On Kindergarten

Hallelujah!  The blog has been resurrected!!!

It's exciting times in our house and I have a feeling we will have much to share as Katherine starts Kindergarten in August.  She is beyond excited!  We're all in for a lot of adjustment as Kindergarten is a full day nowadays, but we're confident that this will be a good year. 

We were not prepared for the number of adult topics we have had to discuss with Katherine over the past few months.  All of a sudden it seems that the protective bubble has been burst and now she is exposed to all of the good (and bad) that this world has to offer.  It has reminded me how important it is for adults to be a moral compass for children, whether we are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc.  If we don't teach them how to be independent, compassionate, and responsible, who will?

I have found myself quoting these tidbits lately:
"Treat other people like you want to be treated."
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
"Wouldn't this world be boring if we all looked, talked, and acted the same?"

On the same note, I am reminded of the following excerpt from Robert Fulghum's "All I Really Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten".  Such wisdom!

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do
and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not
at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the
sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:


Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life - learn some and think some
and draw and paint and sing and dance and play
and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic,
hold hands, and stick together.

Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup:
The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody
really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even
the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die.
So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books
and the first word you learned - the biggest
word of all - LOOK.



Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any of those items and extrapolate it into
sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your
family life or your work or your government or
your world and it holds true and clear and firm.
Think what a better world it would be if
all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about
three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with
our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments
had a basic policy to always put thing back where
they found them and to clean up their own mess.

These pictures may seem random, but they illustrate the spirit of our soon-to-be Kindergartener.

Play Time with Brayden

Brayden, Aunt Dawnie and Uncle Billy came by for a visit a few weeks ago. Bray and Katherine played on the swingset at the house for a while. The weather was gorgeous so we went downtown and walked on the Promenade. We saw boats, ducks, squirrels, and a groundhog. After lunch we had ice cream at Bomboy's! Yummo!

1st Visit to the Dentist

Katherine had her first visit to the Dentist. We had been prepping her for a while and thought she was ready. Dr. Fritz said he would only do what she let him. If that meant just counting her teeth, that would be fine. Mark's Mommy, Ms. Megan, works with Dr. Fritz, so it was nice to see a familiar face too! (Mark is one of K's buddies from church) Katherine was a little nervous but a very good patient. Dr. Fritz was able to count her teeth, check for cavities, polish her teeth, and even floss her molars!!! She was such a good patient, Katherine got to pick a prize from the box. She picked out a sparkly tooth fairy box. Woo hoo!

Easter 2009

I know, I've been negligent as a Mommy and haven't posted in a while.

Easter was a blast! Katherine enjoyed dressing up, including her bonnet, gloves, and purse. She also got the hang of hunting for Easter eggs. It helped that the youth group at church stuffed the eggs full of great candy! We topped off the day with a luncheon cruise on the Lantern Queen!

Float Like a Butterfly Sting Like a Bee!

We had the pleasure of cruising on the Lantern Queen to celebrate St. Patty's Day! The music was great and Katherine danced the entire time. After she had worn out all of the adults she could, K found a little friend. They danced together and even convinced her older brother to join them.

By Wednesday, Katherine's graceful moves had left her. She tripped and fell outside and smacked her face on the driveway. She busted her lip pretty good and got some scrapes. Here she is sporting her fat lip.

Running Inspiration

So I follow this blog written by a woman in California that has 4-year old triplets and a 1-year old singleton. She works part-time as an environmental compliance person for Exxon (I believe it's Exxon although she's never really said), has recently started home-schooling her kids, and is currently training for a marathon. Whenever I think that I can't conquer an almost 3-year old, I read this woman's blog and I know I can do anything. If nothing else, her posts are entertaining.

I couldn't help but copy a segment of one of her recent posts on here. She has a problem with her feet falling asleep while she's running. She's looked into tying her shoes "correctly", etc. She has recently gotten inserts that may help and then she will pursue nerve tests. Anyway, this part of her post is discussing her challenges with treadmills and her numb feet. I was laughing out loud and felt that I had to share. Enjoy!

I had only run on a treadmill two times, previously. The first time, I stumbled and inadvertently disconnected the magnetic safety piece that shuts the treadmill off. In doing so, the track came to an almost instant stop and I pitched forward and landed on my knees. The second time, I disconnected the magnetic safety piece five times and had to restart my run, losing all record of the total time, distance covered and calories burned.

Yesterday when I was running, I decided to not affix the leash for the magnetic safety piece to my body and instead, left it dangling over the back of the treadmill. Surely I wouldn't fall on the treadmill. And besides, I didn't want to run the risk of losing all my data should it become accidentally disconnected.

At some point around three miles, I could feel my feet start to go completely numb. And it seems that when your feet go numb on a treadmill you become a little unstable. I was about to slow my pace from 5.5 to 2.5 and step on to the side rails, when suddenly my numb feet which weren't being picked up high enough to take a step, snagged on the track.

If my magnetic safety piece had been intact, I would have just tripped and stopped.

But because the track was still moving at 5.5, I pitched forward before falling backwards and then was whipped off the treadmill. The rest is kind of a blur although I do remember seeing my feet at eye level as I flew through the air.

I landed on the ground with a THUD a solid seven feet behind the treadmill I had been on and the woman who was on the treadmill next to me, looked back with her mouth wide open and asked, "OH MY GOD! ARE YOU OK?!" The gym staff who were working in the glass enclosed office came running out and tried to help me up.

But I jumped up off the ground and feeling only slightly embarrassed quickly shot out, "OH YES! I'm sure I'm fine! I ... I ... I have a little problem with my feet. They like to take a nap whenever I run. But oh yeah, I'm totally good! I'm actually training for a marathon. And look at that, I made it three whole miles before getting hurled in to space!! WOO-HOO!!"

Childhood Carry-Overs

Do you ever do something or say something without thinking and then immediately catch yourself, knowing exactly where that came from? I've realized that several of my behaviors or responses to Katherine have come directly from childhood. Here are a few examples:

While driving to and fro, especially to the office in New Jersey, I instinctively play the "license plate game" in my head. It has amazed me how many people are driving through MD, DE, and NJ from other parts of the country. Some of this can probably be attributed to military personnel and their families, but I also wonder if people are driving more instead of flying because of the economy. Just this week (2 commuting days) I have seen cars from MD, DE, NJ, PA, VA, NY, MA, ME, VT, CT, NC, SC, FL, TN, CA, TX, WA, AK, OH, KY, SD, and LA. And why are there so many people from Quebec driving through this area?! Just yesterday, I saw no less than 15 cars from Quebec!

Trains - When I am stopped at a train crossing, I automatically start counting the number of cars on the train. Mom used to do this with me, probably so I'd be more patient with our delay.

Responses to Katherine - When we're getting ready to leave the house to go somewhere, we tell Katherine to go to the potty. Sometimes she says "but I don't have to go". My response is "TRY". (Thanks Dad) Sometimes Katherine asks "Why?" incessantly as most toddlers are known to do. After exhausting all of the real answers, I sometimes end up responding "Because I said so!" (Thanks Mom and Dad)

To this day, when I eat a ripe plum (one of my favorite summer-time treats!) I instinctively walk outside before biting into it. Apparently Mom used to send Scott and I outside to eat our plums so we wouldn't dribble the juice all over the house!

What habits do you attribute to your childhood?

Florida Vacation

We took a vacation to Florida a few weeks ago to visit Aunt Jan and Uncle Paul. We were adventurous and decided to make a road trip of it. Rob C. was kind enough to let us crash at his place in Raleigh, NC on the way down and back up.

Jan and Paul showed us around Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Ormond Beach, St. Augustine, and Daytona. We were lucky enough to see Right Whales migrating while we ate lunch one day. They were beautiful! It was great to visit with Jan and Paul, and great to relax for a while. We had a great time! We also enjoyed the semi-warm weather down south. (it was colder when we left NC for FL than when we set out on our adventure from MD!)

Katherine said that her favorite part was digging on the beach. (However, I think Daddy and Uncle Paul did most of the digging!) We can't wait to visit again!

Links

I added some links to the left side of the blog. One is for Victory Gardens and the other is for a blog about a family who is trying to live on $1500 for one year. I thought they would be of interest to everyone who may be trying to tighten their belt a little. ***The family living on $1500 a year has discontinued their blog for "personal reasons".

Snow

Katherine has enjoyed the snow we've had this year. She particularly enjoys "sleighing" (sledding) and "scraping" (shoveling). Her sledding involves us pulling her around the backyard in her sled. She's a pretty good scraper though! We're willing to hire her out to anyone that needs their snow cleared.

Cookie Conundrum

Are they Samoas or Caramel deLites?

Our family has a MAJOR weakness for Girl Scout cookies. One of our favorites is the second-most popular cookie, behind Thin Mints. We have noticed that they are called Samoas some places and Caramel deLites in other places. In the past we wrongly assumed that they had changed the name of the cookie to be more Politically Correct (I guess some Samoan was offended that a delicious cookie was named after him). Anyway, we indulged in both cookie names this year, and I wondered if it was a regional thing as one box was purchased in NJ and the other in MD. Otherwise, the MD girl scouts are passing off REALLY old cookies. So I did some research.

There are two baking companies that make cookies for the Girl Scouts. ABC Bakers is in Richmond, VA and makes Caramel deLites. Little Brownie Bakers is in Louisville, KY and makes Samoas. I guess it depends on what bakery is supplying which troop.

From experience, both cookies taste alike. However, I have found through my research that Caramel deLites are healthier with 140 calories as opposed to the 150 calories in Samoas. Both packages list the serving size as 2 cookies! Who can eat only two?! I can easily polish off a whole box in one sitting if no one is watching!

I have also learned that Girl Scout Cookies are Kosher. You can also claim them as a tax deduction if you pay for the cookies but leave them with the troop. What's the fun in that?!

I propose that we organize a taste-off of the various types/names of Girl Scout Cookies. Anyone want to share a box with me?

Tinkle, Tinkle, Little Star

Katherine is well on her way to being completely potty trained. She very rarely has accidents anymore and when they happen, it's because she's very preoccupied or overly tired. As a precaution, she is wearing pull-ups during naps and nightime. But they are usually dry when she wakes up. Woo hoo!

I came across this handy little item tonight.

It is an ancient Greek potty training chair. There is some speculation whether it was a potty training chair or high-chair type device. Given the holes, I am leaning towards potty training. Either way, it doesn't look very comfortable. Given the amenities that come with some training potties these days, it's hard to believe that anyone was able to learn on something made of clay.

2009!!

Here is our New Year Baby!

Need I say more?

Christmas 2008

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday. It wasn't nearly as hectic and rushed as normal. Katherine got her beloved "cooter" and "puter". Otherwise known as a scooter and computer. That's what she asked Santa for. Her computer is a Vtech laptop that she can grow into. It has all kinds of modes to work on letters, numbers, words, etc.

She also got all kinds of other great gifts and she adores all of them.

Maybe Santa was so nice because of the cookies and milk she left for him, and the carrots she left out for the reindeer. Santa even left a thank-you note.

Here are some pictures of her on Christmas morning at home. She was also able to try out her scooter a few days later when it was unseasonably warm. Can you tell she loved it?

I'm Awake Already!

This morning's wake-up was abrupt...once I managed to get out of my cozy flannel-sheeted bed. On my way out the door, I almost fell over the Christmas decor that was blown over by the wind...right in the way of our threshold. Then the wind hit me! It was 15 degrees outside with a -5 degree windchill! Brrr! The wind managed to find a way through the top of my coat and down my shirt! So I finally made it into the car (thank goodness for seat warmers and commuter mugs full of coffee). I cranked up the heat and turned on the radio, hoping for a nice, mello Christmas song. Instead, Dominick the Donkey was playing. OK already, I'm awake!

2 1/2 Years Old!

Katherine had her 2 1/2 year check-up last week. She graduated to the stand-up scale for her height and weight. She is 30 pounds and 37 inches. That's right, she's more than half my height!

K-dog is fiercely independent and we hear her say "me do" no less than 20 times a day. She can put her mittens and hat on by herself (with the thumbs in the correct place) and is working on getting the zipper of her coat started. She is regularly doing #2 in the potty and #1 quite often. Some princess panties may be coming soon!

KC loves music; playing her piano, keyboard, drums, and assorted other instruments at home and at Mimi and Poppi's. She already has a good sense of rhythm and dynamics. She regularly holds "parades" and forces us to march along. Her favorite Christmas carols are Little Drummer Boy and Jingle Bells which she plays her instruments to Mimi's piano accompaniment. K tells me these are her "favorite". She also plays "songs" on her piano and sings along.

Katie is turning into a little lady. She has started taking her purse many places and tries to mimic Mommy. She went on the Holiday Candlelight House tour the other night and she did wonderfully, not touching anything, but admiring them all the same. Now if we can just keep her from sitting in her car seat with her legs spread eagle.

We also took Katherine to see The Nutcracker 2 weeks ago. She loved it! By the end, she was trying to "bust a move" like the ballerinas and wanted Rob to be "the man" (the male dancer). Some dance lessons may be in her future.

Do you know the Muffin Women?

Katherine helped me make some muffins the other day. We had a lot of fun, but the muffins didn't turn out great. I honestly think there was an ingredient left out of the recipe in the cookbook. Oh well, we had fun anyway.

Thanksgiving

We had a slight change in plans for Thanksgiving this year. Originally, Dawn and Billy were going to host us at their house. But they decided to bring the food to our house so we could all be closer to Richard (Rob's Dad) who was in Harford Memorial Hospital.

Richard must have been able to smell the Turkey frying on our front walk because they discharged him just in time for dinner. It was a nice, small gathering with a lot to be thankful for.

Here's a picture of the two Turkeys we didn't fry (Brayden and Katherine).

Frenchtown, NJ

We visited Bill and Erica in Frenchtown, NJ this weekend. They met us on our drive up at the Howell Living History Farm. We saw horses, sheep, hens, a rooster, ducks, geese, a cat, and a dog. We also saw them making scrapple and preparing to make sausage. Katherine was taken with the hens.

K caught a quick cat nap on the way to Bill and Erica's house.














At their house, we had an early dinner of smoked pork shoulder and yummy fixin's. We also saw their town's Halloween parade. Small, but cute.
Katherine fell asleep in the car within 5 minutes of leaving for home. She woke up in time to warn us that she had to go #2, which she performed in the Flying J Truck Stop on 295! Good Times!

Halloween

Katherine dressed up as Abby Cadabby for Halloween this year. She checked out our candy before heading out to earn her's. You can see her "Franken-pumpkin" in the second picture. She also insisted on taking our picture before we set out.


























While she still isn't very loud in saying her "trick or treat", K patiently waits while the treats are retrieved. And she's still very thrilled when she gets more candy at each house. By the time she made the candy circuit, the sun had set and it was getting pretty chilly. Before we called it a night, Katherine had an impromptu play date with a little pirate from down the street. Her name is McKenna and will be entering school the same time as K. They seemed to click pretty well. We'll have to arrange for a repeat performance.