And a GREAT evening to you from the Queen City - another big month of summer fun in the books, so let's get amongst it, shall we?
Dad was in town getting some freon, so he spent 2 hours at the park with us. Mom dropped K around 11:30, and she played for a bit as well (there were some REALLY cute images of her holding dad's hand as they walked). We got home in the early afternoon (it was boiling), and after swimming a bit, the girls BOTH NAPPED! They were honestly SO TIRED, as they had been swimming hard every day, not napping, and staying up late. Consequently, we let them sleep as long as they could, as we knew the evening would be longer than normal.
They were both up in that 3:30-4 range, and we let them relax and watch TV until Benny, Kay, and Charlie showed up for a cookout. What followed as a GREAT evening of food, laughter, swimming, and LOTS of dessert - ice cream, homemade blackberry cobbler, sugar cookies, and dessert pizza! And the girls tried every single one of them (including seconds on the ice cream!). They were obviously wired, but we burned off a lot of sugar swimming with the unicorn inflatables mom and Steve had purchased (and worked TIRELESSLY to blow up).
We even did some small fireworks once it got dark...and the girls loved them! They were very pretty and weren't very loud, so K enjoyed them MUCH better than the previous effort. And get this - Cora absolutely LOVED them and clapped! She had a really, really cute smile on her face the entire time.
My favorite memory of the night (and likely the trip - maybe even my year) was watching the girls chase fireflies in the backyard. They had NEVER done that before, and the lightning bugs were EVERYWHERE. It was a really, really cool moment - and K even managed to catch a few! Bear was quite upset that she couldn't catch one, but she loved chasing after them. It was just magical watching them running around in what to them felt like an alien world, filled with insects they don't really see in Charlotte (normally because they are in bed so much earlier).
The girls didn't get in bed until 10 PM! Needless to say, they slept hard!
7/2 - We headed to west Knoxville for a day with the Rice clan today, and it was a HOOT! Turns out Sam has a mermaid tail as well, and those two swam in the pool together as hard as they could go for 2 hours! It was then back to the house, where the kids all played GREAT together in the basement. And get this - those lucky little dogs got ice cream twice!
We tried to put Cora to bed a little before the others, but when we went to get her, she was curled up in a blanket beside Sam. It was just about the cutest thing EVER, and Cora looked SO happy. So we let them finish that show ("Spirit" on Netflix), and then Sam brought Cora up the steps (so cute holding her hand). Cora went to bed at 9:30, and the girls followed shortly thereafter about 10. SO LATE! But they had a blast, and hey - it's vacation.7/3 - The Rice Clan and Team Taylor met Vol Nana for lunch at Smoky Mtn Brewery, and the rest of the day was just a chill fest. The girls were SO TIRED, and we didn't spend much time swimming. Instead, we let Bear nap and K watch a movie, and we got them into bed at a more reasonable hour. That worked out well, as we got to have some adult catch-up time with mom (which was really, really nice).
7/4 - Happy Fourth of July!!!! We rolled over to Dad's today, and I was really proud of K. Obviously she was upset and cried when we left, but she was a real trooper and rallied quickly once we got to Cain Mill. The moment I will remember most was her petting Jake and feeding him breakfast, as (unknown to K, obviously) Mom and Steve had to put Jake down about 6 hours later (congestive heart failure). Obviously we'll tell K that Jake is in Heaven before we go back in September, but for now the memory will live in both our hearts.
The day at Dad's was GREAT - we had SO much fun. The pool felt great, and the girls played SO WELL in it. Pattie was there, and of course the girls loved seeing her and loving on her. Oh, and did I mention that they broke out the slip 'n slide? Seriously - movies, food, the slip 'n slide, the pool, the hot tub...and even sleeping in the camper at bedtime! That's right, sports fans - K slept with Granny A in the camper that night after watching the movie "Aquamarine" (on HBO on demand - NOT age appropriate, but she loved it...and actually watched it THREE TIMES while we were there). Bear had a blast as well, as she was ALL ABOUT petting the puppies (only 5 of them left). When she showed up, Alice gave her the spoons she was using to make Lemon Lush, and Cora absolutely DEVOURED it. Seriously - that stuff is basically candy, and Bear was double fisting the spoons! Also, another big first for bear - she slept under a blanket for the first time ever! Alice gave the girls new backpacks for school, as well as a stuffed animal, book, and homemade blanket each! Cora absolutely LOVED hers, and she absolutely loved getting tucked in and sleeping under it. Too cute!
The girls got in bed LATE (shocking) - I think it was after 10 for K! Oh, and get this - while getting ready for the pool, poor Cora got stung by a wasp! She was really brave and barely even cried - I think largely just because she was shocked (I didn't see it, but Pattie did). The hole and the swelling were HUGE! Luckily Alice had a poop emoji band-aid, and for the next 2 days Cora kept running around saying "smell mine poop band-aid, Gag!"
7/5 - Adam and Casie brought their crew over today, and once again it was an epic day of fun! They kids were in the pool for SIX HOURS! Throw in some hot tub time, some slip 'n slide time, ice cream, a cookout, a water balloon fight (that was the highlight of the day for Kaitlyn), multiple movies (Aquamarine and Toy Story 3 - she watched Toy Story 2 at Vol Nana's!), and homemade popcorn, and you have a recipe for success! They also had MULTIPLE icee's...I mean, the sugar count is off the charts! And Kaitlyn didn't get to sleep until almost midnight! They were in the camper again, and this time K actually slept until almost 9 AM the following morning!
We packed up the car throughout the day and got in bed about 10 PM - earlier than Kaitlyn (for likely the first time EVER). Hard to believe that the week has come and gone, but what a TERRIFIC vacation! I really feel like a got a chance to reconnect - with mom, with dad, with the rest of my family, with the Rice crew, and with Tennessee. I got the chance to really and truly relax on a vacation for the first time in a long time, and that made a HUGE difference for me. I woke up that Saturday morning ready to head home and get back to the grind, but my approach felt totally different. I learned about a friend who has cancer while I was in TN, and that has RADICALLY altered my perspective about how I want to approach each day. I just pray I can always keep that perspective to ensure I'm focused on the right things and living life in balance.7/6 - Today was Cain Mill departure day, and poor little Kaitlyn cried again. Such a tender heart! It made Alice start crying as well - I don't think she'd experienced that before, and you could tell that was really tough on her. I do love how much the girls love their grandparents! TN is definitely a special place to them (as is SC, because I know they love going down South to visit Jenny's folks as well). The girls were really great on the ride back - SO TIRED! K kept trying to get comfortable to sleep (that thumb kept appearing, which is a first sign indicator), and Bear eventually did fall asleep (basically right about the time we got onto 485 :-)). There sleep schedules were just SO far off, and they were so far behind on hours of sleep (to say nothing of being out of rhythm. That being said, they were really good the rest of the day! We got them both in bed by 7:30 (did it at the same time after a BIG bath - their first in FOUR DAYS!!!).
Seriously - that is the longest we have EVER gone without bathing them, and after all that chlorine, sunscreen, food grease, sweat, and animal dandruff, they were WAY overdue. :-) Poor K has little sunspots (the little red bumps) all over (I'm happy to report they've since disappeared), but MAN is she tan! Bear is still as porcelain as ever (well done, Wife Muffin!). And get this - as tired as she was, K STILL wanted to go swimming when we got home! I know she wanted to test out that mermaid tail in a HC pool. However, given all we had to do, we vetoed the idea. Once she started playing with her toys, she didn't seem too upset. :-)
One thing Jenny did point out (and credit to Mama Bear for noticing this) - we will need to better monitor the programming that K is allowed to watch (either what we allow via Netflix or what others offer up). Two shows in particular come to mind - Mako Mermaids (which JT has learned is the animated version of the Australian show Jenny had previously told K she couldn't watch) and Aquamarine (an HBO flick that K actually watched THREE TIMES while at Granny A's. Simply put, the language is a little rough (words like "stupid," "idiot," etc.), and some of the content is inappropriate (high school dating for example). I mean, lets be honest - I watched Sudden Impact when I was 7 and Aliens when I was 8 and turned out fine, so it's not the end of the world. However, it is something we want to monitor (more on this a few days down).7/7 - THE GIRLS SLEPT 13.5 HOURS!!!!!!! We actually had to wake them up for Church - how crazy is that?!?!?!? Kaitlyn got to participate in the game in Arrows, and it was actually a really, really good service! It was just SO NICE to be back in there teaching the Word again and having K in the congregation. And the biggest news from Arrows? Kaitlyn got her first ever token for being the first person to pop up when hearing the word "attention" - full marks, kiddo!
We did hit the pool in the afternoon for 2 hours, and you should have seen K in that water! With those longer 25 yard stretches, she can really, REALLY move!
We left the girls in the care of Jaden, as it was time for a long, long, LONG overdue DATE NIGHT!!!! This date night was particularly important, as it was the celebration of THIRTEEN YEARS, BABY!!!!! It as a day early, but the event itself was LOOOOOOOOONG overdue (and it was an absolute blast). The girls LOVED hanging with Jaden, so it was a win-win. 7/8 - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, WIFE MUFFIN!!!!!!! HOW IN THE WORLD HAS IT BEEN 13 YEARS ALREADY?!?!?!?!? I love you so, SO much and am SO, SO thankful for this life we have. Truly - these last 13 years have been the best of my life, and I can't see what the next 13 years bring!
The girls slept 12 hours that night, but apparently there was a bit of drama in the night. Cora's water bottle must have spilled, and the sheets were SOAKED. That being said, Bear didn't cry out, and she managed to sleep through the whole thing. THANK YOU, JESUS!
The girls headed down to Nole Nana and Grandpa's that day, where they swam for 2.5 hours, watched The Lion King, and just had a generally terrific afternoon. But get this - for some reason, Cora REFUSED to climb into the Big Girl bed there! She absolutely refused to even get into it, and so Jenny had to go into scramble mode moving beds around and such. Ultimately, Cora did go to sleep, and the big news for her - it was her first time sleeping with a pillow! She isn't doing it at home yet, but she is absolutely LOVING sleeping under a blanket here at home. It is SO cute. After you rock her and pray over her, she'll climb into bed, hop to the end so that you can pull the blanket up, and then lay down on her tummy. When you put the blanket around her, she is legitimately smiling! It's just too cute.
Side note for me - it has been truly incredible to watch how rapidly Cora is growing up. I was going for 3 days (plus 4 considering we were separated on Monday night), and I have come home to what feels like a new little person! She is speaking so much clearer, the cadence of that speech is faster, and her vocabulary is exploding. All her sentences are so matter of fact, and her voice is just SO sweet right now. I am running around after her trying to get as much video as possible, because the way she talks right now is just absolutely priceless. Also, she's starting to memorize books just like her sister did! Today (writing on 7/12) I heard her read "Spot Hides," and she pretty much nailed it! So cool to watch. She's also continuing to get more independent - wants to wash her own hands now (FINALLY - that is a blessing), wants to close the car door, wants to try things on her own. This feels about the same time K wanted to do most of these things, so it's neat to see those similarities.
7/9 - The girls had another good day down south, even if K had some tummy trouble. Bear actually REFUSED to get into either bed this time and actually asked to sleep in the pack 'n play! Sure enough, that's where she slept for both nap and nighttime. I will be honest - that is the first time I have EVER heard of a child willingly going back into a pack 'n play - crazy!
Oh, and it was Cow Appreciation Day at CFA! Even Nole Nana got in on the action - the pics were TOO CUTE!
7/10 - Today was a GREAT day for the girls but especially Kaitlyn - Carowinds with Ellie!!!! She had really been missing her and counting down the days, so this was very special (and I was SO GLAD she was rested and her tummy troubles were over). They went HARD all day - including going to the wave pool for a bit! Cora was in hog heaven riding Boo Blasters over and over, and Jenny said luckily the place wasn't very crowded. The didn't get home until after 6 pm! Yay! So glad they had fun (and got to sleep in their own beds again).7/11 - The girls packed it in AGAIN today -mad props to JT for making EVERY DAY count this summer with these girls! They hit the brand new park and splash pad in Huntersville (not even sure the name of the place), and Jenny said that it was awesome. After that it was over to piano, where the teacher had a new puppy for them to play with! Honestly, it's like Christmas morning every time they go over there.
Lunch was at CFA, and then they spent the afternoon chillin' back at the house. I got to see the girls via FT, but they were in bed by the time I got home from MSP.
So a moment to call out how proud I am of JT today - I had mentioned earlier that we didn't like some of the language in the Mako Mermaids show. Well, today she heard some more of it, and she realized it was just not appropriate for Kaitlyn. Consequently, she told her that she couldn't watch it any more, as it was not something for her age. K wasn't happy, but it was totally the right move, and I am SO PROUD of Jenny for standing in the gap and making the tough choice. Even cooler, Jenny had done research on other options, and she presented Kaitlyn with "the Worst Witch" (new kids show on Netflix that moms seemed to highly approve of). Turns out, Kaitlyn now LOVES it - she was INSTANTLY hooked when she saw the trailer - especially since there were some "spooky scenes" in the preview. She kept looking at JT to make sure it was okay, and then she said, "Can I really watch this, mom?" SCORE ONE FOR THE PARENTS! Proud of you, Muffin Puffin!!! Best wife and mommy ever!
7/12 - The girls packed it in today! After hitting the Y, they did some school supply shopping at Lidl and Wal-Mart (yes, it's only six weeks away!) before dropping Kaitlyn off for a playdate at Audrey's house. You could tell that they had a really, really good time - apparently the "Super Hero Game" was the highlight (yes, I'm still asking both girls what the highlight of the day was).
The girls got some tablet/TV time in as well (K is LOVING "Worst Witch" - WAY TO GO, WIFE MUFFIN!!!!!), and we had a great little dinner together. It was so nice to just be with them and to catch up on the week. It was great having K run into our bedroom this morning when she woke up - hadn't had that in awhile!
I did have to make K practice piano, which she was NOT happy about. We did have a rough go for about 5 minutes, as she refused to listen to any of my instruction (all of it very polite and level headed, for the record - just trying to get her to do what was written down). Finally I sat down and told her a) she will sit there until she does what is asked (even if it's rough to get it done and isn't perfect) and b) there is a cost associated with Piano, and we're not paying if she's not going to work on it every day. It's getting into rhythm now, and you could tell she was getting frustrated about keeping a beat. I do think she likes it - I honestly think a) she's still tired and b) she was desperate to get to her tablet.
Oh, and we hit a milestone with Bear today - that girl officially NO LONGER WANTS TO NAP! Today it was bloodcurdling screams and pounding on the door when Jenny put her down. Good times...especially when trying to work across the hall!Kaitlyn read "Ballet Cat" to me tonight, and I did the My Little Pony drawing book with Bear. All in all, a great evening.
7/13 - LAKE DAY!!!!! Team Taylor packed up Ellie and drove to Cornelius today, where we had an AWESOME 6 hours on the lake with GC. It really was an EPIC day - we had about 2.5-3 hours on the lake, riding in the boat, tying up on an island, and just hanging out. GC had a puddle jumper (thank goodness, as we forgot Bear's), and Cora loved swimming in the water. He also had a foam float, and Kaitlyn absolutely LOVED that thing - it was amazing! There were 3 boys and 3 girls, and they all got along really well. We had great food, some good music, good dessert...and there was even a 15 week old puppy on the island, so the girls basically puppy stalked "Remy" the entire time.
We rolled out of there about 8, getting the girls in bed (after a much needed bath, of course!) about 9. The highlight of the whole day was actually not on the lake but right at the end. Kaitlyn was on the tree swing in the front yard, and her laughter was just angelic - I mean, it's the stuff that rings in the halls of nostalgia. I have started writing down the best (or most vivid) memories of 2019, and that is currently the 4th entry on the list.7/14 - Today was another really good day, filled with plenty of laughs and good times. The girls painted their nails again (it's all the rage now after Georgia introduced them), and then we hit the pool for a couple of hours. We only stayed about 2 hours and left mid-hour, as the girls were hungry and clearly tired. It was pizza for dinner, and then we had some great laughs as they ran up and down the hallway. We got them in bed about 8, and then Jenny and I had a GREAT night out on the patio, which as it turned out was one of THE MOST important conversations I've had in a long time.
Let me just say it - Jenny spoke life into me that night and set me straight on a lot of points. I was really struggling about so many things, and she helped ground me and refocus me. She told me to focus more on the memories and just being a dad vs. trying to get it all exactly right and trying to do everything perfectly. She showed me where I had been too harsh and where I'd let my own expectations obscure the expectations (and ask) that God has for me with the kids. It was a truly, truly powerful evening, and I am SO GRATEFUL that I have such an amazing and loving soul mate who is willing to tackle my spiritual demons (and me) head on. I love you SO MUCH, Jenny Taylor! Best. Wife. EVER!!!!!!!!
Oh, and one exciting thing to report - Kaitlyn now always requests that daddy help her practice piano! She seems to really enjoy playing and practicing with me, and she's starting to improve! She's starting to learn rhythm, and she's getting better control of the keys. But the part I'm happiest about - when she messes up, she doesn't rush through the exercise. She resets and does it again. THAT is the focus, discipline, and control I'm hoping this whole experience instills in her. 7/15 - Today was a GREAT one. After Jenny helped me hit the reset button last night, I was just in a great spot. God woke me up at 5:12 (in line with the "old times"), and that set the day off on COMPLETELY the right foot - prayer time, Bible time, devo time, and then a 7 mile run - all before 7:30! I was able to see all my girls that morning, and I got the chance to apologize to them for being short tempered yesterday. It was a GREAT start to the day.
It was then off to VBS for Kaitlyn, where she was with her friend Abbey. And get this - Team McLaren even rocked up! Unfortunately Kate and Kaitlyn weren't in the same class, but K said it was still really good (and I'm happy to report they got a new cd- SCORE!). We were originally concerned that it was going to be the same class as the one she'd attended earlier in the summer, but luckily it wasn't. But the funniest part - when I asked K if it was the same, she said, "Not really. But the other one had better snacks." Priceless! All about focusing on what's important... :-)
I got home about 5:30, and it was just a GREAT evening. I didn't worry about the rules, the schedule, or bedtime - I focused on just being the best dad I could be and making memories. I wanted to hear laughter, and we got TONS of it. We did puzzles (where at one point Cora couldn't find a piece and said, "This is donkey trash!" Hilarious! Then, when we got going on the puzzle (it was the Sweetie Pie puzzle), she said, "We're cooking. With. Gas. GAG!" I mean...from the mouth of babes...
We also had a great meal, ran around the house playing "The copy of Daddy who tickles", and then ran around upstairs. It's hilarious - the last 2 nights, the girls have run NONSTOP up and down that hallway (just like I used to do at Nanny's), and while they do it they just yell the names of the cats at mom's place. It is a RIOT to see Bear run around yelling "CHAR-WEE!!!!!!!!" Honestly too funny. Tonight was a different twist, however, as Kaitlyn decided she wanted to run sans panties. She thought it was the funniest thing ever...Life. With. Girls. :-)
Oh, and Bear's hair was in a ponytail today - I think the time of the Whale Spout has officially come to an end. Also - Bear didn't want to sleep in her bed for nap. Instead, she curled up with her blanket and a pillow...in the floor of her room. But she looked comfy!
7/16 - So today was YET ANOTHER awesome day for the girls, as they went BACK TO THE LAKE! This time it was an invitation to join Team Burch (who has a membership with a boat club up there), and the girls had an absolute blast. Kaitlyn (and Cora) both got to tube for the first time EVER, and Kaitlyn absolutely loved it! Cora was not as enthused given that she didn't really fit into the seat (hence the parens), but the Burch crew was SO SWEET about letting K have more than her fair share of turns. They also did some swimming and ridding around - Jenny said it was an absolutely blast and that the time flew by.Also, it's amazing how quickly Kaitlyn is learning these VBS songs. She already knows a boatload of lyrics from the new CD that she just got yesterday. And get this - even Bear knows some of the lyrics! Cora is even starting to sing and recite the words closer to the actual tempo. Too cute! I still think my favorite moment of her singing was the time she was in her bed after nap singing, "What a powerful name it is....da name of Je-SUS!!!!!" Love it!
7/17 - At VBS this week, the theme (I think) is "Safari," and today the attendees were supposed to dress in their favorite animal costumes. Kaitlyn dug her leopard costume out from the time Vol Nana watched her when we were in Colorado, and she looked GREAT! After VBS, Abby came over for a play date and lunch, and the girls had an absolute blast.
The only other thing to note about this evening (and Cora in general) - ANYTIME (and I do mean ANY) that she doesn't get exactly what she wants right now, it becomes a little storm in a teacup. She either drops or throws whatever she's holding, or if it's at the dinner table she'll a) drop her spork, b) push her plate away, c) say "No! I don't want it," and d) push her milk over. I mean...it's. Like. Clockwork. And at night it's the same thing:
1. We'll read a book
2. She'll ask if we can read it again3. I'll say yes but confirm it's the last time
4. I will then read said book
5. She'll ask to read it again
6. I'll say no.
7. She'll STORM off the chair and frump
Well, lately she's been running away from whoever has "offended" her and will go to the farthest corner of whatever room she's in, where she'll then cross her arms and keep her back to you. Tonight was no exception. She ran to the door and turned her back to me in the corner. And when I ignored her and started praying, guess what? She. Started. Meowing. And continued this for 10 minutes until I tucked her in. I mean, she was over there pretending to lick her paws for crying out loud and would only answer me in meows! No words...
7/18 - I did Bear's ponytail today, and it is SO LONG! It's crazy how thick her hair is getting (which obviously I'm excited about). She's a cutie! And she put panties over her diaper for the first time ever today. She was so proud - came running out and said, "Hey, Gaga! Look. At. Mine. Panties!"
Today was a really epic day. I didn't run in the morning, which meant I had a great morning with both my girls. I read to Bear for a good 30 minutes, and she was super sweet the whole time. JT has done a great job of rotating library books, and that has keep the selection fun and fresh. As for the girls, K was at VBS, while Bear and JT hit DPK in the morning. At first Cora didn't want to go, but when the choice was "the playhouse at the Y or DPK," she quickly made the right choice. And no surprise - she LOVED it! They were there almost 3 hours! But in a shocking (for me at least), development, Jenny told me that Kaitlyn has officially "aged out" of DPK. I couldn't believe it, but when she asked K if she wanted to go a few weeks back, she said no and that it was now boring for her. I knew it would happen eventually, but OH, my heart! She's growing up so fast!
Jenny picked K up after VBS, drove to Aldi, bought both the kids a Lunchable (we had NO food in the house) which they ate in the car, and then JT dropped K off for bingo with Abby, Kate, and Alison. I am happy to report that Abby was a winner, but unfortunately Kaitlyn, Alison, and Kate were not. I didn't think anything of it - especially since Kaitlyn won the last time AND won something at the last scavenger hunt. She, however, was apparently VERY upset. Jenny said it looked like Kate and Alison were crying as well! I know it's tough because the prizes are really, really neat, but man - it's such a privilege just to have the change to be in there and play! But that's looking at it from the perspective of a 41 year old, so I realize I need to temper that.
The biggest problem was that the foul mood spilled over into piano, which meant the lesson went okay but not great. However, we are going to commit to another 4 lessons (with a 2 week break due to travel and such). I honestly think Kaitlyn enjoys it, and I have enjoyed doing the lessons and working with her. At some point I know she'll have to do those lessons and practice on her own, but until she feels the thrill of success and starts to realize she's getting it, I want to provide an extra level of support. Plus I obviously love the focused bonding time. And Cora's really good about being up there and occupying herself while we work, which is cool.
After piano, the girls hit the library, where Kaitlyn picked up some level 2 and level 3 books! Jenny said that she read a few Level 3 books at the library, and after seeing the content, I think that girl is ready for Level 4. Truthfully, the Disney Princess books (and plenty of other books she's reading) are tougher than Level 3 anyway, so I am very pleased with the progress we're making. After that, it was over to PDQ for dinner, but the girls weren't impressed. To quote JT: "That place is dead to us." Honestly, it's no contest vs. CFA on any level, but we had gift cards to use! The girls barely ate anything, but the silver lining - it was a tasty lunch for me the next day!
That night the girls had a BLAST playing with a balloon K had blown up. I mean, the balloon was the single most precious item in the HOUSE that night...FOR BOTH GIRLS. They were chasing it around and fighting over it for the better part of an hour, but they did have a blast. And I must say - Cora really did a great job of actually CATCHING the balloon when it was in flight - it was some serious hand/eye coordination! We ended the night with me swinging K like a pendulum. We had tried to do it the two previous nights, but I couldn't get a grip on her after lotion. So for this evening I had it written down in the notebook (because if it's in the notebook, it happens), and we executed our plan. :-)
7/19 - Today was another epic one, starting with the last day of VBS. You could tell that K was sad it was ended, as the night before she asked if it was the last day (and reacted somewhat despondently when I confirmed that was the case). But it ended on a VERY triumphant note, as the girls "crushed" (her words) the boys on the offering for the church's mission in Nigeria. :-) Apparently the final totally was Boys $260, Girls $591.91. Kaitlyn gave $12 of her own money, which I was very proud of! She gave $10 on Thursday and another $2 on Friday. What's funny - when she learned about the competition, she said, "I want to give some money. Maybe a $50?" LOVE THE GENEROUS HEART! It was really cute. 
Kaitlyn went over to Kate's for lunch and playtime after VBS, and then she arrived home just in time to practice piano before Ellie showed up! They played for a few hours (balloons, of course - ALL the rage right now) before heading to Freedom House for Family Fun night! It was a LOT of fun - there were inflatables, Lego building stations, free popcorn, pizza, candy, a raffle, coloring, and best of all - THE LEGO MOVIE 2 ON THE BIG SCREEN IN THE AUDITORIUM! The girls seemed to have a blast (and ate like CHAMPS). Cora loved her pizza and popcorn, but she wouldn't try any of the inflatables. We did try multiple times, but I think she's just a little too small still. It is funny to me, as I assumed that she would be ALL ABOUT it given how rambunctious she is! But hey - next time (plus it was a BASQUILLION degrees out there). I took Cora home about 7:15, and she asked to hear "Beer in Mexico" in the car. LOVE IT! She even knew some of the words! I got Bear down about 8:45, and the girls went down at 10 after playing "Nocturnal Owls" and flying around the house for a bit. I mean, let's face it - they had a LOT of Skittles sugar to burn off.
Other moments of the day - Jenny has been a WARRIOR trying to get K's school supplies, and it's starting to become quite the comedy. Here's the deal - the Pack (BPS PTO) offered the supply pack ready to go for $65. Jenny and I concurred it felt expensive, so she decided to collect the supplies (it was a very specific list) herself. Well, after 3 trips to different stores, she IS making progress, but she's not done yet. And the funniest part - she's already at $40 and climbing. Bottom line - I think she will save a few dollars in the long run, but we both agree - next year we'll just pay for the bundle. :-) But I am very proud of my wife muffin for trying!
The reason I gave that back story - today JT was in Wal-Mart looking for composition notebooks, and Bear was getting antsy. Jenny gave her the only thing she had - a blow-pop. Well, all was fine and dandy until Bear got to the center and swallowed some of the gum! An 1 hour later while brushing her teeth before nap...she puked. Good times...
Also, we have a cat that's started hanging around our house! I came downstairs this morning to find it sunning on the deck - the girls were SO excited. Seriously - it was like watching people approaching a lion on safari. Too cute! They watched it from the window upstairs and then down at the wall of windows in the living room - it was so sweet! The cat was in the backyard in the afternoon, and this evening he was just laying in the driveway when we came home!
Another great moment - Kaitlyn and Ellie were playing, and apparently she said "A$$ at one point." Well, K popped up and said, "we don't say that word in this house." WAY TO GO, KIDDO! Proud of you and I definitely need to remember to tell her how proud I was. Kaitlyn was also singing about "Jesus the Messiah" during play time - lovin' that!I will say that the house is a bit of a disaster at the moment, as playtime with Ellie is a bit more rambunctious than we're used to. And while the bonus room looks like Baghdad outside the Green Zone, no complaints here, as the girls are having a lot of fun. Cora was able to hang out with them and get in the mix as well, which made me happy (even if they did fight over the balloons :-)).
Last bits - I think it's time for deodorant for K, as that girls pits are no joke right now. It makes sense, as she runs and plays SO HARD all day long (Which makes me very happy). Also, she loves being outside, and obviously you're going to sweat like a banshee when the index is 100+. But bottom line - it's time to take steps. :-) Oh, and ballet cat is the book of choice at the moment. Thanks, Granny A!
Full disclosure - I feel like I am BARELY hanging on right now in keeping up with everything that's happening. Summer is moving fast and furious, and between how quickly the girls are changing and all the adventures, it's been really tough to keep up. I really want to get more video of them - especially of Cora singing and talking right now as her vocabulary explodes.
7/20 - The girls (Kaitlyn and Ellie at least) were up EARLY this morning - I heard them at 6:08 when I walked past her bedroom - they were meowing at each other! No idea what time they actually woke up, but I bet it was EARLY...
Team Taylor headed to Carowinds today, where we had a MUCH better experience compared to last time! It really was about as much fun as I've ever had there - just a GREAT day! I got to do 8 rides with Cora, which was a first for me. We did a round of Boo Blasters just us, then 2 rounds on the School Bus, followed by 2 rounds on the Mud Buggy (which was really, really fun I must say), followed by 3 rounds on the carousel. It's funny - Bear does NOT want a horse that goes up and down - she just wants to sit on the horse and go around. It's cute (and clearly her favorite ride in the park, as she kept asking to go back to it while we were at the water park). It's really great that she's now big enough that she can ride a few things, and you can tell that adventurous spirit is starting to show itself a bit more. And speaking of adventurous spirits, Kaitlyn did her first ever BODY SLIDE today!!!! She was a rock star and did THREE ROUNDS! Jenny was a bit concerned that she would freak out given the sudden drop (where the slide just drops out from under you), but K LOVED it and said, "That wasn't scary. That was fun!" YAY! A water dog just like her mama.
I had some great time in the kiddie areas with Bear. She watched me put my head under a fountain, and after that she was hooked. She would put her head in and then pop up looking like Cousin It - hilarious! And she was a BLAST in the wave pool as well - she LOVED the waves! We had her puddle jumper, and that was a game changer.
Oh, and have I mentioned that Cora's favorite game is running full speed at me and slamming her head into my nether region? Um, yeah...NOT COOL, YO...
7/21 - So today was another really great one. We had 2 services at church (I taught in Arrows), and K got to play in the first game! The goal was to wiggle a gummy worm from your forehead to your mouth and eat it. She got really close - got the tail into her mouth! She just couldn't suck it in.
After that, we came home, had lunch, and then headed to 11 Lakes Brewery for what turned out to be a GREAT afternoon. The drive up was really cute, as the girls were playing with the ponies. Cora was trying to imitate K and say "my worst enemy," but she kept saying, "My wursss emeny!" I mean, it was pretty darn cute.The brewery was great, as the owner's dog (Jeter) was ALL ABOUT the girls. They were petting him and loving on him constantly, and consequently they were in hog heaven. The beer was good, we had a whole section to ourselves, and the girls got the chance to run around chasing a tennis ball, so...basically it was ideal. :-) Kaitlyn actually said, "This is my favorite brewery, dad." RE-SULT!
7/22 - The girls headed to the new splash pad today with Kate in tow, and then they came back here for a play date. Then, the afternoon featured 2 hours at Prosperity Park with Team Burch (including pizza for dinner - are these girls having an epic summer or what?!?!?!).
7/23 - Today was something of a unicorn by our summer standards - a quiet day with nothing but the gym in the morning and hanging out at the house for a movie in the afternoon. Kaitlyn got plenty of exercise in the gym at the Y (they use the gym in summer during the week, which is awesome), so a day of relaxing sounded good. Plus they have been sleeping like ROCKS lately, so they clearly needed some down time.
And get this - K has a fourth tooth that is SUPER wiggly! That puppy is ready to fall out! But the poor thing - she's going to Carowinds tomorrow and is scared that it's going to fall out while she's on a body slide! She actually started crying tonight thinking about losing it and not having it under her pillow! Jenny could tell she was starting to crack, so they prayed about it. Hopefully it just falls out first thing in the morning so they don't have to worry about it, but my money is on it staying in there until mid-day on Thursday. :-) Watch this space!
7/24 - MIRACLE!!!!!! So K woke up, and she WAS worried about the tooth. She was wiggling it the whole way to Carowinds, and get this - it came out FIVE MINUTES before they made it to the parking lot! THANK YOU, FATHER!!!! That was SO great, because K could really just focus and have a great time. Team McLaren was there for the first couple of hours, and they went like gangbusters on all the rides! JT and Cheryl got some really, really cute pics. After that, it was over to the water park, where Kaitlyn did the Body slides TOTALLY SOLO!!!!! Jenny said it was awesome - she walked over by herself, got in line by herself, and crushed them multiple times! She even did the bigger slides that were sealed (so totally dark) and higher - PROUD OF YOU, KIDDO!
Oh, and get this - that night while putting her tooth under the pillow, K said, "I hope the Tooth Fairy leaves me $100." Um....NO. Pretty sure the tooth fairy is going to leave you $2...just like she always does (except for the front teeth - the second of which is now loose!).7/26 - The last two days have been really chill, but the girls did get over to the pool with Taylie and Team Burch while I was working. After the month they've had (and the August upcoming - starting with a trip to FL), I was NOT complaining about some down time.
Oh, and some VERY good news - K practiced piano on her own today! She is really starting to get it, and she told JT that she is enjoying practicing! She really is focusing and working hard, and the part that makes me happiest is that she's correcting herself and redoing spots where she makes mistakes. Proud of you, kid!
I had some really good time this morning with the girls - they basically both pretended they were kitties trying to claw me. They also enjoyed climbing onto our bed and sitting (because that way they could shed and Jenny could sneeze). And can I just say how beautiful my girls are? Seriously (and I know I'm biased) - seeing them running around in their little nightgowns, playing with each other and laughing is just THE BEST. Good times (this has been an INCREDIBLE month - and it's not over!).
7/27 - LAKE DAY!!!!!!! I mean, Team Taylor MADE IT COUNT this day. We had a little time at Clarke Creek park that morning, but the featured activity was a trip up to Casa de Newcomb, where we had an EPIC 8 hours at the lake. The girls (especially K) were SO excited. K thinks Sara is the bee's knees, and plus she couldn't WAIT to pet their dogs. Seriously - she asked us how many more minutes were left until arrival about 24 times (in a 37 minute drive). The day was a blast - great food from Salsarita's, time in the pool, the hot tub, the boat, tubing, lots of good laughs, plenty of sweets, and lots of petting doggies. Oh, there was also some playtime in Sara's room (she was a SAINT with K, and they did have a lot of laughs together). Some of the highlights:
1. Kaitlyn did front flips off both the hot tub AND the side of the pool! She really, really did good! Basically Sara did it, and K was NOT going to be outdone.
2. Tumbling dice - this was a hilarious contraption in the shape of a die where they basically rolled around on top of the water. K and Sara thought it was hilarious, and they just KEPT filling it with water!
3. Bear with the puppies - she was in absolute HEAVEN!. "Come here, Chel-sea! Come here, Coop-ah!" Honestly, she could have thrown that ball to Chelsea to chase in the yard ALL day. It was really, really cute.
4. Jumping off the dock! So this was absolutely AMAZING - Kaitlyn climbed the stairs to the second level of the dock (probably 12-14 feet) and JUMPED INTO THE WATER!!!!!! She did this three times and was FEARLESS! I was absolutely shocked and did NOT think she would do it, but she was such a rockstar that when asked I had to do it for fear of losing face! :-) Proud of you, kiddo! You were FEARLESS today!5. Bear with the puddle jumper. There is a landing in the water about 2-3 inches down in the pool, and Cora jumped off that into the water NONSTOP. Seriously - with that puddle jumper, that girl went EVERYWHERE. IT was really, really cool to watch her in action - the girls are water dogs!
6. Tubing - so this was really, really neat, but it almost turned into an epic disaster. The girls started out great, and they were laughing and LOVING surfing the waves and bouncing around. We saw a boat that was leaving a little wake, and we drove over to let them get some air (they had already had a big bump, and they LOVED it - K was COMPLETELY vertical with her feet in the air on that one and laughing). Well, as fate would have it, this one was just too big, and the girls went FLYING. K went feet over head and flew off the tube. She pupped right up and gave us the "okay" sign, but then she started BAWLING. I jumped into the water and swam over to her, consoling her (ultimately it took a cookie to get her heart rate back to normal :-)). She wasn't hurt - just scared. But after some food and some swim time, she was ready to get back after it! Sean towed them home on the boat, and they were all smiles again (and then hopped right back into the pool for more Tumbling Dice).
The girls were great, and we didn't leave until 9 PM! There were tears (largely due to exhaustion), and we had them down by 10 PM. It was an EPIC day and an absolute blast - and I'm happy to report no one was sore the next day!
Oh, and get this - Sara gave us her old washing machine toy. Two years ago when we were there, Kaitlyn was OBSESSED with it - LOVED playing with it in her room! Well, fast forward to this past weekend, and Cora was obsessed with it! So, on the way out the door - she actually gave it to the girls! SO SWEET of her!
7/28 - The girls woke up TIRED this morning! Both of them were up about 7:30, but Bear was grumpy and all out of sorts. She was apparently an angel in kids ministry, so that was good (and she got Bubble Gum as her lollipop :-)). Kaitlyn got to play the game in Arrows (the Great Grape Challenge), and the girls won!
We got home and had lunch, after which time I put Bear down (she's still sleeping as I type this - a THREE HOUR NAP thus far). Jenny and K headed over to Northlake, where they a) hit Wendy's for a free frosty, b) swung into REI for some shopping, and c) went over to AMC, where K used her gift card to go see....The Lion King! They had a SWEET setup - the chairs recline AND had heat! I mean....the movies are NOT what I remember. :-)
Update! The movie was really, really good. Girls had a blast - K even wanted more ice cream on the way home! Dinner was mac 'n cheese, and then it was lights out about 8, but Cora sang in her room for more than an hour. Sooooooo...maybe not so long of a nap next time.Oh, and I am VERY happy to report that the washing machine was THE TOY OF CHOICE all day...for both girls! While Jenny and K were at the movies, Cora played with it for a solid hour. She would put hatchimal eggs in there to watch them spin, and then we moved on to My Little Pony washings. She was in Heaven. Then, when Kaitlyn got home, they both played with it for awhile before K started using the spin cycle as a timer to see how many times she could run from room to room!
7/29 - The girls hit the gym in the morning (where Kaitlyn apparently won all 3 rounds of her relay race - girls must have dominated the boys) before rolling to CFA with Megan and Elizabeth for lunch. Elizabeth then came home with K for a play date, and by all accounts they had fun (Bear apparently got in on the action as well). We did have to stripe Bear today due to willful disobedience, and I could tell when I got home that JT was not best pleased. Apparently K had slammed the door in Jenny's face vs. refusing to help her carry stuff (or at least keep it open), and JT had to give her a stern talking to. They both apologized to each other in the evening, which was of course great to hear.
Right now the magnatiles are THE THING in the house. The girls bounce from the magnatiles to the washing machine and back again (filling both with hatchimals and my little ponies). But get this - K actually assembled the Magnatiles to look like the cover of the box for the first time ever today - I was really impressed!!!
Also, K read her FIRST EVER Level 4 book tonight! I mean, it was HUGE! I was really, really impressed - she is TORCHING the reading department. I have been so proud of how she's stuck with the reading (and the Learning Packet - which is now COMPLETE!) all summer, and I feel really good about the return to school (just three short weeks away!). Bear was good but really fussy tonight. She's been in a real funk lately before nap and bedtime - it's tough to even get her to look at the book you're reading to her! She tries to push away, and tonight she bucked like a wild bronco and wouldn't let me put her into her bed. It came out of nowhere!
7/30 - The girls hit the dentist first thing for Cora's appointment - all looked good! They did tell us that she's not ready for fluoride, so we are going back to the Orajel toothpaste. Long story short - if she's swallowing anything, she shouldn't have fluoride. Also, she's got a molar erupting! That could explain some of that crankiness! It's apparently halfway through.
So they both FINALLY crashed last night, and K neither kid woke up until 7:45 (both were in bed before 8). I haven't heard the report of how the day went just yet, so fingers crossed all that sleep made them much more agreeable. :-)
They hit DPK after the dentist, and then it was home to chill for a bit before the featured activity of the day - pool and dinner with Team Williams! Oh, and something to monitor - we are not sure what the fall piano schedule is going to look like, and so we're trying to confirm whether or not we'll be able to stay with our current teacher. As a backup, Jenny texted a lady that lives in the NEXT cul-de-sac, and it turns out she does have availability! So more to come on this, but change might be in the wind for us on the piano front. I would hate to leave our current arrangement, as a) it's cheaper, b) it's longer, and c) most importantly - K seems to really enjoy it. She's working on her own and starting to get it, and it's definitely building her confidence. Watch this space!
Oh, and incredibly random fact - did you know that kids Cora's age have 2x the # of synapses in their brain when compared to adults? I got that fun fact from Parent Cue. Who knew? :-)
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Talk about a PACKED July! Chat with you in a month!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
