And so it ends - Year 7 as a parent...

Family,

And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where I sit here on the couch at 7:50 PM on March 11th, with a newly minted 7 year old asleep upstairs.  This is it - the last post for Raise Kids With the Taylors, and it is with mixed emotions that I hit each key.  The majority of what I'm feeling is relief - both that it's over and that I was able to carry it through this long - and the rest of it is a mixture of the unknown:  will I miss it?  Will the weekly video entries bridge the gap?  Will those eventually become monthly?  And of course, there is a tinge of sadness.  Let's face it - this has been a journey for every day of the lives of my daughters, and after tonight that journey will be recorded via a different medium.

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.

Let's get amongst it, shall we? :-)

3/1 - We had two services today at FHC, and Kaitlyn got to play the game TWICE!  I didn't realize she got to play it in the first one, but honestly - she was SO. WELL. BEHAVED. compared to those other kids, and sometimes you have to make good on your statement that you'll pick those best behaved children, right?  Also - she got Attention TWICE!  The second time she was CLEARLY the winner, but since Pastor Michael didn't see it, I gave it to her and one other kid on the basis that it was a tie.  But full disclosure, kiddo - you won (and I told her as much after the fact).

K was desperate to go to the Prize hub, but when she got there she didn't have enough tokens.  She "borrowed" 4 from Cora, and that enabled her to get some more Galaxy slime.  Seriously - that girl is OBSESSED with slime right now.  It's amazing!  She's playing with it all the time and LOVING it!  We have hardwoods downstairs, so I don't view it as a problem - I just find it fascinating how much she loves it (and really does play with it, so no complaints here).  It's funny - the dining room is now the storage room for nicknacks, stuff for Goodwill, K's puzzles, her Lego sets, and her slime.  We wall it off when company comes over, and it's absolutely serving as a multi-purpose room on a lot of fronts.  We are using every square inch of this house right now, and I am LOVING that.

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.

That night we started reading "Captain Underpants Volume 9."  Um.....not. a. fan.  WOW.  K seemed to enjoy it, and it is really nice to bounce back and forth alternating pages with her.  But MAN - the subject matter, the misspelled words, etc - it's just not ideal.  Oh well, at least she's learning new vocabulary. :-)

3/2 - Kaitlyn came home today with a sucker, as she'd been named "Star of the Class."  This is something new that they just started on the Friday before, so she was person #2!  Apparently her and Sophia (coming to her party) also got it that day, so that was cool.  Mr. Baines is apparently handing out lollipops to the star of the day, and K was ALL about eating it.  :-)

So I played the "memory game" upstairs with Cora today - that girl was unreal!  Seriously - I know that she had at least one sheet memorized, but she definitely didn't have the others memorized and crushed it! She legit beat me one game (and that's not easy :-)).  I was well and truly impressed - full marks, wee one!

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!

K asked a very interesting question tonight at bedtime:  "Dada, why is Twinkle, Twinkle our nightly song?"  It's funny - I honestly can't remember how long we've been singing that, but it must be at least 3 years running at this point.  I do remember the first night I did the full version (from the CFA book) - if memory serves, Kaitlyn was wearing green (but that could be the old brain playing tricks on me), and I remember Jenny was surprised when I just started singing it.

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.

3/5 - The party draws near!  Honestly, Kaitlyn is SO excited right now.  The sleeping bags are out, the movie is selected, the popcorn and mac 'n cheese are procured, and the cookies are purchased.  GO TIME, baby!  Get this - she even cleaned the bonus room ON HER OWN to prepare for the sleepover!  Love it!  And I must confess, she did a GREAT job.  Now one thing that is concerning - she came into our room at 5:30 AM this morning with a cough.  She still seems to be in good spirits, but I know Jenny is worried about the party and K staying healthy.  Praying!

On the Cora front, I must relate that she LOVES riding to preschool with JP - smiles, high fives, talkative, etc - but she still does NOT like riding with Lindsey.  It is hilarious - she doesn't cry (as much at least), but she certainly still gets sullen, looks down, puts out the pouty lip, and won't talk.  You are a trooper, L-Dub!  If it's any consolation, she does the same thing to me. :-)

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!

Also - she's wanted me to read to her the last couple of nights.  It's so cute, as she always starts with:  "Do you want to read a couple of Bible stories?"  WHO CAN SAY NO TO THAT?!?!?!?! She is ALL ABOUT Noah and the Flood, Jonah and the Whale (she even knows that Jonah went to Ninevah), and the 2 stories about Jesus - his birth and the feeding of 5,000.  Too cute!  We have a pretty good routine going where I ask pause and wait for her to say the next word in the story, and if I forget she corrects me!  "No, daddy, you're supposed to say...."  And yes - I am no longer GAG.  I am now Daddy.  Changing by the minute...

Lastly (speaking of changing by the minute) - she's FINALLY smiling for pictures now, and it's a really good smile!  However, the arrangement is clear - if she smiles, then you MUST show her the picture instantly.  Too cute.

3/6 - SLEEPOVER!!!!!  Man, WHAT a day!  They all arrived at 4 PM, and what followed was a veritable FLURRY of activity.  It was insane!  They played hard from 4-5:15, had their baths, and then settled down for Mac 'n Cheese, followed by Cookies and Ice cream.  Then it was up to the bonus room for a movie ("Thunder and the House of Magic"), where we gave them all some popcorn as well.  Then it was running around and "winding down" until about 9 PM, at which point we finally got them settled on their sleeping bags on the air mattresses in the bonus room.  The girls were great about including Cora, and she was a great participant through it all (but she slept in her room, of course).  We got them down about 9 PM, and we were in bed ourselves by 9:30 (EXHAUSTED).  Poor Jenny was sick as a dog and hadn't slept the night before, but she was SUCH a trooper taking care of and looking after these girls.  Work was insane for me, so I couldn't really help with much until about 5:15 or so.  I came downstairs, and by 5:20 I was ready to go back to work.  :-)  Seriously - that much estrogen in the house was EXHAUSTING, and the noise/screaming/mess/frenetic activity was almost more than I could handle.  Jenny and I looked at each other and agreed - this is the CAP on # of girls sleeping over for the foreseeable future. WHIRLWIND, BABY!!!!

3/7 - So...talk about one for the ages....this day started at 4:16 AM when I heard the sound of what I can only describe as elephants moving bookcases. Seriously - the whole house shifted, and my eyes popped open.  I was pretty sure I knew the culprit, and sure enough, I went into the upstairs hallway to find the bonus room door closed...but with light spilling out on all sides. Sure enough, I opened that door, and the girls were in there jumping, laughing and playing!  Come to find out, Kaitlyn had woken up at 3 AM coughing and decided "she needed someone to talk to," so she woke up Taylie!  In Kaitlyn's defense, Taylie did say, "If you need someone to talk to, just wake me up.  I'm good to get up whenever."  Sweet girl, but I don't think she meant that early!

I was going out for a run anyway, so this actually worked out great for me.  We wanted to ensure Jenny got some rest (she still wasn't feeling great), so we put on a movie for them at 5:50 AM (I think they started Monster House but didn't finish it because one of the girls found it a bit frightening) and I hit the road.  I came back about 2.5 hours later to find an ocean of pancakes made and consumed (chocolate chip!), after which time the girls got dressed, played a bit, and then packed up, as it was time for the first of two featured destinations - Monkey Joe's!

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.

And speaking of epic, we had another surprise on this marathon of a day.  Kaitlyn woke up with a super loose tooth, and it came out right at the end at Monkey Joe's.  Honestly - she was FIXATED on it and kept wiggling it...which meant she was constantly putting her fingers in her mouth.  And while that's normally not great, it's DEFINITELY not great at a dirty inflatable bounce facility.  Oh well - she had fun and the tooth fairy is due to visit, so that's all that really matters. :-)

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.

They all left about 3-3:30, and then Kaitlyn set to work on a lego set she'd received from one of the girls.  She MOWED that thing down - was done before bed time!  And she "dissected her alien," which she loved!  She really did get some nice gifts - amazing what toys these kids have to play with these days.

She was sad that night, as she missed her friends and didn't want to sleep alone.  There were some tears, likely from a mixture of exhaustion and the realization that the party was officially over.  Mommy and daddy went to bed that night quite exhausted!  But we were pleased with the effort. :-)

3/8 - the girls slept until 8!  I mean, you talk about exhausted!  That was probably 12 hours for both of them.  We got them in bed around 7 PM the night before, but it was 8 because of daylight savings time.  We hit LKN for service, where Kaitlyn was showered with 7 tokens!  She was NOT happy, however, when she was informed that she needed to pay back Cora the 5 tokens she'd "borrowed" the Sunday before.  There wasn't boo-hooing, but she was not in a good place.  I'm going to blame it on continued exhaustion.

We hit the park for 2.5 hours, and the girls were GREAT!  We saw some friends, K played with Taylie and Hannah, and Cora was such a big girl on the big swing!  I mean, I cannot believe how quickly Bear is growing up.  Her hair is so long and beautiful, those eyes are so blue, and she's got such a sweet smile.  She's really been getting into a daddy phase lately, where I am the ONLY person she will let brush her teeth (and it must be fluoride).  So far the "three spit" method seems to be keeping her from swallowing the toothpaste, which is a good thing.  Also, for some reason, Cora only wants daddy to push her in at the dinner table.  If anyone else does, she gets ANGRY and starts sulking.  Truth be told, it's really sweet, as I know that it's a sign she wants to see me, spend time with me, and receive some attention from me.  I need to make a more concerted effort to give her that focused time, as I just feel I've been all over the place lately.

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.

3/9 - Poor Kaitlyn had a temperature of 101.5 this morning and was quite lethargic.  We gave her some ibuprofen (which apparently you're not supposed to do unless they break 102), but school was never an option.

For Bear, we walked into her room to find the bedsheets soaked, as the second time in 3 days we'd forgotten to put a pull-up on her the night before!  UPDATE - I'm thrilled to report we haven't made that same mistake again. :-)

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).

Don't get me wrong - Kaitlyn made the time count:  watched tons of Glitter Force Doki Doki, read TWO Critter Club books cover to cover, and watched some more TV.  However, she had absolutely NO energy and NO appetite.

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!

3/11 - K still had a fever today - the highest one yet for this episode - topping out at 102.5.  Poor girl's face looks wiped, and she still has no energy and just seems so tired.  She's definitely not sleeping good, as she's coughing constantly (Delsym works eventually, but it's clear she's not getting restful sleep).  that translated into her actually falling asleep about 5:30 PM in her "movie chair," thumb in mouth and finally at peace.  We got her and Bear (also coughing) in bed early, and despite songs and blowing out a candle, it certainly didn't feel like much of a birthday for Kaitlyn.  Luckily we did make it up to her that following weekend, but her actually birthday was really pretty tough on Thing 1.

And just like that...it's over.  The above represents my last post and the end of my time writing "Raise Kids With the Taylors."  I've moved to a weekly video blog (I'm still taking notes - I'm just now recapping them on my phone and saving them to Prime and Google Photos), and I must confess that, while it's been an adjustment and likely not the same quality record as this, I am at peace with it, as there was simply no way I could continue on the current pace.

It's funny typing that now, as it's 3/24 as I type this, and a "Shelter in Place" has been ordered for Mecklenburg county from this coming Thursday until April 16 (just after Easter) due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus (that will be a marker for historical reference whenever someone cracks open these pages), meaning I now actually have more time than EVER to work on the blog.  That being said, it feels good to have published 7 volumes, and I feel good about the effort.

There is so much I could and probably should say here, but I have to believe the thousands of words and 1500+ pages I've typed can stand for themselves to testify what this blog has meant to me and to record how grateful I am for the role my wife, kids, parents, friends, church, and family play in our lives and have played in our parenting.   I know that I have put off finishing this blog for a couple of weeks, wondering how I could possibly sum up this experience and bring closure to this chapter of my life.  And the short answer is....you can't sum this up.  You can't sum it up because it's still alive, still active, changing, and ever present with you.  And so rather than try and bring closure, I instead will hit save for the final time looking to the future, expectant for what is coming next and what God will do in our lives.

Jenny - my Queen. My Wife. My love.  I love you so much.  Thank you for being the earthly gravitational center of this home.

Kaitlyn - thank you for being the amazing girl you are, and for changing EVERYTHING in our lives for the better.

Cora - thank you for being our miracle...our "good and perfect gift."  You are the testimony that took our faith to another level.

Mommy and Daddy love you both SO MUCH.  Our parenting hasn't been, and will never be, perfect. However, never doubt for a second how much you both are loved and how proud you have made us.

Father God - THANK YOU.  For this life, this love, this adventure.

Readers - I hope you have laughed, cried, lived, and loved with us.  God speed, and God bless - wherever you go.

And so this is Sammy the Bull, wrapping his 12th volume of Life with the Taylors and 7th as a parent, signing off from Team Taylor Base Camp in Charlotte, NC.

Love and gratitude to all - my cup runneth over.

Love,

Sam (aka Daddy), Jenny (aka Mommy), Kaitlyn (aka "TT"), and Cora (aka Bear)

A month of predictability is BEAUTIFUL - A Happy February for Team Taylor...

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

"In Focus" - Team Taylor begins the new year with a bang...

Family,

And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where 2020 has gotten off to a great start!  Plenty to catch you up on, so let's get amongst it, shall we?

1/1 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!  It was a great day.  The weather was nice, the games were good, and we just had a great day.  We got outside for a walk, and the girls got to play on their "outside toys for a bit."  We also got a lot of the Christmas decos down, and the girls were a big help!

The featured activity was admission into "Team Taylor's Spa," where I massaged the girls feet, followed by a soak and a pedicure.  The girls LOVED it - good job JT coming up with that one!  It was a wonderful, truly relaxing day...but I paid for all the "consumption" the following day!

1/2 -  The girls hit FHC this morning to help with the Christmas decorations takedown, and Jenny said they did great!  She said both girls helped and had fun, which did my heart good.  I love them seeing Jenny serve at church and serving themselves - start 'em young!  After the serve, they headed over to CFA for a play and lunch date with Ellie and her family.  They were there for over 2 hours!  And the best part for Kaitlyn - she was invited to Ellie's for a sleepover on Friday night!

They got home about 3, and shortly thereafter Kaitlyn's featured activity kicked off - Kate arrived for a sleepover!  The girls had a blast - running around like cats, coloring, etc - and they were great to include Cora for a lot of it.  They are just so sweet together - I love it.

1/3 - I heard the girls about 6:15 or so this morning (that first "THUMP" where they are clearly jumping off the bed), but I can't say what time they actually woke up.  They played until about 7:30, and then I put on a show for them before going out for a run (I woke JT up prior to heading out).  She played with Kate until about 9 (when Cheryl picked her up), and then it was lounging around the house and knocking out chores until about 3:30, when Alexis picked up K for her sleepover with Ellie.

Obviously I didn't get too many details except to hear that a) there was a late night request for mac 'n cheese, b) some cookies & cream ice cream was consumed with chocolate and caramel syrup on top, c) the girls were still talking in bed until after 9, d) the girls were up early, e) Ellie's dad made them pancakes for breakfast, and f) there were tears upon leaving each other.  They have such a bond!

One thing to call out - Kaitlyn has been SO helpful lately.  Seriously - making her own lunch, doing her own breakfast, cleaning and tidying, even asking what else she can do.  It's been great!  She is helping Bear get dressed most days as well (Something Bear loves of course).

Bear had Fiona as a sitter this evening, as Jenny and I had DATE NIGHT, BABY!!!!!  We hit Armored Cow Brewing for a few before rolling over to Picasso's for dinner.  We hadn't been there since Jenny found out she was pregnant with Kaitlyn!  It was tasty....oh, the Caribbean Creeper....

1/4 - Today was a busy one for Team Taylor, as we crossed plenty of things off the list while even managing a few activities.  Jenny met Kaitlyn in Huntersville at 10 AM for the "Girl Scout Cookie Rally," which JT and K said was good.  The girls learned about the cookies they are selling, made clipboards to track sales, made signs to help with their sales, and even learned a bit about money management.  Oh, and they did get a snack, too. :-)

I had Bear in the morning, and we had a really great couple of hours playing.  She was super sweet, and we read, played with the Frozen dolls, and did some puzzles.  The cutest thing - I scratched her back while she was doing a puzzle, and then she said, "I'll scratch your back while you do one."  Sure enough - we alternated through 4 puzzles.  How cute!

I must say - Cora has really been a lot sweeter and "smilier" lately.  Since her birthday, there's definitely been a change (for the better) in her demeanor, and I'm grateful for it.  Also, she's really been excited to play with daddy lately, something that was NEVER a consideration previously.  She's been giving me kisses on the cheek, hugging my leg, and wanted to show me how pretty she looks in the morning. So great!  Not sure what changed, but I'll take it!

Also, Cora is now LOVING to be tickled - especially in the "love hug button."  She asks for it all the time!  It's so cute - she goes from "Queen of Frump" to all smiles in .000000007 seconds.  Kryptonite, baby!

The girls were a little whiny today, but for Kaitlyn that was largely just a result of being tired.  We bathed them early and then got them to bed early (after some Disney Plus, of course).  Cora yelled out, "THANK YOU FOR DISNEY PLUS, SANTA!!!"  Love it.

1/5 - So a big day on many fronts, but most notably - the LAST DAY before heading back to school!  I am pleased to report that Team Taylor made it count on many fronts.

We started the day at FHC, where it was two services for Team Taylor.  Can I just brag on my oldest in Arrows?  She is always SO well behaved, but today she was just a joy - big hugs, high energy during worship, and best of all...she did an amazing prayer when we did the offering!  She was so articulate - I was so proud of her!

On the Cora front, that is girl is absolutely LOVING being in the 3 year old classroom now.  It's like a switch has totally flipped for her.  Now, when you ask why she likes it, her answer is simple:  "The have ponies in there."  Love!  But luckily - goldfish and lollipops are still part of the weekly routine.

After church, it was back home for lunch, and then the unexpected surprise of the afternoon - Kaitlyn's first ever attempt at selling Girl Scout cookies!  And get this y'all - she absolutely CRUSHED IT!  Seriously - it was amazing!  That girl sold over 50 boxes going door to door!  The only person who said no was a former girl scout who'd just purchased some from somebody else (but still bragged on Kaitlyn).  One person said, "My wife told me I can't buy any," but then when the wife came to the door, she said, "How can I resist this cuteness?  Another 4 boxes - CHECK!"  Side note - she's also selling cookies online for scouts, and she's causing it there as well!

I was with Bear, and we spent the time playing ponies and hanging out.  That girl is really, REALLY improving on her puzzles - so cool to watch!  She's got the gift - a lot like Kaitlyn in the way they put things together.  Very cool to watch.  And the added treat with Bear - we've now established this routine where we each do the same puzzle, but while one person is completing it, the other person has to scratch the "puzzler's" back.  It's just so sweet, and Cora takes it VERY seriously!  I mean hey, first and foremost, I'm always a back scratch kind of guy, so I love it.

I should note - Bear is really, really enjoying daddy time right now.  I'm getting big hugs, and she genuinely want to do things with me.  This is a BIG change from the past, well...THREE YEARS, and I'm loving it.  So many more smiles, so many more "huggies," and just much better interaction in general.  She's talking more and really stringing together a lot of sentences, and I always love how matter of fact she is.  It's just priceless.  Plus, you forget that kids at this age really don't get sarcasm, so it's hilarious to see how she reacts to certain things I (jokingly) say.  Cora's big thing right now is being tickled by "squeezing the love hug button."  I mean, she wants me to squeeze that puppy ALL. THE. TIME.  And of course, I'm only too happy to oblige.

The last event of the evening was doing a Gingerbread house, and K absolutely CRUSHED IT!  Seriously - not only did she do the whole thing practically by herself (JT did some of the structural stuff, but by and large K did the entire design and decoration), but it looks really, really good!  She was so focused!  Bear helped for a bit, but eventually the lure of the ponies was too strong. :-)

So other things I have to capture:

1. Bear's words:  some of her pronunciation is just priceless.  My favorite words right now:

AWNUHment - ornament

COWA - Cora

HOSS-EY- Horsey :-)

2.  Bed time:  Cora likes to read as a family at the moment - especially when it's her night to read with Daddy.  She actually flat out told me she likes it better when Mommy reads.  I chuckled and explained, "You know, between all the voices, the forensics state titles, and the theater, I was certain that the one thing my kids would love is me reading to them."  Funny old world, ain't it? :-)

Also, Cora still wants you to read to her, but she wants her blanket on her in the chair and is clear that she does NOT want to share said blanket with you "because it's mine, Gag."  Seriously - she is happy to let YARDS of fabric hang off her side if it means not a bit will touch you.  Amazing.

Also, she no longer wants to be rocked to sleep!  She might let you pray sitting beside her, but tonight she wanted to get in bed, get tucked in, and then hold my hand while I prayed over her.  End of an era?  Not sure I'm ready for that...

Oh, and last thing - tonight while I was reading a story, I attempted to "accelerate the process" but skipping some words.  That girl CALLED ME OUT!  It was too funny - she said, "No, Gag!  It says...(whatever it was!"  I was impressed - smart like sister!

3. Kaitlyn is doing her own hair now!  In fact, it's amazing how much she's doing.  She's making her own breakfast, making her own lunch on the weekends, doing hair and teeth, and even helping Cora get dressed in the morning.  It's incredible (and a big lift!) - our little girl is really growing up!

4.  Heavy convo this night about who can kiss you on the lips, what you are allowed to say, and what other people are allowed to touch - came out of nowhere, but I definitely towed the line.  Watch this space!  Luckily we haven't had one since, and tonight (I'm writing this on 1/10) she told me that she had a boyfriend again but that he didn't know.  YES!  Back where I wanted things to be. :-)

1/6 - FIRST DAY BACK!  I am happy to report it went very well, and K even made time to get back out and sell cookies for an hour.  Once again....CRUSHIN' IT!!!!!

1/8 - So we're in a bit of a tough patch with K.  At the moment, she's of the opinion that I'm "not respecting her" (she's told JT this - not me...yet).  Here's the thing - over the last couple of days, anytime you ask her to do something that isn't EXACTLY what she wants to do, she will either say "You don't love me" or "You don't respect me."  She actually said this to JT at bedtime the other night.  I am not sure what's brought this about (aside from those normal times when I'm asking her - politely but often firmly - not to do something or to do something expected as part of the normal nightly ritual).  It's frustrating, but hopefully it will blow over soon.

UPDATE:  It's 1/20 as I type this, and things are MUCH better.  Honestly, the trip to Minneapolis was a game changer, as she's been SO SWEET since then.

1/9 - Today was another tough one, as right now both girls are talking constantly and asking us to look at things (either them or something they've seen).  Now don't get me wrong - I love the fact that they want us involved.  It's just a LOT right now - especially since it's both of them.  Cora's since had her three year old appointment, and as part of that we learned that this is very much part of her matriculation, as kids her age very much actively seek parental approval.  I think it's further fed by K, who's historically always done this.  Add in the fact that, as Cora starts to interact with us more and receive more of our attention, a bit of sibling rivalry for our focus is starting to emerge.  And so it begins!  New ground for this guy!  We are really having to tow the line on interrupting, as that's been a REAL challenge as of late.

1/10 - Today was a much, much better day.  We had Tessa and Eli over in the morning (I drove them to school with K) and the afternoon, and it was jus a better, more relaxing day in the house.  Tessa and Eli are super sweet, and the kids played great together.

Also, the BIG news for today - JT subbed for the first time EVER at UCUMC!  And get this - she was in the classroom that K started in.  How cool is that?   Best of all - Jenny absolutely LOVED it.  It worked out perfectly - the schedule was a total gift from God, and we're super hopeful we'll get the call again.  Proud of Wife Muffin!

1/11 - The original plan for the day was a birthday party at Ray's Splash Planet (Eammon had a GREAT theme based on Harry Potter), but poor Eammon came down with the flu!  They had to cancel the party, but we managed to salvage the day by having a movie afternoon and "Sundae Bar" at the house (think loads of ice cream, covered in our Halloween Candy :-)).

Kaitlyn also did a little shopping, spending about $15 to buy a "Poopsie" doll (it poops slime out of it's bootie.  I mean....I have no words.....).

1/12 - Today was GREAT!  We headed to the Lake Norman campus for morning service, and it was AWESOME!  Jackie led worship, and she CRUSHED IT (Waymaker - Best. Song. EVER.).  Pastor Michael Singer gave the message, and he was terrific as well.  Honestly, it was just fantastic.  And best of all for the girls - they had a BLAST in FH Kids.  Pastor Michael was in Arrows, which of course made it fantastic for K.  It really was just a wonderful experience, and we are thinking we're going to start going up there once a month.

The afternoon was fantastic as well, as Megan and Ryan came over.  We had BLAST - tons of good food, tons of laughs, and the kids got on great together.  Little Jonathan played with bubbles for the first time ever, and he loved it!  We had the fire table going, and all was right with the world.

And I think this was the day that we broke free from the "lack of respect" attitude, as K was GREAT about playing by herself today.  Not sure, but I think she just needed to realize on her own that Mommy and Daddy need to have both alone time and adult time.  We really had fun today, and when I told her that I was going to sit with the adults, she was really good about it (after the first couple of times).  Honestly, it's been GREAT since then, so THANK YOU, FATHER!

1/15 - So I was in Minneapolis for the week (at one point it hit -27 wind chill!!!), but I got the news that Cora had a GREAT three year appointment today!  Jenny sent me the pics - she was talking up a storm and was apparently GREAT for Dr. Knutson.  Yay!  The doctor said that she was talking like a  4 year old and that everything looked fantastic - such good news!  The only suggested item to focus on was holding a pen and scissors with regularity to build those fine motor skills - that's it!  She was 50% in weight and 45% in height, so very proportional.  I was actually shocked that she wasn't a higher percentage for height, as everyone always talks about how tall she is for her age.  So happy it was a good report!  And Cora proudly notified me "there were no shots today, Gag."  Success. :-)

1/18 - So I feel it just needs to be stated.  Cora is OBSESSED with My Little Pony.  Seriously - they are the only toys she plays with.  It's the only movie she wants to watch.  It's the only show she wants to watch.  They are the only clothes she'll wear.  It's amazing!  Lucky for us, she has 14,789 of them in the house, so she's never more than 4 inches from a pony.  But I will tell you something else - since she turned three, it's incredible how much better she's talking.  Her sentences are much more articulate now and longer.  Pronunciation is good - even if conjugation isn't. :-)  All in all, I'm very, very pleased.

On the Kaitlyn front, I got the chance to review her Second Quarter Data binder today ahead of her Parent - Teacher conference next week.  It was a GLOWING report - Check+ in every category but one, with a clear demonstration of mastery across many skills.  Mr. McMahon also wrote a very nice summary of her performance, attitude, and demeanor in class - so proud!

Oh, and K broke out the molding clay today...and made a pizza!  Seriously, y'all - I know, I'm biased, but that girl is a GREAT little artist.  She always does great with drawing and coloring, but the clay was next level!  She made a crust, made the pizza sauce, and then made olives - complete with the little pimentos!  Add in the cheese that was made to look like it does before baking and the toppings, and you have something that really did look like a flatbread!  It was so cool.

We had a lazy day with games, but it was GREAT.  The reality is that we're making a very concerted effort to spend less money in 2020 and use what we have.  We thought about potential activities but ultimately realized that we have TONS of stuff at our disposal in the house, and so instead of going out for lunch or doing something that cost, we broke out chutes & ladders, Candyland, Goin' Fishin', and a ton of other games.  It was great!

Jenny and I had to serve for Lifegroup Launch, and we'd planned to take the kids.  However, Vol Nana (who was in town for an Oprah Winfrey conference) finished just in time to surprise the kiddos, and so they spent the evening at the house.  It was PRICELESS - earlier that day, Jenny had been cleaning the bathroom in the spare.  Well, JT says to me, "Eventually these kids are going to figure out that I only do this before family comes." I said, "Jenny, there is NO WAY they can piece that together.  You are giving them WAY too much credit." Well, as soon as Vol Nana rounds the corner, Kaitlyn looks at Jenny and says, "Is that why you were cleaning the bathroom?"  Amazing.  KIDS. SEE. EVERYTHING.  It was a sobering moment. :-)

The girls took it easy that night, and the surprise of the day for me came during bedtime.  We did the normal "Now I lay me" portion of the prayer, but just before I could start talking, Kaitlyn jumped in and started praying.  I didn't know it at the time, but Jenny said that she'd just started this while I was in Minneapolis.  It was GORGEOUS.  I mean...so thankful and proud of her.  THANK YOU, FATHER!!!!!!  Please keep pouring into our little arrows!

Last thing to note - Kaitlyn is loving knock knock jokes right now, and so Bear has decided to try her hand at them as well.  Admittedly they are complete nonsense at the moment, but the current favorite:

"Knock, Knock."

"Who's there?"

"Horse Pig Frog."

"Horse Pig Frog who?"

"Horse Pig Frog Ribbit."

I mean...baby steps...

1/19 - Today started off at the Sweet Spot, where the girls split a muffin AND Cookie Butter Stuffed French Toast.  I mean...I have just never seen children that loves sweets the way these kids do.  Oh, wait...their mother is Jennifer Taylor...so much suddenly comes into focus...

We then rolled over to church for the 11:15 service.  Jenny and I were serving, and at first we contemplated letting Mom stay at the house with the girls.  However, the more I've thought about it lately, the more I realize that I don't want to start that precedent.  Church is a privilege and a priority, and I just felt it important that we all pack up and go.  Plus I absolutely love it when K is in Arrows with me.  She's such a great example for the kids, and I felt I had a good message that day and wanted to ensure I poured into her as well.

Mom got to meet Debbie - they sat together!  Mom has always enjoyed going to FH, so I think it was great for her as well.  Bottom line - this is how I plan to do things going forward when family is in town.  We'll invite Alice and Dad the next go-around, as I want them to see the church we call home as well.

Speaking of Arrows and church, Kaitlyn was GREAT as always!  She was very attentive and even answered one of the questions correctly - she knew that the temple was in Jerusalem!  Good job, kiddo!

The afternoon was AWESOME, as my mom gifted Jenny and I with date night.  Woot-woot!!!!  Actually, it was more like date day, as we were gone from 3-9ish.  THANK YOU SO MUCH, VOL NANA!!!!  Seriously - it was just great, as it really gave me and Jenny some down time to just relax.  We have made a conscious effort to do more of that in 2020, and so far I think it's really, really worked out great.  We have been focusing on our vision for 2020 (pun fully intended), and it basically boils down to spending less, eating less, drinking less, focusing more on our marriage, simplifying our lives, reducing trips and expenses, and spending our $$$ where it really matters (like date night).  22 days in (as I type this anyway), I feel really, really good about how the year has started and how we've aligned our priorities.

1/20 - Today was another fun day with Vol Nana...and we even had Abby to boot!  Abby's mom had to work and had a sitter cancel, so she came over for the day and played with Kaitlyn.  It was perfect - the girls all played great together (including bear), and Vol Nana really got some focused time with Cora while K and Abby played.  I LOVED that, as that's been rare thus far.  They spent a good chunk of time up in mom's room, playing with ponies on mom's suitcase.  It was pretty adorable.  :-)

The mornings with Vol Nana are now pretty standard.  Kaitlyn isn't allowed to enter mom's room until 7 AM, but you better believe that she's in there the second the clock either rolls 7 or the second she wakes up (if it's after 7).  Cora will follow soon thereafter, and it's absolutely ADORABLE to see them all curled up in bed together.

In the afternoon, they went over to Northlake and watched Dr. Doolittle.  Kaitlyn loved it, but Abby, Mom, and Jenny only referred to it as "interesting."  Honestly, it was more about a) the activity and b) the cotton candy than anything - plus K got some focused time sitting beside Vol Nana, which is just about the most precious commodity in the world. :-)

And update on piano - Kaitlyn has mentioned to her mom multiple times that she wants a break, but I'm not yet ready to capitulate.  Honestly - the girl is talented.  I know that every father says that about their kids, but music and art are fortes for her, and I love watching the progress she's making and hearing her music fill the house.  Something that did pique her curiosity that I am going to try - yesterday I pulled out the Adult guide and some basic Christmas music I have.  I started playing it, and Kaitlyn immediately got interested.  In that moment, it hit me - I have been saying for years that I want to get back into piano, so why not play some with K while she's practicing?  Ultimately, what she wants is someone up there with her, so what if I do that but also get some of my practice time in as well?  Watch this space!  Either way - we just paid for another 4 lessons, so you better believe we've got at least a month in front of us. :-)

At bed tonight, Cora sang ALL of "Twinkle, Twinkle" by herself.  It was amazing!  I'd never heard her do it before, so it was such a treat.  I'm gonna have to try and get it on video - so cute!  Love that kid!  Honestly, it's crazy how quickly her vocabulary and pronunciation are improving on a daily basis.  Really, really cool.

Mom put Cora to bed first that night, and then she played with K for awhile in her room.  Kaitlyn was absolutely in Heaven.  Honestly, the laughter was the stuff of Heaven - infectious, honest, and the picture of happiness.  Needless to say - we were in no hurry to break that up, especially given that tomorrow wasn't a school day.

1/21 - Today was K's quarterly conference, and in a very cool twist - K was invited and was an active participant in the discussion.  It didn't start off with a bang, as she had to say goodbye to Vol Nana right beforehand.  Obviously there were tons of tears (I missed all this), and apparently K was barely holding it together when she walked into BPS and sat down with Mr. McMahon.  Apparently she couldn't respond to his questions, as she was just trying desperately to fight back tears.  Poor thing!

However, she did rally, and Jenny said by the end she was all smiles and had warmed up.  And the good news - the conference went great, and Mr. McMahon was nothing but complimentary toward our oldest.  Makes a daddy proud!

The girls celebrated with lunch at Panera (Bear was at Preschool, where she was confined indoors due to the cold - it was FREEZING out there!) before picking up Kate and bringing her back for a sleepover.  All the girls had a BLAST - playing games, running around, watching some TV, eating Mac 'n Cheese, staying up late in bed talking, and blowing up about 600 balloons that were scattered all over the house when I got home.  They got to play and chat in bed until a little after 8:30, at which time we did hear everything go silent (as requested) in their room.  They are great together - so fun to watch them interact.  And I even played some Monster with them. :-)  Update on that - Cora loves to play it with the big girls, but she does NOT like me to be the Monster when it's just us.  Duly noted!

1/22 - Editor's note:  it's 1/28 as I type this, and I must confess that I am really struggling to keep up with the blog right now.  The decision point nears - March 11 - and I find that I am wrestling with the question of whether or not to continue for an 8th volume.  I realize that this is self imposed and that realistically I may be the only person who ever reads this (or ever re-reads it), but I also tell myself that it's not really about that.  This blog is where I come to recap and remember parenting - the good and the bad.  It's where I come to laugh again about funny little conversations or special moments, carving them onto some server blade because that's the only way I know that they'll always be recorded and won't be forgotten - especially when the years and new memories pile on top of them.  It's where I go to make sense of my parenting style.  It's where I go to record milestones.  It's where I go to ensure that, in all the day to day, I don't forget the amazing moments, the beautiful people, and life's rich pageant that God has blessed me with.  In short, despite the scramble to keep it up to date, it more or less in the fabric of my being at this point.  It's part of who I am and the legacy I want to leave for my kids.  That doesn't mean I'll always be able to do it, but often it's akin to running.  There will come a time when I no longer can do it - I either don't have the time or no longer have kids in the house - just like there will come a day when I cannot run the distances I'm turning out now.  Today, however, is NOT that day.  And if you're going to do it, you gotta be all in.  Okay - good talk.  Back to it. :-)

Today was Girl Scouts and piano, and both of them went very well.  I must say - it's amazing to listen to K practice piano these days.  She doesn't like practicing, but she does it all the same.  The difference between practice and lessons - she does everything at 2x the speed!  At first this annoyed me a bit, but then I realized something - she's still keeping the correct tempo, she's just doing it much faster than is written.  Also, she's getting the notes right - even the chords!  I mean, the girl really is getting it, and I really, really does hope she starts to enjoy it more.  I haven't been up there with her lately, but I definitely need to get up there and sit with her at some point so she knows how proud I am of how well she's doing.

The girls made "friendship rocks" at Girl Scouts, which means they painted a bunch of rocks and then left some with cute messages or drawings around the church where they meet.  They also brought some home - I was quite impressed with K's artwork!

But one thing I am NOT impressed with.  In fact, one thing I COULD NOT BE MORE OVER - Glitter Force.  That show is TERRIBLE!  Seriously - NO ONE likes it except Kaitlyn.  The horror, the horror...it's almost more than I can bear... :-)

Speaking of Bear - that girl is really, really showing my smiles now.  Her kisses on the cheek are just Heavenly.  She still frumps, but largely it's just when you tell her she can't do something.  And here's the thing - we're very rarely fussing at her, but she can't understand the differences in our tone and just assumes we're scolding her.  The poor girl pretty much breaks down anytime you correct her.  But we'll get there!

One thing I did notice with her that's funny - she asks if you want to play with her all the time, but truth be told she doesn't actually want you to play with her.  She wants to assign you a toy that she does not want to play with, and then have you sit beside her while she plays with the toys she's interested in.  It's fascinating, and I've noticed it on multiple occasions.  Too cute!  But hey - at least she's giving me one toy to play with. :-)

1/23 - It was finally back to school today, and by all accounts it was a smashing success.  The girls didn't seem tired in the morning, and Kaitlyn wanted her hair "like Jasmine's," which involved a pair of scrunchies. :-)  Good job, Wife Muffin!

Also, a comment about Bear's (very cute) fashion choices - she always wants to wear a sleeveless dress, so the rule is that she has to wear a long sleeve shirt underneath.  She never fights it, which actually gives us the control to ensure she's warm.  It's a win/win!

One thing to note that we started today - Portion Control and the removal of sweets.  This is a big, big deal, and I'm so proud of how it's gone so far.  Simply put - we had too many sweets in the house, they were too readily available, and there was too much of an expectation that treats were a daily occurrence (and more treats were available on the weekend).  Knowing that we are a big eating family, Jenny and I just want to ensure we're establishing healthy limits and boundaries for the girls.  To that end, we implemented a few changes in the house:

1. The portion of protein/starch is now smaller.  Girls can have a second (even smaller) portion, but they have to eat 2 rounds of vegetables and 1 round of fruit.

2. All Halloween candy was thrown away.

3. There are no more treats after dinner and no sweets during the week.  I'm sure we'll make an exception to that from time to time, but "sweets" are now more fruit, melty mints, or yogurt.

4.  No screen time during the week, capped at 2 hours a day on the weekend.

Dare I say, it's gone great.  We sat down with K and Cora (although obviously Cora wasn't really listening) and explained that we were making a conscious effort to eat healthier and that we were all going to participate.  We're making changes to her lunch as well, and K's been really, really good about it.  I actually think we've seen an improvement in behavior as well, as better food normalizes the sugar level and the sleep, which pays huge dividends in terms of general health.  Watch this space, but I'm feeling very good and saying Thank You, Father for how it's gone so far (about a week in).

1/24 - The girls headed to Raleigh today for a big weekend of hanging out with the cousins!  I was still in CLT (joined them Saturday morning), but they got there about 4 PM and by all accounts had a great evening.  Bed time was a little dicey, as Jenny (rightly) tried to put Cora in with the other three girls.  They came downstairs about an hour later (10 PM at this point), saying that Cora was throwing stuffed animals at them.  Consequently, Jenny had to move Bear to our room.  Needless to say that didn't make her happy, and a lot of screaming ensued.  Then Cora apparently hit her head at 1 AM and ended up in bed with Jenny.  Bear then got up at 6:16!  Kaitlyn apparently fell twice as well, once cutting her chin (still scabbed) and another time getting a little nick on her neck.  I mean...what in the world was going on over there! :-)

1/25 - I made the drive to the Triangle this morning, where Steve, Matt, and I caught a HUGE Tarheel victory over the Miami Hurricanes (by 23 points - it was 30 at one point!) at the Dean Dome and showed Steve some of the sights of Chapel Hill.  It was a BLAST, and the girls had a great time as well, hitting Laurel Hills Park and Bartaco before returning home to watch some TV (Elena of Avalor was the featured selection when we arrived).  The park was incredible - lots of slides, monkey bars, and even this zipline where you were clipped in!  Cora did it twice but took a hit to the beak the second time.  There was apparently some crying, but she seemed none the worse for wear when I saw her. :-)

We spent some time in the afternoon shooting hoops in the driveway.  It was a perfect height, and K was ALL ABOUT it.  It was really, really neat to see, as she started to get a rhythm and develop a shot!  She enjoyed shooting hoops so much that she asked me a) why we didn't have a rim and b) could she have one for her birthday.  I mean....I am not opposed to it, but I'd need to do some research on that of course.  What I will say - at one point she hit 9 shots in a row!  It was really neat to watch her calculate the shot, adjust her form, adjust the angle, and then try again.  Markham kept saying, "She is good, dude.  When are you going to get her playing."  I'm not ready to call UT just yet, but it was really neat to shoot hoops with my girl.

The girls went out for Sara's birthday, while the guys got the wee ones bathed and to bed.  We then hung out watching basketball and relaxing - talk about a GREAT day!

Lastly, let me brag on both of my girls.  Cora was a rock star keeping up with the other cousins - that girl is fearless!  And obviously going that hard takes it out of a little body.  Well, right after dinner she looked like she wanted to cry.  I picked her up and said, "Do you want to go to bed?"  She nodded yes and put her head on my shoulder.  How cute (and self aware) is that?!?!?  It was adorable!  And so I took her up, we had a nice bath, we read "Biscuit" twice and "Good Night Galaxy" once, and then she went over to her little air mattress and sacked out without making a peep.  Amazing!

As for Kaitlyn, there are a lot of things I simply must praise her for.  For starters, she was really great about sharing with the cousins.  I won't go into deal her, but let me just say I'm so proud of how she shared balloons, the basketball, the toys...all of it.  She really went out of her way to ensure others were treated fairly.  Secondly - she was really great about keeping her composure and not whining - even when some other kids were in meltdown or lost their cool.  I was so proud of how she just kept it together, surveyed the scene, and reacted appropriately (usually by letting something unfold and going somewhere else).  Third - she listened when other cousins didn't, and I was so proud of her for that.  When I asked her to do something, she did it - VERY cool to watch.  Fourth (and my favorite) - at night during prayer, the other girls tried to rush through their prayers as quickly as possible.  Kaitlyn, however, really took the time to craft a thank you to God for everything that day.  I COULD NOT have been prouder - as an Arrows Leader OR (more importantly) as a Dad.  Love you, kid!

Another note I need to raise here - the wheels are turning in front of me, and I realize that I need to increase my focus on the world around my girls.  There are so many other influences now, and with each passing day their world expands, meaning I am a smaller percentage of their focus and influence.  I need to make a conscious effort to watch and monitor things I either have never noticed before or have not focused on as much recently - friends, diet, activities, words, attitude, interests, etc - as I can tell that a whole new world is rapidly opening up before Kaitlyn.  Admittedly we still have a lot more control over Cora - even with preschool 3x per week, she's still largely being shaped by her parents.  Kaitlyn, however, I can tell is starting to notice things and push boundaries that she likely wasn't aware of before, and I realize I need to stay in front of that - while at the same time not being over-bearing with rules and control.  Dear Jesus, help me on this one! :-)

1/26 - Today was another great one, starting back at Laurel Hills Park (well, for the girls at least - I started with a big 18.15 mile run around Raleigh - THANK YOU, FATHER!!!!!!  Talk about some miraculous healing and a great run!).  We spent about an hour at the park (after a very leisurely morning) before turning and heading over to a spot that had been on my "must return to" list since last summer - Clouds Brewing!  The kids had an absolute BLAST - there were balloons for the taking, the basketball hoop, good food, and tons of toys for the kids.  In fact, there was even a first birthday party going on!  Cora was absolutely in Heaven - it's amazing how good she plays by herself!  She was "cooking" and packing things into boxes, happy as a clam.  Kaitlyn continued with her passion for basketball, and she took on all comers at pop a shot.  Seriously - she had the rhythm!  There was one really tough moment I must call out (#dadfail).  K said, "Watch me shoot!", and I did.  She missed.  She then said, "Watch me until I make one," and I watched through 6 shots.  However, as I was the person also allocating the food and managing that process, I then had to look down to sort it.  I looked back up and saw K turning around.  She said, "Did you see that?"  I lied and said yes, and her face completely fell.  In fact, she sat sullen in front of her food and was ready to cry.  When I went over and asked why, she said, "I'm sad because you said you saw me hit the shot but I don't think you really did."  OUCH.  Remember this moment, Sammy Taylor!  I have always told K - "I'll never lie to you, but I'll never sugar coat it either" (with a notable exception, of course).  Well, I broke my own rule, and you can see what happened.  Lesson learned.

We did rally, and the kids had a great time.  Too soon it was time to say goodbye, so hugs were shared before the drive home.  K was very sad that night, as she did have so much fun with the cousins (which was wonderful to hear).

1/27 - The girls slept like ROCKS last night.  Cora woke up on her own, but Kaitlyn needed rousing. I went in there at 7, and she was PASSED OUT.  Seriously - she had hair like a child of the forest with her thumb partially in her mouth - hilarious!  I should have taken a picture.  :-)

The night was really good.  In fact, as I type this on the 29th, I have to say how proud I am of the girls for how they've been.  They haven't complained about not watching television.  They have been GREAT about eating their fruit and veggies - no complaints about the new rules or the fact that it's clearly less food.  There's been zero pushback on the absence of treats or screen time.  If anything, there's been a real peace in the house as we've established a new rhythm - play time from the time K is home until dinner, then chores after dinner:  cleaning the floor, putting away toys, putting food away, practicing piano, emptying the dishes, laying out her food, etc.  It's been GREAT to see.  And even better - tonight at bath, Kaitlyn did her own hair 100%!  We are talking shampoo and conditioner!  And Cora even did the rockaway!  Talk about things getting easier - it was amazing!!!

1/28 - Taylie came over today, and the girls were GREAT.  Honestly, they get along and play together so well - it's wonderful.  They ate good, ran around a lot - it was cute.  So thankful they are in our lives!

1/29 - Kaitlyn was AMAZING today.  She got up before 7, put her clothes on by herself, and then came downstairs.  She then went up, got Bear out of bed for us, changed her clothes, and walked her back down.  I mean...JACKPOT!  Seriously - it was just about the best thing ever.

And speaking of amazing, Cora was as well - today, for the FIRST TIME EVER, she got up on her own, took off her pull-up, walked over to Ducky Potty, and peed!  I mean, game changer!!!  I told her, "Do that every morning, Cora!  That's great!"  She said, "I will, because Ducky Potty loves to eat it."  I mean...gross...but whatever it takes. :-)

1/30 - Today had a rather ominous beginning, as Kaitlyn said her throat hurt right as she got into the car for the drive to BPS.  She was clearly upset and started bawling.  Add in the fact that Cora banged her elbow getting into Rex and the fact that Jenny and company were about 10 minutes late getting out of the house, and you have a less than ideal start to the day.  We didn't think K had a fever (she'd been totally fine all morning up until that point), but all the same Jenny made the wise move and gave her ibuprofen at Theresa's.  The good news - she totally rallied and ended up having a great day!  She was all smiles when she returned back to the house.

And get this - because she didn't get to have piano lessons (the instructor's father was sick), Kaitlyn went ahead and PROACTIVELY WORKED AHEAD in her lesson book!  Seriously - she just flipped to the next section and went after it.  I couldn't believe it!  And the best part - she CRUSHED it.  I mean, that girl really has a knack for it thus far.  So proud!

1/31 - Today was a big day for Kaitlyn:  her first time EVER clearing the monkey bars at BPS end to end on her own.  PROUD OF YOU, KIDDO!!!!  You really are getting stronger - no question about it.

That night was fun for the girls, as Fiona babysat for us while we had date night.  Kate came over as well, so obviously Kaitlyn, Kate, and Cora were all in Heaven.  And I'm happy to say that Fiona seemed to have fun as well.  She is just so great with them.  As we left they were playing, "What time is it, Mr. Fox?"  Fun!

Okay, so there you have it - an EPIC January, filled with plenty of activities while returning us to some semblance of normalcy.  For my part, I will be honest and say that this has been the most "herky jerky" month even in terms of recording activities, as I feel I have had several huge gaps between recording events.  However, it is what it is, and I'm glad that everything is at least committed to the server.  Bring on February!  Talk to everyone in a month!

Love,

Sam and Jenny