Kailey

10/28/2012

Kailey got to go to a cheerleading camp this past week. She loved it. I am enjoying being  able to take her to activities.

7/18/2012

The last few weeks Kailey and I have been struggling again. Head butting so to speak. There is one specific road block in our otherwise happy relationship that neither one of us can seem to get around. The road block? NAPS. Awhile back I started using a timer for everything. I set it on the counter start the timer or the steps and tell her that much time till we go inside, or whatever it is. I would do it for naps to. It works fantastically. Well, until now. Now it doesn't work for naps. For some reason she has decided that she would rather get in trouble then take a nap. Today as we started our usual daily figurative head butting, I finally got exasperated and yelled, "Why won't you just sleep?" Her response . . . "Because I don't want to. I want to get in trouble because I don't want to have to go to bed." To which I responded, "Why? Why would you rather get in trouble then just go to bed?" "To which she tearfully responded, "Because I'm not tired mommy. I don't want to have to sleep if I'm not tired. If I don't sleep then I'll just be bored and I don't want to be bored." This whole time I've been fighting to keep her sleeping because I thought she needed it, and maybe she does, but right now for her what she needs even more is to Not be Bored. So I sat down with her and I told her that I loved her and that I was sorry for fighting with her and that I knew she didn't want to take a nap, but I needed mommy time (sometimes that is a nap) and if she was up playing I couldn't have that. So we came to an agreement. I get mommy time for one whole turn of the timer (an hour) during which she will lay in her bed quietly. When that hour is up then she can come out and do something else so that she won't get too bored. Once we agreed upon that she went in, got me the timer, turned it one whole turn. Then she gave me hugs and kisses and went to bed. I hope it continues to work so amazingly well.
The lesson I learned was this, sometimes we think we know what a person needs. We love them and we want them to have what they need more then anything. Even when they say they don't need it we still think they do, and maybe they do, but there is usually something they need even more right now. Maybe they do need what you are trying to give them, but right now that isn't what they need most, and until you can give them what they need most they will continue to fight against your good intentions.
Kailey most likely still needs naps. She might be a tad cranky at night because she will get only an hour of rest versus a nap, but right now she is more cranky when she is bored because what she needs more then a nap is time with her mommy.

6/5/2012

Kailey learned that salt is yucky today. I got the salt down for me and used some. I then walked away from the table. When I came back she was vigorously shaking salt into her bowl. I stopped her, but have no idea how long she was doing that before I caught her. The look on her face when she bit into her lunch was classic! :) She now is very careful with the salt and when she did put some on tipped it quickly and then just as quickly righted it. I don't know if she even really got any on her food. (Rather that she didn't anyway so that works for me.)

5/26/2012

Kailey drew a picture of our family. If you take a close look there are five people. I asked her who was in the picture and she said "You, me, my sister, Cope, and Daddy!"

5/24/2012

So Todd got a new job, and recently (before we knew he had it) Kailey realized Daddy was stressed and so infered from that that she wouldn't get a new sister until after Daddy had a new job. As soon as I found out he had gotten the job I let her know and she yelled, "Yeah, now I get a new sister!" It was so funny!

5/9/2012

Kailey is sick . . . again. She gets sick several times a year and it is always a huge mess. Fever, not able to keep anything down, and it usually lasts at least a few days. I'm so not looking forward to this week. :(  

3/31/2012

Today Kailey learned the age old life lesson, "don't go to bed with gum in your mouth." I didn't even realize she had gum, but found it when I brushed her hair this morning. We tried butter and peanut butter and neither worked. We ended up cutting it out. Hopefully it won't show that much. I just layered her hair and we didn't cut out too much.

3/17/2012

Kailey and I started Ballet yesterday. She loves it and is working really hard to figure out the feet and arm positions. One thing I did find out is that she is not very flexible for a four year old. She said that touching her toes "hurt." We will definately be working on that. 

3/15/2012

Kailey has been doing very well about behaving and doing what she should! I so love life with her right now. Hopefully she will be able to get rid of the cough and sore throat she has. We are going to start "dance school" with her. I'm going to go see if I can find a leotard at Goodwill and then I'll make her a tutu to go with it. I searched on the internet and found the five basic feet positions and five basic arm positions for ballet. We will start stretching and together learn how to do those. Once we are good with those I'll do more searching for a few basic steps. I'm hoping to teach/learn at home for at least a year before I even look into an out of  home "dance school." I'm excited about it. She is too!

2/12/2012

Kailey loved Disneyland. Her favorite rides were the smaller roller coasters, the Mickey's Fun Wheel, and Ariel's ride. She was distraught when she wasn't able to go on the Ariel ride one last time before we had to leave on Friday. They had closed it down for the day. She also really enjoyed the World of Color and Aladdin Shows. The hardest part of the trip for her was the beginning. The day we got there she started running a fever. She threw up twice the next day, but was able to tough it out and still enjoyed her first day of Disneyland, sick or not.

This is the day we arrived. We were unloading the car. Kailey felt so bad she stayed in the wagon even though we were loading it with stuff.

Waiting on a ride. Notice the circles under her eyes?

She fell asleep on the big train. Poor girl.

This was the first real smile of the day!

The next day at the beach. She liked it, but it took a bit. She was still tired and not feeling well.

Obviously tell she still isn't feeling well. She did much better this day though.

On the Submarine. Cope and Kailey both loved it.

On the Monorail.

By Wednesday morning she was feeling much better and loved Toontown. It is very interactive and she got in and tried everything.

She is driving the car at Autopia. She loved being able to drive even though Daddy helped with the gas.

Taking a snack break outside the Jeddi School.

In Bugs Land.

Thursday in Fantasy Land. She loved the Dumbo ride. We only went on it once, because there were other similar rides that had shorter lines, like the one in Bugs Land.

Getting off the Swing ride with Daddy. She got to sit in a seat next to him.

On Mickey's Fun Wheel, again.

Todd and Kailey did the bumper cars in Bugs Land. Kailey liked being able to drive again, and this time it wasn't even on a track!

Getting ready to keep moving, but needed sunscreen. She was being silly.

At Ariell's Grotto with the Princesses.

She was sitting in the chair you can see in the picture. She stood up on the chair and then jumped into Aurora's arms. None of us expected it and Aurora wasn't ready for it, but she caught her still and then set her down. It was so funny and cute. I don't think most girls jump into the princesses arms. 

Going up the steps to explore Aurora's castle.

In the Circus Train.

Kailey was pretending that Todd was a horse and was "driving him" with the straps on the backpack.

1/18/2012

Kailey and I are getting excited for February. Not only does she turn 4, but we also get the chance to go to Disneyland. We are going to use our tax return in order to be able to go. Everytime we talk about it Kailey gets more excited. She has seen pictures and heard stories but neither of us have had the opportunity to go yet. I did feel bad, because she started talking about it at church. When I was young and kids would go on about their family vacations it made me feel left out. Vacations for my family consisted of visiting extended family. Disneyland never fit in the calendar or the budget. As an adult I see that family is more important, but Todd and I have decided that occasionally we do want to also have just our family vacations. Because of how I felt as a kid, I asked Kailey not to talk about it with other kids as not to make any of them feel bad. She listened understood and is following my request, but she also reprimands me anytime I mention it to someone. It makes me smile. She expects me to behave in the way I expect her to behave, and I appreciate her for that.


12/27/2011

 Kailey made Christmas extra special for me this year. Not only did she continually remind me of the true meaning of Christmas, but she remained excited about getting and giving gifts throughout the whole season. She was thrilled to be able to help me pick out food and gifts to give to others. She helped me "paint" cookies for the neighbors and loved putting the sprinkles on.  She also liked sitting on Santa's lap and telling him over and over that she wanted a swing, a trampoline, a barbie, etc. The list was pretty extensive and everytime she said it it got longer.

On the 23rd we got together with Grandma Lisa Mortensen and she gave Kailey a dollhouse. She was so excited! She opened it the next morning before Todd or I even woke up and had it all put together. She was playing with it when I came in the room to get Cope out of his crib in the morning.

On the 24th we spent a wonderful evening as a family and she got to help with all sorts of fun things. Todd read the nativity story out of the Bible and she got to put the pieces of my nativity where they belonged next to the manger as he read about them. We did that and prepared for Christmas morning. That included getting cookies and milk for Santa and a carrot for his Reindeer. She wrote him a letter just to make sure he knew for sure what she wanted.

On Christmas morning she woke Cope up early. She got dressed quickly and at some point peaked in on the tree (which I specifically told her not to do, but we prepared in case she did, and told Santa not to put out his presents until we were gone for church). The funny part was the thing she was most excited about wasn't the presents under the tree or the crumbs on the cookie plate. It was that "Santa's reindeer ate the carrot Mommy!" That's what she said as soon as I entered the room. I did her hair and we got ready for church and then I kept them occupied in Cope's room until 8:30. She woke up at about 6:30 so both kids were excited to leave the rooms when we did. At 8:30 we went to church and enjoyed an hour of stories and songs of Christ. Kailey had trouble sitting still but did relatively well considering. After church was over we went home and we opened presents.

Her favorites were her bears from Uncle Craig and Aunt Nikki and her Swing Set and hand written note from Santa.

12/19/11

Kailey is excited for Christmas, but her excitement made her mommy extremely proud yesterday. She is starting primary at the beginning of the year so she has been coming in to the last 15 minutes of primary the last two weeks. This week when we got done I asked her what she learned in primary. She said, "We didn't have a lesson in primary, but in nursery we learned about baby Jesus, and Mary, and Joseph, and the Manger." I'm so glad I have such an awesome daughter who listens and understands what she hears. Thank you Kristy for reteaching her the true reason for Christmas in such a way that she remembers it.   

12/14/11

I posted this on my facebook the other day, but I never want to forget the cute things Kailey does and says, so I thought I would post it here as well.
The other day we went to Hyundai to get our oil changed. They gave Kailey and Cope each a helium balloon to play with while we waited. The next morning the balloons were looking a little sad and one of them wasn't even staying up anymore. Kailey said, "Mom, my balloon is out of batteries." I love the logic of my child! :)


12/2/11

Kailey is aware of that fact that I won't be having anymore children, "because it would make mommy sick." I haven't explained that it is dangerous for me. I figure for her to understand that is plenty for her age. We are licensed to adopt through CYFD, and she knows that "they are looking for a sister." Our ideal would be a three year old girl. That way Kailey would still be the oldest, Cope would still be the baby, and Kailey would have a sister. I've always needed my sisters and I want her to know what it feels like to love and share with someone like that. I sometimes wonder though if it will ever happen because finding someone so young is difficult when going through a state agency.

The other day while we were shopping I had one of the carts with the two extra blue seats. She was sitting in one and Cope was sitting in the cart so their was one empty seat. She patted it and said, "this one is for my sister mommy, when they find her." It was so cute. I asked her if she would be okay with just her and Cope if they didn't find us a sister for her and she said, "they will mommy."
I love how much faith children have. 

11/17/11

Kailey is 3 and after a year and a half of marriage was the best present my husband and I could have recieved. She changed our life forever and was the reason I knew without a doubt that I wanted kids, lots of them. She is so smart, beautiful, and knows exactly what she wants. I'll update on her everytime she learns a new skill or does something for the first time.