same time that we went yesterday, James asks me, "Mom? Can we go to the playground without the Y?"
I love how these kids think. ;)
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
My name is James...
James was talking to Grandpa Gary on the phone tonight, and when it was time to wrap up the conversation, Nathan told him to tell Grandpa, "I love you." He did. THEN, he added... "My name is James, and I love YOU." Ha ha ha!
Then later this evening, after Kaitlyn had gone to bed, James was having a snack while sitting in his undies and t-shirt on the couch. Nathan and I were dinking around on the computers when James just announces, "I love you Mom and Dad." MELT.
Then later this evening, after Kaitlyn had gone to bed, James was having a snack while sitting in his undies and t-shirt on the couch. Nathan and I were dinking around on the computers when James just announces, "I love you Mom and Dad." MELT.
Beep... Beeep... BEEEEEP... this is a SPECIAL REPORT....
Kaitlyn, our 19 month old, just pooped in the potty!
We were all sitting at dinner, and she was in her highchair. She was squirming for a minute, but we thought it was because I was up in the kitchen. She said, "Pooopy!!!"
I checked, nothing... so I said, "Do you have to go poopy? Do you want to go poop in the potty?"
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" as fast as she could rattle it off.
I took her there, took her diaper off, placed her up on the BIG potty, and she did it! There was even intent and good pushing! What a big girl!!! :)
Will it happen again? Probably not. Ha ha ha.
We were all sitting at dinner, and she was in her highchair. She was squirming for a minute, but we thought it was because I was up in the kitchen. She said, "Pooopy!!!"
I checked, nothing... so I said, "Do you have to go poopy? Do you want to go poop in the potty?"
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" as fast as she could rattle it off.
I took her there, took her diaper off, placed her up on the BIG potty, and she did it! There was even intent and good pushing! What a big girl!!! :)
Will it happen again? Probably not. Ha ha ha.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A conversation with Kaitlyn
My little girl is 19 months old. 19 months. She acts like a 3 year old, it's incredible sometimes, and outright hysterical.
For a while now, James has been washing his hands at the island sink instead of the main sink. We have a little white chair, toddler size, that butts up to the counter so he can climb up and reach the faucet, soap, etc. I now have a 19 month old daughter that wants to do the same... and she even goes to the pantry to drag the chair (after I have put it away to hopefully discontinue her repeated attempts to wash her hands) back to the sink. She is a stinker, and she's smart!
Today was no exception, and she climbed up on the chair to play with the faucet (it's a stretch to say she's washing her hands). I think I probably told her no and got her down once, and then she did it again. I got her down again, but this time picked her up and held her. She then told me something along the lines of, "Hands! Want!" and I replied with, "No we're not going to wash our hands right now, and I don't want you to make a mess."
... THEN she said, "WHY?"
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? She's 19 months and already asking why?
I said to her, "It's messy and I don't want you do do that now," and then she made me laugh with a pathetic repetition of the word "please?". Even Nathan cracked up, and he was in the next room. It was hysterical. I wish I remembered the exact situation as it played out, but I inherited my mother's memory problems. :)
Kaitlyn also likes to go to the dog and cat's water bowl, stick her finger tips in the water, then put them in her mouth and say, "mmmm". SICK. I try to get there as soon as I can to keep this from happening, but sometimes I'm too late. Today I tried to scold her (very gently of course) and told her, "NO! No, no, no!" and she just looked at me and laughed like I was playing a game. Awesome.
What age can you start the naughty step technique? :) Ha. I've got my work cut out for me with this one!
For a while now, James has been washing his hands at the island sink instead of the main sink. We have a little white chair, toddler size, that butts up to the counter so he can climb up and reach the faucet, soap, etc. I now have a 19 month old daughter that wants to do the same... and she even goes to the pantry to drag the chair (after I have put it away to hopefully discontinue her repeated attempts to wash her hands) back to the sink. She is a stinker, and she's smart!
Today was no exception, and she climbed up on the chair to play with the faucet (it's a stretch to say she's washing her hands). I think I probably told her no and got her down once, and then she did it again. I got her down again, but this time picked her up and held her. She then told me something along the lines of, "Hands! Want!" and I replied with, "No we're not going to wash our hands right now, and I don't want you to make a mess."
... THEN she said, "WHY?"
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? She's 19 months and already asking why?
I said to her, "It's messy and I don't want you do do that now," and then she made me laugh with a pathetic repetition of the word "please?". Even Nathan cracked up, and he was in the next room. It was hysterical. I wish I remembered the exact situation as it played out, but I inherited my mother's memory problems. :)
Kaitlyn also likes to go to the dog and cat's water bowl, stick her finger tips in the water, then put them in her mouth and say, "mmmm". SICK. I try to get there as soon as I can to keep this from happening, but sometimes I'm too late. Today I tried to scold her (very gently of course) and told her, "NO! No, no, no!" and she just looked at me and laughed like I was playing a game. Awesome.
What age can you start the naughty step technique? :) Ha. I've got my work cut out for me with this one!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Renegade
James got to bring Renegade home from school this weekend. Renegade is the class "pet" that gets to visit the kids' houses over the weekend. Each child takes a turn bringing Renegade home, and then gets to put an entry into Renegade's journal as to what they got to do over the weekend. They also get to draw a picture or put a photo in the book of them playing with Renegade.
I think it's a wonderful idea, I just can't imagine how many beds this horse has slept in... ;)
I think it's a wonderful idea, I just can't imagine how many beds this horse has slept in... ;)
Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween 2008
James had school this morning, and as it was actually Halloween, they had a parade of kids in costumes and then a class party. Kaitlyn and I joined in the fun, and Kaitlyn got to dress up in her costume too, a white kitty. I must say, my kids were the cutest ones there! :)
James wore his monkey costume, the original costume that we had planned on for this year. I started second guessing myself after we picked out this costume since it's really made for the northern weather during this time of year, but alas, it has been on the cooler side in the mornings here in this dungeon of hotness we call Florida.
James received the "oh how cute" comments... and also, "I love the banana in his pocket" comments, but Kaitlyn, by far, won the "OOOOOH! How CUTE!" contest among all the Mommies at the parade. I was a proud mommy, very, very proud... especially since toward the end, parents were saying, "Oh! There is that white kitty again!" and smiling.
James was very proud of his costume, and wore it like a champ, or chimp, or whatever. I'm sure tonight will be fun too!
I just asked James what we should have for dinner... he said, "Roast beef and chicken." Hmmm... guess I have to go to Publix. After all, the only banana we have left is the fake on in James' monkey costume pocket. :)
So now it's 9:30 and I've uploaded my photos. The kids did very well with the trick or treating, I got to take them both around for about 10 houses, then Nathan took James around while I gave Kaitlyn a bath and put her to bed. They walked all the way over to Via Tuscany and got to see a HUGE blow-up black cat apparently.
Halloween is over for another year, and next year I hope to remember how much I actually like this day. I was over it for a while, but now that kids are in our lives, it's much more fun. It's also much more fun to pick through the candy that you're 1 year old can't eat. Mmmm.
James wore his monkey costume, the original costume that we had planned on for this year. I started second guessing myself after we picked out this costume since it's really made for the northern weather during this time of year, but alas, it has been on the cooler side in the mornings here in this dungeon of hotness we call Florida.
James received the "oh how cute" comments... and also, "I love the banana in his pocket" comments, but Kaitlyn, by far, won the "OOOOOH! How CUTE!" contest among all the Mommies at the parade. I was a proud mommy, very, very proud... especially since toward the end, parents were saying, "Oh! There is that white kitty again!" and smiling.
James was very proud of his costume, and wore it like a champ, or chimp, or whatever. I'm sure tonight will be fun too!
I just asked James what we should have for dinner... he said, "Roast beef and chicken." Hmmm... guess I have to go to Publix. After all, the only banana we have left is the fake on in James' monkey costume pocket. :)
So now it's 9:30 and I've uploaded my photos. The kids did very well with the trick or treating, I got to take them both around for about 10 houses, then Nathan took James around while I gave Kaitlyn a bath and put her to bed. They walked all the way over to Via Tuscany and got to see a HUGE blow-up black cat apparently.
Halloween is over for another year, and next year I hope to remember how much I actually like this day. I was over it for a while, but now that kids are in our lives, it's much more fun. It's also much more fun to pick through the candy that you're 1 year old can't eat. Mmmm.
Yes! or some form of that :)
Kaitlyn has transitioned from the "yeah" that she used to say to everything. Now it is "yes", but with her ssss sounding more like a "th" sound it sounds more like sess, or theth, or seth, any of those forms.
"Kaitlyn, do you want to go sit on the potty?"
"Sessth", she says.
"Do you want a snack?"
"Sessth!"
It really just makes me fall more in love with my daughter!
Side note: She is also telling me now when she has poopy in her diaper, or she's getting ready to go.
"Kaitlyn, do you want to go sit on the potty?"
"Sessth", she says.
"Do you want a snack?"
"Sessth!"
It really just makes me fall more in love with my daughter!
Side note: She is also telling me now when she has poopy in her diaper, or she's getting ready to go.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
SLICK!
Kaitlyn loves her doggie! She tries to give him hugs, but he gave her a nice slick in these photos. Ugh, YUCK! :)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Pumpkin on the Vine
James learned this song at school, called The Pumpkin on the Vine.
Here are the lyrics... since you'll definitely not get them all through this version. :)
The Pumpkin on the Vine
Tune: A Hunting We Will Go
The pumpkin on the vine
The pumpkin on the vine
I picked the one that weighed a ton
And that's the one that's mine.
I carved two shining eyes
A mouth that's oversize
The other gook my mother took
To make a pumpkin pie.
The pumpkin on the vine
The pumpkin on the vine
He's now a Jack-o-Lantern
And you ought to see him shine!
October Festivities
These are photos from my cell phone... the only time I use this is if I was an idiot and forgot my camera! These are cute though. The first two are the kids ready to ride the train at the Methodist School's Fall Festival. The last one is at the pumpkin patch where we got our pumpkin this year.
On your marks, get set, GO!
The kids like to go to the garage door and get set up to run around. James always tells me to "say the magic words MOM!" So I yell, "on your marks, get set, go!"... and they take off running. Notice Kaitlyn's "get set" is backwards and upside down. :)
Love it!
Love it!
Gigglebee
I was telling Mandy about this video the other day, so I'm going to post it. This is James when he was first starting to really laugh hard. If you get through this video without laughing, there is something wrong with you!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Faang, aaaah you?
Kaitlyn has begun to try to pronounce "James"... but, as I'm sure it sounds perfect in her head, to us, it sounds like "Faang" or "Faing" or even "Faame" sometimes. It's just too cute and funny at the same time.
Tonight we were at a Halloween party that was hosted by a friend of mine on the next street over. Our kids were dressed in their Halloween costumes and playing in the backyard. James was playing on the slide that was just a hair longer than him, and Kaitlyn was about ten feet away playing by Daddy. She turned around and said, "Faaang? Aaaah you?" Like, where the heck did you go brother? :)
She is so cute when she talks to him or about him. This morning we were up before him and when we came out of her room she walked over to his door and looked at me and said, "Faaang, door". She wanted to open his door and go in to see him. I had to tell her no, that he was still sleeping, but we'd see him in a little while. She loves her brother! She even told him "love you!" tonight at bed time. Awwwww.
She also repeats everything he does or says, which is probably the case with most younger siblings. I just think it's hilarious.
Also making an appearance lately with her is the tantrum on the floor phase. If she's mad and wants something (says, "want!" by the way and points) and doesn't get it, she goes into the wet noodle stage and lays limp on the floor. Then she'll start crying and turn onto her tummy and put her face down on the floor. I have totally been ignoring the tantrum, and it seems to be a bit annoying to her that I'm not paying attention to her when she does this. I'm hoping by doing this it'll put a stop to this phase pretty quickly- at least that's what I'm HOPING. :)
Tonight we were at a Halloween party that was hosted by a friend of mine on the next street over. Our kids were dressed in their Halloween costumes and playing in the backyard. James was playing on the slide that was just a hair longer than him, and Kaitlyn was about ten feet away playing by Daddy. She turned around and said, "Faaang? Aaaah you?" Like, where the heck did you go brother? :)
She is so cute when she talks to him or about him. This morning we were up before him and when we came out of her room she walked over to his door and looked at me and said, "Faaang, door". She wanted to open his door and go in to see him. I had to tell her no, that he was still sleeping, but we'd see him in a little while. She loves her brother! She even told him "love you!" tonight at bed time. Awwwww.
She also repeats everything he does or says, which is probably the case with most younger siblings. I just think it's hilarious.
Also making an appearance lately with her is the tantrum on the floor phase. If she's mad and wants something (says, "want!" by the way and points) and doesn't get it, she goes into the wet noodle stage and lays limp on the floor. Then she'll start crying and turn onto her tummy and put her face down on the floor. I have totally been ignoring the tantrum, and it seems to be a bit annoying to her that I'm not paying attention to her when she does this. I'm hoping by doing this it'll put a stop to this phase pretty quickly- at least that's what I'm HOPING. :)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Nobama thanks.
My in-laws (update: apparently this travesty was brought on by my husband) really thought they had fooled with me and pulled one over on me with this:
My retort? This:
My retort? This:
Monday, October 20, 2008
Stuck
I'm sitting here at almost 11 p.m. waiting for Nathan and James to get home. They have landed and hopefully by now are driving home. !!! I'm so excited to see them.
Kaitlyn and I have had fun at home by ourselves. She even got some great quality time alone with Grandma Kathy, and when you're the fifth grandchild, that can be difficult to come by. :) She is totally in love with her Grandma Kathy, and calls her "Mamma", like Nanna. If we are around Grandma, Kaitlyn wants her to hold her. When we leave she cries and screams, WORSE then when I leave. Ha. Grandma Kathy is Kaitlyn's most favorite buddy right now. So cute.
Grandma Kathy watched Kaitlyn for me a few days ago so I could do a few things. When I came back to pick her up, it was time for a nap. Grandma put her in the van, got her all buckled up and told me, "She's not going to make it home without falling asleep!" I could hardly get out of Mom's driveway before Kaitlyn's eyes were starting to shut. We only live .7 miles from my parents, so I thought a little conversation would keep her awake long enough to get home. The look on Kaitlyn's face was hysterical. She was all slit-eyed and looked like she had just completed a marathon she was so tired.
I started asking her questions... "Did you have fun at Grandma's Kaitlyn?"
She answered in one long quiet monotone word, "Yeaaaaaah."
"Did you ride on the toy pony?"
"Yeaaaaaah."
"Do you want to go home and take a nap?"
"Yeaaaaaah."
SO FUNNY! She did make it home, barely, and after I put her in her crib I didn't hear a peep out of her until she woke up.
We went to the mall the other day, Grandma, Kaitlyn and I. Mom took Kaitlyn to the Build a Bear store to waste some time while I dropped some cash at the Children's Place for some warmer clothes for the kids. They left the store with a stroller that Kaitlyn wouldn't leave without, so Grandma "had to" buy it (so she says). Kaitlyn pushed that stroller all the way from the bear store to the exit of the mall and then threw an absolute fit when we took it away from her. Sigh. Here come more tantrums.
It's so cute though, the way she walks around with her stroller, and puts babies in to it. She's a little mommy! :)
Kaitlyn has learned the word "stuck" and uses it a lot, even sometimes when it's not really true. She likes to try to climb onto my bed which is pretty tall. Our bed frame has a ledge on it about halfway up that she likes to put her knees on and then try to grab the quilt to pull herself up. Usually this doesn't work and she gets stuck about half way and then can't quite figure out how to put her feet back down on the ground. So she tells me "stuck!" It's not quite perfect, of course, and sounds more like "duck" but she really pronounces the k sound at the end. It's so funny!
Today when I was in the shower I heard her saying "stuck". I hurried up to finish, got upstairs and found her, yes, STUCK in the rails of the crib. Somehow she had gotten her knee through the rails and then squatted down. She was NOT happy. I'm just happy that she is finally able to start telling me what's wrong! :)
One last thing about Kaitlyn before I call it a night... she is really into frowning when someone talks to her that she doesn't know (or thinks she doesn't know). Her chin drops, her eyebrows cinch together and her lower lip sticks out and she gets a pout on her face that is just precious. My mom says it looks just like Molly's frown when she was little. She frowns a lot at men (good girl), and frowns quickly. I think that's the part that makes me laugh the most, is her reaction time from when someone talks to her to sending back the frown in NO TIME. Ha ha.
Kaitlyn and I have had fun at home by ourselves. She even got some great quality time alone with Grandma Kathy, and when you're the fifth grandchild, that can be difficult to come by. :) She is totally in love with her Grandma Kathy, and calls her "Mamma", like Nanna. If we are around Grandma, Kaitlyn wants her to hold her. When we leave she cries and screams, WORSE then when I leave. Ha. Grandma Kathy is Kaitlyn's most favorite buddy right now. So cute.
Grandma Kathy watched Kaitlyn for me a few days ago so I could do a few things. When I came back to pick her up, it was time for a nap. Grandma put her in the van, got her all buckled up and told me, "She's not going to make it home without falling asleep!" I could hardly get out of Mom's driveway before Kaitlyn's eyes were starting to shut. We only live .7 miles from my parents, so I thought a little conversation would keep her awake long enough to get home. The look on Kaitlyn's face was hysterical. She was all slit-eyed and looked like she had just completed a marathon she was so tired.
I started asking her questions... "Did you have fun at Grandma's Kaitlyn?"
She answered in one long quiet monotone word, "Yeaaaaaah."
"Did you ride on the toy pony?"
"Yeaaaaaah."
"Do you want to go home and take a nap?"
"Yeaaaaaah."
SO FUNNY! She did make it home, barely, and after I put her in her crib I didn't hear a peep out of her until she woke up.
We went to the mall the other day, Grandma, Kaitlyn and I. Mom took Kaitlyn to the Build a Bear store to waste some time while I dropped some cash at the Children's Place for some warmer clothes for the kids. They left the store with a stroller that Kaitlyn wouldn't leave without, so Grandma "had to" buy it (so she says). Kaitlyn pushed that stroller all the way from the bear store to the exit of the mall and then threw an absolute fit when we took it away from her. Sigh. Here come more tantrums.
It's so cute though, the way she walks around with her stroller, and puts babies in to it. She's a little mommy! :)
Kaitlyn has learned the word "stuck" and uses it a lot, even sometimes when it's not really true. She likes to try to climb onto my bed which is pretty tall. Our bed frame has a ledge on it about halfway up that she likes to put her knees on and then try to grab the quilt to pull herself up. Usually this doesn't work and she gets stuck about half way and then can't quite figure out how to put her feet back down on the ground. So she tells me "stuck!" It's not quite perfect, of course, and sounds more like "duck" but she really pronounces the k sound at the end. It's so funny!
Today when I was in the shower I heard her saying "stuck". I hurried up to finish, got upstairs and found her, yes, STUCK in the rails of the crib. Somehow she had gotten her knee through the rails and then squatted down. She was NOT happy. I'm just happy that she is finally able to start telling me what's wrong! :)
One last thing about Kaitlyn before I call it a night... she is really into frowning when someone talks to her that she doesn't know (or thinks she doesn't know). Her chin drops, her eyebrows cinch together and her lower lip sticks out and she gets a pout on her face that is just precious. My mom says it looks just like Molly's frown when she was little. She frowns a lot at men (good girl), and frowns quickly. I think that's the part that makes me laugh the most, is her reaction time from when someone talks to her to sending back the frown in NO TIME. Ha ha.
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