Don't Push that Button

This afternoon we were playing with a basket full of Kenly's stuffed critters. She has four birds that make noise--a cardinal, a blue bird, a gold finch, and a mallard duck. She loves all of them.

She was digging in the basket looking for something else fun to play with when she sat on the duck.

Me: Kenly, you sat on the duck and made him quack.
Kenly: Yeah, I pushed the button on my hiney.

I nearly died laughing.

Wrong preposition, sweetheart, but I know what you mean.

Birthday Fun Continues

I thought for sure that Kenly's new birthday loot would lose its appeal after about a week, but we are about a week shy of the month anniversary of the arrival of all her toys.

Almost every morning she wakes up and asks to play with "Hummus." We finish breakfast and she'll say, "Can we play with Hummus please?" She's not asking to play with a concoction of chick peas and garlic, but her Thomas the Train set. She loves "Hummus."

I know that this photo is blurry, but I love that it catches the action of train.
Kenly cooks up a storm every day as well. She really like to make macaroni and cheese, meatballs and noodles, and scrambled eggs. She's really good a steeping hot tea and making coffee as well. She even made Pops some scrambled eggs and bacon this past weekend.
I repurposed a three drawer container from my teaching days to hold some of her plates and kitchen goodies. She like to take the drawers out and use the frame as a table.
She's offering me some cheese and some salad in this picture. Yummy!
I was leaving a few weeks ago to attend a clothing swap at the church. Just before I left, I caught Adam and Kenly having a tea party with some of her stuffed critters.
A daddy, a daughter, a tea party, and pajamas--what a perfect Saturday morning. Looking at this picture melts my heart.

Funny, Funnier, Funniest--Kenlyism

Kenly: Look, Mama. That's Nana and Papa's house(pointing to a fruit stand).
Me: No baby. Nana and Papa don't live there, but they do have a tent like that.
Kenly: Nana and Papa live far, far away. In Augusta.

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Kenly: I want some birthday cake.
Me: Kenly, you'll have to wait until Daddy brings you a piece. Then you can have a bite or two.
Kenly: (holding up two fingers) I'll take two.

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Scene: The Bathroom
(Kenly is sitting on the toilet talking away to Mops. Pops approaches the door.)

Pops: Kenly what are you doing?
Kenly: (getting up and closing the door in Pop's face) I tinklin'.

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Kenly: I want to play with the letter puzzle now.
Me: We have to put the number puzzle away first. Can you hand me the 8 and the 9 so we can put them away?
Kenly: No Mama. They are in time out.

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Adam: Kenly, what was your favorite part of the Farmer's Market today?
Kenly: (looking at her father like he's dense) The food.

Word"less" Wednesday--Close Encounters

THIS POST NEEDS WORDS!

Shortly after Kenly's birthday party, we had an unexpected guest pay us a visit. On Sunday, Adam opened the blinds to our bedroom. I heard him calmly say, "Rhonda, bring the camera. There is a bear in the front yard." Kenly and I fetched both cameras, and went to look at the bear who was dining at our bird feeder. Kenly was thrilled with the visitor. Adam and I were excited at first, but then the reality set in. There is a bear in our yard--the same yard our daughter plays in on a daily basis.

Every since we moved into this neighborhood, we've heard lore about bears and coyotes. We live in the mountains. We thought it was plausible, but not likely. Up until this year, the most excitement we've had in our back yard involved baby turkeys and phosphorescent moths (not at the same time, of course).

Now the bear has been in our yard twice--once at the back feeder and once at the front. Needless to say, we've emptied the feeders, and we don't plan on rehanging them until this guy decides to take a long winter nap. Every time I step into the yard, I clap really loud to announce my presence. I'm sure I look like the evil girlfriend from Parent Trap, walking through the woods while banging sticks together, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.





Here is the bear helping himself to some sunflower seeds from our front feeder. He is literally 15 feet away from us at the window.
We startled him and he thought about climbing the tree.
He stopped eating and looked slightly annoyed when I told him he needed to move along. He's munching at the back feeder in this shot.

Beacuse I think she's beautiful...

These shots are a few of my favorites from the last few days of "summer".

Kenly was enjoying her new sidewalk chalk. That's the gray blur in the upper left-hand corner of the picture.
Adam took this shot of her looking at a ladybug crawling on her arm. A totally staged shot, but it will become one of my favorites.
Kenly enjoying some of her birthday loot--the crown, the tutu, and the card. I could just eat her up with a spoon.

Meet Mr. Snoodlerella

While at her check-up, Kenly had to have her finger pricked for a hemoglobin and lead test. She never cried. In fact, she told the nurse what finger she wanted to use, and she patiently endured the squeezing required during the process. Adam was sick quite frequently as a child which meant visits to the doctor and plenty of shots. Mops and Pops always let him get a fish for the aquarium if he was brave. Adam and I talked it over and decided that Kenly could have a fish if she was really brave. She passed the test with flying colors. So, meet the newest member of our family--Mr. Snoodlerella.

Kenly received the newest VeggieTale movie (Sweetpea Beauty) for her birthday. This video features a female character named Snoodlerella. When we asked Kenly what she wanted to name the fish, she picked Snoodlerella. Since the fish is a male Betta, Adam and I dubbed him Mr. Snoodlerella. She loves her fish. Feeding him is one of the highlights of her day. Now if I can just keep him alive. I have a bad track record with fish.

Two Year Old--Growth Update

Kenly went for her well "baby" visit on August 11, 2010. Dr. Dephouse was pleased with her growth and development. He did say that she needed to drink more milk, and believe it or not, she has finally started drinking milk from a sippy. Granted, I still am required to warm her milk, but hey, we're making progress.

Here are her stats:

Head: 19 3/4 inches (95%)
Height: 34 1/2 inches (75%)
Weight: 24lbs 5.5 ounces (25%)

To sum it up, we're raising a lollipop kid. She's going to have a big head full of marvelous brain matter that sits on a long, lanky frame. We're a-okay with that.

It's My Party...

So, to continue with the party. Kenly blew out her candle like a champ. After taking a few bites of yellow and orange icing, she remembered "the order of events." She knew that after cake came presents. She pronounced that she was all done, and then she headed to the living room where she found her "stash" and her rocking chair. She did manage to stay in the kitchen long enough to take a few pictures with her parents.

She sat in her rocking chair looking like a princess. She tried her very hardest to be patient, to wait until everyone was finished with cake, but she's two. Five minutes passed and then I heard a little voice yell, "Come here now. Time for presents. Cake is all done." And who can argue with the birthday girl?
She opened all manner of presents. One of her favorite gifts was her favorite foods made out of wood. Nana and Papa worked really hard to make her favorites look just like the real deal--crouton, bacon, ketchup, mustard, honey mustard, peanut butter, and a few others that I know I'm missing. She opened sidewalk chalk, books, CDs, a tutu, a Thomas the Train set, and her very own kitchen.
When it was all said and done, the living room looked like a disaster area. There were toddlers, paper, and presents everywhere. It was a sight to behold, a rip-roaring success.
She finally opened her kitchen. We made her guess what it was, and she thought it was a chair.
It think she's happy with her new kitchen.
I love how she placed a stick of butter into her tea pitcher, but hey, I'm not judging.
I think she'll be reliving this day for months to come. Thank you to everyone who helped make this day so special for my little girl.

Make a Wish

Kenly blew the candles out all by herself, but she wasn't quite sure what to make of all her guests singing to her.

Birthday Blowout!

I was going to do one massive post about Kenly's birthday party, but Blogger is refusing to let me upload all the pictures I would like to put in this post. So, we'll start at the very beginning.

Last year Adam mad Kenly's birthday cake with a little bit of help for me. We decided to continue the tradition this year, and I raise the stakes a bit. Adam was responsible for making a rubber duck cake. I showed him a few examples of cakes I found on the web, and then I cut him loose. He did a fantastic job. I was responsible for making the cream cheese icing, and make icing I did. We still have a mound of blue icing in the fridge waiting for something to decorate. I

Adam icing the BIG 11x15 cake that we served to our party guests.
Amy time I tried to take a picture of him, he would duck. This is the only one he let me take of him looking at the camera. Should have saved the others as outtakes.
Here are the finished products. Kenly's cake is the small one. She loved having a cake of her very own.
Once everyone arrived at the party, we had hotdogs and hamburgers for lunch.
Once everyone finished lunch, all the kiddos went outside to play in the "water park" or in the creek.
Annalise looked adorable in her pigtails.
Zander and Caleb found a turtle by the creek. They made him a home, complete with a "Lincoln Log" style house. (Don't worry Jess...He escaped.)
Davis also enjoyed a little pool time as well.
I even found a few minutes to snuggle with my hubby during all the fun.
Kenly kept soaking Nana when she wanted to warm up from her cold swim.

Greenville Zoo

On August 2nd, Meghan and I loaded up the kids and took off the the Greenville, SC zoo. Meghan drove the minivan, and I "navigated." For those of you who know me well, this is laughable. We made it to the zoo without incident, and then we nearly lost the kids to the cool playgrounds right outside the zoo. We had to convince them that the animals were far better than the slides.

The first exhibit was the elephants. Kenly really liked them.
This is the face I get when I ask my almost two-year-old to smile. These are our precious friends--Meghan, Rachel, and Ava. Kenly was Rachel's shadow all day. I think she'd leave me for a 9 year old girl.
We did stop and let the kiddos burn off some steam. I love this shot of Kenly in front of the wacky mirror.
We had an up close encounter with an orangutan. I think she wanted to hold hands with Ava.

Kenly loved feeding the goats. I think she could have shoved crackers into this guy's mouth all day. I think he would have let her.
We did let the girls play on the coolest playground after we finished our zoo loop. We managed to have a disaster-free visit even though I forgot to pack a stroller. What was I thinking?
We did get lost on the way out of the zoo. We had directions and a GPS system, but we finally found Chick-fil-A and our way home.

Wordless Wednesday--Dog Days

The dog days of summer are here. We're doing our best to enjoy each moment. Daddy went back to school this morning, and I can feel summer slowly slipping through my fingers. Here are a few shots from a sprinkler romp with Ava. These girls know how to have a good time.

Saying Goodbye

About a week ago, Adam and I told Kenly that we were not going to give her a bottle after bath. She cried huge tears and moaned so mournfully that we decided to give in to a bottle that night. The child had not been given any warning. I went to the kitchen, poured her milk into the bottle, and warmed it slightly. Sitting cuddled in my arms, she grabbed her bottle and said, "This makes me happy."

Starting that night we concocted an elaborate tale about the Bottle Fairy. We explained that the bottle fairy would come the day after she turned two. After all, two-year-olds are big girls and big girls don't need bottles anymore. Kenly showed mild interest in giving her bottles to the babies who needed them, but she wasn't chomping at the bit to give up the bottle.

The 9th of August finally rolled around. We celebrated her birthday with a trip to the playground, a few last presents, and a trip to the Cracker Barrel for birthday dinner. Kenly wanted to get pancakes and her very own cup with orange juice. The folks at Cracker Barrel sang Happy Birthday to our girl, and she beamed with pride.

I gave her the last bottle. She kept saying, "This is my last bottle. But, I a baby. Mama, I a baby." It was all I could do to keep from crying. I won't every feed my baby a bottle again. I won't every hear that sweet suckling noise again. I won't be guaranteed a five-minute, peaceful snuggle with Kenly every night from now on.

After her last bottle, I cleaned up every last dirty bottle and packed them away. I couldn't have her seeing a single bottle in the house. I couldn't have one easy to get to, because let's face it, I'm weak. If she started begging and pleading, I'm more likely to cave if they are easy to access. The bottle fairy came and left her four wooden puzzles for her sacrifice.

Last night in the bath, she said, "No bottle tonight." She was being so brave that I was convinced that my fervent prayers for a smooth transition had been answered. As I was drying her off, she started whining, "I want my bottle. Fix a bottle." All through the hair drying process she was crying, "I want a bottle. Bottle. Bottle. She bring 'em back, right?" She had no tears, but I could tell her little heart was breaking. I was dying inside, but I kept my composure.

We went to look for bottle, and she discovered her present. All of a sudden, getting rid of bottles was really cool. We let her explore the puzzles for about 20 minutes, and then we continued the bedtime ritual. There wasn't a tear or moan after she discovered that the Bottle Fairy rewarded her. Phew!

We'll see if we are as lucky tonight. Tonight's bedtime ritual has no built-in distraction. I'm not holding my breath.

Happy Second Birthday!

Dear Kenly,

Two years ago today, you came into my life and changed it forever. You reached into my heart with your tiny little hands, grabbed my heart with a grip far too firm your your 7lbs 13 ounce frame, and taught my heart to love at a whole new level. I adore being your Mama. Staying home with you, tending your boo-boos, and watching you grow into a little girl have been some of the highlights of my life. I am relieved that motherhood has no termination date. Once you came into my life and became my child, you forever branded me your mama. I love being your mother even when the role is more than I think I can handle.

You are such a blessing. Daily you teach me about life and how to live it better. You make me want to be stronger, kinder, and more open to adventure and discovery.

I love that you start each morning by singing from your bed. How much better would my morning be if I followed your example and sang praises from bed before my feet ever hit the ground?

I love your fearless, loving nature. You hold nothing back. You love with a fervor I have never witnessed before. I makes me want to rip away the stone wall of fear that life taught me to build around my heart--to open it freely to new people without fear of being hurt or disappointed.

I adore that you find wonder in a ladybug. You squeal with delight at the sound of thunder. You marvel at the the Creator's smallest masterpieces. I want your eyes of discovery. I want my heart to thrill at the beauty of God's creation instead of being blinded by my "to do" list or my laundry list of worries.

I love your growing independence. Each day I watch your slowly loosen the apron strings ever so slightly. While everything within me wants to reel you back in, to pull you back into my protective arms, I know you have to venture out. You must be your own person. Watching you need me less is bittersweet. My heart cheers because I know that we are teaching you to be brave and independent, but I yearn for you to need me always.

I see compassion/empathy for others in the very fiber of your being. You fret about Madame Blueberry finding a new house in Veggie Tales. You frequently ask, "What happened to him?" When a friend gets upset, you can't play until you're sure he/she is okay. I love that you are genuinely concerned for those you see around you at such an early age. Don't ever lose your compassion for humanity, but please don't let worry consume you either. Find the balance.

You are by far the crowing achievement of my life. I want to see you grow into a beautiful young woman who knows beyond a doubt that God made her special. He knows you, and he has a future beyond compare just waiting for you.

I love you more than words can express. Happy second birthday, Kenly Shae.

Forever yours,
Mama