Never Too Early

Santa is laughing for real because as Kaylen is whispering her Christmas wish for an American Girl double stroller, Kelton is whispering "I don't know what I want. I'll need to send you a letter."

Sweet!

I love, love, love this one. It shows all their cute little freckles and their overall cuteness just bubbles through. These are two of the three faces that light up my world.

This one doesn't need words but if I had to pick one I'd say: Love. These two adore each other.

Growing by Leaps and Bounds

In yesterdays comments, Caroline mentioned that she remembers seeing Kaylen standing my the preschool sign from last time - looking so much smaller. I was curious so decided to look and see how much she has changed since April.

Here she is in April of this year:


And yesterday:


Wow. She really does look older. I guess that's the difference between 4 years, 2 months and 4 years, 9 months. Seven months. That's quite a change!

Preschool Diva

Today was the first day of Kaylen's 6 week preschool program through the early childhood development classes as the local high school. To say she was excited is an understatement.

She showered at 6:30am, dressed in the outfit that yesterday she picked out for herself, ate a good breakfast, brushed her hair and brushed her teeth and was ready to go by 7:30am. She even had me make her lunch. The only problem was - her school day didn't start until 11:45am. :)

This school year there is only one session of preschool so they have extended it from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours and it runs in the afternoon instead of at 8:30 in the morning. They get to eat lunch at school and even have PE class. Kaylen is thrilled and her excitement makes me a little sad for her because I know she would LOVE to attend a school year long preschool a few times a week. Kelton was never ready for something like that but I know she would love it. Of course, when Kelton was in preschool they were many, many affordable ones out there. Now? Not so much. At least, not for us. Which really isn't that big of a deal since we knew from the get go that we weren't big on preschool. But of course, that was before they changed kindergarten to being all academically-based and way before they changed to the wacky full day 2x a week and every other Wednesday schedule.

Anyway - I digress. This is about Kaylen and how thrilled she was today.

Finally the hour arrived and we headed out the door. She was quite clear that she wanted her first day of school pictures too (just like Kelton back in September). So without further delay, I present Little Miss Sass on her first day of preschool.

Tell me you can't see the sass in this girl! :) Dang I love her spunky little self.

Cute, right? :)

A Little Girl's Wish

See this stroller? Cute, right? It's Kaylen's Santa Wish this year and there is no amount of swaying and gentle guiding that is working. It's from American Girl and it's $58 plus shipping.

$58 plus shipping for a doll stroller? You have got to be kidding. We've asked "What if Santa can't make one exactly like this one? What if he can make you a different kind - maybe pink?" (A pink double stroller can be had at Toys R Us for $25) No dice. It has to be *this* one. Exactly. No color variation and it *must* have that heart shaped flower on the front.

I've tried the "What if Santa just can't do that for you?" and I get back "I can't ask you and Mom because it's too much money. I can only ask Santa and Santa would never break a little girl's heart. Right Mommy?"

Damn you American Girl catalog for arriving in our mailbox. (Lannon - did you sign us up for this catalog? Maybe AG has a homing device for all little girls. I don't know.)

So now we are struggling. If we can't change her mind in the next week we'll have to decide what to do because it is going to need to be ordered and then shipped somewhere *other* than our house (two issues with mail order this year: Kelton is a VERY good reader and Kaylen quickly learns how to identify words she has seen and trust me - she has studied "American Girl" and can point it out from 20 paces.). Their grandma's address should work fine but it still leaves us with the dilemma of $58 plus shipping for a Santa gift. Ugh.

AND...she wants a boy "American Girl" doll. Though really, she isn't particular about the actually AG look - my sister found dolls at a craft store which resemble AG dolls and there is the Our Generation Doll line at Target. But finding a boy doll to play the part might be tricky.

Wish us luck!

Tis the Season.....

....for decorating pumpkins. :)



Just look at this great project that Kaylen made at MOMS Club this morning. It was so easy and a lot of fun. Very festive.



PS: I can explain the orange shirt under the red jumper.....sorta. You know how your job as a parent is to raise strong people who are sure of the choices they make? With this girl I am well on my way. She is as strong-willed as they come and quite sure about her clothing choices. She is her own person to be sure. :)

She's Amazing.

My kid rocks. Look at the picture she created today with no help what-so-ever. She blows my mind sometimes. It didn't scan nearly as cool as it is in real life - but check out those birds! :)

Kaylen-ism

Me: Kaylen, can you please pick that up and put it away?

Kaylen: Oh sorry. I keep forgetting. I have a small head, you know.

Autumn Photos

Last night I pulled out a few dresses and skirts that I had put away for Kaylen to grow into and she completely fell in love with one outfit that I had bought from a friend when her daughter outgrew it a couple of years ago. She pranced around in it last night and then this morning, when it was time to get dressed, it was the only consideration.

I have to say - she is pretty darn cute in it. :) And no one is more surprised than me that she even wore the tights! She hit on the idea of having her picture taken and since we were heading to the mall anyway we decided to go ahead with her plan. And no surprise here but the tights were ditched shortly thereafter. :)

She's cute, don'tcha think?

This is my favorite one!

Love this one, too!

Love her smile so much but the leaves on her head? Hmmm.....! This was Kaylen's favorite though she we got it just for her.

This is really great too. I was standing to the side letting leaves fall on her. I think it would have been so much better without the falling leaves but it's great just the same. :)

Little Bo Who?

A few weeks ago the Halloween costume catalogs started arriving and my kids went nutty. They poured over the pages for days, circling all the things they dreamed of being. Early on Kaylen locked onto the costume for Little Bo Peep and no amount of "Well...let's wait and see what else we can find before deciding." would change her mind.



Oh no. She wanted to be "Little Bo Sheep"



Day after day (and usually several times a day) she asked if I had ordered it yet.



Day after day I would say "Not yet."



Finally it became clear that she really was committed to being "Little Bo Sheep" and I figured I should take steps before the dreaded "sold out" appeared on the website.



After 4 days of "Is it here yet?" the box arrived and my daughter was bursting at the seam with happiness. And I have to say - she makes a pretty cute Little Bo Sheep. :)

Four and a Half

Yesterday marked Kaylen's half birthday. Four and a half years old. I know it's a cliche to ask but seriously? Where has the time gone? It doesn't seem possible that my teeny tiny baby girl has grown so quickly into this little girl who holds court and likes to make her presence known. That baby who used to scream her lungs raw day after day after day is now the little girl who...well....screams her lungs raw. Some things never change. :)

What's amazing to think about is how fast her childhood is going to go if it continues to move at this warp speed. Pretty soon she will be hitting the 'tween stage and then the teen years and then...well...we're looking at dating and hanging out with friends and *gulp* driving.

Not that it's time to look into auto insurance quotes for her yet but sheesh - it feels like it will be here before I blink many more times.

Four and a half. That is painfully close to five. I'm really not ready for my baby to be five. I hope these next 6 months crawl by - but in a good way. I want to keep her a preschooler for a while longer. I'm not ready to be the mom of 2 school aged kids. That just seems so....well....old.

It should take longer for kids to grow. Each year should really span two because maybe then life would allow us all to slow down and really enjoy it. It just goes too fast.

Happy Half Birthday my darling daughter!

Heart Breaker

I took the kids to vacation bible school this morning and as I was signing them in Kaylen looked at me and said "Don't take me to my room. I'll go by myself." I told her that I was sure she could but that I would walk with her anyway. She started shoving me toward the doors leading to the parking lot and said "No - I'll go by myself."

"No - I'll take you."

The camp staff were watching this unfold and I could hear giggles and talk of "Ooooh...isn't she adorable." and "What a sweetheart!" and "They grow up fast, don't they?"

I said goodbye to Kelton and he walked off to join his group and then I started walking toward Kaylen's classroom only to be told yet again that she didn't need me.

Didn't need me? At four? Already?

I stood my ground and walked her to her room but she refused to let me past the door. She turned and said "You can go now."

*sigh*

I kissed her and said "Have fun!" and just like that she was gone.

I love that she is self-assured. I just hate that she is pushing me away already. Where did my leg clinging daughter go? I know it means I'm doing right by her but I swear to you - with all my heart I want to scoop her up and hold her back.

But I don't. And I won't.

She is amazing.

IT'S SUMMER TIME!

My boy is home!!!!!!

Kaylen and I went over to the school at 11am to be there for the closing of school (he had wanted me to drive him home). When we walked into the main office it was complete chaos with kids running here and there with their autograph books. The excitement was sky high!

I checked all my PTO stuff and then we headed out to a bench to wait. The computer lab teacher, who I've gotten to know pretty well this year, sat with me and we chatted a bit. The conversation focused a bit on how the district has changed the start time for Kelton's school so it will be an early start which means he will go an hour earlier in the morning and be home an hour earlier at night. I actually like that a lot though I will miss the extra time in the morning. The trade off though is having him home at 3 instead of 4. Nice! Until Monday our school was still slated as a "late start" so this news caught everyone by surprise.

Soon Kelton appeared in front of us and kids started streaming from everywhere! Kelton decided to see if Kaylen could ride the bus home with him. I was pretty sure the answer would be no but he went off to ask his driver anyway. To my surprise, she let Kaylen ride the bus home! (I see this as another plus to getting to know the school stuff and bus driver over the year. It's nice to be known around the school.) She sat them in the front seat so she could watch her and soon they were on their way. I drove home to meet them and two happier kids you have not likely seen. As the bus drove away Kelton screamed "I'M A SECOND GRADER!"

His report card is excellent (the actual letter formation in writing still isn't on the excellent side but we're going to work on legibility this summer)! He was placed in the advanced placement class for next year (his teacher and I talked with we waited for the buses to load) and he is thrilled to know he will be with the teacher he most wanted. Yay Kelton - I am SO SO proud of you!!!! He is actually being recommended for the special math program they have for advanced students. Wow.

So - all in all, the year ended on a very high note. And just for fun, here are a few photos of the bus ride home.

Last Day of Preschool

Hmmm...I have no idea why uploading a movie to Photobucket to post won't work for me but it won't.....so.....until I can figure it out I guess you'll have to click to see. :)

Kaylen Lane
Preschool 2009

Kaylen attended her last day of preschool this morning and when I signed her in I was given a CD full of photos that were taken during her 7 week class. What's a mom to do? I made a movie. Enjoy!

Ghosts and Monsters

There is nothing like having an older brother. They are there to protect you, look after you, help you, guide you...and apparently to make your life miserable. More than the usual tormenting with pinching, poking and general "piss off your sister so she screams really loud" Kelton seems to have added a new "fun" game: tell your sister all about ghosts, goblins and monsters....and then tell her they are coming to eat her.

Oh yeah - it's fun times around here lately. And yes, that includes the night times as nightmares have appeared and seem to be a nightly thing.

To be fair this started sometime this winter. We would find them head to head or side by side in what we thought was sweet moments but instead it turns out he has been filling her head with all sorts of interesting tales.

A couple months ago he seems to have redoubled his efforts. It wasn't enough that she was scared of bad guys coming to get her from the back yard and, as such, couldn't possible be outside without someone with her. Oh no - then he started telling her about monsters that lived in the house; specifically the back of the house. You know....where the bedrooms and bathrooms are located.

For weeks I have had to escort her to the bathroom or walk with her to her room to get toys or clothes. It's getting extremely tedious from my end because it means I must drop anything and everything to accompany her.

Tonight, while getting ready for bed, Kaylen asked me what "a frankenstein" is.

Upon further inquiry I discover that Frankenstein has been tonight's lesson in monsters. I assume this took place while I was cooking dinner or cleaning up because it is the only time they were alone.

To add to it all - I have no idea where HE learned of Frankenstein. Just another thing to thank public education for I suppose.

So - as a consequence Kelton will is now expected to escort his sister to the back of the house whenever she wants/needs to go back there. He will stay with her and walk her back out to the front of the house. He will become her companion outside as well. Whenever she wants to go (whenever he is home).

He is less than happy but you know what, buddy boy of mine? Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Mommy is tired of being on monster patrol and since you created the situation, you will see it through.

Take THAT! :)

Preschool Update

I asked Kaylen how her day at school was and this was her response:

"Best day of my whole life!"

So there you have it. She loved it and wants to go every day. :)

Among other things, they learned about transportation and as I was driving home she saw a plane in the sky. She pointed up at it and yelled "TRANSPORTATION!" She repeated this every car and truck we passed. :)

I apparently arrived too early for pick up though. The teacher said "Ok - if you see the grown up you belong to you can go ahead and leave. If you don't see them yet, find your buddy and they will read a book to you."

Kaylen came up to me and said, matter of factly, "Next time don't come early!" I asked if she wanted to have her buddy read her a book and I'd wait. She did....so they read Curious George and I stood around waiting.

Before leaving though she asked if she could have her picture taken with her buddy. I don't know about you but I think she really did have the best day of her life. :)

And so it begins.....again

Today is Kaylen's first day in the preschool class that is run from the Early Childhood Education class at our neighborhood high school. As we got out of the car this morning Kaylen was so full of excitement and nervousness that she was practically bubbling over. A teacher, standing outside her classroom door as students changed classes said "Good morning, little people!" and Kaylen very proudly said "It's my first day of school!" the teacher was properly impressed and said as much and wished her a good day. Kaylen said "I've waited for this day my whole life!"

I heard "Oh my gosh - isn't she just the cutest!" And I have to say, she certainly is.

We walked to the room with Kelton saying "Mom - I don't remember this at all." When we got to the room I had her pose for the obligatory first day of school picture and then we went in.

I signed her in and Izzy, her buddy for the day, helped her put on her name tag and ushered her off for free time play. She gave me a quick wave and was gone.

Just like that.
Kelton and I walked out of the room and Kelton looked very, very sad. I know he was hoping she would cling to him (and I think she would have if she had been given the chance) so he could show her the ropes. I said "What's wrong buddy?"

"I'm really nervous for her." he said.

"Me, too. But she'll be ok." and we walked back to the car.

We arrived back to the house with 15 minutes before Kelton's bus so we hung out together. Every minute or so he would sigh and say "I miss Kaylen. It's weird here without her."

And he is soooooo right. It's amazing how much space one little person can take up and when they are gone - well...the hole seems big enough to fall into.

Kaylen has been my side kick for years and rarely are we apart - and never during the week. I miss her. Only an hour to go until I can pick her up.

What a Weekend!

I'm not sure we could have packed more into the weekend - we were so very b.u.s.y!

Saturday started out with Dakota studying while the kids and I cleaned the house. This was the first time they "officially" cleaned with me and it went well. I had them dusting, washing windows, putting things away, vacuuming.....all the good stuff for kids to help with. After putting in a good two hours they were both tired so I let them off the hook and set them up with a TV show while I finished up.

Dakota was done around 2pm and then she got to work cleaning the bathrooms (which is just something else I love about her - always willing to do that part). After that it was finally time to do what the kids had been begging and pleading to do all day - dye Easter eggs!

I had hard boiled the eggs the day before (and didn't lose a single one to cracks, thankyouverymuch. :) ) and the kids couldn't wait to get to work.

Yeah yeah - maybe next year we'll trust him to wear a shirt. Let's just say that they child is not all that careful about staying clean. Ever.

The kits we found for this year weren't the best but they worked. They had tiny stickers for the kids to decorate with but they were hard to adhere. I'm thinking a rubber stamp would have been easier. :)

But - the kids were happy and that is all that matters.

After we cleaned up we decided to go out and about for a while but what the kids didn't know was we were taking them to Chuck E Cheese for some pre-birthday celebration for Kelton. They had been really wanting to go and when I turned the car onto the street that would take us there we could hear Kaylen whisper to Kelton "Kelton - this is the way to Chuck E Cheese!" and Kelton said back "Really? Let me see." And then he started naming off the places we were passing and then he said "It IS the way!" When I got closer to the shopping area Dakota and I started talking about "a new store that sells home stuff..hope the kids won't be too bored..." to try to throw them off the track....and it did confuse them until I whipped the car into the parking lot.

Oh good heavens! The whoops and hollering from the back seat almost deafened us. :)

When we went in the check-in person asked if we were celebrating anything special and Kelton said "My birthday!" followed quickly by "But not with a party in your party room." That made no difference to the girl. She pulled out a Birthday Star sticker and wrote his name and age on it. He proudly wore that sticker for the rest of the evening. :)








After we finished spending all 120 coins, we turned in our tickets, collected our prizes and bid farewell to the Big Cheese. It was past dinner time so we decided to head to Azteca for some food.




We headed over to the grocery store next so we could pick up Kelton's birthday cupcakes, ice cream and a few other grocery items. From there we went home and got the kids to bed so that the bunny could do his job to prepare for morning.

Just as we were getting settled we remembered we forgot to get birthday candles! That would never do so Dakota raced out and picked up the number 7 for Kelton and the number 8 for his cousin Bailey, who would be sharing his party with him Sunday afternoon.

The bunny finally got everything done and even though it was after 10, we decided to watch one episode of West Wing (we're almost at the end of the second season). We headed to bed after and were woken at 5:45am when a little boy came bounding into our room and yelled "Happy Easter!!"

But Easter is a whole other post. :) Stay tuned! :)

Skirts for a Little Girl?

I used to L.O.V.E. eBay. Seriously love. I could find everything I ever needed in the way of clothes for the kids. Recently? I find eBay hard to use and the quality of merchandise it "eh" and the shipping is outrageous! (Come on! $9.95 for shipping one light weight cotton skirt that has "a small stain"? Ummm....no. Thanks. And the picture? Do you think you could have taken the time to smooth out the wrinkles so it at least "looks" decent?) Frustrating does not begin to do my feelings justice.

Anyway...the point of this posting is to make a general request to see if anyone might have size 4 or 4/5 summer skirts taking up space in their homes. I know of a certain little girl who would love to give them a new home.

Little Miss Sensory issue has requested soft (cotton...not denim) skirts (not skorts and not shorts) to wear with her summer short sleeve t-shirts. I found one pair for her but I am hoping to find a few more. I am happy to pay for the right items because seriously? Life is going to get dicey if I don't have a couple skirts before the next time the sun peeks out.

She has a couple summer dresses but she really would like to be able to wear her t-shirts...and honestly? I'd love to see her in something beside her 4 favorite dresses.

So do you have someone, or know of someone, who has outgrown their size 4 or 4/5 summer skirts?

Thanks for reading my plea. :)

Dancing in the Sunshine

Well - to be fair there wasn't much sunshine out there this morning when I took these but just the same - out of 77 photos, this was my favorite.



So then I tried to get all artsy with it:


I have no idea what I'm doing in the "artsy" department but I think it looks pretty cool. :)

Too Deep for Early Morning

I woke up this morning to little fingers tapping me on the forehead. I blink my eyes open and try to focus on the little child who is beside me.

"Mama," she says, "Did you know that trees are like flowers to giants? You know why? Because they are so big. Our flowers are too small for Giants, ya know, but they aren't too small for us."

blink blink

"You know, that sounds about right." I say as I try to take it all in.

I can almost hear her saying "Trees are to Giants what flowers are to our sized people."

I think she will be ok on her SAT test when the time comes.

This girl is something else. Always thinking.

And good morning to you, too, little one.