And a good evening to you from the Queen City - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Plenty to relate in this post, so let's get amongst it, shall we?
1/1 - So we had mentioned that we as a team were going to "purge and clean" the house starting in January, and I had already started piling up items to give away. What I did NOT expect, however, was for Kaitlyn to walk downstairs on New Year's Day with an armload of stuffed animals and toys and say, "I don't play with these any more, dada - you can give them away." WHAT!?!?!?!?! SO PROUD OF YOU, KIDDO!!!! And I'm thrilled to report that, since then, she's given away several more items, including some stuffed animals and even some little barn sets. YAY! The day was a lot of fun, and we were very active as a family. We got outside twice, walking for a bit at point point and playing with our outside toys another time. K and Cora were really great about sharing everything today - which was very nice to see!
Oh, and remember the sleeping bags that Vol Nana gave the girls? Well, they absolutely LOVE THEM! Kaitlyn is actually sleeping in hers ON TOP OF THE BED! It has been a thousand degrees lately, and K comes out of that thing hotter than a firecracker. However, she loves it! Cora is the same way - whenever she sees it, she says, "Nite, nite!" and then plows headlong into it. She does the same thing with the tipi in the bonus room. If you try to pull her out of there while she's laying on that rainbow colored pillow, you will get a very loud "NAAAAAAAAW!!!!!"1/2 - So today began detox for Team Taylor, as well as a new slate of responsibilities for Kaitlyn (augmented really). She's now responsible for bathing herself (under our supervision, of course), and so far she's doing a good job of it. We still need to work on scrubbing those pits, but the rest of it is going very well!
Also, the girls have started dropping in colored bath tablets into the water, and it is hilarious! They have pink, orange (looks like pee - Cora cried when she saw it and we tried to put her in!), and blue (super vivid). They love it! Also, K is really into Mowgli now on Netflix, and Bear is FINALLY showing a consistent interest in the telly. She doesn't have K's laser focus on it, but you can tell that she's getting more and more interested. I actually thought Mowgli was a little intense for them when I stopped and watched it, but they didn't seem any the worse for wear. :-)
1/3 - Back to school today!!!!! Full disclosure - neither K nor the Birch kids were REMOTELY excited about going to school, but deep down I think they were ready (mommy and daddy certainly were!). I actually got to do drop-off for the first time ever, and they seemed full of energy on the way out the door. Looking forward to the update!UPDATE: School was "okay." :-) K confirmed her favorite part of school remains recess...so I guess that's a plus. Currently she's very big on thumbs up, thumbs down, and thumbs in between, as apparently they do this at school.
Bear was awfully cute tonight during bath time, as she actually sang Rock a Bye Baby with Jenny! I mean, admittedly she didn't know all the words, but she did keep repeating the first part. It's similar to when she's in the car and wants to hear "Rain, Rain, go away" repeatedly. She will keep saying, "Rain, rain," and when you sing it she'll just give you that opening prompt again (and again...and again). K is a real trooper and sings it to her 4 or 5 times before finally giving out. Too cute.
Also, for Bear we've started doing "Who is that pretty girl?" in the mirror, and she seems to love it (keeps saying "Mo!"). It's interesting, because she actually says, "Meeeeeee," where as Hoff always said, "TT."1/4 - A big day today: Cora's two year appointment! It went great - she's 45th in weight, 55th in height, and (shocking not shocking) 35th in head circumference. Big brains in small heads, baby!!! She didn't have to get any shots, but they did check her iron with a finger prick. JT said she was tough as nails, and Mommy rewarded her with a lollipop for her efforts. :-) No vaccines today - no more in fact until age 5!
Dr. Knutson did say that it's time to graduate to the booster vs. the high chair, and she also needs to be eating with a spoon and fork. But the best news - NO MORE WHOLE MILK (I know, I know - first world problems). Now we don't have to keep shuffling milk around in the fridge - YAY! I mean, it's the little things really. :-)1/5 - The weather was AMAZING today, and Team Taylor made it count. I had a 25K up at Salem Lake, so the girls hit the Y and then the Mallard Creek rec center. Jenny said that K was great and went right up to some other kids to ask if she could play hide and seek with them. Cora apparently also made some friends, and she must have had quite the time jumping out and saying "Boo!" to one of the parents.
The afternoon was great. We played outside with all the normal toys - trikes, bubbles, the joy bay, and the balance bike. And the big news - KAITLYN CRUSHED THE BALANCE BIKE!!!!! Y'all, she was SO STEADY on it - easily her best ride ever. I was so excited! She really enjoyed it and kept wanting to do it over and over. Yay! Two years later, it is getting some love. :-)
We added to K's chore list today - sweeping of the floor around the table after each meal! She was actually pretty good about it and did decent work. More to come on this, but it's one more turn of the dial in the chore department. Oh, and on that subject - K paid for her first subscription today! I may have mentioned this in December, but "Amazon Free Time" isn't actually free after the first year. Luckily it's just $3 a month because we're prime members, but given how little K uses her kindle, I wasn't sure it was worth it. So I asked Kaitlyn - did she want to contribute $1 per month to keep it going (Jenny and I paid the rest). She said yes, and today was the first "deduction" for it. She did use it 1 time this week, and I intend to remind her on a regular basis that she's paying for that service. Life lessons!
On the Cora front, keeping her in the booster is NOT easy, and she's been a little fussy about eating. She will ONLY eat on the Frozen place mat (it's hilarious if you give her Doc or Sofia - the AUDACITY!!!!), and she is spending quite a bit of time out of the gate playing with the place mat vs. actually eating. However, we are getting there, and she did use the spoon pretty good for the oatmeal she ate this morning. And we got rid of the plastic cover that was under her seat today - the first of MANY things we'll be throwing away this year!
And speaking of throwing things away, today was a bit emotional in the throw away department. While we're no longer using the infant carrier, it was a BIG part of our lives - both kids came home from the hospital in that! It has been carried and driven thousands of miles, but in November it officially expired (they expire every 6 years). We tried to give it away four different places, but nobody would take it. Consequently, we had to just pitch it. I will have everyone know that I hugged it and thanked it for keeping my girls safe and for all the memories we have from it. Crazy world to me that it's suddenly "no longer safe" and no one will accept it, but I reckon it is what it is. 1/6 - We had 2 church services today, and I was so proud of how good K was. As I have told her, she's sacrificing for Jesus as well but attending two services, and I was super proud of her.
The featured activity was Eamonn's 6th birthday party over at DPK. Kaitlyn got to go into "the attic" (aka the classrooms) for the first time ever, and by all accounts she had a blast. What was really fun (and exciting), however, was the afternoon activity - breaking out the balance bike!
Now full disclosure here - we bought this thing for K over a year ago on the premise that "it would make it easier for her to ride a bike without training wheels." Well, at the time, we didn't realize how heavy this thing was (and how tall for that matter). Bottom line - she was a bit intimidated by it, and she really didn't play with it much. That has changed recently, as she's now a) getting braver, b) getting stronger, and c) getting taller. She'd been on it a few times prior to this, and the other day she'd actually managed to get out of the driveway (and over the bump) without stopping. Each time she tried it, she gained confidence, and today she BLEW IT WIDE OPEN!!!!! Seriously - she kept going further and further, and she was more and more confident (even after I inflated the tires) each time.
We did hit a tipping point, however, when she was confident enough to go the length of the cul de sac. The issue there was the mixture of slope and weight of the bike, as she started going too fast. I noticed that she was really struggling to stop (she was sliding on her toes vs. digging in her heels), and she was straight up shredding her shoes! I was afraid they were going to rip, at which point it would be skin on asphalt. I started catching her at speed, but that was difficult. Then, when JT and I traded spots and I started watching Bear, K surprised Jenny by asking her to catch (stop) her. Jenny didn't know that was an expectation (totally understandable) and was unable to catch her before she wiped out. K got a good strawberry and definitely cried a bit, but I AM SUPER PROUD TO REPORT THAT SHE GOT RIGHT BACK ON THAT BIKE AND KEPT GOING. Proud of you, kiddo!!!! That's so great!
We did remove the training wheels as well on her actual bike. K asked us to do it, but then after the fall she got scared about trying it. We didn't put the training wheels back on (after all, that's a one way street), but we didn't push it either. We've got plenty of time for all that. :-)On the Bear front, I had a blast running around with her while she chased bubbles. She was so happy, so full of energy, and just giggling all the time. It was just too cute. She was NOT as happy, however, at dinner, when Jenny flipped the switch and started making her eat some fruit and veg before she got seconds of pasta. I have to give JT a TON of credit here, as Cora is now doing it! There were 2-3 days of protest, but she learned soon enough. Well done, wife muffin!!!!
1/10 - I was in Minneapolis Mon-Wed and didn't see much of the girls save face time. However, I woke up this morning to find K with three braids in her hair (to make it curly). I am happy to report that it was a success and (quoting her on this) "everyone" loved her hair. :-) JT did it that way tonight as well - too cute.
I didn't work out so I could see the girls in the morning, and I got to read to bear before they headed out for the day. At night I came home to find both girls jumping off their chairs onto the rug (aka the hot lava), and I had a blast tickling them and chasing them. I read to Cora but also got some snuggle time with K, and it was great to just be back under a roof with my girls. 
1/11 - "Boo!" So this has become one of Cora's new things - she'll either try to sneak up on you and say boo, or she'll stand right in front of you, cover both her eyes, and then fling her arms out and say BOO! She finds it hilarious, and I must confess - it's pretty darn cute.
Cora's vocabulary is blowing up at the moment. She's now sitting in the booster vs. the high chair, and she has no problem saying "stuck!" when she tries (always unsuccessfully) to get out by herself. I will say that it's tough to keep her in that bloody thing, as any time you say something which "displeases" her - things like...eat your fruit...eat your vegetables...no you can't have enough mac to feed the Red Army...stuff like that - she bucks up, says all done, and tries to wiggle out. However, we are making progress, and she is doing much better with a fork (spork). Progress!!!
This morning she pointed out the window and said "Pink!" I turned around, and it was the PRETTIEST sunrise I'd seen in a while - talk about a special moment! I hadn't even thought to look. From the mouth of babes... :-) She's also emulating sister more and more, doing things like saying "watch" or "look" when she's doing something. Her favorite game at the moment is running up to you with a stuffed animal that tries to "bite" you, at which point you have to react as though you're being bitten. She cackles every time. Also, since K is now wearing a red watch, Cora has started wearing a "watch" as well. This watch, however, is actually a band-aid bracelet from the Doc McStuffin's kit - too cute! But Cora knows she can wear it all day except in the crib because it's hard. She says "night, night" to it and takes it off every evening. She actually does the same thing with her toy kitty - she will hug it during reading time but will then set it down and say bye to it. She actually pointed to it and told Jenny "hard!"
Lastly, she's finally taking an interest in the TV screen! Now granted, she will only watch about 15-20 minutes at a time, but she will absolutely stare at the screen intently - especially for Elena!
On the Kaitlyn front, she is ALL ABOUT Dragons: Race to the Edge on Netflix at the moment. There are 78 episodes, and she is CUTTING through them. I did watch one with her and must confess - the animation is pretty killer. She loves to curl up in that sleeping bag during tablet time (which is super cute), but the problem at the moment is that she's jumping into it the second she gets home from school, which means stinky feet are just baking in that kitty. I haven't smelled it yet, but JT said it was quite the funk already. Special...
1/12 - Today was a GREAT Saturday, starting with the Y! K was up at 6:12 (INSANE how she always gets up earlier on weekends - even when she goes to bed later Friday night!) The girls were in the playhouse for about an hour, after which time we signed K up for ballet and modern jazz. It starts next month, and she's really excited. The price was right and that girl LOVES dance, so it should be a win. The highlight of the morning for her was definitely getting to climb the rock wall in the rec room at the Y. It's free, and she was even able to get on belay!!! She tried it twice and did really good both times - you could just tell she was tired (and a little scared) on the second one. We got some great pics and spent a good hour in there letting her either free climb or do the belay - we'll definitely do that again!
The afternoon was a hoot as well, as we went to a UNCC women's basketball game. We had great seats, and we think the girls had fun. They certainly enjoyed going through 2 tubs of bottomless popcorn! And then, "dinner" that night was a pretzel with cheese sauce. Yes, yes - father of the year. But hey, we won, the girls were good (by and large), and it was a quick game. All in all - RESULT!
That night for bed K said, "Can we play if you wanna be my lover?" Apparently JT has been playing this for her, and she actually KNOWS THE CHORUS NOW. I mean...hearing your naked 5 year old sing "If you wanna be my lover" as she dries herself after bath is...well...a unique experience...:-)
One thing to note - K used the Lord's name in vain today for the second time in two days. I'm sure she's heard it at school, but we explained to her that she was not allowed to say that. We haven't heard it since, so hopefully she's conscious of it (and how important it is NOT to say it).
1/14 - So the cutest thing today: I came in from my run, and Cora and Kaitlyn were playing a new game. Cora will yell "hug!" and start chasing Kaitlyn around the island, with K acting like she doesn't want the hug. Eventually she catches her, and the hug is just adorable.
I came home this afternoon and said, "I need to do my pushups." Cora immediately ran over to the rug, laid down, and started doing her version of pushups - too cute! Also, Bear told JT when she pooped today, then she climbed onto the changing pad, laid down, and held her nose! Honestly, y'all - this girl seems crazy sharp. On Sunday she heard twinkle twinkle and went straight into her room to get the book from CFA for me to read. She just seems to be so attentive and firing on all cylinders - crazy to watch! I feel so blessed that both my girls seem healthy, happy, and intelligent - such a blessing for all of us.
She's so sharp, in fact, that she's taken a liking to locking doors in the house (which we then have to pop open). And so....far ahead of schedule...we introduced the child proof door covers tonight! Cora got out of the bath, saw them, tried to close the door, and then pointed at them and said, "Lock!" You got that right, kid. :-)Side note - both my girls are LOVING "Richard Scarry's Please and Thank You." GMT and GDT gave me that when I was three - amazing how timeless some things are.
1/15 - So all was good - great in fact - tonight until I was putting lotion on Bear. She was NOT happy that she didn't have JT ("Mama...mama....mama...."it's tough when neither child wants you anywhere near them), and she was crying SO HARD. I was afraid that she would make herself sick, and sure enough she did get a little choked at one point. I let her swallow that, but when I picked her up she taught me a lesson and BLASTED ME WITH VOMIT. I caught the first couple, but needless to say I was a mess by the end of it. K then started crying and screaming "She's sick, don't put her in the tub! Keep her away from me!", at which point both girls were bawling and it was like a scene from a movie.
We did get her down (no temp), but something was clearly off. She was having a lot of trouble breathing (so congested, and it was so deep), so JT made the right call to give her ibuprofen. I am happy to report that she did sleep through the night.
1/16 - So Bear was definitely stuffy today, and I went into her room about 6 or so to check on her. She actually curled up on me and slept for about an hour, snoring and drooling all over me. All was well, and she finally woke up and seemed happy. However, when I went to change her, she threw up an avalanche of snot on me. I mean...DISGUSTING. But the amazing part - when I put her in front of the trash can, she knew to lean over and try to throw up there.
I got to drop K at school today, and on the way home Cora looked out the window and said, "School Bus!" I mean, WHAT?!?!?!?!? Well done, kiddo!
1/17 - Kate came over for a sleepover tonight (it was the end of Q2, so no school tomorrow for Parent-Teacher conferences), and the girls got on like a house on fire (as per usual). I showed up, and they had a BLAST playing with me. Apparently I was "Fake Daddy" because I have shorter hair than "real daddy." Also, "Fake Daddy" apparently lives in K's closet with the skeletons and either tickles her or slaps her in the face during good dreams in the middle of the night (all her words, mind you). Um...BIZARRE. That being said, the girls LOVED running from me while I jumped out from behind walls and doors, and we just had a good evening of whooping it up. Even bear had a blast, which is good considering that the poor girl has an ear infection!
Jenny took her to Dr. T today, who confirmed that she did have an infection in one ear and potentially strep as well. She gave her Cefdinir, which is strong enough to knock out all of it at the same time (7 mls once daily for 10 days). JT flavored the meds with grape at Publix, which definitely helped Bear get it down. As soon as she took it, however, she said, "M!" We didn't have any M&Ms, so she had to be content with a pez instead. She ate it but said, "Hard!" when she put it in her mouth (we have since procured a king sized pack of M&M's). We did get a note from Ms. Pate that K fell on the monkey bars today. She made it to the 6th rung before falling back. Ms. Pate said she cried quite a bit but likely just had the wind knocked out of her. The good news - she was just proud she made that many rungs (it was just three the day before, which was a record in and of itself!) and didn't seem at all the worse for wear (she didn't mention it at all once at home)
1/18 - So the girls were up when I walked past at 5:32 this morning, but I am proud of them for a) staying in the room and b) being quiet. In fact, they played in there just as requested until the clock read 6:03. In their defense, when we told them last night they couldn't leave the room until 6:30, K said, "You mean 6-0-3, dada?" I corrected her, but let's face it - I'm just happy that she remembered the 6 came before the colon. :-)
The big news of the day was Kaitlyn's Parent-Teacher conference, which I'm happy to report was a SMASHING SUCCESS!!!!! JT was there while I watched the kiddos, and I am so proud of the report she received. She received a "1" in reading and math, which is the highest possible score. Her reading level is now "E," which is a first grade level. Yay! Also, Ms. Pate said (and I proudly quote), "If I had a roomful of Kaitlyn's, it would be so easy. She is so polite and so well behaved. " SO PROUD OF YOU, KIDDO!!!!!! Kate is here now, so I am not going to embarrass her by bragging on her. Tomorrow, however, I fully intend to let her know how proud we are of her.The girls had a great day - two movies, DPK, and some outside time. They play so well together (even if sometimes they are a force of nature when united), and I really do think they have a shot at being lifelong friends. Amazing when you think about it and how it all started (I can hear Zechariah's words now...).
Oh, and I brought down my work laptop (vs. the Mac) today while sitting with Cora at breakfast. Bear looks at it, points to the PC, and says, "Work!" I am telling you...brilliant.
1/19 - Team Taylor was at the Y today, and it was a blast! JT and I got a workout in while the girls were in the playhouse, and then we went to the rock wall for some time on belay. K is getting stronger and more confident, and she's almost at the point where she's ready to punch through to the next level (there is a certain spot where she can tell she's high up there and gets a bit scared). But the good news - she learned how to push off the wall properly on the come down, so that's definitely moving her in the right direction. That had the added benefit of teaching her that, while on belay, she won't fall, which will hopefully give her even more confidence next time we try it. The afternoon was really good, filled with just chilling and playing Monopoly Junior. Kaitlyn absolutely LOVES IT!!!! Now don't get me wrong, she's not always great about losing, but she is really, really enjoying the board game. It's the perfect combination of quick to set up, easy to play, fast to complete, and fair for everyone. Good job, Vol Nana!
We had Encounter that night, and it was (as always) a great service. We got the girls down about 8 or so - a great night in the books. JT and I even watched a little Jack Ryan on Prime - it was like date night!
1/20 - The highlight of the day was hanging out the Millers that evening during the football games. The kids all got on great, and it was just a really, really fun afternoon. The Miller girls had TONS of little horses, and Cora was in absolute heaven (especially with this 1 horse that trotted on command when you pushed a button). We ate like kings, and the 4 hours just absolutely flew by - so great to see them again! Kaitlyn and AJ got on like a house on fire and ran around everywhere - most of the time with AJ chasing her holding a sword and wearing a Batman mask that amplified his voice...hilarious! We left there late and (for the second night in a row) didn't bathe the girls. Even with that, we still didn't get them down until 8:45!
Oh, and Cora's vocabulary has absolutely exploded (I feel like I say this every single time I sit down to type). She can say SO MANY words now! I heard "sneeze" for the first time ever today. Did I mention that she knows all of her colors? It's amazing! And she's starting to say "Bye Dad," "Bye Mom," etc. Also, she is using the magnates to build a fence, and when she does she says "Gate!" and leads you over to look at it. Tonight in the car she was singing "Rain, Rain, Go Away," but her version is just "Rain...Go way!" She is now saying "Go way" when ever she doesn't want something (i.e. taking a hat off, taking shoes off, etc). It's pretty cute. But I do think we've got another fashionista on our hands, as she loves to wear her vest or her "hearts" (hoodie), and if you bring out the beanie, she'll always say, "hat."
1/21 - the girls went to Mallard Creek Rec Center today and then over to CFA for lunch, which Cora can now say ("fil-A!")! The day actually went pretty quick, as they had the Y on the front end, and then I got to take the Goose to gymnastics, where I got to see her do some really cool stuff (rolling on the bar, doing the bat wing on the bar, and swinging on the rope. I saw her do her best cartwheel EVER, and then she did a second one that was almost as good - so neat to watch! We are about to wrap our 4th session of gymnastics, which will make it a full year she's participated. I do think she enjoyed/enjoys it, but she's adamant that she wants to take a break for a bit. We are good with that - especially since she's got dance starting up next month (and since we need to spend some time back in the pool with her anyway). For me, tonight might have been the last time I'll actually get to watch her at gymnastics, so I spent a lot of time at the window taking it in. I definitely feel like someone on the outside looking in at that world - largely because a) I'm a guy, b) it wasn't my thing, and c) mostly it's moms in the waiting room. So when I get the chance to see it (and really see her do stuff), it's special. For me, if this was the last time, it was a wonderful way to go out. 
1/22 - The girls hit the Rec Center again today, and then they hit the aquarium, where K purchased "Pongo the Penguin" with her own money. :-) Dinner that night was at Hawthorne's with Angie and her boys, and the girls were GREAT! They both CRUSHED their Mac 'n Cheese, and it really was a fun 90 minutes. They were so well behaved! We definitely want to do it again soon - and next time we can just bring it to one house or the other. Another fun night in the books!
1/23-1/24 - This guy was sick, so I didn't witness or record much of anything. I did bath with the girls on Thursday night, and they were so great. Also, on Wednesday, K gave me a super sweet hug (came up from behind and wrapped her arms around me), which definitely gave me a lift. But MAN, this guy was OUT OF IT for most of those 2 days.
1/25 - So I didn't realize it, but K has been earning "Bradford Bucks" (think Monopoly money for school) every week. Apparently you can earn it throughout the week for various things (usually by doing the right thing, helping someone, etc), and on Friday you get the chance to spend it. There are myriad options (I learned all this at dinner), but K opted to spend $10 of her bucks to bring a friend to school on Monday. That girl LOVES to bring her friends along! The winner this time was "Pengy," and she was SO excited. And can I just say again how much I love Bradford? I think it's awesome that they are teaching about money and the value of things. K was pretty sharp when she said, "5 and 5 make ten, and I gave Ms. Hong 10 Bradford Bucks." I mean...probably running a hedge fund before age 30. Just sayin'...
1/26 - Today was a great day and kicked off a great weekend in earnest for Team Taylor. We didn't have a full schedule, and things just flowed smoothly from one activity to the next. We all got along SO GOOD as a family, and I went to bed on Sunday night realizing again just how blessed I am, how special our family is, and how sweet and wonderful our girls really are. It's weekends like this - filled with fun, activities, and laughter - where great memories are made and you get the chance to appreciate anew how fortunate you are.The girls slept in (thank goodness, given that I was still not feeling 100%), and we started the day at the Y. K was on belay three times, and she got to a new level!!!! I was SO PROUD of her, as not only did she go WAY higher than previous attempts - she also had terrific form pushing off on the way down! It was so, so, so cool to watch, and I was really proud of her. It would be so awesome if her and JT really got into that together - talk about a serious mother-daughter bonding activity! Bear was great as well, as she ran around all OVER the place in the rec room. She loves running from wall to wall and purposefully falling down onto the mat - cackles every time.
The staff in the playhouse recognizes us now, which is great. And K even got to play in the spillover room today - playing freeze dance and Simon says. I love the Y! Now I will say - K has informed me (multiple times at this point) that she misses NOMAD, as she misses the tiger she used to play with in Childwatch. I have tried to explain how much more value we're getting for money at the Y, but so far that's falling on deaf ears - a trend I expect to continue for at least the better part of the next decade...
The girls spent the afternoon playing with magna-tiles - they are LOVING those! And it's really cute, as they play SO WELL together. Cora likes building a "gate" (think fence), and once it's built, she likes to run up to you, take your hand, and show you her handiwork (as she steps inside the fence). Kaitlyn has taken it to a new level - she's started building a fort with a gate, and then she uses another tile to "lock" the fort and protect the animals inside. Really impressive! Also, K's stories at BPS are really cute these days. After they listen to a story (this week they are reading "Bear Snores On"), they have to draw pictures of the story and write a sentence about how they think the scene would look. It's SO cute to see her work and see her sentences. In fact, sometimes in art they just freehand stories and pictures, and K's best to date is a picture of her and Kate with the caption: "The best day ever is me with my bff and 'ice creem' and a 'reel' cat." 
In the afternoon we got outside for some sidewalk chalk and...basketball?!?!? That's right, sports fans - K is saying she's interested in playing basketball! We are going to look into it at the Y this summer, as she's expressed interest more than once. We spent a good hour passing the ball, dripping, and just having fun outside. The weather was perfect - K even put on the rain boots and jumped in a "muddy puddle" (she was shocked I let her go to the end of the cul de sac on her own). We went to church that night, and K got to go in the Arrows classroom! She loved it - thought Pastor Michael was an absolute hoot. That girl cannot WAIT to be in Arrows. She told me, "Dada - if you are in kindergarten, you can go into Arrows." Soon enough, wee one!
Walking out of church, K mentioned that she wanted to go to the prize hub. Well, when we went up to pick something, I just assumed that she would pick some candy. Instead, she cashed in 15 tokens and got a RAINBOW POOP STRESS BALL. I mean....WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?!?!? Honestly, at first I thought she had buyer's remorse, but that thing has NOT left her side since purchasing it. In fact, she has taped it to Pengy's bottom and announced that he has a "rainbow drill bit tail to help keep him alive." I mean...I don't ask a lot of questions these days...Dinner that night was mac 'n cheese, and we broke out the step stool so K could help cook. I am happy to report that Buke did (finally) eat a few bits of veg and fruit before being given a second round of carbs - PROGRESS!!!!! I am happy to report that we registered success on Sunday as well - CHECK!
1/27 - Today was another great day of life in balance. I really feel I got quality time with the girls and Jenny, and it was a good mixture of me time, activities, and just chilling. After breakfast at toast (where we ran around the building to burn off calories), we started driving home (Jenny was serving at church). When we got to the parkway, K said, "I wanna go to the park!," and I thought "you know what? Why not!" So we drove over to Clarke Creek and played for a bit. We would have stayed longer, but Cora got SOAKED on the slide out of the gate and got cold after about 20 min (her hands were ice blocks). However, after coming home, changing clothes, getting our water bottles, and warming up (it was 40), we headed back to Clarke Creek for probably another hour! The girls climbed, I spun K around on the apparatuses, Bear was in the swing, and all was right with the world. It was GREAT!
We came home for lunch, and then we played some Monopoly while Bear napped. We just chilled in the afternoon, each doing their own thing before getting in bed early - hearts full and smiles firmly fixed on our faces.
1/28 - K took Pengy to BPS today (along with the rainbow poop drill bit) and had a BLAST running around with him (and with the poop, which is now almost completely discolored). Cora's adventure was the dentist, where everything checked out good. They did say that her top teeth were a little discolored and told us to brush her a little better. Nothing we can't correct! Bear was great about it tonight and really let us to some scrubbing.
1/29 - The bear is starting to talk in complete sentences!!!!! She is now definitely stringing words together, and last night was her longest to date: "More milk, please!" Too cute! Also, the other day she said, "Poop!" and pointed to her bum. When we asked her if she did poop, she said, "Yeah!" and then proceeded to lay down and spread her legs. That girl is ready for some pull-ups, baby!!!! Woot-woot! She also put a fake burger patty on a fake bun (one side was a cookie, but details...), walked up to me, and said, "Hamburger!" It's amazing!
On the Kaitlyn front, that girl is LOVING playing Word Freeze! She did it in Arrows with Pastor Michael and managed to reach him once (which means she crossed the room successfully, thus earning a token). We played some this evening and again the following morning (she found me reading in the Bonus Room, and it was the first thing she wanted to do).
I have been able to drop K at school the last 2 days, which has been a real treat for me. Jenny figured out how to turn off the child proof locks in Katie, so now it's MUCH easier to take them!
I am about to head to Vegas, so realistically this is the last update you'll get before we roll into February. I know that they girls are heading over to the McLaren's for dinner and a play date tomorrow, so the ladies of Team Taylor should end January with a bang!
That's all the news that's fit to print. Chat with you next month!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
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