Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Joy of Love, day 09:Passions and Hobbies. This was not the easiest one yet. There are so many things that the girls love and it seems to change from day to day. But most recently, the girls have shown a renewed interest in Polly Pockets. I am always stepping on pieces or finding a head hidden under a bed.


Woke up to a chilly house this morning. A brisk 58 degrees in here. Apparently the heater decided not to come on again during the night. It has been shutting off more often lately and the only fix is to remove the filter compartment cover and then close it. After that it starts working again. Guess I will email the owners to see if they want to have it looked at. Abby had school and Mckenzie and I came back home to play. Mckenzie was very interested in games today, so we "played" every game we have. She is too little to play many of the games we have, but we made up our own way of playing so it was fun for Kenzie. I was the parent helper in Abby's chef class today, so Mckenzie and I headed to the school a little early to get our cleaning done. The afternoon classes are so little the parent helper doesn't stay, we just bring in snack and clean up after. Mckenzie didn't want to stay with me while I cleaned, so she hung out with Abby and her class. I am so glad that Abby's teacher doesn't mind Kenzie crashing the last few minutes of class. Abby was so sweet to her little sister; she shared her cupcake with Kenzie and let Kenzie ring the bell to signal clean up time. She loves to ring the bell, but I think she likes to teach her sister even more. Such a sweet moment to witness! Bedtime was a battle again, but I gave up after an hour of sending Mckenzie back to bed and I laid down with her until she fell asleep.

Joy of Love, day 08: gift from the heart. Today's posting is supposed to be about something a loved one has said/done/promised/given to me. I struggled with what to photograph for this one. How do I capture the love and security and happiness that Scott has given me? What he does for me and the girls can't be photographed in my mind. Sure, I could have taken a picture our my wedding band because that represents all he has ever done for me or taken a picture of the kids, because what greater gift in life is there than the love and blessing of children, but none of that seemed to say it all for me. He is a great husband and father and I just cannot express enough how much he means to me, but I finally figured out what to photograph. I took a photo of our bed because it just so happens that today is clean sheet day.  Some of you may be thinking who really cares you changed your sheets today, but for me, I absolutely love clean sheets. There is just something about them. So how does this represent Scott? Well because on clean sheet night, I like to be the first one in bed so I can enjoy the sheets for just a couple of minutes while they are still fresh. Poor Scott stands by the bed, waiting so patiently for me to get settled in no matter how tired he is. I know he thinks I'm crazy and that's OK. We all have our quirks, but that is what Scott has given to me. He has given me unconditional love that allows me to feel OK about being a little different than everyone else. I don't know how many husbands would put up with something so silly, but he does because he loves me and that makes me love him even more!


So today was a busy one around here. Mckenzie went to her second day of class. Turns out it was a pretty rough one for her, crying most of the time. They were actually going to call me at one point but luckily the school director was able to calm her down. I asked Mckenzie how her day was when I picked her up and she told me she cried. It breaks my heart, but I know she needs to get used to being away from me and going to school. I would rather she struggle with it this year when the emphasis is on socialization whereas next year, it is more focused on learning. Abby had a friend over this morning and they played together very nicely. Then, Abby went to another friend's house this afternoon while Mckenzie napped. It was nice to have some quiet time this afternoon. Abby told me she had lots of fun over at her friend's. We got to Skype with Scott today. It was great to see him and talk with him. He is doing good & keeping busy. Then, we headed to church this evening for dinner and a lesson. Abby has lots of fun, especially when her friend from school is there. Both girls were a bit feisty on the way out of the church. Abby has a tendency to run ahead of both of us and Mckenzie gets upset because she never wins. Well tonight, their little tiff resulted in both girls falling to the ground and skinning their knees. Nothing a few band aids couldn't solve though when we got home! I'm hoping Mckenzie will settle down better tonight than last night. She has come out a few times, but I think she may have settled in for the night!

Abby & her friend


Kenzie with a "hat" on her head! She cracks me up!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Joy of Love, day 07: Generations
Well, that is a little hard to get so I decided to have each girl hold her Daddy doll. That's as good as it gets around here for generations!



We were running late for school again today. Imagine that! If only I wouldn't hit snooze a million times... Anyway, we did make it to school on time, but I really don't like feeling so rushed in the mornings. I am sure the kids don't like it either. Mckenzie and I hung out at the house today, not doing much at all. Well, as little as a two year old will let you! We picked Abby up from school and the first question out of her mouth was to ask if she could have a play date. Every day she is begging me to have one of her friends over. Instead, we ran to Target. The girls were good for the most part, but it got to be a long trip for Mckenzie and she got very restless. When we got home, the girls started playing in the snow and they were having so much fun that I couldn't make them come inside. I decided to go grab their dolls to get the picture taken for the day since both were being cooperative. After I took the picture, the girls started playing in the snow still carrying their doll. It was like Daddy was here playing with them. Both girls were ice cubes when we came in so it was straight to a bath for them. I let them have bubble bath tonight. I really don't like bubbles. They are so messy and it takes forever to bathe the girls when they do use it. Somebody always ends up with bubbles in the eye and did I mention it takes forever to bathe them! But, it makes them happy, so we do it. Mckenzie is giving me a hard time for bed tonight. She keeps asking me to play with her and going into Abby's room. Luckily, she hasn't woken Abby yet and I hope she goes to sleep soon!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

The Joy of Love, day 6: Who They Love. This was an easy one for me. Both girls have lovies that they received as gifts when they were born. Abby received a lamb and Mckenzie, a bear. They LOVE their lovies. They sleep with them, go with in the car, the store, school. They go everywhere together. They don't have special names. Just lambie and bear. But those lovies hold a place in my girls' heart that is something so special. Lambie has been through surgery a couple of times. It is painstaking work and my fingers felt like they were numb and I was surprised they weren't bleeding both times as it had to be hand stitched. But that doesn't matter. I would do it a million times over if it means that my Abby still has her comfort lamb. Mckenzie's bear is still in pretty good shape compared to Abby's at 2.5 yrs. I think the difference is Abby holds her lamb close to her face while sucking on her thumb at night while Mckenzie just bunches her bear up and sleeps on top of it.


We had church this morning and Abby's choir sang during the service. I wish I had a video camera with because Abby was so cute. She stood up front, singing her little heart out. One of the songs she sang was This Little Light. It was so much fun to watch her sing and do the actions without a care in the world. Mckenzie got a little feisty during the service today, wanting to eat everything and anything she could find in my purse. She went through at least 6 pieces of gum and a package of fruit snacks. We ran to the grocery store and it was crazy like any weekend. We really need to quit running out of milk on the weekends! Lucky for me, the girls were in a great mood, laughing and getting along for most of the trip. It was only near the end that the girls were getting tired and started acting up. Of course I picked the lane with the slowest cashier. I should have realized it was the wrong lane when no one else was going to it. We got to Skype Scott again today. He is doing good, ran a 5K this morning before going to work. Abby asked me if we could eat in the dining room for dinner tonight. Why of all nights would she pick Superbowl Sunday to eat where there is no TV to watch the commercials. I could care less about the game this year, I just wanted to see the commercials! Both girls went to bed really well tonight. I only had to put Mckenzie back to bed 3 or 4 times!!!

February 5, 2011

The Joy of Love, 05: Love to Hate. I wasn't too sure about this one and it took me awhile to figure out what to photograph. I finally decided on Ranch sunflower seeds. Scott LOVES them! I do not. They are mighty stinky and I would almost rather kiss someone with onion breath than ranch breath! Scott could eat a whole bag in a day! Since he is deployed, I more than happily bought him some and shipped them off. He can eat them all day long if he so desires!

We didn't go anywhere today. Our day was filled with water paints and memory and a little Wiggles for good measure. We wouldn't want to go a day without seeing the Wiggles! It is fun to watch the girls dance and sing along with the show. They both get so excited, although Abby is starting to grow out of them a little. I noticed that she would rather play with toys and listen every now and then instead of being glued to the tv like Mckenzie.

Friday, February 4, 2011

The Joy of Love, day 04: what they wear. Sparkly shoes are the big thing around here. It all started on Abby's third birthday when her friend Jordan gave her a pair of sparkly red shoes. Abby fell in love with those shoes. Whenever she outgrows them, we have to buy the next size up. Mckenzie now loves the sparkly shoes and they have discovered the shoes are available in colors other than red. So, our house is filled with sparkles!


Today was Mckenzie's first day of school. She is finally old enough to enroll in a program at Abby's school and we thought it would be a good idea to get her a little more socialized. She doesn't spend a lot of time away from me and it seems like she is ready to make that move. She cried, hard, when I left her but I know it is better to walk out of the room than to stick around. I asked Abby's teacher to keep an ear out for Mckenzie and give me a call if she thought I needed to come back. No call and I had two glorious hours all to myself! Very much needed! It sounds like Mckenzie did pretty well at school, only asking for her pacifier once (not getting it of course) but they did allow her to hold on to her bear for comfort. She was happy when I picked her up and I think it will be good for her to get out of the house a couple of days a week. It will also give Abby and I some one on one time when Mckenzie is in school on one of Abby's off days. Abby said she enjoyed school today too. She was hyper as always when I picked her up, although I think today was a little bit crazier since the kids had cookies and ice cream for a snack to celebrate a birthday! We had a playdate at Chick fil A with one of Abby's good friends. Mckenzie decided she is old enough to open her own ketchup and her once blue dress is now covered in red! Let's hope the oxiclean does it's magic once again! Mckenzie didn't want to play today, preferring to sit on my lap. Abby was so excited to play that she finished her meal in record time. Some days it has been taking nearly an hour to get the girls to eat, so it surprised me it only took a few minutes today! Abby threw a bit of a fit when it was time to leave today. She is generally pretty good, but today, she had the attitude of a pre-teen. I'm thinking she is missing Scott and is maybe acting out a little bit more than normal. Mckenzie fell asleep on the way home. She was so tired I was able to put her to bed without waking her up. Guess she is getting exhausted from all these nights of too little sleep! We got to Skype with Scott this afternoon. It is always so good to see him. It was a quiet night the rest of the day, well, not quiet as in little noise. Quiet as in we didn't do much. Dinner and off to bed. I started to get the girls ready for bed way earlier than normal and for some reason, I think it may have helped get them to bed tonight. As I am writing this, it is only a little after 8pm and I haven't heard a peep out of either of them for at least 10 minutes. I only had to put Mckenzie back into her room a handful of times tonight. She thought I was going to take away her stuffed animals, but each time I just placed her back in her bed, kissed her goodnight and left the room. Maybe that is what she needs. Or, maybe that is what works tonight. I guess only time will tell!


Abby was very cute with Mckenzie this morning. She was explaining to Mckenzie how she needed to listen to the teachers and what was going to happen throughout the day.

Joy of Love, Day Three: Now and then
I wasn't sure what I was going to take a photo of today. I thought it would be cool if I could take a photo of Scott with his almost bald head but, since that wasn't gonna work, I had to come up with something else. I decided to take a photo of Abby in her gymnastics outfit. I have photos from her very first day of class and thought it might be neat to compare the two. I feel like she hasn't been taking lessons that long, but when I went back to find her old photos, I realized she was only three when she started. She looked like such a baby! What a difference between a 3 year old and a 5 year old!

Abby had her well child check up today. She kept telling me she didn't want to go and wondered why she had to go. She didn't throw a fit about going or anything, I think she was just curious why she had to go when she felt fine. The doctor we saw today was much better than the previous pediatrician we saw on base. She at least interacted with the kids even though she was running way behind and gave me a chance to ask questions. Abby made me laugh. When the doctor came in, Abby whispered in my ear "Momma, is she a boy or a girl?" I guess the short hair and uniform made it a bit confusing for her! I wanted to do a little shopping while I was on base, but the girls were getting hungry since it was so close to lunchtime and we headed back home instead. Abby went over to a friends house this afternoon. Mckenzie and I visited for awhile, but she was getting tired and cranky so we came back home to have a little rest time. Let me tell ya. Mckenzie was not happy about leaving Abby behind to play. She cried and cried. I put her shoes on to go and by the time I turned back around with her coat, she had her shoes off and was trying to run upstairs. I felt so bad making her leave. She loves to play with Abby and her friends, but I just knew she was too tired to stay. When Abby came home, we headed to gymnastics. Mckenzie was the only one in her class today and I could tell she was more tired out than usual. Abby worked on climbing the rope today. She is getting stronger! Abby wanted to go out to eat for dinner, but we came home and had some soup instead. A quick bath and then off to bed for the girls. Mckenzie fought a good fight again tonight, but it only lasted a little over an hour tonight. I realized tonight that taking away her stuffed animals at bedtime has become a game to her. I kissed Mckenzie goodnight, told her if she came out of her room, she would lose Dorothy and Wags and just a few minutes after leaving her room, she was out in the hallway, holding onto her stuffed animals with a big smile. Right then and there, I decided not to take them away because she had turned it into something fun. I just kept putting her back to bed every time she came out and finally, I shut her door. We have always shut her door since she was a tiny baby and lately, she has been asking to leave it open so I have been. I think it is too distracting for her because once I closed it, she settled down and went to sleep. Maybe it is just a one time thing, but I'm hoping I have stumbled onto something here.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

School was delayed again today due to weather so Abby didn't start until noon today. I'm not sure exactly what was so bad about the weather this morning, but it is what it is. It made for a leisurely morning getting ready. After we dropped Abby at school, Mckenzie and I ran to the post office to mail a package to Daddy. I hope my treat makes it to him in one piece! We got back home and it was time for Mckenzie to take her nap. A friend sent a care package today for the girls and I. It was a very nice surprise. So, thank you! It has been a long month and it was nice to get a little pick me up in the mail. I realize the girls and I are the lucky ones in this whole situation considering we have each other at the end of the day, but it has been hard lately with Mckenzie struggling with bedtime. I just wish there was someone here to help me figure it out. I can't imagine how tough this is for Scott and I don't mean to take anything away from what he is going through. It is funny how our perspective changes based on our situation. Today when Skyping with Scott, the girls were being very loud and it was getting on my nerves, but for Scott, he said he didn't mind it at all. I know he misses his girls a lot! Bedtime with Mckenzie was miserable again tonight. 2.5 hours to get her to fall asleep. Thank God Abby went straight to bed again.


The Joy of Love assignment for day two is: how they look. I took a few photos of Mckenzie and I think this one shows her spirited personality.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

I am taking a photography class called the Joy of Love. I hope it helps improve my skills a bit and gives me new ideas on ways to photograph the girls. Today is day 1 and the topic is: what they do The girls look to help in the kitchen so I thought that might be a good thing to get a photo of today. The girls helped me bake some cookies today and had lots of fun eating the frosting! I got the replacement bookcase from PBK yesterday and I put it together without difficulty today. It looks great in Abby's room and she was so excited to help put her books and toys on it. I feel so accomplished since I never put anything together anymore. Why do it when Scott is so much better at it than me? We had church tonight and Abby was so excited to see her friend from school there again. Scott, you won't believe it, but the pastor actually remembered my name today. Last week he told me he was going to do it and he did. We will see if he remembers on Sunday! The kids did a craft project and Mckenzie really enjoyed it because it was very messy! Bedtime tonight was no fun again. Mckenzie fought going to sleep until 10pm. Two hours past her bedtime. I don't know what her deal was. Nothing I tried was working. Luckily, Abby went to bed like a champ. I don't know what I did tonight that was so different than last night, but whatever it was, it worked.


So here is my photo for Joy of Love, day 1

Monday, January 31, 2011

Wow, January is already over! Time seems to fly by quickly yet at the same time, it is taking forever for it to be May! Abby had school this morning and made sure to ask her teacher why they didn't have class on Friday. I didn't realize she remembered not going. Mckenzie and I came home and hung out here. She was in a Wiggles mood today, so we had to dance and sing the morning away. She loves dancing and I wish I could have gotten video of her dancing and laughing, but she needed both my hands to dance/jump. Her laughs were just huge today and her smile even bigger. Abby had fun at school but she couldn't remember what she did. I'm not sure why I send her if they aren't teaching her anything;) I think she decided not to talk to me about school today when I told her we weren't having anyone over to play after school. She wants someone to come over to play every day. I don't blame her. I get bored myself, but she had a full day of school and we had a skype date with Daddy. The girls both spent a lot of time talking to Daddy, especially Mckenzie. She made sure to show him she had been crying since she just finished time out for hitting Abby when Daddy called. I think she may have thought she was going to get sympathy from Daddy because she was upset. We ran to the store to pick up some stickers for Abby's Valentines Day party at school. We also ended up buying pink marshmallows to make rice krispie treats tomorrow. A bath and then dinner for the girls. Bedtime turned ugly again and both girls are now sleeping in my room. Abby couldn't decide on an excuse to use. It wavered between monsters in her room to missing daddy to not wanting to be alone. Mckenzie wasn't going to stay in her room as long as Abby wasn't so I have to concede that I lost the battle today. Haven't given up hope on winning the bedtime war just yet, though they are wearing me down. It took two hours to get them asleep tonight. Such a waste of an evening. I hope they sleep in tomorrow so they aren't cranky because they didn't get enough sleep.