And a good afternoon to you from the Queen City - the Bull is now 41! But this blog isn't about me, so let's get amongst it, eh?
11/1 - Since there was no school today, JT planned a ROCK STAR slate of activities. It all kicked off about 10 AM at the Mallard Creek Rec Center, where my girls teamed up with Team McLaren for some playtime. They pretty much had the place to themselves, and Jenny said they had a blast. After that it was over to meet Megan Johnson and her crew for lunch at (where else?) CFA! Again, it was a a good time filled with the playground, chicken strips, and ice cream.
It was then back home, where Abby came over for a play date until about 4 or so. After that, Jenny went over to Lindsey's house to borrow some clothes (for our upcoming family photo shoot), and K and Cora played with the Williams clan for a bit. Only later did I find out that at some point Cora was apparently on TOP OF THE PLAY STRUCTURE, which some girl we didn't know trying to "hand her over the side" to Ryann. I mean...the last time she was over there, she tumbled down the stairs (luckily they have a split landing area). Bear - just remember that none of this happened on daddy's watch! :-)
And speaking of Cora, she added "Ry Ry" (which counts!) and "new" to her vocabulary today. I mean, it's multiple words a day at this point. AWESOME! Bring on Cora's two year appointment. :-)
11/2 - THE BULL IS FORTY-ONE!!!!! HOLY MOLY!!!!!!! But man, let me just say how GREAT a day and weekend it was, AND let me say how blessed and happy I am. I have the three greatest gifts God could POSSIBLY give me - Jenny, Kaitlyn, and Cora. I love our life, I love my job, I love being part of the Arrows team, I love our home, I love our cars, I love our city - Life is just SO GOOD. THANK YOU, FATHER!!!!!! There are just no words to express my gratitude to our Heavenly Father for everything that He's done for us.
As for the day itself, it started out AWESOME, as Jenny went to BPS for Kaitlyn's first ever parent/teacher conference. It was 30 minutes, and it went GREAT. Ms. Pate had TONS of great things to say about Kaitlyn, and her reading level was in the ROCK STAR status! Everything was at grade level or better, which was thrilling to see. Ms. Pate said that her phonetics (sounding out words) was really, really good. Apparently they work on this a lot, and K nails it every time. Where she gets frustrated is that she apparently also wants to spell it correctly and gets frustrated when she can't. Ms. Pate has started writing the actual spelling on a post it note, and K is SUPER PROTECTIVE of those in the house (Cora ripped one once, and it was NOT ideal). Now we understand the post-it notes! Too funny.
K scored a "C" in reading, which at first we thought was not great. However, when she explained it went from C to A, with C being the best (and not many kids were at that level), we were very, very happy! Soon they are going to start breaking them up into different groups for reading, and K is going to be in the top group. This is a blessing, and I am so thrilled. THANK YOU, FATHER!We did have a slight hiccup in the schedule, as bad weather (heavy, dark clouds) cancelled out family photo shoot. However, that just meant that the girls got a good 90 minutes at DPK before hitting the second feature event of the day...THE FAMILY FLU SHOT! Now to be clear - a few weeks ago, Jenny told K they were getting shots after pics. Clearly she forgot, however, as upon learning where they were heading, she must have started BAWLING in fear.
When they arrived at the Peds, however, Kaitlyn rallied and was AWESOME. She was super brave and volunteered to go first so Cora could see "how it was done." And best of all - after the shot, K said, "Is that it?" NO TEARS, BABY!!!! Cora, however, did not fare as well. In fact, she went BALLISTIC and apparently wouldn't stop crying. But she did settle at nap time, and all was well.After Cora woke up (and we added a new word today - "green!" And yes, she actually can identify the color), I met them at Concord Mills for the promised reward post flu shot - COLD STONE!!! We got a massive 4 scoop cup, which we then divvied out between us. Cora even got some, and MAN was she all about it. The second a taste hit her lips, she would start pointing and say "mo!" But get this: when she realized Jenny had the "Master Cup" from which we were receiving portions, Cora started pointing for Jenny to feed her...AND REFUSED TO TAKE ICE CREAM FROM ME! I mean - IT'S FREE ICE CREAM! I AM HANDING YOU ICE CREAM!!!! That girl...good think she's so darn cute...
The girls then headed over to the aquarium, and I drove over to Primal for some birthday growlers. :-)
When I got home, I was welcomed by a big "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" from my girls...including the CUTEST homemade card from Kaitlyn! I had super sweet cards and wonderful presents from dad, mom, and Jenny. Talk about a great night!
I went to bed that night with a full heart and a full tummy. Talk about an AWESOME birthday - THANK YOU, FATHER!!!!!
11/3 - Team Taylor sure made this one count! I went for a 9 mile run (longest in awhile!), and Jenny went to NOMAD for a BIG moment - the final Childwatch for the girls! They were the only two in there, so they got to play with everything they wanted (including the Dora kitchen that Cheryl donated). We got some good farewell pics of that, and then I met the girls at the Famous Toastery for breakfast. We got in quicker than expected, and they proceeded to SCARF down some grub! Honestly, it was PERFECT - great meal, great coffee, the perfect seat for us, and the girls were really, really good about coloring and occupying themselves. And get this - K's front, upper, right tooth is loose! She's got 2 slightly loose teeth at this point - CRAZY! I have to think the thumb sucking is playing a part, but I obviously don't know for sure.
Oh, and random side note - Cora can now climb into both her high chair AND her car seat in the Xterra! It's pretty funny - when she decides it's time to eat, she says, "EEEEE!", walks over, climbs into the chair, and then clips herself in! Now granted, sometimes she can't make it happen, but more often than not she is successful at clipping herself in 100%. We have tried the booster a few times, but she's just not ready for that, as she won't stay seated. She definitely still requires "containment."After that, it was time for the featured event of the day - the final Nomad family swim. We went and got about 50 minutes in the pool, leaving right as they closed. It was honestly perfect - we got time in both pools, and Kaitlyn really swam like a rock star. It was almost as if she wanted to show that place how much she'd learned and how much she'd improved, as she did SEVERAL laps, most of them proper free style vs. just doggy paddle. We had some good laughs, did the shimmy, and even each did a "final 50" to say goodbye to the place that has seen at least one member of this family almost every day for the last three years.
Cora was great as well. She loved playing on the ramp, jumped into both the cold pool and the warm pool, and being towed around. We got some great photos, and I left with a happy, full heart. It really was a little sad to walk out of there with the family a final time - so many great memories! But hey - things change, and sometimes you just have to make choices and moves. All the best to you, Nomad - and especially to the wonderful folks who work there and who we've interacted with over the years. God bless you all.
11/4 - So today was a HUGE day for Sammy the Bull - the fulfillment of a dream! Today I got my first chance ever to be "on the platform" at Freedom House, speaking to the Arrows class about cooperation. Pastor Michael not only let me do the Open and the Message, but he also let Kaitlyn be in there! She did melt down at point point during the music (a girl inadvertently stepped on her toe, and then I didn't give her the attention she wanted during worship time), actually standing behind me and holding my shirt while she sobbed. It occurred to me in that moment that I'd never really explained to her that, when teaching, daddy has to put the needs of the class and the Word of God first, so I rectified that one the drive home. She was really good during the message - incredibly well behaved, in fact - AND she got a total of 9 tokens across 2 services! She got 3 in the Arrows class for correctly identifying the tent I taught about - "Dada - it's called the Tabernacle." Too cute!Now for some reason, K spent all weekend wearing cheap sunglasses that had NO LENSES in them. She even wore them to church! But hey - gotta pick your battles, and if she was happy, who was I to argue? :-)
Kaitlyn and Jenny then went to Abby's birthday party at...a skating rink! Now I wasn't there (just got the text updates and saw the pictures), but it must have started out ROUGH. Apparently K went into absolute MELTDOWN when she fell and couldn't master it instantly. There must have been many fits of tears, but Jenny said that it was really amazing how quickly she caught on! K was frustrated because she didn't dominate it, but we just had to explain that it was like reading, gymnastics, or anything else - it just takes time and practice.
On the Cora front, we had a MEGA BREAKTHROUGH today, as she finally verbalized "PLEASE!" We were in shock as we heard it! Now granted, she also did the motion, but she absolutely said it!
I had a blast with her while JT and K were at the rink. The highlight was changing the laundry to the dryer. Cora wanted to help (she's actually really good about that and really does want to help...or at least be in the action), so I took the laundry out one piece at a time and handed it to her. She would announce who's article of clothing it was, after which time she would put it in. And then, once we were done, she slammed that dryer door for all it was worth (but got SUPER mad when I adjusted the temperature and time for some reason.
11/5 - Today was my farewell run at Nomad (I really thank God for it, as it only happened because of a slight drizzle), and I got the chance to say bye to Alma (she's been so sweet to us over the years). She was shocked (and really heartbroken!), and she even came out and gave me a hug. She said, "They will sure miss K and Cora." That is true.
But when a door closes, a window opens, and today we joined the Y! We got a GREAT deal, and the primary facility that we joined is incredible - so excited! Jenny did her first workout as a member, and Cora ran right into the child watch area without any trepidation. Yay!
Gymnastics was good, but K peed her pants. She said that she refused to go to the bathroom because the door sticks and she's gotten stuck in there before. My concern is that it feels like this has been happening with increasing frequency lately, and so Jenny and I agreed we're just gonna need to monitor it and ensure she's emptying her bladder regularly (certainly before practice). Never a dull moment!11/6 - Today was fun for JT and Cora, as it was Jenny's Life Group. They went to Imaginon, and they FINALLY got to take the train (JT sent me a super cute picture of Cora looking out the window). Oh, and Cora is definitely say "Dipe Dipe!" now - I am so proud. Oh, and Jenny got her hair into the biggest whale spout EVER today - it looked like a fountain of hair!
Kaitlyn had a good day at school (did I mention the playground equipment is finally open for use! HOORAY!!!!), and she got to play at Kate's for about 2 hours after school. The one catch - Kaitlyn somehow pooped in her panties! It was pretty gross, and I arrived to find her and Kate running around in shirts and panties. Luckily the rest of the house was fully clothed. :-)
Apparently she tried to make it to the bathroom, but it hit her too fast, and a bit came out. Again - we'll just watch it for now. Hopefully THAT'S not a trend! Oh, and K has started giving Jenny and I massages - it's hilarious! My night is Tuesday. Jenny's night is Thursday (K's is Friday). I get a little back scratch, head rub, and squeeze on the arms.
11/7 - Today was a big day for K: First ever hot lunch! The featured meal - Jason's Deli Mac 'n Cheese. Kaitlyn did confirm it was "the best" mac 'n cheese she'd ever had - it's just there wasn't enough of it. :-) It also probably could have been a little hotter, as it was just warm by the time the kids got it. Jenny had noticed this as well, but in defense of the schedule - it does give it time to cool down so the kids don't get burned. Plus kindergarten eats fairly early anyway, so they wouldn't really want it much before that anyway.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 11/8-11/12, this guy was in South Florida for Outlaw Weekend. Consequently the thread in that window will likely be a bit shorter and choppy, as a) I got most of my info via FaceTime and texts, and b) when you are this far behind on the blog, you try to pound it out and catch up as quickly as possible. :-)
11/9 - Today was Hawthorne's pizza day at BPS. That's right, sports fans - hot lunch twice in a week (with a Lunchable in between)! We are migrating to "Lunchable" Thursday, which means one less sandwich to prepare (#JACKPOT). K did tell Jenny last week that she didn't want any more PBJ, so it sounds like we're gonna give meat a try next week. Watch this space!
Oh, and in other news - two MEGA PACKAGES arrived from Vol Nana this week...FILLED with cat paraphernalia. The kicker - Mom didn't mean to send them here, as they were for Christmas! But the good news - JT didn't show any of it to K, so we were in the clear.
11/10 - JT hosted a shower for Auntie Megan today, and so Nole Nana watched the girls. Jenny did get home in time to take the girls to church, where she said Mike Griffin laid it DOWN! It was another late night (Saturday service always goes long - this one went until after 7 again!), so the girls got some cheese toast and managed to escape bath time. Lucky little ladies...
11/11 - The girls spent a good chunk of time with Auntie Jen (from Texas today), kicking things off at the Original Pancake House down by our old place! K got the children's Chocolate Chip pancakes, and they looked like the STUFF OF LEGENDS. K absolutely loved it -said they were the best pancakes ever. She LOVED that place. IHOP - you have been served fair warning: UP YOUR GAME.
After breakfast, the girls went by the old condo to see "where it all began." They took some cute photos outside of the place (and by the dumpster, which K said was "stinky, stinky") before running Jen to the airport. Jenny said that K shed quite a few tears, as she loved hanging out with Webb and was sad she didn't get to see her more (Webb had a lot of folks to visit plus the shower, so most nights K didn't see her in the evenings). But they had a fun Sunday, and Webb did get to tuck her into bed one night (after reading a chapter of "Purrmaids," which they have now finished! I only got to read 2 or 3 chapters, so hopefully she'll want to read it again so I can get in on the action. :-)Jenny was great about sending me photos all weekend, and I must say - the girls look SO GROWN UP! It feels like they grow a foot every time I'm gone. K is now putting her hair back with a clip on one side, and she looks absolutely BEAUTIFUL (and so grown up!). Bear's hear is getting really long as well and still a gorgeous blonde. She looked SO PRETTY in all her photos (and was sporting a big smile each time!).
11/12 - No school at BPS today, so JT took K to the dentist. She absolutely CRUSHED it, and Cora was really well behaved as well. RE-SULT! :-) But get this - one of Kaitlyn's six year molars has already started to come in! I mean, full disclosure here - I didn't actually know that "was a thing." Apparently there are 12 year molars as well, but the crazy part about all of it - Kaitlyn has never once complained about this tooth that has now completely broken through, nor has she ever mentioned/complained about the other one which is on the verge. Man, they are growing up!
After that it was over to the Cabarrus Y (our new home gym!), where Jenny and the girls swam with Lindsey and the Williams crew. The big water slide wasn't available due to water aerobics, but the kids still got a good 35-40 minutes of swimming in. And the best part - K and Ry both passed their swim test! This was really cool - they had to swim a bit and then tread water for 30 seconds. Since they passed, they were given reusable green wrist bands they can wear while in the water. As long as they have those on, they are free to swim without adults being directly beside them (and once they're 10 they can actually swim on their own - how cool is that?)
Kate came over in the afternoon, and the girls got on like a house on fire. Seriously - it is amazing how GREAT they play together, and even crazier that they've known each other for three years!
The highlight was at gymnastics, where Kaitlyn received...wait for it...wait for it...A CERTIFICATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT FOR DOING A BACKWARD ROLL WITHOUT ASSISTANCE!!!!! That was great news and very much bolstered her spirits, as two weeks ago she'd announced to Jenny that she "wanted to take a break." We weren't sure where that came from (as she's really starting to improve in strength, flexibility, and capability - plus she practices at the house ALL THE TIME), but during tonight's practice one of the dad's said that there was apparently a bit of a meltdown at some point during practice. We weren't there (it was Megan's week to take the girls), but at one point the dad heard Mr. Frank say, "Kaitlyn, I can't help you if you're crying!" Obviously you never want to hear that she was upset, but that is part of being coached. I don't love how they press down on the girls while they are doing splits either, but what I will say - it is AMAZING how good her split is now - she is basically to the floor! 11/13 - I FINALLY SAW MY GIRLS AGAIN!!!!!!! My goodness they look like 21 and 17 - INCREDIBLE! I cannot believe how pretty they looked, and I could tell they were happy to see me. Honestly, they are playing SO GREAT together right now. After dinner every night, they go and play on their seats, treating them like jungle gyms and sliding down them. Kaitlyn is even picking Cora up now and placing her on her seat so she can slide down it - too cute! They laugh together, play together, and most importantly - really seem to have fun together. Now don't get me wrong, when toys are involved, it's a different story sometimes! Case in point - tonight in the bath Kaitlyn tried to take something back from Cora. She swung it away and said, "MY!" She's starting to fight back! Too cute.
Also, Cora walked up the stairs today on her own! Obviously Jenny was behind her and she was holding onto the wall, but she did it! And then at night, She and Kaitlyn walked up the stairs together holding hands. I mean, it was just about the cutest thing ever...11/14 - Now that I'm going to the gym in the morning and showering there, I'm only seeing my girls in the evening. While I was a bit concerned about that at first, I am actually loving it, as I think it's making all of us appreciate the time so much more. I feel like our conversation is better, the laughs are easier, and we just seem to really make those 2+ hours count. Sure, they are filled with plenty of tasks. However, I definitely think it's making me a more focused parent.
The day actually started scary, as I received a text about 10 AM that said in all caps: "LOCK DOWN DRILL AT BPS." Now give them credit - it was just a test, and they communicated that right below the main title. However, seeing it did rattle me a bit. Truthfully, it bothered me more than I expected, as all the myriad scenarios that could run through my mind did. Police was on-site, they tested the communication system, and they simulated a live drill. When K got home, she told us about it - they simulated a convict escaping into the woods behind the school, and the school was on lockdown in the rooms while the police searched for the suspect. K detailed what the teacher said, where they hid, what they did with the blinds and windows, etc. It was very interesting (albeit a bit scary).
But the better news - K received a special honor at school today! It was such a big deal that Ms. Pate even emailed us. Here's the deal - Kaitlyn became THE FIRST kid in class to receive 20 punches in her "Good Choices" card, meaning that she got to pick a coupon as a reward! Her selected coupon was to bring a cuddly friend to school, which I thought was very cute. We were SO PROUD OF HER! Ms. Pate called her to the front of the class for the special announcement - LOVE IT!
Honestly, as a parent - what more can you ask for? Ms. Pate said that she "is always showing what it means to be a kind, helpful, and respectful friend. You should be oh so proud of her." YAY!
Also, Cora is absolutely saying "Yes" these days (Well, it's "yea' in most cases, but it clearly means in the affirmative). She is definitely fighting a cold, but she's still sleeping good (napped from 12:45-4 today!). What is crazy - she LOVES the saline spray in her nose, but when she sees the snot sucker, she starts waving her hand and says "No!" And she loves the vapor rub, but she takes some and then sticks it in her nose! I mean, that should loosen up the sinuses...
11/15 - Kaitlyn promptly redeemed her coupon today! She chose to bring two cuddly friends, which she got to take with her to lunch, to PE, to the playground - you name it. She was happier than a pig in mud.
Jenny and Cora went over to a new friends house - Mace - where they had a play date & lunch. They must have had a great time, and Cora dosed in the car (but really no time at all at home).
After school, the girls played great for a bit. K complained twice about "pain while breathing," so we took her over to Ashley's for a checkup. The good news - Cora has no fluid in either ear, and the right tube in Kaitlyn's ear is OUT!!!! WOW!
Jenny had a service event tonight, which meant that I got to put both the girls to bed. Cora was cute as can be, as she is ALL ABOUT blankets right now. She will just lay on them and say, "Night, night!" and then she'll tuck Ri-Ri in with them. She wants to take a blanket to bed, but we compromised by letting her cover both her and Ri-Ri with one while I read to her. She barely made a peep after I put her down, and as I was lowering her into the crib, she said, "Bye!" Too cute.
For Kaitlyn, she was adorable - she was watching 101 Dalmations, and I loved hearing her laugh as the puppies tried to escape. We read, snuggled, and sang, and I even gave her a "massage." It's hilarious, as she gets so tickled any time you try and rub anything - she was cackling when I did her lower back and toes. Too cute!11/16 - So I am going to give BPS some more props, as K is really learning a ton right now! They have moved up to two sight words a week, and she is definitely starting to recognize them quicker. They are also ramping up the math instruction, as she can now identify even numbers vs. odd numbers and is becoming quite adept at counting. The worksheets she brings home are quite impressive. And a pleasant surprise given who her father is - her handwriting is really pretty darn good! She brings home these sheets where she has tried to spell a word phonetically and then correctly, and the writing is very legible. Progress!!!
They are also continuing to do really neat art work, including finger painting, water colors, pottery, and other mediums. They got to do the "Turkey in Disguise" with their House Buddies on this day, and they had to "hide the turkey" so he could be the hero of the feast vs. the meal - cute! They are learning Namaste in yoga, and their emotion of the week is empathy. They also read a book called "The Relatives came," and K loved it. She got to draw a picture of what it was like when relatives come over, and she had the car, the grandparents - the works! It was cute. Also, K also proudly displayed her "Thankful Turkey" to us this evening, with each of the four tail feathers representing something she was thankful for. The winners:
1. Ms. Pate and Ms. Hong
2. God
3. Pets (which she doesn't have)
4. Friends
I mean...pretty cute, right?
And speaking of learning quickly, there is no denying that the pistons are firing for Cora bear. She has a very keen interest in puzzles right now, and she is really doing a GREAT job getting them into the right slots. It's fascinating to watch her in action, and it will occupy her FOREVER! Again - so crazy how different she and K were at that age. Both loved puzzles, but Cora does not want any help at all - she is all about figuring it out on her own. After dinner that night, the girls had a BLAST helping me rehearse for church on Sunday. I was doing my normal welcome "Gooooooood morning, Arrows 10:30 service!" They were screaming and cackling, and then we were each taking turns being the emcee. Cora even had the arm motion down! And speaking of the Bear in motion, she is now dancing like a wild woman all the time and is even jumping! Admittedly, it's a .5 inch vertical, but still - there was clearance there!
11/17 - K was up at 6:10, and she crept downstairs as requested since we were letting JT sleep. I got some GREAT cuddle time in, and then it was prepping for an EPIC day - babysitting Team McLaren!
The girls showed up about 8:45, and JT was out the door with them 20 minutes later, headed to see the new Grinch movie (which was apparently very good). Bear was with me (#nothappy), and she did NOT like being checked into the Playhouse at the Y while I went for a swim. But we did rally, and she was happy as a clam when we hit Target for some shopping.
The girls hit Dollar Tree for some Christmas decos after the movie, and then it was home for a really fun filled afternoon. We played outside for a good bit, and the highlight for Fiona and Alison was DEFINITELY when I introduced them to the Wii - too funny!!!! They were in hog heaven and played for over an hour! The girls decorated our old tree (now in its 15th Christmas!), and we set out a boat load of Christmas decorations. We decided to hold off on our tree until Sunday (so we could do it as a family), but the girls had PLENTY to keep them busy. They actually gave out before all the ornaments were on!
Cora loved having them here, and they all played really, really well together! Bear can now successfully identify red and yellow, which is pretty darn amazing considering that we've never taught her a single color. And did I mention that Jenny has her sitting cross-cross apple sauce on command? AMAZING! Bear is certainly stringing more thoughts together, and she's doing a better job of articulating what she wants you to focus on. It's still just 1 word sentences, but I have a feeling the explosion is set to commence any day now. 11/18 - We took the whole gang to church today, and it went really great! We had some emotions (aka meltdown) to deal with before leaving the house (K was mental because she didn't get to use the blue remote on the Wii), and we had 2 other meltdowns at church (a missing token, couldn't get the candy she wanted...I mean... dude, it was a LOT to deal with). A lot of it started with the fact that the girls were up at 5:39 and didn't sleep great during the night (we heard footsteps at one point), but the bigger issue - when K doesn't sleep, it REALLY affects her. WOW.
The afternoon was good - we just took it easy, watched some football, decorated the house, and put ornaments on our new tree! It looks great! K even got some hot chocolate, so all was right with the world. :-)We got the girls in bed reasonably early that night - Team Taylor was exhausted!
11/19 - So today must have been a meltdown for the ages on Regal Court. I was at work, but apparently Kaitlyn was a pill beyond measure who just refused to cooperate or do anything. She told us that she had the worst family ever, that mommy wasn't a good mommy...you get the gist...anyhoo...
Eventually Jenny asked K to do something, and she refused. That cost K two days of screen time (good job, wife muffin). She then asked K to do something else, which she refused. Jenny played it perfectly: "I am setting the timer (didn't tell K for how long) - if it goes off before it's done, I am throwing away some of your Halloween candy." Sure enough, K didn't move, but you should have seen the look on her face when JT dumped some candy into the trash. Needless to say K moved a bit quicker after that.
Before gymnastics, K went crazy again, saying she wanted to take a break, didn't want to ride with anyone but mommy, etc. Jenny said it was just insane and uncontrollable, but as expected she was fine during practice and had a good time (her bridge is getting really strong). I think she's still just super exhausted from the weekend, but MAN - she must have been tough. Sorry, Muffin! But the big news - after I left the room tonight, she APOLOGIZED TO JENNY. This was the first time EVER it has legitimately happened unprompted, and JT was shocked! I am proud of her - let's just hope it doesn't happen again at that level anytime soon.
11/20 - New words for Bear! She has added "block" and "ready!" to her repertoire. She is also saying, "Yeah, Yo!", which I find just about the funniest thing ever. Apparently she also loves playing with toy microwaves, and whenever they ding she starts clapping and laughing and says, "Yay!" before going to claim her newly "cooked" food item. :-)Her hair is just too cute right now - it is a stylish pixie cut that I absolutely love. JT is still putting it in the whale spout, but at this point it's so big that it almost forms another set of bangs! Jenny has had to move the location of the spout, and I am finding it tough to remove the thing before bath without ripping some of the poor child's hair out. Time for clips, I say!
Today was pretty chill, and I didn't even see the gals since I was out with Matt. JT said that K was in much better spirits and that the evening was uneventful - great news on that front!
11/21 - Team Taylor drove to Raleigh today for Thanksgiving, leaving about 1:15 and arriving about 4 PM. Bear didn't nap, but she really wasn't all that fussy. If anything, she was pretty switched on and attentive. Jenny and I forgot to download anything new to Netflix, and so when we logged in and saw that everything had expired, we expected a meltdown of Three Mile Island proportions. However, when K saw there were games on the iPad still, she seemed plenty content. WHEW.... Bear even got in on the action, laughing whenever certain characters on the screen giggled. You can tell that Bear is starting to notice the television and become interested in it, which I will confess I'm not upset about. She's almost two, so truthfully this is right about the time she should show interest. And while she really does a GREAT job of entertaining herself, it will be nice to have that other "babysitter" option should we need it.Dinner that night was CFA, and K was in Heaven pretty much from start to finish. She and James played SO WELL together - running around, laughing, and just generally having a great time. It's interesting to watch, as James wants to do everything Kaitlyn wants to do - so cute to see her in the "older cousin" role vs. watching someone else for cues (like when she's with Sam). We got her and James down around 8:30, with Cora going down just a bit before. Bear did NOT like being pulled away from the toys while the other kids were playing! Her screams when I put her in the pack n play were just about as loud and angry as I'd ever heard.
Oh, and bear is all about music during bath, but she DEMANDS Kenny Chesney - specifically, "All the Pretty Girls." And not just once - that girl wants it on repeat. And if you try to change the song (even to another KC song), she will say, "No! Mo...." (and do the hand motion). I mean....pretty cute...
Cora did cough an awful lot this evening. She was in the loft outside our bedroom, and I heard her coughing consistently from about 3-3:40. I closed the door so I could sleep, but I heard her again a little after 5 when I got up for quiet time. I am fighting a slight cough as well, and both Jenny and I have pretty ragged throats. That being said, we're going to try and soldier on!11/22 - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!! Man, what a fun day it was. Lunch (and dinner via the leftover route) were catered by Whole Foods, and we ate like KINGS! The weather was cold but clear, and I got a great run in before lunch. We spent most of the day inside, but K did get out for a walk with me and Jenny, where she spent a good 10-15 minutes running around in a pile of leaves that had been blown onto the street.
The cousins really played great together, splitting time between Monster Trucks (a TV show), magnetic tiles, ice cream, pumpkin pie, apple pie, loads of other food, football, and gifts from Nole Nana and Grandpa (a car and a basketball from the Corvette factory in Louisville). The three season room was just perfect - fire, big TV, comfy seats...life was guuuuuuuuuuuud. Everyone got on well, and it was really cute to see the kids playing together. 11/23 - Most of the gang went to the Raleigh Science Museum today, where they spent over 2 hours and had a blast! The place must have been huge, and it sounds like they didn't even get to the second building! JT took some really cute shots, and K came back raving about it. I'm so glad they had an indoor activity, as it was FREEZING. I was able to get a workout in at the Y, which I am SO THANKFUL for, as I would NOT have wanted to run outside in that weather (probably right at freezing with the wind chill).
We hung out in the afternoon, and the kids were great about playing and occupying themselves. All of them (and us) were coughing, and it was clear no one was at 100%. That being said, everyone was in good spirits, and we crashed hard that night. I slept the best I'd slept in a while - JT said I was snoring when she came to bed!
Bear did a really good job of sleeping in the pack 'n play. She screamed louder and harder than normal each time I put her down, but with each night she fell asleep quicker and quicker. She also commandeered 2 "ri ri's" from James, bringing her total to 5 in that pack 'n play. I absolutely loved that quiet window snuggling with her each night before putting her down - I can feel the end coming, and I want to savor every second of it. 11/24 - Team Taylor drove home early today, arriving back about 1 in the afternoon. The kids seem SO HAPPY to be back home with their toys, and they have played by themselves together pretty much since we arrived - so cute! Cora took a solid 30 minutes taking clothes out of the laundry basket and then putting them back in.
Side note - given the weather (pouring and freezing and cloudy for tomorrow), we have cancelled fall family pics. Given that we've already done our Christmas cards (THANKS, JT!!!), some of the urgency around getting the pics is gone, and we didn't want to chance getting the girls sick - especially with me heading to MSP tomorrow. Jenny and I are coughing as well, and our "cute little family outfits" would NOT have made it long against a wind chill in the 30's. Truthfully, that makes our life easier, as it will take some of the rush out of the day tomorrow (we'll hit church and then come home before I roll to the airport). 
11/25 - Cora said "All done!" today! It was super cute. She's still doing the hand motions, but she's now added the verbal component! It's a word a day and then some at this point - absolutely amazing to see the growth and development. She can also now name all the colors in our outfits! I have heard her say gray, black, pink, blue, green, and red. Impressive! Seriously - knowing the colors at this age? That's pretty cool, right?The day was going really well out of the gate, and we even made time for some family photos at Church. We ended up cancelling pictures (which was a good thing, because K slept THIRTEEN HOURS LAST NIGHT!), but we dressed in the planned outfits and asked Lindsey to take a pick for us. She has the new iPhone, and the pictures were INCREDIBLE! Seriously - we may have her do our spring shoot with just her camera - they were fantastic!
The one hiccup - Jenny and Lindsey's purses were side by side, and I accidentally put my phone in L-Dub's purse vs. JT's. Consequently, I thought I'd lost my phone. Now normally I wouldn't freak out, but I was leaving for the airport in THIRTY MINUTES, and needless to say that phone was more than a little critical to my success. :-) I didn't scream, but I was clearly rattled, and it really scared poor Kaitlyn. When I parked the car and went running off, everything was fine (I went into the church, looked around the outside, etc). However, when I came back in, I noticed that K had been bawling and had just now composed herself. When I asked her later on if I had scared her, she just hugged me and nodded. Poor thing had never seen my like that before, and it really rattled her.
I had to head to the airport right after that, which was obviously less than ideal. But the good news - JT trotted out some candy from the Halloween stash, and soon Dada was a distant memory. :-)11/29 - I got back from MSP late last night, which meant that I missed tucking both girls in. I did at least get to face time with them a bit, which was good. Also, I left early this morning, which means I missed them again! But we finally got to have dinner and bath time tonight, and it was SO GREAT to be back with my ladies! They are growing up so fast and are SO BIG! Cora was much happier to see me than K, who gave me a thumbs down, and X to my face, and basically tried to avoid me as much as possible. Good times... :-)
Poor Cora is coughing a lot, and she didn't really nap today due to the coughing. Ashley checked her ears for us, and one of them does have a little fluid. We're all fighting something, so we are gonna give it just a few more days and see if it rectifies itself. If not, we'll obviously get her to the Peds and get the little girl feeling better.11/30 - And so ends November! The day was really good, and it was just so nice to have some focused time with my ladies. We played Monster (K was so excited she laid out my 6 piece outfit for the occasion), I got to read to the girls (Cora was all about Linus, Gladys, and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus - they actually both wanted them separately at night!
Cora is now running a fever just north of 100, and this morning she was really struggling to breathe. She woke up about 5:30, and I actually got her and brought her downstairs with me. She tried to lay on my and sleep, but every time she got comfortable, she promptly exploding into coughing. The good news - she went down without a peep tonight - poor little thing actually fell asleep while I was rocking her (which NEVER happens).
Kaitlyn has been a bit of a pistol lately, and she's very "anti-daddy" at the moment. The reason (she told JT) is because "daddy's a boy and I don't like boys." She spends a lot of time telling me to stop talking, giving me a thumbs down, and making an X when looking at me, followed by a heart when looking at mommy. Good times... :-)So there you have it - November in the books. But before I close this month, a note from the author. I love this blog - it is truly a labor of love - but I fear it's starting to take away from some of my family time - especially with Jenny. When I wasn't as busy in my previous job and working at home, it was less of an issue. Now, however, my time at home is incredibly precious (really 1-2 hours per night tops, and sometimes less with other to-do's), and so I am thinking I'll finish volume 6 strong and then dramatically scale back the amount of time I spent on future volumes. It pains me to type that, but I have to prioritize better, and so this is something that has to fall down in the pecking order.
For now, however, we are cooking with gas, baby! Chat with you in December!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
