Upward and a Weekend Update

We had a busy weekend this week.  The kind that doesn't seem as though it will let up any time soon.  It was special, though, in a couple of different ways.

Saturday was Cooper's very first basketball game.   He has been anticipating the age where he can play organized sports for a very long time.   He finally got his chance with our church's Upward Basketball League.   On Saturday morning dressed proudly in his uniform, walked over to our room and announced, "This number 11 Cobra already has his teeth brushed with toothpaste."  The smile on his face was priceles.  

 

 

 It's been an extra special blessing in that Daddy is one of his coaches and his best buddy Joshua is on his team. After just two practices the boys all did a super job. Cooper did his best work on defense - even when he had to guard his other friend, Ben!

 The proud Mama of the number 11 Cobra!

 On Sunday the girls and I went to church.  We left Cooper at home with Daddy because he woke up with a nasty cough.   I was in charge of Wee Worship on Sunday and I'm very happy to report that it went better than last week.  Thanks in part to Megan helping me with the kids and my sanity.   Since I still had a few brain cells left, McKenna and I stopped at Country Cupboard afterward.  I've been a little sad lately that I never seem to have time for her.  She's busy with school and two after school activities, homework and her own friends.   Not to mention that I'm often busy with keeping everything afloat here and following after the small tornado we call Kinley.  I was so happy to have just an uninterrupted hour with McKenna for once.   We picked up the items that we needed to complete the fairy garden she had been wishing for and enjoyed some time browsing around the other plants.   Secretly, we were just enjoying the balminess of the greenhouse.   It was lovely in there on such a cold day.

 We decided to plant our fairy garden in this terrarium that I found a few weeks ago.  It turned out to be the perfect size.   I filled the container with rocks and soil and McKenna took charge of planting the plants and arranging the fairies and moss.  

 The final product is a wonderful addition to our kitchen and I love to look at it while I'm doing dishes. 

Sunday evening my family came over for dinner.  I had prepared pulled pork, baked beans, a corn casserole and lemon bundt cake.   The food was good but the company was better.   It's always nice to have a house full of family on a Sunday afternoon.

 Our weekend was extended a bit when Mother Nature brought us some snow and ice today.   It was a nice treat because we pretty much knew last night that we would be spending Monday at home.   We took advantage of the extra time by sleeping in (thank you, Kinley) and doing a little baking this morning.

McKenna was responsible for the loaf of banana bread on the left.  She gathered all the ingredients, measured everything according to the directions and even taught Cooper a thing or two in the process.  I peeled and mashed the bananas for her and set the oven temperature.   That was it.    When she was done I mixed up one more batch to see how they would do baked in muffin tins. 

We spent some time coloring and drawing until Kinley began throwing a wrench in things.  I have to admit that one of my biggest parenting difficulties thus far continues to be successfully entertaining and engaging three kids at the same time.   I just can't seem to get my act together in that department.  If I'm able to engage the big kids then Kinley is inserting herself in disruptive ways.   If I'm happily playing with Kinley, the other kids seem bored.   Today that resulted in me breaking down and pulling out the playdough for Kinley.   I'm not a fan of the stuff and honestly the only reason I have it in the house is for Valentine's treats for Kinley's friends. But I was desperate today to keep her occupied.

 

She wasn't sure what she thought of it at first or quite what she should do with it.

 But before long she was all smiles and embracing the idea of the soft glob in her hand.  

 Tucker, well he did what he does best...he napped.  Now I know where the term "lucky dog" comes from.

We were blessed with a wonderful weekend and hope the week turns out just as great.



Just a Trim

From the moment Kinley entered this world, people commented about her hair.   Most noteably the amount of hair she had.   I often wore a hat on her IN the grocery store as a infant and kept her safely tucked in her carseat carrier.  Why?  Because otherwise it took sweet forever to get past all the kind ladies (and men) who wanted to stop and discuss her hair.   Yes, it's beautiful.  Yes, she has a very full head of hair.  Yes, I had heartburn.  Yes, I appreciate your kind words.   Now, I need to finish my shopping before she shows you how wonderful her lungs are too!

Many people in this area believe you should not cut a baby's hair until they are a year old.  I never ascribed to that line of thought.   McKenna was just six months old whenever we had her hair trimmed for the first time.  Cooper followed suit.   In my mind there was no way I would be able to wait a full year before taking Kinley for a trim.   Six months passed.  Then her first birthday.  The hair was so long that I could easily braid it and pull it into a pony tail.   I decided not to cut it. 

 Yesterday I decided that it was time.  Really, it was time a while ago.   But I had to wait until I was ready.

 Kinley sat like a big girl on the salon chair.   She wasn't sure about the cape at first but it was no match for the small stash of M&M's I had brought along.

We didn't take much off the length but layered it around her face.  It already looks better - at least to me.   Most people won't be able to tell the difference.   I like to think she's still super cute.

Kinley, You're 17 Months Old

Kinley,
Today marks 17 months since you came into this world.   It's a world that is changing and sadly not always in the way we hope that it would.  You are changing too.  You have left much of your babyness behind and are charging full speed ahead to the land of all things toddler.   You are a funny girl who had an absolute blast at Christmas.   We had high hopes that you would love opening presents.  Everywhere we went people would say, "You're sure going to have a great Christmas."   And we sure did.  I can still picture your adorable little face when you opened up your Bitty Baby.   I think I will always remember that moment. 
You keep me very, very busy.  All.the.time.   I am certain that I was able to accomplish more when you were a newborn and barely sleeping than I am now.   And sometimes, sometimes we actually sleep!   You are down to one nap a day but it's a good, long afternoon nap.  The kind where I can actually get something done.    Most of the time, you sleep all night.  But over the last few weeks you have been cutting 4 teeths (at the same time) and it's been rough on both of us.  And sometimes Daddy, too!    As I wish these teeth up through your gums I do, in fact, realize that once they are in place you will no longer remotely look like a baby.  They will fill the gaps in your already adorable smile, cementing the fact that you are a toddler now.  Well, that amoung other things. 
Your speech continues to pick up.   I wouldn't begin to be able to list all the words that you say.  If I were to guess, your vocabulary is probably somewhere in the 25 word range.  If I was a good mommy I would know if that is normal or not.  But I don't.  I know you're learning and that's all that matters to me.  The other night we were looking at some flash cards on the iPad.  How things have changed since the ring of cardboard cards your sister and brother used.   We decided to look through the food cards.  You repeated the words "cookie, chocolate, pie".  Yes, you are my girl!
This month you went to the dentist for the first time.  They brushed your teeth and even flossed between the two bottom ones that actually touch!   You cried a little but perked up when they went to the prize closet.  When the hygenist asked if you wanted a prize you said, "Yes, cookie."  We all got a good chuckle out of that.  While it is a wonderful idea, there is no way that Dr. Jay is going to consent to giving out sweets as prizes for going to the dentist.   Lucky for you,  I am a huge fan of sweets any time!
While we were at the dentist we had the chance to put you on the scale.  With your very fashionable boots on you weighed in at 24 pounds.     You are still wearing size 4 diapers and your size 12-18 month clothes.    A week or so ago I ordered new shoes for you because I felt like I was stuffing your feet into size 4's.
I get the distinct feeling that we are entering that period of time where you will be growing and changing at a rate that I can't keep up with.   I admit to being a bit excited to see what the next months hold for all of us.  I know you are going to love playing outside once the weather gets nice in the spring.  Daddy says, "You're going to have fun with her this summer."  I can't tell if he means that or he's being sarcastic.  Something tells me that you are NOT going to be a fan of being indoors once you get a taste of running and playing outside.  Hopefully, that is where your brother and sister will lend a hand.   I love to continue watching your sibling bond.   Mostly I like to watch your face light up when you see them at the end of the school day.   But my favorite time is watching you hug them.   Sweetest thing ever.  I hope you will always care about them the way you do now.
One thing is for certain...we all love you! 
Happy 17 months!

Love, Mommy

That Dog

A month or so before Earl and I were to move out of our downtown apartment and into our first house, I found Tucker.    I'm not exactly sure how I found him.  I just know that I found myself going to look at yellow lab puppies.   Without my boyfriend knowing!  And I fell in love.   With the dog... I already loved the boyfriend.   Luckily, he loved me and agreed to getting the dog.   I can still vividly remember the day we picked Tucker up and brought him home.  Mostly because of the way he cried and tried to climb out of my arms when we drove away.  It was as if he knew he was leaving his momma.   Add that to the fact that he was going home with me...someone who knew nothing about being a momma.    Anyone who has had a pet before having kids knows that they instantly become your baby.  Tucker was no different.  He taught us a thing or two about  being responsible for someone else.  But mostly he just taught us how to love someone else.   And he has spent his entire life teaching that same lesson to our three kids. 

 

 

When I was pregnant with McKenna I read a lot of books about preparing your pet for the arrival of your first child.   I even (am I admitting this) carried a baby doll around our house, put it in a swing, etc. so that Tucker could get used to the way those things worked.   I have to say it worked pretty well.  That, and the fact that he's an awesome dog.   Tucker and McKenna became fast friends.   I think he was secretly glad to have a partner in crime and a playmate.

Okay, most days he was happy to have a play mate.   Look closely and you can see that not only is he wearing a sash and handbag in that picture, but he has fairy wings on also.

After searching through my pictures, it seems I don't have many of Cooper and Tucker when he was young.   That is probably my fault (sorry Coop - it's that middle child thing) in that I was working full time and building a house and barely took any pictures at all.   Regardless of my lack of documentation, Tucker continued to be a constant in our lives.   He adapted to our new house and to our surprise very rarely left our yard or the kids.   As McKenna and Cooper got a little older we would make Tucker go outside with them if they played in the yard.   He was our nanny of sorts and protector.

When I finally became pregnant with Kinley our beloved friend was my best friend and worst enemy.  When I spent the first weeks of my pregnancy in bed or on the couch he never left my side.   Literally.  Sounds sweet, doesn't it?   And it was.   Except for the fact that my nauseous belly could not stand the smell of his bad breath.  Ugh.  Poor Tucker.  My mom even bought him this minty doggie breath freshener.  Poor, poor Tucker.   He could not be deterred though.   What a good sport.

When we brought Kinley home from the hospital I was glad to have Tucker here to greet us.  I actually had many a nightly conversation with him.   At 11 years old he was getting up there in dog years.    I begged him,  stay with us for one more baby.    And oh, how he has made me a proud mama.

Of all three kids, Kinley seems to take to Tucker the most.   Some will remember that one of her very first words was "dog".    And as of late she can be heard distinctly calling for "Tucky", though she won't say "McKenna" or "Cooper".  

No matter where Tucker is Kinley will be found.   Last week while I was doing some cleaning she decided to adorn him with little bits of torn up paper towel.   He looks a little like he would like some help but don't be fooled, he loves the attention.

Okay, maybe he was starting to get a little tired of the papertowel game.    But he will forget.  Soon Kinley will be singing and dancing and she tries her very best to get him to join in.  She grabs his feet and sings to him and it's just the cutest thing ever.   Almost as cute as when she goes up the stairs, always stopping on the first or second step to repeatedly call his name.   The girl goes no where without her friend. 

Tucker will be 12 years old this April 7th.  Coincidently, that is the day in 1985 that my brother came from Korea and the day years later when Earl's grandpa would pass away.    For sure, our Tucker is special.   I hope and pray so, so often that Tucker will be with us long enough so that Kinley has some memories of her own of him.   Because they sure have something special... and so does anyone who watches them together. 

Time On My Hands

Do you hear that?  Could it really be?  It's silence...well except for the hum of the washer and dryer.  Oh, and the dishwasher, too.  They are never quiet.  But the only other sounds in the house at this very moment is my ipod and the tapping of my fingers on the keyboard.   And, I'm sitting in my brand new office space which I LOVE!  Ahhh....
It was a rough morning here.  It shouldn't have been.   Last night I felt like the morning had all sorts of potential.    Snow in the forcast meant the likelihood of a two hour delay meaning we could all sleep in a little and take our time getting to school.   After dropping the big kids off  Earl and I would take Kinley and head out for lunch and maybe a little shopping or errands.  Or maybe we would just come home and watch a movie while she napped.  Sounds lovely doesn't it?  Yep, if it would have worked out that way.   But, apparently Kinley missed the memo since she was awake and ready to go at a little after 4am.    Around six, Earl rescued me and urged me to go back to bed.   I was awake watching my DVR'd shows.  I should have just stayed up.  But I didn't .  I crawled back in my warm bed "just for an hour" which turned into two.   I got up and thought perhaps we could all grab breakfast at one of our favorite spots.  Everyone else had already had breakfast.   No biggie.  But from there things just started to backslide.    McKenna was out of sorts, crying over missing mittens and whatever else seemed to come up.  Cooper wanted nothing to do with going for a haircut since he had effectively missed all the learning parts of preschool today.  And Kinley, well she brought out every toy she owns and every kids cup in the cupboard, along with some chef boyardi's but wanted nothing to do with any of them.  Sigh.  Apparently we don't do well with a break in our morning routine.    I am no longer a fan of 2 hour delays.   However, my monster of a morning makes me appreciate these few minutes of solitude a little more.

I have enjoyed a pretty slow past two weeks.  There hasn't been much on the calendar and I have tried to stay home as much as possible in order to avoid the flu at all costs.   Some days my sanity comes into question but luckily a few hours of work at the hospital has been available to break up a long string of days at home.   Still, there are some days when I think I must be forgetting something.  My daily planner is full but I can't help but think there is something important I forgot to write down.   And then it occured to me that last year my post holiday schedule was very busy.   Last year at this time my mom and I were strategically planning my dad's retirement party.    I was also gearing up to start work for Bloomsburg in March, stuffing my freezer with every frozen meal I could come up with.   In my spare time I poured over clothing catalogs trying to arrange outfits for three kids for Easter, Cady's bridal shower,  a surprise trip to Disney and then Kyle and Cady's wedding.   Holy Crap!   Was  I crazy??   But this year I don't have anything fancy to plan for and I've been through the weeks of clinical enough to now know that my family will not starve in the 5 weeks I won't be around for dinner. 

The spring catalogs have been arriving in masses and I look at them fondly before putting them in the recycling bin.    Our winter days this year revolve around sports practices and games, church and just hanging out together.   We don't have any parties to plan or trips in the works for many months.   We are just being.   Finally.    I don't say that with regret for last year.   In fact,  I'm kind of sad that all of those milestones are past us now.   That was one jammed packed 6 months of fun.  But this winter is looking pretty promising too.  It's fun and refreshing to see the seasons of life as they spread out behind and in front of us.   It's fun to turn focus to different areas and get to those things that have been put off.    But if anyone can think of a good reason I can buy the kids some adorable fancy  outfits please let me know.  Wait, who am I kidding, I've never needed an excuse in the past.  In fact,  since I have a few quiet minutes I think I'll do a little online shopping right now.

Have a happy Wednesday!

The "Lasts"

I distinctly remember a conversation with a co-worker when McKenna was about 2 years old.   I was missing her "babyness" as we discussed all the firsts you experience with having a baby.   While I appreciate all the "firsts" it is the "lasts" that I wished I had remembered.   I wished that someone would have tapped me on the shoulder the day I fed her that very last bottle.   I'm sure it was probably some hurried affair where I barely payed attention while she quickly downed her milk.   I wish I would have savored that moment so that I could always remember what it felt like to hold her in my arms and look in her eyes while she quietly had a feeding.  I wish someone would have pointed out to me the last time I was able to carry a sleeping Cooper up to bed.  I wish that night was emblazoned in my memory. 

Looking back now I suppose that's what having your first baby is about.   You celebrate all the firsts and relish the milestones,  intent on achieving the next one.  And there is nothing wrong with that.   To me, second babies are more about enjoying everything and having so much fun.   Gone are the days that you worry about them reaching milestones.  You just kind of sit back and watch, knowing from your "experience" that they will get there as you try your hardest not to compare them to the firstborn.

It took me until my third baby to really pay attention to the "lasts".   I have loved watching her do new things, especially because I get to enjoy sharing them with McKenna and Cooper.   Sometimes I think they get more excited than I do when they see Kinley do something for the first time.   I confidently smile, my experience reminding me that she will progress at her pace and I need not worry.    My experience also reminds me to pay attention to the "lasts".   She is my last baby and I am living these days as mom of a toddler for the last time.  

This past week we transitioned Kinley from her baby carseat carrier to a bigger, convertible carseat.  It was definitely time, as evidenced by the fact that we had to stuff her and her puffy winter coat into the seat.    Part of me was ready to move on.  Ready to part with the seat and see her move to the next stage.   But I made sure to remember the "last" time she used that carefully chosen piece of baby gear that went so many places with us and holds special memories.

 

 

Kinley's first time in her carrier as we left the hospital when she was three days old.

 

And her last time in the seat as we left to meet the Dugan's for an evening out.   This picture cracks me up.   Comparing the two shots definitely illustrates the different seasons in our lives over the past nearly year and a half.    Peaceful little baby Kinley as we were leaving the hospital - clothes perfectly chosen for the occasion, seat buckles carefully placed.    And then fast forward to last Friday night - her hat half covering her eyes, the funny look on her face and the buckle covers askew.

It's not a great picture, but I'm so glad I remembered to take it.   I'm glad I have each of these memories preserved.   I'm not particularly embracing the fact that I'm done with most things baby.   It's not really even the "things" but the instead what they symbolize.   A growing baby.  A baby who doesn't call me "mama" any longer but instead screams "Mommy".   A baby who prefers a thermos with a straw over a bottle or sippy cup.   A baby who runs to the stairs when you say its time for bed.  No, it's not about the carseat.   But I'm glad I took a little moment to snap some pictures and remind myself of how far we've come and the sweet time we've had along the way.   It's nice to remember the "firsts" and the "lasts".   Love you sweet girl!