Sunday, April 29, 2012

a one mo tine?

one of the many new phrases we've been hearing a lot around our house these days! more food, more times down the slide, more books at bedtime. but it's never just one more!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Miss Personality

I wish I could capture Kendall in a bottle right now---to save some of this silly sweetness for the upcoming "terrible two's" or to just take in a breath of who she is RIGHT NOW somewhere down the road, when this particular stage is out grown. Obviously we have loved each stage for various reasons, and I know all that lies ahead will be special in it's own way, too. But there is something so magical about all the language development going on right now. Even when she is using her wonderful language skills to be a little twit (we hear "I do it" A LOT! and sometimes "stop it!" ugh!)! To us, she understands insane amounts of information and spits out much of it with alarming accuracy. And her sense of humor is a blast! I sometimes find myself missing her and wanting to wake her up after I put her down to sleep, just because she is so much fun to be around. Now, we know that this is all really typical for most 2 year olds. In fact, I just read that at this age they understand about 10 new words a day, CRAZY! But it's still pretty darn amazing to us every single day! Our developing human minds are ridiculous. I wish I could teach her a second language right now. Keith and I often say to each other "did she really just say what I think she said?"  Maybe it's because we still think of her as our baby (because it really feels like I just had her!) and it just doesn't seem possible that she can be interacting with us and communicating like this. Or maybe it's because we aren't with her all day, every day, so we can look past the more difficult parts of her personality and just see all the fun parts. Whatever it is, Kendall, you delight us! 

Here are some pictures and info for us to remember who Kendall is at 21months old!
She loves to read 


occasionally gets some "tinkle" in the potty

asks to get "I cozy" and watch a Calliou after bath time (Calliou likes Kendall to sit still and get her nails cut, and she is happy to please him)


adores her cousins (ask her about about Quincy and she won't stop talking! and she continues to get better at hide and seek thanks to them.)

happens to enjoy hanging out in just her boots (sorry Kendall, I had to post this too cute buns pic!)

actually plays at play dates now ("chase you" is a favorite)

snuggles, hugs and kisses everyone and everything (all sorts of strangers are getting kisses blown to them at the store these days!---of course, that is if she isn't screaming "I WALK!!!!" while arching her back making it seem like I'm torturing her by buckling her into the cart! But she saves the long lingering hugs for her loved ones.)

is getting pretty adventurous, and incidentally getting lots of interesting injuries (we have a climber folks! and she calls owies "howies")

can feed herself using utensils (but sometimes picks up food with her hands, sets it on the fork, then puts the fork in her mouth!)

teaches Baby everything she knows (sliding is a new love, she even made her own version of a slide out of the ottoman and her rocking chair)

is a "super" helper and is great at identifying garbage and putting it in the garbage can for us (but sometimes gets it back out to play with or eat---oops, guess we better work on that one!), and we've been trying to allow enough time in the night time routine to have her do all her own picking up---it takes quite a while and I know that is totally a quality she inherited from me---sorry Kendall for being easily distracted. The best part is when she starts to sing the clean up song!


and is just OH. SO. SWEET!

  • In the past few months Kendall has finally outgrown all her 12 month clothes and is even starting to fit in some 18-24 mo things. She is wearing a size 3 or 4 in shoes. And is a shoe lover---frequently trying to put them on and is pretty opinionated about which ones she wants to wear.
  • We were successful at dropping the binky habit, cold turkey in fact! One day she went without it at daycare so we decided it was time. That night when she asked for it (at this point she was requesting to have about 5 in the crib with her at all times) Keith matter of fact-ly said "you are a big girl now, and you don't need the binky" and that was that. I was thankful he put her to bed that night because I know I would have caved. 
  • She is still hanging on to the bottle though, she occasionally will take milk from a sippy cut but sipping is about all we can get and I worry she isn't getting enough fat. I promise she won't go to Kindergarten still drinking a bottle!!!
  • Her favorite food these days seems to be cheese and she is getting more picky about her veggies. She has developed a sweet tooth and often requests cupcakes (and I never have cupcakes just laying around the house!). 
  • She still loves singing and coloring (even did some "art" on our white bench---thank goodness for the Magic Eraser). 
  • She sometimes gets shy around new people but as soon as we are away from them she will tell me all sorts of stories (I might understand about every 5th word). 
  • I mentioned this in the Easter post, but she really has a fondness for rocks. It's pretty cute. 
  • She is slightly obsessed with chap-stick "ship-shap on Mommy, peas?"
  • She can walk up and down stairs without much help!
  • Has a few phrases that we just can't get enough of: "Daddy, Where are you?"(in a sing-song voice), "here ya go", "Yay, I did it!", and "Spicy Chicken!" (once she got a kiss from Daddy and could smell something spicy, he told her it was chicken and now almost every Daddy kiss is a "spicy chicken").
  • And counts like this "One, tree (3), one tree, ONE!"

Sunday, April 15, 2012

"Bunny hop"

This Easter was a little more active than last year! Last year Kendall just sat in one spot. This year she was all over the place! Although her understanding of what do to for an egg hunt didn't really change. She did figure out that the plastic eggs usually have something inside them and after "finding" an egg she usually spent some time investigating it and opening it, meanwhile the other kids found ALL the rest of the eggs. But that was okay with her because she was just as happy to collect rocks, in fact, she might have been more excited about the rocks. She did some practicing with Grandma while we were in California and even without competition she averaged about 3 eggs before she was off doing something else. 


 Like last year, we made it to the Evans big egg hunt/community outreach. We met up with Liam there and took what will hopefully be an annual picture. I think Kendall likes her bunny friend :)


Kendall refers to anything bunny as "Bunny hop." Here she is trying to make Aslan "Bunny hop!"


 The picture that proves her love of rocks over eggs.
 Our attempt at a posed picture...she was so irritated that I wasn't letting her play in the dirt.

On Easter Sunday we had breakfast with Marissa and Luke and went to Bernie's after church for her community egg hunt and a family dinner.  By the way, why on Earth do we do egg hunts on Easter??? I can't seem to make the connection. Spring=eggs=new life=Jesus??? I did attempt telling Kendall what Easter is really about, but all she said when I was done was "Jesus died." Hmmm...we'll try explaining it all again when she's a bit older :). I digress... we had a great day spending time with family (even though Kendall decided to fore go her nap!).





 Mimi and her grand kids


A day at Fairyland

Just a few blocks from where my Great Auntie Lil used to live (when my Mom was school age), in Oakland, there is this great toddler amusement park called Fairyland. My Mom remembers walking there with her friends and even having her 5th birthday party in the Cinderella party patio!  Marissa and I went there at least once (that we can't remember) when we were little. The park has miniature displays of many familiar fairy tales, fun walkways and slides, a mini train, mini carousels, a musical fairy tunnel, and even puts on small plays! According to my Mom, they used to have several animals, including real monkeys and seals! Now they have a miniature horse, some bunnies, and goats. Kendall had a great time because everything was just her size. We will definitely go back when she is just a little taller and can do the slides and rides by herself. 

Riding the train around the park
Kissing some random wooden cows (kissing any and everything is her new deal!)

All around the park are these blue boxes and you can put the magic key in to hear the song or story that goes with that fairytale. She became great at spotting these boxes and would point them out whenever we saw them. She didn't really know that you had to use the key though, here she is trying to play it with a rock she found (rocks, being her latest obsession! She collected several at Fairyland and I later found them in my washing machine.)



In the 3 Little Pigs house


enjoying a "play in the dirt break"---she took several!

Kendall's favorite stop was at Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs home. I think she really liked how the statues were smaller than her and that they didn't move like real kids do. She went around several times saying "hello" or "I love you," giving them each a kiss or hug or pat on the head. Of course it wasn't until we needed to leave that I thought about getting a video of her.





We finished our day in Oakland by going to lunch at Fentons, another favorite childhood memory for both my Mom and I.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Spring Break

I have never been more thankful for a spring break! Being a full time working Mama is TOUGH and I was so excited to get to spend some quality down time with my family. I was really proud that I only went to my classroom one time and that was just to see what the state of my room was and where my wonderful sub left off so I would know what to teach when I came back (I was subbed out during conference week so I could meet with 40 families---holy smokes!)

We started the week with a library visit with Kendall's friend Nathan. Look at my big girl doing puzzles all by herself!

 Then we played with Avlynne and Addy. Here Kendall is encouraging Avlynne as she tries to use the potty.

 And then assisting in a diaper change! Wow, what a helper! :)


We heard that Spokane was getting cold again, so we flew to the Bay Area to visit Great Grandpa while Grandma Denise was also visiting. Although traveling with a toddler is a lot of work, knowing I would have some down time, and that Kendall would get to be with my mom and "Ga-Gapa Day" was well worth the trip down and back. It wasn't HOT, but it was pleasant, and a good change for a few days. I did some reading,= and sleeping in, while my Mom and Grandpa got their grandparent fix.

First stop: the local library! She settled right in.
Then to the park to show Great Grandpa how she can go on the slide!


I brought several dollar store treasures to keep the plane ride down fun for everyone. Crayons, books, stuffed toys, stickers, etc. 
However, my sweet child mostly wanted to play with rocks and dirt the whole time. There are these patches of big (to her) rocks and she tried really hard to pick them up, but instead settled on patting them and singing "I love you."

We did die a few eggs for Grandpa to eat after we left.


 In a new house there was a lot to explore, including lots of fun stairs and "antique" toys.

Our big adventure was a day trip to Fairyland, but that deserves it's own post.


 Pretty tiring trip for Kendall, but so much fun!




We were home in time for Easter festivities with the rest of our family.