New jobs, Pinchy Crabs, and everything that makes life great...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  2 years, 3 months, and 27 days

Family,

And a good Tuesday evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull and Striker are dividing and conquering on the never-ending to-do list.  That being said, we've been uber-productive this evening and this past weekend, and we've got much to discuss.  So let's get amongst it, shall we?

This edition will likely be a running commentary of some classic K moments over the past couple of weeks.  I mean, there's no doubt about it - our daughter is growing up before our eyes.  Her vocabulary!  Her diction!  Her memory!  All AMAZING.  And it all hit me anew this afternoon when K said, "putting Mommy's flip flops on," after which time she proceeded to put them on correctly, stand up, and walk.  And while they were still slightly big on her, they didn't look THAT big, meaning that the inevitable is happening - she's turning into a little girl.

THUG LIFE...

First off - the big development milestone:  Commencing the week of 6/29, K officially moved to pull-up diapers!  Some back story on this - we'd been vacillating about what to do - stay in diapers, move to panties, just let her run around naked, etc.  Ultimately the decision was made for us when the pre-school she'll start in the fall (just 2x weekly for 4 hours on Tuesday and Thursday) told us that kids must either be potty trained or in pull-ups.  Given that, we decided to allow for a July and August "burn-in" period to ensure this was a smooth transition.  The results, I must say, have been great!

LOVE.  THIS.

So, for starters, they make potty visits with K MUCH easier.  I will say that she's still having a little trouble pulling them up, but in her defense so do I!  I mean, those bloody things really are "pull up" vs. "slip on," as you gotta want it.  Getting them off is much easier, however, and tonight (7/7) was the first time I actually saw her take them off completely on her own - big win!  And while we're not yet at the point that she always tells us before she has to go, she is getting very close and certainly moving in the right direction.  If she doesn't tell us before it happens, the good news is that she tells us immediately afterwards, so at least it's easy to change her. :-)  However, right after lunch beware the two tell-tell signs that she's about to poop:  silence in the house, and K under the table.

Regardless, we're getting more pee pee in the potty, and she is wrecking ducky potty with a massive d

euce every 3-4 days, so I'll take that as definite progress.    The one thing I learned the hard way is that, should K be successful, she wants toilet paper big time, because she wants to wipe like a big girl.  And while I'm all about fostering her sense of independence, the tricky part about this is that she wants to wipe back to front.  Now, if you're a dude reading this (especially not a dad), you likely have NO IDEA WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT (and you might be a better person for it).  If you're a female (especially a mother), you're shaking your head in disappointment and disgust that I didn't proactively figure out how to make that happen.  I am happy to report that, to date, we've only had 1 "poopy on the fingers, miningning, and hair" incident.  DIIIIIIIIISGUSTING...

Oh, and side note about the diapers - they are Disney princesses, and K's favorite originally was Ariel (full marks, kid).  However, now that she's watching "Tangled" every time she's in Child Watch at NOMAD, she only wants the Rapunzel diapers.  The classic part is when she steps into the diapers and says, "Tangled!  I watching her movie at NOMAD."  CLASSIC.

So moving back to 2 weekends ago (6/26-6/28), it was Daddy Day Care while Jenny and her mom

Look how pretty your mommy and
aunts are, Munchkin!

were in Atlanta hosting Kim's baby shower.  Simply put - we had an AWESOME time.  We kicked off the weekend at NOMAD, where I dropped her at Child Watch while I logged some miles on the treadmill.  The amazing part for me was that I opened the door to child watch and started to walk her in, only to find her letting go of my hand and making straight for the baby dolls.  She didn't even say "bye bye, dada" - a sign that she definitely knows we're coming back and that she can enjoy herself.  Apparently she takes care of a lot of "crying babies" while watching Tangled - tough life. :-)

We then rolled to Myers Park, where we stopped in at the Ultra Running Store.  Again, K was GREAT - largely in part to the sweet gal who helped me.  When I went for my "stride review," the gal said, "Do you want to help me watch your daddy run?"  K was great (a little freaked out when I got on the treadmill, but largely great), and she quite enjoyed her time in the Ultra store.  I mean, I'm really just thrilled she didn't destroy any of the 800 pairs of sneakers she tried to pull apart, so having her leaving all smiles was just a bonus. That being said, I did bribe her with lunch at Panera.  On the drive down I said, "would you like to eat lunch at Panera?"  Her response:  "I like Panera, daddy."  Honestly - from the mouth of babes...

For the record - this is how the crib
NORMALLY looks at nap (and bed) time.

Now in an interesting turn of events, K did the unthinkable at nap on Saturday - threw all her animals OUT of her crib.  In fact, I was so amazed I went back in her room and put them all back in her crib (I was talking to Dad), only to have her fling them all out again!  However, 2 minutes later she was flat as a pancake, after which time she slept for 2+ hours!  I wondered if the "no animal" trend would continue, but let me confirm - that little event lasted 2 naps, after which time it's not returned.

We hit the pool that afternoon, where we had to contend with some thunder but still managed to get in about 45 minutes of pool time, some walking around, and some snacking.  K cried at first when we had to get out of the pool, but she got over it pretty quickly.  The highly was when, while walking to the pool, she said, "TT pee peeing."  I then look down to see her peeing on the (now dry) sidewalk.  At that moment she paraphrases the book "The Puppy Who Found a Home" and said, "Go away, pee pee - go away I say."  I have no lie to tell, family - I have not laughed that hard IN AN AGE.  Absolutely.  Completely.  Priceless.

In terms of other big items, I am excited to announce that JT has embarked on a new adventure - she's got a part-time job!  Jenny is now part of the "moms on the run" team, collating and delivering fliers throughout Highland Creek.  She's done it twice, and so far she seems to really enjoy it!  K's made the trip with her both times and has apparently done really well.  They spent the trip (about 2.5 hours) singing, K then flips through books, she plays with animals, and I'm sure a whole host of other stuff.  Jenny seems to really enjoy it, and that makes me very happy.  Thanks to Renee for recommending it and to Kathy for offering to let her try it out!

Side note on this - K is still singing "5 little monkeys" all the time, but while riding with Jenny the first time, she changed it up.  This time she said:  "TT...riding in the car..." I'm telling you - GENIUS.

Other cute moments to record:  Shortly after the D & C, Jenny called our friend Beka (a nurse who's

gone through the same thing) to chat about everything.  The unintended consequence of this?  For the next couple of days (around 6/24-6/25), K walked around with her toy flip phone, opening it repeatedly and saying, "Hi Aunt Beka!  How are you doing?"  I mean, we're talking this must have happened 50 times (AT LEAST) - too cute.

Another one:  K is now doing GREAT at leaning all the way back in the tub.  She's immersing her ears completely and pretending to swim in the tub.  When we need her to lean back (usually so we can get her hair wet), we ask her to "lean back and do the rockaway" - who knew Fat Joe would have such an influence on our family?

And speaking of the bath, K's now doing much better at blowing bubbles in the bath.  In fact, she's consistently dipping the wand, holding it in the right place, and launching a steady stream of bubbles.  More importantly, I think she's finally realized that plunging the wand into the bath water is NOT the best way to produce more bubbles.  Baby steps, my friends...

Some great new phrases to report:

1.   On 6/29 she just fired out with "Oh my goodness!", which she's since repeated every so often.

2.  More hilarious, however, is that she took a page from Uncle Tait a few nights ago (7/3).  I was tucking her in, and before I could kiss her goodnight, she patted me on the back and said, "Nite, nite, dada - don't let the zipperumpazoos bite."  This is something Tait has said forever, and Jenny often says it as well to K now.  However, I'd never heard her repeat it (she did it again last night - 7/6) until then.  Hilarious!

3.  K is starting to remember the books that she checks out from the library - even after we've returned them.  It's likewise the case with books she reads at friends houses, and the end result has been her saying "Where IS that book?" any time she either asks for one she doesn't see or Jenny and I mention/quote one.  This has been pretty consistent over the last few weeks, and it's pretty cute.

Playing "Fort."  I mean, it's an upgrade from "the
Sleep game."

4.  "Dada sit!"  So anytime I come downstairs during the day and find K in her high chair, she instantly says "Dada sit!"  If I don't immediately head over there but instead do something as disrespectful to my daughter as, I don't know - kiss my wife, speak to my wife, make food, refill water - she starts saying "dada sit!  dada sit! dada sit!"  Usually it comes in bursts of 3.  And yes - usually I capitulate.  Truth be told, that's one of the things I love best about working from home - getting the chance to have lunch (or at least sit with them during lunch) with my girls.  I also usually get to see her in the morning when
she's having breakfast, so I get a couple of good chances to spend a few minutes with her each day.  The highlight is the morning and after her nap when the office door opens and K comes bounding in for a hug wearing a smile that could melt a glacier.  Believe me - that will NEVER get old, and I will miss that when she's no longer bounding in like gangbusters.

5.  "Dada a new shirt!"  So she says this all the time - even when I haven't changed shirts.  IT should be noted that normally she gets it right, and truth be told I have no idea where it came from.  As a side note to this, tonight (7/9), I came back from NOMAD and walked in the door.  K said, "Dada running.  Stinky Peeeee-uuuu!  Dada shower!"  Well, I walked over to sit with her (as I normally do - see #4 above), but after she smelled me she physically pushed my knee away and said, "No dada - I want mama."  CLASSIC!  Oh well - at least we know her Olfactory nerve works.

The last week or so has also consisted of a fun new game - "Pinchy Crab."  Taken from Peppa, it essentially consists of Jenny and I running around the house acting like we have pincers and saying, "Clink, Clink - I'm a gonna get you!!!"  K then puts the animal of choice in her stroller, at which point she takes off LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL away from us, stopping at the rug by the front door (apparently this is olly-olly oxen-free, home base) and looking back.  I give her a smug smile, say "Clink Clink," and then the whole cycle repeats as she pushes the stroller past me and I swoop down to get her (but somehow always miss).  The key is actually ensuring you don't clothesline the child as she bullets past.  Oh, and side note on this - sometimes she likes to push the stroller between my legs.  And while that's funny (and has plenty of clearance), what's a little more stressful is how she then proceeds to run full board toward me with the intention of going "through the tunnel" (which means between my legs).  The first time I was just happy my giggle berries survived.  I am summarily more cognizant of the event before it occurs and plan accordingly.

As for the weekend itself, it was 4th of July weekend, and Independence Day saw us at our first (but certainly not last!) McChesney shindig - TALK ABOUT A BLAST!  Seriously - I went into this not knowing what to expect.  More to the point, I wasn't thrilled about going considering that a) we wouldn't know anyone, b) I wasn't sure about the parking situation, and c) I had the misconception that this group would not fancy interlopers in their party.  Well, as fate would have it, these people were WONDERFUL.  They welcomed us with open arms, and we made friends within 15 seconds of parking the car (that's actually not an exaggeration).  The food was good, the beer was free, the laughs were plentiful, and K got to eat all kinds of goodness.  She also got a chance to play with her friend Emmy, who I'm now proud to report is "no longer taking things away."  Actually, in pretty much the cutest display of sharing ever, Emmy walked over to K with a stroller and said, "Kaitlyn - you push this side, I'll push this side."  They then proceeded to walk a stroller together.  I'm telling you:  CUTEST.  THING. EVER.

The highlight for those two was likely jumping up and down in muddy (or just wet) puddles when the downpour started.  K had never actually had the chance to jump in a puddle, but once Emmy walked out and took her shoes off, K simply HAD to follow (Jenny called it).  The end result was once again an endless stream of cuteness watching the 2 of them bounce up and down like jack russell terriers - love that kid!  And to our new friends in McChesney - thank you SO MUCH for your hospitality.  We'll definitely be back next year!

We wrapped the weekend with church and the pool, and that brings us to this week (which has been a blur).  This is my last week in my old job (I'm actually doing both full-time right now), and I am VERY excited to just serve a single master in the office and have all duties transitioned.  But don't think I'm complaining, as I have LOVED the work so far and am loving being super-busy.  I'm back into project work, and I am energized every second of the day.  I am back in the position of LOVING to come back and start my work day, and I find that I genuinely enjoy every call, activity, and interaction.  It's been awhile since I've felt this kind of energy, and I'm very thankful for the opportunity.  Truth be told, I am hoping that it's making me a better husband and father as well, as I'm trying to keep this focus and energy across all facets of my life.  I will also say that church has been a TREMENDOUS lift in this regard, as lately I've felt very strong in my faith and am finally realizing what you can do when you cast aside baggage, guilt, and worry.  Once you realize how much energy is spent compartmentalizing those items and fighting those demons, you realize that it's time for a change.  As I have said many times, 2015 has been one of if not THE BEST year of my life, as I feel my purpose coming into focus and feel myself starting to align priorities correctly.  I've actually segmented life into 5 components now:  faith, family, fitness, academics, and work.  I remember granddaddy always telling me that everything must be kept in


balance (look, granddaddy - I'm still listening and trying!), and right now that feels to be the case.  There's a lot of could go on about here, but this blog isn't about me.  However, as my emotions play into my parenting and my writing, I did want to lay that bit of context.

A few other notes for the week of the 4th until now:

1. "3-2-1 - BLASTOFF!!!!"  So K is enjoying me carrying her up the stairs and then flying around the upstairs with her.  We pretend she's a spaceship and do the 3-2-1 - BLASTOFF! before running around the upstairs, taking breaks to spin, hit turbulence, and ultimately land back in the bonus room.  TT will sometimes put her arms out and say "I'm flying!", which is pretty darn cute.  But the funniest thing is when I put her down and she said "Daddy tired."  Heck yes I am!  That kid is SOLID!

2.  "TT putting finger in bum" - but the problem is that it's not her bum. It's her miningning.  She's really only doing this in the bath, but we usually have to tell her at least once not to put her finger in there.  We've done a little reading, and apparently this is normal.  But let's face it - I'm a dude, so NONE OF THIS IS NORMAL TO ME.  All the same, it seems to have lessened somewhat as of late, so fingers crossed that trend continues.

3.  "Bloop bloop" - so in the morning (6/28 is the date that sticks out) when it's time to change her diaper (not so much now that we're in pull-ups), she always insists on changing one of the animal's diapers first.  What's cute is that she wants to do it, and when she does she mimics me (who mimicked Jenny many moons ago) and says "bloop bloop" as she wipes their girly bits.  Again - it's pretty funny.

Now a side note here - TT's desire for independence is reaching new heights, and at times it can get a little frustrating.  She wants to do everything for herself (which is good, don't get me wrong), but even if you do it for her she'll say, "No, TT'll do it," and then proceeds to undo whatever it is you've just done so she can complete the activity.  And while I'm all about fostering a sense of independence, there are moments when either time or the nature of the activity dictate her participation or completion of the task aren't possible.  In those moments, she has tended to throw some tantrums from time to time, and the volume (and crocodile tears) have recently ratcheted up.  I have found that I'm now having to change the tone of my voice to let her know I'm serious.  She doesn't like that, and usually it sends her into a tailspin as well.  But I'm sure we'll work through it - I just need to focus on firm but fair, picking battles, and consistency.

But moving onto happier topics:  K RECITED 3 BOOKS FROM MEMORY AT BEDTIME LAST NIGHT!!!!!!  She rolled through "Brown Bear, What do you see?", "No More Pacifier for Duck," and "Doing the Animal Bop."  Seriously, folks - 2 of these books ARE NOT SHORT.  For me, I'm thrilled, as that demonstrates some great memory retention and comprehension.  Jenny got to here it tonight, and we were both amazed.  She had recited No More Pacifier on 7/7, but last night and tonight were recitals for the ages - so proud of the goose!  Vol Nana - you would be proud.  It was just like your boy repeating Star Wars and saying "turn me over" when it was time to flip the record.

Lastly, let me close tonight by saying HAPPY 9th ANNIVERSARY TO MY WIFE MUFFIN!!!!!!!  Folks, I am blessed BEYOND MEASURE, and I really cannot believe how amazing life is right now.  I love my life, my amazing wife, the little miracle sleeping upstairs, my family, the new job, our church, this house - you name it.  Spirits are high, dreams are higher, and all is right with Team Taylor.  This happiness comes from many sources, one of the primary ones being the incredible woman I share my life with and wake up to every morning.  I LOVE YOU, JENNIFER ELAINE TACY TAYLOR!!!!!  Here's to the next 9 years!  KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP!!!!!!!!

That's all the news that's fit to print.  Speak soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Simply the best day of my year - The Bull's 3rd Father's Day...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  2 years, 3 months, and 13 days

Family,

And a good Wednesday afternoon to you all from the Queen City, where the Bull is high on life and

Father's Day at Freedom House - Absolutely
THE BEST day of my year.

Team Taylor's future 2nd home - NWC.

currently feeling 10 feet tall and bulletproof.  Simply put - this guy is riding a high from the best weekend and day of his year (truly the best weekend in a long time), and it's hard to stop smiling.  Add in tons of great stories and experiences over the past 2 weeks, and I've got plenty to catch you up on.  so let's get amongst it, shall we?

So first off - the Munch.  WOW.  You talk about explosive growth and development that's even more meteoric than when we last chatted:  Vocabulary.  Sentence construction.  Memory.  Coordination.  Confidence.  It seems like every aspect of Kaitlyn is developing and maturing on an almost hourly

"I'm a bootifull ballerina!!!!"

basis, which is INCREDIBLE to watch.  A few cases in point:

"Shawty got them apple bottom jeans,
and the boots with the fuuuuuur..."

June 12:  In a move to make any Tennessean proud, K took off her shoes for the first time ever outside and said, "TT run barefoot!"  She then proceeded to run barefoot through the grass in the yard.  We've done this a few times since then.  That's my tomboy in action!

June 17:  Jenny asked Kaitlyn to say her full name.  K looks up at me and says, pretty as you please:  "Kaitlyn.  Elaine.  Taylor."  I just about fell over.  There's another Dr. Knutson milestone down that we don't have to worry about!  Seriously - SHE SAID HER FULL NAME FOR THE FIRST TIME.  Absolutely incredible.

June 17:  K asks to read the "Babies and Doggies" book.  I open the first page, and then she launches into reciting the words for each set of pictures.  I know she's done that with other books, but the number of books and accuracy of the recitation has gone from cute to strikingly impressive.  Seriously - she's celebrating quite the collection of quasi-memorized books at this point - most notably "Peter Loves Penguin" and "Toot." :-)


Side note on Dada and K's nightly reading ritual - for the last week or so (I can remember it dating back to probably 6/15), K has been splitting time between sitting on my lap, laying on the floor (only when we read "I am a little bunny" and she gets to the page where Nicolas the bunny lies in the grass during summer in the strawberry patch - and she does count the strawberries, for the record - and watches the

flowers...or birds...or butterflies), and - my favorite - sitting beside me in the chair, snuggled up beside me.  Readers, let me tell you that it has always been a dream of mine to just sit somewhere with my child and have them want to snuggle up to me.  Don't ask me why, but that's always felt like a pinnacle moment - having your child so excited and happy to be with you that they want to be as close as possible.  I have that right now, and knowing that it will only be for a finite time (if for no other reason than we won't be able to fit in that glider together too long!) - you better believe I'm loving it and making every second count.

Second side note on K's memorization:  One of the books (one of my old books) is "The puppy who found a home."  Well, K has memorized one section in particular where the people who run the puppy off their porch say:  "Go away, little stray!  Go away, I say!"  Well, K repeats that during the reading, but more classic is how she used it at lunch the other day.  When K sits down to eat, she always says "Dada sit!"  Well, this time Jenny was sitting with her, and K said:  "Go away, mama!" and actually tried to push her off the seat by pushing at her knee!  Jenny and I were cackling - the serious look on K's face didn't help either... :-)

June 17:  A watershed moment (literally) - K no longer minds us "drying her bone head" after bath.  If anything, now that she thinks it's "peep eye" (credit to dad on that one) and that she gets to pretend she's sleeping, she LOVES IT.  Basically, the second we pull her out of the bath, she sits on my lap and starts snoring (violently, I might add - WOW).  We then cover her head and say "where's Kaitlyn?  Is this a bone head I feel?"  We then pull back the towel (after scrubbing her rather vigorously, I might add), and she just cackles.  Adding to it, Jenny's now playing "hide and seek" behind K's feet while we dry her, which is also one of the highlights of K's evening.

June 17:  We are starting to turn a corner on tooth brushing - most notably in the realm of spitting. :-)  K is now (finally) starting to actually brush her teeth a bit (I say "listen for the sound of the bristles on

toupins!), and her spitting is much improved.  Compared to previous adventures where she just sucked the toothpaste off the bristles, she's now saving some to spit AND is generating some power!

June 18:  HUGE MILESTONE ALERT!!!!  HUGE MILESTONE ALERT!!!!  K POOPIED ON THE POTTY FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!  That's right, sports, fans - K actually ASKED TO GO and then dropped a steamer into Duck Potty for the first time EVER.  Coming into this, K had peed (twice I think) on Mickey potty upstairs - always before bath time at night. However, the poopy had remained elusive.  Not on the 18th, however, as K actually requested to go!  JT said that it did take awhile, but she "did the deed" and got to dump the poopy into the "big girl toilet" herself - which she loved as well.

Update on potty training - K has poopied on Duck Potty twice since the first effort - once on Saturday, 6/20, and another time on 6/23.  On 6/23 we actually introduced the "poopy dance" (basically doing the twist) - and K was HILARIOUS!  Love this kid!  Also - side note to this.  On Sunday, while sitting on duck potty, K actually looked down at the bowl and said "Come on pee pee poo poo - get out of there!"  She's trying to will herself to use the bathroom - LOVE THIS KID!

6/18:  One of our other nightly rituals after bath has been "dada carry," where I pick her up after we've dried her and walk her over to the mirrors in the Jack n Jill.  I then proceed to go from mirror to mirror (normally 5-6 times), saying "Who is THAT PRETTY GIRL?  TT!!!"  Previously, K's just responded with the "TT" part.  Now, however, she's actually saying the whole thing.  And let me tell you - hearing her say "DAT PETTY DURL!!!!" and watching how she moves her mouth is hilarious (picture "DURL" and the sarlac pit - you've pretty much got the image).

6/18:  Team Taylor kicked off another first on this day, as it was the day we commenced babysitting a pet fish for the neighbors.  The classic part about this - Jenny asks K what they should name the fish.  K doesn't miss a beat before saying "Yum Yum."  So yes, ladies and gentlemen - twice a day we are now

feeding "Yum Yum the fish" for the next month.  I must say that it's really cute, as K LOVES to feed Yum Yum, and we've put a ritual in place.  She and I scoop the fish food (he's a Beta) and drop it in, and she seems to really enjoy watching him move around.  The classic bit is when she says, "Bye bye, Yum Yum - see ya next time" and then hops down from the chair.  TOO CUTE!

Side note for 6/18:  Let it be noted that another milestone rolled over on this day - JT started back to work with a new potential gig!  Jenny is trying out a new company called "Moms on the Run," where she collates and delivers flyers to neighborhoods around town.  She did the first run on the 18th (with K in the backseat), and all went great!  K must have been an angel, and JT seemed to really enjoy it.  The plan is currently to try it once or twice a month (runs are usually 2-3 hours) through the summer and see how it goes.  Once K starts pre-school in the fall, we'll then re-evaluate and see if she wants to continue/pick up more shifts.  The good news for me is that JT seemed to enjoy it, and that's all I'm concerned about - having my Wife Muffin and Munchkin happy!

6/19:  In one of the most classic "what did she just say?" moments, on this day my child proved she was a citizen of the world.  Walking into the in-law suite, K pointed at our paintings from Thailand and said, " BUDDHA!!!"  I seriously froze in place and looked at Jenny.  Jenny was cackling, as apparently she'd just taught her this, but I was still amazed.  From the mouth of babes, my friends...

Shifting gears, let me just recount two of THE BEST weekends Team Taylor has had in a long time.  The first one was last weekend, when Dad and Alice visited.  Friday night was great, as we all got a chance to relax and bond for a bit.  Saturday was EVEN BETTER, however, as we showed Dad and Alice a new spot in Charlotte - the National Whitewater Center.  The event was the Brewdash 6K and the Brewbash Beer Festival, and I'm pleased to report that neither disappointed. :-)

So first off - to call K an angel during this whole thing would be the understatement of the century.  She was a PERFECT child throughout all this - ESPECIALLY in the 95+ degree heat!  The entire day was boiling, and the section where the beer festival was held offered exactly ZERO shade.  I had the 6K before the festival, but Jenny, Dad, Alice, and K had some free time to walk around.  K did some climbing on rocks, but she heated up quickly (she gets very red in a hurry when she's outside:  some of this is just being a toddler, and the rest is a skin condition inherited from her father - I expect she'll grow out of both).  JT found some shade, and they hung out there while I ran before we all rolled over to the Pump House Beer Garden - which is awesome!!!!! Seriously, I think next year Team Taylor will be out there plenty, and in 2-3 years' time, I think we'll be annual pass holders.  We are LUCKY to have a place like that, a
nd I can't wait to avail of more of their activities.

As for the beer festival itself, it was a hoot.  JT took K back to the house for her nap late that day, and I stuck around with Dad (Alice was already feeling it).  Dad and I got back about 3ish, at which point he passed out (Alice was already down) for 2-3 hours before we went out for dinner and crossed off another first (but one that had been on our list for awhile) - Pippa's!  This is a little restaurant just outside of the neighborhood by NOMAD, and I am VERY pleased to report that the food is good, the beer selection is decent, and there are TV's EVERYWHERE.  This place, much like Eastfield Grill, is a  great spot to have so close.

Before I get to the feature of the blog - the highlight of my year to date - let me just comment on a few more observations on the Munchkin.

1.  "Mommy, look at me, I'm...":  So K has started saying either "Mommy, look at me" or "Daddy, look at me" before announcing what she's doing.  It is absolutely HILARIOUS, as you never know what she's going to say.  It could be "I'm all wet," "I'm wearing shoes," "I'm eating macaroni" - you name it.  What I will say is that the sentence construction continues to be increasingly advanced, as is her verb conjugation and use of pronouns.  She's starting to differential between "I" and "me," and you can tell that the pistons are increasingly firing in that little brain case.

2.  "TT...jumping on the bed...":  No other way to say it - Kaitlyn is singing the "5 little monkeys" song NON-STOP now.  Sometimes she substitutes "TT" in place of the monkeys.  Other times she substitutes one of her stuffed animals.  And last night, she actually substituted her slinky. :-)  She's got motions for it - jumping to start, followed by sitting down and touching her head against the floor (and then patting her head), and then finger wagging to state the doctor's orders of "NO MORE (insert being of choice here - carbon based or otherwise) JUMPING ON THE BED!"  If you are in a car with her, expect to hear this at least 25 out of every 30 minutes.

Don't get me wrong - there are sharing moments as well. :-)

3.  "Emmy taking things away" - One of Jenny's new friends in the mommy group is a great gal named Renee (we were over at their pool on Memorial Day), and she & K often go over to Renee's house for play dates.  The good news is that K and Emmy (Renee's daughter) seem to get on very well.  The funny part is that Emmy apparently is not yet enamored with the idea of sharing.  In fact, it sounds like Renee and Jenny have to police the play date, as Emmy apparently likes to reclaim what is hers.  K now knows to expect this, and on tuesday (6/23) she actually said, "Emmy taking things away."  Classic!

4.  Puzzles - so Team Taylor has started K on puzzles as of last week.  We have an 11 piece Mickey Mouse Clubhouse puzzle that we're currently focused on, and it is very interesting to watch K as she thinks about spatial reasoning.  I find it fascinating, as this was the section I struggled with the most on the IQ test (I remember it being one of 2 areas I didn't fare well in).  As I watch her process the pieces and how they might be incorporated, I can't help but wonder if her strengths will lie in language like mine.  If so, I want to identify that early to both help her as she starts school but also to provide her with access to other languages while she's young (since she's a sponge currently and can soak it all up).

5.  The new nighttime ritual:  K is going to bed between 7:45 and 8 at this point, but she's no longer settling right to sleep.  She's actually staying awake for about an hour now (it was over an hour last night - closer to 75 minutes).  And while this is surprising, she's an angel while in there.  She spends the time singing, playing with her animals, and letting her imagination soar.  She doesn't (typically) call out for us, so all in all I think it's just her way of unwinding.

A happier moment (when we returned after
the bullying incident) - K finally climbs
to the mountaintop.

6.  Our first real bully experience:  We went to Northlake Mall this past Saturday (6/20) with 2 goals - get Jenny some shoes and let K run around in the play area.  While we did accomplish both goals, we did have an incident that has continued to stick with me - K's first run in with a bully.

Simply put - the playground was chaos, and the apparatuses there weren't really designed for someone her age and size.  There was one that was appropriate - the kitty - and that was the one K eventually gravitated to (she also liked "the skunk", but it was a bit too big).  Well, K tried to get on it, but an older girl (probably 4 - made up to the nines and wearing lipstick) jumped on the apparatus before K could climb up.  She then pushed K back off the slide portion, stuck her tongue out, and shouted - "GET OFF MY KITTY!"  She then proceeded to kick at K's face.  At that point K looked at me and started to cry, and I instantly got up.

Now judge me if you have to, but my view is that a) K is too young for that and b) there are times when you should count on your parents vs. standing up for yourself.  This girl was WAY older than her and clearly a completely spoiled bitch (no other way to put it, as she got in a fight with another girl in the play area later), and I wasn't going to stand for it.  I went and picked K up and got her away from that, assuring K that its as ok and that some people just didn't have manners.  I walked away shaking my head and thinking "where is the mother?"  But then I remembered what my friend Debbie said:  "One of the hardest parts of parenting is trying to police other people's children."

I was rattled by this, and it has haunted me for the past couple of days.  And while I know that realistically bullies exist and this won't be K's last run-in, it infuriated me to no end.  It also has set me on a path to think about how I can give her the confidence and skills she needs to stand up to those whom I'm sure she'll meet further down the road.

Now - turning to this past weekend, let me just say WOW.  As I have said before:  Despite it's hiccups, 2015 has been among if not THE BEST year of my life.  Finding Freedom House as our church in January has brought more blessings than I can count with it, and I feel stronger spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically than I have felt in a long time.  I now LOVE Sundays and hate the thought of missing church - something I can honestly say I never thought I'd say.  So between knowing it was Father's Day, knowing we had a good Church service planned, knowing we had good food on the horizon, and knowing that I had a treat for myself - the Tread Nightly Half Marathon - on Friday night, I was primed for a great weekend.  But readers, those 60 hours exceeded all expectations.

It was one of those stretches where everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - went according to plan and then some.  For starters, I showed up at Run For Your Life to buy some gel and found out I had a $25 credit.  This meant I could get the fuel belt pouch I wanted, as well as some new socks - all free!  The afternoon was great, as I was ahead on work and consequently could spend a lot of time with my family.  The evening featured the Trail Half marathon, which was hands down the hardest race of my
entire life.  That being said, 1/2 marathon # 32 is now in the books, and even crazier - I finished 2nd in my age division! Granted, I think there were only 3 of us, but let's not focus on the wrong kind of details...

On Saturday we hit Panera and ate courtesy of a gift card from Mom.  We then got confirmation on our Asheville VRBO house.  I finished the Gospel of Mark and Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton.  One of my friend's was at the race and posted about my finish, which resulted in some very sweet comments from friends.  I got a new pair of shoes and played on escalators with K at Northlake Mall (very cute).  I even ended the night with Steak and Scallops for dinner, as well as cracking open the most celebrated beer in my collection - Dark Island Reserve.  Throughout all this, K was an angel, and the day was just SO MUCH FUN.  There were tons of smiles, everything flowed easily, there was no drama, and it was just a perfect happy day.  Truly - it was a perfect, happy day.

Sunday was Father's Day, which henceforth will take its place in my Top 10 days all time.  I will also remember it as the day the dam broke, as I was an absolute flood of tears and emotions all day.  From

Cutest.  Present.  EVER.

What will make K forget about a lollipop?
A popsicle, baby!  She actually got 2 -
well played, Munchkin!

the start of the morning when Jenny brought me my present from K (she'd made handprints in paint on a sheet that said "You're the best Dad - hands down") and her gift (the third installment of the photo montage - THIS ONE IS THE BEST YET) to reading the card Jenny'd given me (so sweet, with images and words that could only be described as perfect) to going to church for a POWERFUL service (they had a Navy Seal speaking), I cried about every 10 minutes.  The one I will remember most is when Pastor Troy said "Can we have all the dad's stand up?"  When I stood, that was the moment where I think it clicked - we have always called K our little miracle, but until that moment I don't think it hit me how many truths are wrapped into that statement.  Every facet of our lives has changed for the better - our love is deeper, our bond stronger, our faith firmer, our laughter more genuine.  Being a parent made me want to be a better man for my family, and in that moment on Sunday I realized that so many of the positive changes I've felt in 2015 have been a result of being a parent.  That led to a further understanding of how God has blessed our lives, and it ran through me like a river.  Since that moment 3 days ago, I've felt much more at peace.  I have found myself lately drawing on my reservoir of strength and focusing it rather than scattering it out across worry and fear.  I know some of that stems from reading the Gospel and starting to understand God's plan (or at least how to put yourself in the circle), but some of it also comes from that moment on Father's Day - realizing what matters and being thankful for all that the miracle you've been blessed with has given you (and continues to give).

The rest of the day was great - all the way down to the best massage of my life and Hawthorne's pizza. Talk about living (and eating!) like a king!  I even got an hour in the pool with my daughter - and it was just perfect.

From out of the ashes - a Phoenix is born anew...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  2 years, 2 months and 29 days

Family,

And a good Tuesday afternoon to you from the Queen City, where I am THRILLED to report that

Team Taylor is well and truly back to normal.  Our spirits are high, our bodies are on the mend, and both the smiles and laughter are free flowing here on Regal Court.  JT's ankle is FINALLY seeming to be free of pain, and today marked a HUGE milestone - her first walk to Prosperity Park in more than a month.  Fingers crossed there's no pain!

Since the last post, things have definitely turned a corner for Team Taylor.  For starters, we've had a tremendous outpouring of support from our friends and family.  Between their love, prayers, and (in many cases) similar stories, we now realize both a) how common an occurrence this is and b) that we aren't alone in facing this challenge.  And it's not just our friends and family, but also I can confidently say that we feel God's presence in this house.  Despite its ups and downs, 2015 has been one of the best years of my life, largely in part to the spiritual reawakening I've experienced since joining Freedom House.  During that time, I truly do feel that the Holy Spirit has been poured upon us, and it is that spirit that certainly

helped me to power through some of the darker days.  And to that end, I feel our true "Day 1" for the restart was 2 Sundays ago - mine and Jenny's first church service after the operation.

We had discussed going up front with the leaders to pray, and up until that moment Jenny and I had agreed that I would speak to them (Jenny was to select the female leader she felt most comfortable with, and I was then going to explain what had happened).  Well, when we got up there, not only did they put 2 people with us (a man and a woman), but Jenny then started speaking.  Family, as long as I live, I will remember this as one of those days where I was proudest of Jenny.  She actually had to tell the story twice, and both times she explained what had happened, how we felt, and what we needed from our Freedom House family.  I have always talked about the reservoirs of strength that run so deep in her (moreso than even she realizes), and it was on display for everyone that day.  It was the moment where Team Taylor went from shock

Snug as a bug in a rug - which she kept
repeating over and over - too cute!

to starting again, and it was the moment where I realized again how amazing my wife is.  And in that moment, seeing how strong she was and realizing that we'd made it through the first storm, my walls came tumbling down and I started balling.  It was the release I needed as well - that moment when the dam could crack and I could release that grief.  And as always, Jenny gave me the strength and channel to help me heal myself and begin anew.  Since that moment, it has been a rocket return to normalcy, and especially after seeing the smiles on Jenny's face after her girls' weekend, I genuinely believe that Team Taylor is now back in the saddle.  

Turning to the Munckin, can I just say WOW?!?!?!?  Family, you would not BELIEVE how much she has changed in the past month.  Talking, singing, running, it is just INCREDIBLE how much she's maturing before our eyes.  Let me just run through some of the classics, dropping in pictures here, there, and everywhere (I'm conscious we've got a backlog of pics to get through, so this post could very well turn into one epic photo shoot).



1.  "Baked beans Bong!"  That's right, ladies and gentlemen - Kaitlyn can now sing the "Bing Bong" song all the way through!  In fact, now she's celebrating the entire Peppa musical collection (see point #2 below).  More to the point, her pronunciation is improving daily - dare I say you can actually make out every work at this point!

2.  "Peace and Harmony...in uh da wuuuuuurd" - Keeping with the Peppa song list, K is now singing "Peace and Harmony" at full volume.  We even have this one on tape - HILARIOUS!!!  Seriously - it is TOO funny to hear her when she belts it out.  But that cheeky little snail knows when you're taping, as she will do it quicker and softer before running to the phone and saying "See it."  Love that kid!

3.  "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"  So this one is new as of this week, but as of 8 June our daughter can now sing this entire song as well.  It's funny, because this past weekend when my mom was in town, she just wanted to watch the "5 Little Monkeys" video over and over.  And for the record - she didn't want the sweet and innocent version.  Nope - our daughter wanted this blood thirsty version where the doctor looked like an ape version of Adolf Hitler.  Sub-optimal, but I digress...what I can now confirm is that she's able to sing the entire thing, complete with movements of laying down on her back, hitting her head, and doing the finger shake to say "NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED!"  Seriously - her ability to learn through repetition is quite impressive.  I know everyone says it, but I'm telling you - GENIUS... :-)

I mean, don't hate on the anklets, yo!

The side note for me is that I definitely need to sing to her more, and realistically I need to be smarter about more age appropriate music.  JT's been great to have kiddie songs on the iPod, but to date I've not been as good about that, operating under the premises of a) I'm selfish and like my tunes and b) my music is more complicated and will further stimulate her mind.  The reality is that Fall Out Boy isn't exactly Mozart, so I need to be better about singing and repeating tunes that she can remember and anchor into her mind.

And a side note there - Vol Nana visited this weekend (more about that further down), and I must stop here and say HOW AMAZING my mom was in terms of stimulating K's imagination.  It didn't matter what the toy or activity was, mom was great at pretending.  I first took note when we were playing with Playdoh outside.  Mom was making cribs, houses, cars, you name it - a far improvement on my normal offering of bracelets and anklets!  It showed me that I need to be better about firing up her imagination. I tried to put it into practice on Sunday (6/7) at the park when we made "pine cone airplanes."  And while that was a success, allowing her to bring the pine cone back into the house was not my best decision.  But hey - it's progress, right? :-)

4.  "No ma'am, bad girl!"  So as you can surmise from this, we've started discipline in earnest now.  Well, the funniest upshot of this occurred at the end of May and early June, when at night while K was in her crib with her animals (she has 9 now - Go Dog, Vera Bunny, Hop Hop, Oz Mouse, Red Minnie, Plastic Minnie, Rainbow Minnie, Piggy, and Baby Elmo), she lined them up and gave them all a scolding.  We were listening on the monitor when we heard, "No ma'am, bad girl!" repeated to each one of them.  HILARIOUS!  Now on the not so hilarious front, K has started to gentle test her boundaries.  I have employed the 1-2-3 method to date (but rest assured I'm a rapid counter), and I think it's met with some success.  The exception was 2 weeks ago (May 31), but we'll get to that... :-)

In the early going, I can already tell that teaching discipline is a very fine line of balancing the promotion of independence with the need to have your commands respected.  Also, the consistency required and reality that, if stated, you MUST enforce something has been a learning experience for me.    That being said, K really is a great kid, and any deviation from the norm is either due to a) exhaustion or b) wanted to do something for herself.  And while sometimes that means life goes a bit slower, I tell myself that I need to encourage that independence where possible, so I'm trying to be better about that.

5.  Speed demon - Can I just tell you how fast this girl has become!?!?!?!?  Seriously - we play "chasing dada" and "dada dinosaur" a lot now, and that kid can flat move!  I am actually finding that sometimes I genuinely have to pick up my pace to avoid being tagged - way to go, kiddo!  And the cutest part - as she's chasing me, she says "I'm gonna get you!"  When we come to the end of the route (the master bathroom), I then turn around and turn into "Daddy Dinosaur," at which point K starts running and quotes Peppa Pig by saying, "too scary!"  It's pretty adorable - just sayin'...

6.  "Rockabye Baby" - yep, singing this one as well (and we have the video to prove it).  This one is tied to the travel swing (separate story that I'll pick up below).

7.  "I'm a Cowboy" - so I have a book from my childhood called "Busy Teddy Bear."  TT can actually recite the whole thing now (she's actually learning parts of other books as well, but this one she has down cold), and she even does the voices that I do - a cowboy, a bird, etc.  It's pretty darn cute!

As for the last 10-12 days, they have been a blur of laughter, tears, and memories.  On May 30, Team Taylor embarked on another first as a family - Strawberry picking!  I really didn't know what to expect on this, but I can confirm that it surpassed ALL expectations.  For starters, the farm was really cute - filled with pigs, chickens, goats, and all the other critters that make a farm a farm.  The strawberry patch was GREAT, as the rows were a good width for walking and the strawberries themselves were plentiful and ripe.  K was a great little picker, and she was VERY focused on only picking "monster strawberries."  It was so cute - she could pull most of them with her sweet little hands, and sometimes we had to tell her that a particular strawberry wasn't quite ready because of the white tip.  It all went so well in fact (minus the poopy that we had to change in the field) that we got a second quart of strawberries (we're talking $7.65 for an hour of entertainment - you can't beat that) and piled it to the brim.  TT also got a MONSTER scoop of ice cream (cake batter flavor), which she LOVED.  Make no mistake - this kid LOVES some ice cream.  We then rolled back to the house for her nap, thrilled with the day's progress and very excited to have a potential new summer tradition for the years to come.  Here's the day in pictures:

It's GO TIME, BABY!!!!!

Always remember to apply sunscreen...and maybe eat a little of it.

My girls on the farm - city mice in the country.

"I ONLY PICK MONSTER STRAWBERRIES!!!"

Because there's no such thing as too young for ice cream...

Success!

After her nap we rolled to IKEA to shop for big girl beds, and you would not have BELIEVED how much fun K had laying on all those beds.  She was running around screaming "MORE BIG GIRL BEDS!" and climbing onto each one of them.  It was PRICELESS!  We spent a good hour in there sampling the wares before ultimately deciding to head out, and that was when a perfect day turned into a perfect meltdown.

Ice skating - Peppa style.

For the record - let me just say WOW.  I've seen K upset before.  I've heard K scream before.  But I h


ave NEVER seen the demon fit we witnessed that day.  I'm not sure what actually happened, but as we were checking out, K started walking slower and slower.  Well, as there was a queue backing up behind us, I tried to urge K along.  When that didn't work, I picked her up and moved her to one side.  That started a screaming fit, which then let to shouts of "TT DO IT!!!!!"  To this day I have no idea what "it" was, but JT and I think it was probably walking through the automatic doors.  Whatever "it" was, we ended up carrying her over our shoulder to the car, K kicking and screaming the whole way.  She then screamed "TT DO IT!!!!!" for the 20 minute car ride, and truth be told it didn't slow down until dinner.  In a word - WOW.

As for the week itself, I was in Chile and missed most of it, but JT said that things went well.  Since 5/28 (and likely beforehand), K has established the ritual of wanting to watch Peppa the second she wakes up.  This isn't a bad thing, as it gives JT time to make food.  K is on 2 Peppa's per day - one before breakfast and one before dinner.  That seems to be working and serves as nice bookends to her schedule.  And did I mention she can now name all of Peppa's playmates?  We just ordered a plush set of them to celebrate. :-)

Actually, watching Peppa now has the added new wrinkle of always sitting in the travel swing with the music on.  K was playing hide and seek the other day and noticed that the travel swing was behind the couch.  Well, she IMMEDIATELY wanted it out from behind the couch, and it's now a centerpiece of the bonus room.  She LOVES that thing and sits in it all the time.  Hilarious, as she NEVER wanted any part of it when it was age appropriate.  But hey - it's at least getting some use!

In terms of sleeping, an interesting item to note is that K is now staying awake about 1 hour after we put her down.  Bedtime has started sliding, moving from 7:30 to more like 7:45 or even 8, and that means she's not really falling asleep until 9 PM (case in point - she's been awake 90 minutes so far tonight).  The good news is that she's great about playing with the animals in the crib and entertaining herself - I definitely see that imagination starting to blossom.  The bad news is that I do think she's waking up tired some days, which results in her being a wee bit cranky.  She's still an angel, so don't get me wrong - I just want to ensure she's still getting all the sleep she needs to grow and function properly.

Bath time is now a celebration of "monster bubbles," which basically means we (meaning JT and I) try to blow big bubbles using a wand and solution.  The default bubble size is quite small, so big compound bubbles are special, leading K to shout "MONSTER BUBBLE" and try to catch it.  She's actually gotten quite adept at catching the bubbles, and has even learned how to catch bubbles from the outdoor bubble maker using the wand. And speaking of monsters, she's also a fan of "the monster hand," which is basically the evolution of "daddy dinosaur."  Long story short - I run around with my arm outstretched like Jim Carrey in "Liar, Liar" and tickle my daughter.  What can I say - it seems to be a hit. :-)

As for the weekend itself, it was a BLAST!  As I mentioned earlier, Vol Nana was in town to help me with the Munchkin while Jenny was away.  In short, it was just PERFECT.  Weekends like that are rare, and it was such a great couple of days to relax, chat with mom, get some rest, eat some good food, and play with my Sneetch (which was VERY high on my list after the trip to Chile).  K and Vol Nana got on great, and I feel everyone needs to know that the preferred location of choice for all playing was not the living room, not the bonus room, and not even K's room.  Where was the magic location, you ask?  Well, I'm glad you did - JENNY'S CLOSET.  Seriously, K LOVED BEING IN THERE.  She played "sleeping" in there, watched videos on Nana's phone in there, did hide and seek in there, and even dressed Minnie in there (Mom bought her a new Minnie toy with different outfits).  We actually had to work to coax K out of the closet - CLASSIC.  I did introduce her to "Landshark" - now let's see if she starts imitating it. :-)

So there you have it - a triumphant return to normalcy, complete with some great weekends and memories in the books.  Team Taylor is on the mend in every way possible, and right now we're just focusing on enjoying every day together as a family.  I've got 2 races in 2 weeks and Father's Day ahead of me, and I am SO excited about all of that.  Add in a visit from Dad and Alice this weekend, and you've got a recipe for a GREAT next several days.

That's all the news that's fit to print.  Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny