Pre Midlife Crisis

Maybe it is the fact that we are still in full blown summer here and are too hot to do anything outside.  Maybe it is because the girls are getting old enough that they have really perfected the art of getting on each other's nerves.  Maybe it is because if we have to hear the the phrase, "(Insert closest parent here)! Kenna/Callie is copying me!" one more time someone is going to get hurt.  Maybe we are just bored.  Whatever the reason, Nate experienced a pre-midlife crisis this month.

For a while we've been trying to come up with fun things to do with the girls around here.  We do a lot of swimming, scooting and park trips.  Now we've decided to take up camping as well.

A couple weekends ago we went up to a state park called Possum Kingdom Lake and the girls had the time of their lives camping with some friends.  We were right next to a playground and the kids all got to run free and get really dirty.  That night both girls kept saying how pretty the stars were and that they couldn't believe how many there were.  The swung and played glow sticks all night.  

The next morning we had a different adventure planned.  Enter pre midlife crisis.  Nate decided that he really wanted a kayak or two so that we could take the girls out on weekends.  We decided on a test run first during our camping weekend and somehow convinced a couple families to take a 10 mile canoe/kayak trip with us.  It was awesome!  We were pretty much alone on the river and the kids thought it was great that they could jump out of the boats and swim whenever they wanted.  We had lots of snacks and the kids just shuffled between boats and had a great time collecting rocks and trying to tip us by leaning over the edge.

After that trip Nate decided a kayak would definitely be worth while.  So a week late I came home to a 13 foot kayak on our front porch.  We took it out this weekend with a couple friends and I got to sit and watch Nate paddle 4 kids around and listen to the giggling and shrieking as they swam, explored and leaned too far over the edge of the kayak.  Kenna and Callie thought it was awesome and it wore them out so, so far it looks like a good investment.

We've had some dental changes this month as well.  Kenna lost her fourth tooth and is now going by the name 'toothless.'  I kind of don't want her to get her two front teeth back in because she looks so cute with the huge gap there.  Callie also had her first trip to the dentist.  She was nervous but handled it like a champ.  She was rewarded with floss, a princess toothbrush and a diagnosis of no cavities (yea!).

Other than that we are rolling along.  Kenna seems to be doing well in school.  Callie is still loving preschool and ballet.  I'm constantly surprised by how much she listens and remembers.  Apparently the other day at preschool her teacher told her about pirate day at Krispy Kreme.  She came out and told me about a million times that we go to the donut store and say "arrr" and they give us a donut.  Of course pirate day was still a few days away but I could not convince her of that so we went and had donuts for lunch.  She was very happy about that.  Then this morning she told me we needed to get a truck so daddy could drive us (that didn't come from mom) and when I was pushing her on the double swing and told her it was harder to push than the regular swing she told me, "That's okay if its harder for you to push."  Funny girl.  The kids are doing their jobs of keeping life interesting.

Catch up

So I have been really bad about blogging lately which is bad for me because it means I can't remember anything happened.  I will try to run through some of the things I've missed.

Kenna wrapped up a very happy first year of school.  Back in January they added a fourth kindergarten classroom and I decided to switch Kenna to that class.  It was a game changer for her.  She stopped complaining about going to school and no longer told me she hated it.  Her new teacher,  Mrs. Mahmoud was just about the nicest women alive.  She was exactly how you picture a kindergarten teacher should be and Kenna adored her.


Soon after ending school we headed to Delaware for a long over due visit.  Nate hadn't been home in several years and it was time.  We went to the beach, a Wilmington Blue rocks game, Jamie's house, Loni's house and generally just putzed around with our cousins.  Kenna who has always had a fondness for Alli and Madison as the oldest cousins was in heaven and spent almost every minute with them.  While were were there we also made a day trip to Pittsburgh/West Virginia to see my grandma and Uncle Willie.  It was a really fast trip but we got to see Will's new house, which was amazing.  We got in late at night and headed up to our room where all 6 windows were open with a nice mountain breeze blowing through and we got to fall asleep listening to the crickets outside.  After almost 4 years in Texas I'd forgotten how nice nature can be.


Alixa had her baby while we were gone so as soon as we left Nancy came out to help her, which made it less sad to leave because we got to bring grandma with us.  She ended up coming at a very good time because...surprise!  We are expecting baby number 3 in early February and my horrible morning sickness set in right about then.  I pretty much didn't get off the couch from mid June to the end of August.  Literally.  I have read at least 16 books this summer.  So Nancy took the kids for me all day so their summer wasn't ruined by sitting and watching TV the whole time.

While she was here we celebrated Kenna and Jenna's 6th birthday with a Mexican fiesta/pool party complete with a piñata and the mexican hat dance.  Nancy took the girls to buy tons of themed decorations, which I ended up saving because Callie told me she was so excited to have decorations for her birthday too.  Kenna finally got a big girl bike for her birthday!  We've only had a little practice on it this summer because it's been too hot to play outside but I'm hoping to get lots of use out of it soon!

After she left my parents came for a week so my kids got more entertainment while I laid on the couch some more.  Kenna also had her first summer camp during the last week in July.  She went to an art camp with her friend Frankie for a week and had a great time.  She came home with homemade soap, paintings, and sketch books.  Callie was very sad that she didn't get to go.

We celebrated Callie's birthday a day early in August because Nate's new hospital was opening on her birthday which meant he was moving out of the house and into the hospital for a week.  Callie's only wish on her birthday was to go to the orange slide.  Every day on our way to the gym we drive past an orange building with a two story slide...Taco Bell and all she can talk about it going to the orange slide.

Earlier in the summer I told her when she pooped on the potty we could go to the orange slide.  So, sure enough during Kenna's week at art camp Callie pooped on the potty and immediately asked if we got to go to the orange slide now.  I took her and she had so much fun she decided she wanted go back for her birthday, and every week since.

Nate got to spend the morning with us and we had cinnamon rolls and opened presents.  For at least 3 months Callie's only response when I'd ask her what she wanted for her birthday was, "a pink unlella."  Well, she got her pink unlella and couldn't have been more happy.

For lunch we invited our cousins and the Mundy's (who were our replacement cousins while Alixa was gone all summer and who have become good friends) and went to eat/play at taco bell.  Callie was like a pig in mud and once we'd had our fun there we headed to Urban Air (an indoor trampoline park) to jump for an hour.  The kids all had a great time and Callie was very happy to tell everyone that she was three now and a big girl cause she pooped on the potty.  And we were gonna have a baby (she told those last two things to pretty much everyone she met all summer long).

After jumping we came home for cupcakes and more playing.  Before we could have cupcakes Callie reminded me that I needed to put up the decorations before we could sing and eat.  I had a moment of terrible mom guilt, but luckily her standards were pretty low and all I had to do was hang a dozen around the table.  Kenna and Callie's babysitter, Bailey (who Callie called the 'bailey sitter') was nice enough to come over for the party and brought Callie a brand new baby doll which she has been sleeping with every  night since.  Nate had left for work after Taco Bell so when our friends left we declared it a make your own pizza movie night.  Callie was very happy all day.  She is so much fun to have in our family!  Nate and try to write something about the kids on birthdays so here they are.  We sure love having that ball of personality in our family!

Happy 3rd birthday to my Callie boo! She seems to have just suddenly grown up.  She is such a small bundle of personality and she constantly keeps me entertained!  She loves to act silly and make people laugh.  She walks around the house singing songs which she has an amazing memory for.  She has a darling little singing voice and it is one of my favorite things to hear her sing as she plays.  Callie also has an amazing memory for names.  She remembers all of her nursery friends names, the names of her friends at the gym and the names of my friends.  She tells me all the time, “Mom I’m your buddy” and she will tell me at least twice a day that she loves me.  Callie gives the greatest, longest, squeeziest hugs and whenever I tell her I need a kiss she stops what she is doing to give me one.  She loves baby dolls and is constantly bouncing them while telling them “shh, shh, shh” and kissing them on their heads.  Callie loves to play kitchen set and will sit in her kitchen set asking me what “what you want to eat”.  Whenever we go out she packs up a purse and brings that and her baby with her.  She is such as sweet happy girl.  She is my joy!

Callie is amazing. She joined our family and caused quite a stir upon her arrival, but she has made up for it with her spunk and personality over the past three years. She will run away from me anytime I try to blow her nose when she isnt ready for me to. She loves the bath and plays tea set with Kenna every time. She loves her mamma above everyone else and a bedtime without mom can only end in tears. She loves stories and fancy Nancy, but hates headbands and some girly things. She can swing for days, eat like a champ, and she smiles all day long. She always says "yeah, ok." when you ask her questions when playing pretend. She is naturally curious and loves spending time with her family. Kenzie told me that you grow a new heart each time you have a child. This kiddo proved that to be the case and I am lucky to have such a beautiful and fun child in my family.

Sometime during the summer Kenna told me she didn't like gymnastics because it was too much running.  In defense of the poor girl I timed it one day and they did spend 20 of the 55 minute class running in a small circle.  She is very talented and I didn't want her to quit so we decided to take her off the pre-team and enroll her in a regular class at another gym.  After ONE class I got a call that started like this..."Hi my name is Amanda I'm the coach for the pre-team at Eagle gymnastics..."  We decided to put her back on the pre-team and she has loved it.  I am actually surprised how much she loves it because her coach is not a warm fuzzy gal.  I thought Kenna might be afraid of her but it looks like my little softie has toughened up.  She's still making lots of progress and the other day she even got a popsicle because she was able to do one of the challenge moves that her coach showed them.

The summer ended really quickly, considering all I did was lay on the couch.  We headed to back to school night where Kenna met her teacher, Mrs. Horsman.  We found out the Mrs. Horsman is Roger's Elementary's resident tooth puller and that whenever anyone need a tooth pulled they go to her.  She seemed very nice and Kenna was excited for her first day of school.  She got to sit across from her friend Bethany and another friend, Rachel, was at the table behind her.  I realized how much she'd grown up when she told me to text Lixi and see if she was going to walk Jenna to her class on the first day of school before she'd consent to letting me walk her to class.  She's come a long way from the three year old who teared up every time I left her at mother's day out.

The firs tray of school came and went.  We've just finished up week two.  Kenna and Jenna have both already had a tooth pulled by Mrs. Horseman.  Unfortunately I'm also starting to hear some of the things I heard the be beginning of kindergarten too.  Kenna doesn't like school, math is hard and the other night she told me it was a rough day because she didn't understand something they were learning and everyone else did.  It broke my heart a little and I sent an email to her teacher so hopefully we can work on some of the things that are causing difficulty at school.

Callie had the most exciting week of her life this week.  I will preface it with this...Kenna had gymnastics the day after we celebrated Callie's birthday.  We dropped Kenna off like we always do and Callie erupted into the saddest tears I've ever seen.  I finally got it out of her that she was three now and was supposed to go to gymnastics when she was three.  It was heart breaking and I felt terrible for her.  We came home and discussed it and she decided she wanted to take ballet class instead.  So this was her week!  She started preschool two days a week with Miss Bethanne and ballet class.

She got a new backpack at target and she picked on that came with headphones, like Kenna's.  She wore her backpack around the house all morning and told me not to forget to pack her a sandwich before asking where her lunch box was.  I had to explain that she would come home for lunch.  She got a little quiet on the car drive over and I think she was nervous, but she put her backpack on and walked right to the house.  When she saw her teacher come out she turned around and hugged my leg for a minute but then we walked in to the house without any tears.  I picked her up and she was exhausted!  I got the world's longest hug when she saw me and she has been asking every day if she has preschool today.  I'm glad she loves it.  

 Crashing after preschool with her new headphones.

Then on Tuesday this week Callie had her first day of dance.  We signed her up for a ballet/tap combo.  Ecstatic is not a big enough word for how she felt that day.  The first thing she asked when she woke up Tuesday morning was if it was time for ballet.  She wore her new tap shoes all over the house and when it was finally time she smiled through the whole class.  Later that night she was showing off what she learned to some friends.  She is one happy, happy child.  

In other news, Nate is having a pre-mid-life crisis and wants to buy a pair of kayaks so that we can take the girls out on weekends.  We decided to go camping next weekend and rent a pair first to see how it goes.