Watch KK Grow

FIVE!!!

2010-11-06T22:25:00.001-07:00

I don't think August could have been busier for us - it was awesome! The best part was the BIRTHDAY of course! Our little KK is FIVE!!! Amazing. She had a very fun Bounce House/Hello Kitty party, and another celebration on her actual birthday with her traditional angel food cake made in Great Grandma Anne's pan. We did our annual Flower Garden photo shoot on her birthday as well... ...followed by ice cream! I am so in love with her - even when she is little miss sassy (which she has perfected at five years old). In August we also:
Went to the zoo with her very special friend Jack... Went to the County Fair... Started Pre-K... Learned the hard way that you should never hug a sleeping dog - especially one who doesn't really know you... And went to Minnesota! (More on this one later...)

July

2010-09-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats hot summer days more than heading to the pool! Over the 4th, Cousin C came to visit (along with his family and Grandma M) and he and KK spent lots of time in the water. And shooting off some fireworks with Grandma!

Later in the month we still wanted to beat the heat, so we headed for higher altitude. A few days at the Hotel Colorado and Glenwood Hot Springs pool was just what we needed. We also found out the day before we left for Glenwood that baby is a boy!
KK also participated in a week-long soccer camp at the end of the month. I think she had fun, but she still likes to take a lot of breaks when she's playing the game. : ) Finally, Grandma K came to visit us for a long weekend in July -- but I don't think I took any pictures! I must have collapsed on the couch and let her do all the work while she was here. Sorry Mom!

June

2010-09-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

June was a bit of a mixed bag. We had lots of good times, but sadly, we lost Great Grandma Gladys. KK took it pretty hard, as we all did, but the mood was lightened a bit when she was told that GGG was now with "Grandpa Harry" -- which gave her visions of a very "hairy" grandpa. It was good for all of us to laugh a little. Grandma lived a long, happy, full life and we are blessed to have had such a wonderful woman in our lives.
We also had many good times in June, including Fathers Day and our annual camping trip with our playgroup friends. LOTS of fun!!! And there was even more big news in June...
A few days later, the other bottom tooth fell out while we were talking on the phone with Auntie Sunshine...and the side bottoms are loose now. Maybe she'll be a jack-o-lantern for Halloween this year!

May (part two)

2010-09-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

The really big event in May was...Preschool Graduation!!!! Someone was pretty excited, can you tell? And just in case you think BuddyBuddy has run away from home by now, don't worry. He is not as abused as it may seem. He had his own puppy party in May with Uncle Ray doling out the treats. Woof!!!

May (part one)

2010-09-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

We picked up the pace a little bit in May and went on a vacation to the Biltmore in Phoenix. What a beautiful place!!! Daddy was there for a conference, so KK and I spent the days together and Daddy joined us in the late afternoons. We swam, relaxed, and enjoyed the gorgeous resort and perfect weather.
KK even got to enjoy time at the spa getting her hair cut and styled. Mommy loved watching her get pampered! Of course, May also included Mothers Day with sweet gifts from my baby girl. The picture says "I love my Mommy because she snuggles with me every night." She is the joy of my life! xoxox

April

2010-09-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

The big event in April was Easter...which meant visiting the Easter Bunny, petting some cute animals, and lots of play time with cousins C and A! So sweet to have a cousin who will play dollhouse with you!!!
Adorable! Aaaaannd...BuddyBuddy still realized how great life is with a four-and-a-half year old!

March

2010-09-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

March was a quiet month...the calm before the storm maybe? : ) The lack of activity was probably another reason why blogging got left behind; there just wasn't much going on. KK did go on a few hikes with BuddyBuddy and Daddy. And BuddyBuddy realized just how great it was to live with a four-and-a-half year old!

KK's still growing...now HE is too!

2010-09-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

Obviously it's been a while since we've been here...I almost forgot how to log in and create a new post! While I hope that people visit KK's blog to "Watch her Grow" it is also a place for me to create a journal for our family to capture and remember special days and events. So, over the next few days I'm going to attempt to recap all that I've missed over the past several months.

First, for those who might still visit, I suppose I should explain the absence: We have a new baby on the way! This pregnancy has been a little more challenging, probably because I'm a few years older AND maybe because it's a BOY! Who knows for sure...but it took pretty much all of my energy those first few (really more than a few) months just to get out of bed, take care of our beautiful KK, battle the nausea, and fight the sinus infections...and most recently address my obsessive urge to nest. Sadly, blogging had to move to the back seat for a while. We've turned a corner, hopefully for good, and I have a teeny extra bit of energy that I want to spend here! (I'll try not to let the upcoming sleepless nights slow me down...)

Of course KK is super-excited about "Brother" and is looking forward to being our big helper. She'll be a fantastic big sister and I am so excited to see the two of them together! We will probably have to change the name of this little journal too. Any suggestions?

Before then, I have a lot of catching up to do. Stay tuned for March!

Butterfly Kisses

2010-02-07T22:35:00.001-08:00

Saturday was Daddy's birthday, and he couldn't dream up a better way to celebrate than taking his little girl to the Butterfly Kisses Ball! They met up with some good friends and danced the day away. The report was that they had a great time and Daddy had a very special birthday! Pretty girls! Daddy taught the girls all the "cool moves"...from the 90's. She is definitely Daddy's Girl! xoxo Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We finally thawed!

2010-01-31T23:14:00.000-08:00

I realize that it's been almost a month since an update. It's because we spent the first four days of January in Minnesota where the temp never rose above 4 degrees. Actually, I think the average temp over our four day visit was 20 below. Seriously. My hands finally thawed this afternoon. : )

We were in MN to celebrate Grandma K's retirement from MCLC. It was a lovely day, with a lovely party - complete with a good ol' Lutheran Church Basement meal. We were able to visit with lots of friends, including all of the full-time head pastors for the church since my family became members when I was 9 months old! Pastor Sally (in the middle) baptized KK back in 2006. MCLC is certainly my home away from home, and it was good to be there to celebrate with Grandma! We're not usually big football fans, except for when we are in Minnesota. Then we don't have a choice. People choose our clothing for us and we know to randomly shout "SKOL VIKINGS!" all day long. This makes other Minnesotans happy. Of course this was back when the Vikes were winning. You know, before "that pass." We won't mention anything more about that. No more purple tears need to be shed. We still love the Vikes anyway. You know it's cold when everyone is in a Snuggie and Miss Ruby needs to wear a sweater indoors! Uncle Rod taught KK how to "Recliner Surf" in Grandma's chair. They were pretending to be somewhere warm. Auntie Shawna spoiled KK with lots of teeny-tiny-toys and played with her and Grandma's dollhouse for hours. Awesome! We also got to see Auntie Sunshine for a Noodles lunch and to see "Where the Wild Things Are" at the Riverview. I'm bummed that I didn't get a picture of KK in front of the theater, but when it's 20 below, you just run for the car. Fast. It was nice to spend a few days with family and we're looking forward to our next visit -- but not until Spring!!!!!

Christmas in Pictures

2009-12-26T22:40:00.000-08:00

We got into the spirit early in the month by visiting Santa...
...then getting our tree up and the house decorated. Daddy and KK put the star on the tree, as they do every year. Each day during the month, KK got a special surprise hidden behind a little door in an Advent calendar Auntie Sunshine made for her. She would get out of bed each morning, go straight to the box to find the number of the day, and then she would run to our room to show us her new surprise. She LOVED this!!! Thank you Auntie Sunshine! Mid-month KK hosted her playgroup Christmas party where they decorated (well, mostly ate) gingerbread houses and cookies. The weekend before Christmas, Grandma and Grandpa K were here to visit. Except for going to the school program and tap dance recital, we spent the time at home relaxing and playing. KK kept Grandma busy snuggling while watching "The Grinch" and cleaning up after baking fudge. Daddy kept Grandma busy mending and sewing.
Grandpa was busy building tunnels, playing dollhouse, and reading stories. She also made Grandpa happy by watching Westerns with him on TV. She knows her way straight into Grandpas heart! And obviously Grandpa knows his way straight into Mr. B's heart!
On Christmas Day, we visited with Grandpa M at cousin C's house. The following day, we spent time at Grandma M's with KK's cousins, uncles and aunts.
We had a white Christmas here in Colorado, so there was also some sledding and angel making. It was a wonderful holiday month for our family. We hope that you had a very Merry Christmas! Here's to 2010 and a very Happy New Year...CHEERS!

She danced!

2009-12-20T23:29:00.000-08:00

The tap recital was a jingling success, as KK and her friends danced to "Holly Jolly Christmas." They made lots of lovely jingle noises with their costumes, and when she wasn't using her tongue to concentrate, KK had a beautiful smile on her face... As she walked offstage with a smile from ear to ear, she asked, "Mommy, did I do good???" Yes, beautiful girl, you certainly did! xoxox

Better not pout...

2009-12-18T21:49:00.000-08:00

KK had her school Christmas program today. She was "in a mood" and it didn't go very well for her, as you can see: It was sad to see her pouting up there, because she had practiced and practiced both at school and at home and she was so excited that Grandma and Grandpa K would be there for her. She didn't sing a single word. Boo. I'm pretty sure another classmate hurt her feelings right before the program, and that was the end of that. Oh well, there are many more programs in our short- and long-term future, so nothing to fret about. In fact, she has her first Tap Dance recital tomorrow. Praying for a much better mood and a happier performance...or at the very least a smile! Wish us luck.

Ho ho ho!

2009-12-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we visited Santa for lunch. As usual, he was very sweet and gracious and came to our table to visit with KK.
They talked about how important it is to be a good girl.

She told him, while touching his beard, "Your fur is so soft!" He laughed.
Then she went to sit on his lap to make her special request for Christmas. He asked her if she wanted a Barbie. She replied, "No fanks. I would like a computer, please!" He wasn't quite sure what to say, so he chuckled a little "Ho ho ho!" and gave me a good luck wink. KK has been a pretty good girl, so we'll see what Santa delivers Christmas morning...

Artiste!

2009-12-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

KK and I signed up for a Parent/Tot Mud class where we got to create several beautiful pieces of clay artwork. K absolutely LOVED the class! She made sharks and a squished snowman and horses. This photo was taken before the horses (on the left) were fired and glazed.
She chose to glaze the horses pink, but the pink color didn't show up and they are still brown. And still beautiful in my opinion!

She has also been choosing her own outfits most days, and there have been some interesting ones. This is one of my favorites. Gotta be impressed by the color coordination at least! She is quite the creative little girl!

Thanksgiving Day Run

2009-11-28T23:41:00.000-08:00

KK ran her first Thanksgiving Day Run this year! It's been a family tradition (sort of) to start the day off in Old Town with the race. Daddy makes it to the race every year, but I've skipped a couple. This year all three of us participated and it was really cool. KK ran the ENTIRE Kid's Run and we were very proud of her. Grandma M came with us too, and she took this sweet picture of our excited little racer.

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

What Every Good Witch Needs

2009-11-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

KK had lots of Halloween fun this year! It didn't even matter that there was a foot of snow swirling around, because there is no problem getting from here to anywhere when you have a sparkly magic broom to fly on! The fun started with a playgroup party on Thursday where she hung out with a flower, the Wicked Witch of the West, a skeleton, Tinkerbell, a pirate, Dorothy, and a cowboy. They were all adorable. On Friday she celebrated with a big party at school. They made lots of crafts, trick-or-treated through the club, and generally consumed as much sugar as possible.
The preschool teachers were so much fun! The director, Miss Michelle, was Mother Nature and the teachers were Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.
KK's teachers, Miss Nicole and Miss Alisa. (Note K's pretty green fingernails. She was very excited about them!)

Then came the BEST part of all...Halloween Night!!! So, what is it that every Good Witch needs? Why, a loyal Black Cat of course!
Finally, off to trick-or-treat with Daddy!!!
We hope you had a very fun and Happy Halloween!

Almost just in time!

2009-10-27T21:14:00.001-07:00

KK and I took a trip to our favorite pumpkin patch this afternoon. I'm so glad we went today because we'll probably have a foot of snow on the ground by tomorrow. Unfortunately, we were still too late for pumpkin picking. Thanks to the cold weather earlier this month they were all squishy and rotting. It didn't stop us from trying though...we grabbed a wagon and off we went! Sure enough, KK found herself the perfect pumpkin AND a ladybug. Success!!! There were also plenty of gourds to choose from, which are far more interesting and fun to play with anyway.
So, while we made it to the pumpkin patch and had a great time, we essentially headed for home pumpkinless. We were almost just in time! (With a side trip to the grocery store we brought home a jack-o-lantern-worthy pumpkin after all!)

The most important part of our visit was capturing the annual "farmer girl" picture for Grandpa K...our little KK just keeps getting more beautiful every year!
2009

2008

2007

2006

Time flies....especially 20 years!

2009-10-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye...it certainly doesn't seem like 6 weeks since K started preschool again! Maybe because she has missed so much, between going to MN for 10 days in September and then being sick. She is in her 3rd week of on-again-off-again illness. She was tummy sick for two days, then fine for over a week, then tummy sick for two days again, then fine for 4 days, and now she has cold symptoms including a mild fever. I'm a little concerned that she would develop respiratory issues so quickly after having flu-like symptoms so we're watching her like a hawk. She is still in her typical happy mood though, we are grateful for that.

We HAVE had some special and exciting things happen recently, first of which being that we have a new cousin in the family! Baby A arrived on September 1 and he is absolutely beautiful! KK loved holding him and giving him lots of snuggles. Cousin C is a great and very happy big brother, too!
We also spent some time in MN to see family and friends. My to-do list never seems to get fully accomplished when I'm home, but we sure did enjoy this trip! Daddy even made it out for a couple of days; he was there for work, we just got lucky with the dates. He wasn't able to stay for long because he had to leave for Seattle to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday, but we managed to get a nice hike in with Grandma and Grandpa at The Falls.
Another reason we were in MN was for my 20 year high school class reunion (I'm still in denial over that statement). I do have to say that I have some of the best and most amazing friends anyone could hope for! We had a great time, and we won't be waiting another 5 or 10 years to get together again. Sharon, (Sha)Lisa, Shannon and Shanna....my friends since 7th grade! (We added a "Sha" in front of Lisa's name sometime during high school.)

Eric, Dave, Jason, and Tony. Four of the greatest men you'll ever meet.

The pre-party crowd.

Dave and his beautiful wife, Kathleen.

20 years later, we're still the best of friends! Love you guys!

Pre-school: Round 2

2009-09-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

First day of 4 year old pre-school: 2009-2010 school year.

Sorry, I couldn't choose a favorite picture! Four years later, she still takes my breath away...no doubt, she always will. xoxo

Dribble dribble KICK!

2009-09-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Soccer is back, and what a difference a year makes!

Suited up for her first game, with her biggest fan by her side (well, maybe third biggest fan): The first play didn't go so well. As soon as the ball moved, she ran straight for Daddy crying. He gave her a little pep talk... ...as did Coach Tiffany Then something clicked and on the very next play, she took off with the ball... ...and SCORED!!!!
Then she ran straight into the arms of a very happy and proud Daddy! After that, there was no turning back! I had NO IDEA how competitive and really good four year olds could be! I thought it was going to be a free-for-all, but they really knew (for the most part) what they were supposed to do. It was awesome, and a morning that I will always remember. The game was pretty long, and toward the end KK got a little tired. (You can always tell when the hair twirling begins.) Tired or not, she played to the end and I'm pretty sure had fun too! We're very proud of you TLK!!!

We partied with Chuck E!

2009-08-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

Expanding on the advertising thing, after repeatedly seeing the commercial that convinced KK there was only one place on Earth "where a kid can be a kid," she requested to have her playgroup birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. Then she said, "They have air conditioning, and you won't have to clean up!" Well, that sealed the deal. (Okay, maybe those were my ideas - but either way, I was convinced that this was a brilliant idea!) It was a fun party, in a place where even a grown up can be a kid!

The "Princess Rainbow" cake
Thanks for the fun party, Chuck E! We'll see you soon!

Silly Rabbit, Trix are for...Birthdays!

2009-08-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

One of the bonuses of watching Noggin every morning while mommy and daddy get ready for work is you get all kinds of ideas. For example, Trix Swirls and Cocoa Puffs are a great and healthy way to start the day! And you really should have your birthday party "Where a kid can be a kid!" As far as I'm concerned, the money that these companies spend on their commercials is worth it, because KK fell for all of it...and convinced us grown-ups that these were good ideas, too!

Grandpa Kevin invited KK to his house for a birthday breakfast...

...and fulfilled her gift request for the yummiest breakfast food of all time:

Trix Swirls or Cocoa Puffs may become a birthday tradition, but they will not become a staple breakfast food in this house. It will, however, give KK a little something extra to look forward to every August! : )

How do you know someone is a REALLY big girl?

2009-08-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

She has her very own, brand new, super shiny library card. And she couldn't be more proud! In addition to a pile of books, KK picked out two movies to borrow to break in her new card: Toy Story 2 and A Bug's Life. They are already overdue. I have a feeling that the trip to the library to return them is not going to go very well. Sometimes being a big girl isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it? It's a good thing our town has a well stocked library so we can continue to practice the concept of borrowing! ; )

Summer Staycation: Part II

2009-08-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

After three nights in Glenwood, we headed north to spend the next four nights in Steamboat Springs. We took a largely untraveled (and partially unpaved) road along the Colorado River. There was one "town" along the way and this was the sign for the gas station. We never actually saw the gas station though. Strange. Wonder how old the sign is?!?!? In Steamboat there was more swimming in hot springs...
And some golfing...
Hey wait! I think we forgot someone?!? Daddy had a meeting one morning, so KK and I went to Gondola Square, where they had lots of activities for kids. After jumping in the "Funny Farm" KK and I took a ride on the Gondola and just had lots of fun hiking and playing around on the top of the mountain.
(This one is for you, Grandma Bobbie!)
It turned out that Uncle Ray and Aunt Joyce were also visiting friends in Steamboat. We met their lovely friends and joined them for dinner, the rodeo, and a bike ride the following morning.
KK turned out to be our little star as she participated in her very first rodeo event: The Under 5 Ram Scramble! "Rambo" was the ram they were trying to catch the ribbon from and he was a pretty fast little fella. You can barely see him in the video - he wasn't very interested in being caught. (I can't say I blame him!) Oh! And KK is the one in the purple jacket and khaki pants, starting the event on her hands and knees in the mud!

We celebrated on a few different evenings with ice cream. Yummy!
Finally, as we headed for home on our little girl's 4th birthday, we enjoyed a beautiful wildflower hike together near Rabbit Ears pass. What a beautiful day, and a special week for all of us.

Summer Staycation: Part I

2009-08-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to the mountains for a summer "staycation" and enjoyed all that our beautiful state has to offer. Other than hotel reservations, we had no schedule, no agenda, and no specific plans. We had one of the best weeks ever! We spent the first three nights/four days in Glenwood Springs at the Hotel Colorado, right across the street from Glenwood Hot Springs. All three of us turned into fish!

We went on a long bike ride through Glenwood Canyon, stopping to do a little exploring, raft and train watching, and flower picking.
We spent the last day at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. It was a small amusement park, but had so many fun things to do! Highly recommended if you're ever in Glenwood!
KK loved the "Giddy Up" ride, and after Mommy's fourth ride she had to turn it over to Daddy. He lasted through one. Sluicing for gemstones...
...and then she found a much easier way in the gift shop!
Lunch with a view of Glenwood and the canyon.
We really wanted to stay in Glenwood longer and take a side trip to Aspen and the Maroon Bells, but there just wasn't enough time to do everything. We weren't too sad, though, because we were only half done with our vacation. There was more fun yet to come!

To be continued...

She's Four!

2009-08-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

*
I hope her bare legs run free
Through the meadow and the forest
And that she will always be
Feeling good and without distress.

This is for my baby,
This is for my love,
For that little lady
Smiling like an angel from above,
This is for my baby,
Who's not so little anymore,
Wouldn't you know it,
She's four!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL GIRL!!!

(*Lyrics by Amy Brockman)

KK and J at the Zoo

2009-07-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we met our friends Laurie and J for our annual birthday trip to the zoo. It was a hot day, but we had a great time! Our show-off peacock friend was excited to put on a show for the kids again this year. And we met a very inquistive Gorilla. Thank goodness for thick glass; he was handsome but kind of scary. J was our official navigator and took care of the map so we wouldn't get lost. Every year gets more and more fun! Thanks for the special day Laurie and J!

You are my Sunshine

2009-07-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Auntie Sunshine came to visit us for a long weekend; it was great to have her here and I wish she would come back every weekend. Or just move in. And bring the boys.

We spent a night in Denver and saw Dr. Horrible and Serenity (movies by Joss Whedon, the guy who wrote Toy Story and Auntie Sunshine's soul mate) and then strolled the mall with our cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. We were both a bit confused by the cow art downtown -- do cows really have both horns AND udder bags? Hmmmmm.... The next day we drove to Estes Park and were pleasantly surprised that a Scandinavian Festival was going on. KK magically turned in to a Scandinavian butterfly.
That afternoon we went to ride the aerial tramway, but it was so crowded they had to close early and we didn't make it on. So, we went back again the next day and hung out up in the mountains. Thanks for coming to visit, Auntie Sunshine!!! We can't wait to see you again - here, there, or anywhere!

Tappin' the summer away

2009-07-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

This summer the only "official" activity we signed KK up for was a 6 week creative movement and tap class. She loved the first class, but the second class was a little challenging. When all of the kids put those shoes on and start tapping at the same time, the sound is enough to drive anyone crazy. KK wasn't loving it, and stood with her fingers in her ears or sat to the side of the class for most of the session. Of course this was the only class I brought a camera to. That seemed to be the only class she didn't love, and since then she has participated happily. She loves the teacher, Mrs. B, and runs back to give her a hug about five times after each class. I think she is a beautiful little dancer, even when her fingers are in her ears!

Father's Day Camping

2009-07-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

We climbed some altitude over Father's Day weekend and went camping with our playgroup friends. Last year when we planned the same trip we had 30 degree weather and snow (in AUGUST!) and ended up snuggled in a cabin. While we still had a great time last year, this year we got to do all of the things we had hoped to do on a camping trip. Hiking, fishing, stargazing, cooking over the open fire, sleeping under the stars...it was grrrreat! 10 adults and 10 kids under the age of four - it doesn't get much more fun than that! With the announcement of a set of twins arriving in our playgroup this fall, next year the grown ups will be outnumbered! Hooray!!!

Midwest Madness

2009-07-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

Back in early June KK and I spent an amazing week in the midwest. The trip started off with a good chuckle at the airport. KK was looking out the window, watching the planes and workers. She turned to me and said, "Mommy, is our plane the one with the pink lip gloss?" Indeed it was...

It was nice to be home with very little on the schedule...just hanging out and being close to family and friends. Of course that is not to say that we didn't keep busy, because busy we were!!!

Most of our time was spent at Grandma and Grandpa's getting spoiled. Uncle Rod and Auntie Shawna came over with homemade cupcakes that we decorated ourselves. Auntie Shawna doesn't waste time with your average cupcake pans, either. These were as enormous as they were delicious, Yum-o! Puppy cousin Ruby got a lot of attention from KK, and I even got to go with her to her obedience class. She is such a good puppy!

We spent an afternoon at Nickelodeon Universe with Auntie Sunshine and KK's Godcousin, Rubilicious. Dora! Boots! Diego! SpongeBob! The girls were best friends from the beginning and they had so much fun! We might have to keep a close eye on these two when they are teenagers - they've already gotten in trouble for stalking SpongeBob together. Really.

Auntie Sunshine, Jboy, Macaroni and I had dinner at the Chatterbox to celebrate birthdays. Besides the wonderful company, all I remember is dessert. Drool.
KK got her Auntie Sunshine time, too! We spent another entire afternoon at the Minnesota Children's Museum. All I can say is that place rocks!

Most importantly, we drove to South Dakota to visit our "Triple G" (Great Grandma Gladys). It was nice to see her, but hard at the same time. She is doing very well in her new home, but has become completely dependent. Completely. It was hard to see strangers (to me, anyway) feeding her meals and pretty much doing everything for her. The good news is that she is still a spunky monkey -- if anyone in the family tries to feed her she is more than happy to tell them where to go. Thanks to the 'strangers' she has gained almost 20 pounds and is back in the triple digits for weight. I love her so much.

Since Great Grandma is in a home now, we had the privilege of staying with my mom's best girlfriend from high school. Ida and her husband Mark live in a GORGEOUS farmhouse in the very very northwest corner of Iowa. We had a bonfire and s'mores, KK and Grandma got a little wild four-wheeling, and KK made all kinds of new friends on the farm!

(The frog got many kisses, but alas, never turned into a prince...)

It was another wonderful visit, and next time we aren't waiting so long to go back. September...20 year high school reunion...wow.

It just might be time for a haircut...

2009-07-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

...and as soon as I find time to make that happen, I'll also post updates on our very busy summer, including:

- Our exciting Minnesota/South Dakota/Iowa trip (KK can now say "Uff da!" without prompting AND in context.)

- Our awesome Father's Day Weekend Camping Trip with 10 adults and 10 children under the age of 4. (We survived this year, but next year the adults will be outnumbered.)

- The results of KK's enrollment in a ballet/tap class (she LOVES loud music, but 10 children in tap shoes apparantly scares the hell out of her.)

- An amazing adventurous weekend with the amazing and adventurous Auntie Sunshine! (Follow the link if you want the update early...because it might be a few days before I get that far!)

Finally....Meet "Ben"

2009-06-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

Originally known as...Big Red!
Ben, or "Big Red" as he was known a year ago, was the last puppy to find his home. I cried like a baby. It was then that I knew for sure we wouldn't be bringing a puppy into our family. I was so sad, but we could not be happier that Benny was lucky enough to go to such a loving family! We are also fortunate to get updates on Ben often, since we see his family on a regular basis.

From Pat & Jen:

Benny Boom Boom is one of the smartest dogs I’ve met. He is gentle, playful and has such a great personality. He is another playmate for the boys. He likes to play “hide the kibble” all over the house and use his sniffer to find all the pieces. I’ve bought him several dog puzzles and it doesn’t take him long to figure them out! Notice the picture of him and Bella how WET Bella’s ears are, Benny chews on her ears constantly so her ears are always wet with kinked hair. It’s so funny to watch, and she just sits there and lets him chew! They are wonderful together, sometimes mischievous, but so stinking cute.

So there they are...all nine! I hope you enjoyed meeting all of the Bailey/Boston pups. They are happy, healthy, and thriving with their families. Thank you for sharing their stories with us, everyone. And thank you for loving them as much as we do!

Meet "Zamboni"

2009-06-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

Originally known as...Whiner!
When I sent the request to get stories and updates on the puppies, I received these replies from Zamboni's family:

From Jeff:
"I’ve passed on your email to Helen.
She deals with Zamboni more than I.
I’m trying to repair the lawn he destroyed.
Hope all is well!"

From Helen:
"Not sure if Jeff's got back to you yet, but I'll give him a nudge. No, Zamboni is actually better with Jeff--he's the Alpha male for sure. He's not very obedient with me at all, but he is helping me with patience...ha ha. Oh well...time will heal all wounds. And lawns!"

I was a little worried, but then Helen sent me this adorable picture of Zamboni and his boy:
I think Zamboni has probably been forgiven for the lawn. : )

Meet "Harper"

2009-06-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

Originally known as...Goldie!
Harper is a sweet little girl who we have been able to see often since she joined her family. She and BuddyBuddy (her dad) were the site supervisors at a construction project that our families worked on together. They did a great job of keeping everyone in line!
Harper loves to ride around with John in his truck as he travels around town. When John's daughter goes away to college, we're told Harper will get to go with her.

One of many special things about Harper: she has the most beautiful eyelashes ever! They are SO long and frame her pretty brown eyes perfectly. She just might be the life of the college parties with eyes like these! ; )

Meet "Wrigley"

2009-06-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Originally known as...Big Pink!
I think Wrigley's story is the most romantic, as he was a surprise gift from Ryann to Bryce for their wedding. So sweet!

From Ryann & Bryce:

Wrigley is doing great. He's getting pretty big. Last time I weighed him he was a little over 50 lbs. He has already destroyed quite a bit of stuff including the backyard and the carpet in the living room but I guess that is what puppies do. We're hoping he grows out of that stage soon. Wrigley has a ton of energy and loves to swim. We can't keep him out of the water at Ryann's parents house. When we let him outside he immediately runs to the dock and jumps off. Wrigley is also a really smart dog. He can already do several fun tricks. I think his favorite trick is the "roll over." That is his go to trick when he gets excited for a treat. He also does a pretty good "play dead." If I point at him and say bang Wrigley will flop down on his side and lay still. He also is very photogenic. If you tell him to pose for a picture he will turn his head to the side like he's getting ready for a glamour shot. That has been very fun!

Wrigley also gets to spend quite a lot of time with his brother Cayson. They are a lot like my brother and I when we were kids... constantly fighting. On Sunday nights it seems like they wrestle each other all evening until they are both exhausted. Maybe they will grow out of that stage too!

One of the funniest stories about Wrigley was when he was a very little puppy. This was before I even knew that Ryann and I would be getting Wrigley. At the time we were just watching him one morning for fun. Wrigley kept running in to the screen door to the backyard trying hard to get outside. Each time he ran in to the screen he would try again by backing up a little bit further to get a bigger head start. This went on for several minutes with Ryann and I watching and laughing. We finally stopped paying attention for a second and before we knew it Wrigley dropped a big "pile" right on the carpet. We laughed some more and thought we probably deserved that one. It's not like he didn't let us know that he wanted to go outside!

The biggest downside of having Wrigley is that he has not brought any good luck to the Chicago Cubs. In fact, they are playing worse this year. I thought that by naming him Wrigley he might bring some good luck. That hasn't happened so far but that's ok. It's not his fault. There's always next year!

Isn't that the sweetest picture?!?! Everyone loves a Golden, even a Pit Bull mix!!!

Meet "Logan"

2009-06-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Originally known as...Nudie! From Kathi & Marc:

It's hard to believe Logan & her litter mates will be 1 year old this week. Logan loves to chase balls, chase & wrestle Tugger (our 2 1/2 year old blonde Golden). We have a feeling Logan will enjoy the water, although we haven't taken her to the lake. She constantly plays in her water bowl outside or inside. She watches the birds from our deck & makes unsuccessful attempts to catch them. She has been a digger & chews our bushes, but hasn't chewed up anything inside. She weighs 51 lbs as of last Thursday at the Vet. It'd be fun to get together with everyone & see what the pups think of each other! Hope everyone is enjoying their Bailey/Boston pups as much as we are! Pictures were taken Thursday, May 14.

What a pretty girl! Maybe someday she'll catch a bird, just like her good ol' dad. Thanks for sharing your stories Kathi & Marc!

Meet "Buckley"

2009-06-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Originally known as...Purple! (updated with correct puppy pic!)
This is Jenna, proud owner of Buckley (aka the Hamburglar). Well, what can I say, when you asked for a story, so many came to mind. Buckley is quite the character. When he was only a few months old, I was taking him for a walk around the park when we stumbled upon the lake. At the first sight of water, Buckley could hardly contain himself. With lightning speed, he wiggled out of his collar and was swimming laps around the pond before I could even fathom what had just happened. You could say he took a joy ride in the lake. As I was frantically looking around to see if any passers by had noticed this incident, I called for Buckley to come (a command we were still working on) and much to my surprise he stopped swimming around the lake, and excitedly dashed toward me, his fur dripping wet. Needless to say, it was quite the experience trying to get Buckley’s collar back on without getting drenched in wet dog. This was the moment I realized that it is not a clean job to be a dog owner and my life and house would never be the same.

You might be wondering how Buckley got his nickname (the Hamburglar). Well, it was a cold winter night. I had decided to make chili. I took a pound of hamburger out of the freezer and began to thaw it. I chopped some onions and put them in the frying pan. I opened the package of hamburger and placed it in the pan with the onions so I could brown it. I went to the sink and washed my hands (I always practice safe food handling). When I turned around to cook the hamburger, I noticed it wasn’t in the pan. I thought to myself, where did I put it? I had taken it out of the package hadn’t I? Then, it dawned on me when I heard the scamper of paws on the wood floor. I turned to face Buckley who was staring at me with wide eyes, tail wagging, and a pound of hamburger hanging from his jowls. Yes, Buckley had nabbed the hamburger right from the pan. He saw an opportunity and he took it. I should have been furious, but I had to smile, it’s hard to resist those puppy brown eyes.

Thanks for putting all the stories together. I am excited to read them! It has truly been a joy to have Buckley in our lives. Attached are some pictures of him.

What a handsome boy! Geoff had also mentioned that in Buckley's first few weeks at home his nickname was "Buttwheat", given to him by some neighbor kids who found 'Buckley' a little hard to say. : ) Thanks for your stories, Jenna! We are so thrilled that Buckley is in a happy home!

Meet "Indi"

2009-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

Originally known as...Indi (indigo blue)!
From Kirsten:

Indi is doing well, he loves to chew toilet paper off the roll in the bathroom, or steal the roll if he can and tear it up in the back yard – how fun is that??? He also LOVES to play ball, in fact he lives for it. He is very loving and will out of the blue jump in your lap for a snuggle, but since he is a pup he is gone as fast as he appears and back to playing ball. He is the messiest drinker in my house which has made me fully aware that wearing socks in the kitchen is a bad idea LOL. I wouldn’t trade him for the world! I love him as much as my other 2 kids and he has fit right in to the family. He has started his obedience training, and a little bit of tracking. I am supposed to get together with Sandy [Boston's trainer] when she gets back from Texas to start birds.

When I saw this picture, I nearly fell off my chair. Indi is the spitting image of his Daddy, from his color to his eyes, to the shape of his head and ears, to the curls on his back and his tail feathers. Such a beautiful boy! I have no doubt that Sandy will fall in love with her 'Boss Man's' son! We're looking forward to hearing all about Indi's career!

Meet "Sunny Fairway"

2009-05-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

Originally known as...Sunny! From Pam:

Sunny Fairway Cherokee Bear (her official AKC name) is the girl who loves to play, and when I say play I mean play. She really doesn’t care when, many morning’s at 2:30 she brings me her tennis ball.

Fairway has the opportunity to play with her brother Indi (Indiana) on many occasions. Indi’s mom, Kirsten takes Fairway tracking each Friday and then a fun play day follows with her brother. She rests and sleeps much better after her play days.

She loves to bring in sticks, logs, and branches from outside and then eat them. I thought that she wouldn’t be able to bring in the big stuff from outside. However, she figured it out quite quickly. She really likes to chew on just about anything!

She is the best girl ever and a joy to have as a roommate. She is very spoiled needless to say!

Sunny and brother Indi:

Meet "Cayson"

2009-05-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Originally known as...Cayson. : )

From Jill and Geoff:

Life With Nine Dogs, Now Life With Two Dogs!

This is something I never thought we would do-EVER! After all, one year ago when Bailey gave birth to her nine little pups we were also chasing after a 7 month old baby. Nothing can explain the experience of watching little lives come into this world and witnessing Mama Bailey knowing just what to do.

It was an anxious early morning when Bailey gave birth to the first pup shortly after midnight. The first half of the pups seemed to come one right after another. We had an assembly line of delivery, cutting the cord, weighing them, identifying, and putting the squirmy fuzzies under a heat lamp with their other brothers and sisters. Then there was a two hour break before the last four were delivered - the last one being around 9:00am. 9 puppies in all! Holy Moley we did it!

All were marked with different colored string so we could know who's who, except the last one who had no collar. We fondly called her "Nudie" because we only had 8 colors of string. Looking back the two months we took care of the puppies, it went by in a flash. It was a whirlwind of soiled newspapers, weighing puppies every 2 days, giving them baths every day, and I've never gone through more Clorox wipes in my life! We had lots of help from family and friends who would visit them, help us with the maintenance, and gave the puppies lots of love. By the time they were 7-8 weeks old they were an ambunctious bunch and traveled all in one tumbling herd. They loved exploring our backyard! One by one they left us to live in wonderful loving homes.

I have to admit though - I felt symptoms of "empty nest" and a weird sense of quiet settled over the house. I know Geoff felt the same. We were down to two little boy pups. One I was determined to keep because he had a big white spot on his chest and also seemed to snuggle with Geoff constantly. The other puppy we were keeping for Ryann to surprise Bryce on his wedding day. These two brothers became Cayson and Wrigley. Cayson became the new permanent addition to our household. He has been a joy and a terror all in one. I don't know how many times Geoff and I had the conversation, "We're fed up with the chewing! Maybe we need to find him another home!" These words were said often in anger, desperation, or through my tears over something Cayson ate or demolished. Thank God we never followed through!

Cayson is a part of our family. Though he is night and day different than his mom Bailey, he is a snuggly, loving dog. Most importantly our daughter Addy absolutely adores him! They have a special bond and it very cute to watch Addy climb on Cayson, give him hugs, lay on him, and play together. He's the dog that likes to climb inside her playhouse and give her big wet "hit and run" kisses as I like to call them.

Cayson's big downfall is his separation anxiety when we leave. Here's where the "terror" part comes in. He literally destroys everything and will take anything in reach through the doggie door. Later we'll find it in pieces in the middle of yard. He's taken 2 tv remotes, rugs, coffeepot, Addy's sippy cups, wine bottles, steak knives, toys, books, curtains, bills, & money (I'm sure I'm leaving things out). Not to mention he gave our deck a new look by tearing off the lattice, chewing on the ends of the deck and manicured our yard by eating grape vines and tree limbs. I can honestly say life with two dogs, okay just Cayson, is an adventure.

Mama Bailey is still our sweet natured dog and has mellowed out a lot in one year. Her eyes look much older and wiser and she moves a little slower. She puts up with a lot between Cayson and Addy, but she is still our reliable wonderful dog. Bailey and Cayson play really well together and Cayson puts some spring back in Bailey's step. We know Cayson has had lots of mishaps in his first year of life but when we're with him he brings us so much joy. He has become known in our householdand "Cayson Buddy", "Mr. Gentleman", and to Addy (now 19 months) it's, "Caaaaayson. Caaaaayson come!"

Cayson
Cayson and Mama Bailey
Mama Bailey

May her dreams stay big

2009-05-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday KK was promoted at preschool from the 3 year old class to the 4 year old class. If the heavens opened and dropped the perfect preschool into our lap, it would be the one we have found for KK. We are blessed to have found a school where there is no doubt that the teachers and staff truly love each of the children. Thank you for a wonderful year, Ms. Joanna, Ms. Alisa, and Ms. Michelle! KK loves you!!!!
At the end of the promotion ceremony they played a video of the kids asking each of them what they wanted to be when they grow up. KK's answer: "I want to be a puppy and a horse. And a kitty too!" "Why?" "Because I want to be those aminals!" They showed a million precious photos from the school year to the songs "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts and "Let Them Be Little" by Lonestar. The words couldn't be more perfect.

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
and each road leads you where you want to go,
and if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' 'til you find the window,
if it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,
But more than anything, more than anything...

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but you never forget,
all the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
and you help somebody every chance you get.
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
and you always give more then you take.
But more than anything, Yeah, and more than anything...

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah this, is my wish.
So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give 'em praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let them sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

We also have a birthday to celebrate today! Happy birthday Joe, we love you!!!! (You'll always be little to me! xoxo)

Out with a splash

2009-05-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

(The puppy posts will be delayed for a couple of days...I hadn't realized that we had so much going on this week. They'll be worth waiting for, promise.)

Today, KK had both her last dance class and last swimming lesson for the season. Her swimming in particular has improved SO MUCH over the past couple of months, thanks to her incredible teacher. Meghan is so wonderful, I wish she could just move in with us because I'm pretty sure she could get KK to eat more than ants (see previous post). She has turned our girl into a little fish who is so happy in the water that I have a heck of a time getting her out. Thanks Meghan, you rock!

Tomorrow morning we have KK's preschool "promotion ceremony" from the 3 year old to the 4 year old class. Holy smokes, we're going to have a FOUR YEAR OLD!

Trying not to blink

2009-05-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid summer might disappear in two shakes of a lamb's tail this year! The weeks are already flying by, even though it seems the snow just melted days ago. We have planted zero flowers and done zero yard work. I hope the weather is nice next weekend.

For Mother's Day, KK's preschool held a Mother's Day tea, and the kiddos sang this little number for us (Grandma K and Auntie Sunshine, you'll appreciate this one!)

On Mother's Day weekend we paid visit to cousin C's house to see Grandma M and to play. It was a perfectly relaxing day. We went to the park for our traditional "toss in the air on Mother's Day" photo. This might be the last year I can do this - she's only gained a few pounds since last year, but it seemed like 20! Daddy is working with KK on learning to ride a bike. (Thanks for the loan, cousin C!) For some reason, this just isn't her thing and she is still showing very little interest. We'll keep working on it. KK isn't interested in riding a bike, but she does have a few outdoor interests. And now I know why she is never hungry and doesn't eat much. She and a neighbor boy were squatting down on the sidewalk the other day. I noticed she was eating something. "What are you eating KK???" "Ants." So there you have it.

This was a busy birthday weekend. Today we wish a happy birthday to KK's cousin H, We love you sweet girl! We also celebrated Uncle Ray's birthday with a party today.

Speaking of birthdays, there are nine furry little birthdays coming up soon. Watch for updates on the B/B puppies!!!! I hope to post one update per day for 9 days, beginning on May 21. I thought they were cute a year ago...wait until you see them now!

Vegas = Grandma time!

2009-05-04T14:00:00.001-07:00

Daddy and I went to Vegas last weekend for a wedding. KK stayed home and partied with Grandma K and a couple of Grandma's friends, and boy did they have fun! During the four days we were gone, we didn't worry even once because we knew that things were going great here at home. We completely relaxed and it was awesome. Someone even snapped a picture of me sound asleep at the pool, looking passed out with lopsided sunglasses and probably a little bit of drool (I won't zoom in close enough to see if they caught that!) I will not post that picture here, no way. Instead, here are some pics from the wedding weekend.

Hanging out at the Green Valley Ranch pool, where we spent the majority of the weekend
We look so well behaved here, but a few hours later it was a much different story... It was a bit windy during the ceremony, so getting their candle lit warranted a high five! Julie and Dean The gang with Julie and Dean (that's the Vegas strip in the background. We had so much fun at GVR, we never even made it to the strip!) The only time I wasn't completely relaxed was during an 80's metal hair band concert we snuck into (Steel Panther). I left halfway through, proof positive that I am getting old!

We had a wonderful weekend, and as you can see KK didn't miss us one little bit:

Congratulations, Julie and Dean! And Grandma....thank you for everything. xoxoxox

Apparently I have a crush.

2009-04-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor today because of a lingering sinus infection. KK came with me and listened to all of the sinus talk between me and the doc. Right before bedtime we watched Americ@n Idol (we heart Adam!!!!), then did bath and stories. On most nights I'll lay down with KK and snuggle with her for a song or two before heading downstairs. Tonight, though, the pressure in my face was just too annoying so I told KK I didn't feel good and we would snuggle tomorrow at naptime. She replied, "You don't feel good because you have a Simon Affection, right Mama?" Um, well, actually...call me crazy, but there is something that I do find appealing about Simon. I usually agree with what he has to say - I just don't always like the way he says it. I'd say my girl knows her Mama pretty well! ; )

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely and quiet Easter weekend. We went to church on Saturday evening, and then this morning we enjoyed brunch, an egg hunt, and lots of visiting with various Easter Bunnies. (And a sweet pony, too.) Remember when I said lots of visiting? The poor Easter bunny was exhausted from hiding eggs all night, but KK was not going to let him catch a break! For weeks, KK had been hoping that the Easter Bunny would leave the movie "Kung Fu Panda" in her basket. This morning, she came into our room very excited to let us know that the Easter Bunny had hidden eggs all around our house!!! We snuggled in bed for a while waiting for Daddy and Buddy to get home from their walk. After a minute or so she said, "Mom, the Easter Bunny didn't leave me Kung Fu Panda." And then (sweetly, but rather unconvincingly), "But that's okay. I really didn't want him to anyway." For a moment I felt sad for her, and was surprised she had only peeked in the basket without touching anything. When Daddy got home we went to check out what Easter Bunny had left. Lo and behold, there tucked behind the boring swimsuit and socks was... ...which explains the hugs Easter Bunny got all morning!!!

We hope you had a blessed Easter filled with love and happy surprises!

More snow fun

2009-04-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

We haven't had much snow this winter, but we're trying to enjoy what is left of it. Cousin C had a birthday, and to celebrate we spent a weekend at a cabin near a tubing hill. As you can see, the "snow" conditions at the hill were a little desperate, but we really had a great time!
A few days after our tubing efforts we got a decent blizzard, so we took advantage of that too. The kids built snow people in the front yard, used their own hats, and named them after themselves. So cute!
Now? I'm ready for sunshine and swimming pools!

Ski Bums

2009-04-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, Daddy got a call from a friend inviting him and KK to go skiing. He was bringing his daughter who is also one of KK's best friends. Daddy and KK were both pretty excited about the idea, although KK had no idea what was in store for her.
These two girls could go anywhere together and have a great time. Here they are, practicing their "Ski Diva" poses. Thank goodness for Ski School... ...she was finally able to stand up! Looking very happy on her "Magic Carpet Ride" Daddy and his girl Although I was told there were a few tears now and then, she still talks about how much fun she had and how she'd like to go again. We might get lucky enough to squeeze in one more trip before summer - in any case, I think next year is going to be filled with lots of Daddy and KK time on the slopes!

Little Things, Big Girl

2009-03-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

One thing is for certain - Auntie Sunshine has KK all figured out! Recently she sent KK a collection of little glass animals. They are teeny tiny which means they are perfect for our girl. The horse, ladybug and ducky are her absolute favorite. They are well traveled little animals, going everywhere KK does and they fit perfectly in her pocket so they can keep her company all the time. While she has a thing for all things tiny, there isn't much tiny about KK anymore. She's a big girl, through and through! Princess t-shirt also from Auntie Sunshine. Thank you for all of the gifts you have been sending, she loves every single thing -- and we love YOU too!

No leprechauns allowed!

2009-03-17T23:55:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day from our very Irish girl, who had a very Irish dinner of.......Tortellini. I considered using food coloring to "green up" her food, or at least her milk, and blame it on a mischievious leprechaun. Unfortunately, she is not exactly fond of those little sprites. Last week a leprechaun visited her classroom while the kids were in the gym and moved all of the furniture around. She was fascinated by this, and talked about it all afternoon. Then bedtime came and she decided she was "NEVER GOING BACK TO THAT SCHOOL AGAIN!!!" She was terrified to be alone and wouldn't even close her eyes, let alone fall asleep. I tried to explain that leprechauns were just pretend, and sometimes we make up stories about them - just like how we make up stories about Shrek. "But Shrek isn't pretend! HE IS REAL!!!" Ummmm, oh yeah. Ooops. A couple of nightmares later, and all seemed forgotten. This week is spring break...we'll see how the first day back at school goes next week. Hopefully there will be no further leprechaun antics!!!

Happy Birthday to Cousin C - we are very excited to see you this weekend!

The future is bright after all

2009-03-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

Even after reading and watching the news, I am reminded every single day that there is a brighter future in store for this world after all.
Here she is.
Thank you for the cute tee Auntie Sunshine!!! xoxox

KK and J: A Love Story

2009-03-01T23:04:00.000-08:00

A few months into my pregnancy with KK, I met another wonderful mommy-to-be. We were exactly one week apart in due dates and became great friends and support to one another as we waited for our little bundles of joy. We had lots of relaxing lunches and shopping trips together, and she correctly predicted the genders of our little ones. Once it was confirmed (by their arrivals, both of them ten days late and exactly one week apart) we started the wedding planning!

Not really obviously, but we still like to joke about it. No matter what happens in the future, little J will always be KK's first boyfriend! xoxo We love you guys!

Snow Bunnies

2009-03-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to Eagle-Vail to visit some friends who recently moved there. Not only was it fun just to visit, but there was also a bowling birthday party involved...and we know how KK loves a bithday party! (Birthday girl in the middle.)

To make things even better, we stayed overnight and went sledding the next morning. I had forgotten how fun sledding was! The views were amazing and the weather couldn't have been more beautiful - we all even got a little sunburn on our cheeks. Daddy and KK looked pretty cute in their matching pink hats.

Here are some pictures of our friends who graciously shared their home with us this weekend.

Thank you for the fun weekend, guys! We love you!

When we got home, KK had a package waiting for her from Grandpa D that contained this... She put it on immediately and wanted to wear it to bed! Thank you Grandpa, she loves it!!!

Love-Love

2009-02-21T21:20:00.001-08:00

I guess I better start learning some tennis vocabulary. KK started lessons as part of her preschool program, and she seems to like it. She just finished a six week session, and will have one more before the end of the school year. I peeked in on her last lesson and it was amazing to see such little kids actually hitting the ball. It was also blue day and teddy bear picnic day, so I caught some cute images with her and one of her little school friends.

The best things come in small packages

2009-02-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

We hope you had a sweet Valentine's Day! After all of the partying we've done over the past couple of weeks, we decided to stay in and just "be" over the weekend. We invited Addy over for a Valentine playdate, and KK and her "sister" had a wonderful time. Whenever asked if she has siblings, KK will matter of factly reply, "Yes, I have a little sister. Her name is Addy." and she says it with such mellow conviction that everyone believes it. (Really, we are all sisters and brothers, right?) One thing is certain: KK adores Addy! It's not hard to see why, she IS adorable!!!!

KK's quirky love-of-all-things-little is still in full force. She continues to line things up and organize them, and she almost always has something tiny in her hand. Her favorites will change often, but she has a few things that are classics. A Belle keychain (without the chain) from Auntie Sunshine, ribbiting frog and oinking pig flashlight keychains from Auntie Shawna (often found clipped together), and a smooth rock that she swiped out of a vase from the dining room table. She refers to them as her babies. I've captured a few pictures of the way I've found these "babies" over the past couple of days. (That is a dryer sheet that I asked her to throw away for me.)
Then there was the case of the missing ponies. This is what we call the little rubber bands we use for her hair. I just bought a case of them a couple of days ago, and mysteriously one entire color had disappeared, plus some of the others.
Generally I wouldn't care or worry that they were missing, but since we have so many babies visit our house I didn't want them laying around. I started to hunt, and pretty soon I spotted them. I guess KK's rocking horse needed a pony (or fifty) too! There were so many and they were on so tight, I had to gently saw them off with a scissor. She is quite a kid.

Speaking of babies and small packages - Cousin C is going to be a big brother! Congratulations to him, Uncle Ry and Auntie Kar! We can't wait to have another baby in the family!

Happy 40th Birthday Daddy!

2009-02-08T00:27:00.000-08:00

The past week has been a fun and continuous celebration of Daddy's big milestone birthday. Last Saturday he and KK went to the Butterfly Kisses Ball. This was their second father/daughter dance together. This time some friends joined them and it sounds like they all had lots of fun. I love sending K and Daddy off together all dressed up. They were absolutely adorable!
I already mentioned the surprise party, which was awesome. Daddy got a good roasting from several friends - hysterical! I have sooo many pictures from that night, I'll just post the roasters. ; ) On Daddy's actual birthday (Friday) KK got to have another sleepover with her cousin C while Daddy and I went to dinner with good friends. It would be an understatement to say we over-indulged ourselves with "birthday spirits." Lets just say that by Saturday morning we were showing our age, and it wasn't pretty. The time with friends was worth it, though! Finally, as his gift KK and I got daddy something unique and special: an indoor skydiving session! KK was supposed to "dive" too, but she was tired and said she didn't want to. That was, of course, until Daddy went in to the waiting chamber and she begged to join him. Unfortunately it was too late, she wasn't geared up, so Daddy experienced it on his own. It looked really fun, and he was great at it! He only took one tumble (which I managed to catch on the camera), but he recovered really quickly. The room that they dive in actually goes up two stories into a tunnel. I couldn't get a good picture though, because when they went up it was dark and I got glare from the glass. It was so fun to watch, and Daddy really liked it. Maybe we'll try it again someday, and KK and I will give it a try too (cause I'll never do it for real)!!!
Happy birthday Daddy! We hope your day was as special as you are. You mean the world to us and we love you!! xoxoxo

Lamest post ever.

2009-02-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

There will be no pictures today, just some random whining and a summary of the craziest weekend we've had in a long time. Feel free to stop reading now if you'd like.

The craziness really started on Wednesday when I woke up to a blaring alarm clock, jumped out of bed, hung a hard right and crashed into the wall. I got back into bed, and then it happened again. I thought I was just having major headrushes from getting up too fast. Then I got up to get breakfast ready for KK, and my body had other plans. I felt like I was walking through an angry mob of people, each person pushing me in a different direction. Add that to the feeling of having been on a rollercoaster for three. hours. straight. Something was wrong, and I freaked. I managed to get to the phone and call Daddy, who came home to a puking terrified wife on the brink of losing consciousness. Off to the ER we went. All that drama, and it appears all I had was a retracted membrane in my left inner-ear. Whatever that means. One day later, and I was much better. Thank God, because this was not a good weekend to be sick!

Friday: A chili/soup party at our house with our playgroup families. 11 adults and 11 kids three & under. A super fun and super crazy night!

Saturday: A surpise party for Daddy who is turning the big FOUR-OH on Friday. I can't believe it -- we actually surprised him. He had no idea. We had more people at this party than we had at our wedding, and it was awesome!

Sunday: A small Super Bowl gathering of good friends to help us clean up all the leftover food from Friday and Saturday. We still have a ton - anyone want to come over??? We'd love to have you!

We will order a new computer this week! Pictures will follow shortly after...

Breaking away from the dust bunnies

2009-01-23T00:18:00.001-08:00

Every new year, I, like many others, clean out the house and try to lighten things up in the closets and drawers. This year I'm nesting like a woman in her eighth month of pregnancy. Except I'm not pregnant. I have spent the first month of 2009 buried in closets and drawers, loading up boxes of stuff to give away. And I'm not done yet. Does this stuff ever end??? Of course I have never had three years of baby and toddler stuff to go through. And remember those scrapbooks I vowed to get done last year? I don't even want to talk about it. Let's talk about KK instead!

She is so. much. fun. FUN FUN FUN! That is not to say that she does not challenge me to my wits end on a daily basis, but she is just so spunky and cute and says the funniest things. Like, "Hey mom. My horse?? It's FORTY POUNDS!" and "Mom, can I wear my toot toot to dance class?" Random cuteness. I love it. Since I've been buried in old Creedence Cle@rwater Revival CD's and dust bunnies, these are about the only pictures I have taken of KK since Christmas. If the last post didn't make you realize what a champ our BuddyBuddy is...witness this:

Did you notice the "bandage" on his back leg? Such a good little patient. He has his naughty moments too, though. Like when he found a Cinderella PomPom and just couldn't resist giving it a few shakes. As you can see, KK recovered it in the nick of time. Just a few more piles of stuff to go through, and then hopefully we'll be back to more regular posting. If nothing is posted in a week or two, someone please come and dig me out from under the piles of junk in the basement. That's next!

Welcome, 2009!

2009-01-05T23:22:00.000-08:00

We haven't fallen off the face of the earth; I just can't stand how slow our computer is (due to a dead memory chip and my lack of ability to delete photos even if they are backed up) so I've been avoiding turning it on. A new one should arrive shortly - we just need to place the order. I thought I better post something though, before a Grandma gets unruly. : )

The holidays were nice, but some plans needed to be rearranged. Grandma and Grandpa K were planning to fly out to spend the holidays with us, but Great-Grandma (who recently turned 90) fell and broke her hip...or more probably broke her hip and then fell. Either way, she needed surgery and Grandma and Grandpa stayed home to take care of her. She is doing okay -- she's in a rehab facility and has up days and down days, but overall she is the toughest cookie I know and is working hard to recover. I love you, Grandma.

We did get to spend quite a bit of time with Daddy's family which was very nice. Lots of dinners together and an almost raw (but not evaporated!!!) turkey. Long story. I'll save that one for another day. The good news is that nobody starved.

The holidays are over and I love this time of year. The days are getting longer, and I can almost smell spring. Okay, maybe not quite smell...but we're closer than we were a week ago! I guess I should just admit that I'm a bit of a grinch - but I'd really prefer to say that I just love Valentine's Day way more. And Easter. And President's Day. Bah Humbug. It's not that I don't like the holidays, I just don't love them. Having KK makes it all way more fun, and I think she enjoyed every moment which makes it worth it.

I believe this machine might explode if I try to download one. more. image. So, I don't have any Christmas pictures to post yet. In the meantime, here are the pictures we used for our Christmas card (hastily put together at the last minute, as always). May your 2009 be filled with Peace, Love, and...

A great big "Verry Christmas Tree!"

2008-12-23T14:26:00.001-08:00

Last week, KK was in her first Christmas program at preschool. It was adorable - she sang three songs with her class, but of course you couldn't really understand them. At least they repeated "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" with some gusto. (KK is in the back row, fourth from the right.)

After they sang, SANTA showed up for a surprise visit. Someone was very excited - you'll never guess who!

Since we couldn't really understand their songs very well, KK repeated one as a solo. Here she is, counting herself in. Have a "Verry Christmas!"

Cocoa POPS!

2008-12-21T10:05:00.001-08:00

I mean that as a verb, not a noun! I was baking for a cookie exchange and my darling little girl was being a very helpful assistant. When it was time to open the cocoa container, she was watching intently as I pulled up the foil seal. POOF! Cocoa powder exploded out in a poofy brown cloud, all over her face and hair! She took it like a champ, even though it got into her eyes, probably because Daddy and I were laughing hysterically. Here is a chocolate covered treat that won't add any pounds!

Santa x 2

2008-12-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Daddy, KK and I had the honor of having brunch with Santa. Santa was so sweet and good with K, I practically melted into the floor. She asked for a My L!ttle P0ny, and I think there is a fair chance that he will bring her one. How could he resist the wishes of a little girl who asks him for Eskimo Kisses??

On Saturday, we also visited Santa at our traditional location with KK's cousin C. This is the same place Daddy went when he was little. This year Santa was outside, and it was a bit windy and cold so we didn't stay long at all. The kids still enjoyed seeing him (and KK still wanted a My L!ttle P0ny!)

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!

Family Vacation

2008-12-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

As if we could be any luckier, KK's Grandma M provided us with the gift of airfare to Mexico for Thanksgiving week, along with KK's cousin C and his parents and Grandma herself! We all spent the week playing on the beach, swimming in the pools, eating a lot of ice cream, and drinking fruity cocktails on the sand. K had so much fun with her cousin - an entire week of playtime together with so much to do! I think it's safe to say that we all had a great time - even Daddy, who was sick for a good portion of the trip. Here are a few shots from the trip...

It's been a busy week with work, preschool, other business stuff, K's activities, decorating for the holidays, and trying to catch up with laundry full of sand. No complaints here...I wouldn't have it any other way. It's nice to have found a few moments to be back on the blog again.

Thank you for the GREAT vacation Grandma M, we hope you had as much fun as we did!!!!!

Dance, Baby, Dance

2008-11-20T23:49:00.001-08:00

This week we were finally able to get KK to a dance class! I had signed her up for several sessions a few months ago, but, for various reasons, we kept having to cancel. I was so excited that I was finally going to get some girly pictures of our little dancing queen. I was totally unprepared, however, for Miss Dance Instructor. She wouldn't even let me (or any parent) step one foot into the studio! WHA'????! Does she not understand my obsession to document every single moment of this child's life through photographs???? I will have NO PICTURES of her FIRST DANCE CLASS????? GAAAAAH!!!! As I nearly began to hyperventilate, Miss Dance Instructor shooed me off to the "magic window" on the side of the room.

The "magic window" consists of a window completely covered in colored paper, except for three less-than-two-inch holes to peek through. None of these holes happen to be at eye-level. I'm a little sore from the squat/balance/stretch/shoot routine that I had to do, but I'll be damned if I was leaving without any pictures!!! You know you're in Colorado when the dance studio has more rock climbing walls than mirrors.
Pick me! Pick me!
Checking out her heinie in the mirror!
Uh-oh! She spotted the lens! Actually I don't think she did - I'm pretty sure she just heard it thump against the magic window!Still checking herself out in the mirror. She has Daddy's concentration technique...the tongue always helps!
The magic window didn't turn out to be so bad. I was able to avoid the "red frame" for most of the shots, and except for a close call or two, K didn't even know I was there. Best of all, I was completely impressed by Miss Dance Instructor. She held the kids' attention for the entire class and every single one of them participated happily! There was a method to her madness after all. : )

Happy Sixty Years

2008-11-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

We hope you have a very special and happy birthday, Grandma Paula...we're looking forward to celebrating next week!!!

Facelift

2008-11-13T22:01:00.000-08:00

Yep I could use one, but it wasn't me that got one. It was our bathroom's turn first! Buh-bye yucky carpet and tiles falling off the walls! (I'm not posting detailed "before" pictures of the yucky tiles - way to gross!) We got some pretty new tiles and added a splash of color here and there. We like it, and best of all I am no longer worried about mold growing in the walls or water leaking to who-knows-where. Glad this project is done!

Ninety!

2008-11-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

The week before Halloween, KK and I took a little trip to the midwest because we had a very special event to celebrate...Great-grandma's 90th birthday! It was an honor for both KK and I to be there to enjoy her day, and to watch her bask in all of the birthday attention.
She is quite a lady.

The Birthday Girl

Four Generations One of the more special moments from the trip was KK and I styling Great-grandma's hair for her party. She was so happy with it, when she got tired just before the party she refused to take a nap. Instead, she sat dozing in her chair holding her head up with her hand so she wouldn't "mess it up." KK got a special gift from Great-grandma - a pretty doll to bring home. A mere blog post could never capture the personality and character of this amazing woman. I can only hope that when I am 90, I am still spunky enough to wear jammies like this! After a few days with Great-grandma, we headed to Minneapolis. We got to meet a very special girl, and the most recent addition to our family...meet Ruby - Uncle Rod's & Auntie Shawna's new puppy! KK loved to play with her, and Ruby was so good and tolerant. She wasn't quite sure of Grandma's halloween decorations though.

Of course there was a lot of playing and spoiling that occured, as always. Both KK and I felt like princesses in the new room (my old room) that Grandma remodeled and redecorated. Uncle Rod and KK playing with the dollhouse Grandma kept from her childhood.
Having fun with Auntie Shawna.KK missed the day that the firetruck visited her preschool, so we went to the firestation a few blocks from Grandma's and Grandpa's house for a visit. She thought it was the coolest thing ever! Checking out Grandma's witch with Grandpa (she was fascinated).
Visiting Grandma's office.
Fall in Minnesota = LEAVES! My camera battery died before the trip was over, so we missed pictures with Auntie Sunshine and Mac...and we didn't even get to see JBoy this trip. We'll catch him on the next one, and hopefully it will be soon!

Fairy Dust...Peee-ewww!

2008-11-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

**Sniff sniff. Do you smell something? Hmmm. Maybe I'm just imagining it.**

Halloween felt more like the Fourth of July around these parts. Growing up in Minnesota, I never had the luxury of going trick-or-treating in flip-flops. KK was able to enjoy that luxury, at least this year, and I was glad because I wasn't sure how cute the fairy princess costume would look with a jacket, sweatpants and snowboots.

Last year we managed to squeeze in a few too many Halloween activities. This year, I was not quite as ambitious. Since we just returned from a great trip to MN/SD on Thursday (more on that in a few days) we had a much quieter and more sane Halloween this year.

**SERIOUSLY! Don't you smell something??? Goodness gracious!**

I had to work on Friday so KK wore her costume to the club and apparantly had a lovely time. Then we went to Daddy's office where she got to trick-or-treat with Fancy Nancy and a Chef Frog.

Later that afternoon, we carved a jack-o-lantern.

After it got dark, KK and Daddy went on their traditional-trick-or-treating-trek through the neighborhood.

**OKAY, you MUST smell that!!!! EWWW!!!**

It stayed warm late into the evening, and after collecting her sugar loot KK got to stay outside to play with her neighborhood friends. This picture cracks me up.
**Sniff sniff sniff. A-HA! I knew that I smelled something stinky!!!**

We hope you had a safe, fun, and happy Halloween!

Pumpkins

2008-10-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had some friends in town and we took three little pumpkins to the pumpkin patch. They certainly loaded up the wagon! We spent a lot of time wandering in the patch, but KK mostly wanted to love up the pigs, goats, chickens and bunnies. It was a perfect autumn day and we all had fun.C'mere so I can give you a kiss!
Teamwork!
KK's traditional pose
The loot!

Happy Birthdays Grandpa and Uncle R!

2008-10-15T23:13:00.001-07:00

A party...and a faceplant

2008-10-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

Today we had our annual playgroup Halloween party. There was an adorable assortment of characters...Buzz Lightyear, a fireman with a dalmation, Tinkerbell, Mickey, a pumpkin, a skunk, a butterfly, and two fairy princesses. K's costume might look familiar; she wore the same outfit I took her 3 year photos in. We just added a little facepaint and spray glitter and viola! Instant fairy princess!

Today was not a stellar day for nutrition, I can assure you. For lunch, KK had a bat cupcake, mini-marshmallows, a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin, a blueberry muffin, and one bite of a carrot. And a peanut butter cup for dessert. The cupcakes K and I made were cute though!

After a short nap, KK had her first big girl swimming lesson (the kind where mommy doesn't have to get into the pool too!) She loved it and looked like such a big girl in the water without her trusted swim ring. When I told her at the start of the class that she didn't need her swim ring, her eyes were big as saucers. She braved the pool anyway, and did great!

The trip to the locker room was another story. KK had the shivers, so I wrapped her up in her towel and we headed out to get dressed. Halfway there she tripped on the non-slip mat and FACEPLANT! She was wrapped nice and warm in her towel, but she had no arms to catch herself! She bit both the inside and outside of her lip, bruised the gum above her right front tooth, and has a clear imprint of the non-slip mat on her chin and cheek! The imprint got worse after I took this picture and as the evening went on, but hopefully it won't look too bad tomorrow. It's amazing how much blood can come from such a little lip. We got ice on it right away, so it didn't swell too bad. Poor sweetie.

One, two, three, hit it!

2008-10-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

We spent part of this weekend at Grandma M's. On our way there, we picked up Cousin C and brought him with us for a sleepover. The kids play so well together, and completely wear each other out. They had lots of fun, as usual! This morning, Grandma gave them some wooden spoons and a drum and they put on a little concert. Here is one of their numbers:

Similar sounding versions of The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Hickory Dickory Dock, ABC, and Happy Birthday are also available. : )

We also want to wish Baby Addy a very happy first birthday! We celebrated with her at her duckie party last Sunday. I love this picture of her showing off her new backpack - so cute! And look at what a great walker she is already. I guess maybe we won't be able to call her Baby Addy for much longer... Happy Birthday sweet girl! xoxo

20 things I learned from my first half-marathon

2008-10-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

1) Be sure to check the driving directions to the race start before you're on your way there.

2) When you get to the start with only ten minutes to spare, pay attention to what you are doing! That way, you won't have to sprint back up a huge hill and unlock your car with the key tied to your shoe just because you FORGOT TO TAKE OFF YOUR WARM-UP PANTS. All of that hilly sprinting, and getting to the starting line two minutes late, will not make you feel very confident and you'll already be out of breath before you even get started!

3) Running beneath Crazy H0rse Monument at sunrise is so amazing, it will get you right back on track no matter how much your start sucked.

4) It's good NOT to know beforehand that these are the kind of hills you'll be running up and down for the first three miles. Some things are just better left as a surprise.
5) It's okay to slow down when you truly think the 75ish year old man running right next to you is going to fall and hurt himself after you both lost a little equilibrium on a direct turn-around on a big hill.

6) When you get to the bottom of the hill and are stabilized, you will be really pissed that you slowed down for that old guy when he sprints ahead of you at a hundred miles an hour - and then you see that he has the body of Arn0ld Schw@rzenegger.

7) Be sure to have a really good playlist so that it allows you to quickly forget about any mildly humiliating situations (see #6).

8) You shouldn't wear rings when going long distances, because around mile 6 your hands will look like they belong to the Mich*elin Man. If you do wear a ring, occasionally check to make sure your finger isn't turning purple. It is also a good idea to skip the port-a-potty stop at mile 8 only because those hands don't work very well and it's nearly impossible to pull your shorts back up.

9) If you run with your nose really, really, really high in the air, you might worry that people think you are being snobby - but, it's easier to breathe when the wind can fly straight into your nostrils.

10) Running mostly downhill is both a blessing and a curse.

11) Perfect weather is a gift. Thank you Mother Nature!!!

12) My right knee does NOT like half-marathons. At all.

13) Neither does my right second toe.

14) I was disappointed in how much I had to walk.

15) I was proud of how much I ran.

16) Immediately following the race you'll feel great...but watch out. About an hour afterward, the nausea kicks in and you feel like you are going to hurl for the rest of your life. It only lasts about an hour, and then you'll be ready for beer and nachos.

17) Going site-seeing several hours after the race is a good idea. If you don't keep moving, there is hell to pay.
18) Making it a girls trip instead of a family vacation is really, really smart. Nobody to worry about except yourself - and if you do need something, you have someone watching out for you.

19) Support from friends and family is everything. Thank you to everyone who believed that I could do it - especially my training partner Tiffany and our biggest encourager, Nikole (who placed 1st in half my time - she rocks!) Love you guys!

20) I'm not as fit as I could be, but I can still challenge myself and do something that I never expected! My goal was to finish in 3 hours. My actual chip time was 2:41:27 (which includes the dysfunctional-hands rest stop!)

Considering this was my first official race (I've walked two 5k's), and that my training was completely pathetic, I'm very happy with how I did. I didn't rank impressively, but I don't care. I had a fabulous time and I'm even considering doing it again. I have some healing to do first, and then we'll see.

Here are my stats, if anyone is interested:
Gun time: 2:43:35
Chip time: 2:41:27
Pace (average time per mile): 12:19
Division (30-39): 20 of 24
Gender: 118 of 154
Overall: 198 of 239

I think I can!

2008-10-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, my friend and I leave for SoDak for Saturday's walk/run. The plan has changed a bit and we are leaving the Dads and kiddos behind and going on our own. There are several reasons, and while we are sad our families won't be there to cheer us on, we are also looking forward to having a nice Moms' trip.

I came home tonight and found the sweetest gift from Uncle Ray, Auntie Joyce, and Anna!!! They left a bag full of power goodies and this super-adorable (and very fitting) card that says "You can do it!" on the inside... They know me well. : )

I wish I would have forced myself to find time to train better, but it is what it is. My goal is certainly not impressive to anyone who runs seriously, but it is MY goal, and if I finish at all I will feel great. And I'll feel even better if my knees still let me walk after I cross that finish line!

Celebrate good times!

2008-09-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Auntie Sunshine!

And Happy 5th Anniversary to my husband!
To celebrate our Saturday anniversary, we spent a night at The Bro@dmoor in C-Springs. So beautiful, and so relaxing. And I forgot my camera!!!!

KK got to have a sleepover with Cousin C, and she loved every second of it. They slept in sleeping bags and had a great time playing and wearing each other out. (You can see how tired K is in the video above!) Thanks again Uncle Ry and Auntie Kar! BuddyBuddy also had a good time, and we met his new "cousin." Introducing Rory, C's new puppy dog: Welcome to the family, Rory!
(pictures from Auntie Kar. Thank you!)

TEQUILA!

2008-09-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we celebrated our cousin Paula's 42nd birthday by going to a yummy Mexican restaurant. This place had the best Mariachi band ever! They were so good, they had KK shouting "Tequila!" like a pro. I wish I had a picture of Paula while they were singing Happy Birthday to her - she was smiling from ear to ear.
KK was also smiling, because she got to snuggle with cousin Janet and swipe several bites of her fried ice cream.
Speaking of ice cream, KK did so good* at soccer that morning, we celebrated by going out for "pink ice cream." Ice cream twice in one day - that's the life! Good to the very last drop!
(*Definition of "so good": she kicked the ball from one side of the field to the other several times, per the direction of her coach. Yahoo!)

For KK's birthday, we got her a little tent and set it up in the house. She sometimes hides in it when she's supposed to be getting dressed or picking up her toys, but otherwise doesn't pay much attention to it. The other night, I was thrilled to see that it wasn't a complete waste of money:Daddy's been gone for a week on various trips. I sent him this picture on his cell phone and threatened to paint Buddy's toes pink. It would be a better way to spend time than watching TV these days!

Crazy H0rse, Crazy Me

2008-09-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

In three weeks, I hope to complete my first half-marathon: The Crazy H0rse in SoDak. Please note that I did not mention the word "run." I do hope to run some of it, but my goal is only to finish. I'll be walking most of the course, and I'm okay with that!

I've been training with another friend, and we've done our best to keep each other motivated all summer. It's been up and down - my training was siderailed when I had to have a biopsy a month-or-so ago and took it easy for a couple of weeks. Oh, okay, fine - so I wasn't completely into the training even before that little scare (benign, btw, thank God). Some weeks I've done great, and others I've just not put the time in that I needed to. I'm still moving towards the goal, though, so GO ME! There. I put it on the Internets so now I have to do it.

Wish me luck!

Sparkles and Soccer

2008-09-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

KK's hair keeps getting thicker, but it hasn't gotten much longer. It's been looking a bit messy lately, though, so I brought her to another kids' salon today hoping they could clean it up a little. After about three minutes and eight scissor-snips, it was all over and I was $25 in the hole.
Before:
After: Just like last time, it wasn't a bad experience - just not worth the money. KK did get little sparkles sprayed in her hair, which I thought was cute, but the free clips broke and fell out before we even got to the car. Next time, we will give it a try at home and use our $25 on ice cream!

In other news, KK is still the birthday cake watchdog. At a party this weekend, all of the kids happily worked on making crafts while she diligently supervised the cutting of the cake. That's my girl! (Don't you love her sparkly "rock star" jewelry?! Too bad we didn't have hair sparkles on Saturday to match.)
Then there is soccer. Three-year-old soccer.
The first five minutes:
The last fifty-five minutes:
*Sigh*

Gone Baby Gone

2008-09-04T21:31:00.001-07:00

I remember very vividly what the days and nights were like after we brought our little miracle baby home. I spent hours and hours snuggling and nursing her in bed. Daddy would come home for lunch and be discouraged that we hadn't really gotten up for the day yet. He didn't fully grasp that days and nights all become the same, and he worried that I was going to sleep until 1pm forever and ever. I was tired, but mostly I just loved being next to her, feeding her and taking care of her. I loved watching episodes of Little H0use on the Pr@irie while she slept next to me in bed. I loved being right there for her when she woke up. There was nothing better than being with her, cuddling her, looking at her pretty little fingers, toes, nose, lips, eyes, every little piece of her. I remember it well, because I knew. I knew those special days and moments would slip by fast and so I enjoyed every second. Suddenly we have a young lady in our family. A three year old going on thirty. She's smart, silly, clever, loving, stubborn, and fun. She can do somersaults, count to twenty-five before she loses interest, and she can hop "really, really high!" She loves to make silly faces that I try not to laugh at. She tells stories and makes up words. She demands things, throws temper tantrums, pushes buttons, and tests limits. And she loooooves going to her new pre-school!!! I don't think either Daddy or I realized just how fast our lives would go from sleepy cuddles to pre-school, soccer, music, dance, playgroups, and parties. It's not the same as it was during those first weeks, but I love it just the same. Our little one has gone from a sleepy snuggle-bug to a big school-girl in the blink of an eye. She may not be a baby anymore, but she will always be my baby...and I am so proud and lucky to be her Mommy!

Meet and Greet

2008-08-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

Introducing....our big PRE-SCHOOLER!!! We went to the Meet and Greet at KK's pre-school this morning in anticipation of her first day of school next Tuesday. She brought all of her school supplies, met her teachers and classmates, and jumped right in like she owned the place. It was an exciting morning, and KK is definitely READY! Her teachers are Miss Alisa and Miss Joanna, and I only hope that KK doesn't frazzle them into early retirement.

Camping...sort of.

2008-08-19T00:04:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the summer, our playgroup friends planned a camping trip for this past weekend. ALL SUMMER we've had 90 degree sunny weather. On Friday? We began two full days of rain and 30-50 degree temps. Go figure! With eight adults, five three year olds, and three infants, it didn't sound like it was going to be much fun spending two nights outside in freezing rain.

Thankfully, we have a wonderful friend who had an (available!) cabin literally ten minutes from our campsite. So, we headed to the mountains and decided we'd cozy up and make the best of it. It was great! We had the best of both worlds -- we were in the mountains AND we were warm, dry, ate fabulous meals, and we were able to watch the Olympics (a big deal since one of our friends is a former track and field Olympian for New Zealand and his wife competed in this year's U.S. Olympic trials). Best of all, the kids had a BLAST! Even with the cold and rain, we spent a few hours at the campground...just long enough to enjoy a campfire, s'mores, and a short hike to 'fish' in the lake. We are all excited to give it another try next summer; hopefully in dryer weather!
After everyone else had headed for home, KK and I stayed behind and hiked around a lake since the weather was a bit nicer. Daddy had already left early for a trip for work, so we just took our time and threw lots of rocks! It really was a great weekend!

T is for Trouble and C is for Cute

2008-08-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

When I'm getting ready in the morning, KK sometimes plays with the lotion bottle. She knows how to use it, but only puts the lotion on her skin like you normally would do. At least up until now. I should have known she was up to no good when she came in and swiped my nail file. Baby Addy was here for a sleepover last weekend, and the girls got along so well. Addy is the sweetest baby, and she is getting to be such a big girl. KK shared her musical instruments and they put on a little show for me in their (coincidentally) matching green outfits. They are such cuties!

Whirlwinds

2008-08-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

Our tiny little baby is suddenly three, and life isn't slowing down one bit. The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind; we've had a lot of things going on, from mundane to fabulous. There are a lot of exciting things coming up, too. The whirlwind continues!

KK's birthday festivities were really special. On her actual birthday we started the day by going to a garden for a fairy princess photo shoot. Considering it was about 100 degrees outside, she did pretty well. Later that day, we had a small family BBQ with our traditional angel food cake made with Great-Grandma M's cake pan. Grandma and Grandpa K flew in for the weekend, and Grandma M, Uncle Ry, Auntie Kar, Cousin C, and Uncle Ray all came over. It was perfect. K got to play all day with her cousin, which is always a special treat. K also got spoiled with a super-fun package with (too many!) gifts from Auntie Sunshine. Thank you, Auntie Sunshine! AND we got to puppy-sit Cayson and Big Pink all weekend! Here are Cayson and Big Daddy B having some snuggle time. Look how big the little guy is already!
On Monday, KK had her playgroup friends over for a Backyard Beach Party. It was very hot, but she had so much fun! We also celebrated KK's first boyfriend's birthday -- they are exactly one week apart. Happy Birthday, J! My sweet, adorable, challenging, beautiful little miracle baby girl is already three. It's been the best three years of my life...and it just keeps getting better! Happy birthday baby girl, I love you more than words can say!
Today is also my Godson's birthday. Happy birthday Mister M, I love you and I hope to see you soon!!! (That's baby KK! I need an updated picture!)

Three!

2008-08-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to our beautiful fairy princess!

They just go together. (And more puppies!)

2008-07-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight, KK and I were reading a bedtime story about farm animals. KK pointed to each animal and asked for verification of what they were. "Is that a duck?" Yep, I replied. "Is that a cow?" Yep. "Is that a chicken?" Yep. "Is that a puppy?" Yep. "Is that a pig?" Yep. "Is that a donkey?" Yep. Silence..... "Where's Shrek?????"
I have to resist the urge to post a million cute puppy pictures, but I do have to post a few from their visit a couple of weeks ago. It was fun to see the little fellas play with Boston - or at least play around him. Boston was chewing on a bone, and Cayson and Pink would dive bomb him and act like they wanted to steal it. B just kept on chewing and let them have their fun.

Tomorrow we pick up these two little cuties for a whole weekend of puppy sitting! Yaaaaay!

Because we need some "happy"

2008-07-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Playing golf with Daddy has become one of KK's favorite things. It's good that she is learning the rules of the game early, so she'll never drive the cart onto the green like her mommy has been known to do. Ahem. (I was just doing what I was told. "Take the cart and meet me on the green" seemed an easy enough instruction to me. Ooops.) Since KK's blog needs a little 'happy,' I thought I'd share some cute pictures from the July 4 weekend when we went golfing at the club where Daddy and I got married. In some more happy news, we bought a backyard play slide from a neighbor and KK loves it. She does play on it, but mostly she uses it as a platform to yell across the fence to the neighbors. Our poor neighbor Bob says "Hiiii KK!" back to her at least 50 times a night. When she's not busy yelling to the neighbors, she is holding conferences in her playroom, and looking quite "authoritative" if I do say so myself.
KK also experienced her first movie theater movie last week! I was a little unsure when the sign outside of the theater we were told to go to said Se*x and the C!ty, but it actually did turn out to be Shr*ek the Third, so she loved it! She sat through the whole thing, enjoyed her popcorn, and of course provided running commentary for everyone surrounding us. Good thing it was all kids! I guess this is happy news, too, although I cried my eyes out over it. All of the puppies are in their new homes with their new families! (Except for one, who is staying with momma Bailey for a little while longer until his family can take him.) We were able to have a few of the puppies come and spend a day and night with us which was so much fun. As soon as I organize my 500 puppy photos, I'll post some of the cuteness. One thing is for certain...our "Big Daddy B" is a very special boy and we are so lucky to have him. I think he's even starting to love KK a little bit! Ya think? Oh, and PS...today was my due date for KK! She was ten days late, but I still love today's date. It makes me happy just to think about all of the times someone actually asked ME when I was due!

Sad edited

2008-07-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

(*Edited to note that the family that lost their son is not Laura's and Jimmy's family. These were two separate families and events. The little boy in the picture with Laura and Jimmy is their grandson, and as far as I know he is fine.*)

This has not been a week for good news. Yesterday I learned that some friends I had met through work a few years ago were killed in a car crash. They were Navajo, and traveled around selling beautiful handmade jewelry. They were on the way home from one of the camps that I used to coordinate.

Back in the summer of 2004 when we were going through our IVF journey, Laura (the wife) had made me a fertility bracelet and had said a special prayer over it. I wore that bracelet to every single appointment we had. Then I lost it. I searched and searched for it, but never found it. At my next appointment we learned that we had lost a twin. Daddy and I are both superstitious to an extent, so of course I've always had a twinge in my heart when I think about that bracelet. Last summer when I went to camp, I met up with them again. Laura made me a new bracelet, and also made some special pieces for KK. I still can't believe they are gone. Rest in peace, Laura and Jimmy.

Ironically, I also received a letter from the Navajo family that I had hoped would become penpals with KK. The letter shared this message:

"We received your letter and thanks for writing back to us. Well, first of all we have bad news for you. Our little son Sam passed away on April 07, 2008. So we don't know where to start, our mind is not there. I know he was a beautiful kid. We lost our son. We think of him every day."

There wasn't an explanation, so I don't know what happened. They sent photos of both Sam and Layla, and it turns out Layla is nine - so the little girl in the photos wasn't their daughter - but the boy is definitely Sam. I'm not sure what to make of it all.

Finally, I wanted to share this picture of Uncle Ry and Mesa that I took as a bridal shower gift for Auntie Kar. It's one of my all-time favorite pictures. We're still thinking of you. xoxo

Mesa

2008-07-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Today Uncle Ry, Auntie Kar, and Cousin C said goodbye to their precious golden, Mesa. We are all very sad. She was young, but became ill suddenly and it was her time to go. We will miss you, sweet girl. xoxo Boston and Mesa at Christmas - always wanting to be inside with their people.

Growing, growing, GONE !

2008-07-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

The time has come for the puppies to join their new families. Unfortunately, we are not one of those families. I'm sure a few years of therapy will help me recover. (Sniffle, sniffle.) I really did take it harder than I expected when I called Geoff to say we were "out." I was even late for work because I couldn't pull myself together. KK kept telling me not to cry, she's such a little sweetie.

I know all of the pups will go to amazing homes. The timing just isn't right for a puppy in our house. The extremely hard part is that these are Boston's and Bailey's babies and they look and act just like their parents, which is impossible not to fall in love with. But, the reality is that Daddy needs another surgery for his achilles, KK is a handful, we have a few trips planned, we don't need any more vet bills, or any more dog-drool on the floor, and we won't even get into how the dog we already have is full-time job himself. It is what it is. (More sniffles.)

THANK YOU GEOFF AND JILL, for the amazing, amazing, amazing job you have done to make this little family of puppies so special. I know how much love you have given to every single one of them from the very beginning. They are precious, and I know they will bring years of happiness to their families! SO...unless I am able to get updates from the adoptive families, which I hope I'll be able to do, this will be the final puppy picture update. If anyone is looking for me, I'll be curled up in the corner in a fetal position crying for the next few hours. : (

Aunt Sandy fell in love, too... BuddyBuddy got to meet his kids for the first time, but was a little disinterested. I think he was just playing tough guy.
KK was in puppy heaven... Bye bye puppies...we'll always love you!!!!!!!

Minnesota

2008-07-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

My trip to Minnesota last weekend was awesome. I missed KK very much, but I knew she was at home having a great time with Daddy. I did so many things that I've wanted to, but having a baby and a schedule to follow made difficult. Most importantly I got to spend a lot of time with my family and friends. Jboy's graduation party was perfect, and it was fun to catch up with my own high school friends (we missed you Lisa!) I still can't believe Jboy is off to college. Where does the time go? Lucky for me he isn't going too far, and I'll still get to see him when I visit home. : ) In all of my 'free time' I walked/ran around the lake, went for a long walk with Auntie Sunshine along my very favorite (mosquito infested) trail, rode our neighbor's bike for ten miles along the same trail, spent some time in F0rt Sne11ing St@te Park, and paid a visit to DQ with Mom and Dad. Besides the people I love, I miss the trees and water of MN soooo much! (check out the size of this tree...!) We also had a nice Independence Day weekend. Grandma M came to visit and we hung out at the pool most of the day, went to visit the puppies, and then went to Uncle Geoff's parents' place for margaritas and to watch fireworks. The puppies are doing great...I'll post a longer puppy update in the next couple of days. : )

The Graduate

2008-06-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am in Minneapolis to celebrate because my little Pookie Bear, Auntie Sunshine's oldest son, has graduated from high school. The same high school that we graduated from last year. Errr, wait, I meant last decade. No, wait again...TWO DECADES ago!!!

I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life (sorry Auntie Sunshine, but it was.) He was an 11 pound 1 ounce bundle of perfection. Auntie Sunshine was, and still is, a mother to be admired.

He sure put up with a lot of stuff from his Mommy's friends during those first few years. He was our entertainment, and his knowledge of geography had us all captivated. Embarrassingly, he put Auntie Shannon and I to shame when we argued with him at Heather's wedding that Mount Everest was in the United States...not in a different country. He was quite irritated with us and insisted it was "In the Himalayaaaaas on the border of China in NepAAAAALLLL!!!!" We just smiled and said, "Oh, you're so silly! It is in Washington State, or somewhere like that." Until the other people at the table were like, "Uhhh, hey dumb@$$es, the kid is right." We should have known better than to argue with a child genius.

Don't worry about the fact that he graduated from the same high school we did. I'm pretty sure the geography teachers have improved...oh, and that he did a little less partying during school than we did. Right, Jboy?

Since moving to Colorado, I have missed out on a lot of his growing up. I remember calling their house once wondering who the man was answering the phone until I heard, "Hey MOMMMMM! The phone's for you!!!"

Pookie, you have become a young man overnight, and I am very proud of you. Congratulations on your high school graduation; I can't wait to hear how you change the world! I love you!!!!

(Sorry the song playing is a little weird, I couldn't find one that fit and I liked the title of this one!)

Thinking of Great Grandma

2008-06-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

For the past few days, KK's Great Grandma Gladys (my grandma) has had severe pain in her lower back. She was admitted to the hospital yesterday, and it turns out she has a fracture somewhere in her spine and will need surgery in the morning. I guess she took too many wild rides in the parking lot on her new scooter!

In all seriousness, Grandma is going to be 90 this year and I'm sure this is not going to be easy on her. I hope that her surgery goes well, and that her recovery is fast and not terribly painful. Here are some things about my grandma...

1) She was one of eight children. She was close to all of her siblings; only one sister is still alive.
2) She has three kids - two girls and a boy. My mom is the middle child. 3) Her only husband (my grandpa) died in the 60's when my mom was a senior in high school.
4) She never remarried, and never even had a boyfriend that I knew about.
5) She worked hard for years, into her late 70's, as a fry-cook at an old-style cafe in a Sunshine grocery store.
6) She didn't get paid even close to what she deserved.
7) She's a great cook!
8) She used to mail us letters and cards for every occasion, usually with a few dollars.
9) She always signs her cards and letters "All my love, Grandma"
10) I sent her a card once (probably when I was 7 or 8) and signed it "Half my love," and put .50 cents in it.
11) When she asked why I wrote that and sent money, I told her it was so I could have some love left over for my mom and dad. And the .50 cents was for her to buy me an ice cream cone.
12) She laughed.
13) She has a great laugh.
14) She loves to play cards.
15) She LOVES to play cards.
16) She LOVES to play cards.
17) She has played cards so much over the years that her thumbs are curved to the way she holds a card-hand.
18) She likes to win.
19) If she doesn't win, she will be mad.
20) Seriously.
21) She forgets when she wins, but she always remembers when she loses.
22) Daddy adores my Grandma. 23) Daddy likes to tease Grandma and accuse her of cheating when they play cards.
24) She does NOT like this, and it almost makes her as mad as losing.
25) She enjoys doing word searches.
26) Daddy likes to help her. 27) She also loves to watch baseball, and is a fan of the Twins.
28) Up until two years ago, she lived in a small house in downtown Sioux Falls.
29) She had lived there since my mom was a little girl.
30) I loved the smell of her house. It was always immaculately clean and so relaxing.
31) That smell is why I love the smell of fresh brewed coffee, even though I don't really drink it.
32) She bought those mini individual cereal boxes for us when we came to visit, and she had really cool breakfast bowls. I have those bowls now.
33) She decorated her house pretty for Christmas. My mom learned it from her.
34) She used to call me "Dolly."
35) She has six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and this year she became a great-great grandma. 36) She bought me a complete set of pots and pans when I was in high school. I thought it was weird then, but I am still using the same set!
37) She bought me one of my first baby dolls.
38) The baby doll's eyelids moved, I was fascinated and touched them, and she scolded me for poking my baby's eyes and threatened to take her away.
39) She later realized that I was just being curious, and apologized.
40) It made me feel better and I appreciated her apology, even though I was so little.
41) She and my mom used to perm each other's hair. Sometimes they permed my hair too.
42) She taught me how many "a few" and "several" were when I asked for a "few" of those little spongy-paper-things they used for the perms. She gave me three but I wanted more like seven...I learned to ask for "several."
43) She loves plants, particularly Christmas Cactus. (Cacti?)
44) She used to take pictures of her blooming plants and mail them to my mom.
45) All of the pictures pretty much looked the same, but she kept mailing them year after year.
46) She has a wild side. 47) She helped me move to Colorado in 1999 when she was 81 years old.
48) It was a long drive/ride for her, but she never complained.
49) She rarely complains about anything.
50) I love her so much. We're thinking of you Grandma!!!!

Getting bigger!

2008-06-23T21:02:00.001-07:00

On Friday I took Daddy on a surprise date. He's been putting off meeting his grandpups for fear of falling in love...so that was our first stop. I knew if he put it off and missed meeting them, he would regret it. It still seems surreal that these are actually BuddyBuddy's babies! Here they are at four weeks old. (There certainly isn't a shortage of photos on this blog lately!)
Okay - ENOUGH pictures already! And what did Daddy - err, I mean Grandpa - think? Well, now instead of considering one, he wants to bring home two! (Not really! Well, maybe really...but not really.)
I have to say once again what an amazing job Geoff and Jill are doing with the puppies. They are all so happy, Mommy Baily too. The puppies clearly adore Geoff -- look at the ones in his lap and how they've all surrounded him for their naps!
Baby Addy was totally precious, too, as always! KK sometimes tells people she has a baby sister, and when they ask what her "sister's" name is, she says "Baby Addy!" She was talking on the phone to one of Daddy's co-workers today and he thought we were making an 'announcement' when KK said she had a baby sister. Bwahahaha! (Sorry Mom.) I guess she just likes to pretend, and her pretend sister sure is adorable!!

Rocky Mountain High

2008-06-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

Over Father's Day weekend we went to the mountains and stayed in a log cabin with KK's Grandpa M (Daddy's Dad), Uncle Ry, Auntie Kar, and cousin C. We went hiking and fishing and canoeing and saw lots of elk and even a couple of moose! It was a very nice and relaxing weekend, except for the drive to get there. Daddy's @$#*($# truck kept dying (again!) on a mountain pass that is very curvy with lots of very high cliff-like edges so you can't really pull over. Grrrr. It took longer to get there than planned, but it all turned out well in the end. KK got to play with her cousin C, which she is always excited about.
They both got spoiled by Grandpa, who brought them lots of toys and camping-type gifts including their very own tackle boxes, flashlights, and "beelocklears" (binoculars). The beelocklears are her favorite!
Raiding Grandpa's tackle box

The cabin was right on the lake, which was beautiful. The lodgepole pines that make up the majority of the forest are pretty much destroyed by beetle kill which is heartbreaking. You can see it in most of the pictures - the trees are dead and have turned a dry red color. In a few years, I'm afraid they will all be lost. For now, the views are still pretty, and the mountains are still magical.
The view from the canoe
Paddling with Uncle Ry and Auntie Kar
Uncle Ry's Fish
Mommy's Fish
Daddy's efforts at a fish
(Who needs fancy fly fishing gear when you can borrow a Spiderman fishing pole from your nephew and have better results! Sorry, Daddy.)

Look! It's a Moose! (And a dying forest.) : (

All of us on Father's Day

The drive home wasn't quite as scary, so I managed to take a few photos. I was so glad to get over the pass and onto roads with shoulders!!!! This was the view from the passenger window (Mom, you would not have liked this drive at all!!!)

We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful state and I'm looking forward to our next mountain outing. I just hope we have a more dependable vehicle next time we have to cross the continental divide!

Guess who's a big girl?!

2008-06-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

On most mornings Daddy gets KK out of her crib and brings her to our room for snuggle time. This morning she told Daddy she didn't want to get up yet, so he left for work and told me she was still in bed. I could hear her chatting on the monitor, and then it got suddenly quiet. I went to check on her, but didn't get far. There she was, sitting in the living room reading a book. One of Daddy's books with all text - not a kid's book. She was just turning page after page, happy as can be.

When she saw me, she said "It's good morning time, Mommy! I got up!" Since the last (and only) time she 'climbed' (somersaulted) out of her crib it didn't go so well, I was surprised that I hadn't heard a thump or any noise at all. I thought maybe Daddy had actually gotten her up and she had just stayed in her own room for awhile. So, I brought her back to her crib and asked her to show me how she got up. In three smooth moves, she climbed over the rail and stepped to the floor without a sound! So, KK's crib is now converted to a big girl bed! The miracle of it all? She went to sleep for her nap and at bedtime without any issues at all. Hallelujah, please let it last! I guess I'll be spending tomorrow doing some extra child-proofing in the house!

Wild Things

2008-06-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

Last week KK had a date at the zoo with her little boyfriend J. I had thought we went there together last summer too, but it had actually been almost two years ago when we took them for their first birthdays (they are exactly one week apart). Look how they've grown!
The two of them had a great time running around and looking at the animals. We even rode on a train and carousel, which KK loved. It was nice to spend time with our special friends! Over the past week KK has also been working on riding her bike, but she still prefers me to push her rather than use the pedals on her own. She can reach them now, but just barely, so I think it's hard for her to get any momentum. She is not really a fan of her "helment" either, but she tolerates it for a little while. When we play outside, she'd rather organize rocks or go exploring in neighbors garages. She does look good on her bike, though -- she's our little wild thing!

Father's Day

2008-06-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

And to my Daddy...I can't wait to share strawberry sundaes with you in a couple of weeks!

I have lots of blogging to catch up with this week...stay tuned! : )