Big boy

Killian is just as, if not more, fearless than his sisters.  We went to the park for some special time together and he took off for the big kid swings.  He was completely unconcerned about whether or not I was following him.

Walker

Killian has been walking for a bit.  This week he has gotten much faster and capable of navigating uneven terrain significantly better (in the back yard for example).  Today  he mastered the skill of getting up to a standing position without having to pull up on anything.  Get ready, sisters, brother is coming fast!

Marriage Proposal

This morning Keeley whispered to me after breakfast, "Mom, last full day Jake asked if I would marry him."  She then covered her mouth with a little smirk.  After a second, she whispered, "Mrs. Meepe told Mrs. Bacon and then Mrs. Meepe asked Jake if this looked like a 'marrying place' or a 'working place'?"  I asked Keeley what she told Jake and she replied, "I didn't have an answer.  He really likes to eat lunch with me.  Really (serious head nod and expression), really a lot but I don't like to eat lunch with him so much.  I like to eat with my other friends"  At least she is selective with her boys!

Garden Planting

 Last year Alice gave the girls gardener bags with some seeds.  They've asked to plant them and we've stalled out.  After the garden festival at school the girls came home with some plants that they had already planted so we decided it was time to actually make a little garden.  The girls were so excited to help out!

I have true girls: getting their gloves on while dressed in a skirt and dress.

 

 

Watering.  They have wanted to water every single day.

  

Helping Dad with the fence to keep the dogs out of it.

  

The corn Keeley already had growing at school has died but a few more plants have cropped up.  Unfortunately, Kelly had a tough time keeping track of what was planted where so we have a while to wait until we know what we have growing!

Two weeks

In just two weeks...

Killian went from taking a few hesitant steps to toddling everywhere.  Even to choose walking as a means to escape the dreaded diaper and pjs after bath!

Kayden went from wanting to work on her moveable alphabet to finishing the first packet and the second packet - getting so close to reading on her own.

Keeley went from telling me, "Mom, I just missed you so much at school." and snuggling with me for a good 15 minutes after her first full day to telling me yesterday, "Mom, I don't think I need my special 'I love you' notes because I don't miss you so much.  I'm having too much fun."

I am trying desperately hard to look at all these accomplishments and recognize that I have done a good job raising independent, determined kids that are confident enough in my love for them to venture off on their own and tackle new and challenging tasks.  They know I'm here to support them, hug them when they get discouraged or sad, and delight in their successes.  That knowledge is allowing them to blossom.  However, it was a lot to handle in two weeks for this mom, so all I'm feeling is sad that I'm losing my babies.

Zucchini Bread

 Kayden really loves to help me in the kitchen.  We're taking advantage of some of the days Keeley stays full day and doing some baking.

Concentrating very hard and watching her fingers.

Best part of cooking without eggs - the batter!

Peer Influence

It has been interesting to watch Keeley as she becomes one of the "older" kids in the class this year.  She has always been a very big rule follower but you can tell that she is starting to test her boundaries and is definitely being influenced by some of the other older kids.  She told us after her second day full day that she and another student were rolling back and forth during rest time.  I asked what her teachers said about that and she said, with a mischief sparkle in her eye, "They didn't see us".  Today she came home and told me that during garden time the friends were digging in the sand area where there were "x" marks for jewels.  She then said, "but I took my shovel and drew extra x's where there weren't any jewels." And then cracked up.  She's a funny kiddo!

We have a runner

 After some very wet play very close to the flower bed this afternoon,

I had a muddy boy on my hands.  I took him inside and stripped him down to change his clothes.  Before I could get a diaper on him, however, he just about ran out of the room and into the bathroom.  That is his normal escape route during changing time but he typically crawls.  Today he toddled as fast as his little legs could take him with his arms waving in the air.  Looks like he might skip walking and head straight to running.  He has sisters to keep up with...

Practice

When I went to my conference with Kayden's teachers back in October they mentioned their only big concern was that Kayden didn't like to continue to practice works once she had completed them.  She appeared to feel as though if she were able to complete it once, she should move on to the next work.  In montessori it is not acceptable to simply "finish" a work, they really want the kids to master them.  This has been a struggle for Kayden because that is not her personality to begin with and she is racing so fast to catch up to her sister and all the works that Keeley can do.


This past Thursday she got in the car and told me that she finished her last sounds.  She was so excited because the next work would be moveable alphabet which is a spelling work and prep for reading.  The following day we were talking about it and I asked if she'd had time to start her moveable alphabet or if she was too busy (Fridays are really busy with music and chapel).  She looked at me, gave me a sigh with an exasperated expression and said, "Mom, Ms. Stevens said that I have to practice the sounds to make sure I remember them before I can do my moveable alphabet.  (enter annnoyed look) I have to practice."  Cracked me up.  I will have you know that she must have practiced though because she came home telling me she started moveable alphabet today!


Look out world, Kayden is one determined kid.  Once she sets her mind on something there is absolutely no stopping her.

Sister time!

While Keeley was in school and brother napped, I had some special time with little sister!  We snuggled, watched Word World, and made this yummy treat.  We also ate most of the yummy treat....I think we will enjoy our Tuesday/Thursday time together!

Full day

A month or so after school started this year Keeley began asking if she could stay full day.  At first I would tell her I'd think about it and talk to Dad and then I just never brought it up again.  She became more insistent so I told her I would speak to her teacher in October at the teacher-parent conference.  I really didn't want her to stay full day but I also didn't want her to be missing out on things if she really needed to be there.  At our conference it was confirmed that she did not need to stay full day and that, in fact, there was not even room in the class for her to stay full day at that time.  I relayed the information to Keeley and told her that when she was five and in kindergarten she could stay full day.

Every other week or so Keeley would come home and talk about all the things she couldn't do because she didn't get to stay full day.  Every time I would remind her that she would get to stay full day next year when she was in kindergarten.  One week after she turned 5 she said to me at dinner, "Mom, you said that when I was 5 and in kindergarten I could stay full day.  I'm 5 now so can I please stay full day?"  I finally consented to ask her teacher again and see if there was room available.  A few days later I had not heard back from her teacher but we were at school at the Easter Egg Hunt.  Keeley came and stood right next to me and said, "Mom, I think now would be a really good time to talk to Mrs. Meepe to see if I can stay full day."  Man is this kid committed to what she wants!  So I talked to Mrs. Meepe and there was room available Tuesday and Thursday. I told Keeley and she was so excited.

She came home and told me all the supplies she would need and it was a very frustrating to her that she could not go full day until the following week.  We gathered all the supplies and she had them all packaged and her name on them, all ready to go.  The morning of her first full day she discovered a little note I had written and put in her lunch box.  It was a purple hear that said "I love you."  She asked why I had written it and I told her that if she was sad and missed me at lunch it would remind her how much I loved her and was missing her too.  Her first full day morning she decided not to wear her glasses (the doctor told her she didn't have to but she had continued to wear them until this morning.)

I dropped the girls off at carpool and the office guru getting them out of the car turned around and said, "Mom, call me if you need to."  I said I would and turned around quickly so she wouldn't see me cry.  Killian and I went to pick up Kayden at lunch and then came back home, missing our big sister.  When we went back to pick her up at the end of the day, she got in the car and told me I had given her too many goldfish and then asked if we could snuggle when we got home.  I said that I would love to snuggle.  She was quiet on the way home and quickly climbed into my lap when I sat down on the couch.  She gave me the longest hugs and whispered, "Mom, I missed you so much.  All day I missed you so much.  Then, in the afternoon, I missed you and I couldn't even get to my lunch box anymore to get my note."   Sweet girl.  I told her how much we'd missed her and that we could send her a tiny note to keep in her pocket  the next full day.  I cannot believe how big she is getting.

Update:  The second full day she came out of her room dressed, with her finger holding open her pocket for her note.  She got completely ready and carried her lunch box around for 30 minutes before it was finally time to leave.  I think she's going to love full day.

11 months!!!

    

Almost a one year old!!  So crazy.  If it is possible, I think we are just more and more in love with him.

Such a happy baby.

 This month our "big" accomplishments would be taking steps (4 or so in a row) and learning to eat more table foods.  This kid loves to eat and is going to town now that he can do more of it himself.

He always has to have at least one spoon.  Here is got a yogurt spoon and tried to feed himself and figure out the texture as well.  So pleased with himself.

I have let him have a bowl a couple of times but even more of the food ends up on the floor this way.  I think we will stick to just food on the table for now.

Vegetarian sloppy joes.

Powering through some couscous tacos I made.  He definitely ate more of them than the girls did.  I loved watching him eat. I hated the couscous everywhere.  Thank goodness for dogs!

Some other notes about our little guy at 11 months:

* Favorite places to be: snuggled with mom or hanging out on the fire place watching his sisters

* He loves the sand table and playing with trucks.

* When he is in his red car, he likes the yellow hood down.  If it is not down he reaches up to shut it.

* He thinks he is pretty cute and expects you to smile at him.  If you do not smile at him, he will hold his smile but his eyes and eyebrows begin to get a confused look as if to say, "Everyone thinks I'm cute and wants to talk to me.  Why are you not doing that too?"

* We had lots of tantrums last month if we closed the refrigerator/pantry door/dishwasher/freezer..He wanted to play in them and was not happy that they were closed.  I started asking for his help and now he loves to help close all of them and then give me a high five.  So adorable.  I much prefer that to the previous reaction of tantrum.

* He has 7 teeth

* He has no words but is starting to make sounds that indicate we are close (He says "ke" and "ka" when Keeley or Kayden come in the room so I know that he knows their names but can't quite get the sounds together.  He also says "daaa" for the dogs and "da" when he sees Kelly.  That's it.  You'll notice there is no  "ma" for mom)

* He knows what he wants and will insist that it be the way he wants it.  When he nurses, I like to have one hand behind him and one in front of him so I can love on him with the free hand.  He likes for me to have both hand behind him.  If one is in front of him he will grab it, lift his leg out of the way, and position my hand where he wants it all without stopping his meal.  Cracks me up every single time.

* We are FINALLY to a wake up at 5ish to feed and then for the day around 6:30.  I put him to bed at 6:30 or so and he sleeps all the way to 5.  It is wonderful.  He nurses when he wakes up and and before his naps and bedtime. I don't really see him stopping soon so I have had to start thinking about weaning.  I just assumed he would stop like the girls did but he does not appear to be doing that!

More than anything, though, he loves his sisters!
 

Soon to be 3 spiders

My girls love "spider web park" near our house.  They have been climbing the web since they were fairly small - small enough where I got those looks from other parents.  The looks of "I can't believe you are letting your barely two year old climb on that and are not right underneath her."  Since they started climbing the web, they have always been very cautious and very motivated on getting all the way to the top.  I think the web is great exercise but also so good for coordination, planning, concentration.  Great activity.  From the looks of it, I will have 3 spiders in that web fairly soon!!

 

"Fort" building

 The girls have been really into building "forts" and "mountains" with the couch cushions.  Frequently this require the addition of the pillows from their rooms, every blanket they can find, a tunnel, a tent....it becomes quite involved!  They have fun and Killian loves to climb in and around their creations!

 

Easter 2012

I was a little bit nervous about Easter this year.  You will remember that last year Keeley questioned me angrily until I finally relented and agreed there was no Easter Bunny and that I had really brought the baskets.  She then scolded me for allowing other parents to lie to their children about it because, "MOM, you are supposed to tell the truth!"  I was not entirely sure how to approach the situation and, while I'm not really into big gifts, I do think it is fun to have an Easter basket and we have a new baby.  I hoped he would at least have a year or two where he could enjoy the Easter Bunny.

A week or so before Easter we were at the mall and the girls happened to see the Easter Bunny.  We were in a hurry to leave and get home so I just rushed them along all the while looking at Keeley's very perplexed face and wondering how this was going to play out.  A few steps away from the spotting, this is the conversation that took place:

Keeley:  Mom, is the Easter Bunny real?

Me: What do you mean?

Keeley:  The Easter Bunny is down there.  Is he real?

Me:  Well, some people come to the mall to see him.

Keeley:  But is he real?

Me: (Very long pause as I hurry Kayden along and try to figure out what to say.  I got in so much trouble last year for lying...)

Keeley: I mean, is he real the way Mickey and Minnie Mouse are real?

Me: (huge sigh of relief) YES.  The Easter Bunny is real in the exact same way that Mickey and Minnie Mouse are real.

I counted myself lucky until Kelly pointed out that she was on the verge of another huge revelation...

Fast forward to Easter morning.  I'm up with the girls and they discover their Easter Baskets...

 

As they enjoy their candy, I ask Keeley what all the Eater Bunny put in her basket.  She looks at me like I'm crazy and says, "You're the Easter Bunny".  I give up.  No idea what to do with the commercial aspect of this holiday anymore!!!  I guess I should be grateful that they know what the holiday is really about!

Here is Killian enjoying his first chocolate Easter Bunny!

 

Later that morning we had our Easter Egg hunt.  

Killian, adorable, but not quite sure why I took him straight from his nap and plopped him in the grass! 

Kayden inspecting her basket and Keeley conferring with Dad about something.

Found an egg!!!

Love this picture of Kayden!

Killian was not as into the hunting.  He decided to climb instead.

  There were tons of eggs so the hunt took a while and both girls needed to get an extra basket!  So fun!  I didn't get any pictures of the opening because it was chaos with both grandmothers and our little guy.  The girls had fun and enjoyed all their egg goodies. 

Easter Eggs

We had Oma over to color our Easter eggs.  Excuse my near naked girls... 

 

We were not so patient leaving them in the colors.  I hard boiled the eggs I purchased and then realized shortly before we started that our eggs were brown.  Kelly got some white ones for us and it was fun to see the difference.
 

All the brown eggs

Killian took a car ride while we colored eggs

Attack of the near naked sister!

A break to water our tree

Killian loves his car swing!

    Once all the coloring was done, we started to decorate.  A kit I purchased had double stick stickers and glitter.  So fun!  We started outside until a wasp appeared and forced us and the glitter to the kitchen table...