Family,
And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where it's POURING rain as I type this. It's been a mild winter, but MAN have we had the rain! But that's not why you came here, so let's get amongst it, shall we?
2/1 - So today was just an absolutely FANTASTIC day. We took it easy and really didn't do anything outside the house...which was just perfect. Jenny and I had just had date night, so it was wonderful to just be able to hang with the girls and relax. We played the Wii, the girls watched a movie ("Thunder and the House of Magic" - which was actually pretty cute), we played a lot of "Red Light, Green Light" (even Jenny got in on the action) and "What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?", and just had a lot of good laughs. The pace of the day was good, and the girls were in good spirits. I know that I've mentioned it before, but it's truly AMAZING how much better the girls' behavior has been this past week. We have made very small changes, but man I really think they've made a difference. Just eliminating the screen time has been wonderful, as they know they can't ask for it and consequently just entertain themselves by coloring, playing, or doing something else. It's been really refreshing and fantastic to watch, as it keeps them more active (running around, playing on their scooters, playing with each other, coloring and being creative, etc) AND removes another external influence that I now see has had an impact.
The changes have been simple:
1. Fruit and veg first
2. Smaller protein/carb portion
3. Must haves seconds on veg before seconds on protein/carb
4. Second helping will NOT be as big as the first
5. Active monitoring of the lunch - more fruit and fewer "snacks"
6. No screen time during the week
7. No treats during the week
8. Fewer treats on the weekend (both 7 and 8 have resulted in us dramatically reducing the sugar crash behavior at the end of the night)
9. More consistent bedtime - 7:15 for Bear, 7:30 for K
K is more motivated to read now, seems trimmer, and just has more energy. I am so proud of her, of Jenny, and of the family for moving in this direction. And Bear is almost ALWAYS eating all of her veg now! I mean, it's crazy how quickly it's all changed!
The highlight for me was at the end of the night. UNC was playing Florida state, and both girls just curled up on either side of me to watch the last 8 minutes. I mean, here I am - snuggled in my favorite spot, with both girls laying on my chest, sipping on bourbon, watching the Heels. HOW DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT?!?!?!!? My heart was the definition of full. LOVE MY KIDDOS!!!! So blessed.
2/2 - Today was Sunday, so we had 2 services at FHC. Can I brag on my oldest? So here's the deal - every month we give out a "memory verse," and if you memorize it, you get a certain number of tokens. This verse in particular is long (5 lines), and so we're handing out 4 tokens. Now normally we don't start awarding tokens until the second week of the month, but today Pastor Michael said that he would give (the record setting number of) 4 tokens to anyone who could say it - starting right then. And who do you think is the first person to walk up there and try? MY OLDEST, BABY!!!!!
Now to be clear - she didn't get it right. She got almost all the way through the fourth line before she missed a word (and it has to be letter perfect or you don't get credit), and you could see the devastation on her face. She actually did a really good job holding it in, as you could tell she wanted to cry. But here's why I'm bragging on her - for the next 10 minutes, every other kid tried and failed, and NONE OF THEM got as far as she did, even though most were older AND had taken more time to practice. PROUD OF YOU, KIDDO!
Went to the park that afternoon because of the great weather, and the girls had a blast. Kaitlyn finally did the circular, rotating monkey bars for the first time ever - she actually did it 3 times! I am telling you: leaner and stronger. It's awesome to see. And Bear was SO CUTE - she made a friend on the playground! This was the first time I'd ever seen her really interact with and play with someone else, and they were so cute together. They must have spent the better part of an hour climbing up and sliding down a slide - it was awesome to watch. And speaking of Cora, it's just awesome how much her diction has improved. She is really growing up right before our very eyes.
2/3 - So this morning was QUITE THE ADVENTURE. Long story short - I am fixing the girls' toilet (still running due to the stopper just not sealing all the way), and as I'm walking out I think to myself, "Man, it really stinks in here." Well, about 5 minutes later, Jenny goes into Cora's room to wake her up...and finds that she's already awake. That on its own would be great...but there's also poopy in Ducky Potty...and there is no diaper visible. Come to find out, Cora had deuced a bit in her pull-up, walked to the potty, took her pull-up off, pooped some more, then pulled the pull-up back on...AND CLIMBED BACK IN BED!!!!! Dude...GROSS. Seriously - there was poop in her hair (at least we think), some on her fingers, under her fingernails, all over ducky potty, and even a lone pellet under the bed. Needless to say, it. Was. Special.
Oh, and it must be said - Kaitlyn is OBSESSED with playing the card game "War." Seriously - it is 2/5 as I type this, and she has wanted to play it nonstop. She plays it in the morning before school. She plays it with the kids at school when she arrives before the day starts (that's where she learned it). She plays it by herself when her parents won't play it with her. She LOVES it! Honestly - you can tell she's wired like the Tacy side, with her mom's math skills (and Bob's, dare I say). You can just tell - she's good at math, good at piano, and likes the way card games work. But the interesting compliment to that - she's also doing great in her language training, great with art and drawing, and has a wonderful imagination. Excited to see watch this girl grow!
2/5 - Kaitlyn picked up her girl scout cookies for delivery tonight! I barely got to see her or JT, but I did have a great evening playing with Cora. We played for about 30 minutes after dinner, where we would take turns "falling but not getting hurt" on the pillows. I would then pretend to sleep, and she would scream out loudly, "waking me up." She thought that was pretty much the funniest thing EVER and wanted to do it over and over. It was a great little night with her, and it was a real treat tucking her in, as she now wants to hear Twinkle, Twinkle while being rocked! She likes having her back rubbed/scratched while you sing to her and rock her, and she even joins in for part of it. I honestly didn't want that to end. It's going too fast!!!
Oh, and Bear had the line of the night tonight. Last fall Jenny read, "Girl, Wash Your Face," and I would always say that to her as a joke. Well, tonight I said to Cora, "Girl, wash your face!" She promptly replied back, "Boy, wash your face!" Atta girl! She's also very good about calling me a Swamp Donkey these days. I'm so proud of what I'm teaching my children... :-)
2/6 - So today was a bit of a crazy one, starting with a Tornado lockdown drill both at my work and BPS about 11:30. The forecast was insane (storm moving 60 mph with tornadoes possible - one apparently did touch down in Kannapolis), but luckily not much materialized. The net result of all of it was that Kaitlyn was dismissed early, but then they had to delay the car pool line due to the insane wind and rain that suddenly kicked back up! The good news was that she got home safely (as did Bear - early dismissal there, too), but the bad news was that Kaitlyn definitely wasn't feeling good. She's had throat pain for the last several nights, and her appetite definitely has been down (most because she feels a lot of what she can eat will hurt her throat).
The girls sorted Girl Scout cookies in the afternoon - INSANE how many boxes are in the house! - and the plan is to deliver them this weekend and collect payment.
Oh, and we had a first tonight! We got the girls tucked in about 7:30, after which time Jenny and retired to our room for some "adult time" (girls, I know you'll roll your eyes when you read this, but it will be funny...eventually). Well, We are lounging around when I hear a definite thump, and then I notice sounds coming from near the (LOCKED) door. Eventually curiosity gets the better of me, and I open it to find Kaitlyn standing there, saying "Don't. Feel. Good." Her next question is immediate (and without verbs) - "Why. Door. Locked." I promptly marched her back to her room, and she asked, "Where. Momma." I told her mommy was busy. :-)
Ultimately we gave her some medicine, put a bucket in her room, and tucked her back in. First time ever for that happening!
2/8 - Today was a really fun Saturday for Team Taylor, starting with a 20 mile run for this guy (2860 burned over 3 hours and 35 minutes, baby!!!!)! Kaitlyn went to HC bingo with Allison and Taylie, and I think Allison emerged victorious (K was apparently on the verge of tears because she didn't win, but hey - eveybody left there with a water bottle! :-)).
And while K might not have won at bingo, they girl is UNSTOPPABLE at war. Seriously - she won FIVE STRAIGHT GAMES today - most of them very quickly! We've started playing 3 way war between her, Jenny, and me, and that does tend to speed things up (it should be noted that I consistently finish last in this). Kaitlyn is starting to do better at shuffling, but man she does NOT like it when you cut the cards and don't show her what's on the bottom!
And get this - IT SNOWED TODAY! That in and of itself was someone amazing, but here's the kicker - today was the day that Jenny and Kaitlyn were signed up for a two hour Girl Scout cookie booth outside of Target in Huntersville. YIKES! They rugged up good, and while they were very cold, it went well (and the cookies FLEW off the table - it's AMAZING how quickly these things sells). I will give Kaitlyn credit - Jenny said that she was clearly getting bored by the end (understandable since she was one of only two daisies there), but she kept her composure and soldiered on until the end. Proud of you ladies!
I was back home with Cora, and we played several of her favorite games, including:
1. She assigns me the lone pony I can play with...as long as it touches none of her ponies or the castle she's using (but I must be beside her)
2. The "Dad pretends to sleep while Cora shouts in his face then laughs hysterically" game
3. The "let's fall down on the pillows and pretend we can't walk" game
4. The "you do the puzzle while I scratch your back then we switch" game (I quite enjoy that one)
The time went fast for us, and by all accounts we had a great afternoon and evening. It was SO NICE to just relax and not have anywhere to be! But what I will say (as I have said all year) - I just feel like I'm barely hanging on with the blog right now. I am noticing that I'm taking fewer pictures, the writing is getting more sporadic, and I'm just finding it a struggle to keep up. Work has steadily ratcheted up, and despite trimming activities in the evening, work is a solid 9-10 hours every single day (including Fridays, which are now in the office). Up until November, Fridays were a good time to get caught up on some house items, but that's just not been possible lately. I am telling myself that I really, really want to continue with this, and I think the price of admission for that is admitting that the quality of writing (and timeliness of committing it to memory) will suffer in the coming months. The other note is that I just feel like I've not been a great parent lately, and I'm having trouble shaking what's wrong. I find myself saying "no" or instructing so much at the moment, and I can tell that's wearing on both girls. I am trying to find ways to engage, interact, and have fun with them while at the same time keeping our schedule. However, with my work schedule, that is getting tougher and tougher. I am praying about it, and I do believe God will show me a way. In fact, He's already helped me to say "yes" more, which I do think has been a lift. Watch this space!
2/9 - We headed up to the Lake Norman campus today for our new tradition of the "Second Tuesday Field trip," and it was GREAT! Service was wonderful, we got to hang with a lot of friends, and the biggest news - Kaitlyn nailed her memory verse! Here's why that's big: it's the biggest one I've ever seen us do, AND she was the FIRST ARROW THIS MONTH to say it correctly! Yay! So proud of you, kiddo! She also got an attention....AND purchased a Rubik's cube with her tokens. Oddly enough, she's quite frustrated that she hasn't cracked it yet. :-)
After church Kaitlyn asked if we could have lunch as a family, and Jenny and I looked at each other and thought "Why not?" We've obviously been making a conscious effort to spend less in 2020, and a big part of that is eliminating eating out. It's not just the money - it's also the reality that we have to do a better job watching the girls and their calorie intake (which is much easier at home). Side note on that - we are taking a very active approach to monitoring K as she preps her lunch each day. we are ensuring a small bag for the "crunch," at least 2 fruits, and only 1 sweet item. I'm happy to report we are still holding the line on no screen time during the week and no sweets, and I really do think that's been very positive for us. More to come obviously, but I am happy that we've been able to make this happen so far.
I say all that to say that we CRUSHED SOME FOOD at IHOP (up in Huntersville - not the local one) and blew out the caloric concerns. :-) Kaitlyn and Cora knocked back some cupcake pancakes, and they were guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud. We then headed home and delivered Girl Scout cookies, which was fun. Bear made the trek with us - although she wasn't happy about it! She hadn't had a nap in about 5 days, and you could tell it was really catching up with her. Jenny said this is something she consistently notices - after about Day 3 or Day 4, she needs the catch-up nap to stay level.
Another side note about Bear - she will smile ALL THE TIME now until you move to take a photo. The second you do, that lip sticks out the better part of a mile, and I can't trick her into putting it away! And we've definitely got a routine now:
Me: "Cora, how was your day?"
Bear: "Bad."
Me: "Really? What was bad about it."
Bear: "Hot sauce."
Me: "But you didn't have any."
Bear: "I know that. GAG."
Me: "What did you do today?"
Bear: "Nothing."
Me: "Did you have fun with Mommy?"
Bear: "No."
Solid. :-) Also, when you ask "Do you know you're beautiful," "Do you know I love you," or "Do you know God loves you," the answer is the same: "I don't know that." When you ask, "Does Mommy love you?" The answer is instantly: "Yuhuh! I know that!" :-)
We got outside for about 30-45 minutes, playing catch and riding around on our bikes. We then let the girls watch Thunder and the House of Magic while me and Jenny say around the fire table. Oh, and side note - Jenny and I go into the house, and K asks, "Dad, is damn another word for dumb?" It took me a minute, but then I realized - there were curse words in the cartoon (says Damn twice). I mean....REALLY PEOPLE? But it was a great opportunity to teach K about foul language and what she shouldn't say, so it wasn't wasted.
2/10 - Kaitlyn and a few friends got extra recess for good behavior today! I'm not sure how long they got to stay out, but she confirmed that Mr. McMahon singled her and a few friends out for good behavior. Way to go, kiddo! So proud of you! Honestly- that girl really is SO well behaved. Case in point - I am blown away by how well behaved she is compared to the other 6 year olds in Arrows - it's just night and day vs. some of those kids!
On the Bear front, she and her sister absolutely have one thing VERY MUCH in common - those girls BOTH love their dresses. It's crazy! Bear wants to wear a dress every single day...often sleeveless dresses...even when it's negative 63 out. We will let her wear said dresses, so long as she puts a long sleeve shirt and long pants on as well. Sure enough, she's always game to do that! It makes for some INCREDIBLE outfits. :-)
So an interesting exchange tonight at bedtime. Cora has started sleeping with "Valentine's Day Bear," and Kaitlyn noticed it this evening. Well, she asked Cora if she could sleep with Valentine's Day Bear, and Cora said OK. However, when we then said, "Cora, do you want to ask Kaitlyn if you can borrow one of her animals?", Kaitlyn's eyes got very wide. :-) She was immediately doing the inventory of animals to see which one Cora might select, and she was very clear which ones were NOT on offer (priceless). Ultimately they settled on Bear taking Rompy to bed, but K was NOT happy out of the gate. Oh, life's little lessons... :-)
2/12 - Bear went to the dentist today, and she got a great report! And get this - tonight, for the first time with me participating, we used fluoride toothpaste! Yay! It was a tiny amount - size of a grain of rice - but she did great and spit it out! You can tell that she still wants to swallow it (and she did some), but she's making progress! I have started making her spit several times during the brushing session, and I think that's helping. Growing up before our eyes! That girl can now get on any toilet, AND she can wash her hands when she's gone. Honestly - her being able to turn the faucet on and off is a GAME CHANGER.
2/13 - Today was K's party at BPS (they didn't have school on Valentine's Day), and they loaded those kids up with sugar (shocking/not shocking). Something really cool from Art class - Kaitlyn made clay chocolates! They were SO cute - five little chocolates, all glazed, and sitting in little muffin papers. She did a GREAT job. Side note here - I realize that everyone things their children are brilliant, but I must brag on Kaitlyn's artistic abilities. She is SO FAR in front of where I was at that age (or even middle school in my case, as I did NOT have the gift), and it's just so awesome to watch her cut, paint, paste, color, paint, and just experiment with different mediums. She really, really does great work!
2/14 - Today was Bear's party at UCUMC, and that girl made out like a bandit as well! Seriously - can we EVER get the sugar out of this house? Don't answer that - I already know how this ends.
Seriously - today was a really, really fun day. Kaitlyn went to her old preschool class and read Splat the Cat: "My Special Valentine." She loves doing that, and they love having her - such a special treat. And speaking of Kaitlyn - she is now starting to braid her own hair! Now admittedly, it still needs work, but she understands the mechanics of it! If we can just convince her to NOT get so bloody frustrated...:-)
The girls did lunch at Panera with Ellie, and then back home we just had a really, really fun evening. Kaitlyn and I started reading one of the "Bad Kitty" books, and we took the approach of alternating pages while reading. That makes it more engaging and enjoyable, and this book actually had some pretty funny sections! There was genuine laughter from both of us, which is always a treat.
Oh, and I am pleased to announce that Kaitlyn's two front teeth are FINALLY coming in! The second one is just now starting to pop through, but she is finally at the point that she can actually use her 2 front teeth for chewing (well, one of them at least). But it's funny - she's been without them so long that she is still using just the side teeth for her initial bites. I mentioned it to her at dinner tonight, and you could tell that she hadn't thought about it.
And speaking of the dinner table, can I just say that Cora can chew a bite of food for DONKEY'S YEARS? The other night I watched her chew on a bite of chicken for SEVENTEEN MINUTES. Seriously - we told her she couldn't be excused from the table until she finished it, and it STILL took her that long. It was mind blowing. But then again, she is Jenny's daughter! (JT's words - not mine! :-))
Cora's hair is SO LONG now, and SHE is so long. It's just amazing how much she's growing and how much better she's talking. I still don't understand everything and need Kaitlyn to translate, but that girl is definitely growing up - it's just amazing how quickly it happens.
2/15 - So today was a FULL day at Casa de Taylor! It was cold outside, which meant that we spent the day entertaining ourselves indoors. We played board games, war, checkers, and chess! Bob and Jan came over, and Bob was GREAT playing cards and checkers with K - she was in Heaven, and they really bonded today! Jan was over at the princess house with Cora, so both girls were just having a blast receiving all that individual attention. Bob taught Kaitlyn crazy 8's, and the girl was a force of nature - she couldn't lose! Same thing with War - Bob taught her the Hoyle's version, and she couldn't lose (she actually beat my 5 or 6 times in a row that weekend - it was crazy).
Kaitlyn hates losing (shocking), but I must say - she picked up checkers and chess REALLY quick. For checkers especially, it was really, really neat to watch her thinking a few moves ahead, planning out some strategy, and considering potential moves and ways to block my approach. Obviously I beat her every time, but each time she made fewer and fewer mistakes. It was really, really cool to see!
Cora had a little scare at lunch, as she got nearly choked on a piece of caramel chocolate. It was a little scary, but that girl rallied and focused until she was good to go. Today was just great watching them all interact, and the time flew by.
Oh, and a classic moment at night: When the girls are kicking and punching around my crotch, I usually say, "Watch the giggle berries!" Now admittedly I know I shouldn't say that, but at this point it's just habit. Well, tonight Kaitlyn asked me what the giggle berries were, and when she figured it out she could NOT stop saying it and "singing" about it, all the while laughing hysterically. Then Cora started saying it as well - ALSO laughing hysterically. Note to self - NEVER SAY ANYTHING AROUND YOUR KIDS YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO REPEAT. Hopefully they won't broadcast that little episode in public... :-)
2/16 - Kaitlyn continues to up her game in checkers - that girl is really starting to think through it! Previously I'd always said, "I wouldn't do that because...," but now she's actively noticing those points and adjusting. EDIT: It's 3/4, and oddly enough K has had ZERO desire to play chess since this day. It's the weirdest thing, because she was OBSESSED with it for that brief stint - the checkerboard (from Indonesia, no less) was a permanent fixture on our coffee table. More to the point - we bought her "no stress chess" for her birthday, so hopefully she gets back into it. :-)).
We had 2 services at church today, and Kaitlyn was the first to pop up when Pastor Michael said Attention! She also got to play Word Freeze, and at home we played Word Freeze and Red Light, Green Light. Cora's church experience apparently wasn't as pleasant, as she told us that "some girl said this wasn't a fress (dress)." Bear was distraught! We had to explain that a) it clearly was, b) she shouldn't worry what others say, and c) nothing is worth getting that upset. Too cute.
Honestly, y'all - I really am trying to make a conscious effort to say "yes" more. It's funny - I'm so focused on my schedule that I have to stop, think, and make a conscious effort, but I do think I'm improving. Also, I am realizing that it's okay to say no and then say, "You know what - YES." Case in point - I've been doing that a lot lately at night during Twinkle, Twinkle. Kaitlyn often wants me to make up a song (rhyming of course!) on the fly, and for awhile I just didn't have the energy. However, As we start singing and get into the rhythm, I usually find myself kicking off some random slapstick song. I don't think she fully appreciates what it takes to create those little ditties night after night, but there's another reality - she won't ask me to do that forever, so I've got to make it count.
That really hit home for me today. I was at work, and a buddy sent me a story written by a guy who was present at Tarheel Senior night last night (it's 3/4 as I write this, so Senior Night was 3/3 at the Dean Dome). The writer was talking about the words the Seniors spoke, and it evoked in him the memory of how fast time - and parenthood - had gone for him. It resonated with me on SO MANY LEVELS, and I sent it to my mom, dad, and sister. I knew each of them would relate to it - just for different reasons. It was a powerful piece of journalism, and I walked into the house tonight with a fresh (and much needed renewal of) perspective. This year has been fantastic, but MAN it's been so much busier and tougher than I expected. Work is just really busy, and the hours are pretty long (and rarely from home at this point). That means the time with the girls is even more precious, and it also means that I'm progressively more and more exhausted as the weeks roll on - especially in the run up to the next marathon. I think March will be a turning point for us, as a lot of big things will come off the books (from a schedule perspective). That will very much provide a lift, and I'm hoping I can dial back the militant schedule that we're currently keeping.
Also - I made a decision this week, and I has given me profound peace and taken a tremendous amount of pressure off me. I have decided that it is time to end the Blog on March 11, completing my 7th (and now confirmed final) edition of "Raise Kids With the Taylors." Simply put - the schedule is merciless, and keeping up with everything has gotten to the point that it's always on my mind and is affecting my real, actual time with my family. Instead, I'm going to try and do weekly videos for the girls, which we'll upload into our various clouds and share with them when they are older. And let's face it - as the blog has very much just been for me for a long time, those video entries might also be cathartic ways for me to remember and enshrine their childhoods as they grow up on Regal Court. But I'm not done yet, so let's get back to it.... :-)
I will have you all know that Cora does NOT like being called baby. Whenever Kaitlyn or anyone else says that, She. Gets. HOT. She is adamant: "I'M NOT A BABY. I'M A BIG GIRL!" And her mood swings are meteoric, but when she's happy, that girl can give the BEST hugs. It's so cute - she'll run up and say "I want to give huggies!" She will sometimes call them "squeezies," but either way - when you pick her up, she will attempt to crush your windpipe. :-) Plus you can usually count on getting a kiss on the cheek, which is pretty sweet.
Another good thing - that girl is FINALLY starting to use tissues instead of eating her snot (GROSS). That being said, she's NOT eating much at dinner, as she would rather starve than eat fruit or veg. It's amazing! Total opposite of her sister, who's effectively a hoover on all things. We did have a little scare with Cora this afternoon while watching a movie, as she got a little choked on a piece of popcorn. She was able to cough it out and stem the coughs with water, but it was scary (and more disturbing because it was the second day in a row she'd nearly choked).
Last thing - In the spirit of picking my battles as a dad, I've decided my focus for the foreseeable future will be limiting K's sugar intake. Between church, Girl Scouts, School, parties, and friends, it feels like staying in front of this is virtually impossible. However, that has got to be my focus, as I want to ensure we set her up for success re: weight and healthy eating habits as she gets older. I want to work on her patience as well, but one game at a time. :-)
Oh, and we read some more Bad Kitty tonight - hilarious! K was genuinely laughing. It was angelic. "I AM DR. LAGOMORPH!!!!!!"
2/17 - We hit the park for a bit today (weather was GREAT), and Kaitlyn is DEFINITELY getting stronger. She is LOVING the spinning Monkey Bars right now - so much so that she got her first ever "gymnast's rip" callous. I will give her credit - she didn't really complain about it, and she kept going full speed! I think her being increasingly active AND eating fewer sweets is helping, as she's getting leaner and has much better energy (and is sleeping great).
This weekend (President's Day weekend) was great for me, as I really feel like Kaitlyn and I re-established a bond. As I alluded to earlier, I just haven't been around as much lately, and at times some of our conversations have been a bit contentious. This was a wonderful return to normalcy, and we just really made it count. I spent some time thinking about how to recalibrate my parenting, and I realized that I've been trying to plan things to the minute - trying to budget and allocate time and a set order of activities with the girls to give them equal time. I now realize how foolish an idea that is (however noble or equitable), as it's not about the minutes you spend with them. It's about making those minutes - however many there are - count. Also, it's about doing what they want to do, and when they want to do it (whenever possible). That realization has given me some freedom in how I interact with them, and it's taken some pressure off for me (which has been a blessing).
Right now I am loving doing the "alternating pages" while reading with K. We are just really, really enjoying that time together, and our reading time is more fun than it's been for quite a while. THANK YOU, FATHER!!!!! Answered prayer! And speaking of answered prayers - I am back to reading Bible stories with my girls! I realized that, while it's great to have the Bibles in the backpacks for tokens at church, something even better is to take the Bibles out of the backpacks mid-week and have them available for the girls to read/flip through. It's amazing - as soon as I did that, both of them read some stories from it. Answered prayer!!!!!! Truly - that was miraculous, and it was AWESOME and amazing.
The next thing for me - finding a way to have more focused time with Bear. She's not quite ready for Daddy-daughter date night yet (that's coming), but I definitely want to find ways to give her focused time. She's growing SO FAST - putting on her own pants and washing her own hands now! I mean, she can do the faucet, soap, towel - all of it! I must confess, that makes me happy, as it's so nice to just have her do it now.
2/19 - So I was in Minneapolis today, but apparently Jenny had to lead Girl Scouts! The normal troop leader must have been sick, so Jenny was in charge! When I asked her how it went, her response was pretty funny: "I had to get into the Amarula last night." Priceless! Apparently it went fine, but some of the girls must be wilder than a buck. Too funny!
2/20 - It happened! WE GOT SNOW!!!!! It probably only lasted 2 hours, and none of it stuck to the roads, but at least the girls got to stand outside in snow! Jenny sent me a photo of it, and it was SO CUTE to listen to the girls on FaceTime that night and the following day. They were SO EXCITED that there was still snow on the roof the following morning. Love those kids! It's funny - this is the first year in this house that we've not had a big snow storm (we usually just get one anyway, but still), so I was glad they at least got a dusting. But now it's on to Spring, baby!!!
One moment to record - apparently the girls would NOT listen to Jenny this evening, and at one point she got so frustrated that she threw a bag of crayons against the wall! That must have resulted in quite a few tears, but mommy did manage to land the plane (she texted me as soon as it happened and said, "Please pray for me" - poor girl!). The good news - Jenny apologized and used it as a teaching moment, and the girls were none the worse for wear. If anything, it made for a great conversation piece when I returned home, and Kaitlyn said, "Dad - you should have seen your crazy wife last night. She exploded like a cannon!" Too funny!
2/22 - We hit the park today, and K had a BLAST on the monkey bars. She is LOVING doing the bars with Hannah (neighbor to Taylie), and lately they've been meeting in the middle, colliding, and then dropping down together - wrapped around each other!
Today was "World Thinking Day" for Kaitlyn with Girl Scouts, and Jenny was so proud of how our oldest behaved. Here's the deal - there were 21 stations (for each of the 21 local troops), and each troop was highlighting a country (we had Peru - how fitting is that? :-)). Each girl had a book, and inside that book were questions and activities about each country. Jenny said that most girls were just running around, but Kaitlyn took it VERY seriously. In fact, Jenny said that Kaitlyn was a ONLY GIRL who was writing answers, looking at the boards for the clues/information, asking questions, collecting the stickers, and taking it seriously. How cool! SO PROUD OF YOU, KIDDO!!!!
And speaking of proud, can I give a shout out to Kaitlyn as well for how well she's doing in school and all she's learning? It's crazy - they are talking about planets, ancient civilizations, the history of the earth, etc. Today she was talking to me about what metamorphic rocks are. I mean....SHE'S IN FIRST GRADE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! It's really, really cool to see, and AMAZING how much earlier they start these subjects.
Kaitlyn is also doing SO WELL at piano. I am really, really impressed with the effort, and she's actually starting to memorize songs! You can tell that she's developing an ear for it, which is amazing to see. Very proud of her, and I very much hope she stays with it.
This day was special for me, as I had some dedicated time with Bear. We snuggled on the couch, watched Elena, played with the princesses, read, played with ponies and hatchimals, and just had a great little morning. the snuggles during Elena were certainly the highlight for me!
2/23 - We had another surprise steamer today, as Bear had dropped a HUGE poopy in Ducky Potty in the morning! Luckily we entered right after it happened (still very fresh), and it was much drier than the previous endeavor (meaning there wasn't poop all over the seat, bed, her hair - YAY).
The night was a little rough, as Bear awoke at 4 AM screaming. It was a mixture of pain (likely ear pressure) and an inability to breathe (poor thing is SO stopped up and coughing nonstop - this house is a petrie dish at present), but luckily the ibuprofen helped her fall asleep and relax.
2/24 - We have a confirmed ear infection for Bear! :-( And while we obviously hate that, we are genuinely happy to have a diagnosis, as that means we can get antibiotics to fight it. As much as the girls have coughed and hacked, we've honestly been super lucky health-wise this year, and Bear was in pretty good spirits after the appointment (that girl LUUUUUUUUUUUUUVES her medicine).
Kaitlyn was quite the overachiever today and brought her Bobcat diorama to school ONE WEEK EARLY! I have to say that it looks GREAT, and she had very little help from either of us (I didn't do anything but help with taping one piece, and Jenny just printed out some pages for her to color). I must say that I'm pleased with how self-motivating Kaitlyn is when it comes to schoolwork, as that's obviously something you can't teach. And speaking of motivation - Kaitlyn is now folding her own clothes, and tonight she did it without even being asked! How awesome is that!
Oh, and the Girl Scout cookie sales continue, as today both Mr. McMahon and Mr. Baines bought some! Seriously - the demand for these things is incredible! Sell, sell, sell, girl! :-)
Classic moment tonight - I asked her if she played with Beniah during the mommy's Life Group today. Her response: "NO, GAG! Beniah is a baby! He just chews things!" How funny is that? And I can confirm that Jenny was able to verify that statement. Priceless. It was one funny moment of many this particular evening - great night of laughs all around.
2/28 - Guess who had a dry pull-up today!!!! Yay!!!! That was great news, and I think these oversized pull-ups are definitely helping, as they are much easier for Bear to get on and off. She actually went to Ducky Potty, peed, and then pulled her pull-up back up before getting into bed. RE-SULT! That being said, HOLY MOLY IS THAT CHILD WHINY RIGHT NOW. It is TOUGH, as she is super happy one second and then inconsolable the next. Plus, when something is wrong, she wants you to ask her what's wrong vs. volunteering anything. To that end, she'll just look at you and go "MMMMMMM!" or "UUUUUUUUUU..." Yes, if you think it's annoying to read (and it's certainly annoying to type), you should listen to it for a solid 30 minutes every evening. :-) Love you kid!
Kaitlyn got to present her diorama today, and by all accounts it went well. It was neat for all the kids, as they got the chance to look at all the dioramas across all the classrooms and then vote for the best. I was proud of Kaitlyn, as she was very complimentary of the winner: "That girl's was AWESOME - clearly the best."
Another very cool thing - Kaitlyn came home with her "Astronaut Book" today, and it was so neat! There were pictures she'd drawn of rocket ships, of the sky, and even her as an Astronaut. Fantastic! I put it in the baby book, as that is something I definitely want to keep. And while I realize that some of the graphite from the pencils may fade away eventually, I am hopeful the pictures will remain forever.
Cora's talking is just fantastic right now, and 2 particular phrases were great today. First was when she said "I want to give you squeezies!!!!" in the morning. She ran up to me and tackled me with a bear hug. Side note - she LOVES smelling my armpits, socks, and shoes after I run. It's hilarious because she'll ask to do it, put her full face on it, and then say, "YUCK!" Rinse/repeat! Love that kid.
The other one isn't as funny for her, as she's still super stuffed up and has required...you guessed it...the Snot Sucker. She does NOT enjoy it - fights tooth and nail screaming "I don't want to do the snot sucky!!!!!" But if you give her a piece of candy....suddenly she's 100% willing and doesn't shed a tear. Kids these days... :-)
2/29 - Dry pull-up for the second day in a row, along with pee in Ducky potty when we arrived - AMAZING!!!!!!! That's a win streak, baby! Let's keep it up!
Oh and we played some Wii today, and K legit BEAT ME in some of them! I mean, we have ARRIVED, baby! Fishing, laser hockey, Bubbles, and the Cow game are now legit battles. LOVE IT! Bring it on... :-)
So there you have it - the last FULL MONTH blog I will write for "Raise Kids With the Taylors." It feels incredibly weird to type this, but I knew eventually this day would come. It's funny - I'm not really sad, and I wasn't sure how I would react once I made the decision. Now that the end approaches, however - only 5 days left to record (I'm typing this on March 6th), I have a sense of peace: both in knowing that I will leverage other channels to track their childhoods, and also because I realize that I simply can't keep up. Truly, the last two months (and especially this one) have been a real struggle to record everything, find time to write, and get my thoughts down in a timely fashion.
That's all the news that's fit to print (can't believe I'll only write that 1 more time) - chat with you when we have a 7 year old!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
I remember writing my first post - sitting on the couch with Jenny out jogging or something. We'd just been shopping for the crib if memory serves, and I decided to give it a go. I remember saying in the first post: "I have no idea if this will work, how often I'll write, or if I'll even be able to keep it up, but here we go." And now, seven years later, I have all those answers. This has been a profoundly rewarding endeavor for me, and I am so grateful for all the idea, the time to write, and the memories made which are now recorded on these pages. And it is with that mindset that I now turn toward the first 11 days of March - which also represent the last 11 pages of written record on this adventure.
One thing that was tough when we got home - K seemed a little sad and said that she "wasted her tokens." I pressed on that, saying that clearly she got something she wanted, but then it came out that she gave up her favorite token, which had a rainbow someone had colored. Shocking, but I was not overcome with sadness. :-) 
We hit the park in the afternoon. It was a bit chilly, but the girls played great. And get this - Bear is now on the BIG SWINGS! She hangs in there well, and she's pumping those little legs as hard as she can - too cute! The one downside to all this - the angle for pushing her on those swings is NOT ideal unless you're an Ooompa Loompa, and so I basically had to do a split while pushing her. Yes, I'm sure I looked wicked manly doing that. 
3/3 - We continued our march through Captain Underpants today, and I must confess...I am starting to get into it. I am now very curious to see what ultimately happens to Kipper Krupp. :-) 
And can I HAPPILY report that Bear had a dry pull-up this morning? And not only that - when she wakes up dry, that girl takes care of business on Ducky Potty! YAY!!!!! Plus she's now putting her pull-up on all by herself. It's so cute - she puts it on and then pushes the front down below her belly button. "It's more comfortable like that, Gag." Love that kid! 
Truly - I am so thankful it's had that kind of staying power, as we now sing it to Bear as well while we rock her at night. That should give it some longevity, as one never knows when the "switch flips" with kids and they "put away childish things." I think we still have a while with Kaitlyn, but I also know there are likely fewer days in the future of singing it than there are days in the past where we've sung it, rubbing her back and tickling her, all the while with her thumb in her mouth and her eyes closed, settling in for the night. 
Side note moving out of order on this: It was a moment during her birthday party sleepover that I realized how young - and fragile - she still is. The girls were bedding down to sleep - sleeping bags on air mattresses - and Kaitlyn took a drink from her hydro flask. She spilled a little, and it was too much (meaning too cold) to keep her nightgown on. She started crying, as she was concerned she wouldn't be able to wear the nightgown she'd picked out especially for the sleepover. Also, while changing she said, "But what if my sleeping bag is wet and I can't sleep in it?" Luckily, it was just a little damp, and we were able to throw it in the dryer. However, to me it was a realization moment - they are so big and often act so mature and grown up, but at the end of the day they are first graders (in K's case - preschool for Bear) and are so young and fragile.
Actually, I have to confess that's not a true statement at the moment, as right now she really, REALLY likes hanging with Daddy. It's the first time EVER, but right now I am the ONLY person she will let brush her teeth. She runs to me with the toothbrush and toothpaste, dodging Jenny and saying, "No, daddy!!!!" Now what I will say - that girl has got some YELLOW teeth right now, likely a result of her still using the training toothpaste. Tonight I decided that, going forward, it's time to make the move to fluoride. She still has a bad habit of swallowing toothpaste, so my plan is to make her spit several times while brushing. Watch this space!
We blew the doors off that place - were among the first (and only) people there the entire time. It was GREAT, as we got 90 minutes there, and the girls were able to go HARD. Pool Ellie got quite exhausted and actually had to lay her head on the central table and sleep! Eden and Sophia S, two girls from Kaitlyn's class, joined us, and they brought some great energy and life to the party. And let me tell you - Bear had a BLAST! Seriously - that girl was ALL ABOUT the little animal bounce area. I thought that she would prefer the princess bounce castle, but she was instead all about the giraffe, elephants, and kangaroo slide. Too funny! It really was a hoot to watch her play, and I was thankful for the dedicated bonding time with her, knowing the Kaitlyn was separately having an EPIC day. 
We opened presents there before shooting over to the second spot of the day and the featured lunch - Hawthorne's! It was GREAT - we rocked up with coloring books and 288 crayons for the kids, and that kept them transfixed while the food came. And let me just brag on the staff at Hawthorne's, as they were truly wonderful. They cut the pizzas into 16 slices vs. 8, gave us TONS of space, did a wonderful job with the kids drinks, and even stored the ice cream cake in their freezer AND gave us a knife to cut it! That cake was guuuuuuuuuuud, and the girls CRUSHED it. Oh, and speaking of crushing - Bear ate THREE slices of pizza! I mean, she was a bottomless pit! That bounce house wore that girl OUT! 
We then returned home for an hour or so of playtime, and the girls were in HEAVEN! Eden and Sophia didn't spend the night before, so they were so cute bouncing around the house. Sophia LOVED the Frozen house - too cute! Honestly - they are a great group of girls, and I'm very thankful K has made some wonderful, sweet friends.
On thing to note - Kaitlyn came into our room and woke Jenny at 11:30, crying and saying that her throat hurt. Jenny was able to settle her with some ibuprofen, but that doesn't bode well for school tomorrow.
3/10 - Our oldest is still sick! Her temp was 101.4 today, which makes it official: school policy is 24 hours fever free, which means she won't get to go to school on her birthday. We'd planned to have lunch with her and maybe send in some cupcakes (which we still can once she gets to feeling better), so it's really a bummer all around (most of all for her, of course). 
And speaking of exhausted, Bear actually FELL ASLEEP ON ME while rocking her tonight! She was so out that I was able to transfer her to her bed - FIRST. TIME. EVER! It's funny, it's a few weeks later as I'm typing this, and that has actually now happened twice. She has been playing hard trying to keep up with sister and her friends, and it's wearing her out! But it's not all just exercise, as that girl is coughing a lot too. We'll have to keep an eye on that - watch this space!
