Backyardigans in 'da House

After Adrienne's birthday, Jillian naturally began discussing her birthday. She informed me that she wanted a Backyardigans party (Backyardigans some cute little animal characters from her favorite show), and she wanted the party at our house. She never once wavered on those requests in the last few months. So--as it got closer to the time of her birthday, I had a frank discussion with her. I told her that if she chose to have a party at our house, that she could only invite a couple of friends over. If, however, she decided to have the party at the RAC or Bounce World or some such venue, we'd let her invite all her friends. To be truthful, this was my condition--we have done the huge party at home deal and it is just too stressful/chaotic. I have learned a few things in the last few years and know that I am not a super nice person as I prep for a gathering, simply because I am a perfectionist and detail oriented. Additionally, I don't think that 4 is old enough for a drop-off party, so I want parents present and responsible for their kids. So there you have it. Jillian had a choice, and she totally surprised me by declaring that a small Backyardigans party at home was what she wanted over a big party elsewhere. I guess it should NOT surprise me that she stuck to her guns, however!
So, we set about the planning for the small celebration. Jillian was allowed to invite 4 friends over (with their families) for pizza and cake on Saturday evening. She chose Ella, Max, and Will and Rachel (brother/sister) and was so excited to learn that everyone would be able to attend.We had a fun, casual evening with friends (and Grammy and Grandad), with minimal clean up, zero catastrophes, well-behaved kids, and most importantly--a happy, satisfied birthday girl!

Party favor boxes for the kids/siblings

Jillian requested a pinata. Luckily, we found one of Pablo the penguin at Party City. I love how Adrienne is trying to sneak in the action.

Thank goodness for pinatas that do not require a bat! The kids just had to pull strings until Pablo let the candy fall.

Collecting the loot

Silly Daddy, Pablo isn't a hat! (This really freaked A out)

The cake. Jillian wanted the yard the Backyardigans play in with the characters on top. After the first cake I made fell apart (you can imagine my joy),  I called Hy-Vee, ordered a plain white cake, and then did the decorating myself. Jillian told me it was "amazing".

Excitedly waiting to be sung to

It's time!

Loved every second of the song--she clearly does not mind being the center of attention.

While Jillian was thrilled to see she actually blew out all 4 candles, my expression shows that the feat was not accomplished without a fair amount of spit.

Family photo op--crazy how both girls have their index finger in their mouths!

A rare vision: could she really be tired???

Checking out the favor boxes with Ella.

A and Daddy grab some snuggles

Present time! She was overjoyed that Aunt Meggie and Uncle D sent her a dream light. "This is what I really wanted!!!"

Ella asked to stay and watch J open her presents.

The big 4 year old gets her wish: Gumballs! (see my birthday letter in previous post for the back story)

Ella and Jillian--BFFs!

These girls are such sweet friends. They get to spend a lot of time together at school, Bible study, church, and the RAC.  It's so cute to see their friendship develop.

16 Months

Our toddler is 16 months old today! I would like to emphasis the toddler descriptor because she had her most toddler-like day to date, the highlight of which included throwing a 20 minute tantrum. This is so out of character for her that I was just certain she was ill or in pain. I came up with nothing, and she woke up from her nap happy as a clam, so I can only deduce that the cause of said fit was due to her dislike of the lunch I served. Awesome. I'll keep telling myself that her emerging eye teeth are bothering her, and that she will return to her easy-going self as soon as those poke through. Right.

 I mentioned her exploding vocabulary in a previous post. One of my favorite things about her language use right now is how she so intently addresses me as "Mommy" or "Mama". She's said those words for some time now, but lately it seems as though she really gets it. She'll pat my shoulder as I carry her and sweetly say "Mommy" as she nods her head. She also does it to get my attention. I hear, "Mommy" and then some sort of toddler-speak rant of serious jumbled conversation. It's as though she's giving me an earful, or telling me about her day, or begging my permission for some forbidden activity. It's so cute I can hardly stand it. Other words I need to record are "baby-dah" (baby doll), "cee-re-uh" (cereal), "mee-nee" (Minnie, as in Jillian's Minnie Mouse doll), "Ah-sha" (Tasha, as in Jillian's Tasha (a Backyardigans character) doll), "El-muh" (Elmo. She has a shirt and a bath towel with Elmo. She thinks he is awesome. Just wait til she sees him in action on Sesame Street someday!), "jee-seh" (Jesus), and "neat" (eat, said while standing at her high chair and demanding someone feed her). She says " heh-o" when she sees something that looks like a phone and often replies with "uv-oo" (love you) when you tell her you love her.

Adrienne is a busy little bee these days, and in constant motion as she relentlessly explores every single nook and cranny she can find. Opening/closing drawers and cabinets are top on her list. You'd think I'd put locks on them, but I just haven't done it. (No worries, the unsafe stuff is out of reach.). Instead, I just spend my days redirecting or letting her pull towels, tupperware, etc out of the kitchen drawers. She knows she isn't supposed to be in them because she opens them, looks at me, and says "no no" while grinning. Practice what you preach, A! This level of busy-ness leaves me feeling frustrated because I can't get any good pictures of her. So, instead of fighting it right now, here are some appropriately blurry shots of our beautiful, sensitive, talkative, appropriately busy 16 month old! Just keeping it real, people.

I took a couple pics of the previously mentioned tantrum of epic proportions.

Wiggling out of Grandad's grasp. Can  you see the little flower bow over her right ear? This girl likes her "mows". I got all sappy when I realized I had taken a picture of Jillian at this exact age in this same sweet outfit. 

 

Four and Fabulous

Dear Jillian,

Another year has passed and you are four today! 4! You have waited excitedly for this birthday for a long time--mostly because we told you once when you were around 2 that you could have gumballs when you turned 4. Your Pinkalicious book prompted you to ask if you could have some. There was absolutely zero logic behind our answer, it just seemed like a long ways off and we weren't ready to deal with gum-chewing yet. When you woke up this morning, you were so full of joy. "I'm four, Mom! I'm FOUR!" I hugged you and tried to just imprint that sweet little moment into my brain, for I know that in no time at all you will be excited that you are fourteen. You also came to me earnestly as I was helping you get your clothes out of your drawer and made me a little "promise"..."Mom, now that I'm four I'm going to be a good listener. I wasn't a good listener when I was three, but I'm going to listen now, I promise" (can I get that in writing???).  Self-awareness is always a good quality, and I think you are really starting to develop it.

I have spent a lot of time today thinking about my journey so far as your mother. Actually, it's been on my mind a lot in recent weeks as I've come to a realization: you and I are a lot alike. We are intense. We like routine. We are emotional. We remember events in great detail (and no one better challenge those details!). We are sensitive to change. Did I already mention that we are intense?? I'm going to be honest and admit that I've often felt frustrated with some of those qualities I just mentioned that are evident in you-- all while forgetting that they are the very qualities in myself that I struggle to tame. So, it is with a great humility that I say that perhaps I haven't offered you enough grace.  Instead of embracing, understanding, and accepting some of those traits, I've probably expected too much. This is the hard part of being a mom--realizing that you've made mistakes! I'm going to make a lot more. It's my prayer that I will always acknowledge them, learn from them, and ask for your forgiveness. Anyway, this is just a long way of saying that you are teaching me a lot. I never would have imagined that such a little person could have that capability, but it is true.

You have the most inquisitive and curious nature of anyone I've ever met (you totally get that from your dad). You have questions about everything, and you ask with great intent. It seems important to you to understand relationships of people/things/ideas and you want to know how everything works. Usually, an answer isn't enough. You need to see it, touch it, experience it, and move through it for yourself; you are most definitely an active learner.

Since infancy you have been a social butterfly and total people person. You are like a little light that shines as you move throughout your environments, and people are attracted to you. I love to watch you greet your teachers (and every teacher in the building--somehow you know all of them and they know you), say hello to peers, and joyfully hug your friends. You are a true extrovert and I can see how energized you become in social settings; that interaction just fills you up until you spill over with glee.

You love music, and really love to sing. You make requests in the car all the time. Currently, you want to hear Mamma Mia, and you really can sing all the words of most every song on the CD. If they ever play an ABBA song during karaoke somewhere, you've got it covered. I love seeing you "perform" as I glance in the rear view mirror, with your sister bopping along to the beat as she marvels at you.  Speaking of your sister, she thinks you are awesome. You seem to think she is awesome, too, and I am so glad. I love watching you two interact and develop this relationship that you will have your whole life. You really are good to her, and while you have normal sibling squabbles, I'm impressed by how considerate you are of her, how much you try to include her in your play, and how protective you are of her. You are a great big sister.

I am thankful for your exuberance. It's true that I am often fatigued by your energy level, but that's part of the job of a mom--being tired. I love that you are excited by experiences and life in general. You are full of joy, happiness, and authentic emotion. While it's true that when you are upset you are REALLY upset, the opposite is also true: when you are happy, you are REALLY happy. When  you love someone or something, you REALLY love it. I never have to wonder where you stand on an issue because you do not have any trouble expressing yourself.

Last week when you came home from school after your class celebrated your birthday, you told me that they sang you the "Four Year Old Birthday Song". I asked you what that was and you sang  it to me: "Happy Birthday to you, remember Jesus loves you. He made you SO special, Happy Birthday to you!"
Yes, Jillian, you ARE special. A blessing too big to grasp. It is such a privilege to be your mom. Happy Birthday to my fabulous 4 year old! Love you forever.

xoxo Mommy

Conversation

This was a big week in the world of language development for Adrienne. She added a bunch of new words, improved her pronunciation of current ones, and used her first two-word phrase.

The list of new ones, as my feeble mom brain remembers:

-applesauce (appa-sauce)

-pizza (she exclaimed "pee--tsuh!" when I set a piece in front of her)

-elephant ("eh-punt", usually followed by a dramatic impression of the sound it makes)

-hat (emphasis on the "t")

-yuck (uses appropriately when she finds something on the floor, etc)

-book (old word, but now she pronounces the "k")

-milk (another oldie, but all the sounds are now present)

And the first two-word phrase out of Adrienne's mouth......"poo-pee bi-per" (poopy diaper). Yes, she had one! Since that development, she's also said "seep sack" (sleep sack), and when I gave her some motrin before bed one night (darn eye teeth), she dutifully took it and then said "dood dirl" (took me a second to realize she said 'good girl'--I do always say that after I give her any form of medicine! She's pretty sharp).


Lastly, she surprised me by saying "too, free" (two, three) after I started counting the babies in her book on a whim one evening. Let the language explosion begin!

Grandparent's Day

I don't spend a lot of time dwelling on the fact that we don't live close to family, but we had an event last week that made me feel a little blue about the distance that spreads our families apart. Jillian's class was hosting Grandparent Day, which meant that grandparents could come for an hour of the class (at 10 a.m on a Tuesday, not a super convenient time for most of the world). They made cookies, sang songs, and apparently, took pictures with the grandparents. Her teacher requested that students who didn't have grandparents present bring pictures of their grandparents so they could share about them. So, I sent Jillian with three pictures of her biological grandparents, and made sure to write names on the back, where everyone lived, etc. I prayed she wasn't the only one without a grandparent present, and even e mailed her teacher to give her a heads up that Jillian might be a bit dramatic about the situation (one just never knows...). I explained to Jillian that some of her friends would have grandparents at school, and some would not. I told her that I didn't live close to my grandparents when I was little, either, and that many people do not. She just said, "OK, Mom", and was really excited to take her pictures to school. When I dropped her off, her teacher said, "Don't worry, Mom. She'll be fine". And she was. She came home telling me about what she said when she showed each picture, and what part she had in the cookie making. So, as usual, I worried for nothing. It was a good reminder to me that I need to not put my disappointment for her out there because she might not be disappointed at all. But still, I couldn't help but feel a little twinge of sadness reappear when I got an e mail from her teacher today with the pictures she took of Jillian that day.

Grandparents of Jillian: know that you are loved by this little girl! She was proud to share you with her class, and carried around the envelope of your pictures the entire day. When she didn't have it, she'd say, "Oh, I can't find my grandparents", or "I just dropped my grandparents on the floor, can you get them for me?" Made me chuckle.  Matt said as she was showing the pictures she took to school to him later that evening, and she got out the one of Grandma and said, "Daddy, do you miss your mom?" Before he could even answer, she pat him on the back and said, "Aww, Daddy it's OK, she's always with you!" Oh Jillian, you really are something else.

Passing Time

This was a long weekend, both in the literal and figurative sense. It was MEA, which is the name given to the long weekend every October where schools shut down for a fall break in MN. So, Jillian didn't have school on Thursday and we didn't have our usual Friday morning routine with Bible study. The lack of routine or any sort of plan sets off a bit of a panic deep within me, mostly because Jillian really needs a plan. Thursday was covered with a dermatology appointment for me and some RAC time for the girls, but Friday was surely going to be a long day. I saved up a big Target run and planned to do that in the morning, and maybe some Halloween crafts in the afternoon. Those loose plans were thwarted by my 4 a.m. wake up on Friday--"Mom, I puked in my bed". Yes, she had. I'll spare you the details, but it was just not a pleasant clean-up. After a bath I made her a bed on our floor so I could hear her and help if she kept vomiting. About the time I started to fall back asleep (5 ish), Matt's alarm went off. Good morning....
You might be thinking that the tough task of the day would be to keep Jillian occupied while down, but she was happy with a lot of TV and quiet rest. Adrienne was my challenge. It's not easy to keep a very busy toddler away from her barfing sister. Adrienne loves Jillian, wants to play with her, engage her, and be all up in her business at all times. She also decided this would be the day to master climbing on the couches and dining room chairs. Excellent. I was so ready for my reinforcement to arrive home at the end of the day (read Matt), but I was in for an unpleasant surprise--he wasn't feeling well, either. He declared himself out of commission, and has spent the entire weekend in that form. Luckily, Jillian recovered quickly, but a lingering fever kept her from attending a much-anticipated birthday party Saturday morning. So--this weekend has been one of passing time...keeping busy kids occupied and away from their sick dad, disinfecting every surface I can find, and trying to remain optimistic about the health of Adrienne and I. My stomach is churning and my fingers are crossed. Despite this whiny-toned post, I have evidence of sweet moments of togetherness littered throughout a personally challenging weekend (I admit it has been hard to keep a good attitude). Here is what the girls and I did to pass the time.

Jillian and I painted pumpkins. Can you guess which two she did?

Long baths due to a tired mom deciding the bedtime routine should begin extra early. You can't see it well in the picture, but Adrienne was splashing water all over Jillian.

Adrienne enjoyed the discovery of an old pair of sunglasses. They were a favorite toy all weekend long.

Jillian and I made some playdoh. She chose to color it green, and we used the Halloween cookie cutters to make "cookies". This was Adrienne's first time with playdoh. She was confused, I think, and refused to touch it with her hands (in protest to show me she was NOT going to eat anything green). I finally got her to smash some with a measuring spoon. For about as long as it took to take this picture.

Now for a couple video clips--

1. The girls also came up with a new game, that they both found hilarious: Adrienne "pushes" Jillian in the doll stroller. I knew the stroller would break  at some point (and it did), but couldn't bring myself to break up this cooperative fun.

2. Since it was so warm this afternoon (almost 70!), I forced the girls out of the house and we took a little walk around the neighborhood. The neighbor kids at the end of the street came up to show us their new puppy and ended up playing on the swingset with Jillian for awhile. Jillian then asked one of the boys (age 8) if he wanted to play "floot-ball". I was touched by his sweetness to oblige her, and then patiently play a version of catch with her. I had a good laugh, and admit I enjoyed seeing Jillian remain confident in her "floot-ball" abilities despite her clear need for some training.

We had pancakes for dinner 3 straight nights and spent the last 2 days in our pajamas. This weekend may have been a bummer overall, but it is an issue that is small in size. Our blessings are so, so big. Now if you'll excuse me, I must get back to my Clorox wipes....

15 Month Exam

Adrienne had her 15 month check-up yesterday, and she continues to be a healthy little babe. Jillian accompanied us to the dr's office, and was serious about her job to help Adrienne feel better after her shots. Adrienne is now 23 lbs 14 oz (64%) and 32.5 in (93%!). Her head circumference is in the 78th percentile. She was unsure about the exam in general, looking suspiciously at our beloved Dr V as she lay on the exam table. She cried when she examined her ears (big, scared crocodile tears), and shyly tolerated the rest. She received 3 shots (two scheduled vaccines and her annual flu shot), and her dramatic tearful reaction nearly broke my heart. Jillian made sure she got lots of stickers on our way out, and thankfully she recovered after a few minutes. Oh my sweet little sensitive girl, take heart, you are done with vaccines until the age of 2!

This picture is of course unrelated to the vaccine incidient. I took it this afternoon when I let Adrienne feed herself yogurt for the first time. As you can see, she did so with gusto.

Jabberwocky

Adrienne is really jabbering these days. Recently, she started increasing syllables in more of a conversational tone, and just "chatting" for long periods of time. She was really hollering out the window just before lunch today. I tried to catch it, but she got a bit quieter after she heard me turn the video on. You'll still get a good idea. She is just too cute for words, in my totally biased opinion. Note: she still has her name tag on from the RAC Kids Club, if you watch and wonder what that sticker is on her back. Carry on.

A New Game

Today, Jillian changed the game around here. The story goes like this: We planned to go to lunch at Pi Pizza after Bible study with my group and their kids. Pi is one of her very favorite spots in town. I told her we were going as long as she was a good listener that morning. I picked the girls up from their rooms after study and reminded Jillian that we needed to go straight to the car and head over to Pi to try and get some tables. Jillian immediately threw herself down on the ground (always in the middle of the hall, in front of the whole wide world) and screamed loudly about wanting to play on the playground. I calmly reminded her that we wouldn't be able to play today (and besides, it was really cold) and that she  needed to stand up and come with me to get our stuff and get to lunch. I reminded her that if she kept giving me trouble we would just go home. We were almost out the door, when she started in again, flailing herself on the ground, kicking, etc right in the breezeway of the church. I got down on my knees (holding Adrienne, J's coat, and a large bag through all this, mind you) looked her in the eyes and told her that she needed to come with me calmly right now, or we were going home. What did she do? Screamed right in my face. So--I told her we were going home and proceeded to haul my screaming circus past about 75 more people to the car. Jillian screamed, and screamed, and screamed--about how sad she was, how she wanted to go to Pi pizza, etc. As I was driving toward home I was conflicted--follow through, or pull over and have a discussion to maybe offer her a bit of grace in this circumstance (maybe the punishment was too harsh? I was just fighting with myself, and angry that I had held up that lunch out over her head in the first place, knowing she would push and push to test the limit). So I tried--I pulled over, opened her door, leaned in, and calmly attempted to ask her what happened, what other choice she could have made, etc. This was met with more blatant screaming in my face, so I had my answer. Home it was. More screaming when she realized I really WAS taking her home. We get in the garage just as our flooring guys were leaving for the day (new flooring project in the basement right now) and wanted to talk to me. I can hear her kicking and screaming like a wild animal about wanting to go to Pi as I stood outside trying to talk to the guys (while apologizing profusely for the noise). I finally get her inside, determined to stay calm and give as little attention as possible while carrying out this unfortunate consequence of lunch at home while our friends lunched at our favorite spot. She immediately turns off her fit like a switch, looks at me and says: "That's OK Mom, I didn't want to go to Pi anyway".
My jaw hit the floor. Is this kid really only almost 4, or is she 14????  Guess I'd better figure out my strategy for this new game before she wins again.

Purple People Eater

Today was purple day at preschool. Actually it was purple and orange day. Jillian's primary teacher has been having the kids dress in various color combos the last two weeks to make their unit on colors more fun. First it was blue/brown, then red/yellow, next black/green, and finally the purple/orange day today. I am not sure how she decided on those combos, but I can assure you it has made for some interesting ensembles. Today, Jillian fully embraced the purple idea and found just about every shade of it in her drawer as she got dressed this morning. The only thing orange she owns (outside of Halloween pajamas) is an orange-beaded hair accessory that you can't see in the picture.

Tonight as we were conversing at dinner, I asked her if she had gotten any timeouts at school this year. She told me no while smiling slyly. I asked her if she was telling me the truth, and she assured me she was. Then she sheepishly began, "Mom, but if you do naughty things in Mrs Malagrino's class (junior gym), you don't get a time out. Isn't that amazing?!?!?"

Chapstick

Jillian has been having lip-licking issues, so has been dealing with some dry lips. I thought that perhaps if we found her some special chapstick, she might put it on before bed and get a bit of relief. So, Matt and I found her this lovely all-natural pink chapstick while we were at Target on our date Saturday morning and presented her with it at bedtime. She was overcome with glee, and in such a natural grown-up way, headed straight for the mirror on the back of her bedroom door to apply it.

When she was all done with copious (and I do mean copious) application of the strawberry-flavored balm, she exclaimed "I look like a real lady!!"

The pic is blurry, I know, but you can still see how thrilled she was with the result

Over Pancakes

We had pancakes for dinner tonight. I wasn't feeling great today, and was totally uninspired to make dinner. Matt was happy with the leftovers I didn't want to eat again, so I made the girls and I pancakes. I seriously had a thought while eating that I just haven't had much to write about on the blog lately, and was trying to think through the past few days and come up with some material to record. Jillian must have sensed my struggle, because with her usual interesting timing, she blurted out: "Are we going to die?"
Matt and I exchanged blank stares. He remained silent, and so, with that glance I knew he was waiting for ME to answer her. So I tried..."Well, Jillian, everybody dies someday"
J: "But I don't want to die! I'm not going to die."
Me: (sweating) "Well, we all hope it won't be for a very long time."
There was a lengthy pause, which made me think that I might have gotten off the hook for a split second. But, no.
J: "Mom, if you and Daddy die there won't be anyone to take care of us".
Me: (crying inside) "Mommy and Daddy will never let you be alone. If something ever happens to us before you and Adrienne are grown up, you will have someone to take care of you. I promise."
J: "Who?"
Me: "Aunt Meggie and Uncle D"
J: "Oh, OK. Can I have some more pancakes?"

Note To Self:

Do not give Adrienne a graham cracker for a snack. The time saved in preparation is not worth the time spent cleaning up the high chair, floor (not pictured), and child (not pictured).