The first room when you walk in the house was also the messiest, with too many instruments and craft stuff in it to function!  But now, thanks to my sweetie and IKEA, I have a gorgeous new office to fuel my creativity.

Before:

UGH!!  That's pretty much what it looked like all the time.

After:

WOW!!!  I love it!!  Two desks, one for computer, and one for sewing.  Lots of storage, and cute too!!   New curtains to freshen it up, and the piano more accessible to the children.

 

My grandma's antique secretary desk still holds most of my yarn.

 

Doesn't this just inspire you to make something?  It sure inspires me!!

Thanks to my whole family who devoted a weekend and plenty of dollars to this project!!

The kids had fun too, because IKEA packaging contains lots of big sheets of paper:

 

This kept them busy for a while, and prevented us from using the table, so we had picnics upstairs at mealtime.  :)

"Welcome to Boxtown."  I didn't actually get a picture of Boxtown, but we build one every time we do something like this, usually after a trip to Costco.

Audrey likes to experiment with her boxes.

Bu was completely unimpressed by the whole thing.

So now that I have a new gorgeous workspace, I just want to hang out in here all day!!

These two crack me up!

 

(In the car, on the way to meet Daddy for dinner)
Mommy:  Kids, after dinner, I'm going to rehearsal and Daddy will take you shopping.
Katelyn, with disdain:  Mommy, Daddy is not exactly a shopping expert.

 

(At dinner, Audrey says the blessing.)
Audrey:  Dear God, please help us be sweet and Daddy's the boss.  Amen!!

Is anyone still out there?  Guess I'll find out...just wanted to share a hilarious addition to the family dictionary.  Kate has invented a new term, based on a "teaching moment" we had last night regarding prompt obedience. 

"Mommy, next time I will obey, but I will also do it really really fast.  I'll ALLEGROBEY."

If the last couple entries look weird, it's because I don't know how to do HTML, and somehow I have lost the ability to put it in "design for the programming impaired" mode. Anyhoo: Katelyn, sobbing after Audrey bit (!!!!) her: "Mommy, I was trying to hug her, and then she just started eating me!" * * * Daddy and Audrey are in the other room after the biting incident, having a talk. Daddy has the spanking spoon ready to go. Audrey looks despondent. Daddy: "Audrey, I don't like giving you spankings." Audrey lights up and throws her arms around him. Audrey: "You're the best daddy ever!!" (Imagine her dismay when she got a spanking anyways!) * * * Katelyn is watching ads for other games on her Leapster game unit. Mommy: "Kate, do I hear commercials? Please turn it off. Our rule is no commercials." Katelyn: "But Mommy, how else am I supposed to get my information?"

(Scene:  in the kitchen, eating lunch after church.)

Daddy:  Katelyn, what is that sticker on your hand?

Katelyn:  I got it for saying my memory verse.

Daddy:  Great work!  Can you tell me your verse?

Katelyn:  No, I forgot it.

*     *     *     *     *  

(not 5 minutes later)

Daddy:  Katelyn, would you like to go out for Chinese food with me?

Katelyn (worried):  But Daddy, China is so far away!!

My mother tells me that someday I will miss this stage.  Will I even remember it?  It's a blur. 

Tickle wars in the "clubhouse."

 

The constant creative mixing of toys.  Imaginative, but a pain to clean up.  But so fun!  Daddy's shoes are great for dressup, too.

 

Secret puppy tea parties behind the couch.  Using blocks for food, of course.  Never mind that we have a twelve course meal of play food upstairs that hardly gets used.  The puppies prefer blocks.

 

The "art area."  This is surprisingly clean.  Usually it spills out all over the floor and someone trips on a crayon and gets hurt.

 

 

Piles of pink and pastel laundry.  There is no grownup laundry in this picture.

 

 

The Bu, content to sit with her ball right in the middle of all of the action. 

 

Misty of Chincoteague, our latest obsession.  (just like Mommy as a girl!)

 

 

Sight words all over the back of Kate's door.  51 to be exact.  Yes, the green one says "parrot", which was a word she really wanted to learn for some reason, so we added it to the door.  The rest came from a pack of post-its specifically for this purpose.

A growing pile of Babette squares.  Grandma, I am really putting your old secretary desk to good use.  It's stuffed to bursting with yarn, fabric, and sheet music, and all of the supplies that go with those passions.  I bet you never suspected that the little letterboxes inside would be chock-full of knitting needles.

 

So, future self, hope this helps you remember what you did all day when the kids were little.  You'll probably miss it a lot.  Right now I am just trying to enjoy every little moment and not get so caught up in the challenges that I miss out on the joys.

This sweet smile always helps!

Daddy is about to turn on the sod cutter we rented for the weekend.  Kate is totally fascinated.

Daddy:  Kate, this thing is pretty noisy.  You should probably cover your ears or go in the house.

Katelyn:  It's okay, Daddy.  My ears are very good at not listening to things.

 

*     *     *     *     *

Mommy is changing Audrey's diaper and talking to her to keep her from wiggling around.

Mommy:  Audrey, how old are you now?

Audrey (holding up three fingers): I two.

Mommy:  You are a big girl now.

Audrey:  Yes, I big girl.  (cocks her head funny)  Mommy, how much fingers you?

Mommy flashes fingers at her -- 10, 10, 10, and 4.

Audrey, eyes wide:  Whoa.

 

Deep spiritual thoughts regarding Easter:

"Judas thought 'moneys' were more importanter than Jesus.  That's SO not good!"

"Is God cool?  Like Audrey when she wears her sunglasses?"

 

And commentary on Mommy's singing practice:

"Mommy, those were some nice noises you were making!"

I know you have been anxiously awaiting part 2 of our Hawaii blog post.  So here it is at last!  Here we have the major activities we did on the trip, other than laying around the pool and beach at the resort.

1.  Scuba diving. 

Kari is a certified diver, this was Paul's first time.  He took a crash course in the pool and then they went out and dove about 20 feet down.  He saw amazing fish and got inked by an octopus.  I wish we had pictures of the underwater stuff.  This will not be his last scuba experience and his excited descriptions of it have convinced me to try it next time.  Kari went out a second time and dove the wall of Molokini, which is a crescent shaped rock between Maui and Kahoolawe.  You could see it from our villa.

 

2.  Road to Hana.

Hana is a little town on the northeast corner of Maui.  The road along the northern shore of the island has become a tourist attraction in itself.  It's long, winding, and the scenery is incredible.  Waterfalls, rugged beaches, black sand, wildlife, and some of the most amazing views on the planet.  Paul and I left the kids with the grandparents and made a day of it.  We hiked away from the road a couple of times to see some waterfalls (although there were spectacular ones right up against the roadway as well).

One of my favorite things on that trip was this blowhole in a lava formation at Waianapanapa State Park.  The water would come whistling out the top like a geyser.

 

3.  Aquarium

On a very windy day we decided to go to the Maui Ocean Center to do a non-swimming activity.  The kids loved it, Kate especially because a sea turtle waved at her.  We also went to a truly memorable "Mexican" restaurant nearby.  The food was not good but there was a guy with a guitar singing very loudly.  Good times.

Kate touched a starfish, that was cool too.  She was scared at first, but after Mommy touched it and described it, she gave it a try.  It was pretty bumpy.

 

4.  Golf

Paul and Marc played the Wailea Old Blue golf course.  They had a blast.  They did not hit any cars.

 

5.  Ate at restaurants.

This is us at Mama's Fish House for the big anniversary dinner.  Spectacular food.  They could even tell you who caught the fish that day that you were eating.  Kari even ate some fish!  Katelyn had fish and chips and loved it; she wondered why the fish she had tried before wasn't as good.  Umm, because, darling 4 year old, the other fish you had before was Gorton's Fish Sticks, not mahi-mahi caught that very morning.  Other restaurants we visited during the week were:  Ko at the resort, Nick's Fish Market at the resort, and Sarento's.  We also grilled out on the patio a couple of nights, which was nice.

 

6.  Helicopter ride.

This is a spot on the northwestern coast of Maui as seen from our helicopter.  We took a tour of the remote northwest shore and the 'Iao Valley and then over to Molokai.  My mouth hung open pretty much the whole time.  It's just so wild and rugged and unspoiled.

I wanted to climb out and go for a swim in this mountaintop oasis.  The pilot said that sometimes when they come by there are actually people up there.  There must be a secret passage or something, because this is on top of a huge mountain with no roads or obvious trails.  No one is really sure how the Hawaiian tribesmen would get up on top of the mountains, they are so rough, but apparently they used to bury their royalty up there.

Elephant Rock, just off the coast of Molokai. 

The steepest sea cliffs in the world, Kalaupapa Historic National Park.

The coral reef was clearly visible, and the old fishing pond walls from long ago.  The colors of the reef were vibrant and the water was sparkling.  These pictures don't even come close to representing that.

 

7.  Whale watching

Just hours before we left, we went on a whale watching tour.  Audrey slept through the whole thing in someone's arms either on the deck or down below, we took turns.  Kate, however, was totally in her element.  She loves boats.

A whale waved at her.  She's pretty popular with those marine animals.

We saw some sea turtles ("Honu" in Hawaiian) in their natural habitat.

And a happy little dolphin that played chase with us.  It was a really fun trip and a great way to wrap up a spectacular vacation.

 

Be sure to look at our flickr site to see all of the pictures!  If you can't access them, just remind me and I'll re-invite you.

I am finally posting about our trip to Hawaii!  Sorry it has taken me so long.  As you know I went to OK right before and right after going to Maui, so I've been doing a lot of catching up on basic life maintenance around here.  Now that we finally have clean clothes and some food in the house, I guess you would all like to know some of the details.  This will be a multi-post series!

We stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea, Maui, on the beautiful shores of Polo beach.  It was a wonderful family resort, full of other families just like ours, with great restaurants and amenities.  I'll give you the photo tour:

 

The beach at the resort.

 

Our villa - 3 bedrooms and a beautiful ocean view.  See the island of Kahoolawe in the distance.

 

The view from the back porch.  There was even a little pool so you could get the sand off of yourself after some beach time.

 

This was the main pool.  There were usually lots of people there; I am not sure when Paul got this nice calm picture.

This is pretty much Katelyn's idea of heaven.  She could not get enough swimming!

Audrey preferred the baby pool.  She focused on pouring and splashing.

 

The tannest we will ever be.

Sigh.  Can I go back there yet?

 

(Reality calls:  "Mommy!  Audrey is poopy!")

Part 2 coming soon!

They were at the kitchen table eating breakfast, and I went to the bathroom so of course all you-know broke loose. 

Katelyn (yell-tattling to me):  Mommy, Audrey's trying to get me in trouble!

Katelyn (yelling at Audrey, who was probably only about a foot away):  Audrey, STOP BOSSING ME!

 

 

The Artist-in-Residence strikes again.  She also got the new recliner and her polka-dot chair.

 

Katelyn is very ambitious when it comes to burritos.  (She did not quite finish this one, though.)

 

Scene:  Upstairs, girls are playing together when suddenly Audrey clobbers Kate without warning.)

Katelyn:  Audrey hit me!

Mommy (in spite of having witnessed the incident): Audrey, did you hit Kate?

Audrey (the picture of innocence): No-ooo.

Katelyn:  Yes she did!  (to herself, hands on hips) These things ALWAYS start like this!

*   *   *   *   *

(At lunch.)

Katelyn:  Mommy, this dinner taco is spectacular!

 

Scene: passing a construction site.

Katelyn:  Mommy, that's called an instruction site.

Mommy:  Wow, cool.  What are they doing?

Katelyn:  They are making piles of dirt.

Mommy:  Do you think they are going to put a building there?

Katelyn (laughing until she can barely breathe):  No, Mommy!  You are so silly!  They are making piles of dirt for people to play in!  Not buildings!  Silly Mommy!

Because they will grow up and stop using such cute lingo, and how quickly I forget!  Even as I am writing this I have forgotten many of the things I heard throughout the day that I wanted to list here.  Approximate translation follows in parentheses.

Audrey:

Elmo Wall-E!  (robot monster)

I yuck it!  (I don't like it)

Cah-see (coffee)

Keh-bup (ketchup)

Kicken (chicken)

Babas (bananas)

Geeps (grapes)

Bee-nuh and caa-yee  (Peanut and Catty, her nighttime cuddle friends)

I yah you.  (I love you)

 

 

Katelyn:

Mommy, will you separate my bed? (change the sheets)

It hurts berry berry bad.  (very very bad)

It's not gymnastics, it's a forward roll.

Audrey, stop being the boss!

Greenbear is my son.

Let's play puppet show! (that means any play-acting with toys)

You are my very best mommy.

(Spontaneous random outburst of joy) I love God SO much!  I can't wait to get to heaven and see how big Jesus is!

*     *     *     *     *

(after a period of silent thought) Mommy, I have decided that tonight I am going to dream about my Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Ponies.  I am going to pretend that they are all real and that we are eating popcorn at the movies.  It will be GREAT!

3 weird things that happened today:

1.  Kate apparently tried to go potty during the middle of the night (good for her) but unfortunately in her half-awake state mistook the end of her bed for the potty.

2.  Kate fell on a cactus while playing in the backyard while I was cooking dinner (Audrey was napping).  Of course if I knew there was a cactus in the backyard I would have done something about it.  Didn't know I needed to be looking out for that sort of thing.  There were only a few spines in her leg but you would have thought I was removing the leg itself to hear her shrieking.  Drama!

3.  And then to make matters worse, when I threw her in the tub and put Audrey in there too, Audrey pooped in the tub. 

 

I'm sure it was no coincidence that today was Realife group night.  These kinds of weird things always happen on Tuesdays.

BTW, if you noticed that hell froze over today, it was because I cleaned the oven for the first time since Audrey was born.  I know it has been that long because the last person to clean it was the housekeeper.

Scene:  Katelyn is throwing a fit because Daddy is explaining a rule to her that she doesn't like.

Daddy: Katelyn, you can only have 4 friends in your bed.

Katelyn (with a cry of despair):  Daddy, stop picking on me!  Remember, I'm your daughter!

When we were leaving school today, Katelyn took the initiative to hold the door open for several people to pass through.

Mommy:  Katelyn, that was very helpful!  Thank you so much.

Katelyn: Well, Mommy, I'm a super helper.  (assumes a superhero stance, complete with fist pump)  That's what THIS Hooper girl is all about!

Happy Birthday, Katelyn! What a wonderful little person you are!  Here are 48 things I love about you, one for each month of your precious life with us.

1. your happy heart
2. whimsical costumes
   
3. the lullabies you sing to Audrey
4. your gossamer hair
5. "mommy, the more I get bigger, the more I'll be your daughter"
6. the crazy nicknames you give everyone ("Boo-ey", "Baby Sukey", "Mommy-moh")
7. your sensitive spirit
8. the way you always put your shoes on the wrong feet
9. how you always want to say the blessing
10. your freckles
11. your love of art projects of any kind
12. how obedient you are in general
13. The way you change your demeanor when you are trying to act grown up
14. you still love it when I carry you to bed
15. the way you look at your daddy
    
16. how much you trust us
17. the look of contentment you get when you feel safe and relaxed
18. your tree-climbing
19. dancing in the kitchen
20. how you think of Greenbear as a real person
21. you ask Jesus to help you with things like finding the 7-11 and being nice to others
22. the way you love Audrey and your kid friends
23. your good manners
24. how you plan out taking turns with others, usually you are first
25. your love of stickers but dislike of fake tattoos
26. that dolphin-squeak when you laugh
    
27. "mommy, is your finger stuck?" (you want me to tickle your armpits)
28. your incredibly specific bedtime requirements (two fans, 4 friends in the bed, water with crushed ice, stereo remote)
29. how you "read the newspaper" with me (toys-r-us ad)
30. how patient you are with adults who want to fawn over you, even though I know you don't like it
31. your cute little toes
32. how you practice your swimming in the bathtub
33. your vocabulary surprises me
34. the way you talk yourself through everything you do
35. how you sleep like the dead
36. when you get in bed with me in the morning
37. "tortillas, queso, beans, and rice"
38. you love to help me cook
39. pirate adventures in the backyard
40. card games with you
41. your love of birthdays, not just your own
42. "mommy, I have a flower for you!"
43. you love to be a princess ("Mommy, I'm a princess because I'm a child of God and He's the King!")
    
44. how you reassure me when I look worried
45. your teachable heart
46. your desire to obey
47. you spread joy wherever you go
48. you are you and there is no one else like you!!!

My sweet baby girl is now my sweet big girl.  I enjoy you more every day and I look forward to more wonderful moments with you.  Happy Birthday to the one who made me a mommy!

 

So in mid-October we all went down to Panama City Beach to celebrate "Hooper and Jake's" wedding.  Hooper is Paul's dad (Hooper is one of those last names that makes a great nickname, you know) and Jake is his old-flame-turned-new-bride (Jake is a nickname as well, but it has become permanent, to my understanding).  Some of Paul's aunts and uncles plus his sister Kari were able to make it too so it was kind of a mini-family reunion.  We don't always make it to Lawton, OK during the holidays at the same time that everyone else does, so it was nice to see everyone.  What a gorgeous place!  It was a whirlwind, though.  We flew out Friday morning, got to Pensacola around 3, rented a car and drove to PCB, had dinner, then crashed.  Saturday we took the kids to Gulf World, lunch, Audrey and Mommy nap/Kate and Daddy on the beach, rehearsal dinner, crashed.  Sunday more time on the beach, then the wedding and reception, then we drove to DeFuniak Springs to see Kelly and Joe and got in around midnight (we had two flat tires that severely delayed us but it all worked out in the end.) Then we hung out with them until mid-afternoon Monday, drove back to Pensacola, flew home, got in around 11.  We were TRASHED and I think it took us about two weeks to recover.  Here are a few highlight pics:

Kate got to touch a dolphin at Gulf World.

 

Playing on the beach!  Kate and Daddy were very serious about this sandcastle/fort.  Audrey mostly ran around pointing at stuff.

 

 

Audrey and Aunt Kari.  The kids adore Aunt Kari, and of course she adores them too.  Kari and I had a whole conversation over lunch about Katelyn's greatest quotes, some of which are now permanently in the family slang.  ("Oh, sweet pickles!"  "Yippee!"  "Dear God, thank you for my bottom which looks so cute on me.")

 

What a good-looking bunch of Hoopers!  Kari, Dad, and Paul.  Dad was so happy, it was great.

 

The Hooper kids and the Morris kids finally got to play together.  Here they are dancing and singing along with Veggie Tales.  They were so cute together!  We were so glad to get to see them even for a short time.  Kelly is my bestest friend and we are still joined at the brain thousands of miles away.  Joe was Paul's roommate for a while (now there are some funny stories I could share).  We have known them and loved them just about forever and still miss them every day.

Well, I must apologize for this bummer:  I know we got pictures of Jake and the kids together, but I guess they must have been with Kari's camera because somehow I didn't end up with any.  (Kari, if that is so, could you upload them to flickr so I can blog them?)  Like I said, it was a whirlwind.  Much of the time I was doing good just to make sure we were fed, dressed, and where we were supposed to be.  As usual I had to work in a few trips to Walgreens to treat various conditions (Paul had wicked heartburn, Audrey had a bleeding diaper rash).  The kids did fantastic, though.  They never cease to amaze me.  The lack of routine, constant attention, meeting tons of new people that want to hug them, different food, late hours, being schlepped about -- any one of these things can bring on a tantrum, and yet they both endured it all with minimal fuss or distress.  They were wonderful on the plane, they slept or watched a movie or drew pictures, and they were quiet and obedient.  (So why is it that at home, if I don't have any bananas to serve with breakfast, they go absolutely psycho?  Hmm....a question for the ages...)  Anyways, I was proud to be their mommy, as I always am.

 

 

So Brandy tagged her blogging friends thusly:

Go to your picture file on your PC.
Go to your 4th folder.
Pull up the 4th picture.

(I obeyed the "tag" rules to find the picture, but it is linked via Flickr so I didn't have to resize it.)

Ok, here it is:  July 2005, Katelyn age 7 months, with Paul in some random park in the south Houston area.  We were on our previous trip to Florida, which I find ironic since we just got back from there.  We had stopped to play at this park and take a break from the car.

Wow, she's so little!

I will blog soon about our more recent trip to Florida and Halloween.  Flickr and I are working hard today getting all of the pix uploaded.  I don't like the new flickr uploader at all, it never seems to get all of my pictures in one go.  Plus I have to do it when Paul is not on the computer or else I'm hogging bandwidth. 

 

Mommy, singing along while practicing scales on the guitar:  G A B C D E F# G.

Katelyn, a little shocked:  Mommy, I can't believe you don't know the alphabet.  Here, let me teach it to you.  A B C D...

I just realized when uploading some pix that I never blogged about the first day of school. The kids have really been loving school.  Katelyn is in the "Marvelous Monkeys" class for 3's turning 4.  I can barely get her to say goodbye to me when we get to her classroom.  There is so much ART to do!  That child could do art projects all day long (and often does).  She loves her music class, too.  Audrey is in the "Beautiful Butterflies" class for 16-24 month olds.  She cries for about 30 seconds when I hand her over, but not every day.  Her teacher told me that she is the class clown (does that surprise anyone?)  Audrey has started singing some songs she learned in music class.  She has also picked up a lot of new words and has started expressing herself more with words than signs (probably because her teachers do not know all of the signs that we use). Both girls are really changing!

 

 

This picture cracks me up; I don't know what this pose is...

Kate is going to school Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; Audrey just goes Tuesday and Thursday.  So on Wednesdays Audrey and I get to be together.  Last year we were together all the time, because Kate was in school, but Audrey was very much still an infant then.  She was still nursing and taking morning naps.  Now we really have all day to be together, and she has changed so much, I am having to figure out how to relate to her.  She really misses Kate and doesn't seem to know how to play alone or just with me.  I do play with just Audrey sometimes when Kate is here, but you know how it is...Kate is always coming up to see what we are doing  ("Hey girls!  What are you up to?  Can I play too?")  Audrey and I read books a lot, but only for about 10 minutes at a time, which is normal attention span for a toddler.  She really likes errands, so she can smile at strangers, so we do that a little bit too.  Katelyn and I get plenty of alone time in the afternoons after school when Audrey is napping.  We're adjusting to our new schedule and I really enjoy having time to myself when they are both in school.  I can get some things done, work or errands or cleaning, so when they are here I am a lot less distracted and enjoy them more.  Hooray for preschool!

Kate and I filled out her "getting to know you" questionnaire in preparation for the first day of school tomorrow.  These were her answers:

Name:  Katelyn Elizabeth Hooper

My favorite toy is:  Stuffed animals, especially nice bears like Greenbear

I like to eat:  Pancakes, bananas, peaches, Sprite, fish sticks, breakfast tacos

The book I like the most is: Little Quack

My favorite color is: Purple

If I could pretend to be anything, I would be:  A clown and a dog

Scene:  Audrey was fussing at the table.

Kate:  I have a memory verse to share with you.  Repeat after me:  You should not cry or fuss and always say please every day.  Upsham 30:8.

So the kids got their well-checks today, to see if they are healthy enough for preschool.  Official diagnosis:  "they are perfect."  As if we didn't know.  :)

Katelyn: 32.5 lb (50%), 38.5 in (90%). 

Audrey: 20.5 lb (20%), 31.25 in (75 %).

Somehow we missed some of Audrey's shots, but to catch her up today would mean 5 shots, and I just couldn't do that to her.  So we settled for 3 and we'll go back in a couple of weeks for the others.  Katelyn had to have a hepatitis A shot herself, and it was pretty rough.  There was much screaming and drama from both of them, so now we are all worn out.  We skipped Gymboree today because they were not in the mood for fun, just lollipops and TV.  Mommy is in the mood for Advil and knitting.

 

 

Kate tells a joke at dinnertime:

"Why did the sprinkler go all the way up to heaven?"

(I don't know.)

"To get Jesus all wet!"

***

(trying to negotiate her way out of finishing her dinner)

"Say, Mommy, what if I just pretend to eat 3 more bites instead?"

 

 

Ok, it's taken me 3 days, but I finally have all of the 4th of July pictures up on Flickr.  (well, the ones that didn't get corrupted by accident, but that's another story.  Paul is fixing them in photoshop.)  Anyhoo, they are up.  Now I just have to go backwards and get the pix from our trip to Edmond up there (the ones I took in June).

We had a great time.  The kids especially had a blast with Papa D. 

Kate isn't sick; she has blue lips because she was eating a blue sucker.

Fireworks are fun! 

So happy!

Audrey wasn't sure about the horses.

Can't wait til next year!

 

 

(while driving home from the HEB after spending 1 hour, $112, and all my energy keeping the kids happy)

Mommy:  Whew, I'm thirsty.  I need something to drink.

Katelyn:  Whew, I'm licky.  I need a sucker.

I (amy) don't know how to upload and edit videos from the really big video camera, but I do have a few from our little still camera.  Here's some random footage from playing outside.  I don't know what all those numbers are next to the video, but I'll have Paul check it out.

I will be getting a new computer sometime this year and have big plans for video editing after that gets all set up.

Mommy:  Kate, do you want to play Mario Kart with me?

Kate:  No, Mommy, you aren't very good.  Have you been practicing?  I want to play with Daddy instead.

Daddy, concealing a laugh:  Kate, be nice.  You can play with Mommy.

Kate:  But Daddy, she falls down A LOT.

*  *  *

Song lyrics overheard (correct lyrics are in parentheses):

Beautiful one, I yuv! (love)
Beautiful one, by the door!  (I adore)
Beautiful one, I SO MUST SING!!!!!!  (my soul must sing)
-- from "Beautiful One"

To see you high and yifted up (lifted up)
Shining in the yight of your GORY... (light of Your glory)
Pour out your powdered yuv (power and love)
As we sing HOWEE, HOWEE, HOWEE!!!  (holy holy holy)
--from "Open the Eyes of My Heart"

To get full effect, screech off key with gusto, head thrown back, and eyes closed.

 

 

Katelyn:  Mommy, I drew you a picture!

Mommy:  Thanks honey, can I see it?

Katelyn:  Look, I wrote a word right here.  M - O - O.  That spells Amy!

We did bluebonnet pictures again this year.  It was super windy and kind of overcast and I didn't get any spectacular pictures, but everyone was primarily happy and there were no ants.  So that translates to success in my book.

Kate and Noah share a kiss.  Daddy will probably flip out when he sees this.

It was impossible to get them to all be still and look toward the camera.  I don't know how those school picture people do it.  We tried everything.  Crystal even brought a whistle.

After picture time we went to the park and had a picnic then played.  Three buses of elementary school kids showed up but fortunately they were not allowed on the toddler playground.

You can find the entire set here.

 

So this past weekend we celebrated Easter.  It's always a very special time for our family, because we celebrate Jesus and His resurrection.  But this year was more special than ever because of what it meant for Katelyn.

Kate's been asking questions about Jesus for a while now.  She knows that Jesus lives in Mommy's and Daddy's hearts and that He helps us.  She knows that the Bible is God's word and that we seek to obey Him.  She knows that as much as she wants to do the right things, she is not strong enough to do it on her own. 

So last Wednesday night before bed, Katelyn decided that she wanted Jesus to live in her heart too.  She asked Daddy to help her, and they prayed together.  She is forgiven and loved and free.

She's still got a natural bent toward sin; we all do.  But already, when she does mess up, there is a change in how she handles it.  They are subtle changes, probably ones that no one else would notice, but that we as parents saw immediately.  She submits more readily to parental authority, with much less drama.  She has greater awareness of how her actions affect other people, and shown true repentance for wrongs.  There is evidence of God working in her heart.  On Easter, Paul asked her how her heart feels now with Jesus living inside.  She thought about it for a minute, then said, "It feels kind of like loving and sharing."

As she matures, she will no doubt grow spiritually.  She'll be learning her whole life long.  But what a blessing to see my sweet child embrace the truth of salvation at such a young age. 

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

 

Thanks, Crystal, for the picture.

So we just got back from a weekend in Dallas celebrating Kari's birthday, which was lots of fun, even though Audrey was sick and was a real handful at times.  I took her to the doctor today (3rd time in a week I have been to the pediatrician, 5th in two weeks) and poor thing has a DOUBLE ear infection and perhaps a little touch of pneumonia.  Antibiotics and more decongestants were prescribed.  In spite of that I think she actually was feeling a bit better today, as she slept in her own bed last night (until 8 this morning!) and actually had a little appetite this afternoon.  Seriously, why have my kids been so sick?  I just finished giving Kate her antibiotics for HER ear infection on Sunday, and then today started more for Audrey.  It is Audrey's second ear infection in two months, so if it happens again soon, I think a trip to the ENT will be in order.

This Friday Kate is having her birthmark removed, so we would appreciate your prayers.  It is outpatient but they do use general anesthesia.  We'll keep you posted.  I'm not really sure what to expect.

If Paul will help me fix the camera numbering thing, I'll post some pictures.  Until then, they are held hostage on the memory card.  Sorry.  He's been kind of busy, you know.  He got home at 8:30 tonight, we put the kids to bed, talked for a little while, and then he started working on REALife group stuff for tomorrow night.  But so it goes.

Ok, the long awaited (9 days) picture of my new haircut.

It's short in the back.  I was told this is called "The Posh" in reference to a particular famous person, but that's not why I asked for this haircut.  I just thought it was cute.  It goes nicely with my personal sense of style which also includes Infrequent Shampoos and Baby Drool Crust on My Shoulder.

Speaking of baby drool, look at this flirty little girl:

That's Audrey making eyes at Luke, Lauren's little brother, on a baby playdate.  I think she thought it was a real date.  She LOOOOVES him.

Audrey also has recently sprouted two top teeth, and two more are on the way in.  This accounts for much of the sleep trouble, I think, and will probably cause more for a while.  She's been pretty clingy.  She is learning how to eat all kinds of things and occasionally gets food in her mouth.

She's a feisty little thing!  And she turns nine months next week, so I'll have to update again soon.  Now, for this week's Kid Quotes:

Daddy: Hi Audrey.
Audrey, waving: Hi Daddy. 

--------

Katelyn (giving Audrey her cup): Here you go, Audrey.
Audrey: Taaaggg-ooooo. 
Katelyn:  You're welcome, Audrey.  (turns to Daddy)  She said thank you!

--------

Katelyn:  Mommy, dadh gooi hhe hoogok hllw.
Mommy:  I'm sorry, can you say that again, honey?
Katelyn, louder:  Djsll fooi whg jhkj aa.
Mommy, a little frustratedly:  Katelyn, I don't understand you.  Can you use your big kid words, please?
Katelyn, downright yelling:  MOMMY, SHOIGG WJ BOOHTW WATRKK FOSSSII PORU!!
Mommy, irked:  Alright, Katelyn.  I'll just wait until you are ready to talk like a big girl.
Katelyn, with dramatic sigh:  MOMMY, I'm speaking Spanish!

--------

(Katelyn has started calling us Mother and Father.)
Katelyn:  Hello, Father.
Paul:  Kate, I'm Daddy.  Why do you call me Father?
Katelyn:  Because I love you, Father!
Paul:  Aww, that's good enough for me!

Picture heavy post!  Prepare yourself!  And I know the formatting is terrible, but I don't really know what I'm doing, so don't be picky...

1. Kate's very first school concert!  She lost her shyness as soon as they started singing "Go Tell It On The Mountain."  She was one of the few kids actually singing, and was very animated.  Made mama so proud!  (sniff)
   
2. Christmas trip!
• People we saw during our trip:  Dad, Mom, Marc, Mom, Dad, Kari, David, Libba, Drew, Mick, Susan, Andrew, Butch, Mema, Guylene, Nona, Doug, Libby, Aiden, Laura, Blake, Scott, and probably about 20 other people I left out or forgot their names (sorry).  It was a blur.  Can you imagine how overwhelming this must have been to the kids?
• Kate was sick the whole week, poor thing.  She still managed to get excited about her presents, though.
• There was snow!
  
• There were Christmas hats!



3. Vacation at home!
• This was a good idea.  We needed some recovery time after the Oklahoma trip.  We finished the shelves.
  
• We played some Rock Band.
  
  
• We played with our new toys.
  

4.  Back to normal...

• Playin' in the backyard.
  

LOTS more pix on Flickr.  Sorry it took me so long to get them up there.   We're having fun playing with the new camera, too.

What we're doing this week: Kate is learning about ice at school, and Audrey is cutting several front teeth at once (she has not been her usual jovial self lately).  BUT overall we are sleeping more, yippee!  So Mommy is a nicer person now.  :)

Ok, in the hoopla of Thanksgiving and family illness, I never posted about my sweet Katelyn Pie and her big birthday.

She's 3 now.  3.  I can't get over this.  It seems like such a small number for the amazing amount of changes that have occurred since her birth.

Kate is vibrant and joyous in spirit.  She is a tangle of emotions and energy so fierce I am shocked by her passion and lust for life.  She is independent in thought but deeply emotionally connected to those around her.  She is empathetic, sensitive, loving, observant, creative, and sweet.  She is shy of new people in general, but can form strong attachments very quickly.  She knows what she wants and is unafraid to say it, but when something is bothering her, she is often unable to identify the source of her feelings.  You always know what she's thinking because she thinks out loud.

Kate is fun.  She's always singing, jumping, acting out scenarios with her toys, being silly and spontaneous.  She loves being outside and doing art.  She loves Audrey and can't wait until she is bigger so they can play more together.  She tries to identify with people on their terms to connect with them; for example, she knows Daddy likes computer games, so she wants to play computer games with him, or blocks.  She likes to sing and read with Mommy and help with chores.  She is developing into a kind and flexible friend.  She adores her kid friends and has grown leaps and bounds through her relationships with them.

I love her little kewpie face.  Love her big smile, inability to say the letter "L", upside down sleeping positions, "moo-MAH" kisses, giggles that end in a half-choking sound, attempts to sound grown-up, bizarre object collections, Darth Pie breathing, and dress-up habits.  She'll come out of her room pushing a shopping cart, wearing a hat, scarf, rain boots, purse, and absolutely nothing else, only to announce, "I'm going to the HEB.  Do you need anything?"  She snatches ordinary objects and stashes them in pockets, baskets, etc. in unexplainable themed collections (e.g. "things Moogy needs for his bathtime").  I love it when she says, "Mommy, count my freckles" or "I need sweet snuggles."  I love her little voice singing with me at night, and stifle an affectionate laugh every time she sings "Christ the Yord."  She is my little friend and colors my life with spontaneity and silliness.

Oh, how many more joys await!  I love you, darling Pie.

 

Ok, to recap the Whirlwind:

10/30 Halloween party for 9 toddlers, 5 babies, and their parents.

11/10 Katelyn's birthday party, with out-of-town guests (Marc and Kandi).

11/14 Out of town guests Amanda, Brianna (3), and Beau (7 mos).

11/16 Tradeout of guests.  My parents arrive, Amanda leaves.

11/17 My First Thanksgiving To Cook extravaganza, went better than planned.

11/18 Katelyn turns 3, more out of town guests stop by (Jim and the boys), I eat soy accidentally and am unable to enjoy my Thanksgiving dinner.

11/19 No thanks to illness delays, David and Libba and Drew finally arrive.  Mom and I get some retail therapy.  Worship team rehearsal.

11/20 Mom and Dad leave.  Libba and I need more retail therapy.

11/21 I'm up all night sick again, and it's Kate's special day to go to Sea World.  David and Libba leave early.  I place a pathetic phone call to Crystal who generously gives me some of her nausea meds.  We go to Sea World anyways and have a blast.  It was worth it to see the look on Kate's face.

11/22 Thanksgiving Day!  Paul gets up with the kids and lets me sleep.  Bliss...

11/23 (today) up all night sick AGAIN.  I've had enough at this point so I go to urgent care and get a real prescription of my own. Today's plans include drinking Gatorade, laying on the couch, and knitting.

 

So now you know what we have been doing.  If I haven't promptly returned your phone call or email, now you know why.  :)  Maybe next week I will get to some Christmas shopping.  Pictures will eventually be up on Flickr.

Now, something I am thankful for:

(Scene: Mommy is pretending to snooze.)  Katelyn (very agitated):  Mommy!  You can't nap!

Mommy: Why not?

Katelyn (very seriously): Because the house will fall apart!

***

(Scene: Mommy and the girls are headed upstairs.  Kate has Greenbear tucked under one arm, the other hand has a finger in her nose.)  Katelyn: Mommy, get my drink.

Mommy (arms overflowing with wiggly Audrey and various things to go upstairs): You can carry it yourself, honey.

Katelyn: No I can't.  I don't have three hands, Mommy.

***

 

Also, she has been saying "Zoo time!" a lot lately.  I finally figured out why, after I sneezed!  "Zoo time"=Gesundheit!

 

Birthday party pix uploading to flickr as I write this.  So blog entry soon to come.

 

BTW, Kate went to the dentist today and did great.  I asked about the weird bumps on Audrey's gums, and she said they are painful but we probably won't see many more come up, if any at all.  They are rare and typically occur on the roof of the mouth.

I took a few of the semi-recent Katelyn and Audrey studio pictures, and compiled them into a desktop background.  As before, I made them in various sizes to match your own computer's desktop.  To find out what yours is set to, right-click on your current desktop, select Properties from the menu, select the Settings tab, and check out what it says for Screen Resolution.

Click on your closest match, and when the image loads, right click on the image and select "Set as Background"

1024 by 768 Pixels

1280 by 960 Pixels

1280 by 1024 Pixels

1400 by 1050 Pixels

1600 by 1200 Pixels

Kate gives her best thumbs-up, the only cheerleading move she knows.

That's Audrey, the crying Dalmatian.

Lots of stuff to share with you!  First up:  Audrey turned 6 months yesterday.  We took some pictures in the front yard and she was uncharacteristically stoic.

Audrey is usually our little ray of sunshine, don't let the pictures fool you.  Her current hobbies include drooling, shrieking, and kicking.  She loves having her clothes changed and when you pretend to eat her leg.  She is finally starting to appreciate being sung to.  She hates having her face wiped and being buckled into anything.

Next up:  we got some video of the two girls playing after dinner, both of them in their usual hyper state.  Paul translated the Kate-speak with subtitles!  Audrey only shrieks once or twice in the video, but prior to us turning on the camera the blood-curdling shrieks had been going on for about 15 minutes.  It puts a smile on your face and a migraine in your head all at the same time.  Anyways, observe the cuteness:

And in Mommy news, I wore my finished handknit tunic to church today.  It's made of bamboo yarn and I am very proud of it.  It was a big knitting challenge for me since I'm still a beginner.  Mom, thanks for all of those sewing skills, they really came in handy.  I wouldn't have been able to figure out the garment construction without them!

I gave Kate this bear today.

This is what she gave me in return:

We'll see how naptime goes.  My big brave girl.

Audrey teeth pic:

Isn't that weird for her to get those first?  The back one has the points already through- it's blurry but I think you can tell from the photo.  Yesterday I noticed that the eyetooth on the other side is coming up.  Poor kid - it's been rough.  But she is a good sport and today she was totally happy regardless.  BTW, she turns 6 months on Saturday.  It's going by so fast!

And here she is totally trashed in the Jumperoo:

 

Now for some priceless Katelyn quotes:

"Daddy and I are going to play Donkey Kong.  Audrey, you're invited.  Mommy, you do the dishes."

(after a fall) "Mommy, I hurt my yeg!  I need corn!"  (yeg=leg, corn=bag of frozen corn that I use as an icepack)

We took some great video of the two of them playing tonight.  Hopefully Paul can make that into a YouTube video this week so you all can see it.  Also, Kate's birthday is coming up soon and I am gathering gift ideas (for the family only, you friends know I don't want you getting gifts), so just be patient!  You have all given us so much it is very hard to find anything we need, still I understand the desire to get her something for her birthday.  We are planning to take her to Sea World as her gift from us.

Audrey has cut her first tooth!  And it is not at all where I expected.  I was so busy looking at the bottom front two hiding beneath the gums that I missed the one coming in on the side!  It is her left lateral incisor.  I am not sure how I am going to get a picture of it, might have to wait until it comes through a little bit more.

And she is signing!  She has signed "eat" a couple of times, and now she is signing "diaper" like crazy.  It's actually her version of the sign for diaper:  she slaps the top of her diaper two times.  Of course I thought it was a fluke at first, but after a full day of actually paying attention, it's obvious that she is signing deliberately.  I think she has probably been signing it for a while and I just thought she was flailing.  But now I can tell the difference, and when I recognize and respond, she gets so happy!  I remember this stage with Kate too.  It is so cool when they realize they can actually communicate with you.  It cuts down on the frustration for everyone. 

Check flickr for the latest pix of our trip to Sweet Berry Farms.  I am amazed we made it there at all, because we were running late then stopped to buy sunglasses then stopped for the potty then stopped for carsickness.  It was all worth it in the end.  A fun time was had by all.  Kate rode the hayride with Daddy and her friend Noah and his family.  She also loved exploring all of the pumpkins.  We really wanted to do the pony ride but the line was super long, and she did pony rides at Octoberfest in our neighborhood park just the weekend before.  (Paul has a few cameraphone pictures of this to upload sometime.)   Here are some more highlights:

 

 

SOOOO...last Friday Kate decided she wanted to be a big girl and wear underpants.  And now she is ALMOST ENTIRELY POTTY TRAINED.  Yup!  I had heard this from other moms, that "one day they just decide to be potty trained,"  so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  I am so thrilled at how this has gone, but we've still had rocky moments.  The first couple of days, she had a few major accidents.  But she learned pretty quick that every time she had a big accident Mommy would hose her down with cold water in the shower.  Not to punish, but to clean her up.  Thanks, Amanda, for the tip.  That did it.  She hates the shower.  So Friday and Saturday she had probably 3 accidents per day, Sunday and Monday only 1, Tuesday NONE, Wednesday and Thursday only 1.  Today's accident was the result of a massive tantrum while in the car, so I got the joy of spanking her AND washing the car seat.  Sigh.

She is still wearing pullups at night and naptime, although it took some fancy talking on my part to get her to wear them.  ("No, Mommy!  I'm a big girl!  I don't want to wear that diaper!"  "You don't have a potty in your bed, honey.  Let's put your underwear OVER the pullup.")  Geez, what mixed messages I'm giving her.  But until the child will/can get out of her bed and take herself to the bathroom, this is how it's going to be.

I am just so proud of her! 

And Audrey turned 5 months today.  More on that later, it's 11:30 and I'm tired!

So we have been planning to put kate in big kid underwear starting Monday, but this morning she begged me to let her wear them, so we started today.  So far, so good...a couple of accidents, but most importantly, she has a happy heart!  Keep you posted...

Man, we're sleep deprived around here.  Audrey has been waking up hourly during the night because of a cold.  She doesn't need help going back to sleep, but she is loud enough that it wakes me up every time.  This has been going on for a few days.

But finally, here is a picture of Audrey at 4 months:

 

Kate's preschool pix coming soon, flickr is having trouble.  She's been doing great at school.  Potty training has plateaued, but her teacher and I have a plan.  In a couple of weeks (let her get a little more used to school first) we're going to go cold turkey with the pullups.  Pray for me.  I know I'm going to have a lot of fits and messes to deal with.  But any child that can hold it ALL THE WAY TO OKLAHOMA has no excuse still being in pullups!  (except that her mother continues to buy them for her)

Kate: "Mommy, I read you a Bible story."  (runs over holding a free book from Sonic about animals)

"Ok, what is the story?"

"Jesus and the Ark."

"What is that one about?"

"When all of the animals fell in the ocean and died."

(a little shocked) "Do you mean Noah's Ark?  And maybe the other story about when the horses and riders fell into the sea?"

(miffed) "NO.  I reading the story, Mommy.  Look, here's a picture of Jesus Christ the Yord."  (points to cartoon dude in the cheapo Sonic book)

It went downhill from there.  I couldn't hold back the laughter, so I faked a coughing fit, but she wasn't fooled.  She gave up and went to do something else.

 

Scenario:  A child has two toy cars.

Fictional Boy child: "Vroom vroom!  Budn budn!  Beep beep!  Honk!  Crash!  Ugh!  PGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!" (crashes cars together violently)

Girl child (aka Kate):  "Hi, I'm Luigi!  Hi, I'm Doc Hudson!  I like your door!  What a cute door!  I like your door too!  That's pretty awesome.  Want to go to the beach?  Ok!  Let's build a sand castle!  Do you like sand castles?  Are you thirsty?  I have some tasty lemonade..." (cars saunter away)

It's Tuesday, aka ReaLife group day, aka Cleaning Day.  So in the spirit of housework, I submit to you my method of self-motivation, or What Keeps Me From Just Sitting On The Couch Instead of Cleaning.

TV.

That's right, TV.  Not as a reward for cleaning, but as a motivator.  Here's how it works:

Problem:  Clutter.  Show: Clean Sweep, on TLC.  A crew of people clean two highly cluttered rooms out of some poor slob's house, make them sort it all, sell some in a garage sale, throw lots away, and give away the rest.  Result:  I pick a pile and get cracking.

Problem:  General unsanitary conditions.  Show: How Clean is Your House, on BBC.  Two very British ladies help the filthiest people clean up their home, and they swab and test samples from around the house to very disgusting ends.  Result:  I clean the kitchen and bathroom with bleach and a toothbrush.

Problem: The closet.  Show:  What Not To Wear.  Two snarky people criticize ordinary schlub's wardrobe and make them throw it all away, then give them money and tips to buy a new one.  Result:  No new wardrobe, but this always makes me want to clean out drawers.

Now of course I can't get all this done in one week.  So I pick one or two obsessive things to do per cleaning day, on top of all of the regular cleaning.  Today it was scrubbing the spots on the stairs, vacuuming the blinds, and bleaching the door from the garage into the laundry room, which has some kind of weird mold on it.  So maybe I still have dirty dishes in the sink, but darned if the dog doesn't have a clean door.

Now, for a little bit of culture.  Some still-life art from the great artist Katelyn The Pie.

Dog With Bracelets

Yarn-Ball Band with Ladybug and Assorted Puzzle Pieces

Just a little update on Kate's potty training:  today, she only had ONE WET PULLUP ALL DAY.  One.  Uno.  Un.  And it was during dinner.  She was dry this morning, after nap, you name it.  She willingly went to the potty all day long.  It has literally been months since we have had such a successful day with the potty!  Now I'm going to screw it all up again by taking her to the pool tomorrow!

Today's success gave me a glimmer of hope once again that she will eventually be fully trained.  We had lots of other challenges today, but I was so glad to not have to have those potty battles.  They are getting really old!  She starts preschool in a few weeks and I imagine that the peer pressure will be helpful in encouraging her to finish training.  She'll be at FBC Georgetown, which is kind of a drive, but it sounds like a great place. 

 

Oh, and isn't she just gorgeous?

(Scene: Kate and Daddy are eating lunch at Chili's after a fun morning together)

Daddy:  Kate, I had so much fun with you this morning.  You are such a delight!

(Katelyn pats Daddy's face)

Katelyn:  Congratulations, Daddy.  You deserve it!

today's update:

• took audrey to dr because she is rubbing that right ear like crazy.  she has inflammation but no infection, got some eyedrops that we are going to put in her ear.  sounds weird but i guess it's so if she rubs her ears and then her eyes it won't hurt them.
• audrey weighs 12 lb 7.5 oz.  she is 12 weeks old today.
• katelyn is bored because she can't play in the backyard due to MORE RAIN and really tall grass.  she is literally bouncing off the walls half the day.
• mommy stubbed her right big toe so badly last night that it took off half the nail and hurts like the dickens.  now instead of my beautiful pedicure i am sporting a cartoonishly large gauze bandage.  merh.  when it grows back i want another pedicure.

check flickr for vacation and 4th of july pix.

"Hey Kate, it's art time!  What do you want to do?"

"Mommy, let's do painting."

"Ok, what color brush do you want?"

"I want all of them."  (Proceeds to paint with three brushes at the same time.)

"May I have one, please?"

(reluctantly) "Ok..."  (hands me one brush)  "Here's yours."

"Why thank you.  I like yellow."

(snatches it back) "It's MY turn, Mommy.  You take pink."

"Ok, I like pink, too."

(squints eyes) "It's MY TURN.  You take purple."

"Why thank you.  Let's paint."

(turns to tea set) "I'm making Minnie-strone soup."  (reference to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse)

"I thought we were painting."

(scowls)  "It's YOUR TURN, MOMMY.  I MAKE SOUP."

"Ok, well, if you are done with painting, then let's put it away and make soup."

"NO, n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-NO, MOMMY.  YOU PAINT.  I MAKE SOUP."  (stirs cup)  "Here, you eat your soup.  It's good."

"Mmm, it is good.  Let me clean up this paint and then I will have some more."

"I WANT TO DO PAINTING!  NO, MOMMY!  NO CLEAN UP!  I WANT TO PAINT!  I WANT THE YELLOW BRUSH!"  (all the while stirring soup)

(patience wearing thin) "Kate, if you want to paint, THEN PAINT.  If not, then we are going to clean it up."

(big scowl)  "Fine, I paint too."  (Grabs brush from my hand, paints with her right hand while drinking soup with other hand.)  "Eat your soup, Mommy."

(trying not to laugh) "Wow, you can paint with one hand and make soup with the other.  Very talented."

"No I'm not.  I no talented.  I make soup."

"That's a lovely picture we made today.  Who is the picture for, Kate?  Do you want to give it to Audrey."

(slams brush and soup down on table) "IT'S FOR MEEEEEE!"  (gets up and runs away)

 

Today, my Audrey turned 2 months old.  I can barely remember our family before her.

She is such a delight (most of the time, everyone has their moments).  My favorite Audrey things:

• how a diaper change makes her instantly smiley
• how she loves to push off of my chest and look around
• how she goes crosseyed when she concentrates
• the way she folds her little feet under her when sleeping on her tummy

• her little turned up nose and great big Paul-ish smile
• her squeaky noises
• how watching her is like deja-vu, and I get to freshly remember Kate's baby-ness, which has faded in my memory
• and how she is also totally different from Kate, so uniquely herself

And I can't explain how full my heart feels when I see how much Katelyn loves her:

Wow, what fun times lie in store.  Writing this now makes me miss them both now that they are asleep.  (Catch me at about 2:00 tomorrow and I might feel a little differently, but that's motherhood for you.)

Yup, he did it:  Paul got a Wii yesterday.  Ryan called yesterday morning to let us know that they had some at Fry's, so Paul picked it up on the way in to work.  And now, he is playing tennis with Kate!  Really!  Here's the proof:

In non-Wii news, we are all a bit under the weather. I think Paul is almost over it but I have a sore throat and Kate has a super runny nose. Since the actual weather is rainy today, we will probably just lay around and play Wii all day. Baylor won't be feeling well either in a few hours. We were away from the breakfast table for a few minutes taking care of potty and diaper issues, and returned to find Baylor had eaten approximately a pound of bacon off of the table. That won't end well.

Audrey:

• Had her 2 month shots today, and I cried almost as much as she did.  I just hate holding down my baby when she screams.
• Weighs 11.5 pounds and is more or less 23 inches.  Her height was difficult to measure due to squirming.
• Reflux is better and controlled with the Zantac, but we were warned that it may peak in the next 2 months.

Katelyn:

• Has been a real challenge this week in regards to potty training (read: all out war) BUT we are definitely making progress.  She is staying dry for longer overall and has told me she needed to go sometimes.  Keep praying that she will be compliant and that I will be patient.
• Still is not enrolled in preschool.  I am getting anxious about this.  I have not heard back from the school we really want (they have not returned my calls) and I am about to bail.

Amy:

• Did thyroid bloodwork and discovered that my dosage was actually too high; this is a first for me.  Might explain some strange things I have been feeling lately, especially my blood pressure being slightly elevated (super weird) and the night sweats.  I got new meds today.

I uploaded a bunch of pics to Flickr today, including this, my new favorite:

My three favorite people. Happy Father's Day to the sweetest husband in the world!

A Good Day: The Post-Children Version

• Audrey slept in her room for the first time last night, from 11:30 to 5, then 5:45 to 8.
• Because of this, I SLEPT TOO.  And not on the floor of the nursery, as anticipated.
• Katelyn woke up dry this morning.
• Katelyn has not gone in her pants at all today, only in the potty, and she earned another potty training reward!
• Audrey has been calm and pleasant this morning, and has taken a good nap.
• We're going out to lunch with Paul!

If I get a shower today, it might just be an all-time high for the Hooper girls!

Audrey is now 3 weeks old!  We are doing pretty well, and she is growing like a weed already.  And remember, here our weeds grow extra fast - you've seen our backyard.  By my scientific calculations (by that I mean weighing myself and then weighing myself holding her on my Wal-mart special scale) she weighs 10 pounds already!  So I guess that means that the nursing is going okay.  A few days early in the week she wanted to eat every hour and a half (hence my inability to complete thank you notes and simple housekeeping tasks).  She has struggled with some gas and tummyaches the last couple of days but thanks to the natural remedy gripe water, that is a little better.  I did not use gripe water with Kate, but I wish I had tried it - it seems to really help Audrey.  After about 15 minutes she calms down a lot and is able to relax enough to actually burp and pass some of the gas.  (Note:  I am sure that some of my readers are uncomfortable with this subject matter, just like the potty training stuff, but with a newborn, gas can mean that no one gets any sleep at all.  Therefore it is a very important topic around our house!)

In other non-baby news, the TV died on Saturday so we now have a new TV.  Goodbye, old friend, we only knew you 8 years.  The old console TV lasted some 20 years or something ridiculous.  They don't make them like they used to.  Anyways, it was actually me that insisted that Paul get out on Mother's Day and get one right away.  It is my only connection with the adult world sometimes, how sad!  Seriously, we don't go out to movies, we don't even rent movies, we watch DVR and DVD's.  It is worth buying.  And I really need the Little Einsteins right now, for those times when I am nursing and Katelyn feels the urge to climb all over me.

Well, back to the kid subject, because it is all I do:  Katelyn is a great big sister.  Really.  She is so loving, and very excited to have Audrey here.  She doesn't seem jealous at all, but does get clingy sometimes.  I just have to make sure that she gets lots of exercise (read: Daddy time) and eye contact playtime, such as tickling or books or just being silly.  If she has that, she sleeps well, and is content to play on her own for an hour or so at a time, which really helps me take care of Audrey.  Today Kate played alone and Audrey napped, so I actually got to clean the kitchen and do a few loads of laundry.  Paul's clean clothes situation was so dire that yesterday he actually BOUGHT new clothes.  Anyways, I think that after a few weeks, when we are really truly on a schedule I can sort of predict and Audrey is responding to her world a little more, that the two of them will have TONS of fun together.  I have heard it said that the firstborn lives in an adult world and any other kids live in a child's world.  That seems especially true when I see Katelyn right up in Audrey's face telling her all about the world.  I hope they grow up to be best friends.  It fills me with tremendous joy to think of the fun times to come.

We were really just getting some pictures and video of Kate sitting in a tree, but the she counted up to ten, then, very excitedly, back down. Priceless.

It's true, the nesting thing.  Not a myth.  Add to that the relief from no longer wearing a sling, and here's what I've been up to in the past week:

• Cleaned the back porch.  Even had Kate "scrubbing" the back steps with a brush and soap.  Scrubbed the porch swing for the first time ever.
• Packing the hospital bag.
• Laundry galore - washing everything of Audrey's, even what has been previously washed.  Washing and returning all borrowed maternity clothes, since almost NOTHING fits anymore anyways.  Washing various clothing items that will probably fit me after birth.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  Not even nesting motivates me to use the iron.  Sorry, Paul.
• Organization of baby related medical receipts.
• Cleaning my office.  Those of you who have seen my office realize this is a pretty big deal and must be hormonally motivated.
• Knitting mania.  Finished Amanda's baby present (hopefully she is having that baby RIGHT NOW), Audrey's sweater (link to come soon, haven't taken the picture), and working on Kelly's baby present.
• Shopping.  Buying up all of the stuff we still need for Audrey.  And stockpiling yarn.
• Even got Paul in on the nesting - "we" cleaned out our cars and set up the new car seat and bases.  Once again, those who have seen my car realize that cleaning it must also be hormonally motivated.  And by "we" I mean that I occasionally pulled out trash within my limited reach, and mostly drew fancy doodles on the driveway with Kate's chalk, while Paul sweated up a storm doing the rest.  What a guy. 
• And of course, we finished the taxes.  Not completely to Paul's satisfaction; he has found a few extra bucks that we can legally squeeze out of the government, so he will probably amend the return in the next few days.  I personally don't really care, I'm just glad it is done.

So what, you ask, could POSSIBLY be left to do?  Here's what the nesting fairy keeps shouting in my ear:

• Hang Audrey's name on the wall in her room.  (Paul)
• Clean the carpets in the house, they are disgusting.  Ideally we'd just replace them, but what is the point?  (Paul)
• De-pile my bedroom dresser.  I am not sure how it collects so much stuff.
• Sterilize all of the bottles and pacis and various thingies that can be sterilized.
• Make ridiculously detailed instructions for the grandparents on How To Take Care Of The Kate.  They will, of course, patiently smile, nod, and read it through for my benefit, all the while restraining themselves from rolling their eyes at me.  As soon as I am out of sight they will go about handling Kate in their own way and she will be just fine.  It's like they have done this parenting thing before or something.  It must be their great love for me that causes them to humor me so.  And yet I can't help myself, I'm so neurotic, if I don't make a list I will feel like I've just abandoned her.  Motherly guilt is a strange and powerful thing.
• I'm sure the nesting fairy will come up with other bizarre things for me to do as soon as anything of real consequence is done.

So now, for your springtime enjoyment, a glimpse of MY Easter basket:

 

Happy Easter, everyone!  We put up some pictures on Flickr.  Just go to the main page and you can view what we put up today.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/selzhanik/  Or go to the 2007 Mar - Apr set.

We went to church last night, and this morning we slept in and had a big breakfast.  Since it was freakishly cold outside, we did a little egg hunt in the living room.  Kate was so cute and excited!  And then later she "played" Guitar Hero with Daddy.  It's been a fun and relaxing day.  The best part is knowing that Jesus is risen!

 

Today Katelyn and I went with some friends to take some pictures in the bluebonnets.  You can see them all at http://www.flickr.com/gp/40127326@N00/JrU0U7

Here's a highlight:

And the apology part...I ranted a bit in a post the other day because I was frustrated about my current situation (busted/coughing/in pain/hormonal).  It was a bit on the rude side so I just deleted it (I think - it's hard for me to tell sometimes.  So blog-challenged!)  Sorry to all who were exposed.  Must.  Focus.  On.  Positive.  And there is plenty to be positive about.  (See photo above for example.)  God is good ALL THE TIME!

 

We put the old Baby Steps video up on YouTube...

Day 3.5 : Wednesday 3/14 continued...  Worship rehearsal night.  I have not picked up my music for various reasons, so I want to leave early so I can look it over.  At 5:30 I wake up Kate and sit her on the potty.  She goes!  Feeling triumphant, I promise her a lemon slush and chicken nuggets from Sonic.  "That's a great idea, Mommy!"  She scrunches up her eyes and laughs her fakey chuckle, which is what she does when happy but something isn't particularly funny.  So we put on a pullup, stop in at Sonic, and have a picnic at the church. 

Paul was a little late coming to get her but it wasn't a problem.  They stopped for more fast food (I told you nutrition was out the window this week!) and came home and watched Cars.  She only makes it to about the same point in this movie every time.  My rehearsal ended early enough that I got to see her before bed.  Apparently she had an accident during the movie (probably she was so into it that she didn't notice herself peeing).  But during bathtime, she asked to get out of the tub, sat on the potty and went, and then got back in to finish the bath.  Now that is progress.  She needed lots of hugs and kisses before bed, which we were both so glad to give.  For the rest of the night Paul played Warcraft and I answered email and read knit blogs.  Once again we stayed up too late.

Day 4:  Thursday, 3/15.  She tinkled in the potty upon waking.  We are starting to establish a pattern!  I let her watch some tv as a reward.  So now for the real test:  I have a Gymboree coupon.  The best stuff goes on the first day of the sale.  So I overpack the diaper bag and put a portable potty seat in one of those humongous ziploc bags, and off we go to the mall.  As soon as we are heading in, she asks to go potty.  I head to the closest bathroom I know of, in JCPenneys, and fortunately it is pretty clean and has a place for me to park the stroller.  She wet a little in the pullup, but I put that potty seat on the big potty and set her on it.  "It's kinda scary, Mommy!"  Still, Supermom has come prepared with books and a sucker, so with distraction and bribery she actually goes in the big potty.  Woohoo!  Girl deserves a sucker!  We clean up and head for Gymboree, where I spend one hour and $120.  But hey, with the exception of shoes, she has her entire summer wardrobe.  That will really help me out when I have TWO kids.  I even got cute matching outfits for her and Audrey.  She sits like a zombie in front of Gymboree's little tv, licking her sucker, and squinting at any other kids that get within three feet of her.  We go to the play area for a while, but she is feeling shy even though there aren't very many kids there.  She does not want to climb and play much.  Once she does loosen up a little, some really big kids arrive and get rowdy so we just leave.  I forgot it was spring break.  All this time she has been dry.  Of course, 5 minutes out of the parking lot she wets her pullup and begins to cry.  At this point it is just better that we head home.  At home, before, during, and after lunch she has several accidents and never successfully goes in the potty.  I think maybe tomorrow we had better stay home or close to home for consistency's sake.  I would really like to go to the yarn store though...big sale...

To confirm that Mommy has absolutely no life, here is the chronicle of our Potty Training Saga so far:

Day 1:  Monday, 3/12.  After we went to the HEB and picked the dog up from boarding in the morning, Katelyn went down for a nap and Mommy began her preparations for the Potty Extravaganza, which started upon waking from nap.  I assembled all of my supplies in the upstairs bathroom: potty success chart, potty procedures list (so that Daddy and Mommy can be consistent), stickers, lollipops, fresh pull-ups, flushable wipes, and all kinds of cleaning supplies.  Suddenly I discovered that I only bought 2 pair of waterproof trainers and about 12 pair of actual underwear.  And a whole pack of pull-ups, which are so much more expensive than diapers that I hate using them.  Oh well, I thought, we will make do until I can get to the Target.  When Kate wakes up I put her on the potty, read about 400 books (or maybe 4 books 100 times), then finally allow her to get up.  Of course the potty is dry, so I put trainers on her and within 30 seconds pee is running down her leg.  Since she hates to be messy, she instantly began to freak out, so we cleaned up and put on the second pair of trainers.  She was very excited about her big kid underpants.  She ran into the game room and after another 30 seconds she began to shriek, "Oh no!  What happened to my underpants???"  I removed the trainers, cleaned her up, calmed her down, and put a pair of underpants on her (unwisely thinking that she must be out of pee).  So you can see where this went.  By the time Paul came home I'd already done two loads of trainers/pants and used them up again.  Thank heaven we had Olive Garden leftovers for Paul's dinner because I had no energy left to cook.  Once she went to bed I ran to Target, bought them out of trainers, then came home and ate 3 bowls of cereal.  Before bed I managed to throw some laundry (literally) at my poor husband and then go on a crying jag until 1 am.  Surely we had nowhere to go but up the next day.

Day 2:  Tuesday, 3/13.  I awake with a sense of dread, realizing that the REALife group was coming that evening on top of everything else.  But hey, it's a REAL life group, isn't it?  So if they walk into a house covered with laundry that smells like pee, that's a slice of real life, right?  And I'm setting a good example by not pretending to have it all together.  Ha ha.  Anyways, Kate wakes up and I whisk her downstairs to sit on the potty in my bedroom while watching Go Diego Go.  She bats her eyelashes fetchingly at Diego (who, oblivious, continues to rescue talking animals).  Meanwhile I use this opportunity to say a few words to my long-suffering mate ("I'm sorry I threw bedsheets at your face."  "Thanks for listening to my whining until 1 am.") and make us some MUCH needed coffee.  A few minutes later I check on Kate to find that she has tinkled in the potty!  Huge celebration, both parents dance a jig, Kate gets a sucker before breakfast.  That kind of treat doesn't even happen at Nana's!  Feeling somewhat encouraged, we smile and wave at Daddy as he drives away to his laundry-free place of employment (lucky!)  After breakfast, the fun begins.  We have 7 accidents, 2 crying jags (Kate's), 2 time outs, and 2 loads of laundry before naptime.  Thank God for naptime.  Kate is upset that I put a diaper on her for naptime.  I explain that there isn't a potty in her bed, so she has to wear a diaper to sleep in.  She sighs in relief.  Poor thing.

Jen calls during naptime and I feel encouraged.  How on earth does she make cloth diapering seem so easy?  As always, she is very kind and listens patiently to my rants.  Ok.  I can do this.  It's only been 24 hours.  Don't be a wimp, Amy.  Of course I must consider that being 8 months (which feels like 80 months) pregnant makes anyone miserable and crazy, and makes it that much harder to get up and down from a tiny bathroom floor.  I ignore all non-diaper laundry and pre-REALife group cleaning and sit down to knit for 15 minutes before passing out.

Kate wakes up and I immediately take her to the potty, where she holds it for countless dramatic book readings.  I give up and put trainers on her and she pees.  Repeat this process 6 times.  How much pee can such a tiny person hold?  I remind myself that this is easier than trying to train her when the baby is here, because I can give her my undivided attention.  Two more loads of laundry.  I am starting to think that 8 trainers isn't enough.  It's time to start cooking dinner.  It occurs to me that she tinkled this morning while I was not watching her.  Hmm, maybe the child needs a little privacy.  We've been trying to teach her this about her parents - well, about Daddy at least.  Mommy has sacrificed privacy entirely so that Katelyn can become familiar with the potty process.  Anyways, I decide to let her sit on the potty while I try to start dinner.  And talk on the phone to Paul.  I was completely distracted from her.  And guess what - she tinkled!  Only a little, and she wet two trainers within minutes afterward, but hey, it was a start.  Many stickers, a lollipop, and creative songs to celebrate the success.  Guess she needs her privacy, too.  Peeing for an audience is a lot of pressure.  She likes the celebration part, but seems to want me to ignore her while she is actually going.  Interesting.  Uh oh.  It is 6:30.  Group starts at 7 and I have only 2 ingredients assembled to make dinner.  I call Paul back and we debate take out for a while and then finally decide to eat cereal.  So I have eaten nothing but cereal and Olive Garden leftovers for 2 days.  Oh well.  At least we are eating.  Group comes and the kids go upstairs to play (Kate is in a pull-up).  I feel almost human for all of the adult conversation.  No one comments on the fact that every single dish I own is in the sink.  During group and before bed Katelyn actually asks to sit on the potty.  She doesn't go, but she seems to think of it as the fun place where we read books.  Instead of actually going to sleep immediately like we probably should, Paul and I watch 2 episodes of 24 and relax a little.

Day 3:  Wednesday, 3/14.  We all oversleep - I have to wake Kate up at 9:20, and put her on the potty downstairs.  I bustle about like yesterday, only the TV is not on - she is looking at books.  She tinkles in the potty!  Celebration with Daddy!  We eat breakfast and get ready very fast (with one accident) because today is playgroup at Crystal's.  And she has a "bouncy bouncy" indoor inflatable jumpy thing.  Kate is very excited.  At playgroup I actually get her on the potty a couple of times, but she stays completely dry all morning.  She gets really upset and oversensitive near lunchtime and has to have a time out.  I start to wonder if she needs to poop and feels uncomfortable - she hasn't pooped in 48 hours, which is weird.  But she is freaking out over every little thing so it is time to go anyways.  At home I check her and she is dry and refuses to go to the potty, so we have lunch.  After lunch she is much calmer and in a happy mood.  It is raining so we aren't going to go outside (our usual after-lunch activity)and she asks to watch Little Einsteins.  I am exhausted so I agree, but only if we go "try" first.  So we go upstairs and sit on the potty and read lots of books.  Suddenly, during a dramatic reading of "Dora's Potty Book" I realize that she has become very still and squinty.  And stinky.  I ignore her and continue with my wild and over-the-top rendition of Dora's potty adventure.  The end.  I read one more book for good measure, then ask her if she is all done.  She says, "I need a wipe."  Ok, I give her a wipe.  "I'm all done, Mommy.  I need a sucker."  So I get her up and we look in there together.  Tinkle!  And poop!  It was like winning the lottery.  We dance a jig and clean her up.  She gets to flush and wash her hands.  She gets to pick out her sucker.  We call Daddy with the big news.  We put stickers on the chart and all over her hands and head off to watch Little Einsteins.  I'm amazed!  I never thought she'd poop in there so soon.  Ok, maybe this is all going better than I thought.  About halfway through her show, she bolts upright and says, "Mommy!  I got poopy diaper!"  I snatch her up and we run to the potty.  She is BARELY wet and finishes tinkling in the potty.  Now I am REALLY excited!  After more jigs, some jelly beans, stickers, and finishing the tv show, she heads off to bed completely dry and super proud of herself.  She tells me that she is almost a grown up lady like Mommy.

Sigh.  Almost a grown up lady.  Probably maybe so.  I love that kid.

Just wanted to share a pic of Her Cuteness playing in the "clubhouse", her little pink tent.

 

Well, she's in her new room!  We worked like crazy and in one week the guest room transformed from "Boring Beige with Miscellaneous Clutter" to "April Mist Green with New and Vintage Furniture and Girlish Accessories."  Kate has been so excited about this project that once it was done, she had no trouble sleeping in her new bed.  This was fantastic because Mommy and Daddy were so worn out from the process that we needed our sleep too!!!

Most of the credit goes to Paul because of course Amy was useless when it came to certain types of paint, hardware installation, assembly, moving furniture, and anything that involved a ladder.  So if he seems extra sleepy or walks with a limp, cut him some slack.  Of course there are a few finishing touches needed, like curtains and stuff on the walls.  We'll get to that eventually...

For the complete transformation process, visit flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/selzhanik/sets/72157594494447259/ or login and visit our page.  Look for the set titled "Kate's New Room."

 

 

 

We ordered Katelyn's big girl bed the other day, and it should arrive soon.  Now all we need to do is have the garage sale and paint the room!

It was kind of hard to find but we ended up with exactly what we wanted - a twin sleigh trundle bed in a dark wood color to match my grandmother's antique furniture, which is in her room.  Here's a link to a photo:

http://www.havertys.com/catalog/group.do?group=HVT122+Youth

 

It's the bed in the uppermost picture.  She's very excited about it!

For family obsessed with Kate desktops, I'm spreading some Christmas cheer!  Please use these photos only for your desktop background!  (We have better versions for ordering prints and such, just let us know.)

To use these on your desktop, decide on which one you like the most, and click on the screen size underneath the photo that matches what you use.  (You can find what screen size you use on your Windows PC by right-clicking on your desktop, selecting Properties, selecting the Settings tab, and taking note of the Screen Resolution setting.)  After downloading the large image in your browser window, right-click on the image and select "Set as Background."

(Note: For 1024 x 768 screens, your best choice is likely 1600 x 1200, and then select "Stretch" for the "Position" setting -- which it will likely default to.)

"Hello, Santa!"

Full Size Desktops:
1280 x 1024 (Common 17" to 19" LCD screen res)
1400 x 1050 (Common HP laptop res)
1600 x 1200 (High res true 4x3 monitor)

Faded Warm Christmas Lights

Full Size Desktops:
1280 x 1024 (Common 17" to 19" LCD screen res)
1400 x 1050 (Common HP laptop res)
1600 x 1200 (High res true 4x3 monitor)

"I'm This Many!"

Full Size Desktops:
1280 x 1024 (Common 17" to 19" LCD screen res)
1400 x 1050 (Common HP laptop res)
1600 x 1200 (High res true 4x3 monitor)

Going Shopping Painting

Full Size Desktops:
1280 x 1024 (Common 17" to 19" LCD screen res)
1400 x 1050 (Common HP laptop res)
1600 x 1200 (High res true 4x3 monitor)

Ridiculously Adorable

Full Size Desktops:
1280 x 1024 (Common 17" to 19" LCD screen res)
1400 x 1050 (Common HP laptop res)
1600 x 1200 (High res true 4x3 monitor)

Just wanted to let you know that we updated the flickr site recently with pictures of Katelyn's birthday party.  I'm a little behind with the blog entries right now, because of all of the holiday hoopla!  But I'll get there. :)  This is one of my favorite pics of Kate and Paul ever:

 

Thanks to my friend Jen, who taught me the basics of Photoshop today!

Ok, at long last, here is the list that has been requested repeatedly by patient grandparents everywhere:  The Official Wish List of Her Toddlerness Miss The Kate.  And yes, I am making you work for it by checking out our new site.  Ha ha.  Now without further ado, in her "own" words, The List.

Katelyn’s Birthday AND Christmas Wish List

Hi everyone!  I am a big girl with a big imagination now, so I really like to create, imagine, role play, etc.  I don’t need toys that “do” a lot of things, just simple stuff. 

 

Here are some things I would really enjoy:

 

• Books, especially board books because I can turn the “pages” easily
  • Clifford the Big Red Dog
  • Elmo
  • Blue’s Clues
  • Corduroy
• Lego Quatro 70 piece block set (I am very into building towers right now, and need more blocks to go with my current Quatro set)
• Fisher Price Little People Sweet Sounds Home (like a dollhouse)
• Potty Elmo (Mommy has ulterior motives, but I actually do LOVE this toy, my friend Lauren has it)
• Bowling Pin Set – the old school kind if you can find it anywhere
• Doctor Kit (give Aunt Kari dibs on this one!!)
• Aquadoodle or Color Wonder for mess-free coloring
• Wooden puzzles
• Little Einsteins DVD’s (examples below)
  • Our Big Huge Adventure
  • Mission Celebration
• Clothing, mostly size 2T but occasionally 3T
• A dress up box, with hats, bracelets, necklaces, purses, etc.  I love to accessorize!

Note from the Neurotic Mother:  Please keep in mind that this child's current favorite toys include miniature pumpkins, things she has pulled out of the trash, and sippy cups (which she diapers with Kleenex).  If you give her a balloon, she will hug it all day long.  So you don't have to spend a lot (or anything) to make her happy.    :)