I’m WAY behind in getting this done. Time just FLIES.
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Category Archives: Kids
Daddy’s Littlest Swimmer
She isn’t loving the lessons as much as Owen but she’s doing them so we’re happy.
Little girl stuck.
During Katie’s party, one little girl came upstairs to tell us “there’s an emergency” and all the parents looked at her like “Oh, really?” because we didn’t hear any screaming or crying. Tom went down there and discovered two little girls stuck in the corner behind the couch. Yep, I guess that qualified as an emergency for a 3yo!
So fast forward to this afternoon post-party and I hadn’t seen Katie for awhile and then I heard crying. And I went downstairs and discovered this. 😐
I blame her friends who obviously showed her this neat trick, because that couch has been in that exact spot since we moved in a year ago and she’s never gotten stuck before! 🙂
Birthday party presents!
We waited until after the party to open presents. Everyone stuck to the Frozen theme and Katie loved everything!
The last gift from us:
Katie’s 3rd Birthday Party!
Daddy and Owen went to pick up the cupcake cake and the pizza before the party!
We surprised the kids with a bounce house borrowed from friends!
Owen testing out the Frozen stick-on earrings!
Everyone had a good time and the bounce house was a success!! I’m losing my mind, though—I didn’t take a picture of the decorated table OR the food table! 🙂
The Birthday Girl all decked out!
Since she had gotten her birthday shirt dirty yesterday, it was still in the laundry this morning. 🙂
Trying to get a selfie, we ended up with this really cool picture of her waving her wand in front of us!
I didn’t get THE perfect picture, but there are some cute ones. I’ve had this Birthday Girl set waiting for her ever since she was a baby!
Katie’s birthday presents, take 2.
Present #2 she picked, which was opened after dinner! Are you sensing a theme here? 🙂
And the shot that makes it all worth it! 🙂
(If you can’t tell, it’s a reversible Anna/Elsa doll. You flip the skirt over and the other doll is underneath. Her friend had one at T-ball and Katie co-opted it and carried it around forever. So I got her one off ebay probably two months ago and it’s just been waiting!)
Kids in the pool!
Friends of ours came to spend the night on their way to their OBX vacation…so we took the kids to the pool. I only snapped a few pics because we were busy visiting!
Katie’s birthday presents, take 1.
We wanted to spread out her four presents from us, so we let her open one when we got home! Of course, as soon as she saw it was a dress (well, PJs), she had to put it on immediately!
Fairy Camp, Day 5: The Recital
On her last day of Fairy Camp: Mama, there’s a lot of tutu in here!
Waiting for class to start.
Recital time! Tom was able to get off work to come, and it was going to be a surprise for Katie! It was funny because she just kept staring out at me and then Tom and then me and then Tom. I was just happy she didn’t freeze up or cry like Owen has done!
The studio records every ceremony so this is from their YouTube channel:
I took a few still shots…
Getting her fairy wings:
Beautiful dancing:
Her fairy group:
Family selfie!
The post-recital lunch…which Katie walked in and thought it was all for her birthday! 🙂
She LOVED the experience. I would really like her to do another week (they have a Sophia the First camp in August), but full price is $175!! Even with their $25 discount for taking the Fairy class…$150 is too much. (We got this camp via a deal site and I only paid $89! so I’m a bit spoiled!)
Happy 3rd Birthday Katie Bug!
And then a tantrum shot for good measure (she couldn’t get her backpack zipped):
Two peas in a pod.
The kids were watching TV while I showered and got dressed. I looked over to see this.
This is what I walked out to see.
They has been playing loud and hard while I was cooking in the kitchen and when I finally walked out to check on them, this is what I saw.
She wasn’t really tied up, but probably only because he doesn’t know how to tie yet. 🙂 They were having a GRAND time.
Fairy Camp, Day 4
And picking her up…giving one of the instructors a hug goodbye:
Trying to get a cute picture of her with her two fairies:
Fairy Camp, Day 3
In the pretty princess crown they colored today!
Elsa vs. Robot
Edited to add: I posted this picture on Facebook and these were the great responses:
Edible playgroup project!
The kids got to make their own fruit skewers at playgroup today!
Fairy Camp, Day 2
A real dance leotard and stockings today!
Fairy Camp!
I signed Katie up for a Fairy Camp every morning this week at a local dance studio. We didn’t tell her about it until last night…and she was EXCITED!
I had this outfit picked out for her until I re-read their email and it said “no skirts”…
I didn’t really think they meant tutu-type skirts but I didn’t want to take a chance, so we switched to fairy (Tinkerbell) pants.
Stealing my sunglasses. 🙂
I asked about the skirts and she can wear tutus so the rest of the week will be easy. I just have to decide what she’ll wear on her birthday Friday—the Frozen “3” shirt with a big matching foofy tutu or her real ballerina outfit. 🙂
It was really hard for me not to be there and take pictures…
When we picked her up I asked if she had fun. YES!! (I didn’t expect any less!) She had a craft project (mini water bottle filled with blue water and trinkets), she told us about her snack (rainbow goldfish), and showed us her dance moves when we got home!
Katie started her swim lessons!
She told the instructor that she didn’t need a hat because she had one at home—which of course she didn’t because it was Owen’s. 🙂
I was giving the instructor Katie’s water background (she’s not really afraid of the water, she wears a puddle jumper and roams the entire pool, etc.) and the instructor said it wasn’t that important right now because they mainly just play in the water, blow bubbles, get them used to getting their face in, and assisted floating, etc.
Floating!
Waiting her turn.
I think she’s the youngest in her group. (Technically since she’s under 3, she should be in the Young Minnows, but since she’s SO close and she’s familiar/comfortable with the water, the owner said she was a candidate for the Minnows!)
Blowing bubbles!
Playing after her lesson!
Then it was time for Owen’s lesson. I stayed to watch Katie play so I didn’t get too much of Owen…but he was learning a new kick.
Their first fireworks!
We knew the weather was going to be a crapshoot, but we figured we had to try since they were just three miles from our house!
It started off well enough…Tom and Owen went off to check out the food offerings and Katie and I had a picnic (oranges, string cheese, cheddar Chex, and a juice box) which she loved: “Mama! This picnic is the best ever!”
And even though it was sprinkling, she was running around in the grass and having a blast…until she realized she had a boo boo on her foot and then she turned into a hot mess drama queen as seen here.
Then as soon as daddy came back 15 minutes later, she was all smiles and amazingly forgot all about her boo boo.
As soon as daddy laid down, she copied him. 🙂
Then I jumped in for a picture.
Owen had been off playing football with some kids but he came back to check in and said “We’re tackling and I knocked two people down!”
Since we had everyone, we took this shot. A lady behind us actually offered to take it but I said “No thanks, this is how we do it!” And it was perfect—done in one shot!
And then it started to rain harder. And it was chilly. And we had already been here two hours and still had about 45 minutes until the fireworks were going to start…do we stay or do we go?
The show was happening rain or shine and I hated to miss it after being there so long already…so we decided to go sit in the car and potentially watch from the tailgate or through the moonroof if it was a downpour. Thankfully it didn’t do much more than a light rain.
We had the car on to listen to music so the kids were having fun in the tail lights…
Owen: “This is burning my face!” 
…and playing to the music…
Owen being a lamppost:
And then the show started! They both immediately covered their ears so we got out the noise-canceling headphones for both of them.
Yes, I was happy we had the minivan so we could do this!
Both kids said it was the BEST DAY EVER and they wanted to know if we were going to go to the fireworks next year. Ha HA! I’ve created fireworks monsters!! (Tom doesn’t really care for them, but now we outnumber him three to one! And he really did enjoy watching the kids loving everything!)
P.S. Wow, this is post #6000!
We found the bubble machine!
Katieisms 5
Wow, flashback time! This was supposed to have been posted on July 16 of 2014! I’m not sure how it got lost, but it’s here now!
Katie was holding Gramma Jean’s travel Yahtzee.
Katie: I want Sophia the First please.
Grandpa David: Katie’s a muppet.
Katie: No I’m Katie.
Katie, to me: Are you Katie?
Katie, to Grandpa David: Are you Katie?
Days after I painted Katie’s toes, she keeps bringing me the bottle of the polish:
Katie: Mama! Katie’s toes!
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was on and Gramma was singing The Hot Dog song.
GJ in a normal voice: Hot dog hot dog hot diggity dog!
Katie: No sing.
GJ in a loud voice: Hot dog hot dog hot diggity dog!
Katie: NO SING!
GJ in a whisper: Hot dog hot dog hot diggity dog!
Katie in a whisper: No sing.
Owen was testing out a new scooter. Katie was running in front of him clearing the path.
Katie: Watch out! Watch out!
Opening her presents:
Katie: Oh my goodness.
My tomato picker.
We’re still working on making sure she ONLY picks the ripe ones, but as long as we’re guiding (reminding) her she does great!
She’s in there somewhere!
Of course she wants it now.
This baby mat has been packed up for quite some time, but I got it out to wash and potentially give away…and of course she started playing with it and doesn’t want me to get rid of it!
This is why I clean out toys and stuff while they’re gone or napping. 🙂
Kidisms 13
Owen: What is your favorite shape?
Me: A heart.
Owen: Me, too! Wanna know why?
Me: Yes.
Owen: Because it stands for love!
Katie: Mama! I see a Lego head! Look! Right there! 🙂
Me: How many library books are left?
Owen: Four.
Me: Only four?!
Owen: I’m rocking through these!
At dinner, we were talking about how Owen didn’t want Katie to come home from the hospital. He asked why.
Me: Because she cried and was loud!
Owen: Why did she cry?
Me: Because babies cry. They don’t know how to talk.
Owen: But she speaks human now!
Tom turned on a woodworking show.
Katie: That’s like papa!
Me & Tom: How does she know that?!
Katie: Mom! Look at the pretty tail she has!
Things you hear in a house with kids: Owen! Put your sword up and dance!
His hearing is fine!
Remember, the pediatrician wanted us to get Owen’s hearing tested because he should have grown out of covering his ears at loud noises by now. But…everything is just fine with his hearing. The audiologist said he might just be one who is extra-sensitive and he still might outgrow it.
He did really great during the tests and I teased him about turning into a robot because he had wires coming out of his ears. 🙂
Best BrickLoot box yet!
A dinosaur-themed box! Owen loved it! The only bad thing is the kits aren’tLegos—they’re lookalikes—so they don’t stay stuck together as well. Owen actually asked us to glue these all together!
Trying to get one good picture of his goldfish and NerdySaur.
Charlie was very patient!
Katie kept putting the bunny ears on repeatedly for a good 5-10 minutes—Tom and I were AMAZED she just laid there! She did eventually run off, but she stayed far longer than we thought she would!
Chilly Pool
The water was colder than usual (from all the recent rainwater) so she kept getting cold and wanted to sit in her mermaid towel. 🙂
Then it would get too bright so she needed Owen’s towel over her face. 🙂
