Catch Up Part One

Phew...it has been awhile since I have blogged. We have been quite busy and now that Ethan is on the go, we are constantly going. Remember when I said I wanted him to walk? Ok so now that I know he can, he could give me a breather. I am going to try and catch up as best I can. I thought I would start with the flower girl since there have been many requests for pictures and also on how it went.

Things to keep in mind when you have a toddler in a wedding:

1. Do not expect your child to know that this is the most important day of someone else's life. As in any day, they expect to be the center of attention, all things revolving around them.

2. Do not expect your child to pose for any picture. Admit it. You hate holding a grin on your face more than two times in a row. Imagine having to do this 100 times being tired and hungry with a strange man making goofy and annoying comments at you.

3. Do not expect your child to sit still. Do they sit still for extended amount of periods at home unless being visually stimulated? No. So how can you expect them to watch two people stand in front of room talking to each other about things you don't understand for longer that 3 minutes?

4. You need to make anything that looks like it could have a fun aspect to it fun. That includes having juice in a fancy cup ( a wine glass ), using the fancy accessories in the bathroom, ( a little hairspray never hurt anyone), lightly sticking their finger in the cake to taste the icing (only to have this be one of the few times the photographer can get them on film), playing hideseek under your table, and doing the enitre hokey pokey and chicken dance with everyone at the reception with the child in the center.

5. 2 key elements. Nap & Snack. In this case the ring bearer fell asleep under the head table with his legs sticking out under the table cloth, and the flower girl passed out while sitting on her Honeygram's lap. We also bribed for one more minute of good behavior with fruit snacks and pretzel sticks. (several times)

There are many more tips, perhaps I should write a book.

Kendall did great for being a flower girl. I totally kept in the forefront the reality of the situation and that is simply that she is 2. So with that fact out there, she did splendidly for 2. The rehersal went well. She walked down the aisle to Daddy hand in hand with the ring bearer, Roberto, with the thought of a princess as a reward for doing this as her motivation. At the dinner she was spotted digging her fingers into the cake for a little taste long before it was time for dessert, but a minor incident that was fixed with the spaghetti coming to her spot. I think the bottom line was that it was 8 p.m. and she was hungry and if that meant she sank her teeth into some cake, well thats what she had to do for nourishment. For her presents she was given a butterfly necklace and a little bracelet that had links the shape of little hearts. She was also given a tee shirt with her name on it with flower girl on the back in 'sparkles, mommy,' that she wore the morning of the wedding with all the other girls in their special tees. She also was given a willow tree of spring that has an angel holding flowers, much like a flower girl.

The following morning we went to meet the bridesmaids at the bride's home to ride to the ceremony in the limo to the ceremony and to also get ready with the girls. I think that once Kendall walked in and saw Heather in her gown it all finally made sense to her. So she eagerly got into her princess dress and joined the other princesses in the 'whimo.' This was a great treat for Kendall since she did not have to be in a car seat. For the first five minutes she sat very still next to Heather and then she warmed up to her surroundings and thought that this was the greatest opportunity in her short life thus far.

Kendall did o.k. for pre pictures in the bridal suite. She cooperated for a few and opted out of a few and when it was time to go to the ceremony site outside I think she started getting a bit overwhelmed. Roberto decided he wanted to walk down with his mom, a bridesmaid, and so he did. So I knelt down next to Kendall and pointed to Daddy when it was her turn and said, 'there is Daddy, go and get your princesses from him.' She excitedly said, ' I see him,' and took off down the aisle.

I hurried to me seat and as I sat, I heard laughter, and then heard Kendall cry. My parents later told me that Kendall had stopped mid way and must had heard the harp that was not at rehersal, she began to dance right there in the aisle and then when everyone laughed she froze and cried in embarassment. Andy went and scooped her up and the cries got louder. He handed her to my mom who had an aisle seat and then went to the back. After a few loud sobs she was quited down. It was a beautiful ceremony with a little memorial to Heather's mother who had passed away only a month before the wedding of cancer.

Roberto, the ring bearer

Kendall enjoying the bubbles post ceremony, about the only thing she enjoyed at that hour of the day

And here comes a major meltdown

After the ceremony there was group shots which Kendall and Roberto outright refused to participate in. It was an early morning for them and lunch and nap time was looming. We had some snacks in the suite to wait for the announcement of the bridal party and then I scooted out to my seat. Kendall loved the loud music and I was told by Andy that as she waited outside of the ballroom for her name to be announced she kept getting more and more excited. She was announced with the best man, her daddy, the maid of honor, and Roberto, and she came running in twirling and dancing around. Quickly after lunch Kendall fell asleep in Honeygram's arms.

When she woke up from her nap, about an hour later, she was a new woman. We asked the d.j. to put on the Hokey Pokey for her and she danced for about 2 hours until the end of the reception. She also loved the chicken dance.

Kendall dancing with Bruno, the groom

The puffy dresses. Kendall loved that she and Heather had on such puffy dresses. I love this shot of Heather's dress.

She still talks about the wedding when asked or reminded. So all in all it was a really fun day and a successful one for the two year old flower girl.

Oh and if you were wondering about E, he was at my aunts home playing all day, never the wiser that he was missing his sister's debut moment as a flower girl, which made the day so much easier for me.

Thanks Aunt Amy.

He can walk!

It's about time, huh? I think we have been waiting and saying he was going to walk any day now for about 3 months. I am so glad he is walking, the whining has reduced by 50%, its wonderful. (even though he is coming up the stairs, whining right now, upset I am sure about something that isn't worth being upset about...oh and here comes his sister right behind him, gotta love it.)

I thought I might blog about E today since I am about to download some pictures from the wedding on Saturday, and they are going to be all about Kendall. He deserves a blog to himself also.

Ethan has got his second top front tooth coming in and it has made for miserable sleeping. He has his two eye teeth already. They came in first, so for awhile there he resembled Baby Dracula, or Eddie Munster, as I called him.

As far as speech goes, he is getting pretty good. He LOVES to say words that end in 'ck', so he says, sock, duck, truck, quack, stuck, book, (ok that one doesn't end in ck, but sounds similar), rock, and I can't think of anymore right now.

Here is a little clip of his showing us his favorite book. It is a book about farms and all the things on a farm. He only loves the pages with a tractor or truck on it right now.

He is in love right now with anything truck related. When walking in and out of the car, if a large truck speeds by he stops, turns in the direction of the truck whizzing by and yells,'TRUCK!!', while shaking excitedly.

His best friend is of course, his sister, and he just loves to be into everything she is into. This at times frustrates her to no end but other times she loves to show him new things.

I cannot believe how fast he is growing. He is such a sweet and energetic little boy and now that he is on the go, there is no stopping him!

Ok and I couldn't resist. Here is a video of Kendall singing a new song she learned.
It is. 'Where is Thumbkin' for those who can't understand her.

Our Friend Filled Weekend

We had a pretty busy weekend which is always good for wearing them out and also keeping them pretty happy since all activities were for the most part, kid-friendly.

Saturday we woke to Daddy being away celebrating Bruno's Bachelor Party. This coming weekend is Heather & Bruno's wedding and Andy will be the Best Man and Kendall is the Flower Girl. Her dress is adorable and if she cooperates for one picture, I will be happy. Andy has got his work cut out for him though. It will be him who will have to get her to pose for pictures, since he will most likely be in them with her. So he will have to be in her good graces all day long. Which is somewhat difficult since 2 years old can, as you have read, be testy and temperamental. I plan on buying her these little princess dolls that she has had her eye on. I wanted to give them to her for being potty trained,when we really get on her about this, but I believe they come in a pack of 8, so 4 can be kept for that 'special moment.' I was planning on giving two to Andy to stuff in his pockets so that I can say, 'Daddy has some princess dolls in his pocket, go and get them,' and send her on down the aisle. And they are small enough that he can give them to her to look at while they are up there, without being a distraction. And if she becomes one, hopefully I will have a front row seat so that I can grab her and play with her in my seat. The ceremony will be short and sweet, so I think she might actually make it.

But back to this weekend, since Andy had the Bachelor Party, I headed down with the kids to my parents since we would be meeting some friends there, but also because we had church and a birthday party down there on Sunday as well, so it only made sense to save on gas and just stay over.

So once we got there my dearest friend Kellie came over with her two girls, Emma & Meghan. (her hubby Scott was also at the Bachelor Party) Meghan is the same age as Kendall and Emma is 4. The three of them get a long pretty well with Emma leading the way. We ate some Happy Meals together and then headed over to the Kids Castle in Doylestown.


The kids had a lot of fun there. They had a "Touch a Truck" activity set up for kids. All the township's vehicles were on display for exploration. So there were dump trucks, a trash truck, loaders, backhoes, an ambulance, lawnmowers, and a bunch of other, 'worker guys', things. Ethan loves looking at them but was a little bit nervous about going in them, that is my nervous nellie for you. The horns were honking, kids were screaming, it really was a little boys dream come true, and I think the girls enjoyed themselves too. In the castle the girls and Ethan, with a little help, raced around in and out, up and down. At times they were so fast and the castle is so big the grown ups would have to split up to find someone who had raced up some ladder or incline not waiting for the group. Kendall loves the big slide that is there. It is a twisty slide that goes down from the top of the castle. In one part of it, it is pitch black and you are going around and around and Kendall insists upon going down by herself. You can hear her giggle echo all the way to the bottom.

After we came home everyone played, Ethan slept for a little bit, while Aunt Michelle gave all the little girls manis and pedis.I don't think during the entire day there were any tears from anyone. Well until it was time for Emma & Meghan to go home. Everyone was overtired, and Kendall can get quite nasty when tired. Emma wanted so much to give Kendall a hug and a kiss goodbye and Kendall just would not do it. She would run away and say, 'nope,' knowing that this was upsetting Emma more and making Emma cry even harder. Poor Emma. In the end Emma didn't get her kiss and Kendall was quite sad when she left saying, 'I was so mean, I sorry.' Well too little too late. Lesson Learned.

Later that night my Mom, Michelle, Ethan, and I went shopping for my Mothers Day gift. (a dress to wear to the wedding this weekend). Kendall stayed and played with Pop Pop. The trip was successful, and Ethan and Kendall went to bed WAY best their bedtimes at 11 p.m.!!!

On Sunday we went to church. Ethan slept through the service and Kendall went to Sunday School with all of her friends. We then went back to Mom Mom and Pop Pops and waited to go to Molly and Brynn's 3rd Birthday Party. Kendall would not nap for fear that she might miss it. Kendall LOVES playing with her cousins and did this for the entire day and into the night.We even lost her a few times as she raced around playing with everyone and everything. The girls got princess outfits for their birthdays so the three of them decided to dress up and Kendall and Brynn stayed in these outfits for most of the evening. Ethan also loved playing all day.

The Girls: Kendall, Molly & Brynn in their favorite spot of the night, the dessert table.

Ethan's best friend is his Pop Pop and when he knows he is going to see his Pop Pop or just saw him he will repeat over and over again, 'Pop!' He will whisper it an entire way to their house if I tell him we are going to see Pop Pop. So the majority of his weekend was spent with Pop Pop. When he sees Pop Pop after being away from him for a mere 5 minutes, he will act as if he hasn't seen him in weeks and make this silly face while either crawling really fast to him, or screaming for him.

The "Come Here Pop!" Face

So today I got the time to type this blog as Ethan sits and plays with his trucks and Kendall has slept in. It is now 10 a.m. and I think I am going to let Ethan go and wake her.

Happy Monday...we are going to get some good naps today!

Why?

Kendall has begun asking, Why? This started on Friday and has produced no signs of ceasing. On Saturday morning, as I was attempting to get her dressed, the conversation went like this:
M: Kendall, please come up here so you can get dressed.
K: Why?
M: Because we are going to Mom Mom & Pop Pops.
K: Why?
M: Because Mommy is bored.
K: Why?
M: Because Daddy isn't home.
K: Why?
M: Because he is at Bruno's Bachelor Party.
K: Why?
M: Because he is the best man and Bruno and Heather are
getting married.
K: Why?
M: Because that is what you do when you love each other
a lot.
K: Why?
M: Because that is the way God designed it.
K: Oh, he designed it?
M: Yes! Now please get up here and get ready.
K: Why?
M: I told you why, now move it!

I have been trying to just adjust to these multiple why questions with each conversation I have with her and be patient keeping in mind that this is how she is going to figure out some things, but man, does it drive me crazy!

Tantrums R' Us

ugh.


Nothing makes me more tense then hearing my child whine and/or cry for no good reason.

Or what i deem is, no good reason. Waking up from a nap and crying bc your pillow is vertical instead of horizontal is, no good reason.

Yesterday at Target we experienced another episode quite like this one bc she wanted to be in the cart not out, and then not in the cart but walking, not walking but holding on to the side.And it spirals downward from there.

Some would say, 'well Melissa, don't give her an option, you tell her she is in the cart.' or others might say, 'this is her only way of communicating right now, you need to get down on her level.'

puhlease.

Is there a right way with a two year old?

Oh and i love this one: if your child tantrums in the store you simply desert your cart and leave. Ok. and who's being punished then? Because it wasn't Ethan who said, 'Hey you know Mommy, I am in real need of some diapers, could we go to Target and pick some up?' And it certainly wasn't Kendall who opened the fridge saw we were out of milk and decided we need to go to the store get some since she really needs a glass of milk.As they are acting out in the store am I supposed to say,'Hey, you better knock that off or Mommy isn't going to get her tampons because we are going to leave!!' Because I am sure that is a real threat to them. If I were to leave the store in the midst of tantrums it would be just what they wanted because no child enjoys being restrained in a cart, or forced to walk aisle upon aisle to stock up on 'grown up stuff,' because my children have no idea that toys could actually come home with us from the store. They still think that they are just there to look at, and that the people who must live at this store play with them. (so I may have the upper hand with that one) So bottom line, I need these things that are at the store, and I am not leaving to try and come back later. Have you tried to 'come back later' with two toddlers. By the time you get home you have had it.

And I have since learned that raising my voice does not work on anyone in my house but the cat, Lily. Both Ethan and Kendall, are much like their father and immune voices being raised. They all look at me as if I am speaking in a normal tone with no urgency or threat involved. That should work out really well when they are teens.

And so as we are checking out after moving at warp speed around Target, the cashier is saying, 'oh my...oh my goodness, well someone isn't happy, oh wow...' Over and over. And my inner voice is just about ready to scream out at her, 'hey lady, just do your job and check me out !' And then of course she would have thought or said, 'hmm...I wonder where they get it from?' But her comments were actually more annoying then the shrieking coming from my cart. She might as well been wearing a sticker that said, I don't have any kids.

So I have found when nothing else works, ignorance is the best medicine for my nerves. I just let the tantrum happen sometimes and in the end sometimes that is more conducive then putting them in time out over and over again.

There have been more humorous moments then negative in the day this week and for that I am grateful. Kendall wore pull ups this week because she has begun to become a little more "aware" of what is going on. Not only that she wants these princess dolls for being a good girl and going on the potty. The humorous part about this is not that she actually goes in the pull ups more than on the potty, she calls her pull ups, hula hoops. To her it must have sounded like hula hoops when I told her she had on her pull ups, and so she is telling everyone she is wearing, 'hula hoops.'

Kendall also has a doll house that she plays with a lot, so of course Ethan is going to be interested in anything her sister puts so much time and effort into. However, Ethan is only interested in playing with the little toilet it comes with. So as Kendall sits and plays with the house, Ethan can always be found with the potty in his hands.

And lastly, Kendall has a cabbage patch at my mom's that can come in the bath. She has named this doll Nancy. But Kendall thinks that Nancy's expression is quite odd, and she said to me, 'Mommy, Nancy smiles like this.' It is hilarious because it looks just like a cabbage patch smile. So upon request when she is asked how Nancy the doll smiles, she gives us this...

Now I am off to hunt down someone who is whining about something ridiculous.
Have a great weekend.