A Super Fun September for Team Taylor...

Family,

And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where another great (and milestone full) month is in the books.  Let's get amongst it, shall we?

9/1 - The day was fun on all fronts, commencing with 2 services at church.  Kaitlyn cashed in her tokens for....A PIXIE STICK!!!!!  It was hilarious, as Jenny was standing by her when she walked up, but then we traded places as she was making the purchase.  I didn't really JT hadn't green lighted that selection, and she was shocked when she saw us walking out with it.  Her quote was, "I can't believe Daddy let you get that."  Priceless!

Luckily, she burned it off, as we had 2 fantastic hours swimming with Clan McLaren for what was likely the final swim of the summer.  The weather was great, and my shoulder was feeling good enough to throw K and Kate around the pool (Allison was much tougher :-)).  Cora didn't swim much - largely because (we think) her knees were bothering her.  However, she did rally toward the end.

Before that, we had a great moment where K, after watching JT do her workout, then went and started doing pushups on the mat!  It's really cool, as it's the second time K has "joined in" on a workout.  It's one more reason I love the program we're doing, as the kids see us working out and see how much of a priority it is.  Faith, Family, Fitness, Finances, Football - all the key items! :-)  We are also having them pose with us as we complete some of our workouts - it's still really fun!

Also, the absolute SWEETEST moment of the day:  during Arrows, we had a time where we prayed for the kids.  Any kid that wants prayer for anything could come forward, and in the 9:30 Kaitlyn came up and requested prayer to heal Cora's knees!  I mean...how sweet is that!  The other day she saw Cora crying and instantly went over to try and comfort her.  LOVE!

9/2 - We were out the door at 10:30 this morning and "boots on the ground" at OMB by 11:03!  We met Clan McLaren there, and it was just a TOTAL blast.  They have a new play area, and the kids were all OVER that thing running and playing around.  The beer was good, the laughs were plentiful, and the girls entertained themselves pretty much nonstop for FOUR HOURS!  I mean, between playing with friends, grilled cheese, and puppies, what could go wrong?  It really was a TERRIFIC day and capped off a GREAT Labor Day weekend.  So blessed!

One interesting thing to note that evening - Jenny was tucking K in, and she kept asking her questions.  Obviously that was to keep her in there, and she's getting better at it these days.  But at one point right before JT walked out, K apparently got quite serious and sad and said that she didn't want to go to school tomorrow.  When Jenny asked why, she said that Mr. McMahon yells a lot and is rough with the boys.  She then said, "I miss Ms. Pate."  They talked for a bit, and K was either crying or at the point of tears when Jenny tucked her in (it broke Jenny's heart, of course).

Honestly - I didn't know what to say or do, as K doesn't really tell us much about school.  Apparently that's quite common - kids don't really like to talk about their world.  It's obviously something we'll monitor, and I am hopeful that all is well.  Honestly, she always seems to come home chipper, so if anything I just assumed she was really enjoying it!  Watch this space!

9/3 - A BIG DAY IN THE TAYLOR HOUSEHOLD....BEAR STARTED PRE-SCHOOL!!!!!!  She looked SO CUTE and was SO excited.  We got some great first pictures - she has decided she wants to be "M & M girl" when she grows up.  I mean, I have a cat and an M & M girl.  How could we fail?
The recap afterwards was glowing - she peed 3 times on the potty and had ZERO accidents!  She loved playing with the toys, playing in the sandbox, playing outside on the "BIG" slide, meeting a new friend (can't remember her name), got goldfish as a treat, and even remembered her teachers' names (Ms. Christa and Ms. Laura).  Love it!  SO happy that it went well, and I'm already looking forward to Thursday!  Bear also peed and pooped on the potty at home - CRUSHING IT!  JT - I must tip my cap and give you credit here.  This progress is AMAZING.  Love you, wife muffin!  You rock the party that rocks the piñata!!!

K said that she didn't want to talk about school when she got home, but she seemed happy.  I told her that was fine and that we didn't have to talk about it, but I did want her to tell us if anything was ever wrong.  Again - I'm hopeful it's nothing, but we are obviously actively monitoring it.

One thing I will say - K is CRUSHING her piano exercises right now!  The teachers have been really impressed - she's playing her first song from memory already (Old McDonald :-)).  She's using black keys, white keys, and just really picking things up.  I am hearing speed and confidence in her playing, and I'm really proud of her.  I really do hope she enjoys it, as it's such a life skill.

9/4 - Interestingly enough, K apparently spent the entire drive to school today asking Taylie "how many times a day does your teacher yell?"  Well, after 20 minutes of this line of questioning, JT felt compelled to text Eden's mom and ask how Eden was faring.  Well, apparently, Eden had complained about the same thing to her parents, and she was actually in tears about going to school.  Apparently her dad had to pretty much push her out the door this morning to get her to go in!  Jenny actually wrote the teacher at that point - not accusing or mentioning anything, but simply asking about her behavior and how she seemed at school (she did mention that K expressed a desire to NOT go on a couple of occasions).  He wrote back, said that she was a GREAT student - very polite, making friends, always doing what she was asked.  He said he hadn't seen anything to that effect but would certainly keep an eye on her the next couple of days.

I liked the response, and the truth of it (my opinion) - there are some kids who don't want to pay attention, and he's not going to stand for it.  So he will pound the grass to startle the snakes until they come in line.  K obviously isn't use to that, so I think it's just an adjustment to watch others be disciplined.  Again, we'll keep watching, but that's what I'm thinking.

K spent the afternoon at Taylie's (that's her normal Wednesday routine, and she LOVES it) before coming home ahead of another first - her first ever Girl Scouts meeting!  I am very pleased to report that, in the window while she was home, she was actually SUPER talkative about school.  I have found that if you don't push it, she does gradually open up, and she was giving me all kinds of tidbits tonight.  Yay!  It sounds like it was a really good day.  Oh, and did I mention that she is ROCKIN' the side ponytail these days - too cute.

That evening was a new first for Team Taylor:  Girl scouts!  Jenny and I only suggested this to make sure that K got the chance to keep bonding with Ellie, and we had no idea a) what to expect or b) if she would like it.  Well, as it turns out - she LOVED it!  It was so great on so many fronts - the girls were really nice, K loved hanging with Ellie, and they are really, really focused on Service projects.  It was AMAZING to see the lineup they've already got planned for this year.  K seemed really excited, and I was thrilled because it will be such a great way to introduce her to serving - soup kitchens, bagging food for needy children, and loads of other programs.  Yay!  1 session in - RE-SULT!

9/5 - Cora had another GREAT day at pre-school.  She LOVES it!  Jenny told her that tomorrow was pre-school again, and she put her arms up and said, "Yay!"  SCORE!  Honestly - it's just great, and she's really loving it.  I think she'd go 5 days a week if we'd let her!

Cora was NOT an angel in the evening, however.  I was out for a Boys night, and Jenny was at Leading Edge with church.  We were using a new sitter - a young lady named Heidi - who was super sweet and did a really good job.  All was well until bedtime, as Cora was her usual frumpy, fuss pot self.  And while normally it's not an issue - we just let her cry it out - Jenny hadn't prepped Heidi for the nightly meltdown (aka the storm in a teacup).

So here's the scene (keep in mind I didn't know about any of this until the next morning, as I got in quite late):  Jenny gets home at 9:30, and Heidi isn't downstairs.  Lights are on upstairs, and Heidi is actually in Bear's room!  Turns out that Bear wouldn't stop crying, and Heidi didn't know what to do. She tried everything in her arsenal - laying down in Bear's room, playing with her...even asking her if she wanted to have a sleepover with Kaitlyn! Now of course, she did want to sleep with K...but she didn't want to get out of the bed!  She was all over the place - moving stuffed animals in and out of Kaitlyn's room, and Heidi went downstairs thinking they would settle.  Well, apparently Cora didn't settle, and poor Kaitlyn came downstairs, broke down crying, and asked for Mommy.  Poor things!  But they did eventually all get to sleep - albeit at 10 PM!

9/6 - So I've found a fun new game to play with Kaitlyn - the number guessing game!  It's funny - it's something we do in Arrows from time to time, and K has just taken to it like a duck to water!  I either give her 4 guesses for 1-50 (and give clues after each #), 5 for 1-75, and 7 for 1-100.  It's been fun, and she's nailed more than a couple!

We've also had to go back to the girls eating their veggies first.  It doesn't matter for K, of course, but Bear absolutely needs to be forced to do it.  The good news - after some protesting, she has been eating all her fruit and veg!  I will say that it takes bear FOREVER to eat, but we are making progress!

We did the girls' heights in the bonus room today - it is AMAZING how much they've grown since March!  Both of them have gained several inches - just growing up so fast!

We asked K about piano, and she confirmed that she wanted to stick with it for another session.  She said that she does enjoy it - she just doesn't enjoy practicing. :-)  We have told her a) that's a condition for continuation, and b) we will not stay up there with her while she does it.  She has to have the discipline on her own.  So far, so good!

Oh, and while K and I were playing in the bonus room, she NAILED her tooth on her knee (she was dodging a ball.  She said "I hit my tooth," and then I noticed the blood.  It didn't come out, but it obviously had ripped a root.  She cried for a bit, but then she was fine.  She was Bucky Beaver at that point - total snaggletooth!

Also - a Big day for this guy:  my first ever Bear drop-off at Pre-school!  It was GREAT - she was so sweet and SO excited.  You could tell that she just LOVED being there - talk about the total opposite from the Playhouse at the Y.  Yay!

9/7 - We hit Carowinds today for a EPIC run through that place.  The crowds were non-existent when we arrived, and we went about as hard as you could go for the 3.5 hours we were in that place.  I was BUSHED!  We hit all the major roller coasters that K could go on, and she even soloed the Mountain Glider ride.  Bear did Boo Blasters SIX TIMES!  Too cute.  Oh, and since they were decorating for Scarowinds, the Troll was out.  These girls LOVED it.  Kaitlyn couldn't stop watching it - didn't want to walk away.  She's basically memorized everything the Troll says, and even Cora got in on the action.  We were at home at dinner that night, and she said, "Gaga...there was this troll...and he said...he was going....to EAT US!"  She must have told me this 47 times.  It. Was. Hilarious.

The day was great, and we went as hard as we could go until about 4 PM.  The girls even found time to run around on the golf course for a bit in the SCORCHING heat.  It's so funny - they were desperate to run around on the golf course, but I was exhausted, it was hot, and I'd just cracked a Corona. :-)  So I said, "Kaitlyn - I'll give you 10 seconds to run to that tree.  Bear - I'll give you 15."  Sure enough, they took off running!  I must have picked 5 different spots for them to run to, and they even ran all the way to the sand trap!  Luckily no one was playing, so they had the run of the place - it must have felt like a Homesteader just running around in the Midwest!

Some other things that I just have to capture for posterity:

1. Cora's conjugation right now is HILARIOUS!!!!  Seriously - that girl is treating EVERY verb as if it's a regular verb.  I give her credit there, as she totally understands the concept.  Unfortunately, she's just not quite nailing all the irregular ones just yet. :-)

2.  My girls both have very cute, teeny freckles on their faces now.  It's just so sweet - they are so tiny and look so cute.  Love these beautiful little creatures!

3.  Getting Cora to wash her hands before dinner or after peeing is NEVER easy, but it has been made easier by the new hand washing ritual she's introduced.  Here's how it goes:

A.  turn on fan in powder room
B.  turn off light in powder room
C.  turn on Kaitlyn's firefly toothbrush (it flashes for 60 seconds when you push the button
D.  We both hands
E.  I sing "Rubby Rub, Rubby, Rub, Rubby, Rub Rub Rub" to her
F.  We dry her hands

I mean...whatever it takes.  That's all I'm saying.

4.  So...the girls are talking ALL. THE. TIME. now.  It is CRAZY!  They are both chatter boxes, and at times it's been almost overwhelming.  I think the reality - they are starting to compete for our attention, and they are realizing that talking is one way to ensure our focus.  Historically Cora hasn't said much and has been content to occupy herself, so it's been less of an issue.  Lately, however, it's been a LOT to process - especially after coming home from work.  Also, they've been interrupting JT and I a LOT lately.  We have been dropping the hammer with sterner and sterner warnings over the past few weeks, and it's finally getting better.  The last 2-3 days have actually been (blissfully) interruption free.

5.  I think the sibling rivalry has officially arrived.  The chatter is one thing, but MAN do they like to steal each other's toys all the time.  And if that weren't enough, they have started picking on each other as of late.  K has actually broken down screaming a few times, and Bear, well...Bear screams pretty much all the time.  This is uncharted territory for me, so Jenny is going to be my "Virgil" for this pilgrimage.  :-)

9/8 - After church, we had a very fun afternoon, as Mindy and Hayden came by!  The girls really played GREAT together - I was amazed at how good they got along!  We then spent a good hour of the afternoon on the bike, as K has suddenly decided she wants to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels.  This came out of nowhere, but I think it's because all of Clan McLaren can now ride a bike.  Nothing like peer pressure!  She's just been on the balance bike so far (with a few stints on the real bike), but she seems to be enjoying it.  And she actually went out and practiced again two days later, so that shows she's interested!

But the biggest news for the day - K lost her other front tooth!  It was the craziest thing:  we were in bed, and I started tickling her.  She laughed, but then she said:  "I lost my tooth!"  Sure enough, it had popped out in the bed, which is where we found it.  Now that was crazy, but the "Tooth Fairy saga" is what made it all even crazier...

So here's the deal - K is down by 7:30, and by 8:30 we are dead to the world.  Well, we know that we have to "make the swap," and so we go in there right before we call it a night.  K is STILL AWAKE!  Luckily we had a pre-planned cover story - we were looking for Mommy's phone.  She bought that, so no worries.  Fast forward to 5 AM the next morning.  We get up for our prayer time and workouts, and Jenny tries to sneak back in there again..K wakes up a SECOND TIME!  This time we say that we were looking for my phone.  She bought it and sacked out again.  MAN!  Didn't see that coming!  What did we do, you ask?  Why, I'm glad you're curious... :-)

But before we leave this day - Bear was great all day, but it's still really tough to get her to try and pee before bedtime.  She's getting better about it, but we've had to be VERY firm about consequences associated with willful disobedience.  The bottom line is that she has to go just like K, as "big girls use the potty before bed."   Well, she hadn't peed for HOURS, and we were about to put her on the potty to try...when we noticed a yellow ocean on the bathroom floor and on our rug.  It's the second time we've washed that bloody rug in two days!  I'm all for just setting fire to it at this point.

9/9 - So picking up the Tooth Fairy story:  We knew that we weren't going to get the $$$ under her pillow, so Jenny wrote a note (in cursive, which is key) and slid it under her door.  Then, about 7 AM, Jenny and I are in the bathroom, when here comes Kaitlyn around the corner.  She's holding the note and her tooth.  We look shocked (of course) - "Why do you have your tooth?  Why didn't the Tooth Fairy take it?"  She could actually read that it was "from the Tooth Fairy," but that's all she could translate.  We read it to her, where we "learned" that the Tooth Fairy couldn't find the tooth and asked if she could "put it in a cup beside her bed tonight."  Ladies and gentlemen, I am THRILLED to report that actually worked!!!!! Yay!

The day itself was a really good one, with JT and Cora spending the morning down with Megan and Jonathan before coming home to hang with Bob and Jan in the afternoon.  They got them these CUTE outfits, and the girls looked SO grown up!  Bear in tights!  Stop the cuteness.

Oh, and get this - when Kaitlyn sits on the potty before bath but doesn't have to go, we make her count to 20.  We do the same with Cora, but that kid likes to count in Spanish!  It is the CUTEST thing!  And granted, she makes a few mistakes, but she really does know several of the words!  Love it!

And last thing - Kaitlyn apparently has a new boyfriend.  Jude.  He's "handsome."  I will launch the formal PI investigation shortly... :-)

9/10 - Today was another great day for Team Taylor, and a highlight for us:  Bear made her first pre-school friend!  Her name is Maddie, and they played together today (didn't get any more details than that, but it's a win!).

As for Kaitlyn, she is ALL ABOUT "hand slap games" right now.  She's doing two pretty much all the time, and they are LODGED in my head:

1.  Tic-Tac-Toe

Tic-Tac-Toe
Gimme an X, gimme an O
Gimme 3 in a row
DO NOT SHOOT MY ASTRONAUT (while you do Rock, Paper Scissors)

2. Mexico (this is the one stuck in my head now)

I don't wanna go to Mexico no more, more, more
There's a big fat policeman at my door, door, door
When you open the door, you're gonna pee on the floor
I don't wanna go to Mexico no more, more, more

Hilarious!  And she is getting pretty good at it!  It follows with:

Line, Line number 9
Spiders crawling up your spine
Dot, dot....
ELECTRIC SHOCK!

9/11 - Another good day for Team Taylor!  K had her usual play date with Taylie, and they had a blast (as always).  Jenny took Bear to Katie's, where they had a great visit...and where Cora peeed and pooped on the potty!  Hooray!

Other thing to note- Kaitlyn is saying "literally" all the time now.  I mean - ALL. THE. TIME.  But hey, it's far preferable to her saying "like" all the time, so you won't get any complaints from me.

9/12 - Bear was back at pre-school today, where she played with Maddie once again.  She also made a new friend - Avery!  She mentioned on Tuesday that she's made another friend who's named "started with A," but she couldn't tell me any more than that.  Mystery solved. :-)

The day was really good, and all was well until we dropped JT off (she headed down to Orlando for a UCF game).  Kaitlyn got out to hug her, and then she just absolutely LOST it.  She cried the whole drive home, but the sadder part was watching her get out of the car multiple times to keep hugging JT.  She even started talking about her day at school to try and keep Jenny there and engaged - something that NEVER happens.  The upside-  I learned about Fun Fridays!  Apparently they are having ice cream tomorrow.

K was so upset that she was heaving sobs.  She kept trying to say, "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the zipperumpazoos bite," but she couldn't get it out.  Cora was totally fine and just said to me, "Kaitlyn misses mommy, Gag."  Truth.  But the girls did rally, and by the time we got home all was well.  She was even able to make a joke by the time we got home.  When we parked, I said my standard:  "Hop out, girl scout."  And she said, "Daddy, I really AM a Girl Scout!"  Clever lady!

Kaitlyn also told us that she earned "lunch at the teachers table" today for being such a good girl.  Yay!  She seemed excited about that.  She also told us that she got really upset because she made a mistake in class (I think it was in math).  When she started crying, the teacher's assistant told her it was okay and suggested that she "take a little walk outside" (aka the open air hallway in the K-1st grade area.  That was really cool, and it was great to actually get some details about her day.

She told us yesterday about some kid who was quite rude and introduced himself as "Poopy pants" (not normally in her class).  Info on Fun Fridays and K getting a "teacher punch for good behavior" was much better!

Also, one more interesting note - this morning K was in my bathroom, and she said, "School is hard, dad."  The reality - it's not hard for her, because I think she's super sharp.  However, it is challenging her, and her perfectionist nature compounds that.  Between Jenny and I, she gets it honestly, and it is something we'll have to monitor to help her through it.  I am glad I worked hard and always did my best, but I am hopeful we can teach her there is such thing as "good enough."

Oh, and Bear got another 10 stickers - that means a cookie, baby!  Sprinkles for that girl!

9/13 - Today was a good one, but between work and their schedules, I barely saw the girls!  Cora loved preschool yet again - Yay!  As for Kaitlyn, she accompanied Team Burch to Jackson's soccer match, where she played with other girls from Bradford for 2 hours!  She didn't get home until almost 6, but she absolutely LOVED it.  The girls made pyramids like they were cheerleaders, and K got to be on the second level.  She pretty much thought that was the coolest thing EVER. :-)

Kaitlyn ended her "Aesop's Fables" unit today, and the class got to perform their favorite fable.  K was part of the group who performed "The Half Chick," and she was apparently the Half Chick!  Very cool - I think she was the star of the show!  Side note - there's no question that she's settling into a rhythm and enjoying school more, which is great.  And speaking of school - you should see all the yoga moves this girl is learning.  Her Sun A and Sun B is AMAZING!  Way to go, kiddo!

Two other K items to note:  1.  she is trying to correct me ALL the time - even when I'm not wrong.  She'll say, "You said XXXX," even if I didn't actually say it.  Most of the time I let it roll, but lately I've told her that she really needs to watch it, as she shouldn't be correcting me all the time.  More to come, and I've noticed it's been much better lately (was almost an instant change after the conversation).

One other thing - I think I did mention earlier that we're monitoring K's perspiration.  We're at the point that, when she goes really hard outside or at a sporting event, she's using deodorant (the kids stuff - no aluminum) at least once and sometimes 2x daily.  It's crazy hot right now, and she definitely sweats a lot, but I have been surprised at how often we have to apply.  And today I noticed two hairs in her pits!  We are sure it's all fine, but we are going to ask the endocrinologist next month during JT's annual visit.

9/14 - So here's a day for the ages!  Jenny was in Orlando for the UCF game, which meant I was on Daddy Day Care.  This is likely no surprise to anyone, but a) I can't sit around the house all day, and b) I can't play sissy kitties or My Little Pony all day, meaning I HAD to get these kids out the door.  I toyed with the Y for an extended exercise stretch, but I instead opted for a BOD workout before they were up.  That was the right call, as it gave us the WHOLE day to hang out.

We started at the Sweet Spot for breakfast (K was made because she thought I'd said Sweet FROG last night - who eats Fro Yo for brekkie?!?!?!?), where both girls KILLED an entire chocolate milk and chocolate muffin.  Seriously - I've never seen either of them finish everything - let alone both!  I also gave K some of my eggs and bacon from my crepe - she was a bottomless pit!  We had a both, and the girls sat together so they could face the TV.  They were in HEAVEN, as Boomerang was playing Tom & Jerry.  It's so cute, because both of them REALLY like the original show.  They just cackled time and time again watching it - so cute!  It just goes to show you - there are many instances where the old ways are better, as the humor is clearly at their level, and they were just chuckling and happy as clams the entire time.

After getting some laps on the sidewalk (as per standard), we headed over to the park, where we had a good hour of just hanging out and having fun.  Bear was in the swing the ENTIRE time, and she absolutely LOVED it!  The weather was good and their tummies were full, so they were all smiles.  K bounced from apparatus to apparatus, and then we did several "races" where I gave her a certain amount of time to do several things - climbing, swinging , running, etc.  Side note - this has now become a BIG thing in our house, and I'm loving it!  I will give the girls different time limits, and then I'll give them an obstacle course, complete with burpees, push ups, and jumping jacks.  They LOVE it!  Crossfit kids - LOOK OUT!

While we were at the park, the idea crossed my mind - we should hit the Greenway.  You see, Kaitlyn has been expressing an interest in learning to ride her bike because she knows that Taylie and Kate are riding theirs all the time now.  The tough part for her - our section of HC is REALLY hilly, which is just not conducive to learning to ride.  The greenway, however, is flat as a pancake and devoid of cars - aka PERFECT training ground.

So we drove home, peed, packed up, and headed to the Greenway for the next stop on the tour!  I threw in the balance bike, Cora's trike, and K's real bike.  K started on the balance bike, but not even 3 tenths of a mile in, she said that she wanted her real bike.  That was what I hoped to hear, and so we went back, made the switch, and dropped the seat low.  And then, with baited breath, I waited to see what would happen.

It obviously wasn't easy out of the gate.  The pedals were catching her legs and scratching her, and the weight of the real bike was vastly different vs. the balance bike.  She was clearly getting frustrated (Cora was an ANGEL through all this, just sitting and riding on her trike), and at one point she said, "I want my balance bike."  I know this was the pivotal moment, and I said, "No, honey.  The balance bike is gone.  If we go back, we are just going home.  Do you want to go home?"  Readers, that lit a FIRE in her, as that girl said, "NO!" and continued working.  She ELIMINATED the quit option.  And about 2 minutes later....she got her feet on the pedals for the first time.  She stopped - startled - and looked back at me with a smile.  I was PUMPED, gave her some encouragement, and then she went back at it.  Shortly thereafter she made 3 full rotations on the pedals, then 5, then a BUNCH - riding for 20-30 seconds at a clip!  Praise Jesus!  THANK YOU for giving her that fighting spirit!

We rode to UNCC's campus, and at the end she actually rode a solid .4 without stopping!!!  We were howling with happiness.  So proud of that girl!!! LOVE YOU, KID!!!!!  And Bear had a breakthrough moment as well, as she FINALLY put her feet on the pedals of the trike!!!!!  Who knew the secret was a small bag of chocolate chip bunnies (Aunt Annie's version, of course!).

We had to celebrate after that, so I stopped into Cookout for milkshakes.  I had planned to get smalls, but it turns out they only have 1 size.  And when the girls heard all the flavors....minds....blown.  Bear got M & M, and K got Oreo.  These things were overstuffed, and they were so thick that we had to use spoons!  Honestly, y'all - they were HUGE.  We ended up eating them as lunch on the way home, putting them in the freezer, getting them back out that afternoon, and having them again the next day!  And get this - there is STILL some in the freezer!  Which I should probably toss given that I have destroyed the cups...

It was then home, and I pulled up to find out that Cora had peed an OCEAN in the car seat.  Seriously - it was like Lake Superior.  We had to wash the car seat cover, as it was already starting to reek from the heat and the urine.  In a word....suboptimal.

But the good times still kept on rolling, as Kate came over for a playdate!  She was here about 2 hours, and the girls got on like a house on fire.  It was GREAT!  I am so happy they are still friends and get to see each other a lot, as it sounds like they rarely intersect at school these days.

The only tough thing about the visit - Cora pooped in her panties three times in those 90 minutes!  The first time, I came in from the garage to hear "gross."  I go into the bathroom, and there is a huge deuce on the floor.  The next time it was in her panties, and the third time it was also in her panties.  However, she had so much poop in her, that she still got a ton in the potty!  I think she just overate at breakfast, as I remembered she'd complained of stomach pain at the park.

After Kate left, we loaded back up for an end of summer ritual - the last visit to the pool!  Only two were open, and Kaitlyn chose the Sports club.  That worked out great, as she got the chance to go down the slides a bunch (there was NO ONE there), and Bear had a blast jumping around in her puddle jumper and over in the kiddie area.

As per standard, a little girl did ask to try K's mermaid tale - poor girl gets stalked everywhere she goes!  But she was really sweet about it, as was the little girl who borrowed it.  She did exactly as K asked and then gave it right back.  I was proud of her!

Dinner that night was pizza (we grilled dogs and burgers the night before - these girls at well!), and we ate like champs.  We did have a scary moment right at the end of the night, as both girls each ran into a wall by the coat closet, knocking the Home Sweet Home sign off the wall.  It was SO RANDOM and so bizarre, and the corner of the sign missed Bear's head by almost nothing (it happened so fast, so who knows the truth, but it looked like it missed her by about a millimeter).  It did hit her hand and poke a little hole, which was magically cured with the arrival of an Oscar the Grouch bandaid.

Things started to unravel a bit here, largely due to exhaustion on everyone's part (I did push the girls too hard today) and also because everyone was missing JT (this was the third night without her).  As I was telling Bear, "I'm proud of you for being so brave," K asked, "Were you proud of me on the Greenway?"  Now the reality - I should have just said yes (because I was), but I had celebrated her non-stop for the 2 hours we were out there, and she KNEW I was proud of her.  I knew this was a sibling rivalry moment, and I (calmly) said, "It's not about you right now, Kaitlyn."  Well, she crawled behind the island and started crying, and when I said it was time to go up she just took off running.  I asked her to stop twice quietly before I just exploded and said "STOP!"  Well, that made her bawl, and she couldn't look at me (but she did stop).  She was crying, Cora was crying...it was a mess.

I took them both up and told K I was sorry.  I then tucked Bear in (she went STRAIGHT OUT) before returning to K's room.  When I went in there, I apologized and asked her to talk to me about it.  I asked if it was my tone or my words that upset her.  She said both.  I then explained why I did that but also conceded that it was neither polite nor right.  After that, we started playing a bit, and then she started laughing.  And then, just like that, we were both chuckling and SO much happier.  The fog had lifted, and she was happy again.

When we laid down, I asked to pray a special prayer for her, and I thanked God for this beautiful, amazing Arrow.  I thanked Him for her grace to forgive, her intelligence to understand, and her ability to adjust.  I prayed that she would know how much she was loved and how thankful I was that she was in my life.  I prayed that she knew how much she has forever changed me for the better.  And as I did that, I noticed that she was crying again (she tried to hide it :-)).  Then, when the prayer was over, she said just about the sweetest thing ever:  "Dada, that made me think of Simba and Mufasa.  'Dad - we'll always be pals and always be together, right?"  She then snuggled up with me.  LOVE!!!!!!

Honestly, it was super tough, but I must say:  I think it has helped our relationship.  I think it has rebalanced us, which is a good thing.  K knows I don't want to lose my cool like that, and she knows I am sorry for doing it.  But the flip side - she also knows I'm capable, and there is a limit to how long I will stay level headed.  It was a night of lessons learned, joyful forgiveness, and ultimately happiness and laughs.  Man, I am blessed beyond measure.

9/15 - So Cora woke up with a little cough today, and I am no longer quite so sure that it's Ragweed or allergies.  She's had the cough for a few days now (still has it as of 9/22 as I type this), and yesterday at the pool she had LOTS of snot pour out.  Fingers crossed she's able to kick it!  She was still in good spirits, so that's a win.

K's first question to me this morning:  "Daddy, are you not going to yell at me tonight?"  OUCH.  The good news - I did not, and it was a GREAT day. :-)  We went to church for 2 services, and K was a ROCK star!  We were telling the story of Joseph, and one of the games was guessing the number of times we said Joseph during the message.  K guessed it correctly (87!)!  Yay!  That netted her a cool, crisp $1 bill. :-)  Also, she nailed "Attention" twice!  What's crazy - on the first one, I didn't even realize I'd said it, and then I was wondering why K was just standing up in the middle of class.  How funny is that?  Good job, kiddo!  Way to stay switched on!

It was then off to the Greenway for another 2 hours, where K was a ROCK STAR!  Seriously - she was SO focused, and she rode GREAT!  She was churning up and down those hills and was even braking!  It took her a few minutes to get back into the groove, but then she started making some progress.  We went in a straight line first to the construction zone, and she was regaining her balance. But then, when we turned around, everything changed.  I told her "see if you can make a right turn onto the bridge.  She did.  I said "see if you can go over the bridge."  She did.  She then powered up a hill and basically disappeared from site!  Seriously - this kept happening:  I would let her to go certain points, after which time she would have to stop and come back to me.  She was GREAT about it, and I got some incredible video of her in action.  It was a little unnerving for me at points, and the reality - from this moment forward, we pretty much will always have to ride with her, as she can really MOVE!

Cora was quite the trooper through it all, and I was super proud of her.  She didn't really want to be back on that trike, but she was a fighter and managed to power through.  Oh, and get this - BOTH GIRLS used the portable potty on the Greenway.  It was so cute!

Both girls ended the night watching movies on different floors.  Both wanted a mermaid movie, but Cora wanted Barbie and K wanted A Mermaid's Tale.  Luckily we've got the Roku upstairs, so we were able to make it happen!  It was cute - I put Cora's seat in the bonus room with Froggy Potty right beside her.  Luckily no accidents!  It was a really, really good day (and much lighter on activities...which was a good thing for ALL of us :-)), and we went to bed with full hearts.

Oh, and get this (speaking fo full hearts) - we get to the Greenway, and K says "I want to be baptized!"  I was like...WHAAAAAAAAAAAA?!?!?!?!!?  So we talked about it - what it was and what it meant - and she said she was all about it. YAY!  Jenny talked to her as well, and she definitely wanted to do it.  EXCITED!!!

9/16 - So we have started doing Twinkle, Twinkle with both girls at the same time, and it's been GREAT.  The girls both want to be tickled, and the laughter is absolutely adorable (and infectious!).  I love the smiles.  It's been a good switch-up for us as well, as it's re-injected some energy into something that had just simply become part of the routine.

The sweetest thing tonight:  we started explaining to Kaitlyn that, when she gets married, she'll have a new last name.  She almost started crying!  I mean, it was really, really stressing her out.  She said, "I wanna always be a Taylor!"  It was so sweet.  She was trying different options:  "I'll just be Kaitlyn Taylor Elaine.  Will that work?"  Too cute.

9/17 - Cora had a special treat today at UCUMC - her first classroom birthday party!  It was her friend Avery's party.  Cora came home and said, "After lunch, I got a cookie with 'pinkles."  I mean...pretty cute.

9/18 - Let me just say it here:  Mornings are TOUGH at the Taylor household!  Cora is waking up about 6:30 each morning, but she wastes ZERO time peeing in her pull-up (even though Froggy Potty is now in her room).  That's not the end of the world, but obviously there's a lot to get done in those 30 minutes before Kaitlyn's alarm goes off (she NEVER wakes up before the alarm these days).  K gets up about 7, and the girls have to be out of the house between 7:35-7:45, which basically means it is LIGHTS OUT to get dressed, food in tummies, hair brushed, stuff packed, and teeth brushed.  It doesn't help that K tends to drag her feet (there was a lot of door slamming this morning), and the net result is some whining and just general difficulty to get the engine going.  But we soldier on!  And it's not that bad every day - today was just particularly tough.

Cora is still fighting a bit of a cough, but it doesn't seem to be slowing her down.  She was really good today, and tucking her in bed tonight was a special treat for me.  While I rocked her, she just gently rubbed the stubble around my adam's apple.  It was so sweet I rocked her an extra long time, as I just didn't want it to end.  Love that kid!

On the Kaitlyn front, that girl is OBSESSED with Ellie right now. :-)  Apparently Jenny and her mom have pulled into the drop-off line at the same time, but for me that just hasn't worked out.  When it doesn't, K immediately fixates on where Ellie's car is in line and basically just talks about that.  She's great about playing with all the kids, but she's definitely most focused on Ellie.  In fact, we had Taylie over for a bit this afternoon, and for the first 10 or so minutes she ignored our guest because she was focused on making a picture for Ellie.  Luckily they righted that ship, but that is a teaching moment for us.

Tonight was girl scouts, and it was apparently a blast!  K must have really, really enjoyed it.  The girls made bracelets, and they were "promise bracelets."  Each girl put on a bead for each one, and at the end each of them had to make a promise to the group.  Kaitlyn promised to be a good friend.  No problems with that!

So a stroke of luck tonight - I had an evening planned with some guy friends, but they all ended up having to cancel.  What did that mean?  IMPROMPTU DATE NIGHT, BABY!!!!!!!!  And get this - for the first time ever, I am THRILLED to announce that we had Fiona as our sitter!  Y'all - she. Was. GREAT.  She washed dishes, played with the kids, put them to bed at a very sensible hour...it was just AWESOME.  We had a blast and had a (very much needed) night out, and the girls basically had a play date with Fiona (which they loved!).  RE-SULT!

9/20 - It was a teacher Workday at BPS, which meant that K didn't have school.  Her and JT made it count, and they hit the Greenway!  Jenny had only seen K ride on video, so this was a chance for her to really show her stuff...and she was AWESOME!  I mean, at this point she's going so fast that we have to have our bikes as well just to keep up.  Jenny rode her cruiser around, and I even managed to get over there and jog a few miles with them.  Fun day!

After that, Jenny and K went to CFA for lunch before heading to UCUMC to pick up Bear.  K was thrilled, as she got to see Ms. Jodi and Ms. Debbie!  They have asked K to come read to the class, so that's now on the docket for early October (when we have parent-teacher conferences).

Also - cute one tonight:  K asked JT, "Why is it that when I make my bed and it's not just right, I can't stop thinking about it?"  You get that honest, kid!  The little lady is a perfectionist!

The highlight of the day came a little after 3 PM with the arrival of.....VOL NANA!!!!!!  We had mentioned it to the girls long ago, but we hadn't brought it up lately thinking it would be a surprise.  CHECK!  As soon as she walked in, K asked, "How many nights are you staying?"  Needless to say - she was quite thrilled that the answer was 3. :-)

The girls had little halloween baskets, and we spent the afternoon relaxing and playing - a GREAT start to the weekend!

9/21 - So today was just GREAT.  We started out with breakfast on the deck, and we spent the morning relaxing and playing outside.  The girls were GREAT (super happy Vol Nana was here), and we spent time just listening to music, playing soccer, and swinging on the porch.  It was awesome, and SO relaxing!

After that we had lunch, packed up, and headed Uptown for the afternoon.  We spent about 30 minutes in Imaginon, which is a really, really, REALLY cool place!  I had never been in before, but the girls knew EVERYWHERE to take me.  Nice job, Charlotte!  That place is great!  It was then over to the Spectrum Center for the featured event of the day - DISNEY ON ICE!!!!  MICKEY'S SEARCH PARTY!!!!

Y'all, this was just AWESOME.  Mom sprung for GREAT seats, and the girls could NOT have been happier.  Cora was sitting on mom's lap, eating popcorn and candy pretty much the entire time.  But make no mistake - she was switched on and MESMERIZED by the action on the ice.  Kaitlyn was as well...but the cotton candy was the highlight for her.  I mean...that girl LOVES that stuff!  Too funny, as I did too as a kid.

It was a TREMENDOUS show - 2 full hours of quality entertainment!  They featured lots of different Disney princesses and characters, and we all had SUCH a blast.  The girls were pumped full of sugar, but they still found a way to eat pizza once we got home!  Honestly - the day was just perfect.  No real tears, no fighting, no complaining - just enjoyment of being together, eating guuuuuuuud, and having fun.  THANK YOU, VOL NANA!!!!!!

9/22 - So today was truly one of the highlights of my ENTIRE LIFE - Kaitlyn's Baptism!!!!!  And get this - I GOT TO DUNK HER!!!!!!  If you'll remember from earlier, she had expressed interest last Sunday.  Well, sure enough - today was the day!  She was definitely a little nervous entering the church - I think a mixture of the unknown and just all the focus on her.  EVERYONE wanted to hug her, and she just kept hiding behind me!  At one point she said, "Dada, why is everyone talking to me?"  As I told her - it's a really, really big deal!

I did think she was going to cry at a few moments due to fear, but luckily we were able to hold that in check.  She loved the shirt (it was basically a dress on her), and I walked her into the worship center early so she could see the baptismal pool.  She had asked me all week, "How long are you going to hold me under?"  Poor thing!  We had actually practiced the lay back - and the script - all week!

When it came time for service, I went in the back with her and sang with her.  Then, after that first song, it was GO TIME!!!!!!  I got into the pool first, and then she stepped in.  As soon as she did, she smiled and said, "Oh, it's warm."  Too cute!  It was all over in the blink of an eye, but I will forever remember pulling her out of that water, picking her up, hugging her, and giving her a big kiss on the cheek.  SO PROUD OF YOU, KIDDO!!!!!!

After that, it was over to Panera for a celebratory lunch, and I'm happy to report that Cora went pee pee on the potty!  She actually tried a second time, which we are learning is the indicator that she needs to poop and feels it but doesn't quite know when it's ready.  These girls CHOWED DOWN on Mac 'n Cheese, each one sitting on either side of Vol Nana (I had the whole other side to myself - no one wanted to hang with me).

We got home and put Cora down for a nap.  Then Vol Nana gave K a really, REALLY sweet gift - a pink Cross necklace, a heart with a Bible verse on it (Psalms 33:20), and a framed picture commemorating her Baptism!  It was SO cool, and get this - the verse that was on the sheet (randomly selected by mom) was the EXACT SAME as her memory verse this month!  Proverbs 3:5!  How awesome is our God? :-)

Mom then headed out with K for some one on one time - they hit Sweet Frog and the Park, where K finally successfully navigated the spinning Monkey Bars.  Way to go, kid!  We played with Cora, who was super cute running around the house and yelling, that K was "Bap-a-tized" today!  I mean...love that kid...

One side note - the sugar intake this weekend has been OFF THE CHARTS.  Needless to say - we'll be reining that in this week...AND this weekend since it will be Daddy Daughter day care. :-)

9/23 - Picture Day at Bradford!!!  Now normally this would be a cause for excitement in the Taylor household.  However, Team Taylor happened to overlook one minor...teensy, weensy detail: Kids can wear WHATEVER THEY WANT on Picture Day.  Needless to say that, upon seeing Taylie all decked out in non-Bradford gear, K went ballistic (I was not witness to this, mind you - THANKFULLY).  Luckily she was able to borrow a (very pretty) dress from Taylie, and she looked cute as a button when she arrived home.

And I should note that the day could have been fraught with emotion and high drama from the outset, as this was also the day we had to say farewell to Vol Nana.  Now normally K bawls all the way to school, but THIS TIME Jenny had the antidote.  As they were about to leave, Jenny noticed some chocolate donuts she'd laid out for play group later.  She asked K if she wanted one, and K's eyes lit up like Christmas morning.  RE-SULT!  I talked to mom about it later (I missed all this), and she said that K held that Donut in both hands, staring at it as she walked ever so carefully out the door.  Too funny!

I then went out for breakfast with mom, and we had a good (albeit uncomfortable at times) chat about safety on the Greenway.  Last weekend while riding, K took off at point point and was out of my sight for probably 4-5 minutes (I honestly don't know how long - definitely not longer than that).  She had clear markers to stop at and turn around at (which she adhered to), but I was admittedly not totally comfortable with it - especially given that I had Bear and was pushing her, rendering me much slower than normal.  It was a tough moment for a dad, as you want them to have the independence you had at that age, while realizing that a) the world has changed and b) it's different for girls.

The conversation bothered me, and it reinforced the need to have the "Stranger Danger" conversation with our oldest.  Also, Jenny and I had already decided that someone would have to ride beside her at all times now, as she's moving way too fast for us to just jog and keep up with her.  So bottom line - it wasn't fun to have the conversation, but I do appreciate mom having the courage to have it.  And since it reinforced plans Jenny and I were already putting in place to safeguard Kaitlyn, that further bolstered the need to have it.

The evening was really, REALLY fantastic - honestly one of the best nights we've had in the house in a long time.  The energy was just GREAT.  The kids behaved and listened well, responded to questions, and were just all around engaging.  They played well together, and we had lots of good laughs.  It's amazing how much easier and more fun it is when they are in a good mood, and it's also amazing how much more fun it is to interact with them.

Two funny quotes tonight, one from each kid:

Bear:  "You're the best daddy in the whole life!"  She's started saying this faster...and faster...and faster.  Hilarious!

Goose:  "When you come and check on me, can you turn off the night light?"  She doesn't know that we AREN'T checking on her!  Too cute.  Love these kids!

9/24:  K popped downstairs at 5:30 this morning, clearly shaken.  I was sitting on the coach praying, and I looked up when I heard footsteps.  Normally she sleeps like a ROCK, but she was clearly rattled.  She curled up on me instantly and told me that she'd had a nightmare.  She didn't want to talk about it at first, but eventually she opened up about it.  I didn't get all of it, but clearly it was frightening to her.  She was able to go back to sleep about 6 (and made it until 6:40).

K biked around  the cul-de-sac today, and she is now riding SOOOOOOOOO good!  Honestly, I am amazed at how great she's doing around our house.  It's a steep grade, but she's absolutely CRUSHING it - way to go, kiddo!!!!  And get this - after biking for awhile, she said, "Can I run, dada?"  ABSOLUTELY you can!  That girl got some GREAT exercise.  I might have mentioned it above, but to ensure I don't leave it out - she can now ride from the house up the hill to Queensbury, turn right, and then make it to the end of the cul-de-sac without stopping (and can come back, for the record).  It is so great to see.

Oh, and get this - tonight K just started telling us about different systems in the body!  She talked about the circulatory, skeletal, muscular, nervous, and digestive systems. She had facts in her memory bank about all of them!  Too cute - well done, Bradford!

Oh, and on the Cora front, that girl had ANOTHER birthday party today!  This time it was Arvik's birthday (she has something like 4 kids whose names start with A in her class - pretty funny when the girl who's name starts with C is almost halfway down the line!), and she got ANOTHER cupcake.  I mean, that girl is clearly LOVING some pre-school!  Too cute - she's about to talk us through it:  "Gag - after lunch, I got mine cupcake!"  And did I mention that when I drop her off, she walks in and basically has this ENORMOUS princess castle all to herself?  It is bigger than the one we have here, and there are TONS of princesses.  Love.

Another big moment tonight - we officially introduced Kaitlyn to "real soap."  She doesn't have to use it for everything, but we definitely feel it's time for her pits and feet.  That girl goes hard and sweats a ton, so we want to make sure we are really getting all that odor off.  Between the deodorant and this soap, we're hopeful we can address any concerns there.

K was a little nervous about going back to sleep that night (afraid of another nightmare), and I think it did take her awhile to settle.  She definitely wanted her nightlight, but eventually she did drift off to sleep.  And I am happy to report (as I write this one week later), all has been well ever since.

Oh, last thing - awhile back you may remember that we started asking K to help prep her lunch - put her initials on bags, lay out her snacks, pack the non-perishables, etc.  Well, she has started DECORATING her sandwich bags!  She really is quite the artist - she makes great designs and really neat images.  So fun to watch her in action!

9/25 - K lost ANOTHER tooth today (yes - in the front AGAIN) - this one at school basically the second she arrived!  It was just flapping in her mouth last night, and we honestly didn't think it would even make it to carpool!  Sure enough - I got an email from JT about 9 AM.  It was an email from the teaching assistant (Mr. Baines) - complete with a photo of Kaitlyn holding her tooth!  As one of my colleagues said:  "That girl will need milkshakes for dinner if she keeps this up!"

9/26 - So Kaitlyn was confused about the tooth fairy visit this morning.  I was so proud of myself for getting in there, making the exchange, and leaving the $$$ in the "Tooth Fairy Cup."  Well, K comes down this morning and says, "Momma - the Tooth Fairy always leaves me 2 coins.  Why did the fairy leave bills this time?"  Oops.  We played it off well, but man!  These kids don't miss anything!

Today was class picture day, and we had Taylie over after school.  It was a flat out day (but fun).  I barely saw the girls because I had boy's night, but by all accounts the girls all had fun.

9/27 - So today started the next round of Daddy-daughter day care, and it was very easy out of the gate.  Cora napped great and was really, really sweet in the afternoon.  Kaitlyn was with Team Burch at Jackson's soccer game, where they had a blast but must have almost melted in the sun.  K apparently got to pet a few hamsters (or guinea pigs....or gerbils...who knows), and she seemed to have fun.  Honestly, all was great until the evening, when K asked what started out as a very innocent question.  Oh, dear readers....the wheels came off the tracks shortly thereafter.

So here's the deal - K was going for her FIRST EVER sleepover at Ellie's, and she was OVER THE MOON excited.  We were packing, and she asked if she could bring 3 animals.  That's a standard allotment, so I said sure.  Then she asked if she could bring 4.  I wanted to be a good dad, and I am trying to focus more on saying "yes," so I green lighted that.  Instantly she said, "Can I bring 5?"  I said no, simply because a) I'm sure Ellie has a basquillion toys, b) I didn't want anything to get lost, and c) I've already got enough to keep up with.  Well, that sent her into a tailspin.  Not quite tears, but clearly upset.

She kept asking why she couldn't have 5, and I tried to explain multiple times.  I then said, "How about this - you can bring 5, but I am not responsible for them.  If they get lost, destroyed, forgotten, etc - you have to handle it.  Okay?"  She agreed, and I thought to myself "good job, Sam.  You found a way to say yes again."  INSTANTLY she said, "Can I bring 6?"

When I said no, you would have thought I'd just said "we're moving to Siberia and you'll never see anyone you know or love ever again."  Honestly - she. went. MENTAL.  Cried from 7:13 to 8:26 when I finally put her down.  She blew her nose so many times we almost went through half a box of tissue!

Cora was actually pretty good through all this, but MAN I was frustrated.  Cora was tired and was whining and fussing as well, and I was at my wit's end by the time I laid down.  When those girls get going collectively, they are really, REALLY tough to deal with - crying, not listening, not obeying, dragging their feet, constantly correcting you...but hey - it's part of the job, and the job is a privilege and a gift from God.

9/28 - So....the drama builds.  K wakes up in a generally happy mood, but instantly she dives into the "why can't I have 6 animals" conversation.  I took a deep breath, and God gave me a potential way through.  After explaining why it wasn't a good idea, I told her she could forfeit $2 of her allowance (that's 50%) to cover the cost of bringing a 6th animal.  She instantly said yes...which blew my mind.

So here I am thinking that it's all sorted (the whole drama had been about her not being able to decide which cuddly friends to bring to Ellie's house to play with), and then she asks if she can bring two more friends in the car.  I say yes.  Can she bring them to Ellie's door and let Ellie pet them?  Yes.  Can she bring a 7th friend?  I mean....COME ON!!!!!!  I said no and that I didn't want to talk about it - she said, "I'll give $10 if I can bring it."  I was not going to let her make that mistake, so I just said no.  FORTY-FIVE MINUTES OF BAWLING ensued.

But the good news - we did rally, and the rest of the day was great.  I dropped Bear at Clan McLaren (Fiona was on sitter duty), and then Kaitlyn and I took off for the Greenway.  We rode bikes for about 90 minutes, knocking off 5 miles.  I thought we would have hoofed it a bit more, but K did have fun (she told Cheryl as much, which made me happy).

After collecting Cora and coming home for lunch, we then rolled out to the featured event of the day - Ellie's house for the sleepover!!!!  It was super cute - We opened that door, and Ellie was right there with a My Little Pony coloring back for each of them.  Too cute!  They were instantly running around happy as clams, so I let Bear pet the kitties for a second and then excused myself. :-)

Bear was getting sleepy on the way home, so we stopped at the little Huntersville Tree park, where Cora got filthy but had a BLAST.  She loved going down this one slide with me - I would act like I was stuck, and then she would tug on my toes to pull me down, laughing the entire time.  It was a really, really fun afternoon.  She did melt down eventually due to the heat, but we rallied. :-)

I checked in that night with Ellie's mom, and she said that the girls had a blast (no surprise there).  They were settling down about 9:30, and she shared some cute pics with me.  She said, "They were great all day - I love how sweet they are together."

Oh, and Bear peed a RIVER tonight before bed.  It was incredible!  That girl is TEARING through her potty chart - she's getting really close to being able to buy something!

9/29 - Cora still has a very deep cough, but she's not running a fever, and it doesn't seem to be slowing her down!  It was a first for her today - she went and got the stool in the morning, put it beside the toilet, climbed up, and peed!  Yay!!!!!  And get this - when she did it, she COUNTED TO 13!  I mean....whaaaaaa?  #GENIUS!

After church, we drove over to Spare Time, which is where Ellie was having her birthday party.  It looked awesome, and K even won a round of bowling (posted a 45!).  They ran around the arcade for a bit (the money went QUICKLY - prices are extortionate!), and I was concerned about getting them out of there.  I pulled out my ace - you want to go to Sweet Frog?  K's eyes lit up like Christmas morning.  I also promised them a treat from their goodie bags.  I mean...whatever it takes, dude.

Sweet Frog was good, but for the first time ever - and I do mean EVER - Kaitlyn didn't finish her cup!  Add in the fact that Cora peed ALL OVER HER SEAT, and it was just...well, an odd experience.  Then Kaitlyn feel asleep on the drive home!  Exhausted!

We did get home for some biking, and K got MUCH better about looking both ways at the stop sign.  I am realizing there is a lot to teach her now about safety and awareness, as she's rapidly getting older and moving faster.  We are starting the stranger danger convos - I am working them in small chunks to make sure the info sinks in.

Bottom line - the weekend was GREAT, but man was it tough.  I would put this as a podium weekend in terms of toughness - so happy to see Jenny on Sunday afternoon!

9/30 - So another great day and a great night, but we have decided that we are going to make a Peds appointment for K.  The concern (and I'm hoping that I laugh about this when I read it 15 years from now) we have is around something called "central precocious puberty," which is something that can happen to girls ages 5-6. Essentially, their body starts producing hormones early, and they start to experience puberty well in advance.  Symptoms are body odor, hair under the arm pits (which we have noticed), rapid growth (aka taller than most folks her age), and some other stuff that hasn't been present.  Hopefully it's nothing, and we are getting some aluminum free adult deodorant to try.  We just want to know, as the biggest risk of this is stunted growth, which obviously we are keen to prevent.   We have an appointment on the calendar for next week - so more to come.

Okay, how's THAT for a busy month?  WHEW!  Fall is a whirlwind!!!!  That's all the news that's fit to print.  Chat with you in a month!

Love,

Sam and Jenny