but I think I've figured out the problem. It's not what I previously thought -- lack of time -- because I waste lots of time on mindless activities every evening.
I think I'm constantly battling to find a topic that people will actually be interested in reading...because, let's face it -- while I think it's funny/cute when munchkin says or does certain things, it's not necessarily blog worthy. Possibly Facebook status update worthy. And...I'm hesitant to post certain things, photos in particular, because there are some really creepy people out there and I just don't want them knowing much about my family.
SO -- here's the deal. If you like to read about the zaniness that is life in the Drennan household, please let me know. I'm going to make this blog private, but will invite you to join. Hopefully that will make me feel more comfortable writing more details about our goings on to help keep family and friends updated.
My public blog will be a random assortment of recipes, eating healthy without spending a fortune, crafts, etc -- topics that friends ask me about often, so I know there is at least some interest in reading :-p
I'm going to make this blog private for the new year, so please let me know if you want to be added to the list :-)
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
It's a good thing I don't get paid to write a blog...
...because we would starve. Literally. Well, we wouldn't starve because Ian pays for the groceries. I pay for the mortgage, so we would be homeless. Well, I used to pay for the mortgage anyway. Now I pay for 75% of the mortgage, so we'd be mostly homeless.
I digress. It's been almost 3 months since I've written a blog. 3 months!!!! I don't know how you people find the time to do this. It's not like I don't have plenty of inspiration for topics, I just simply don't have the time to sit and write! Thank goodness for Facebook status updates. At least I can jot down a brief glimpse of life with the Drennans while cyber-stalking you :-p
Much has happened in 3 months. We've pretty much settled in the new house. There's still plenty to do -- decorating, yard work, furniture to buy (babies to make, according to EVERYONE who has congratulated us on the new home that has 'SO much space to grow' -- sorry future maybe/maybe not Lil Baby Drennan #2, but you wouldn't have a room...every single one is accounted for).
My business has doubled since this time last year. Exciting, yet scary at the same time since my right hand woman...housesitter, babysitter, teacher, friend...is leaving me! Ack! Thanks, Jenny :-p I'm working on expanding my tutu and bow business (please support me!). Something possessed me to participate in an artist's market in 2 weeks, so I'll be a tutu and bow making machine from now until then (come support the Handmade Gift Fair on Dec 10!).
Ian, too, has had some exciting/scary changes at work (his day job. The one where he's a technical consultant. Scary with his other job is NOT a good thing). Changes in clients + vision for new product = exciting potential/scary right now. But in a good way. And then there's his other job. Which always provides a nice release from the realities of life. Jumping and enjoying the companionship of his teammates for Ian, a nice break from the everyday for me, and an endless playground to run around in for Kaiya.
Kaiya. Oh, my sweet girl, where do I even start. She is changing by the day, growing and developing and turning in to an amazing little girl. She is a boundary pusher (as if we thought she wouldn't be), but an awesome kiddo just the same. She has an amazing empathy for others, is polite, and just so freakin fun to be around. She certainly keeps us laughing. Right now, her insistence on being naked is rather comical (this child can strip in the blink of an eye. Literally. You turn around, do a double take, and wonder if she really was just dressed or if you are thinking of earlier in the day. Til you see the telltale pile of clothes next to her as she carries on with whatever activity she was engaged in before the desire to be 'nekkie' struck). Playing with dry rice while naked is not a good choice, as he found out ('mommy, I pulling rice out of my bum). Neither is playing in the dirt in the middle of the drop zone (Florida black sand is IMPOSSIBLE to clean from a bottom, FYI). Her language is absolutely off the charts. Full on sentences, adult-like statements (sometimes a little too adult-like), and everyday reminders of how much you need to watch what you say around a 2-year-old.
There we go. A few minuscule snippets to catch up. It's actually an impossible task...to catch up 3 months worth of blog-worthy topics. Instead, I'll finish with the reason I logged in to blog only to realize I'm a blog slacker -- things I'm thankful for. That, too, would take up entire pages...but I'll give it a go.
I've said it before, I'll say it again -- we lead a blessed life. Healthy family, happy family, stable jobs we love (most of the time), beautiful home, pets who adore us (though our kitty has been missing for a week :-( )...two sets of amazing parents who we see often, and who spoil the crap out of us...there's really not much to complain about in the Drennan household. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Or, Happy Thursday to those of you who don't celebrate Thanksgiving :-D
I digress. It's been almost 3 months since I've written a blog. 3 months!!!! I don't know how you people find the time to do this. It's not like I don't have plenty of inspiration for topics, I just simply don't have the time to sit and write! Thank goodness for Facebook status updates. At least I can jot down a brief glimpse of life with the Drennans while cyber-stalking you :-p
Much has happened in 3 months. We've pretty much settled in the new house. There's still plenty to do -- decorating, yard work, furniture to buy (babies to make, according to EVERYONE who has congratulated us on the new home that has 'SO much space to grow' -- sorry future maybe/maybe not Lil Baby Drennan #2, but you wouldn't have a room...every single one is accounted for).
My business has doubled since this time last year. Exciting, yet scary at the same time since my right hand woman...housesitter, babysitter, teacher, friend...is leaving me! Ack! Thanks, Jenny :-p I'm working on expanding my tutu and bow business (please support me!). Something possessed me to participate in an artist's market in 2 weeks, so I'll be a tutu and bow making machine from now until then (come support the Handmade Gift Fair on Dec 10!).
Ian, too, has had some exciting/scary changes at work (his day job. The one where he's a technical consultant. Scary with his other job is NOT a good thing). Changes in clients + vision for new product = exciting potential/scary right now. But in a good way. And then there's his other job. Which always provides a nice release from the realities of life. Jumping and enjoying the companionship of his teammates for Ian, a nice break from the everyday for me, and an endless playground to run around in for Kaiya.
Kaiya. Oh, my sweet girl, where do I even start. She is changing by the day, growing and developing and turning in to an amazing little girl. She is a boundary pusher (as if we thought she wouldn't be), but an awesome kiddo just the same. She has an amazing empathy for others, is polite, and just so freakin fun to be around. She certainly keeps us laughing. Right now, her insistence on being naked is rather comical (this child can strip in the blink of an eye. Literally. You turn around, do a double take, and wonder if she really was just dressed or if you are thinking of earlier in the day. Til you see the telltale pile of clothes next to her as she carries on with whatever activity she was engaged in before the desire to be 'nekkie' struck). Playing with dry rice while naked is not a good choice, as he found out ('mommy, I pulling rice out of my bum). Neither is playing in the dirt in the middle of the drop zone (Florida black sand is IMPOSSIBLE to clean from a bottom, FYI). Her language is absolutely off the charts. Full on sentences, adult-like statements (sometimes a little too adult-like), and everyday reminders of how much you need to watch what you say around a 2-year-old.
There we go. A few minuscule snippets to catch up. It's actually an impossible task...to catch up 3 months worth of blog-worthy topics. Instead, I'll finish with the reason I logged in to blog only to realize I'm a blog slacker -- things I'm thankful for. That, too, would take up entire pages...but I'll give it a go.
I've said it before, I'll say it again -- we lead a blessed life. Healthy family, happy family, stable jobs we love (most of the time), beautiful home, pets who adore us (though our kitty has been missing for a week :-( )...two sets of amazing parents who we see often, and who spoil the crap out of us...there's really not much to complain about in the Drennan household. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Or, Happy Thursday to those of you who don't celebrate Thanksgiving :-D
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Our baby...isn't a baby anymore!
It's so true, as cliche as it sounds, that children grow up in the blink of an eye. As I think back on my day with Kaiya, one that didn't involve diapers or nursing or 5 outfit changes, I'm struck by how...grown...she is. My baby is a big girl! And can I tell you that I'm having a really hard time with it? Slow down, sweet pea!
I'm amazed on a daily basis by how much Kaiya learns, changes, and grows. I'm even more amazed at the things she has learned on her own -- a phenomenon that supports my educational theory that, given the materials and a positive example, children will learn at their own pace...and when they do, it will stick and be so much more meaningful. A few brief examples to illustrate my point:
* I've never once actually shown Kaiya how to peel a hardboiled egg. We eat them often, and she sees me peel them all the time, but I've never sat with her and worked through the process. Yesterday, I opened the fridge for her so she could decide on a snack, and she grabbed an egg, tapped it on the counter, and proceeded to peel the entire thing. She never asked for help, never seemed confused at any step in the process, she simply decided it was something she could do...and she did it.
* Similarly, we've never actually sat at a table and worked on puzzles with her. They've always been on her toy shelf, and she's always been interested in the shapes, but we don't specifically speak about what a puzzle is, and how the pieces fit together. She sees me put them together from time to time, mostly when we're cleaning up, but we never sit and have 'puzzle time'. A few days ago, she sat on the floor and dumped all her puzzles out then proceeded to put them back together without blinking an eye.
* I swear, the child potty trained herself. She is 25 months, and 100% fully potty trained...never a frustrated moment in the household. We bought her a little potty when she was 18 months, and she was super interested in the concept. She would pee a few times a day on the potty, and then quickly lost interest. About 2 months ago, she started wanting to use the potty again and, given the warm weather, I would let her run around without pants on while at home. Of course, given how busy we tend to be during the day, she didn't have much opportunity to practice her new skill so when we took a vacation to the beach I brought her potty along and...well...she decided that was that! She's been in panties for about 3 weeks now, has had dry diapers at night for a week, and I can probably count on one hand the number of 'oopsies' she's had since returning from the beach (not counting her propensity to pee in the grass when playing in the new backyard but forgetting that she has pants and not a dress on :-p)
Confidence. Support. Freedom to explore in a safe environment. Three essential keys to the Annie Drennan method of education. My experiment will be complete in another 16 years. Maybe I'll write a book about the journey :-p
I'm amazed on a daily basis by how much Kaiya learns, changes, and grows. I'm even more amazed at the things she has learned on her own -- a phenomenon that supports my educational theory that, given the materials and a positive example, children will learn at their own pace...and when they do, it will stick and be so much more meaningful. A few brief examples to illustrate my point:
* I've never once actually shown Kaiya how to peel a hardboiled egg. We eat them often, and she sees me peel them all the time, but I've never sat with her and worked through the process. Yesterday, I opened the fridge for her so she could decide on a snack, and she grabbed an egg, tapped it on the counter, and proceeded to peel the entire thing. She never asked for help, never seemed confused at any step in the process, she simply decided it was something she could do...and she did it.
* Similarly, we've never actually sat at a table and worked on puzzles with her. They've always been on her toy shelf, and she's always been interested in the shapes, but we don't specifically speak about what a puzzle is, and how the pieces fit together. She sees me put them together from time to time, mostly when we're cleaning up, but we never sit and have 'puzzle time'. A few days ago, she sat on the floor and dumped all her puzzles out then proceeded to put them back together without blinking an eye.
* I swear, the child potty trained herself. She is 25 months, and 100% fully potty trained...never a frustrated moment in the household. We bought her a little potty when she was 18 months, and she was super interested in the concept. She would pee a few times a day on the potty, and then quickly lost interest. About 2 months ago, she started wanting to use the potty again and, given the warm weather, I would let her run around without pants on while at home. Of course, given how busy we tend to be during the day, she didn't have much opportunity to practice her new skill so when we took a vacation to the beach I brought her potty along and...well...she decided that was that! She's been in panties for about 3 weeks now, has had dry diapers at night for a week, and I can probably count on one hand the number of 'oopsies' she's had since returning from the beach (not counting her propensity to pee in the grass when playing in the new backyard but forgetting that she has pants and not a dress on :-p)
Confidence. Support. Freedom to explore in a safe environment. Three essential keys to the Annie Drennan method of education. My experiment will be complete in another 16 years. Maybe I'll write a book about the journey :-p
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
What a difference a year makes...
This time last year, Kaiya had just turned 1. She wasn't yet walking, Ian was just up and about after surgery on his ankle, and we were at the beach. Kaiya wanted nothing, and I mean NOTHING to do with the sand or the ocean. Ian, on crutches and in a cast, couldn't begin to think about getting on the beach. And I so desperately just wanted a few days of vacation. We made the best of it -- Kaiya had fun in the pool, Ian relaxed on the porch, and after 3 (?) days of non-beach fun, we made our way back home.
This year, aside from missing Ian (who had to skip the fun for a coaching gig and subsequent business trip. Contrary to popular belief, he does have a 'real' job as a technical consultant), we are having a BLAST at the beach. Kaiya is all about the sun, sand, and water. Day 1, after overcoming her initial hesitation about the ocean, she was running from the top of the beach, in to the water, jumping the waves, and running back out. Not to mention sand castles galore (Grammy builds, Kaiya smashes), bird chasing, and water transfer. She's still not entirely sure why, no matter how many buckets full of water she brings to the sand hole, it never seems to fill up :-p
We enjoyed a visit from one of my college friends and her daughter on day 2. Kaiya had so much fun with Annabelle, and wanted to know all afternoon where her friend was. Too bad we live so far apart -- they would be best buddies if we were closer, I'm sure!
Yesterday, Kaiya surprised us all with her appetite at dinner. She ate a heap of amberjack dip, and couldn't figure out why we kept giving it to her on crackers :-p For all her varied taste in food, I have to admit I was quite shocked she ate a raw oyster...and asked for more. Oh -- on Monday night, she ate grilled octopus and was NOT happy when I took the last bite. She was enamored with the parrot, P.J., at the restaurant last night and I have a feeling we might be stopping by one more time before we leave. They do have excellent seafood, if you're ever in the St Pete's/Indian Rocks area.
Today was loads of fun. After BobBob got the paddle board ready, we spent the morning down on the beach building (crushing) sandcastles, running up and down the beach, visiting the heron, climbing up and jumping off of the sand hill, and paddle boarding. I was a little surprised that Kaiya wanted to put her life jacket on (a point of contention when we are on the ski boat), but she asked for it by name and went running in to the ocean. After watching Grammy on the paddle board, she decided she must ride too so off they went. I'm certain Kaiya would have fallen asleep had they stayed out longer! She decided it was my turn, so we all three went out for awhile. She also wanted to bob in the ocean wearing her life jacket -- a huge step, as she normally clings to one of us if her feet aren't touching the bottom.
After some lunch and a nice nap, it was pool time! We put floaties on Kaiya's arms for the first time (I've been hesitant to use them for fear that they would become a crutch, and finally decided that they are probably useful in helping her to learn proper body position and being comfortable swimming independently). She was a rockstar! A little hesitant at first, but by the time we left the pool she was jumping in on her own after toys, swimming to them, and swimming back to the ledge to climb out (with just a touch on the back to help keep her on her tummy and moving forward). She's also made huge steps in keeping her mouth closed/blowing out when the water touches her face.
On top of all this, she has been sleeping better than ever! Going to bed around 7:30 or so, sleeping til about 4/5am and then back to sleep for another couple of hours. AND -- I think we're on the road to being diaper free! As long as she isn't wearing a diaper, K has been using the potty for the last 3 days!!! Big steps all around on this vacation :-)
3 more days of fun...and then home to Daddy!!!
This year, aside from missing Ian (who had to skip the fun for a coaching gig and subsequent business trip. Contrary to popular belief, he does have a 'real' job as a technical consultant), we are having a BLAST at the beach. Kaiya is all about the sun, sand, and water. Day 1, after overcoming her initial hesitation about the ocean, she was running from the top of the beach, in to the water, jumping the waves, and running back out. Not to mention sand castles galore (Grammy builds, Kaiya smashes), bird chasing, and water transfer. She's still not entirely sure why, no matter how many buckets full of water she brings to the sand hole, it never seems to fill up :-p
We enjoyed a visit from one of my college friends and her daughter on day 2. Kaiya had so much fun with Annabelle, and wanted to know all afternoon where her friend was. Too bad we live so far apart -- they would be best buddies if we were closer, I'm sure!
Yesterday, Kaiya surprised us all with her appetite at dinner. She ate a heap of amberjack dip, and couldn't figure out why we kept giving it to her on crackers :-p For all her varied taste in food, I have to admit I was quite shocked she ate a raw oyster...and asked for more. Oh -- on Monday night, she ate grilled octopus and was NOT happy when I took the last bite. She was enamored with the parrot, P.J., at the restaurant last night and I have a feeling we might be stopping by one more time before we leave. They do have excellent seafood, if you're ever in the St Pete's/Indian Rocks area.
Today was loads of fun. After BobBob got the paddle board ready, we spent the morning down on the beach building (crushing) sandcastles, running up and down the beach, visiting the heron, climbing up and jumping off of the sand hill, and paddle boarding. I was a little surprised that Kaiya wanted to put her life jacket on (a point of contention when we are on the ski boat), but she asked for it by name and went running in to the ocean. After watching Grammy on the paddle board, she decided she must ride too so off they went. I'm certain Kaiya would have fallen asleep had they stayed out longer! She decided it was my turn, so we all three went out for awhile. She also wanted to bob in the ocean wearing her life jacket -- a huge step, as she normally clings to one of us if her feet aren't touching the bottom.
After some lunch and a nice nap, it was pool time! We put floaties on Kaiya's arms for the first time (I've been hesitant to use them for fear that they would become a crutch, and finally decided that they are probably useful in helping her to learn proper body position and being comfortable swimming independently). She was a rockstar! A little hesitant at first, but by the time we left the pool she was jumping in on her own after toys, swimming to them, and swimming back to the ledge to climb out (with just a touch on the back to help keep her on her tummy and moving forward). She's also made huge steps in keeping her mouth closed/blowing out when the water touches her face.
On top of all this, she has been sleeping better than ever! Going to bed around 7:30 or so, sleeping til about 4/5am and then back to sleep for another couple of hours. AND -- I think we're on the road to being diaper free! As long as she isn't wearing a diaper, K has been using the potty for the last 3 days!!! Big steps all around on this vacation :-)
3 more days of fun...and then home to Daddy!!!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Adventures in baking
I love to bake. Well, I love to cook in general but I have (had?) a passion for baking. Cookies, cakes, cheesecakes...recipes, experiments...simple goodies, elaborately decorated cakes (I recall a school project of some sort that involved a chocolate cake decorated to look like a strawberry basket complete with chocolate icing basket weave, fresh flowers to form a handle, and chocolate covered strawberries on top).
I haven't baked in probably 3 years. I used to give my baking projects away. I would take them to Ian's office, to the schools I taught at...and I got burned out. Not from the act of baking itself, but from the general lack of appreciation. Or, rather, the shift from appreciation to expectation. So...I took a break. Then I got busy with my company, then a certain little monster, and -- well -- I just never got back in the habit. And as I learned today, baking with a 2-year-old around presents it's own set of challenges.
Today, I set out to make Kaiya's birthday cake. I decided on a hummingbird cake -- the cake my mom makes for my birthday every year, and that her mom always made for their birthdays. Kaiya was super excited to help. She put out a few extra ingredients (braai spice, cereal), tried to throw a handful of salt in to the pineapple, and I'm pretty sure ate the banana instead of slicing it, but once I got her buttering the cake pan I was able to focus a bit more (well, until she tried to throw a handful of flour in the pineapple. Then Ian rescued me, sliced the banana, and distracted Kaiya with other activities).
So...there I was. First cake in years. Remembering all sorts of things about baking. Like evaporated cane sugar does NOT bake like white sugar (but we don't have white sugar in the house, so I went with it -- it works, cakes just brown a lot faster, are stickier, and are oh so hard to get out of a pan). That you use unsalted butter to make cream cheese frosting, because the cream cheese is salty enough on its own. That frosting recipes use WAY more sugar than you think.
It was fun though :-) Like my parents, I've never met a recipe I couldn't change and, most of the time, prefer working without a recipe in the first place. I did use Mom's modified recipe for Grandma's hummingbird cake (see? a changed recipe). I decided to try a different frosting recipe though, so instead of the normal pecan cream cheese frosting, I made an orange cream cheese one. But added a little extra orange juice and grated rind. And (oops!) used salted butter which, fortunately, didn't turn out too salty. And only used about 2/3 the amount of powdered sugar.
Oh, and all the reminders about the evaporated cane sugar? Those came after I baked the cake. And wondered why it was browning so fast. And couldn't get it out of the pan. Then couldn't get the second half off the cooling plate. On the plus side, frosting makes a great glue. The cake tastes yummy, looks good for now, and I really doubt anyone will be complaining if it turns to a crumbled mess when sliced to eat ;-)
I haven't baked in probably 3 years. I used to give my baking projects away. I would take them to Ian's office, to the schools I taught at...and I got burned out. Not from the act of baking itself, but from the general lack of appreciation. Or, rather, the shift from appreciation to expectation. So...I took a break. Then I got busy with my company, then a certain little monster, and -- well -- I just never got back in the habit. And as I learned today, baking with a 2-year-old around presents it's own set of challenges.
Today, I set out to make Kaiya's birthday cake. I decided on a hummingbird cake -- the cake my mom makes for my birthday every year, and that her mom always made for their birthdays. Kaiya was super excited to help. She put out a few extra ingredients (braai spice, cereal), tried to throw a handful of salt in to the pineapple, and I'm pretty sure ate the banana instead of slicing it, but once I got her buttering the cake pan I was able to focus a bit more (well, until she tried to throw a handful of flour in the pineapple. Then Ian rescued me, sliced the banana, and distracted Kaiya with other activities).
So...there I was. First cake in years. Remembering all sorts of things about baking. Like evaporated cane sugar does NOT bake like white sugar (but we don't have white sugar in the house, so I went with it -- it works, cakes just brown a lot faster, are stickier, and are oh so hard to get out of a pan). That you use unsalted butter to make cream cheese frosting, because the cream cheese is salty enough on its own. That frosting recipes use WAY more sugar than you think.
It was fun though :-) Like my parents, I've never met a recipe I couldn't change and, most of the time, prefer working without a recipe in the first place. I did use Mom's modified recipe for Grandma's hummingbird cake (see? a changed recipe). I decided to try a different frosting recipe though, so instead of the normal pecan cream cheese frosting, I made an orange cream cheese one. But added a little extra orange juice and grated rind. And (oops!) used salted butter which, fortunately, didn't turn out too salty. And only used about 2/3 the amount of powdered sugar.
Oh, and all the reminders about the evaporated cane sugar? Those came after I baked the cake. And wondered why it was browning so fast. And couldn't get it out of the pan. Then couldn't get the second half off the cooling plate. On the plus side, frosting makes a great glue. The cake tastes yummy, looks good for now, and I really doubt anyone will be complaining if it turns to a crumbled mess when sliced to eat ;-)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
I really need to be better about blogging...
So...maybe I'm not cut out to be a daily blogger. At least you, those few who actually follow this blog, have been spared the details of our every day life. I have come to this realization, however: I tend to avoid blogging certain things because I wonder 'who cares?'; 'so, what makes that so special?' and other similar thoughts. But...while I love that this blog serves as an update on all things Kaiya/Drennan, it's also a memory book of sorts for our family. That said, I'm going to try to be better about including more...funny tid bits, snapshots of our days, moments in time that will be forever lost if I don't write them down. And -- I love reading the entries friends make in their blogs, so I suppose that means there has to be someone out there who is interested in mine ;-)
We'll start with this -- memories from the week...things I normally would share with Ian as we shower and get ready for bed, but haven't been able to as he is traveling and, with the time difference, we haven't really had the chance to communicate much.
* Kaiya scared the ever loving crap out of me on our way home from the lake on Monday. She was eating mandarin oranges in her carseat and must have had one to many in her mouth...she started choking -- not the 'I swallowed funny' cough/Snoopy sound but an all out pull the car to the side of the road and run to the baby type choke. She cleared it by the time I got to her, but Mommy and Kaiya were both a little freaked out. Resilient as toddlers are though, after a minute of comforting she wanted back in her carseat so she could finish her snack and watch her show. It took a feeeeeew more minutes for my heart rate to return to normal...
* Our animals have issues. And they always seem worse when Ian is gone. We had a flea issue which appears to be under control, though not gone altogether. Chaos has skin allergies, and needs a soothing bath about every other day. She chewed herself a nice hotspot yesterday and I had to shave her so it can be treated. Indy wasn't eating and lost 2 pounds (which is a lot when you only weight 8 in the first place). Fortunately he's eating now, and appears to have put the weight back on. Buster is a freak and yelps like you've just beat him if you make any sudden moves near him. I thought I lost Zonk yesterday, but he was just hiding. Chaos pooped in the garage last night. And the amount of fur I sweep up every day is staggering...it's a wonder the animals even have fur left.
* Kaiya spoke to her poop on Tuesday. What? Oh yes. She was playing on the bedroom floor while I dressed T morning, and told me she had a poopy diaper. I said I was would change it as soon as I finished combing my hair. 'Oh, thank-see (thank you) Mommy!' she says. The way she was sitting, combined with the fact that it was her overnight diaper with her first thing in the morning pee made it so she could see in the side. I told her not to touch, that her hand would get yucky and I would clean her in a second. Cue the child peeking in the diaper, waving, and saying 'hi poop! hi poop!'. Even better -- when I asked her to follow me downstairs so we could change and she stood up and said 'come on, poop!'
* K is having some MAJOR anxiety related to her bedroom. She's been sleeping in her own bed for quite awhile now (since she was 9 months old? Or so?), and though she will sometimes ask to go to bed in Mommy and Daddy's room, she always settles in hers just fine. She is genuinely sad/upset at the thought of going to sleep in her room though...and it's heartbreaking to watch. So, of course, being the mom who can't make her kid cry, she's been sleeping in our room while Daddy is gone. On the plus side, she is sleeping fabulously and the last two nights when she has been up around 2 or 3am she has asked me to pat her back versus nurse her. A sign of things to come? I can only hope!
* Our child is SUCH a Daddy's girl. And she misses him BIG time right now. The first day or so she would ask for Daddy, but accept that he was 'at work' or 'had to go on the big airplane'. That morphed in to demands that she go on the airplane too. She informs me multiple times each day that Daddy is in Germany. That he is flying his parachute. That he's in a hotel, that she wants to go to the hotel. She was SO excited to Skype with him last night, and has demanded no less than 5 times since that we 'call Daddy computer'. Today I found her sitting at the table trying to call him herself. She's also been trying to call him on my cell phone. And we had a minor 'My daddy MY daddy MY DADDY' meltdown earlier this evening
Alrighty...that's enough for tonight. Thanks for following along :-)
We'll start with this -- memories from the week...things I normally would share with Ian as we shower and get ready for bed, but haven't been able to as he is traveling and, with the time difference, we haven't really had the chance to communicate much.
* Kaiya scared the ever loving crap out of me on our way home from the lake on Monday. She was eating mandarin oranges in her carseat and must have had one to many in her mouth...she started choking -- not the 'I swallowed funny' cough/Snoopy sound but an all out pull the car to the side of the road and run to the baby type choke. She cleared it by the time I got to her, but Mommy and Kaiya were both a little freaked out. Resilient as toddlers are though, after a minute of comforting she wanted back in her carseat so she could finish her snack and watch her show. It took a feeeeeew more minutes for my heart rate to return to normal...
* Our animals have issues. And they always seem worse when Ian is gone. We had a flea issue which appears to be under control, though not gone altogether. Chaos has skin allergies, and needs a soothing bath about every other day. She chewed herself a nice hotspot yesterday and I had to shave her so it can be treated. Indy wasn't eating and lost 2 pounds (which is a lot when you only weight 8 in the first place). Fortunately he's eating now, and appears to have put the weight back on. Buster is a freak and yelps like you've just beat him if you make any sudden moves near him. I thought I lost Zonk yesterday, but he was just hiding. Chaos pooped in the garage last night. And the amount of fur I sweep up every day is staggering...it's a wonder the animals even have fur left.
* Kaiya spoke to her poop on Tuesday. What? Oh yes. She was playing on the bedroom floor while I dressed T morning, and told me she had a poopy diaper. I said I was would change it as soon as I finished combing my hair. 'Oh, thank-see (thank you) Mommy!' she says. The way she was sitting, combined with the fact that it was her overnight diaper with her first thing in the morning pee made it so she could see in the side. I told her not to touch, that her hand would get yucky and I would clean her in a second. Cue the child peeking in the diaper, waving, and saying 'hi poop! hi poop!'. Even better -- when I asked her to follow me downstairs so we could change and she stood up and said 'come on, poop!'
* K is having some MAJOR anxiety related to her bedroom. She's been sleeping in her own bed for quite awhile now (since she was 9 months old? Or so?), and though she will sometimes ask to go to bed in Mommy and Daddy's room, she always settles in hers just fine. She is genuinely sad/upset at the thought of going to sleep in her room though...and it's heartbreaking to watch. So, of course, being the mom who can't make her kid cry, she's been sleeping in our room while Daddy is gone. On the plus side, she is sleeping fabulously and the last two nights when she has been up around 2 or 3am she has asked me to pat her back versus nurse her. A sign of things to come? I can only hope!
* Our child is SUCH a Daddy's girl. And she misses him BIG time right now. The first day or so she would ask for Daddy, but accept that he was 'at work' or 'had to go on the big airplane'. That morphed in to demands that she go on the airplane too. She informs me multiple times each day that Daddy is in Germany. That he is flying his parachute. That he's in a hotel, that she wants to go to the hotel. She was SO excited to Skype with him last night, and has demanded no less than 5 times since that we 'call Daddy computer'. Today I found her sitting at the table trying to call him herself. She's also been trying to call him on my cell phone. And we had a minor 'My daddy MY daddy MY DADDY' meltdown earlier this evening
Alrighty...that's enough for tonight. Thanks for following along :-)
Sunday, July 3, 2011
We miss Daddy!
You'll have to indulge my detailed daily blogs until next Sunday -- or enjoy them, if you are in to all things Drennan. Ian left town this afternoon for a competition in Germany, and without a phone or a computer to Skype communication will be lacking. So...in an attempt to make sure he doesn't miss toooooo much while he's gone, I'll be blogging about our days.
Being the Daddy's girl she is, Kaiya was NOT happy when Ian left around noon. She is old enough now to realize what it means when we say that Daddy is going on a trip. Such statement are generally followed by and empathic 'NO -- MY Daddy. MY Daddy!' or 'me go airplane too!' Fortunately she's still young enough to be distracted, too ;-) Her mini-meltdown avoided major status via a quick splash in the pool and giving Chaos a bath.
A lovely 3 hour nap later, we were up and at em again (don't get jealous people...it's not like I put her down and she magically sleeps for three hours. Kaiya generally nurses down to sleep, stays down for about 45 minutes, and then as long as I'm able to cuddle her for she'll sleep -- as we are vacation, and Mommy is exhausted, she slept another 2 hours).
Quick snack, sunblock, throw a few things in a bag, oh -- don't forget the doctor kit (with stethoscope, dog bone, CD, washcloth, and fabric kiwi from her toy kitchen) -- BOAT TIME! Kaiya has been on a boat several times, but this weekend has been the first that she really processes what it means to be on the boat. Yesterday, she was a little hesitant as we first went out but by the time we were on the main water she was shouting 'BobBob, go FAST!' No hesitation today. She was ready for the boat and the beach! Slightly disappointed that we couldn't find any geese (too many boats on the water today), but oh so excited to see all the other boats. She wasn't so sure about the sand and the moving water on the beach, but warmed up quickly and was excited to sit on the beach, dig in the sand, bury BobBob's feet, and dip her toes in the water.
Some family friends were at the lake today, and we met them at the marina bar/grill for a little late lunch/early dinner and drink. Always everyone's best friend, Kaiya made herself right at home sharing meals and telling everyone to 'come on' as she went exploring around the grounds. There is a stage on the patio where live bands play on the weekends, and Kaiya took it upon herself to climb up and put a show on for the patrons. Of course, the real band arrived and had to set up...try explaining to a 2-year-old that every drum set is not Daddy's and she most certainly could NOT play the band's drums. She was SO excited to realize there was a guitar, singer, AND drums...though disappointed that they were only doing a sound check and played just one song. Wish I'd had my phone with me to grab a video of her dancing though! This girl LOVES music, and loves to dance. As the band left, she ran up to the stage, hands to face, saying 'oh dear! where go band?! I dance!' much to the delight of the people around her. We convinced her to get back on the boat and head home with promises of a dance party at the house.
While Kaiya likes to be on the boat now, she's still not a fan of big bumps. Since it is a holiday weekend, there are obviously a lot of boats on the water (translation: chop) and Kaiya's 'go FAST' request quickly changed to 'STOP! BobBob STOP! SLOW'. She is also more comfortable moving around on the boat now, and wanted to help Grandma tie the boat to the dock once we got home.
I managed to get her to take a quick bath, and get a diaper on before she ran out to the living room saying 'Oh dear! Where's Gramma?! I dance!!!!' While the dance party portion of the evening has slowed (video posted on FB), K had a blast dancing with Gramma and BobBob. It's now 8:45, and I'm hoping she'll be slowing down at some point. She's currently talking to the statue of a pelican (who is wearing her pink monkey fedora).
She fortunately hasn't cried at the thought of Daddy not being here, but has asked for him multiple times today ('Oh dear! Where go DADDY?!')...generally followed by a reminder that Daddy's gone to Germany for a competition and will be back in a few days, to which she responds 'I go airplane. Me too! My parachute!!!'
A positive the last few days: K's appetite is back with a vengeance. She went 2.5 days without eating after having a tummy bug a week ago Thursday, and her appetite has been slow to return. It's baaaaaack! This girl can eat! And -- no epic tantrums the last couple of days. Woo hoo! *Sigh* she's eating again. Just couldn't resist chicken fresh off the grill. 'Good chicken, BobBob' she says :-)
Alrighty...that's enough for tonight. Not that anyone has made it this far besides Ian :-p We miss you love!
Being the Daddy's girl she is, Kaiya was NOT happy when Ian left around noon. She is old enough now to realize what it means when we say that Daddy is going on a trip. Such statement are generally followed by and empathic 'NO -- MY Daddy. MY Daddy!' or 'me go airplane too!' Fortunately she's still young enough to be distracted, too ;-) Her mini-meltdown avoided major status via a quick splash in the pool and giving Chaos a bath.
A lovely 3 hour nap later, we were up and at em again (don't get jealous people...it's not like I put her down and she magically sleeps for three hours. Kaiya generally nurses down to sleep, stays down for about 45 minutes, and then as long as I'm able to cuddle her for she'll sleep -- as we are vacation, and Mommy is exhausted, she slept another 2 hours).
Quick snack, sunblock, throw a few things in a bag, oh -- don't forget the doctor kit (with stethoscope, dog bone, CD, washcloth, and fabric kiwi from her toy kitchen) -- BOAT TIME! Kaiya has been on a boat several times, but this weekend has been the first that she really processes what it means to be on the boat. Yesterday, she was a little hesitant as we first went out but by the time we were on the main water she was shouting 'BobBob, go FAST!' No hesitation today. She was ready for the boat and the beach! Slightly disappointed that we couldn't find any geese (too many boats on the water today), but oh so excited to see all the other boats. She wasn't so sure about the sand and the moving water on the beach, but warmed up quickly and was excited to sit on the beach, dig in the sand, bury BobBob's feet, and dip her toes in the water.
Some family friends were at the lake today, and we met them at the marina bar/grill for a little late lunch/early dinner and drink. Always everyone's best friend, Kaiya made herself right at home sharing meals and telling everyone to 'come on' as she went exploring around the grounds. There is a stage on the patio where live bands play on the weekends, and Kaiya took it upon herself to climb up and put a show on for the patrons. Of course, the real band arrived and had to set up...try explaining to a 2-year-old that every drum set is not Daddy's and she most certainly could NOT play the band's drums. She was SO excited to realize there was a guitar, singer, AND drums...though disappointed that they were only doing a sound check and played just one song. Wish I'd had my phone with me to grab a video of her dancing though! This girl LOVES music, and loves to dance. As the band left, she ran up to the stage, hands to face, saying 'oh dear! where go band?! I dance!' much to the delight of the people around her. We convinced her to get back on the boat and head home with promises of a dance party at the house.
While Kaiya likes to be on the boat now, she's still not a fan of big bumps. Since it is a holiday weekend, there are obviously a lot of boats on the water (translation: chop) and Kaiya's 'go FAST' request quickly changed to 'STOP! BobBob STOP! SLOW'. She is also more comfortable moving around on the boat now, and wanted to help Grandma tie the boat to the dock once we got home.
I managed to get her to take a quick bath, and get a diaper on before she ran out to the living room saying 'Oh dear! Where's Gramma?! I dance!!!!' While the dance party portion of the evening has slowed (video posted on FB), K had a blast dancing with Gramma and BobBob. It's now 8:45, and I'm hoping she'll be slowing down at some point. She's currently talking to the statue of a pelican (who is wearing her pink monkey fedora).
She fortunately hasn't cried at the thought of Daddy not being here, but has asked for him multiple times today ('Oh dear! Where go DADDY?!')...generally followed by a reminder that Daddy's gone to Germany for a competition and will be back in a few days, to which she responds 'I go airplane. Me too! My parachute!!!'
A positive the last few days: K's appetite is back with a vengeance. She went 2.5 days without eating after having a tummy bug a week ago Thursday, and her appetite has been slow to return. It's baaaaaack! This girl can eat! And -- no epic tantrums the last couple of days. Woo hoo! *Sigh* she's eating again. Just couldn't resist chicken fresh off the grill. 'Good chicken, BobBob' she says :-)
Alrighty...that's enough for tonight. Not that anyone has made it this far besides Ian :-p We miss you love!
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