Girl Kingdom. Her big thing is picking out her own "petty dess." Can't even get her to wear a skirt, unless of course she decides to wear it underneath a 'pretty dress.' She loves make up. She loves clomping around in mamma's shoes. She loves stringing on every bangle, bracelet, watch, ring, necklace she can find. And purses/bags remain a constant source of entertainment. She's also been known to try on bras and underwear that she finds in the laundry.
She started taking care of her baby dolls recently. She never really got into pretend play before, but now she'll shush them, rock them, feed them and shove them into a bed/stroller. That is, until she bores of them or they get in her way, in which case she slings them haphazardly across the room.
Our dear friend Laurie came for a visit from Connecticut. Laurie really got into the girl mode with E - she painted her toes, put make up on her, bows in her hair... E Ate It UP. Hilarious. She insisted for two days after Laurie left that she wanted to go to Connecticut (i wish i could capture her unique pronunciation of that).
Evey went to great pains to paint Tag's toenails. He wasn't clear on what would really happen, but he was game (such a good poppa) so she set up the paper towel and positioned his toes just as Laurie had done, and demanded that I open the nail polish. She was okay with clear polish, so I let her paint away, and it took until the second set of toes for Tag to realize that he really WAS getting his toe nails painted. (she did quite a lovely job actually).
Using the toilet has been an on and off activity for E the past few months, but lately it's become a bit more regular and her diapers have been staying fairly dry, particularly at night. Letting her run around the house with panties on (special Dora panties) seemed to help her think about using the potty. And also the fairly common "in the buff" mode. Tag told me one day that it was time, so we asked Ev if she wanted to start wearing panties to school. "Yes" was the solid answer, so on April 30th she went to school for the first time in panties, and that - was - that.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, May 4, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
March 2012
No visit to the zoo is complete without a painted face treatment.
Evey has a bit of a fixation on tattoos and face painting (clarification: Temporary tattoos....). She will sit absolutely still while someone applies an image to her skin. We went to family-night at the club and the face paint lady was there so E rushed over and presented her hand, then the other hand, then her face, her forearms, and when she started pulling up her pant leg we had to call her away and give the paint lady a break.
Uncle Paul was in town for a folk music convention so we met up for an Arcade downtown breakfast and trolley ride. Hard to get more awesome than that.
Its officially a curly hair explosion -- the hair doesn't seem to get longer...but the curls get wilder. It's fantastic.
Toddler birthday parties have redeemed themselves. One of E's school buds, Sammy, turned three and had the BEST party on record -- a gymnastics party. I wish I had photos. E was the littlest one - showed up and promptly peed through her diaper, so a fresh diaper went on (most of the kids are in panties already) but the pants stayed off and she ran out onto the tumbling platform to catch up with her peeps. She looked so little compared to everyone else. The instructors led these kids through an obstacle course, down a long trampoline, and into a pit of foam blocks. Ev was the first of all of them to run pell-mell down the long trampoline and leap off the end into the pit, no hands held out for help, not even a glance at the instructor - just Jumped! She will not stop talking about it, and keeps asking if she can "go to Sammy's birt-day pahtee 'gan."
She's always loved phones, but her pretend phone conversations have reached a new level of sophistication, with hand gestures, facial contortions, and lengthy babbling with significant pauses, followed by an abrupt "Good Bye." I could watch her all day.
Car washing with Keagan -- he's so patient with her -- she had an absolute ball mashing a drippy, soapy sponge against the car and dunking it back into a bubbly bucket. I think the car actually got clean after a while...
Evey has a bit of a fixation on tattoos and face painting (clarification: Temporary tattoos....). She will sit absolutely still while someone applies an image to her skin. We went to family-night at the club and the face paint lady was there so E rushed over and presented her hand, then the other hand, then her face, her forearms, and when she started pulling up her pant leg we had to call her away and give the paint lady a break.
Uncle Paul was in town for a folk music convention so we met up for an Arcade downtown breakfast and trolley ride. Hard to get more awesome than that.
Its officially a curly hair explosion -- the hair doesn't seem to get longer...but the curls get wilder. It's fantastic.
Toddler birthday parties have redeemed themselves. One of E's school buds, Sammy, turned three and had the BEST party on record -- a gymnastics party. I wish I had photos. E was the littlest one - showed up and promptly peed through her diaper, so a fresh diaper went on (most of the kids are in panties already) but the pants stayed off and she ran out onto the tumbling platform to catch up with her peeps. She looked so little compared to everyone else. The instructors led these kids through an obstacle course, down a long trampoline, and into a pit of foam blocks. Ev was the first of all of them to run pell-mell down the long trampoline and leap off the end into the pit, no hands held out for help, not even a glance at the instructor - just Jumped! She will not stop talking about it, and keeps asking if she can "go to Sammy's birt-day pahtee 'gan."
She's always loved phones, but her pretend phone conversations have reached a new level of sophistication, with hand gestures, facial contortions, and lengthy babbling with significant pauses, followed by an abrupt "Good Bye." I could watch her all day.
Car washing with Keagan -- he's so patient with her -- she had an absolute ball mashing a drippy, soapy sponge against the car and dunking it back into a bubbly bucket. I think the car actually got clean after a while...
February 2012
Girl Trip!!
Evey and I flew to Charleston to hang with Karen for a long weekend and had so much fun seeing K's new house, playing at the aquarium and exploring King street. Karen is the coolest - she spoiled E with attention, affection, and a trip to the Candy Store. It was hard to leave.
Karen got a total kick out of Evelyn's trash habit. E's a pretty serious garbage picker upper. I guess it's my fault. Made a few comments about how people should throw things in trash cans where they belong, and picked up a few random soda cups and plastic bags, and suddenly we can't walk through a parking lot (or in this case, along the sidewalk near Karens house) without Evey pointing at bits of trash and proclaiming with a stern frown, "Mamma! Doze Peoples!". Naturally we had to pick it up, Karen giggling uncontrollably.
E was great on the airplanes. Two flights there, and two flights back. She's a trooper man. Now she's always asking when she can go on another trip. Disappointed when she can't join me on a work trip that involves an airplane ride. I probably need to set her up with her own frequent flier account.
Some of her favorite activities involve mimicking adult behavior. If I let her get behind the wheel of my truck, it's about 20 minutes before she's willing to climb down and move on to something else. The next morning is always fun, trying to turn off windshield wipers, off road suspension settings and readjusting my mirrors...
While she doesn't have a whole lot of hair (that's my fault) she tries to keep up with her pony tailed friends and requests pig tails at school each day. I have the lovely task of trying to take them out without hurting her each night. Can't say I'm a fan, but Tag of course thinks they're the cutest thing ever.
Evey and I flew to Charleston to hang with Karen for a long weekend and had so much fun seeing K's new house, playing at the aquarium and exploring King street. Karen is the coolest - she spoiled E with attention, affection, and a trip to the Candy Store. It was hard to leave.
Karen got a total kick out of Evelyn's trash habit. E's a pretty serious garbage picker upper. I guess it's my fault. Made a few comments about how people should throw things in trash cans where they belong, and picked up a few random soda cups and plastic bags, and suddenly we can't walk through a parking lot (or in this case, along the sidewalk near Karens house) without Evey pointing at bits of trash and proclaiming with a stern frown, "Mamma! Doze Peoples!". Naturally we had to pick it up, Karen giggling uncontrollably.
E was great on the airplanes. Two flights there, and two flights back. She's a trooper man. Now she's always asking when she can go on another trip. Disappointed when she can't join me on a work trip that involves an airplane ride. I probably need to set her up with her own frequent flier account.
Some of her favorite activities involve mimicking adult behavior. If I let her get behind the wheel of my truck, it's about 20 minutes before she's willing to climb down and move on to something else. The next morning is always fun, trying to turn off windshield wipers, off road suspension settings and readjusting my mirrors...
While she doesn't have a whole lot of hair (that's my fault) she tries to keep up with her pony tailed friends and requests pig tails at school each day. I have the lovely task of trying to take them out without hurting her each night. Can't say I'm a fan, but Tag of course thinks they're the cutest thing ever.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
January 2012
Winters in Memphis are WAY better than summers for a toddler. Playgrounds are fun even when bundled in jackets and hats -- and this winter has been mild enough so far that often all we need is a sweater. On weekends we go exploring new playgrounds -- an hour or so in the fresh air, climbing and running and sliding and swinging, is all E needs to have a fabulous day. The Zoo is super fun in the winter -- the animals are active and the playground there is our favorite so far. Tons of kids makes it that much more fun. And having lunch there too is a special "picnic" treat. Evey and I took a solo trip there on a mild day (no jackets required!) and she basically ran/walked the whole morning on her own. That's new -- she typically wants to be carried after just a short stretch, but at the Zoo all she wanted to do was go go go on her own. Her nap that day was epic (!). Tag had the same experience when he took her there one afternoon (I was off on a business trip) and they had an absolute ball -- collapsing in happy exhaustion at the end of the day.
Evelyn is now sleeping each night upstairs in her own bedroom. After we got back from our Michigan trip, we instituted the new routine. She loved the idea of her Big Girl Bed and loved climbing in and out of it, and even snuggling down into it, but as soon as we made to leave, it was sheer panic and confusion. She did not understand, no matter how I explained, why this new set up made any sense at all. "...Noooo...Mamma's bed! Mamma's bed!..." Broke my heart into a thousand pieces because I didn't fully understand it either and all I wanted to do was curl up with her in her soft little bed. But instead I bit my lip and cried softly so she wouldn't know and stroked her head and patted her back until she fitfully fell asleep. She woke up about every 2 hours, so I ended up sleeping on the floor next to her so I could quickly reassure her that she wasn't alone and could quickly fall back to sleep. It was a rough two weeks. But gradually, she became more comfortable, and when I left for a trip Tag reported success with 9 and 10 hour sleep patterns. Phew!! I think we're out of the woods now. We have a routine: Pajamas on and head upstairs to brush teeth (she loves "Evey's Bathroom" and climbing up onto the pretty step-stool that Aunt Claudia gave her), snuggle together into her bed and read a couple books, music on and lights out with mamma or poppa sitting in the chair until she falls asleep...It's a gentle routine and Tag and I enjoy it. I miss her snuggling up next to me at night...but she really probably does get a better nights rest on her own...and so do I.
Vocabulary is exploding. I love her unique pronunciations and the fact that only Tag and I (and her teachers) understand what she's saying. Had fun teaching her to say Pineapple and Chiropractor. She knows a bunch of songs now and can pretty well rattle them off (in Evey speak, of course). "Dora" is one of her new favorite shows (ugh...I miss Sesame Street) and it's very interactive; she's always hollering back responses at the TV -- too cute. I will miss this stage.
Oma & Opa pitch in Big Time when I'm traveling, and Evey loves her special trips to their house. She and I dropped by their house the other afternoon. As I was gathering up stuff to head back home Evey looked over at me, busy with something in Oma's kitchen, "No mamma, Oma's house." So I glanced at my parents and they shrugged their shoulders and chuckled. "I'll bring her back over after a while" Opa said. So I left, not sure if Evey really understood that I would leave without her, saying "Bye Evey - momma's going home."
"Bye Mamma!!" was the response I got, without her even turning her head! Growing up too darn quick, that's what that is.
I love toddlers. Yeah, they're opinionated and they struggle with emotions a bit (especially when hungry/tired), but so do most of us. And toddlers are way more fun than a lot of adults. Especially E.
Evelyn is now sleeping each night upstairs in her own bedroom. After we got back from our Michigan trip, we instituted the new routine. She loved the idea of her Big Girl Bed and loved climbing in and out of it, and even snuggling down into it, but as soon as we made to leave, it was sheer panic and confusion. She did not understand, no matter how I explained, why this new set up made any sense at all. "...Noooo...Mamma's bed! Mamma's bed!..." Broke my heart into a thousand pieces because I didn't fully understand it either and all I wanted to do was curl up with her in her soft little bed. But instead I bit my lip and cried softly so she wouldn't know and stroked her head and patted her back until she fitfully fell asleep. She woke up about every 2 hours, so I ended up sleeping on the floor next to her so I could quickly reassure her that she wasn't alone and could quickly fall back to sleep. It was a rough two weeks. But gradually, she became more comfortable, and when I left for a trip Tag reported success with 9 and 10 hour sleep patterns. Phew!! I think we're out of the woods now. We have a routine: Pajamas on and head upstairs to brush teeth (she loves "Evey's Bathroom" and climbing up onto the pretty step-stool that Aunt Claudia gave her), snuggle together into her bed and read a couple books, music on and lights out with mamma or poppa sitting in the chair until she falls asleep...It's a gentle routine and Tag and I enjoy it. I miss her snuggling up next to me at night...but she really probably does get a better nights rest on her own...and so do I.
Vocabulary is exploding. I love her unique pronunciations and the fact that only Tag and I (and her teachers) understand what she's saying. Had fun teaching her to say Pineapple and Chiropractor. She knows a bunch of songs now and can pretty well rattle them off (in Evey speak, of course). "Dora" is one of her new favorite shows (ugh...I miss Sesame Street) and it's very interactive; she's always hollering back responses at the TV -- too cute. I will miss this stage.
Oma & Opa pitch in Big Time when I'm traveling, and Evey loves her special trips to their house. She and I dropped by their house the other afternoon. As I was gathering up stuff to head back home Evey looked over at me, busy with something in Oma's kitchen, "No mamma, Oma's house." So I glanced at my parents and they shrugged their shoulders and chuckled. "I'll bring her back over after a while" Opa said. So I left, not sure if Evey really understood that I would leave without her, saying "Bye Evey - momma's going home."
"Bye Mamma!!" was the response I got, without her even turning her head! Growing up too darn quick, that's what that is.
I love toddlers. Yeah, they're opinionated and they struggle with emotions a bit (especially when hungry/tired), but so do most of us. And toddlers are way more fun than a lot of adults. Especially E.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
December 2011
We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at home. Our friends Beth & Richard came visiting from Dallas and we hosted an open house for all their Memphis friends who miss them terribly. Evelyn enjoys a party crowd, and in particular those who allow their beards to be stroked...(I almost died - it was hilarious to see Evey, fascinated by his white beard, tentatively reach out for Dr. Kevin Fowler's face and have him lean in to allow her to "pet" his cheek).
Keagan came home from college so we got to see quite a bit of him and Dylan - much to Evey's delight. Man does she adore her brothers. They joined us on the long road trip to Michigan to visit the Grahams and I'm certain it would have been a painful and torturous journey without them. They entertained her and doted on her, holding her hand on request and putting up with endless Disney movies. Evey felt like a traveling princess.
Aunt Claudia organized a big Family Gathering in Michigan so we got to meet some of the Cenkos and the growing troop of Uncle Scott's grandchildren. Evey enjoyed the chance to follow the older girls around and jump in on their pretend play. Nanny Ruthie and Poppa Graham reveled in the ruckus of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
While Evey wasn't fully up on the excitement of Santa Claus and presents, she had a ball on Christmas morning. She's pretty good at opening presents now, but her favorite part was selecting a gift from under the tree, looking to me to tell her who it was for, and delivering the gift to it's proper recipient. And she enjoyed helping them open it, of course. Watching her fully immerse in the joy of giving was my favorite part of the holiday.
Keagan came home from college so we got to see quite a bit of him and Dylan - much to Evey's delight. Man does she adore her brothers. They joined us on the long road trip to Michigan to visit the Grahams and I'm certain it would have been a painful and torturous journey without them. They entertained her and doted on her, holding her hand on request and putting up with endless Disney movies. Evey felt like a traveling princess.
Aunt Claudia organized a big Family Gathering in Michigan so we got to meet some of the Cenkos and the growing troop of Uncle Scott's grandchildren. Evey enjoyed the chance to follow the older girls around and jump in on their pretend play. Nanny Ruthie and Poppa Graham reveled in the ruckus of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
While Evey wasn't fully up on the excitement of Santa Claus and presents, she had a ball on Christmas morning. She's pretty good at opening presents now, but her favorite part was selecting a gift from under the tree, looking to me to tell her who it was for, and delivering the gift to it's proper recipient. And she enjoyed helping them open it, of course. Watching her fully immerse in the joy of giving was my favorite part of the holiday.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
My lovely Evelyn
As I draw this first book to a close, I wanted to share my heart's message with you so that you might have a tiny clue as to how much I love you.
I hope this chronicle will let you see the joy that you are, the magic that you've created in your family, the bottomless love that you've planted in us.
When I think of you and feel you in my heart, I see a spirit of adventure, exploration, curiosity and daring. I also see bubbling laughter, affectionate kisses and great big bear hugs. Watching you play is one of my favorite things in the world; you're always busy filling little bags and boxes with trinkets and bits of this and that, maticulously organizing and re-organizing your eclectic treasures, wrestling large purses over your shoulders and hauling them across the room while pushing your filled-to-the-brim shopping cart. I wish I could capture each hearty laugh in a jar to save for when my mood needs a turbo boost. We have the best time giggling and laughing at the silliest things. I don't know when I've had more fun at a playground, chasing you around and catching you at the bottom of each super-fast slide. Strangers grin as they pass while we're shopping somewhere as they overhear our endless chattering and singing, and often comment about how much fun we're having. I've never "met" as many strangers in my lifetime as I have these past two years with you. You're magnetic! They all want to say hello or join us in our "A-B-Cs." My heart just swells and swells with joy the more I'm around you.
There have been moments that break my heart. I'm not quite sure how I head out for work each day, sending you to day care until I can pick you up many hours later. That's hard on me. You have adjusted so well, though - it's what gets me through. That and the fact that it provides a special routine for you and Poppa in the mornings; you share such a strong bond as a result of your daily morning choreography. It's beautiful and fantastic.
I love you so much it makes me cry with happiness. I thank God for you each day. May He continue to bless you and may all your hopes and dreams come true.
Yours forever,
Mamma xoxoxo
I hope this chronicle will let you see the joy that you are, the magic that you've created in your family, the bottomless love that you've planted in us.
There have been moments that break my heart. I'm not quite sure how I head out for work each day, sending you to day care until I can pick you up many hours later. That's hard on me. You have adjusted so well, though - it's what gets me through. That and the fact that it provides a special routine for you and Poppa in the mornings; you share such a strong bond as a result of your daily morning choreography. It's beautiful and fantastic.
I love you so much it makes me cry with happiness. I thank God for you each day. May He continue to bless you and may all your hopes and dreams come true.
Yours forever,
Mamma xoxoxo
Two Years Fabulous
I was really trying to keep it from coming so quickly. We're loving this journey so much it's hard to let each precious moment slip away, but then we're gifted with another moment and we just keep slipping forward...and incredibly, it gets better and better.
Evelyn is now Two Years Old. And of course, her adventures are only gettin' started. She can reach things now, climb things, move things around in order to reach even further and higher. The same playground now holds new thrills as she can move more confidently and tackle more challenging obstacles. And she's not afraid to elbow past the rotten boy that won't get off the climbing platform.
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| Goofing around with her brothers, who can't resist her charms even when the requirement is to wear stickers on their forehead. |
She's a true adventurer. I can see that clearly. She gets a bit gnarly after a day at home. Needs to get out and explore a new place, even if it's just a trip to the grocery, but ideally it's a chance to touch things, see new faces, climb and run, some fresh air. Not a home body. No way.
Her birthday celebration was perfect. Good food, great friends, and a homemade pumpkin cake that launched the Happy Birthday song. Evelyn was lit up from the inside with the sudden realization that everyone was singing for her. Tag fell in love with her all over again when he saw the way her eyes sparkled - he said he could see magic in her eyes. I just cry when I think back on it. It really was magical. I'm so grateful for the friends we have. They indulged us by attending a 2-year-old birthday party but you would never know it - they were nothing but sweet and loving and it just meant everything to us and also to Evelyn.
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| A princess dress from Rachel |
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| The Magical Birthday Serenade |
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| Just wouldn't be a proper birthday party without Auntie Sandy |
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| Lilly & Evey finishing off the birthday cake... |
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