And so ends the Bull's 30's - another classic October...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  4 years, 7 months, and 20 days

Age of Lady Cora:  10 months and 9 days

Family,

And a good evening to you from the Queen City - another incredible month in the books, so let's get after it, shall we?

Happy Halloween!  Yes - I went as Jenny.

10/1 - So we started this month with a bang - K ran into our bed at 5:51 AM!  Honestly, we had no choice but to send her back to bed, as we were exhausted and we did NOT want to establish a pre 6 AM precedent.  K was great about it, and she actually must have fallen back asleep, as she didn't come out of her room until about 7:30.

It was Sunday, and we made church and even the park.  JT had to do most of the lifting (especially the infant carrier), but I did manage to carry Cora a bit and stand for the songs at church.  What I will say - by the end of the day I was hurting, and I think I probably overdid it a bit.  That being said, it was SUCH a nice day, and I still took it VERY easy.  It's just something you can't rush, and I was still pretty sore (bending over was NOT fun).

We did have some "high drama" at the park.  K was being a bit of a pain, crying and saying she was scared at the top of the pole (which is silly because she's done the pole about 16,459 times).  Well, after that she wanted to swing with Cora and JT, but she didn't want to get her the normal swing - she wanted in the baby swing.  I didn't see this until I heard screaming, and then I looked up to find K COMPLETELY STUCK in the swing!  JT tried to get her out about 3 times, and then she called me over.  Well, I tried with her about 3 times, and we STILL couldn't move K.  At this point our oldest was getting REALLY upset, and she screamed out, "Daddy I'm sorry!" (she was apologizing for her attitude earlier).  She then followed it up with, "What if I"m stuck in here forever!"  I had to really fight to keep from laughing. :-)  The good news - a total stranger rolled over and helped us eventually push her out, but MAN was that high drama.  A few more tears later, and we just packed it in and headed home.  Good times... :-)

10/3 - So as I type this, I think I am close to on the mend.  Today has easily been the best day pain/tenderness wise, and this evening I didn't even have to use peas!  That's a HUGE win, and I can tell I'm now much more capable of moving and doing basic things.  Emptying the dishwasher last night was rather painful, but tonight it's already much better.  That's GREAT news, as it means I can start to be an active member of the family again (while still being careful that I don't get punched or kicked by the munchkins).

Cora says "Fire Butch Jones."

The day didn't start out great.  K was really disagreeable and disobedient in the morning, so much so that after taking away 4 items I had to spank her.  She has been violently saying "NO" lately, and Jenny and I have agreed that we just need to aggressively manage that so that she knows neither that response nor willful disobedience will be tolerated.  The good news - she did apologize before leaving for pre-school.  I take solace in the fact that she knows right from wrong and knows that she is loved, and so she usually does apologize to me after an episode (and I genuinely believe she means it).

It was a good day at pre-school.  K saw the OT (they come twice a year), and K taught her all kinds of crazy new moves.  That girl is STRONG walking up a wall!  And the funny quote from K - tonight she called my work briefcase a "purse."

On the Cora front - that girl is ALL ABOUT MOMMY right now.  It was too funny right before bed - I took her from JT to say good night, and she instantly looked back at JT and reached for her.  The message was clear:  "Put me down, old guy - I want the hot redhead."  I get it, I get.  Don't worry - I will still help with college and your wedding, sweetheart. :-)  But seriously - Koda is a climbing machine - she is now climbing up on K's chair, and watching her head crest the back rest is just hilarious!  She has a smile on her face, a tongue sticking out, drool everywhere, and a look of total concentration/elation in her eyes. Too cute.  Love my nugget!

10/4 - Today was a tough day for K - flu shot day!  Jenny was a visionary and knew better than to tell her until after pre-school (which was a good call because she started bawling .000007 seconds thereafter).  Anyhoo - K was very brave, and minus a few tears it all went swimmingly.  And as a treat, she got to visit the pets in the pet store and then got both a free cookie AND a bakery cookie from Publix.  But that's not the best part.

So part of the Publix draw for kids is a free balloon every time they come in.  It's always an el cheapo balloon, but K LOVES them (and they really do get use in our house).  Well, today they went to blow up a balloon for her, and the helium was out.  The fella disappeared for a second and then came back, apologizing profusely but explaining that he was unable to inflate any of the balloons due to the helium issue.

JT was ready to walk away, but then the guy said, "But I have already cleared it with my manager, and she can pick any balloon she wants on the rack.  Now we are talking these are SERIOUS balloons - mylar, inflated, and HUGE.  And what does K do?  She finds THE BIGGEST BALLOON ON THE RACK and says "I'll take that one."  WAY TO GO, KIDDO!  Take that brass ring and run with it!

Seriously - I am publishing this a month
after she brought that balloon home.
IT STILL HAS AIR.  

She walked into my office (while I was talking to my manager, for the record), cookie in one hand, ENORMOUS balloon in the other, and I almost cackled.  It's Frozen - Elsa on 1 side, Anna on the other.  Way to go, kid!  Your mamma didn't raise no fool!

10/6 - A new tradition has started at the Taylor household - Lunchable Friday!  K loves them (because they involve crackers, cheese, and oreos, but hey - details...#fatheroftheyear), and so on Fridays that's what we're letting her pack for lunch. It's funny, as I remember them from my childhood.  I thought they were awesome, but honestly they were out of budget for us.  Now, 30+ years on, they are only $1!!!  So yes, they are a cheap way to cover lunch, and she loves them.  Winner winner, chicken dinner!

Oh, and K has figured out how to take photos on JT's iPhone.  She loves it, and when she gets going, she takes about 700 in a 30 second window.  Yes, it's cute.  YES, we have to delete them due to storage constraints.

10/7 - So the Bull was actually out in Phoenix for a wedding (day trip!), but this was a big day for the Munchkin - FROZEN LIVE ON ICE!!!! Unfortunately, my mom and stepdad (who'd purchased the tickets) couldn't come, which meant that Jenny took K and her friend Taylie.  Taylie was a last minute add (we didn't know until the day before that they wouldn't be able to make it, as they had to look after Nanny in the hospital - now doing fine thank goodness!!!), but it ended up working out GREAT. The girls had popcorn and cotton candy, and the seats were straight BALLER.  Thanks, Vol Nana and Grand Pooh!    The photos (K dressed up as Elsa) were really cute, and I'm sure it was amazing.  I still remember my first Disney on Ice experience, and I'm sure it's only improved since then!

10/10 - So you'll notice some gaps in the reporting over the last few days.  Rest assured it's not because my love of this is flagging - we just haven't had a lot of chaos to report.  Yesterday was a bank holiday, so we spent it chilling and getting errands/chores completed (plus I was in recovery post AZ).  Today was back to the grind, and JT officially stepped into a new role - Car Pool Driver!  JT has now worked out a great system between Cheryl and Lindsey (it's quite complicated and sometimes involves changing cars - don't ask me to explain it), and today was Jenny's day to drive Kate and Kaitlyn to preschool.

The memorable moment for me was when Kate walked in and saw the "Frozen" mylar balloon.  She said, "Wow, that's a big balloon!"  Kaitlyn's response was awesome:  "I got that at Publix because they were out of helium.  Daddy thought it was a giant."  Too cute!

Side note - watching K and Kaitlyn play is just too cute.  Jenny has played "hide and seek" with them, and she said it's adorable when they hide together.  When Jenny opens the door and says "Got you!", they are apparently hugging in mock fright.  They are both really sweet girls, and I love watching them interact.  They had a cute moment last week when I was walking back into my office.  I heard Kate whisper "I just saw your daddy in the hallway."  I was already in my office, but I suddenly flung the door open to startle them and found them right outside my door - stinkers!

From a general perspective, we really seem to be in a terrific groove right now.  We are getting to the pool on a regular basis, Cora's schedule is pretty much locked in stone, K is getting lots of good time with Kate, we have been able to manage the finances pretty good, and truth be told life is just fantastic.  My stress level is at an all time low, and I just couldn't be happier with how everything is going.  The girls are growing up so quickly, and my schedule is allowing me to have a lot of time to play with them and watch them grow (which I am immensely thankful for).

The evening has now become a steady play session after dinner.  We play "earthquake" (where K runs under our legs, we drop them, and then shake them on top of her), the "red ball game" (where I rock K back and forth on the ball), tag (where we run after each other and yell "BOOKIE!!!!!!" every time we run past Cora - who smiles each time we do it), and "Monster" (this one is getting increasingly complicated with monster weapons).  We basically all take turns being monsters, and K is hilarious when she gets the hoodie on - especially when she booms out in her deepest voice "I DON'T LIKE TOYS!!!!!!"  Too funny.

10/11 - A big day in the life of a bibliophile and his daughter - Kaitlyn's first book order arrived!!!!  Yay!!!!!  Admittedly the highlight for her was not a book but Chester the raccoon (a stuffed animal that came with the book).  And yes - Kate ordered it as well, and YES - K is sleeping with Chester every night (Twink is currently in jail due to misbehavior).  The books are really cute, and it brought back such great memories flipping through the order catalogue.  Good times...

Another first (not so great) - we received an email today, informing us that one of the kids in K's class has lice!  So we are on the lookout to ensure we don't see anything jumping around in her hair.  So far K has been fine, but JT has her hair in a braid and is running coconut oil through it in an effort to keep the bugs at bay.  Good times... :-)

10/13 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WIFE MUFFIN!!!!!!!  I love you so much.  You are THE BEST wife, mother, and friend a guy (or his daughters) could ask for.  These last 14 years (and especially the 11.5 married have been THE BEST of my entire life, and I am blessed beyond measure.


K made a cute little card for her the day before and was SO EXCITED to give it to her this morning.  She wanted to give it to her the second she ran into our room at 6:11, but I made her wait until 7 when JT came downstairs.  It was super cute - in purple (JT's favorite color), complete with stickers, pictures of mommy (her idea), balloons and hearts (also her idea), and a message inside that said:  "Happy Birthday!  Love, Kaitlyn."  Aside from part of the B and the V, K did the rest of it totally on her own!  Way to go, Munchkin!

The rice rusk.  Absolutely.  Disgusting.

And it occurs to me I've not really said much about the Nugget as of late.  That is not an oversight - it's just that things have been steady with Koda (aka "Anger Pocket," "Vishali," etc).  She is cruising and moving like you wouldn't believe, and the child has the INCREDIBLE ability to get into EXACTLY what you don't want her to get into - no matter what room she's in.  She loves pulling up on toilets, is cruising at light speed, and is eating like a champion.  Seriously - you should see the way this kid puts away cubes of food.  In fact, she's at the point now where she's preferring solid food to formula.  I'm fine with that, as it's WAY cheaper to feed her this way. :-)  We are still on 4 bottles a day, but pretty soon that's going to drop to 3 bottles, as Koda is typically not interested in either the 11 AM or 3 PM bottle.

As far as stairs go, that girl is now FLYING up them.  Last night she made it all the way up with only 1 slip back, but even then she caught herself.  It's crazy how strong she now is - holding her against your chest when she doesn't want to be there is now a difficult proposition!

10/13 - So today was a big day in the life of Sammy the Bull - my first ever foray into "playing with dolls."  Basically I was Anna and mother to Rapunzel, and we were visiting Elsa and baby Elsia (who live in a barn).  K was really cute as we did it, wanting the little girls to misbehave and have the mothers chase them around.  Her classic quote when I asked if Olaf was there:  "No, Olaf drove a long way to to shopping for us.  He went on the interstate to Tennessee."  She then had the two dolls face each other and ask, "Do you want to drink tea and watch the Panthers?"  SUCCESS!!!!  Brainwashing is working. :-)

One thing to note - K is definitely using that imagination right now, and she's coming up with some SERIOUSLY complicated games.  She'll always start by saying "Pretend that...", and then when we go from there is ANYONE'S guess.  The good news - if you do as you're told, she's happy as a clam.

Who needs a peloton...

One other thing to note tonight (still on K) - I gave her Twink back tonight, and she was super happy about it until she climbed into bed.  As she was tucking Twink in, she reached back to the the other side of her bed (against the wall) for something and said something incomprehensible.  When I asked what she needed, she suddenly started bawling!  She was so sad, and despite asking three times what was wrong, she wouldn't tell me.  Finally, it came out.  She looked at me earnestly and said, "If Twink is sleeping here, what will I do with Chester?"  I am not sure if she just loves Chester at the moment because Kate has one (so that is likely - she is even keeping Chester in her backpack at school), or if this is tied to an episode of Tangled:  the Series where Pascal feels marginalized, but she was really sad about it.  I tried to move Twink to a different pillow to give Chester some space, but K instantly moved over so she could hug Twink (I was at a loss at this point).  Luckily we found a place to snuggle Chester between the two of them, and suddenly all was okay.  WHEW. :-)

The monster is loose!

10/14 - I had the girls today (JT was at Women's Conference), and it was a great one.  We hit child watch for a bit (Cora was an angel), and then we also got some park time in (as well as watching plenty of football, of course!).  After an initial meltdown, K was a ROCK STAR at the park, swinging really good and climbing like a champion.  As for Nugget, she was in the swing for over 30 minutes! I mean, that girl LOVES motion and was content as could be - she likely would have sat there another hour!

It was great to see K climbing and running around.  Right now I really want to focus on endurance and strength, so I am trying to make a conscious effort to get her outside and active as much as possible.  It's an investment I know I need to make, so I am going to redouble efforts to build a schedule that ensures plenty of activity.  I know she gets good activity already at pre-school, but I want to ensure we augment that on our end, as fitness is so critical to well being.

K showing off her frog at Show & Tell (letter F).

One other thing to note - K has been AMAZING lately about starting to spell out words.  She also knows the sounds the letters make, and lately when we've said words she's said, "that starts with" and then says the correct letter.  It's SO COOL to hear!

10/15 - So today was a busy and good one, complete with a visit to church, breakfast at Toast, a swim at NOMAD, and even a trip to Lowe's to buy a new washing machine.  The only salient bit to record, however, was at 7:45 when we were getting ready to take Cora up.  I got her changed, put on her outfit, and walked her over to Jenny (who was keying in data for the church).  I lean her forward to kiss JT, and Cora VOMITS ON JENNY'S CHEST.  It wasn't a ton, and luckily Jenny didn't have her mouth open.  GROSS TO THE POWER OF INFINITY.  Dude, it was so foul.  JT's shirt was NASTY, and we were both in shock (and then couldn't stop laughing, of course).  Nugget - you are a MESS!  We love you, Bukie!!!!!

My little mermaid.

10/18 - So I just have to say it - K looks SO big now!  In certain outfits, she just looks so grown up.  She's about 50 lbs now and tall for her age, and when you add in her hair and the way she carries herself, it's easy to forget that she's only 4 1/2.  I just can't believe how fast they are both growing up. Honestly, I have been thinking this month about how much less I've written (compared to normal), and I even noted at one point that it feels as though we've settled into a rhythm where not much is new or noteworthy to report.  However, when I stopped and considered that, I just realized that constant change has become the new normal, and much like phyletic gradualism, both kids are changing every single day.  So quite the opposite of not having much to report - I now realize there s a TON to report, and I need to look at it constantly with fresh eyes so that I don't miss anything.

Looking SO GROWN UP!

Some of that I think has been just the month, as this has been a month of recovery after a CRAZY September.  Because of that, I will confess I've found myself not as focused on watching all the minutia and really soaking up every second with the munchkins.  However, I am trying to right the ship and make sure I look at them and just watch them in action every second I can, as I know we will not come this way again, and this period absolutely has a shelf life.  Case in point - K running into our bedroom every morning between 6:11 and 6:30.  While it does mean we lose a few minutes of sleep, I'm also conscious that there will come a time when she doesn't want to run into the room, and I will SORELY miss that once it's over.  And so for right now I am loving every second where she climbs into bed, gets under the covers (and gets twink there as well), and then curls up next to her dada.  She's even actually sleeping for 5-10 minutes, which is wonderful.  JT and I each put an arm around her, and we just snuggle as a family (until Cora starts screaming, of course :-)).

A random note about life - as you know, every night in the bathtub K says, "While you put on lotion and do my hair, can I please watch something on your phone?"  Of course the answer is always yes, but what has been fascinating is how the viewing choices have morphed over time.  Originally it was snippets from movies.  Then it was fairy tales.  Now, however (and really for the last month or two), K has been ALL ABOUT watching people play with toys - especially the LOL surprise dolls.  I have watched surprise dolls drive around in a camper van, hang out in a tree house, go to school and take a math test with a genie, get rescued from prison by Rider - you name it.  In a word...bizarre...

Also, I must relate - K is a serious nose picker at the moment.  I haven't said anything about it, as up until recently she was eating them from time to time and I didn't want to put a blazing spot light on it.  However, the other day I saw her picking both nostrils at the same time and thought, "Okay - something's gotta give."  So now I am trying to make a concerted effort to a) ensure I don't pick my nose in front of her and b) that I will need to tell her that we can't do that in public (but the home is still sanctuary, and to be fair that's where I see it most often - it's just about making sure she knows societal norms :-)).

10/20 - So I know I have said more than once how great a big sister K is, but lately I have been amazed how great she is with Cora.  I give JT a ton of credit here, as the three of them have built this amazing bond, and it's so cute to watch them play together.  K is super cute when she goes over to Cora and starts tickling her, saying, "Azabuke, you stinker!"  It is just magic to watch.  Cora ALWAYS smiles when K is around, and her eyes follow K all over the room.  Today was particularly cute, as Kate was over in the morning, and they all played together.  This happened again on the following Tuesday (obviously I'm writing this almost a week late), and it was a hoot to watch.  Essentially, all three of them get into the play pen together, and Cora loves it.  Then, when Cora starts crawling out, they play "tag" with her and run from her as she chases them.  Those two are adorable together.  I then blew their minds by dressing up as "Monster" and chasing after them - they were hilarious running from me.

Oh, and side note about monster - when Jenny is the monster, she usually "catches and eats me" at some point.  K runs by, sees that I've been captured, and says, "Dada, I just pulled you out of her tummy!"  I am pretty much a half digested man walking at this point...

On the letter front, it is AMAZING how K is starting to recognize letters.  She's pretty much constantly saying "(insert word here) starts with (insert correct letter).  The one pair that is tripping her up - V and F.  Today she said, "Volcano starts with F."  When I told her V, it blew her mind. :-)  She's also starting to write her letters, and she's doing amazing!  Seriously - she wrote nearly all of Jenny's birthday card (we are talking all but 2 letters), and she did Luke's birthday card as well.  She is only writing in capitals, but it's incredible.  And if I make the sound of the letter, she almost always recognizes it instantly.  This preschool is incredible, as they are really providing an amazing education out of the gate.

Happiness is a best friend and a slice of pizza.

10/21 - So this was a great one for K.  It started with a free activity at the Prosperity Park Clubhouse - Bat-o-ween!  The kids got to pet snakes and lizards, and then they went hunting for bats (fake ones, of course).  K was seated between Taylie and Kate - talk about being in Heaven!  They must have had a blast, and then they shot off from there to a birthday party at Fun to Be Fit.  K seemed to LOVE it, and it's actually really close to the house (which means we'll likely do it again soon).  JT got some great video of K jumping on the trampoline, bouncing into the blocks, and pulling up on parallel bars.    Kate was there as well, and Kaitlyn had a cupcake and pizza.  All in all, it was a GREAT day!  We had church in the evening before date night in (sushi and football) to celebrate JT's birthday.

Still.  Not.  Happy.

10/22 - Cora rolled 10 months today!!!  We did the photo shoot in the morning before rolling out the door.  Our destination was Indian Land, South Carolina, as we were going to visit Bob and Jan's new church.  We rolled in just before 10 AM, and luckily there was a GREAT nursery for Cora and Kaitlyn.  They were in Heaven with all the new toys, but the best part - they had "children's time, and Kaitlyn was the ONLY kid up front!"  She was absolutely adorable but super shy - you could tell she had NO IDEA why she was up front with all these adults.  But it was super cute - they were collecting dimes for hunger, and they gave K a bag to help take up the offering.  She did great and really got into it, and she definitely warmed up as people started handing out money. :-)  It's funny, when she gets embarrassed or is shy, she lowers her head and sticks her tongue out - the face is just priceless.  This was no exception.

We spent the afternoon chilling at the Tacy's, and it was a really good day.  K and I walked around and looked at Halloween decorations, and Cora discovered a new set of stairs and the baby bed (which she LOVED).

Also, when we were driving to the church, K yelled out EXIT!  Now normally she does this when she sees the red EXIT signs in buildings.  This time, however, she saw it as an exit on the interstate.  That means she's recognizing the sequence of letters!  She's starting to learn the basic building blocks of reading!  #GENIUS! :-)

10/24 - So Cora had a big moment today that JT pointed out.  She's starting to put stuff into containers.  She'll fill them and then empty them.  She's also LOVING the butterfly tunnel up in the bonus room.  She is now officially drooling all over the place, and we are still giving her medicine nightly to help her sleep.  However, some of those teeth are finally starting to come in.

On the formula front, we have officially moved from Gentlease to regular formula, and Cora seems to be handling the transition well.  At this point, she's not always taking all of her bottle (except the night feed, which she usually does manage to get down after several efforts), and she's definitely starting to get more calories from solids than at any point previous.  JT even whipped out the sippy cup for Cora to try, and she did actually put it to her mouth and drink some of it for the first time!  She is now devouring puffs and these things called Rice Rusks...which are absolute donkey trash.  Okay, okay - so they aren't horrible, but the important thing is that Cora LOVES them.  She is fascinated by the shape, texture, something - and she consumes those things like it's her job (which I guess it kind of is).

Now one thing I must note about Cora - when she stands up, her right foot almost ALWAYS is completely turned in.  I noticed today (I'm writing on 10/25) that she has finally started righting it (she normally does right it at some point, but today it was almost always forward from the beginning when she stands up).  I am not worried about it, but I can't help but notice it every time she stands.   K wasn't standing at this point, so I have no frame of reference.  I mean, let's face it:  I'm a parent - I always have to worry about something.

On, and the new song K and Kate are singing:  "F is for Funky Feet, F is for Funky Feet!  Funky Feet, Funky Feet, F is for Funky Feet!"  They say this while they both have their feet out the window of Jenny's car.  Too cute.  They also enjoy riding with Ms. Cheryl, as they get to rock out to Disney music the entire time.  Those two have really settled into a good rhythm of playing, and the car pool process seems to be working out well for Jenny.

And speaking of songs, K shows up home from preschool on this day (with Kate) and proceeds to sing the entire "Zaccheus" song from Music class. She really knew ALL the words!  Amazing - so proud of you, Munch!

10/25 - So, I woke up at 2:40 this day to the sound of my name.  I went into K's room, and she looked a proper mess.  She was shivering and holding her throat.  When she started talking, it was a raspy, hoarseness that I had NEVER heard from her (or anyone for that matter), and every breath sounded immensely painful.  Her cough was a seal bark (not an exaggeration), and when she asked for water, she was on the verge of tears.  She asked for medicine as well, and while I was getting it, I noticed her hands were shaking as she tried to drink from the water bottle.  Honestly, I was afraid something was wrong and her wind pipe was closing, but after some medicine, she seemed to be fine (meaning no pain).  The cough was horrendous, as was the breathing (which sounded terribly labored, but she said, it wasn't bothering her).  Twice while I was in there tending to her, she said, "Go tell mommy."  JT ended up laying in bed with her for a bit, while I went back to our room (unable to sleep, of course).

We took her to the doctor and confirmed that she's got croup.  Consequently, we've spent the day trying to keep her and Koda separated.  Technically K is still contagious and Cora could already have it, so we're just praying she (and everyone else) stays healthy.  It does mean that JT won't get to go to Chapel Hill this weekend, which obviously we all hate.  It also means that we have to start pumping in vitamin C to stay healthy for VEGAS, BABY!  After all, this guy doesn't want to be sick on his 40th!

10/26 - K woke up at 4:57 this morning in pain and coughing.  Ibuprofen managed to help calm her and ease the pain, but once again the poor thing wasn't feeling good and didn't get to go to preschool.

Cora had a runny nose when she woke up and was clearly congested, but so far no sign of croup, which is an absolutely blessing.  What it does mean is that we DEFINITELY couldn't take the girls to Chapel Hill and Raleigh, which meant that poor JT had to miss out on the weekend to watch over the girls.  My wife is pretty much the GREATEST WOMAN ALIVE EVER and told me there was no way I was missing that weekend.  I love you, wife muffin!!!!!!  But man did I hate it for her.  You could see the disappointment on her face, and it was not easy to just walk away and head out when I knew what she was going to be up against all weekend.  The good news - K was in good spirits all day and even got out for a bit (probably almost an hour) on her trike to look at Halloween decorations.  I pushed Nugget while K pedaled around - that girl was FLYING and was really starting to climb hills for the first time ever.  That's exciting, as it means we can start to go a bit further afield (right now it's still tricky to push both her and the stroller at the same time).

Also, there is a new game now - the Princess game.  This consists of us hiding 6-7 princesses (they are tiny little toys) throughout the house.  TT then goes and looks for them, requesting some "hotter/colder" assistance when she runs out of ideas.  I will say - she's a pretty good little seeker!

On the Cora front, that girl is almost standing!  She's definitely finding her balance and her legs, and you can tell she's getting sturdier.  When she remembers to turn her feet out, she does much better at balancing.  When she keeps that right foot turned in, however, she crumbles fairly quickly. She is even taking a few steps with help, but more often than not we end up dragging her vs. her initiating the movement.

Also, it should be noted that Cora LOVES the bath.  She can't get enough of splashing the water (she is quite the arm flailer in all aspects of life, but bath time is her favorite).  Another thing she enjoys (which is, well, quite odd for me) - having her meningning cleaned during a diaper change.  Seriously - EVERY TIME I wipe her before changing the diaper, she just cackles like it's the funniest thing ever.  Oh boy...I really don't have a guidebook for this...Lastly, she LOVES sneezing.  It's so cute - every time she does it she just grins from ear to ear.  And as long as she's not firing snot rockets, I typically grin as well...

Too cute.

10/28 - After 3 straight days at home and plenty of middle of the night wake-ups, K was fever free this morning!  She actually slept until 7:30, a sign that a) she was exhausted and b) she is catching up on some rough patches.  Cora was up a little after 6, and JT said the day went great.  They even made it over to the fall festival, where K went on her first ever pony ride!

10/29 - So we put Cora in "robe's" today, which are basically "training shoes" to help kids learn how to wear them.  Well, no sooner did we put her in them than our little nugget STOOD ON HER OWN FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!  It was an AMAZING feat - she stood there a really long time (I got the second one on video).  K kept saying, "Do it again, mommy!"  We were all impressed.

I had the girls in the afternoon (got back from Chapel Hill about 2), and we went to the park, where K had a blast sliding head first and going down the pole.  We had a scare en route, she was pedaling really fast on her bike downhill when she lost control and flipped off it.  The good news - she was totally fine and only really hit her knee (and just a little scrape at that).  However, it was really scary.  But I am happy to report that she hopped back on it quickly after just a few tears, and best of all - she managed to regulate her speed much better the rest of the afternoon. :-)

10/30 - BACK TO PRESCHOOL TODAY!!!!!  K was SO excited - so much so that she could hardly even eat breakfast.  Her teacher had sent her a really sweet email on Friday, telling JT how much they missed her, as she always set a great example for the class.  That certainly makes a parent feel good!  Proud of you, kid!!!!

My Birthday card from K.  I love it!

K had a dentist appointment at 2, where for the first time ever she got the full adult treatment!  She sat in the big chair, had a cleaning, had x-rays, and even had fluoride!  I am pleased to report that she had ZERO cavities, and even better - her teeth are starting to move back into place now that she's stopped sucking her thumb.  YAY!  I know that, when she's tired, she's sucking it for a second at night, but honestly she goes to sleep quick, so I am not at all worried about that.

After the dentist, JT dropped her at Kate's house for a quick playdate before I picked her up at 3:45 to take her to swim lessons.  I didn't know it at the time, but this would actually be the final time I would set foot inside the NOMAD facility, a place that I have come to love over the last 2+ years.  Our membership expires at the end of the month, and with rates moving from $55 a month to almost $250 a month for the same access, we are choosing to try somewhere else.  And while I didn't realize at the time this was my last time walking through those doors, I have to say - what a way to go out.

It was, without a doubt, the best swim lesson I have ever seen Kaitlyn have.  She was a MONSTER in that water - swimming non-stop for 30 minutes.  She did some INCREDIBLE back stroke - easily the best I have ever seen her do.  Her arm was really, really up high, and she was reaching back!  Her freestyle was great as well.  Brandyn came over and said, "She had a really good lesson today," and I could tell he was impressed.  She must have swam 200 meters flat out, including a 50 in the cold pool (25 each back and free).  I was SO PROUD - she was even pushing off from the wall correctly to start her back stroke!  She was doing entire laps (25 each way) without stopping - 4 years old!  She even did some butterfly kicks, which you can tell she really enjoys.

After it was over, she actually hugged her instructor twice - the first time I've ever seen her do that.  She knows that she's only got one more lesson, and so I honestly think she wanted to make him proud and wanted to do good for him.  He's been an amazing instructor, and we will tell him as much when it's all said and done.  I know that, while she does protest about going to lessons, she will miss him and really likes him.  So yes - I was more than a little nostalgic watching the end of an era, but I was also super proud.  My oldest has learned how to swim and was doing great in that water.  My youngest was wonderful the whole time and just watched K in action, stopping to laugh when I tickled her from time to time.

10/31 - Happy Halloween!  Kate wasn't there, so K got to be both prayer leader (her job for this week) and flag holder.  Did I mention that she can recite the entire pledge of allegiance?  It's awesome!  Trick or treating was a TON of fun.  We went with Braylen and Jayden (our new neighbors), and K was a ROCK STAR keeping up with them!  She went as a leopard, and Cora was a lady bug - too cute.  K was amazing running up and down the hills.  Eventually I had to carry her, but she was in seventh heaven with the big kids.  And YES - she pocketed a TON of candy.  Next year I do want to decorate more, as I am starting to see the value in those traditions with family.  But hey, Christmas decorating is just two weeks away, so I will get a chance to redeem myself. :-)

The one funny story - JT had just started walking back with Cora in the stroller when K sneezed.  Snot came flying out like a ROCKET, and she said her usual "tissue, please."  Well, the issue is that we didn't actually HAVE any tissues, which meant I had to use the one thing available to me - MY SHIRT.  Dear readers, let me just tell you - THIS WAS A VOLUME OF SNOT THE LIKES OF WHICH I HAVE NEVER SEEN.  I mean, it just KEPT coming.  So wrong, man...

But the good news - when it was all said and done, K looked at me and said, "I love Halloween, dada.  Well, I love Halloween and Christmas."  Smart girl... :-)

So there you have it - an amazing October in the books and the last full month of my 30s.  It's an early start tomorrow - VEGAS, BABY!!!!!!!!  Can't wait to tell you the stories...but you'll have to wait a month for those. :-)

Love,

Sam and Jenny