And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where another GREAT month is in the books. Let's
get amongst it, shall we?
10/1 - JT tried the drop off line at UCUMC today, and get this - Bear walked in ALL BY HERSELF with her backpack on today! Jenny said it was quite emotional - our girl is really growing up!
On the Kaitlyn front, the girl has learned to count to 29 in Spanish! Her pronunciation is actually pretty good, and we were VERY impressed. Poor girl did take a tumble today at recess - she fell off the balance beam and scraped her knee. They had to ice it for a bit to keep the swelling down, but apparently she was back at it and playing in no time. :-)
10/2 - Today was a fun one, as the girls received a gift box from Granny A and Granddaddy! They were super cute tearing through the package...and quite excited to see everything inside! The books were really cute, and they were both very excited to have their own jack o lanterns for trick or treating.
Sure enough, her temperature was 101.6. It's CRAZY, but it feels like this happens EVERY TIME I leave the house for vacation or work! Cora is still coughing, but no fever to report for her as of yet.
K went down with some ibuprofen in her tummy for the night, and she went right to sleep (thumb in mouth, eyes closed, head back - all signs she is absolutely exhausted).
10/3 - So I missed all this, but K woke up at 3:10 with a fever. She went over to Jenny's side and woke her, and JT gave her more meds. That helped her go back to bed for a bit, but she was back up at 4:40 and wasn't able to sleep. Poor thing! The crazy part - she seemed pretty good and looked to be in pretty good spirits, but unmedicated she was hitting 102.1, which meant that she had to stay home from school. Add in the fact that Bear was up at 5:30, and you have the makings of a CRAZY morning!
10/4 - K spiked a 103.2 the night before, so we got her into the Peds today. Sure enough, she has a viral infection. The good news is that it's nothing serious and expected to abate in a day or two. The bad news - I am writing this 1 week after the diagnosis, and it's still there...complete with a cough! But more on that further down. :-)
10/6 - I was gone for the weekend, but Jenny said that the girls had fun and that K did rally. She rode bikes, played at the park, went for a walk, etc. It must have tuckered her out a bit, as her temp that night again hit 102.1. However, she was good until the end of the night.
I called the girls from the airport before bedtime, and K sounded in great spirits. She said, "Dada, I put a fake spider under your pillow!" There was definitely a smile behind that tone!
10/7 - Tonight was a fun one - midweek sleepover! Teresa and Jackson were at the Windy Gap retreat with Bradford, so Taylie stayed at our house. The girls got on great, and K didn't have a fever. Yay!
We got them down later than we wanted, and those girls chatted in there until at least 9 PM. And get this - in the morning, K said, "we snuck out and slept in the tent for a little bit." What's funny - she told me they were going to do this at dinner. When I laughed, she said, "No, daddy. For real - we are going to do this." Sure enough - K actually WOKE TAYLIE UP to take her in there, and they tried to sleep for a bit before realizing that it wasn't comfortable. Priceless...
On the Cora front, BIG NEWS - that girl got up during her nap and PEED IN FROGGY POTTY!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!! That's a BIG win, as that's the first time that's ever happened! AWESOME! Proud of you, kid!
Cora has also taken to naming EVERYTHING - just like her sister. We now have "Narly the Narwhale," "Raccoony the Raccoon," and "Woofie Woofie" the rainbow colored dog. Too cute. And she walks around with ARMIES of animals in her arms. It's hilarious. She is PILING them in the bed, and she's very cute when she asks Kaitlyn if she can sleep with some of the 8,000 that are in K's bed. So far the only real fight has been over Bunny Bunny Bun Bun. #highdrama
Oh, and an interesting moment with K in the carpool line today: It was just she and I in the car, and she said, "Dada, Ellie says a girl and a girl can get married. Her mom told her that." Oh boy! So I had to explain that, while certain states permit that, marriage under God's law was between a male and a female and was not allowed. She dropped it fairly quickly. WHEW.
The only bad news of the night - K spiked a 102 temp again! I mean, this thing just won't let her go! And she said that her tummy really, really hurt. Ugh.
She made it through, and this was her first ever girl scouts evening with her vest! Jenny got a GREAT pic of her and Ellie - too cute. It was a volunteer event - dropping off bags for food collection. Can I just say how much I LOVE Girl Scouts and all the volunteer events they do? It's AWESOME.
I must say that, as I type this, it feels like I'm barely hanging on with the blog. Life is moving SO FAST right now, and it's been really tough to document everything happening - especially when you are exhausted and going to bed at 8 PM! I feel like I've not been reading with K and Cora as much. It's a delicate balance, as you want to ensure they are keeping their skills up and building that imagination. However, at the same time, between chores, piano, Girl Scouts, and giving them a chance to relax (which they absolutely need), there just isn't as much time as there previously was in the till. Watch this space! :-)
10/10 - So GREAT news for K: her dr appt went GREAT! The doctor wasn't concerned at all, and K was so focused on the flu shot that she didn't even given the exam a second thought. After the initial exam and the flu shot (which went great as well - K said she didn't even feel it! Yay! She said, "Dada, if you just look away, you don't even know when it happens." Cute), they went to the hospital for the confirmation scan - a wrist X-ray. Basically they check that to ensure that bone growth isn't more than 20 months ahead of schedule. In Kaitlyn's case, she was 15 months ahead (her bones were the bones of a 7 year and 10 month old), which was well within tolerance. THANK YOU, JESUS!!! Big weight off my mind. And the Arm & Hammer is totally doing the trick on the other thing, so all is well! And the best part of the day - when the showed back up at Bradford, her class was just heading out to recess. They saw her, and the whole class exploded with "KAITLYN!!!!!!" Some went over and hugged her. I mean...how AWESOME is that? K was smiling (that cute little embarrassed smile - it was great).
Jenny and K showed up at UCUMC about 12:45 for the next highlight of the day - Kaitlyn reading to her old preschool class! She read a Peppa Halloween book, and by all accounts it went great. LOVE! My girls then rolled over to Sweet Frog, where for the second time in a row they had a free cup - score! But the craziest thing. ALSO for the second time in a row - Kaitlyn didn't finish her cup! I think that her growth spurt is ending, and she's not as hungry right now. It certainly does feel like her appetite has decreased in recent weeks.
We spent the afternoon relaxing, with K practicing piano and the girls then just chilling. I must brag on Kaitlyn's piano, as that girl is REALLY picking it up! Her speed has increased dramatically, as has her overall feel for the keys. Her hands are well positioned, and she's really picking up the lessons. PROUD OF YOU, KID! I really do hope she sticks with it, as there is aptitude there.
Oh, and last thing - Kaitlyn is LOVING doing math problems right now! It's so cute - I bragged on her, and she then proceeded to start writing number families and making up math problems just to solve them! She then looked at me and said, "Dada - 18+18 is thirty six." I'm telling you. HARVARD OR BETTER. :-)
I went to church that night with Jenny, and then we had DATE NIGHT, BABY!!!! THANK YOU, VOL NANA!!!!!! Honestly, it felt like Jenny and I hadn't said a word to each other in a week, so it was VERY much needed.
10/13 - So this was another GREAT day. Since we didn't have church, we rolled straight over to IHOP, where the girls dined on "Addams Family pancakes" and hot cocoa. :-) All was well (great in fact) until we got home, at which point K realized that her hair clip (the butterfly one) was gone. She knew she had it on when she went into the restaurant, and consequently she absolutely broke down into tears. We called, and sure enough - someone had located it and put it up for her! I drove down and collected it - THANK YOU, JESUS!
10/17 - So I arrived back after 3 days at a conference in Orlando (where I did buy my girls some CUTE Disney stuff...at the local CVS :-)) just in time to pick up Bear at preschool. Y'all, it was ADORABLE! That girl basically tackled me when the opened the door to let her out. Her smile was a mile wide, and she gave me the biggest hug EVER! Now THAT is a great way to start a homecoming!
It was so great to be home with my girls again. Orlando is awesome, but being there without my family AND working was just a very odd experience. I'm super grateful for the opportunity, and it was definitely worth my time. I just was SO GLAD to be back on Regal Court. K got home at the normal time, and we took advantage of the perfect weather by running around all over the golf course. Those girls ran HARD! It was so funny - K had the Bradford Fun Run the next day, and she told me it was time to train. Consequently, I put her through her paces...so much so that she told me she hurt her heel from running so much (barefoot like a good little Tennessean, she was) - too cute!
That night K had a Girl Scouts assignment. She had to write a "mystery letter" to one of the other girls, saying something nice about them and giving some clues about herself. It was a really sweet letter, and the closing line was the best: "I love my sister Cora even when she's mean." Too sweet!
Oh, and suboptimal, but we found out this evening that we MISSED PICTURE ORDERS! Honestly, neither of us ever remember seeing an email about it. We wrote the photographer, but no joy. However, we do have a backup plan! We're going to borrow that same dress and use it for family photos in early November. JT has a plan and WILL NOT BE OUTDONE. :-)
Lastly, in classic Gen Z fashion, K saw the water bottle I received for attending the conference. Here's how the conversation went down:
K: "Dada, a hydroflask! I've always wanted a hydroflask! Can I have it?"
Me: "How do you even know what a hydroflask is?"
K: "Can I have it, dada? Please? I've always wanted it."
Me: "You're six. Define always."
K (wrapping arms around said bottle and giving it a kiss): "It's my beloved."
Me: "Okay, fine. Just let me wash it out."
Other K item to note: While first graders don't yet have "homework" per se, they have provided all of them with a huge workbook to reinforce learning should kids and/or parents want to institute it. Get this - Kaitlyn is just doing it on her own! She will just sit at the table and grind out a few pages. That girl really does love school and learning - you can tell she likes thinking about and solving problems (and is getting much, much better at it - especially math and word searches. WOW!).
After going through the Great Pumpkin Patch, the girls did about 30 minutes of crafts (coloring) before the weather turned and we headed out. We just beat the rain and thought, "Let's pop over to Frugal MacDoogal's since we're here." Um...mistake.
Now on the surface, it sounded like a GREAT plan: get some cheaper liquor, head home, watch some football. Job done, right? Well, Jenny goes in to buy some tequila, and Bear wets her pants. I mean, family, I am NOT kidding - whenever I am alone with that child, she just instantly pees herself.
Oh, and K is starting to spell stuff a lot more now. AND she's realized that spelling is a way to communicate without Cora understanding. Knowledge. Is. Power. :-)
We had Clan McLaren over that afternoon, and it was SUCH a blast. Those girls are just so great, and we all got along so well. The weather was perfect, and the highlight was watching them run around the sand traps on the golf course. K said, "Dada, we would run with our eyes closed and then jump into the sand pit. It was like you were flying. It was so fun!" They were great with Cora as well, and she ran as hard as she could the entire time.
Side note - K is definitely eating less but running around more, and you can tell she is trimming down quickly. It's amazing how fast it melts away!
Oh, and last thing - right now K is all about this new show called Glitter Force. It looks to be some type of Japanimation, and she can't get enough of it. My personal favorite is the "Glitter Peace" character, who says: "Puppies and kitties!!!! The power of love...I am Glitter Peace!" I mean...what does that even mean? :-)
10/22 - Today was Breast Cancer awareness day at BPS, and K was all pinked out. When she got home, we learned that she was apparently on the school news today telling a joke! We asked her what the joke was, and she proudly repeated it: "How does a Mountain see?" Excited to hear the punchline, we quickly gave up. And then she said, "With one eye." Um.....okay.....thinking a career in standup isn't yet in the cards for her... :-)
It was then over to Cary, where we arrived at Chez Warf. Now you never know how kids are going to react when meeting for the first time, but WOW! These kids got on great! Thomas and Kaitlyn were instantly best friends, as were Cora and Sabrina! They played GREAT together - the connections were instant! It was so sweet to watch. K slept in Thomas' room, where they were playing cards until like 9:30! Bear was with Sabrina, and it was cute to see her in that bottom bunk. I absolutely LOVE her little unicorn nightgown - I will miss that when it doesn't fit her anymore! Bear and Sabrina got in bed LATE - something like 10 before they settled! But hey, it's vacation. :-)
Some of my favorite memories:
1. All the kids doing a sticker book while sitting on a concrete vent block in the field by our cars
2. Cora sitting with Peyton and listening earnestly to everything she said
3. The kids all tied up around a chair
4. Four of the girls with their heads popped up out of the sunroof
5. My favorite - Kaitlyn running and looking back at Archer as she chased her - K's smile was a mile wide - the picture of happiness - and there was a big Carolina bow at the end of her braid. It was just perfect.
The kids hung out that night and played until 9 or so (well, except Bear, who was down EARLY). It was a PERFECT day - and the Heels won! BEAT DOOK, BABY!!!!!!!
The drive home was easy, with the girls watching TV (and Bear sleeping) most of the way. Once we got home, it was unpacking and relaxing before we got them down RIGHT at 7. :-) We weren't far behind!
10/30 - Today was the character parade at BPS, and thank goodness the weather cleared up long enough for them to actually do it! It rained before and after, but the 30 minutes of the parade was blissfully clear! K went as Ariel, and she was SO CUTE! Bear loved watching all the characters walk past - she was SO EXCITED when she saw unicorns, mermaids, and kitties. :-) I had to go back to work after that, but the girls got over to Chik-fil-A before Piano and then Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts was awesome, as two female police officers came and spoke to them about bravery. How cool is that?
I found out that they do the pledge of allegiance at the start of each meeting, and K got to hold the flag today. Not only does she know the Pledge of Allegiance - she always knows the Girl Scout pledge (which is very sweet). She was given a pearl bracelet tonight, as 10/31 is the birthday of the founder, and she sold her pearl bracelet many moons ago to start the organization. The girls had birthday cake to celebrate her as their snack! Throw in Skittles at Piano, juice at Girl Scouts, and M & M's from somewhere else (I was not part of ANY of this, mind you), and you have a girl that was LOOPY when she got home. Seriously - she was just walking around CACKLING and cracking herself up. To be fair, it was pretty cute... :-)
One thing that was NOT cute - just before K left, she lost her kitty charm. Cora had apparently opened the bag, and K couldn't find it. I mean....MELTDOWN. "WHAT IF I NEVER FIND IT???????" It was...special. Cora actually proceeded to cry from the second JT left with K until I put her to bed. The only time she stopped crying was when she weakly muttered, "I want mamma." I mean, no...I'm not hurt or offended at all. :-)
Oh, and little Cora actually fell ASLEEP on me tonight while rocking her. She was snoring on me! Poor thing - I wish she could clear out all this congestion. It's actually been really, really sweet - that beautiful girl has wanted to cuddle up with me and let me rock her every night lately. LOVE!
10/31 - Happy Halloween! This day started with K's first quarter check-in, and it went GREAT! Mr. McMahon had sent a data binder with her progress earlier in the week, and it was a GREAT report (complete with a very sweet note from him). Kids at this point should be reading between a D to J level, with J being the goal for the end of the year. K is already there! Mr. McMahon did say that, as part of the next unit, they were going to focus more on comprehension than words, so we shouldn't be alarmed if the letter doesn't progress as quickly. Truth be told, I'm not concerned and actually view this as a good thing, as I don't want that reading comprehension to be sacrificed for a few more syllables. Proud of you, kiddo!
We then got back to the house, and despite the wind, it was actually dry. Jenny was very insistent that we should let them go out for a bit and ring a few doorbells. I wasn't sold on it, but I gotta say - Wife Muffin was 100% right. It was GREAT! Seriously - the weather held off just long enough for us to hit quite a few houses, and the girls made out like bandits! They loved it, and Jenny had even purchased glow in the dark unicorn wands for them (which they LOVED waving around). It was just absolutely fantastic - so proud of Jenny for having her heart so focused on the kids, and so thankful I've got a helpmate who balances me out and reminds me what it was like to be a kid.
Kaitlyn's haul when she got home (after eating 4 or 5 pieces): 154 pieces of candy! I mean, the weather had kept so many people away that folks were just THROWING candy at them by the end!
Okay, that's a wild, wonderful October in the books. Chat with you in a month...when the Bull turns 42!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
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