Dance Camp Performance

I made mention of Jillian's Angelina Ballerina dance camp in a post last week. She had a great week dancing and expending some extra energy, and the girls did a cute performance at the end for the parents to highlight some things they worked on. I was grateful she didn't seem to mind her faux ballet slippers, as I decided not to spend the cash for "real" ones just for this trial. Despite her good time, she still is firm on her choice about her extra curricular activity for the Fall--soccer. Stay tuned.

Post performance pride

Mushed Together

These girls are hard to keep up with. My mind is spinning with all the things I am trying to remember to record, and I am just plain tuckered out tonight. I'm out of energy to try and craft organized posts, so the last week is about to get mushed together, much like my brain, in random tidbits before it is erased from my memory completely.

-Jillian has been asking about Wee Wednesday's at Sargent's (aka "gardening class") since we did it last summer. The time finally came last week to go to 'gardening class', and I signed A up as well. It was the first time she's been to a class like this and I could tell she was pretty proud of herself. She did a good job keeping up with the big kids, and we enjoyed learning about the difference between annuals and perennials, and exploring the nursery with a scavenger hunt.

Selecting rocks on the scavenger hunt

-Grammy was here from Wednesday to Monday, and we all enjoyed her presence. The girls got a lot of extra attention, craft time, snuggles, toe/fingernails painted, and they had an extra person to play their current favorite pretend game together--princesses. I had a hard time keeping it all straight, but I'm pretty sure Adrienne was Princess Amber, Grammy was Hildegaard, and Jillian was Princess Chloe. Again, hard to keep up. Matt and I were able to attend the welcome dinner for the new radiology residents one night, and also enjoyed a second date night out to a quiet dinner and then over to the Taunton's for a fun and hilarious night of games and chats. If you need to laugh, I'd recommend playing both Quelf and The Game of Things after a couple of cocktails. Tear-inducing laughter for sure.  Grammy was also a huge assistance in potty training Adrienne. More on that in a bit. Thanks, Mom, for always giving of your time and love.

-This week Jillian is enjoying an Angelina Ballerina dance camp at a local studio during the morning hours. I am looking forward to the performance on Friday. I registered her for this in March, and then suddenly Sunday morning realized that I should probably get her some ballet clothes/shoes, since the last time she did any official dancing was before Adrienne was born. Ah, the life of a procrastinator. Thankfully Wal-Mart (if you can believe it) has a pretty impressive Danskin section that allowed me to take care of the little problem in a less than 5 minute stop. Check. My little dancer is enjoying dictating to me which color of outfit (black or pink) I should set out for her while she sleeps so she can put it on first thing in the morning. Despite this uncharacteristically somber picture of her, she is having a ball.

-The girls have developed into quite the little singers in the car. I have managed to get them hooked on my current favorite song ("Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros), and they both know it by heart. I love hearing them duel as they try to see who can sing it loudest. Adrienne is now spontaneously bursting into song. In fact, instead of sleeping she is upstairs singing "Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my Ma and Pa" as I type. It is quite a catchy tune...


-I am cautiously optimistic that Adrienne is potty trained. Currently, I am putting her in a pull-up for nap and overnight only, and in underwear the rest of the time. I upped the ante and am now giving her 1 "potty treat" for going pee and 2 for poop (in the form of an M&M or Skittle). After an accident at RAC Kids Club yesterday and one on the way home from swimming, she had an accident-free day today! When I exclaim how proud of her I am she always compliments me right back, "I am proud of YOU, Mommy!!" She really is quite hilarious about it all. When she has to go potty, she uses her code phrase--"I need to get potty treats". That's my cue that she has to poop. She will then sit on the potty for quite awhile and give me the play by play--"I have poopies in my bottom. I need to push my poopies out". After she goes I will ask her if she is done, and I often here "I have more poopies in my bottom". If she's done, there is clapping and an exclamation of "Yay, I did it! I get potty treats!".  She is certainly not shy about bathroom time.


-Jillian's level of sass is pushing me to my limits. It is very hard to teach her what it means to be respectful, and I can just see her intentionally pushing us to see if we will follow through. After a pretty rough afternoon, she finally laid her frustrations on the table: "Mom, I am just tired of being bossed around. I really am. I don't like to do what you ask me to do because it's  not what I want to do. It's not fun. I get bossed around all the time!" Lord, help me now. I hope everyone reading this is praying for me. Seriously.


-Adrienne continues to be so, so silly. She makes me smile and laugh with nearly every sentence that comes out of her mouth. I'm not sure if it's her little nasal voice, or the maturity of the conversations (probably some of both), but she is just hilarious. All of the following came out of her mouth this afternoon:

• "Oh, Mommy, I love your shirt! Did you paint that?" (in response to a solid purple workout shirt I had on)

• "Oh my goodness, Jillian! Look at this mess in yo room!" (when she walked into J's messy room)

• "What's the matter, Mom?" (when she saw me trying to get my folded-up contact out of my eye) and then "Here, I kiss yo' eye" (and she did)

• "Why did the chicken cross the playground? To get across the playground " (her version of the joke Jillian shared immediately prior. The real answer, of course, is 'to get to the other slide', but A's answer is definitely a plausible scenario)

• "I need a haircut". She says this anytime you touch her hair.

• And at bedtime, just as I was putting her pajamas on her, she stopped me, grabbed her chest, and said, "Deez are my boo- boos, Mommy. Do you see my boo boos?" I am sure that discovery came after a conversation while I was dressing this morning. Adrienne pointed to my chest and laughed , which led Jillian to educate her that those are my 'boobies'. And there you have it. Adrienne now has 'boo boos'.

-Matt was being goofy as we took the girls upstairs last night and made mention of the catwalk area above our great room. I could hear Jillian questioning him and laughing as he pretended to be a cat on the catwalk, and then she quickly shouted downstairs to me to make sure he was telling her the truth "Mom, Dad says this a cat bridge! Why do we have a cat bridge in our house?!?!?" I actually like her term better than the correct one.

-And finally, my favorite story of the day. The girls were having a rare cat-fight free moment and had quite the play scheme going where they were pretending to go on a picnic. Adrienne suddenly shouted that she had to wash her hands before they 'ate' and went running for the bathroom. Jillian hollered, "It's OK, Adrienne! I have hand sanitizer!" And that's how you know you are passing your germaphobic tendencies onto your children, folks. They can't pretend to have a picnic without having pretend hand sanitizer. I am both proud and ashamed.

Berry Good

I decided to take the girls to a local berry farm and pick raspberries this morning. In my mind I had built this up to be a very beautiful memory making experience--and then I reminded myself that they are little, would probably complain the whole time, and that I should lower my expectations. A lot. So, I cautiously presented the idea over breakfast and it was met with great enthusiasm. My berry pickers ate quickly and were quite motivated to get dressed and out the door. That was a nice change! We arrived at the farm a few minutes after their 8 a.m. open time, and the girls were eager to get started. I have to say that they blew my expectations out of the water. They were both interested, excited, and relatively helpful for the 45 minutes we picked. As we were pulling out of the farm, Jillian probably told me at least 3 times in the first mile that she had such a great time, and repeatedly thanked me for taking them. It made me feel a little guilty that I was so hesitant in the first place--often the thought of all the extra work it takes to do something out of the routine is enough to make me just skip it. I'm glad we didn't skip this little memory that did in fact turn out to be beautiful.

6 pints. Not bad for 45 minutes with 2 "helpers"! We are going to try making a small batch of jam, I think.

Enjoying a post-picking treat at Great Harvest.

I'm not sure why J has a sour face in this shot. She thoroughly enjoyed her muffin, and was such a sweet sister during the outing. The lady behind us (you can see her legs in the picture) actually commented that my girls were so good to each other. She also is the mom of girls and so therefore knows how delicate the sister relationship can be!

Dreams

Jillian is at the age where she recalls her dreams and loves to share them with me. It's pretty interesting to hear what a 4 year old dreams about, as I have no recollection of any I had at her age. This week I've heard about:

-Pool noodles with faces, lined up telling their names. Their names were whatever color the noodles were ("Isn't that so silly, Mom?!").

-Having a loose tooth

-Going out for breakfast.

Good Point

I am really tired of hearing myself tell Jillian to stay in her seat at dinner. I often threaten to take her plate away if she gets up one more time, but then of course the next time she gets up is something legitimate (like bathroom use) and so I feel I can't follow through. Without going on and on I will just say this is maddening to me. The bottom line is probably because the mess under her chair is more than Adrienne's mess and is due to her constantly getting up, wiggling, etc. It makes more crumbs, and I am all done with crumbs by this time of day. We are working on having her bring her dishes to the sink when she's done and clean up her place. Normal 4 year old stuff. Tonight, however, she put me in my place as she so aptly answered my exasperated question, "Jillian, WHY do you have to get up so many times during dinner? Can't you just stay in your seat until you are through???" "Well, Mom, you get out of your seat A LOT during dinner". Oh dear. I bit my tongue (hard) to keep from spewing all the reasons I get up and why I don't want to get up and how I really just want to sit and eat in peace, but I have to continuously help and serve everyone else. Whew. Instead I smiled and said, "Yep, you're right. It's because I have a job to help everyone at dinner. I think I should do my job and that you should work on your job of staying in your seat so you can eat healthy food". "Got it, Mom!" Still waiting for her to get it...and still laughing to myself about her observation. Yet another reminder to me that she is watching me. Every single move.

An Imposter?

This little funny happened several hours ago, and I am still giggling about it. Matt is working a double shift today, which means he left about 6 a.m. and will get home about 11 p.m. The girls and I decided to bake him some of his favorite cookies (peanut butter), color a few pictures, and deliver them with a sushi dinner to make his day. Jillian couldn't understand why we were driving to the hospital (St Marys) because she thought Daddy worked at the "big sister class" (Charlton, a building of RMH and part of the downtown Clinic--it also happens to be where they hold the class for siblings-to-be, and I am sure she will forever think of it as "the big sister class" building). I explained that sometimes Daddy has to work at St Marys and read the imaging from the ER. After I answered about a billion questions about this we finally pulled up to the front of the hospital and Matt came rushing out, wearing scrubs and a white coat. I should pause and say that 90% of the time, Matt wears a suit to work. On days that he works at St Marys he can wear scrubs, but the Mayo protocol is that you arrive to and leave from work in street clothes (no scrubs in the community). So, long story short, he's not home in scrubs. Cut to Jillian's first visual of Matt coming at the car: "Mom! Why is Daddy wearing doctor clothes?!" Ummm....because that's what he wears when he works in this building, was my response. I didn't think I needed to state the obvious, she knows what Matt does. Then Matt opened the door to collect his goodies, kiss/hug girls, make over how much he appreciated the drop off, etc, and Jillian can't let it go. "Dad!! WHY in the world are you wearing doctor clothes?!?!?" Matt and I kept exchanging glances and giggling, and he finally said. "Because I AM a doctor, Jillian". She quickly retorted with, "No, you're not! You're a radiologist!" Those poor radiologists are so misunderstood....

Totally Two

Adrienne,

Since I took you to your 2 year well-child visit today, this seems the right time to summarize you at this stage. You are totally two. Your behaviors say (actually scream) "two", your skills say "two", your desire for independence says "two", and so on. At your check-up today you stood on the scale like a big kid (no more strip down to a dry diaper while you lay on the table baby business for you) and politely ate your snack on my lap while I answered questions and talked with Dr. V. Dr. V was impressed by how cooperative you were and how incredibly polite you were during the exam. Those kinds of things make a mom proud, you know. You now weigh 28.35 lbs (73%) and are exactly 3 feet tall (92%). Your head is in the 93% percentile. We grow 'em big and strong in our family, and you are no exception. As I expected, you did not care for your immunization (Hep A) today. You willingly lay on the table for the nurse, then she broke your heart with a big ole poke in the leg. I scooped you up to comfort you, and through your sobs you just kept shouting "Mommy wipe my nose!" Your nose was perfectly dry, but your eyes were overflowing with crocodile tears. We got you all fixed up and soon you were happy to pick out your stickers and head out to lunch (Pi pizza) with me before we picked Jillian up from camp.

If I had to summarize you in one word right now it would be this: goofball. You are a total goofball, and you love to make everyone laugh. Knock-knock jokes are your specialty. When we ask "Who's there?" you almost always say, "Noodle face!". We aren't sure where you heard that, but we think it's a pretty funny punch line for a two-year-old. You like to make up silly songs and shake your little tush around as you dance. Last week, you put Jillian's butterfly crown on your head and walked around singing, "I've got butterflies on my head. Doodle-doodle-doo!", and you walk around singing "I'm an alien! I'm an alien!". You also think that 'Old MacDonald' and Beyonce must be friends, because if we sing "Old MacDonald" to you, instead of 'e'-i-e-i-o', you sing "Oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh" just like Beyonce does in "All The Single Ladies". Daddy thinks it's pretty funny that you like that song. I'm not really sure how your love of it started (I think he played the version from the Chipmunks "All The Single Babies" for you once and it stuck), but you can really rock out to some Beyonce. I'm choosing my battles carefully these days. Last night at dinner you refused to eat, and instead just made silly faces at everyone. This included tricks like stretching your mouth with your fingers and sticking your tongue out. It's times like these I think you are like your Aunt Meggie used to be as a kid--she was always kind of ornery and doing silly stuff at mealtimes.  I think you really understand when things are funny because you appropriately tell me that "Daddy's silly" or "Jillian's funny" after they have done something along those lines. You bring a whole new kind of spontaneous humor to our little family and we absolutely love it.

You are passionate about oral hygiene, and I have to keep the baby gate up at all times because at any moment you might shout "I want to brush mine teeth!" and start to head upstairs. You probably brush about 5 times a day right now, which I hope will cover you for a bit when you decide someday that you never want to brush them. One recent evening I caught you brushing before bath as I was setting out pajamas, and I think these might be my favorite pictures of you ever so far.

Pigtails AND a bare baby bum??? I'm totally done for.

Milk is your drug of choice, and I have to monitor your intake. If I'd let you, you'd carry a sippy cup of it around at all times. You have a pretty impressive and loud argument when I politely decline your request, and I admit that I sometimes give in. I am more tired the second time around. Currently you think that cheese, yogurt, milk, grapes, and bananas are all one needs to survive, in addition to some mac and cheese from time to time. I'd sure love it if you'd go back to eating vegetables as you so passionately did as an infant, but it's not looking good. We will keep trying.

You still like to play some bedtime games and really fight your sleep. I've been told I did, too, as a wee one so I guess it serves me right. You like to talk to your babies, read (or tear up) books, and play in your chair. Today I walked in to reprimand you to get back in bed, and you said, "Oh, we are on the airplane!". You were sitting in your chair with a blanket on your lap and your animals in front of you, and it really was a pretty good pretend play scenario you had going on. Probably the most-elaborate for you to date.
Despite the duct tape on the diaper, you still sometimes manage to stick your hand down the back of your diaper and hand me a nasty surprise when I check on you. Your timing for that is impeccable, too. BUT! You are really motivated to "get potty treats" these days, which is code for "I need to go poop". In fact today, you went 4 times (probably the consequence of your new found love of grapes), which meant you had 8 Skittles today. I'd say I am only changing a dirty diaper about twice a week right now, which is pretty awesome (and of course opposite to how your sister trained. You girls aren't letting me capitalize on anything I learned the first time around, now are you??). You don't really care if you wet your underwear when we do some diaper-free trials, so I hope I haven't missed my window with you. I need to get my big girl panties on, so to speak, and just engage in this battle and get it over with. Think if I paid Jillian in ice cream she'd potty train you? I bet we could work a deal.

I'd like to think you are a pretty smart cookie. You can sing your ABC's, many other songs, count to 15, seem to understand emotions (i.e. crying infers sadness, laughing infers happiness), have a great memory, and verbal skills well beyond your age. You tell me what you want, and do not mince words. You can answer questions and tell me when something hurts. I think you might know a few colors and shapes, but I'm way more relaxed about that this time around, so I honestly can't tell you which are your best. Guess this is a common second time mom phenomenon...or at least I hope it is.

You are really a mama's girl for the most part. If you are hurt or cranky or tired you want me, and really no one else will do. You have a way of whining my name that often has me proclaiming I'm going to change it, but truly, I'd have it no other way. You were born a snuggler and I'm so glad that seems to just be part of who you are. I cannot resist your charm, and neither can anyone else in this house. Yes, even your sister....but don't tell her I told you.

Love you, A xoxo Your Mama.

Just try to resist this grin. I'm telling you, it's impossible.

The Fourth and Fifth

Grandpa Bennie, Debbie, and Great Grandma Helen came to visit us for the holiday weekend. They arrived in time for lunch on the 4th, and we just hung out that afternoon before the big shindig Jillian had planned for the evening.

Catching up over coffee and a snack

Adrienne opened some birthday presents, which included some balloons for balloon animals. You are not surprised to know that my clown of a husband also has this talent. He made a lovely flower for the girls.

The weather was right for flying a kite, so we headed outdoors to give it a whirl

See that 'For Sale' sign in the background? Anyone want to move across the street from a really awesome family ?!? :)

Adrienne decided it was her job to retrieve the kite

Time in the shop building a race car kit that Grandpa brought

Adding the decals

We put Adrienne to bed as usual, and let Jillian stay up long into the night to fully experience the 4th of July for the first time. Matt took her to buy some fireworks (which in MN, is only stuff that "emits a shower of sparks"), and the painful wait began. It takes a loooong time to get dark this far north.

Hark! I heard a firework in the distance!

Smoke bomb entertainment to pass the time

Organizing her stash of pyrotechnics

Matt decided it might help fill the time to build a fire and make some s'mores. You can imagine Jillian's delight when she got to eat two of them.

It takes a lot of help to build a fire, you know. Even Grandpa's dog had to supervise.

Finally the show could begin

It was a little loud. The people behind us always shoot off some beautiful (illegal) fireworks and make it quite a show. I was surprised that Jillian was way more interested in the piddly stuff that was going on in our driveway.

On the 5th, Daddy and Grandpa set to work on their "project". Grandpa likes a project to do when he visits, and we are happy to oblige him! You may recall that Jillian so eagerly ordered puppets a few months ago. She has been dreaming of a puppet stage since that time, so Daddy and Grandpa did some pretty awesome work on $40 worth of plywood and the princesses of this realm now have a beautiful castle.

Grinding screws

Painted! Jillian chose 'crayola gray' and 'wild strawberry' paint for the colors.

Matt free-handed all the details...I had forgotten he has a little artistic flair

After we moved it down into the play room, we added the finishing touches--curtains!

The first official show, put on my Matt and Jillian

Watching the show

Happy girl behind the scenes

"Ladies and gentlemen, introducing....."

Do you think Daddy likes this puppet stage, too????

Our guests loaded up to head south the next morning, but Grandma Helen made sure to get in a few extra snuggles. I think it's so special the girls got to spend some time with her--it's pretty cool to get to know your great grandma!