Adore Me, Please!

Bailey got invited to a "Princess Tea Party" at Rose Castle (aka Rose State) to benefit Artzplace Kids in MWC. After a whirlwind Saturday morning that involved working a retreat in Guthrie, I headed out to MWC with both kids. Bailey was so excited! She wore her flower girl dress from my brother's wedding, and I put a white cardigan over it to hide the fact that it no longer (easily) zips to the top. :-) Even more than the party, I think she enjoyed wearing her attire as we did some pre-event shopping at some stores that we don't have in my neck o' the woods. Fast forwarding to later in the day when I suggested she change for the rest of the day's activities, she said, "But, momma, people don't ADORE me in my regular clothes!" Oh, dear.....

Here are some pics, which include little Nolan dancing (you can't tell he's dancing, but he is!) with some of the other little girls near the stage.



She looks like she's praying, but I think I got her mid clap.

Look at that pinky - the epitome of class and elegance when drinking lemonade out of plastic cups.

The dance squad.


Both my children lingering on the stage while other mothers were trying to get pictures of their kids. Bailey just stayed and smiled until I went and got her.


Bailey with cousin Anna and Anna's cousin Katie.


Bailey learned how to wave like a princess (elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, touch your necklace, blow a kiss), and a little about table manners. We'll see how long she keeps up this new found etiquette.

Nolan, as you might imagine, got tired of the girly stuff and I spent the latter part of the event outside watching him climb up and down the same set of steps 150 times. He did pretty well, if you ask me. So, this is why I was super surprised as we were packing up to leave when a lady said, "How old is he?" I responded with 16 months and waited for her next comment to be he's so cute, which is what usually happens. Instead, she said, "He's quite a handful." Now, I didn't know if she was trying to be snotty, but that's not something I would ever say to anyone else. That's something I can say about my own kid, but it's not so kosher the other way around as it has a negative connotation. I think I just said, "Yeah" or something in response. THEN, she said, "Shouldn't it be his nap time?" At this point, I was still trying to figure out her intentions. I can see saying he sure looks tired, I bet he's ready for a nap but the way she said it screamed YOUR KID IS SO BAD. WHY DID YOU BRING HIM HERE? I'm not very good in these situations, and didn't know what to say. As a good Christian, I should just ignore any ill intent and go on with my life. I'll give you 3 guesses whether that's what I did. Right then, Nolan started whimpering for me to pick him up and I said, "Gosh, Nolan. I feel the same way about what she said!" Then, I walked away. To my credit, there was a lot of commotion and I don't think she heard me. Booooooooo!

Here are some cute bathtub pictures of Nolan from this week. Sorry for the nakedness.

I think he's drinking the water as it goes down the drain. Fun times.

As you can see, he still only has 2 teeth on the bottom, 4 on the top.

Finally, we embarked on a new adventure this week....being fish owners. Bailey has been asking for a dog lately and we gave her our argument that a fish is a good compromise. She bought it, so we committed to getting a fish. Here she is talking about it in the car (note her irritation when I take the camera away. That's what you call "attitude." We're working on it.)

And, here she is proudly displaying her fish.





Not to be Debbie Downer after such a fun tale of a girl and her pets, but they died about 20 minutes after putting them in the tank. Our friend at the pet store said there was probably too much chlorine in the water. On Sunday, we ventured back to Petsmart to get some new fish. One of them died this morning. I'm not sure how this new adventure will end!! Bailey was cute, though, when we were trying to decide if one of them was dead. She said, "No, Cindy just likes being funny and hanging out at the top. She'll swim again here in a little bit." Not so much!!


Finally, I leave you with a bad mommy moment. Nolan has learned how to climb up and slide down the slide in our backyard. I was so impressed that I went to get the camera...only to capture what I should have anticipated would happen. He wasn't hurt, by the way. So, it's okay to laugh.



Oh, and here's the picture Nolan took of HIMSELF! You can tell it's a super close-up by the massive amount of light reflected in the picture.


Peace!


Kendy

Troublemaker Deluxe!

So, I'll disclose right off the bat that I don't have any pictures to post today. But, I wanted to write a couple of things down before I forget. I'm getting too old to stash things in a mental file for later....no worky no more.

BUT, I will get some pics and video this weekend because there are a few things I have to capture. But, I'll wait to tell you about those things when they can be accompanied by picture/video proof!

Nolan is becoming quite the little devious one. I think I've previously written about his obsession with throwing clothes and other items either in the bathtub or the trash can. Obviously, the bathtub is a bit more convenient for the removal process. His newest trick is hiding his food. He's never been a big eater, but periodically he gobbles up food like a champ. So, we keep giving him more. Then, come time for us to clean up, we find half of his food shoved underneath the removable top tray on his high chair. What?? Why would the kid keep begging for more food if he's just going to hide it? I don't get it. But, I'm sure it makes perfect sense to a 16 month old baby.

The cutest thing ever is his expanding vocabulary. Now, I admit, it's expanding much more slowly than I expected or would like. I looked back at Bailey's baby book and I have documented that she said 75 words at 16 months. At 18 months, she said phrases like "more milk" or "daddy's cup." Weeeeeeelll, that's not the case with little Nolan. BUT.....he has started saying "uh oh" when he drops things or, well, when he gets a reaction out of us. What's funny about it is that the "uh" is super high pitched, and the "oh" is super low pitched. It sounds so funny and cute.

He also now says "bubbles" (in the bathtub) and his "thank you" has gotten a bit more clear. Most of the time, however, he still relies on pointing and pushing us when he wants something or to go somewhere. I think I've worn out the "Use your words" line over the past month.

Finally, we're a bit worried about him becoming a hitter. He loves to hit us....not hard, but definitely more than a gentle pat. He thinks it's funny. Thus far he's never hit anyone outside of the family, but I'm sure it won't be long if we don't nip it in the bud. We have been careful not to inadvertently encourage the behavior and always stop what's going on, get down on his level, and say, "NO hitting." Sometimes, however, he hits me in the face when I'm admonishing him for hitting. Sigh. That's when I spank his butt. That's the irony of all parenting if you ask me. Believe me, I'm a proponent of spanking. But, spanking to punish hitting seems a little counterintuitive. We'll see.....like other things, I suspect the hitting is sure to be a short-lived phase. At least he's not a biter, right?!

Gotta go....check back for pics.

Catching Up....

It has been brought to my attention that I have been ignoring my duties as blogger extraordinaire. My apologies to the 6 people who frequent the blog (and only 3 of you are posters...grrr). I now have to divide my attention between the world of blogging and the world of voyeurism on Facebook. :-)



As I mentioned, you fellow FB addicts may have already seen the following pictures. They are from our fun night out at the Thunder vs. Spurs game. Surprisingly, Bailey had more fun than anyone. My boss facilitated this by allowing Bailey access to both the new mascot, Rumble, and the Thunder girls. Floor seats has some big benefits!













Nolan continues to develop into an ornery little boy. He is so cute, but very mischievous. He'll give you a sly smile and then take off at lightning speed with your cell phone. Then, when you go to pry it out of his grubby little hands, he'll scream bloody murder and then pout for 5 minutes. Occasionally, you'll get a sideways glare not unlike someone would give you if you murdered their puppy.

Another fun fact...Nolan is the best coat putter-onner. I know that's not a word(s), but that's the best description for it! I had to wrestle Bailey to the ground to get her to put on a coat. As soon as he hears the word, Nolan comes over and holds one arm out for one sleeve, and then turns around and holds the other arm out. It's pretty cute, really. However, you can't do this unless it's really time to go...that very minute. He loves to leave (getting into the car seat is another story), so you better be ready to go or there's a tantrum coming on. In addition, he's mastered the limp act. You parents know what this is. If he's upset and you try to pick him up, he just goes limp. This also applies to the times when he runs (again, lightning speed) directly for the street because, you know, kids think it's fun to play in traffic.

Here are some random pics from the week.

On the more positive side, the kid still loves to dance. I know there's an overabundance of dancing videos on my blog, but here's another one I love. Yes, the kids had demolished the living room just prior to shooting this video. They think it's fun to get out every toy they own and then not play with them.

He has also started to make animal sounds. We started with monkey, and he'd say "ee ee ee." Then I moved on to cow, and he'd say "ee ee ee." Smile. I finally got him to mooo, but it sounds more like, "mmmmmmmmmmmmmm." Close enough, right?!

Catch ya later, alligators!

Good Things Come in Small Packages

I have been anxiously awaiting Nolan's 15 month doctor appointment. The louder my groan when picking him up, the more excited I've become at the prospect of hearing the doctor tell me that Nolan has become a chunky monkey!! Even though he really doesn't eat (except for milk, sweets and cinnamon raisin bread), I still thought for sure he was hitting his growth stride. I mused about what percentage the doctor would attach to him....10% this time, dare I think 15%??

When his appointment day came, and I placed my big boy in the scale bucket (you moms know what I'm talking about), the nurse said, "20 pounds 8 ounces."

Whaaa???

Yep, still 5%. He would have to weigh 22.8 pounds just to make it up to 15%. He did grow 1 1/2 inches. He's a giant at 30 inches (25%). Smile.

You may wonder why this is a big deal to me. It really isn't in the grand scheme of things - I'm just dramatic. However, practically it is difficult to dress little Nolan because I either have to buy pants that fit in the waist and are too short OR his pants fit length-wise but then fall down to his ankles when he moves around to any degree. I think this is why most people don't think of him as that small since his baggy clothes add some bulk.

Moving on... Nolan is finally getting his 5th tooth and got the requisite cold and slight fever he's gotten with each and every tooth thus far. I don't know what it is with teeth that don't agree with Nolan. My friend Rachel says the same thing about her little Owen, so at least we're not the only ones so negatively affected by them. I actually think Nolan is about to sprout at least 2 more teeth, so we should be in for some fun times.

He is also starting to say more words, albeit sporadically. I remember this with Bailey, too....they say something and then you can't coax it out of them again for weeks. You start to doubt whether they really said the word, but then they start using it incessantly. Let's see, to his repertoire he's added: doggie, bye bye, more, and sock.

He cracked me up this morning when an ad for the Elmo show came on t.v. I said, "You wanna go see Elmo?" He immediately pushed down off my lap and ran into his bathroom and came out with a toy phone that we call the "Elmo phone" because it has his face on it and plays "Elmo's World" when you open it. So cute!!

Finally, he has been eating with a spoon/fork lately. He actually eats better if we just let him do it on his own. If we try to feed him, he'll purse his lips together and dinnertime is over. As you'll see in the pictures below, he does pretty well....for a one-year-old, that is!

Bailey has been cracking us up, as usual. Nothing too involved this time, but she has started telling me about her dreams each morning. Sometimes they are VERY involved (and take a long time to tell!) and other times she'll just ask me a strange question and I know she dreamed something that prompted it. A few mornings ago, she said, "What is a territory?" Seriously? Not sure where she heard/learned that word, but it popped up in her dream.

She also insisted one night that a ghost touched her in the night. I know I'm supposed to be the adult, but I just let her get in bed with us (until Jason got fed up and put her back to bed) because I was too scared myself to go in her room. I DON'T DO GHOSTS. Jason watches that stupid paranormal show sometimes and I have to leave the room because I simply can't handle that stuff. Smile.

Here are a few recent pictures. I'm sorry I don't have more!!

I forgot oatmeal on the list of Nolan-approved food items. He likes oatmeal....but not the baby kind. He has to eat the flavored kind.


Little Bailey looking cute.


These are of his new favorite bathtime activity!
Last but not least, what my kids like to do together....more dancing!! Clearly Nolan thinks the floor mat is a tiny stage, as he doesn't like to dance anywhere but right there! Conversely, life's a stage for Bailey!!

The Righteous Nest

Matthew 6:33

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;

and all these things shall be added unto you."

A little girl in a little town had big thoughts about Jesus. She was always asking questions, and regularly offered simple yet poignant interpretations of favorite Bible stories. The parents and grandparents of this little girl loved to engage her in deep conversation about any and all things as, if nothing else, her theories provided a new perspective on "old" ideas.

Out of the blue one day, the little girl approached her grandmother, asking, "What is a righteous nest?" While questions were not uncommon, even ones that required a good deal of head scratching before a response could be summoned, this particular question seemed quite odd to the grandmother.

"What do you mean, a righteous nest? Where did you hear it?"

The little girl, as she was known to do, sighed with exasperation.

"It's in that song. The one where God has a righteous nest."

It was then that the grandmother (with some help from the grandfather) realized that she was asking about the concept of righteousness. A few good laughs and an equal number of side consultations later, the little girl had her answer.

But the answer itself is not the point of the story.

Many family members and friends were aware of the little girl's history with thought-provoking questions, and the grandmother was quick to share this new anecdote. The grandmother's sister (the little girl's great aunt) lived all the way in Washington D.C. and regularly shared the little girl's stories with her church friends. She often commented that the little girl's ministry spanned many states and communities. This time was no different and laughs were exchanged over such a funny comment.

Months later, however, one of the great aunt's long-time friends passed away. This passing was a great loss for many people, as passings tend to be. The great aunt prepared to travel a long distance for the friend's funeral. As she prepared for the comments she was asked to make at the service, she received a note from a friend. This note, surprisingly, referenced the little girl's long-ago words as inspiration for the great aunt's funeral task. In neat script, the note read:

"How wonderful and true it is for our friend. God DOES prepare a righteous nest for us in Heaven."

How often do we find that children teach us as much as we teach them? May your day, your week, your year, and your life be lived in God’s righteousness….aka his righteous nest.

Thank you, little Bailey, for being an inspiration to us all. I hope we all think of God's love in that way....as a righteous nest that cradles us in this life and the next. I am the president of your fan club.

My Little Valentines

Lots to report....where to start?

Valentine's Day Activities
Bailey was soooo excited to celebrate Valentine's Day at school. We made our little Valentines for the kids and, I have to admit, it took all I have to let her do them the way she wanted and not the way I wanted. She took control of the glitter glue, with Jason's help, and I came to peace with that. LOL!! Anyway, you can see her pride in the following picture. Also note her cute Valentine's dress Grandma Cox got her. She received some great jewelry from Aunt Susan, but we didn't get it until later that day, so sadly she's not wearing the necklace and bracelet here.

Vocabulary and Waxing Philosophic
Nolan is finally putting sounds together to make some "words." I use the quotations only because most of what he says doesn't really sound like the actual word. However, we know exactly what he's saying and he confirms his intent by going to the object or person he wants. I've provided an English-to-Nolan translation guide below:

Banana - na-na-na

Bailey - ay-ay

Grandma - ma-ma

Mama - ma-ma

Daddy - da-da

Bye Bye - da-da

Thank you - ya-ya

Hi - hi (we've only heard this once)

He's so funny these days because there are so many meanings to words, and yet everything is black and white to him. If you say, "Mama's gotta go bye bye" he runs to the door because he thinks he's going bye bye. If you use the word "chair" in any sentence, he thinks it's time for him to get into his high chair. It's fun to see all these connections, though. It's like he's a REAL BOY!!! LOL!

Bailey continues to crack us up with her insight and one-liners. Here area few of my recent favorites:

-I was saying a prayer one night and she let out a toot while I was talking. So, I immediately changed my course and said, "And, God, please forgive Bailey for disrupting this prayer with her toots." She got really upset and put her head in her hands and said (in her booming voice), "MAMA, I can't believe you told JESUS that I tooted. You can't do that!" I embarrassed her! Anyway, I told her that Jesus knows our actions even when we don't divulge them to him, which is why we should always act in such a way as to make Him proud. She's still mad at me for busting her.

-In a conversation with grandma about the weather, she noted "God is the sun." When Jeanne asked her why she would think that, she said, "Well, you say SON of God. And God makes the sun, so that means he IS the sun." She couldn't really argue with that! Bailey then asked why Jesus is invisible. Jeanne said we'd ask our pastor to explain it to her!! I think we're in for lots of difficult questions in years to come!

-She loves playing with a little neighborhood girl, Ella. Ella is 8, so they often clash just because of the age difference. Overall, though, they play together really well. Ella came over on Friday and ate dinner with us. Afterward, I heard them fighting in her room so I went to break it up. Bailey was very upset because Ella was holding Nolan. Bailey said, "I don't understand why everyone wants to try to be his sister when I'M his only sister." She loves him so much! And, he is starting to really want to be with her all the time. He goes into her room in the mornings when she's still asleep, yelling "Ay ay!" I love it.

As illustration of how close they are getting:

Haircut #57
While probably not actually his 57th haircut, Nolan did get his hair buzzed off again this weekend. I had a fleeting thought of taking him to a professional, but I decided that he probably wouldn't stay still enough for them at this age. So, Jason used his nifty clippers. While the top is always a little too short for my liking, I know it will grow quickly. But, we needed to do something as it was getting too shaggy. Now, I know some kids have way longer hair, but I've just never liked Nolan's long. I like to spike it up on top or do the mohawk thing, and it quickly gets too long for those styles.

Yes, I know his pants don't fit...this is our constant struggle. I either put him in 12 mos. and they sag down to the middle of his butt and, thus, drag the floor....or I put him in 9 mos. which fit his waist but then they are highwaters. So, he's sporting the gangsta look!

I think that's all I have to report right now. I hope everyone is doing well!!

K

Snow and Super Bowl

Before I share the pictures of our fun time in the snow and the Steelers glorious SB triumph over the Cardinals, I have to post a video. One of my favorite memories of Bailey as a little tot is of her great desire to jump long before she had any ability to do so. She would try so hard, and was so proud of herself, and yet her little feet never left the ground. These memories came flooding back this week as Nolan decided that he really wants to catch some air.



How cute is that?? I love me some baby jumpin'. We ventured outside for a short while last week during "ICE EMERGENCY 99" or whatever the media dubbed our few days of ice. I'm not saying it wasn't bad out, or that I'm not grateful for the ability to work from home on Tuesday due to the driving conditions. I'm just saying it's a little cheesy. But, that's their job, I suppose (by "that" I mean create mass hysteria).

But, I digress. Here are some pictures of Jason playing with the kids. Nolan only looks angry because he desperately wanted to go outside and the time it took us all to get bundled up was too much for him. He kept running to the back door and putting his head in his hands. Patience, little guy, patience. Despite the mad face, doesn't he look like a cute little E.T. in his big coat?!

Anyway, Bailey wanted to come in after 10 minutes or so, but Nolan insisted on going up and down the driveway in his little car about 500 times. He was NOT happy when we went inside. Kids are somehow immune to cold. Parents, not so much. Finally, while I've never considered myself a sports fanatic - or even all that warm to the concept, even (smile) - I honestly had a great time watching the Steelers win the Super Bowl. This has been Jason's team for as long as I can remember, and I've now been experienced 2 Steelers SBs with him. This one was amazing in every way, and I watched from start to finish. Bailey cheered. Nolan....well, he danced during Bruce Springsteen's performance. Here are a few pictures of our pre-game warm-up.



I hope everyone has a great week! K