Christmas - last one

The day after Christmas we got to share in some more present opening and fun with Grandma, Uncle Brent, and Aunt Courtney.  The girls were excited to see everyone, but I honestly think they were pretty overwhelmed and over the whole present part of Christmas by this point!

Kayden, naked as always, opening gifts with Grandma.

Keeley, naked as well, opening presents with Dad.

Hugs for Grandma!

Kayden and Grandma working together.

Grandma made the girls pjs that matched some she made for the babies too.

She also made matching dresses.

The girls being silly as "butterflies"

Christmas Day

The girls, or, more specifically, Keeley was very particular about where Santa was to leave the presents and where the other presents and stocking were supposed to be.  I've included a picture of the presents mainly because I wanted to show you how particular our eldest is!  We had a great Christmas that ended with a dinner shared with Oma and Grandad and two very, very tired little girls.

Santa presents were supposed to be under the tree.

Stockings, cookies, and the nativity were supposed to be on the fireplace.  Presents from us were supposed to be there too, but we put them in little piles on the rug instead.  Fortunately, she was not too upset about that.

Checking out stockings.  Biggest hits: squeeze fruit and wands.  They didn't dive into the candy like I thought they would!

Keeley watching some morning cartoons with her wand, her baby, and her family of chipmunks that she got for Christmas.

So excited about their aprons!

Keeley convinced Kelly to take her on a walk with her new stroller, baby, and chipmunk family - even though it was 34 degrees outside!

Decorating a cake for "Baby Jesus's Birthday"

Kayden liked to make piles of her sprinkles.

Kayden's dollhouse came with bunkbeds and the girls decided the learning tower could be used as bunk beds too.

Oma making splints for all the baby noses.

Matching splints!

Christmas Eve

We had a super busy holiday schedule planned.  Mom had been in Houston visiting my grandparents and got delayed by a day to travel home.  There was no room at the inn for her dog on Christmas Eve so we had to have her at our house.  Of course, the first thing the girls did was walk into her kennel.

This was fun for about a minute. Then there were tears about being locked in!

At Christmas Eve brunch with the Culhanes.  Keeley added a chair for the baby doll.

Playing with Uncle Brent.

Decorating Christmas trees with the Evans kiddos.

Christmas Eve Service with Oma and Grandad.

Snuggles from Oma.

Love it!  Wants to be so pretty and grown up, but look at the dress!!

The children's service had a play that the youth put on so there were hay bales where the girls insisted on posing after.

At home the girls wanted to be a "horse" like they had in the Christmas program.

Wearing the Christmas stockings.

Decorating cookies for Santa.  Pretty sure most of the icing and cookies were consumed by the girls.

Santa only got 4 cookies and the LONGEST letter ever.  Keeley wanted to write a letter and it was so painstaking and detailed!

The girls were asleep by 6:45 because we'd skipped naps and had such a busy day.  The elves put together toys and were asleep before nine.  It was a great night!!!

Fixing the nose

Kayden's surgery went well this morning.  We got there, filled out paper work and were whisked away to be prepped. We literally sat down and the anesthesiologist showed up with the versed (love that stuff).  Just as she was finishing it, the doctor showed up and took her away.  My only complaint was she wasn't quite drugged enough to not be sad when they took her away.  She stuck out a big pouty lip and reached for me but didn't cry. I went to the waiting room and just had time to text Kelly that they'd taken her back when the surgeon came out to tell me she was done.  He said she did great and that it was the tiniest splint he'd ever put on a kid because her nose is just so tiny.  He "popped" the nose back in place and smoothed it out with his fingers...not too technical sounding to me!  It had started to heal a little so he said there was a bit of a bone callous there that I could feel and he thought it would be fine.  We go back in a week for a check up and to take the splint off it curious 2.5 year old fingers haven't already done that.

I had to wait a few more minutes for her to wake up and for them to come get me.  As we walked back to recovery, I asked if she was angry.  They said no, that she was sweet as could be.  She was sitting in a nurse's lap with a pink popsicle just cuddling until she saw me and reached for me.  We sat on the bed and cuddled  some more when she told me she wanted to save her popsicle for home.  The nurse said that she could have another and they could even find another pink one.  I asked if she'd told the nurse that pink was her favorite color and the nurse said, "I took her back to the freezer and I wasn't even sure she was awake enough to be listening but I asked if she knew what color she should have.  She said 'pink' before I even got to list the options!"

Before they let us leave, they got her to drink some juice and have some animal crackers.  She was able to talk the nurse into letting her have an extra popsicle and juice for home.  The nurse said she should go home and sleep for a couple hours because she still had the anesthesia and versed in her system.  I thought that might actually happen because she couldn't even hold herself upright as we walked out.  However, we got outside and she saw the sun was coming up.  She said, "It's morning." I said, "It is still early, we can go home and snuggle in bed."  She said, "You can rest but I'll be playing."  This was not exactly what happened when we got home though because she was still too drugged to walk!  She fell a few times and then decided to sit on the couch and watch cartoons for a bit.  Maybe we'll get a nap today.  Maybe.

In the car.  I know there are animal crackers in her mouth but I wanted to get the splint before she picked it off!

Snuggling with Mom on the couch because her legs are still too unstable to stand.  She'd already fallen 3 times before she gave in to snuggling.

The splint is supposed to stay on for a week.  We'll see.  She's already started pulling at the steri strips and we aren't even 5 hours from surgery time yet....

Choices

Last night as I was making dinner, Keeley came into the kitchen from her room.  She and Kayden had both been in there so I was expecting problems.  As she rounded the corner to the kitchen, her hands went to her hips and she let out a big sigh.  She said, "Mom, Kayden is in my room and I'm fine with that.  But she's on my bookshelf.  Her choices are to be on the top or on the bottom, but she's in the middle and that is where I want to be."  I looked at her with her exasperated expression and hands on her hips and said, "Keeley, you aren't supposed to be on your bookshelf, it is for books."  She considered for a moment shrugged her shoulders and started to stomp off as she said, "Well, we are."  Not exactly how either of us planned that happening I think!

Picture Production

Mom was missing the girls and wanted a picture.  Of course, we couldn't just have both girls smile for the camera.

Big hug and smile from big sister....

Which turned into a tackle where Kayden hit her head...

and then there were the tears...

and pouting on my leg...

then silly smiles in my lap.  Complete with peanut butter cracker crumbs and two scratches on her forehead from other falls this week...

and a silly "cheese" for the camera.  

I guess I got a smile from both girls, just not together, and Kayden's was a bit silly...

Big girl beds

We've been wanting to get Keeley a big girl bed for awhile now and she kept telling us she would get on when she was four.  Well, fast forward to the last week when we were up at least once a night (most nights twice) with Kayden for an hour at a time.  It is getting too uncomfortable for me to lay next to her on the floor and pat her back and she throws a massive fit if Kelly goes in there and screams for 20-30 minutes.  So, I decided it was time to get them their beds and then if we had to go in, at least I could lay in a bed.

We went to the mattress store, which the the girls thought looked like a store full of trampolines, and picked out their mattresses.  When we were leaving, I asked if they were excited about getting their beds.  Keeley said, "Well, we only need one.  One that is big enough for me and Kayden so we can sleep together."  I told her that we had to get two beds because they didn't do well when they tried to nap together and that sometimes she didn't let Kayden in her room.  She agreed to that when I told her that we could still try slumber parties at night time.

It was a bit of a rough start to the slumber party because each wanted to be in their own bed, but Kayden finally gave in to being in Keeley's bed and I stayed with them until they fell asleep. 

This is how we found them when we went to bed:

So cute.  It lasted until about 11:30 when they both showed up in our room.  We split up and by 2:30, everyone (including Mom and Dad) were in their own beds.  Not sure if that is a success or not. I did have to wake them up this morning, we'll see.  The jury is still out on how they will do, but this pregnant momma sure enjoyed not getting up and down off the floor!

Spirited

That is the word that her teacher used to describe her today.  As in, "She's been, um, very, (long pause) spirited today."  I think that is an excellent description of Kayden.  She lives life to the fullest, is undeterred by most set backs, views any size obstacle as a challenge, and pretty much follows her own beat.

Yesterday during our "nap" time, I walked back past her room to find her naked and a wet diaper on the floor in the hallway.  I said, "let's put on a fresh diaper." She replied, "No, I don't like diapers.  Only panties."  I let it go because we only had about 20 minutes before we had to get ready to leave anyway.  As we were getting ready to leave, I encouraged her to wear a diaper (she's not potty trained).  And she said no, that she only wanted to wear panties.  I then said that was fine but that if she was going to wear panties, she had to sit on the potty.  Her response?  "I don't like to sit on the potty.  I'll just wear panties."

Great. As we are leaving to go to two doctor's appointments in a row she decides to start potty training but only doing half of it.  I gathered all the extra clothes and we headed out.  Two and a half hours later we returned home and she had refused to sit on the potty twice (once at each doctor) even when Keeley and I both did but she also hadn't had an accident.  They sat down for a snack and then started to play in the playroom while I switched some laundry.  Suddenly I heard, "TINKLES!" So I ran to get her and she was very upset that she was wet.  We got her clothes off and had her sit on the potty and she said, "No, I don't want to go on the potty."  I finally convinced her to sit there for a few minutes, got her in dry clothes, and then asked her to help me clean up.  She took me to where the accident was.  Most kids would have an accident on the floor or in a chair.  Kayden is not most kids.  Apparently she had been climbing from the windowsill onto our play kitchen (which she isn't supposed to be doing...) so all the tinkle got into the sink (which really upset Keeley).

Today, she changed out of her nighttime diaper at 6:15 and didn't go or have an accident until 12:15 - despite sitting on the potty five times.  I fully understand that potty training is a control issue and that she is a child that likes to have control.  That is the entire reason I haven't brought up potty training at all.  She finally decides she wants to and then she STILL has to figure out a way to make it be a control issue.

I swear this child is going to make me grey before she turns three.  I picked her up from school today and, while we were waiting for Keeley, brushed the hair off her forehead.  I noticed that huge scratch on her head and asked her what happened.  She said, "I fell down in the garden".  When I asked if the teachers did anything, she said "No, I didn't cry, I just kept playing with Lily."  I hopped out of the car to ask the teachers about it and they had no idea.  Look at her poor face!  Can we not get over one set of injuries before getting more?

Grandad's Birthday

Grandad came over on Sunday to celebrate his birthday.  The girls have decided that birthday = celebration = cupcakes so I made some cupcakes and we sang "happy birthday" while Grandad got to blow out two candles (the girls each picked one).  Keeley told him he had to lick the frosting off the candle.

Grandad also brought a Santa for us to put up.  He is intended to go outside but it was cold and the Santa was the perfect size for the girls so we put him up in the playroom instead.

Naked

When the girls get home from school, each likes to get ready for naps differently.  Keeley likes to put on a leotard (obviously) and Kayden likes to sleep in a fresh diaper.  This particular day, Kayden got distracted in her changing process and I caught her running through the house like this.

No clothes or diaper, two socks, and one shoe.  Nice look, baby.

Santa Party

We went to a Santa Party on Saturday (after the tree farm incident). This was probably not my wisest parenting move as neither girl napped, Keeley's last experience with Santa was a nightmare, Kayden was injured, and I was going alone because Kelly had a hockey game.  However, I just thought it sounded like so much fun. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived in a fire truck complete with lights.  Kayden was in awe - Keeley was in the truck because she was too cold.  Once he got in the house, he sat down to read The Night Before Christmas.  Keeley clung to my leg until she saw Presley sitting on the floor, at which point she walked over there and Kayden followed!

Both girls also insisted on bringing their baby dolls which was also a bad choice.  After Santa read the story, he invited the kids to come talk to him.  I was beyond shocked that my girls were the first to head up there.

The girls checking Santa out up close and deciding if they want to talk to him.

Kayden detailing that she'd like a doll house with animals for Christmas, but not too interested in getting a treat out of Santa's bag.

Keeley was not answering Santa's questions so he decided to pick her up.  I tried to stop him, but I failed and this happened.

And then there were tears and crying about how she didn't want to sit with Santa and why did he pick her up and not Kayden.  You'll notice Kayden is no where to be found in this picture.  Keeley cried at 8 months with Santa and we've not been back since then.  It was traumatizing again at 3.5 in a household setting so I'm thinking we're probably done with meeting Santa.