Age of Lady Cora: 1 year, 3 months, 8 days
Family,
And a good afternoon to you from the Queen City - Welcome to Volume 6! As always, plenty to bring you up to speed on, so let's get amongst it, shall we?
For my part, I had a God moment that helped me tremendously. With everything going on, I just felt that I hadn't been a great parent as of late - too focused on the mechanics of making things work vs. just "being" and enjoying the moment (as you can tell, the lessons from Present Over Perfect are always present in my mind). The sheer volume of to-do's leading up to a birthday weekend punctuated that feeling, and then when you add in trying to wedge in other commitments (Life Group, long runs, etc), I just felt like I was trying to wedge too much into my day - largely at the expense of my family. Also, given some of the attitude challenges we'd had, my efforts to focus on K had felt thwarted. Well, on the treadmill, I asked God to give me peace about the situation and asked him to help me be the parent the girls needed me to be (a common refrain these days!). Well, I pulled in from the gym to find out that Life Group was cancelled, which gave me 2+ hours suddenly back in the day. And then, when I walked into the house, K was an ANGEL the entire time. It was SUCH a great evening! We just really had fun, didn't worry about the clock, and still got down at a reasonable hour.
Oh, and did I mention that K MASTERED her lego gift for her birthday? It was AMAZING! I walked in, and there she was at the table - her lego set nearly complete! It's a "Little Mermaid" set, and it looked INCREDIBLE. Way to go, Sneetch! I was seriously proud AND seriously excited, as this opens up other avenue for future father-daughter bonding opportunities. :-)
All in all, it was a great day and a great start to our sixth year as a parent. :-)
3/13 - So today presented a first for us...the "unexpected discovery." I was Uptown when my phone lit up. I looked down, and it was a picture from JT with the caption: "So, I just found all these in K's closet." the photo was a PILE of candy wrappers - I mean a BUNCH. Suddenly, the pieces started to come together:1. At Monkey Joe's, they gave her 2 cups filled with candy (and capped with balloons)
2. On Saturday, the girls (K and Kate) went upstairs for a good 30 min and were SILENT - we found them in both the teepee and the bed (under the covers) during that time but thought nothing of it
3. On Sunday, we noticed one of the cups was missing
Putting 2 and 2 together, those little jokers had smuggled the cup upstairs and CRUSHED that cup of candy. JT actually confronted them when they got home (Kate was over to play), and they were just cackling about it as they confessed to it (JT apparently couldn't keep a straight face either). K then went up to the teepee and pulled out MORE wrappers - 30 in total!!!! K said that it was Kate's idea and that at first she said no but then went along with it (which, knowing K, actually does sound right - but does NOTHING to lessen her culpability).I wasn't actually that upset about it. It was her candy, after all, and while that was obviously the wrong thing to do, to me it was a minor infraction. To Kate's mom, however, that was NOT the case. :-) Needless to say the consequences over there were much more severe than over here at Team Taylor, but the good news - we have since tossed the other cup of candy, and all seems to be back to normal. :-)
Oh, and K started doing CARTWHEELS at gymnastics tonight! Actually, JT said they had been working on it, but tonight was the first time I saw her try it at home. WOW!
3/14 - So the day started with a letter from Kate - handwritten and given to Jenny - apologizing for the candy. Poor little thing was distraught! Hopefully that chapter in our lives is now over, and every one seems none the worse for wear. :-)
K had her 5 year appointment today, and it went GREAT! Her lungs are totally clear, and the Peds is not remotely concerned about her cough. They still believe it's some type of allergy or reaction to the ambient environment, so we're back to Zyrtec again (upon reflection, we do believe it helped with both the cough and the volume of snot she produces).
K was 92% in weight, 90% in height, so great news that she's propotional. She's just over 50 pounds without shoes, and the only thing we are going to monitor for the foreseeable future is her BMI index. It's currently greater than 90, so the doctor did tell us to keep an eye on second helpings of pasta. However, I am not concerned, as those numbers (height and weight) are the most closely aligned they've ever been, and she is really starting to get great exercise between the playground, swimming, biking, and gymnastics. The key for me is the sugar intake, which is a constant battle given everything that flows into our house. But that is a worry for another day, as we were just thrilled to confirm that her lungs were good!
And on the Cora front - that girl popped up twice on her own today! She is getting SO big and moving SO fast - it's crazy. She can reach many more counters than she could previously, and the speed at which she runs toward things is FAST - way faster than K ever moved at that age. What is also funny - Cora loves the stairs still, but ONLY if sis is going up as well. If K stays down, Cora wants to stay down. That girl does NOT like missing out on any of the action.3/16 - So today was a classic for many reasons, starting with the first ever arrival of "the troublemaker." So seriously - I am cool with Santa. I am cool with the Easter Bunny. I am cool with a lot of things. But WHO IN THE WORLD DECIDED THAT ST. PATTY'S DAY NEEDED A RENEGADE LEPRECHAUN RUNNING AROUND CLASSROOMS THAT APPARENTLY FOLLOWS KIDS HOME?!?!?!?!?!?!
Here's how it went down: K shows up from preschool ELECTRIC with excitement. The "troublemaker" (she couldn't remember the word "leprechaun") had apparently invaded their classroom while they were somewhere else. He'd turned all their milk green (food coloring), had peed in the toilet (green food coloring in the bowl), and had knocked over EVERYTHING. He had painted a note that said, "Hee, hee, hee! Can't catch me!" on the easel, and he'd left them cookies.
Well, K rocks up and tells us all about it. She then informs us that apparently "the troublemaker" follows kids home as well and causes ruckus. Her quote: "I can't wait to see what candy the troublemaker leaves for me - what's his name again? I hope he trashes our house."
I then called my dad who's an elementary school principal, and he informs me that, yes, this is in fact a HUGE thing, and that next year the kids will create leprechaun traps to try and capture said "troublemaker." I mean, why can't this just be an adult holiday dedicated to Green Beer? COME ON!!!!!!!!!
The afternoon was awesome, as we crossed off something very high on my to-do list for 2018 - bikes on the greenway!!!!! We loaded up JT's and K's bikes, and they pedaled for an hour on the greenway while I pushed Buke for a 5K. It was GREAT! I was SO HAPPY that the bike rack held up, and the weather was terrific. K loved riding her bike on such a flat surface, and the whole family had a good time. They also got some playground time, so we definitely put them through their paces!
The one hiccup for the day - I was working in my office when I suddenly heard absolute BAWLING from the Bonus room. I walked in to find JT laughing and both girls crying, with a shattered bucket in the middle of all of them. Trying to process the scene and figure out what happened would have been like solving a calculus 5 problem with an abacus - impossible. When I asked Jenny, it was apparently just a sequence of events that led to K getting upset and bouncing up and down on said bucket until it broke (it was the pink Halloween bucket). Cora apparently just started bawling simply because K was crying (this is becoming a thing, as it's happened twice since then), but K was screaming "It's my favorite bucket!!!!!" I didn't know children could have favorite buckets, but apparently, they can. :-) However, the Greenway did save us on this one - Thank you for good weather and bicycles, Father!!!!! :-)
At dinner that night, I gave K a much smaller scoop of pasta for her second round. She actually asked why it was so small, saying that "I always get two helpings." I told her that we were going to make some small changes to keep everyone healthy and safe, and she let it go at that. Fingers crossed that's the end of it. Oh, and K's best line of the night: She is obviously still trying to figure out the whole "mommy & daddy are also husband and wife" thing, and in bed she said that she wanted a wife. When I told her that's not how it works, she said, "Fine - I'll choose a husband." CLASSIC. No rush, kiddo!!!
Oh, and I know I've mentioned Cora's tendency to just bang her head on the floor in protest before. Well, she took it up a level this evening. After banging her head progressively harder on the carpet 3 times in a row, she then pulled herself to standing and slammed her head against the wall! Needless to say she started crying. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS KID THINKING!?!?!?!? It feels fairly constant these days - the floor, the walls, the stairs - it's just nuts!
3/17 - Happy St. Patrick's Day! It started with a bang for K, as the Leprechaun visited during the night! We had just finished tidying the bonus room and the downstairs, so I didn't touch that. However, I absolutely RANSACKED her room and then put a line of shoes leading out of her room, down the stairs, to the door. At the door was a note that said, "Hee, hee, hee - can't catch me!" K absolutely LOVED it and asked if he was going to keep doing stuff all day. Too funny (and no, the "troublemaker" did NOT leave cookies in our house :-)).
The day itself was AWESOME. K, JT, and Cora hit the aquarium and then played at the playground at the mall. I then met them at CFA, which we followed up with a swim at NOMAD (just me and K). We were in the water 75 minutes - a new record! We did 55 min in the cold pool, and it was honestly THE BEST swim we've ever had. K didn't cry once, we were constantly grinding out laps, and it was just drama free - so much fun! After that it was biking to the playground and back, where K pedaled up the cul de sac and driveway on her own for the first time ever!
On the Cora front, we officially transitioned out of the Robeez today and into hard sole shoes. Cora is walking like she's got a CRAZY club foot (her left), and she keeps crossing her feet while walking. Obviously she had some spills moving to the hard bottom shoes, but you can already tell she's walking better and straightening her foot more. Fascinating little creatures, these munchkins...Cora's nose is running like crazy, and she's definitely stuffed up. Ashley is coming over tomorrow, so she's gonna check out her ears.
3/18 - No infection for Cora!!! YAY!!!! This probably means she's got allergies, so our friend Ashley (a PA) told us we could give her Zyrtec as well (2.5 ml per day) to see if that helps. Honestly, 1 day in she already sounds better. And there's always JT and the snot sucker as a backstop, so we are working hard to clear that poor kiddo up! Her only problem today was that she busted her chin in child watch at church - she's got a nice little shiner on her chin!
While waiting for our company to come over, K got back on the bike today and rode GREAT! She tackled the hill to the next street like a champ and is clearly getting more and more comfortable. I think she much prefers the road to the sidewalk, but both aspects (up and down) are improving regardless of surface. Proud of you, kid!
We had a cookout with the Mohr's today, and it was a blast. K and Oliver (both 5) played GREAT together, and it was really just a ton of fun. Jenny met Ashley at church, and it was my first time meeting the husband (Zack) and the kids. We hung out and ate like kings for about 3 hours - all very good stuff. We went to bed that night with full bellies and full hearts - such an amazing weekend in the books!
3/19 - So Jenny and K put a 100 PIECE PUZZLE TOGETHER TODAY. I mean, seriously - THAT is amazing, as I don't think I could do that now! She's definitely got her mother's aptitude for spacial reasoning, which is AWESOME (so glad she didn't get mine!).
3/21 - Cora is finally starting to get curls in her hair! I noticed them for the first time today. Between that smile, those blue eyes, the whale spout, and the girls, she is just about adorable. I mean, I'm a little biased, but still - TOO CUTE.
Also, Cora and I are now doing eskimo kisses on a regular basis, usually when she's in her high chair. It's too cute, as she'll let me rub her nose (and she'll smile), and then once I pull back she'll start vigorously swinging her head from side to side. Love it! 3/22 - A big day for the Sneetch: her first ever alarm clock!!!! We set it for 7:30, and sure enough it woke her up! She was SO EXCITED about setting an alarm (too cute).
I picked the girls up today for the start of a fun adventure - the trip to Tennessee for the Knoxville 1/2 marathon! JT was headed to Dallas for a surprise birthday party, so I decided to take the kids to TN. We had an easy drive to mom's that first night (just about 4 hours). We experimented with Cora's snack approach, and I think it worked well. Basically I broke off small pieces of food and handed those to K, who then handed them to Buke. She didn't eat great, but it certainly worked and was MUCH more manageable than trying to feed her for 30 min or so at a rest stop. 
We arrived at mom's about 5:15 or so, and my kids were both mesmerized by the cats! Cora, who in November wasn't old enough to really know what was going on, was flat BLOWN AWAY by all the activity - it was hilarious! She would breath in deeply, point at a cat, and then go walking full speed toward it. She would then pet/poke it with a single finger - too cute! And obviously K was in HEAVEN, as she followed Sweetie Pie EVERYWHERE. We got Cora down at 7:15 (mom had her downstairs in her bathroom, which was PERFECT - clean, quiet, and dark), which was good since she only slept 27 minutes in the car for her nap (and the girl ate 2.5 CFA nuggets for dinner - WOW).
Dinner for K was a feast for kings: CFA nuggets, mac 'n cheese, cinnamon apples, fruit, milk - you name it! It was also the typical "gift fest 5000," as she received 5 new outfits, a new My Little Pony nightgown, plenty of candy in the Easter basket, a few new pushes (including "Lollipop" the Bunny, which she LOVED), matching socks for her and Kate, and matching Easter dresses for her and Cora.
The funniest moment: K comes downstairs with mom after bath and teeth, and I hear "what cookie am I going to choose?". I look up at mom, and she says, "I just thought she could have one cookie." CLASSIC! How in the world am I gonna control this girl's sugar intake?
We finally got K "down" at 8:36. However, as she was so excited to have Sweetie Pie in her bed, she just kept petting her until 10 PM! She actually called down at 10:01 to tell me she needed more water - she'd just been up there petting her the whole time!One comment about me - it feels like I am "project managing" ever facet of Kaitlyn's life right now, and I can tell I'm struggling with it. She's bombarded at all times with sugar and so many other things, and I feel like I am spending so much time telling her "no" at the moment (which is obviously not what I want). As an update to this (I'm writing this piece on April 2nd) - I do feel that this past weekend (Easter weekend) was much better, as I just relaxed a bit more and let things happen. However, I also established rules in the morning with K for how things were going to go down (less screen time, less sugar, less back talk, etc), and I do think that helped set the tone some. I love her so much and want to be such a great father to her, and I realize towing the hard line is sometimes part of the job as a parent. I am just hoping that, as we normalize our routine and the sugar intake, we can get back to where we were awhile ago in terms of our relationship. I think I'm doing a terrible job explaining all this, but suffice it to say that I don't feel I've been the best parent and am desperately seeking a way to be the father both my girls need. When I first noted this for the blog, my laptop wasn't working, I was sick, I'd just driven 4 hours, and work wasn't great - all of which likely played into my mood. However, I am in better spirits now - my attitude has been adjusted. :-)
Highlights from the Time in TN with Vol Nana and Grand Pooh:
3/23 - The highlight for me today was watching Cora with the cats - hilarious! She would breath deep (we are talking sucking in all the air in the room), point, and then walk FAST over to any cat in her path. She would then stick one finger out and poke its nose - too funny. That girl was in HEAVEN. She also loved the toys downstairs and did a terrific job of occupying herself - moving blocks to different spots, stacking things up, and eating cat dandruff. :-)K was obviously happy as a clam as well, as she got to help feed all the cats. The highlight for her, however, was a rare treat - Girls Day Out with Vol Nana! Mom took her to the Pink Pig, a pottery joint in downtown. K painted 2 little kittens, had a tour of the place, saw the kiln, and had a BLAST painting and then having an Oreo Blizzard with Vol Nana (the original plan of hitting mom's favorite ice cream shop exploded when she found out it was closed).
A note on K's behavior - right now she won't let me kiss her anywhere (since she's not allowed to kiss me on the lips). She'll say "DON'T KISS ME!" but will then repeat any words or other actions I do. Anytime I scratch her back and say something, she does the same. If I pat the top of her head, I have to bend over so she can pat mine. If I say, "Night, night gorgeous" before bed, she repeats that to me. So while I miss kissing her on the cheek, at least I'm still getting loved on. :-)Oh, and the quote of the night from K: She's in her room, and there are multiple cats in there with her. She says to mom: "I just love these kitties. I want to live in this room forever." That girl LOVES cats - amazing!
3/24 - We had breakfast at mom's today before heading over to Knoxville for the first stop of the day: The marathon expo. It was hilarious, as K did NOT want to be there. Once she saw a Tootsie Roll pop at the first booth, however, things suddenly changed... :-)
In all seriousness, this was a really good morning for us. Between the drive and My Little Pony on the iPad, we hadn't really had much of a chance to chat. In this hour we got a chance to walk around, ride down some escalators, and play games at a TON of different little photo booths. K won some chapstick (she selected the pink tube), some sunscreen, a lottery ticket (no $$$), and then the best one -- a koozy! This was awesome, as we rocked over to the CPI booth to spin their wheel. Well, it landed between koozy and sun glasses, and the guys laughed and said, "You want sunglasses, sweetheart?" She looks them stone cold in the face and says "KOOZY." THAT'S MY GIRL! I picked it up and smiled at the staff before saying, "I raised my daughter right." CLASSIC moment. One thing that did occur to me as we walked into the Expo and saw the Sunsphere - I was K's age when that thing was built, and it's been a fixture of my life for 3.5 decades. Getting a photo of her standing there in front of it was very special to me, and it reminded me of how young she is and how much life and possibility lies before her. EXCITING!
We got some snacks and goodies at the expo (I was able to fend off the request for popcorn and a hot dog) before heading to Johnny's house, where I basically lost K for the next 36 hours. After all, she had Sam, Jack, Henry, and the basement - I was fifth fiddle! I am kidding, of course, as that is EXACTLY what I wanted - K playing with them, making memories and getting them ready for some serious bonding time at the beach. It was wonderful, and it did give me a chance to relax (mom had graciously offered to keep Cora for the weekend, meaning I really did have VERY few responsibilities). 
We hit Smoky Mtn Brewery for lunch, and we spent the evening just chilling before the race (I was doing the half marathon). K and the kids watched a movie in the evening, complete with popcorn and M & M's. It was like Christmas morning for K, and they didn't hit the sack until 10 PM!
3/25 - A big day for the Bull - half marathon #40 in the books! While I didn't turn in the time I wanted (2:03:21 - the sickness caught up with me about mile 10), it was a great day, and I was very happy to cross it off the list. I was home before 11, which meant a good shower before some delicious Mexican (K had mac 'n cheese again and was happy as a clam :-)). We chilled that day, watching the Regional Finals like we did the day before. The girls were in Heaven - they were playing with those two bunnies from Mom ("Lollipop" the bunny) and were all over the place. K absolutely LOVES that new addition and takes her everywhere - Lollipop has actually replaced Twink for the moment! It's pretty cute - she asks to take Lollipop and Bunny Bun Bun everywhere she goes - even when she has no plans of touching them. When I ask her why we need to take them to the park even though she won't hold or see them (they are packed in the stroller), her response is pretty cute: "Because I take them everywhere, dada." #TRUTH.
K also had a blast shooting "guns with the gang" downstairs. They have some Nerf guns, and K was LOVING firing them (even the bow and arrow!). She tried steak for the first time ever that night and really enjoyed it. I checked in with mom, and she said that Buke was doing great over there as well. She'd slept really well in mom's bathroom area, had eaten good, and had even received a few new toys of her own courtesy of Grand Pooh. :-) Oh, and she ate raspberries for the first time (and even started eating blueberries again - THANK GOODNESS!).
We then headed over to Vol Nana's (third stop of the day - all before noon!), where it was time to have a final lunch, pet the kitties a bit, pack up, collect the Scream, and head for home. It was SO SWEET when Buke saw me, put her arms out, and ran straight for me. We really are bonding! We had about 2 hours there as well, and K really did a great job holding it together. It had been an admittedly emotional day from the start, as she didn't want to say goodbye to Sam (Sam gave her a little bracelet which is now Lollipop's necklace - truly amazing how quickly they've become so close), nor did she want to say goodbye to Granny A. So by the time she got to this point, she was obviously on the verge of tears. When she noticed I was all packed up, she asked how many minutes before we had to leave. I told her about 10, and she put her head down beside me. I told her it was OK to cry and be sad, but she kept shaking her head and refusing to let it out. The good news - My Little Pony on the tablet saved me as we drove off, as she was LOCKED IN while we were saying goodbye. I LOVE Technology!
Technology did NOT, however, stop us from an INCREDIBLE meltdown back home. K was a terror (even told Jenny "You're not my mommy"), but after all that sugar, the exhaustion, and the return to normal, we tried to let as much slide as we could. Both girls fell asleep INSTANTLY when we put them down - Buke didn't make a peep! And the good news - the drive was only 3.5 hours, as we didn't stop the whole way! Buke only slept 27 minutes (just like on the drive over). Poor thing would have slept longer, but the turns on Asheville Highway just tossed her around like a rag doll.
3/28 - Good news for K - she passed her eye test today! Everything looked good, and that was great news. Obviously we'll start getting annual checkups in school going forward to continue monitoring it (and truth be told I wasn't concerned), but the good news is that for now her vision is good!
Also, JT went to Carolina International School today to check it out. I will be honest - I had already written this place off, and Jenny certainly went in a) with an open mind but b) hoping that she wouldn't like it. As fate would have it, she a) met a friend of ours also taking the tour as soon as she walked in, and b) she actually thought it was really good. It's certainly not a fit for high school (and likely not middle school either), but she was intrigued about it and went ahead with the next round of paperwork. So it seems we're not quite decided yet on Highland Creek vs. CIS - more to come. Watch this space! I am looking forward to hearing more about it (I was in Toronto for work this week), but it's good to know that we have 2 really good options.
3/29 - Today was Kaitlyn's Easter Party at preschool, and Jenny got to tag along with Cora. Sounds like they had a blast, but that wasn't the highlight of the day. The real fun began after school, as Kaitlyn hosted Kate for her first ever sleepover!!!! I was still in Canada, but the photos Jenny sent were PRICELESS! They were jumping off beds, having their first ever pillow fight, eating popcorn and pizza, watching a movie, you name it. They went to bed at 8 but laid in bed talking until well after 9, just giddy that they were together. Kaitlyn said that she was going to "watch Kate sleep" to see if she sucked her thumb. Since she didn't, K decided that she would not suck hers either. (update: the following morning K said, "But then Kate woke up and sucked her thumb, so I sucked mine. She copied me." These girls...too cute).
3/30 - The girls were up and chatting about 6:42, and Kate's mom came by around 10 to pick her up. JT took the girls to the park for a play date with Taylie while I stayed at the house to work and wait for the HVAC guy. It was SO GREAT to be home, and the weather (low 70's was AMAZING!!!!).Cora looks like she's continued to develop SO MUCH since I've been away. That girl is practically RUNNING now, and this morning she spent the day "coloring" with JT (she also found it fun to eat a lot of the crayons, but I digress)...Cora really seems to be figuring things out, and it's amazing to see how fast she's changing. She is definitely calling me "gaga" anytime she sees me now, and she smiles as she runs to me and crashes into my legs! Also, she can now pop up fairly effortlessly from 1 knee. She's still walking with a bit of a club foot, but we can already tell that it's markedly improved since getting her out of the Robeez. Oh, and for the first time ever, that girl actually went down a slide by herself...AND LOVED IT!
We hit the Greenway in the afternoon, and it was a ton of fun. The weather was perfect, and I actually got to bike with K this time. She went a good 3 or so miles and REALLY RODE GREAT! The highlight was when I told her to pedal hard on the downhill to power up the climb. She did it and made it to the top of a decent rise, and her smile was HUGE when she summitted. WAY TO GO, KIDDO! That was the best I've ever seen her ride, and it's SO GREAT getting use out of those bikes and watching K enjoy it. She has even managed to climb her helmet on without my help, so every day she's improving. And it was GREAT to hear her say "I love the downhills" - that's a marked improvement from when we started!
3/31 - Today was a GREAT one, as we started it off with the Freedom House Egg Drop! We are talking 3400 people and 30K eggs - including 1500 dropped from a helicopter!!! There was a little section for Buke to look for eggs, but she couldn't have possibly cared less. K really tried to help her, but she would just pick them up, look at them as if they had 7 heads, and then toss them back into the little inflatable pool. Too funny. 
K's egg hunt (with the helicopter) was a bit later, and K scored 23 eggs! I had forgotten a basket (STRONG), but luckily JT had extra bags in the car - WAY TO GO, MUFFIN PUFFIN!!! The event went quickly, as once the rope dropped kids swarmed that field like a plague of locusts, consuming every egg (each one filled with candy or a toy) in sight in a matter of minutes - it was amazing!The afternoon was just me and K, and that was a bit rough, as K cried a pool of REAL TEARS when she lost at Tumblin' Monkeys. Come on! And when Jenny finally got home she actually said to me: "I'm glad Mommy's home. Now I don't have to play with you." Ouch...
We hit the park that afternoon, and the girls were really cute sliding down the slides together. The day was much better after that, and on the whole we had a blast.
And there you have it, folks - The start of Year 6 as a parent and another March in the books. 3 months in, this remains THE BEST year of my life. Can't wait to see what April holds. I feel good about it since it starts off with a bang - Easter Sunday!
Chat soon!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
