Wiggly Party

We couldn't have a birthday party for Rebecca without the Wiggles....

I used the top of a straw cup we had from when Rachel was little for the cake topper.  Worked like a charm!

She loved her new Wiggles Birthday Shirt.  Grandma had it made especially for her.

We combined the birthday party with a long weekend at Grandma's house.  My brother and his family came, too, which meant Rachel was in her element with her cousins and grandparents all in the place.

For Rebecca there were new toys galore.

For Rachel there was fun in the pool and outside with her cousins, and party games (she REALLY wanted party games!)
.

We had Wiggles music (unplanned....Uncle Ted just found some via internet, so Rebecca was able to dance away).  Playing her guitar like Murray:

Big fun was had by all.

Until Rebecca got sick.

Actually, she started acting sick earlier in the day.  Her temp was normal, but she felt warm and all she wanted to do was sit with her head on my shoulder.  I gave her some ibuprofen before naptime, hoping it would help.

She woke up for the party in a good mood and had a great time.  But not long after the party was over, she wound up on my lap again, head on my shoulder, coughing, sneezing, nose running like a faucet, and feverish.  More ibuprofen and a half hour later she was down playing with her new toys again.  Miracle drug, that ibuprofen is! 

She's in bed now.  Here's hoping for a good night's sleep, but I can never count on it when sickness is involved.  I've been waiting all week for her to get whatever Rachel had, so I'm not at all surprised.  Just not happy about it!  But I'm thankful that she enjoyed the special day.

two!!!

Oh, Rebecca,

How in the world do I sum up your huge personality in one little post?  In your two short years you have added so much to our family.

I find it difficult to even find words to describe you, sweet girl.  You're so full of joy and passion.  Whether it's talking about the Wiggles, telling me "No!" that you don't want to go to get your diaper changed, or arguing with Rachel, you do it passionately!  You get yourself into trouble a lot with your passionate "NO!" but you're learning a little better every day how to do what you're told.  You love hugs and kisses, love to cuddle and love to sit on my lap.  You love going for rides in Daddy's hiking backpack, playing outside, and watching people mow their grass (you're fascinated with lawn mowers).  You love fruit, goldfish crackers, applesauce, and yogurt.  Your favorite toys vary from day to day, but you are currently most into blocks, playing with the toy kitchen, playing in the sandbox, and wearing Rachel's dress up shoes (actually, anyone's shoes!).   You are learning to ride a tricycle.  We have to push you for a little bit but once your feet get moving, you can keep pedaling for a few times before you stop and need to be pushed again.  But you're learning!

You're curious about everything.  You're already starting to ask "Why?"  You always ask, "What doin' Mommy?"  And whatever Rachel is doing, you're right there next to her, wondering what it is and trying to do it, too.  You are a Momma's girl, following me around everywhere, but you also love your sister to death, and now that she'll be home for the summer, I'm hoping to have more time to get things done, since you'll do less following Mommy and more following Rachel!  (But I know there will also be plenty of arguments to break up as a result!)

You love to talk.  People in the stores love you, because you talk to them, play peekaboo with them, and smile at them.  We thought your sister talked a lot, until you came along.  You give her a run for her money!

You've been talking about your birthday for a few weeks now.  "Becca, birfday comin'!  Two!!"  You try to make two with your fingers and it's so cute!

So here it is.  You're two!  This year I can't wait to see even more of the little person you're growing to be.

We're celebrating today with family with a Wiggles cake (of course!) and lots of fun at Grandma's house.

We love you, sweet girl, and I'm so happy that I get to be your mommy.  Happy, happy birthday!

(These pictures were taken this morning when you were fresh out of bed.  You opened your first present, a birthday cake!)

the graduate

Today was Rachel's kindergarten graduation.  And she almost didn't get to go.  She woke up this morning coughing like crazy.  Everything single thing was bringing her to tears and it was obvious that she wasn't feeling good.  Her temp was just a teeny tiny bit over normal, and if it had been any other day, I would've kept her home, but neither of us wanted her to miss her last day.  I gave her some ibuprofen and sent her on her way, crossing my fingers that it was the right choice.  Once she got out to the bus stop, she was distracted and happy and acting more like herself.

She did fine, though she coughed a lot during the songs they performed for the parents.  But we were both glad she went.

Since we've been home she's been coughing non stop, though.  The poor girl just can't get a break. 

But here are pictures from her graduation.  I took a ton, but most of them have her friends and classmates in the pictures, so I can't really include them on here.  First they did an obstacle course and played some games outside.  Then we came in and there was a little graduation ceremony in the classroom where they sang songs for us and got their diplomas from the principal. 

My little graduate

The obstacle course--she was the only one who thought to push the ball through the cones instead of kicking it (most kids kicked it and lost control and had to run after it, but she pushed it through quickly and easily!  That's my girl--unconventional, but always thinking!  :)  Oh, and I have to explain the tiara.  I got to school and saw that she had a tiara on (she didn't have one on when she got on the bus this morning).  No one else had one on.  One of her friends' parents asked me why she had it on too.  I told them I didn't know but my guess was that one of the girls on the bus had given it to her.  They've been trading things back and forth for the last few days.  Sure enough, when I asked her, that's where it came from.  Mikayla had given it to her on the bus.  So that's my girl, the only one in the tiara.  I made her take it off so she could wear her graduation cap.

Water balloon toss

Getting her diploma from the principal

Aren't these the cutest snacks ever for a kid's graduation???

Rachel and her teacher. 

Can't believe I have a first grader now!!!!

life goes on

Things are looking up.  Rachel was much better yesterday, though still running a low fever without Advil, so she stayed home.  But today she woke up without a fever so she finally got to go back for her last two days of kindergarten.  Yay!

Today's my husband's birthday, so I baked a cake this morning, and have birthday errands to finish up today.

Yesterday Rachel attempted to make her own cinnamon toast for breakfast.  I mistakenly wasn't really paying much attention to what she was doing.  The next thing I know, she has two pieces of toast slathered in butter (SO much butter) and probably 1/4 a cup of cinnamon clumped on top of the butter.  I wish I had taken a picture.  It was so funny.  She didn't know that the cinnamon shaker had a shaker, so she unscrewed the whole top and just poured the cinnamon on ("it just came out SO fast, Mommy!").  And no sugar---she didn't know it was supposed to have sugar on it.  So funny.  I love that she's trying to do more things for herself (she just recently started doing her showers all by herself--it's like the end of an era, not having to give her a bath every night anymore--exciting, yet a little sad, too), but it's sometimes quite apparent that she's still a little girl, like when I looked at that toast yesterday.

She's about to lose one of her top two front teeth.  She's lost four teeth on the bottom already, but none on top yet, and I'm just dreading it.  The loss of that "little girl" look and the growth of those big adult teeth that are coming.  Just another indication that she's not going to be a little girl for long!

a rant

Please excuse me while I vent again.  I'm writing this while on hold on the phone, tilting my head to hold up the phone.  I've been on hold for nearly 20 minutes now.  I have two little girls at home (Rachel's still home sick, after missing field day yesterday and the end of the year Girl Scout picnic last night--I had to go by myself, which made me so, so sad.).  Do you know how hard it is to be on hold on the phone for this long when you have two young children at home?  Thankfully, Rebecca is still in her playpen (where I put her when I take a shower, and then I usually spend some time cleaning while she's in there, but today I'm on hold instead), and Rachel's laying on the couch watching a show, so I can afford a few minutes, but I have many, many other things I could/should be doing.  And before long Rebecca will be protesting the playpen.  She's only good in there for about an hour at the most, and it's been nearly that long.

So my vent is that EVERY SINGLE TIME I call the doctor, this happens.  My husband asked me to make him a doctor's appointment for this afternoon, because he's in a meeting all day today, but needs to be seen (he's still sick, too). 

This waiting forever and ever isn't my only problem with this doctor's office (it's my doctor's office too).  Here are some other points of contention:

--If you're sick, you have to make a "same day illness" appointment--you can't make an appointment for the next day.  This is a problem for me because sometimes I can get child care for the next day, but not for that day, so I'd have to take the kids with me, even though if I could get in the next day, I could get someone to watch them and wouldn't have to take them with me, which is a huge inconvenience.

--If you're not sick, but need to see the doctor, you have to see your own doctor (there are many in the practice).  Sometimes they don't have appointments available for a week or more.  Sometimes it's something pressing that can't wait, but you don't have a choice. 

--Once you finally make it into the office (a big feat, considering how long you wait on the phone, and then the trouble you have actually making an appointment), you have to sit and wait forever to be seen.  When I have to take the kids with me, it's complete torture.  If I don't have to take them, it's kind of like a vacation for me (sitting still, reading a book, without a million questions/requests = A vacation!), but I still feel guilty that I'm making someone else watch them longer while I just sit there.

So I finally just got through and made him the appointment (nearly 30 minutes after first calling).  But here's the thing.  He's in a meeting today until 2, and said he couldn't get there until 2:30 or 3 at the earliest.  His doctor is only there until noon today, so they wanted to make an appointment for tomorrow (what??  It's a "same day illness" appointment--since when are you allowed to make it for the next day!?).  Except he can't go tomorrow because he works an hour away from home now and can't just leave in the middle of the day for a doctor's appointment like he used to be able to do.  And the office is closed by the time he gets home.  So I had to make him an appointment with someone else for later today, which is fine for his sickness issues, but he also had some other questions for the doctor, and now he won't be seeing his own doctor.  Hopefully the other doctor will be able to address them, but knowing our luck there, they'll tell him to make another appointment.

It's just ridiculous.  I put off going to the doctor because of all of this.  Is this normal?  Do your doctor's offices have these same policies, or am I just at the wrong doctor's office?  I've been talking about getting another doctor for years.  I just haven't done it--mostly because it's just so stinking hard to get someone to watch my girls to get there, and I'm afraid I'll just get another run around at a new place.  This is a big office in a larger network of doctors/hospitals run by the very large university in town.  Maybe it's just too busy.  Maybe I need a smaller office.  But then I'd be afraid of other issues.  Anyone in town with doctor recommendations, I'll take them.

Ugh.  Sorry for yet another complaining post.  One of these days I'll have something fun to write about again. 

one of those days

Today has been one of "those" days.  The yucky ones.  My husband's been sick for three days (fever, chills, sore throat, achy, coughing).  He went to work on Friday, but spent most of yesterday and all of today either on the couch or in bed, and often asleep.  Then Rachel woke up this morning complaining of a headache, and yesterday she started coughing, usually the first sign of sickness in her.  She had a fever (again!?), too.  As long as she's had Advil in her, she's felt okay, but every time it wears off she's back on the couch under a blanket.  At one point Rebecca and I went to the store to get some more Advil and when we got back Rachel was asleep on the couch.  That never happens.

Rachel was supposed to go to a friend's birthday party today.  One that she had been really looking forward to.  This morning she started crying because she realized that she might not get to go, and later in the morning when I told her Daddy and I decided she shouldn't go, she was soooooooo sad (and mad at me--mean old mom, trying to keep the other kids healthy--and keep her from feeling lousy without her mom around!).  But I knew it was the right decision when, during the time of the party, she was back on the couch, fever back up, and pretty miserable. 

Last night I didn't sleep much--I was on the couch because my husband was coughing so much and wasn't sleeping all that well himself, so I offered to go to the couch so he could hopefully get a better night's sleep than he had the night before.  Well, I didn't sleep so well on the couch.  So I came into the day really tired anyway.  Then I was taking care of my sickies.  And then there was Rebecca.  She was especially ornery today.  Into EVERYTHING.  Telling me "NO" about everything.  Getting into trouble left and right.  Just an all around exhausting parenting day.

So thanks for letting me vent.  I know it'll get better eventually. 

timmin'

Today Rebecca had her first experience of the year in our little pool.  She kept telling me, "I timmin'!" ("swimming")

She loved it, but wouldn't sit down because it was too cold on her tummy.

She also wouldn't stop drinking the water.  Ick.

Or holding the duck.

Rachel had a great time, too, but wouldn't give me a good smile.

She mostly played with her bathtub princess dolls.

I cropped this out of a picture of the two of them--the only decent picture of Rachel I got (but Rebecca wasn't looking at the camera in this one).

the things they say

The girls crack us up all the time with the things they say.  Here are just a few of the latest zingers.

Rebecca (coming up to me from the other room):  "Hi guys!"

Rachel (after telling me she couldn't get her quilt back on her bed): "Ugh....I just have SO many problems!"

Rachel: "Mom, I need something sharp."  Before I had a chance to ask why she added, "I need to teach this balloon a lesson."

Rebecca (stepping out of the sandbox with a sand toy in each hand and her hands on her hips, walking with a purpose):  "I be back!"

Rachel (sitting at the dinner table, telling us about her jazz music assembly today at school):  "They talked about New Orleans.  That's where jazz started.  I've known that for years." 

And those are just in the last few days!

a happy mother's day

Friday night the girls and my husband took me out to pick out flowers and plants for outside.  Rachel was adamant that I needed to have roses, too (she had been telling Daddy for weeks, apparently!), so we got those, too.  These are the ones she chose.

Saturday Rachel and I planted the flowers, tomato plants, basil plant, and, at Rachel's request, a cantaloupe plant.  I really didn't want to attempt to grow cantaloupe, but Rachel just wouldn't let it go, so I told her it could be her plant.  We'll see what happens!

I wish I would've taken pictures because today it's been raining all day, so I couldn't go out and get some pictures.

Since it was raining (and Rachel said she wanted to take me "somewhere special,") she and I went to see a movie today at the dollar theater.  We saw "The Secret World of Arrietty," which was cute.  It was a fun afternoon with my girl.

We're about to head out to dinner in a little bit.  So happy to have a meal I don't have to cook!

Oh, how I love these girls who call me Mommy!

Happy Mother's Day!

almost summer

I guess the phrase "winding down" at the end of a school year is kind of the wrong way to put it, because May has turned into a pretty busy month.  But summer is in sight, with only two more weeks of kindergarten for Rachel.  I can't believe it's almost done.  So I guess we're gearing up for summer.  I always have great plans of having things organized for us to do, but so far, I haven't done anything of the sort.  I do have a bookmark on my computer called "Summer" with ideas I've found here and there online....does that count?  Now I just have to make the time to implement them sometime.

Today the girls and I went to our first garage sales of the season, which felt like summer.  Rachel was so excited to use her own money to buy the Play Doh dentist set, which she's wanted for at least a year.  I was excited that she only had to pay a couple of dollars for it, instead of whatever it cost at the store (and you can tell it's hardly been used).  She and Rebecca have been playing with it for about an hour since we've been home, and the only tears so far have been once when Rebecca fell out of her seat.  So they've already gotten their money out of it, if you ask me!

Rachel's been very into writing things lately.  She writes notes to a friend of hers at school (they exchange them on the bus, not at school), she writes invitations to me almost daily to watch a show (fashion shows, plays, ballet shows, you name it, she performs it for me), and she writes books--her latest is an animal book.  I love reading her inventive spelling.  I struggle sometimes with whether to correct her or let her try and sound things out for herself.  As a teacher, though, one of my pet peeves was that some students were SO stuck on wanting things to be spelled correctly that they wouldn't write anything unless they knew how to spell it, and would try and ask me every two minutes how to spell something.  I'm happy that Rachel just writes, and doesn't get hung up on how things are spelled.  If she knows how to spell it great.  If not, she just tries to sound it out.  We can work on spelling after she gets it written.

I started physical therapy this week for a hip/back pain issue that started a couple of months ago at the gym.  Hopefully once I get this problem solved, I can start exercising again without the pain. 

Rebecca's been loving being outside.  She'd spend all day out there if I'd let her (except to come in and watch a Wiggles episode!).  She loves to swing, carry her bucket of chalk around, play in the sandbox, and try and climb up into the club house of our play set. 

And that's the news around here. 

Some of Rebecca's favorite words lately are "no" and "not."

As in, "No, Mommy," and "No, I not."  I'm not enjoying this phase.

She's already enjoying getting into arguments with me, or with anyone, really.  No matter what I say, she takes the opposite stance.

If she's dancing I'll say, "Are you dancing?"

and she'll reply, "No, I not," (even though she clearly is dancing!).

If she's eating and enjoying a snack I might say, "Are those good raisins?"

and she'll reply, "No."  She just wants to say the opposite of whatever I'm saying.  How does this start before she's even two???

I even tested this theory the other day while she was in a particularly obstinate mood by saying, "Do you like the Wiggles?"

"No," she replied.

"You don't?" I asked.

"Yes, I do," she finally agreed.

Rachel likes to argue, so the two of them will go back and forth until I tell Rachel to stop.

I didn't think this would be an issue until they were a lot older.  Ugh.

In other news, Rachel got off the bus on Friday with a fever.  She spent the afternoon and evening on the couch, shivering under a blanket, when it was in the high 80's outside.  Even with ibuprofen, I couldn't keep the fever below 101.  Saturday the fever was a little lower, but her throat was killing her all day.  The strange girl doesn't like popscicles, which I kept offering to get her, so there wasn't really anything I could do for her.  Sunday the fever was almost gone but her throat still hurt and looked just awful.  We ended up taking her to the children's hospital urgent care to have her tested for strep.  It's not strep--just a virus. 

The goal was to get her better by today, when she's having a "field trip" to the school cafeteria to eat lunch for the first time (to get ready for first grade).  She's been SO excited about it and really, REALLY didn't want to miss it.  The doctor at urgent care yesterday said if her fever stayed down and she felt better today, she could go to school. 

So she hasn't had a fever since early yesterday morning, and even though her throat still hurts, she apparently isn't contagious, so she's allowed to go to school today.  She's thrilled.

I'm just ready to have some days without a sick family member.  (Just as Rachel is getting better, Rebecca is now coughing and has a non-stop runny nose.  It just never ends!!)

HOT!

Man, it's hot.  I haven't turned the A/C on yet, though I'm tempted....

So today we tried to beat the heat by opening up the water table

and getting out the sprinkler.

Rebecca loved the water table, and played there for close to an hour, and Rachel loved the sprinkler (Rebecca wouldn't go near it!).

obsession

Is 23 months old too young to develop an obsessive compulsive disorder?  Rebecca seems to be an all or nothing sort of girl.  She wants Wiggles ALL THE TIME, and nothing else.  And recently she's discovered crayons, so if she's not begging to watch the Wiggles, then she's begging to color ("I cuh-der, Mommy?  I cuh-der?"  That's what I hear all day long, interspersed between, "Datch Wiggles now, Mommy?"). 

Coloring yesterday

Coloring today

So yesterday, because I didn't want to turn on The Wiggles and she already had colored for about a half hour, and I needed some variety, I broke out the play-doh. It was her first time ever seeing play-doh (I only let Rachel play with it when Rebecca's not around, until now).  I'm worried that I began a new obsession.  She loved it and didn't want to put it away when it was time to go get Rachel off the bus.

At least she's developing new interests.... 

Yesterday when I got her dressed I put on the new Wiggles shirt I made her (I bought iron-on transfer paper from Joann's, printed an image from the internet on it, and ironed it on the shirt, because you can't find Wiggles shirts....or books, or toys, or anything of the sort, since they're not all that popular in the U.S.).  I knew she'd like it, but I didn't expect the response I got from her about it.  She LOVED it, and all day long would hug herself and say, "Wiggles Shirt!"  She'd look down at it and point to the different characters and tell me who they were.  She didn't want to take it off at bedtime when I put her PJs on.  This morning when I went in her room to get her up, the first thing she did was point to her hamper and say, "Wiggles shirt in dare."  I said that yes, her Wiggles shirt was in there and Mommy needed to wash it.  She said, "Becca dee it?"  So I said, okay, you can see it, and showed it to her.  Later when I got her dressed after her bath she said, "Wiggles shirt on?"  I told her no, that I needed to wash it before she could wear it again.  She didn't like that idea.  I'm glad she likes it so much, but am not looking forward to having to tell her she can't wear it every time it's dirty!!

Showing off her Wiggles shirt: