Can't wait!

I had to post an old video on here, because I can't get it to upload to FB.  It seems Auntie Joy thought that one of these roller coasters would be a great Christmas gift for Katelyn.  So I wanted her to see just how great an idea it was!  This is a video of Katelyn back in August when we went to a jumpy place with Nanna, Kelli, and the kids.  She didn't even jump.  She must have gone on this thing 100 times.  She will be so excited!! 

Christmas Fun

We decided to do a gingerbread house for the first time this year.  We used a kit since it was the first time.  I've already decided that next year, we're making one from scratch.  Or from a box of gingerbread cookie mix I should say.  This one was simple to put together, but some of the candy that came with the kit wouldn't stick very well.   

Kate looks like she is saying "It's ok Daddy...it doesn't have to be perfect."

Supervising Daddy's work.

Time to add the candy!

Collin directing (what he does best)

Classic Kate

What a gingerbread house looks like when a 4 and 2 year old are in charge.

Giving Mommy love (or so I thought...)

Sneaking more treats!

I think she ate more than she added to the house.

What?

Proud of their finished product.

Just love them to pieces!

 

 

 

 We continued our holiday fun today as we headed to see Santa!  I had hoped to post a beautiful picture of my two sweet kids sitting in Santa's lap.  But after Kate kicked him in the shin a dozen times as I tried to sit her in his lap, I knew that wasn't going to happen.  But here's a cute pic of my sweet boy and Santa!

Good Deeds, Christmas Lights, and Little Girls

Our elf on the shelf (Elvie) came to visit again on the evening of Katelyn's birthday!  He's been very mischievous this year.  He's been flying around with birthday balloons, playing with the kids toys, hanging from block towers, and getting into the pantry.  He's even made a mess with marshmallows and hung candy canes on our Christmas tree.  Collin has been talking to the elf a lot more this year.  He has also given him toys to take back to the North Pole for other children on 3 different nights (without any prompting by me!).    I am so proud of him and his big heart :)  Today he received a thank you letter from Santa in return.  Here's one of the bags of toys he packed up for the elf.

 Katelyn being silly (and probably munching on some of those marshmallows that elf left lying around). 

 We decided to put Christmas lights outside this year!  Collin was a big help.

 Katelyn and I were better off just watching.

Katelyn has grown enough now that she can reach all of the doorknobs.  In the same week, she also learned how to lock and unlock the doors and manipulate the childproof knobs that were supposed to keep her in the bathroom with me while I take a shower.  So needless to say, I haven't had much luck keeping her in there with me.  She has a new found interest in just playing by herself in her room lately too.  So basically, I'm taking 5 second showers and getting ready while walking back and forth from my room to hers to check on her about a gazillion times.  She's really into "little girl stuff".  This is how her room looked this morning before we left for school.  (She does still love to make messes!)

 But my favorite part was how all of her babies and stuffed animals were lying around with bibs on!  So cute!

Happy Birthday Katelyn!

Happy 2nd Birthday Katelyn!!  Seems like yesterday you decided that we weren't going to eat our Thanksgiving dinner after all.  I guess from day 1 you were never one to conform to other peoples timelines or schedules, huh??  We love you little turkey!

Last night (Friday), I put you to sleep by singing "happy birthday to you."  We practiced blowing out the candles and you kept asking mommy for "more birthday".  (Not to skip ahead, but I'm still trying to figure out why mommy had to blow out your candles today!!  You were doing such a good job last night?!)


Mommy and Daddy surprised you with a tent that you love...we already had the ball pit balls so we made it into a ball pit tent!  Brother gave you some cool sensory balls to go with it too.  

Today (Saturday) we celebrated your first two years with a magical Abby Cadabby birthday party.  Lots of your family and friends came to celebrate with you.

Here's a little bit about you lately:

You are growing into a little girl instead of a baby. You are still wearing some of your 18 month clothes and jammies, but you just look older. Your hair has gotten longer and has lost some of the curls. You ask for a hairbow as soon as you wake up (probably because you can't see in front of you without it.)

You love to help dress yourself. You can put on your pants, socks, and shoes with very little help. And you can completely undress yourself (I found this out one day last week when I went to get you up from nap. You had taken off your shirt, pants, and diaper.) You also LOVE to brush your teeth. You would brush them 20 times a day if I would let you. You still love bathtime, but now it's sometimes harder to pull you away from your toys to get to the tub.

You are still a pretty good eater as far as variety. Your behavior at the table is a different story. You are super messy and you love to throw things. You and brother also play too much at the table and usually get into trouble.

You are a little chatterbox at home. You are saying 2 words at a time with a few phrases of 3 words. You can pretty much repeat anything we say (or at least you try). But you are very shy. Your sweet teachers tell me that you still haven't spoken a word at school.

You love going to preschool. On Monday and Thursday when we drop brother off in carpool, you try to unbuckle and keep repeating "ME!" I'm so glad you love it!

I like to affectionately call you "little miss fearless". I predict that you will be the one mommy and daddy have to take to the ER because you decided to jump off of something and misjudged your ability to fly. You are not scared to try new things. You love climbing, jumping, swinging, and sliding (and I'm talking the big slides that brother plays on at the park.) You love to be upside down and you love to spin yourself around. You think you can just climb off your changing table the way you would climb off the couch. Did I mention, you are also very trusting that someone is going to catch you? (In OT terms, mommy would call you a definite "sensory seeker"). It's funny how two kids born from the same parents can be so completely opposite, isn't it?

Here are a few of your favorites:

Foods: Macaroni and cheese, bananas, strawberries, cereal, yogurt, yogurt covered fruit snacks, craisins, marshmallows, "treats", cereal bars, cheese, green beans, eggs, applesauce, waffles

Songs: The Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Pat-a-cake, your night-night songs (twinkle twinkle, Jesus loves me, you are my sunshine)

Toys: Little People house, school bus, balls, books, gumball machine, weebles, rocking horse, anything that belongs to your brother

Activities: Preschool, singing, dancing, reading books, coloring, playing outside, running around the house with your brother, going bye-bye, feeding the dog and cat, playing upstairs in the playroom

Objects: Baby, blankie, ruff-ruff, meow-meow, paci, shoes, anything that belongs to your brother

Games: Stealing brother's things, yelling "mine", and running away from him; saying "uh uh" (no) when we ask for hugs and kisses; hide and seek
Characters: Abby Cadabby, Elmo, Big Bird, Little Einsteins

We love you little one!