KINLEY: 2 YEARS OLD!!

My sweet Kinley Kay turned 2 yesterday 2-22!!  It doesn't seem like it has been 2 years since I first laid eyes on my sweet baby girl.

Here are some highlights....

height 35 1/4 inches
weight 26 lbs. 7 oz.

You are so sweet and are always in the best mood.  You are really an easy toddler and are super easy going.  You do have your little 'toddler moments' but they are rare and usually easily resolved.

You sleep from about 8pm - 7 am ...give or take 30 minutes.  You still take one nap that usually last an hour & half or longer.  I love the days you nap longer!!

You love love love your big sister and are ALWAYS copying what she does.  Everyday when we go pick her up from school you insist on picking out a snack for her.  She looks forward to seeing what snack you have brought her each day.

wearing the b-day outfit I made you!!

You talk non stop and pick up on things so fast. You love to look at book and jibber jabber like you are reading them.  Sometimes you are actually saying the right words.   I can read you a book once or twice and I swear you can repeat parts of it right back to me.  Your favorite book these days is 'And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street' by Dr. Seuss.  You ask for it every night.  Some of my favorite things you say are:

bum bum seat - bumbo seat
ba-beet - blanket
I la lu - I love You
tee-bow - peanut butter
tup take - cupcake
lee lee - aunt liz

You aren't a big eater and you pretty much refuse all meats....unless they are hidden in something like a casserole!  Favorite breakfast foods are:  waffles, cheerios, special K, eggs, and oatmeal.  Lunch favorites are :  tee-bow sinch (peanut butter sandwich), nuggets, mac-n-cheese, yogurt, fruit, and cheese.  For dinner you like chicken pot pie, empanadas, spaghetti, and chicken-n-dumplins!!

Recently you have enjoyed playing with the magnetic dress up dolls, play-doh, and pretending to cook in your kitchen.  When I picked you up from Sunday school last week you were serving your teachers pretend food.

We celebrated your birthday with dinner and cupcakes.  Nana, Avy, and Gogie joined us and we all had a great time.  You went nuts at the cupcake place and couldn't wait to get your hands on a cupcake.

Avy and Kinley with the big birthday cupcake!!

Daddy & Kinley

 Nana & her girls

Mommy & Kinley (that is what happens when you say 'show me a pretty smile')

 Gogie & Kinley giggling

 all you wanted from the cupcake was the sucker on top

 Nana, Avy & Kinley

Gogie & the girls

We are having your party this weekend with the rest of the family.  Lots to prepare for and so much fun to come!!

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY SWEET KINLEY KAY!!

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

I have not been good about posting lately.  This might be a long one....

Since my last post we have:

1.  Had London's Valentine's party at school.  It was your typical school party...bingo, cookie decorating, a quick craft and just fun and not having to do school work!!  Kinley came along and had a blast getting so much attention.  They wore their matching shirts and looked so cute!!

2.  Valentine's day was pretty low key around here.  No fancy gifts or flowers, just time spent with the family.  I ate lunch with London at school and I made up little treat bags for the girls and went to our favorite cupcake shop for a sweet treat.  Matt worked late and I actually went to work that night.

3.  London had an ice skating birthday party to go to on Saturday after Valentine's day.  We all went since Matt had to skate with London.  Kinley and I watched and ate pretzels.  I have quit worrying about Kinley having accidents so I didn't really ask her too much if she needed to potty.  Once she mentioned it and I took her and she did nothing.  After a few more pretzels she said 'potty' again and well....it was too late.  She wet all over me and the bleachers.  Thank gooness we were at the ice rink at the mall and ended up running to old navy for new socks, panties, and a dress.  Nice way to get new clothes, Kinley!!!

4.  Muffin tin meals... I'm sure any mom of a toddler or older has heard of these.  It seems to be the latest thing to try and get your kid to eat more and more variety.  I tried it with Kinley for the first time and she actually liked it.  I need to get more inventive with my food choices....especially since she is my picky eater.  We started simple with gold fish, cheese sandwiches, grapes, and cheese cubes.  Not a very colorful lunch but it was a last minute thought. 

 

5.   I have made 2 shirts for little girls but forgot to take  pictures of them.  UGH!!  Hopefully their mom's will email me a pic.  I am working on Kinley's birthday overalls and hope to finish them up by Tuesday!!  I need to make a run to Joann's and my sewing shop first to get the last bit of fabric and coordinating thread.  

6.  Girl Scout cookies!!!!!  They are here and I'm loving it.  Enough said!!

7.  Last night our church had free baby sitting for parent volunteers, so Matt and I dropped off the girls and went out for Japanese food!!!  We tried a new place in town and it didn't disappoint.  I have been wanting a ginger salad for days now and I finally got it!!

8.  We all cleaned house today and London and I are off to watch her friends basketball game later this afternoon.  Now - Kinley is napping, London is making jewelry, Matt is at the office, the birds are chirping so loud outside (but I like it), and all is well!!!  

Have a Happy Saturday........

because we are!!!

ANOTHER $5 TEACHER GIFT

Valentine's is fast approaching and we just got London's class Valentine cards done.  She was very  simple this year.  She found some cards on Etsy that she liked so I gathered the stuff at Hobby Lobby and we made them ourselves...with London's touch!!

Like I said.....SIMPLE!!

We did end up stapling a mini pack of Hershey kisses to them at the last minute.  

Her teacher gift was so cute and easy too.  I had a blank travel mug that had been sitting around that I never had a purpose for and one piece of embroidery paper. 

 I embroidered her teacher's name on it.... 

filled it with Hershey kisses.....

and wha-la!!!  

Gotta love having random stuff laying around that you bought for some reason but never used it!!  Maybe I'll go buy more blank mugs and embroidery paper for that last minute gift idea!

Pretty cute for only $5 don't ya think?

A SUPER WEEKEND

We had a long weekend thanks to a cold weather forecast.  It isn't often that snow is predicted here but the weathermen said to expect ice and snow and freezing temps most of the day.  Of course everyone panics and the whole town shuts down and when I went through the car rider line on Thursday I was told "NO SCHOOL FRIDAY"!!  London was thrilled.  She thought no school meant snow for sure.  Well....  we woke up to a little, and I mean a little, ice and NO snow.  It made for a fun cozy day and a day to have daddy home ... at least until the ice melted.

We stayed in our jammies all day and watched movies, played games, and of course made every excuse to have hot chocolate!!

this is Kinley showing her 'pretty smile'

snuggling with daddy

Friday afternoon warmed up and the roads were driveable so Matt headed to work for a few hours.  London had Katie over and they played and jumped on the trampoline and loved breaking up all the ice!!

Saturday was gorgeous and we took a bike ride to the park.  The girls were so excited to get out of the house and run off some energy.  

the girls are wearing their Valentine's shirts I made them too!!

Super Bowl Sunday we went to church and tried a new Sunday school class.  Matt and I both really enjoyed the class and are excited to go back next week.  We came home and ate a quick lunch.  Played some more and then went over to a friends house for the Super bowl.  

We are back to the school grind today and loving the warm weather.

Time to get the girls in bed now.  Have a happy Wednesday!!

SHOW US YOUR LIFE: WHAT DO YOU FEED YOUR KIDS?

I'm linking up with Kelly at Kelly's Korner for a great topic....

WHAT DO YOU FEED YOUR KIDS?

I love this topic and hope to find some great meals that my kids will actually eat.

I'll just start out by saying my kids were great eaters until they had to eat 'real' meals.  Like anything that wasn't mush kind of meals.  I buy alot of natural foods and organic but yes, the bag of chicken nuggets or mini corn dogs has passed the door of my freezer more often than I'd like to admit.

As babies I made all their baby food from fresh organic fruits and veggies and once they graduated to toddler meals I continued to use a variety of new flavors and food combinations in hopes they would eat anything as big kids...well, I failed at that one.  Once the mush meals turned to solid meals that looked and tasted different, it was all down hill.  The plate pushing began.  I used to try to please everyone and alot of times would end up being a short order cook and making something different for everyone....BUT, now I'm a mean mom and I cook one thing and say, 'eat it or be hungry!'  Sometimes it works and sometimes it makes for a VERY winey dinner and a whole lot of, 'eww, I don't like this' or 'it doesn't look good'.  AND, many times it means the girls end up eating fruit for dinner...which is better than nothing.  But we do have one rule which is followed pretty well and that is you sit at the table until everyone (that is eating) is done....then you can get your fruit.  It works most of the time.....with a few reminders!!

I believe that the kids will eat if they are hungry and skipping a meal won't hurt them.  I promise, they won't starve!!

Breakfast is usually something quick and easy since London is in school now...cereal, oatmeal or waffles.  I refuse to buy any 'sugary' cereal so London has settled for the Special K chocolaty delight. I know, I know, it has chocolate but I can pick out most of it and she doesn't know!  Occasionally we do the Sunday morning donut stop if we have time before church....which isn't often!  OR, if I'm up to it on a Saturday and London is patient she loves a good country breakfast...pancakes, biscuits, eggs, sausage, bacon!!

Lunch is a no brainer for London...she likes routine and consistency so she takes the same thing to school every day.....ham/cheese sandwich, cheese cubes, salt free pretzles, and an apple with water to drink.  Kinley is hard to feed.  Lately she has wanted a tee-bo sinch (peanut butter sandwich).  She isn't a big eater and alot of times only takes 4 or 5 bites so if I can get her to eat a few bites of sandwich and a few bites of fruit...I'm doing good.

Favorite dinner meals for the girls .... besides chicken nuggets, pizza, and mac-n-cheese are....
Paula Deen's Chicken Pot Pie (from her kids cookbook ... and I load it with veggies), chicken empanadas, spaghetti & garlic bread... I love sneaking in extra veggies in the sauce (except London has decided she doesn't like sauce)

I have a one snack rule for London, since she gets a snack at school.  She can come home and have one 'junk' snack after school but it has to be before dinner but not right before.....most of the time it is right after school.  Since Kinley is 2, she gets 2 snacks....one mid morning which is usually fruit, yogurt or sometimes goldfish, cheerios, or cheese and her afternoon snack is usually what London is having....just to prevent a fit!! :)  BUT it isn't always junk.  Lately I have been able to please her with sliced apples and peanut butter!!

Other foods that I feel like a good mom over are eggs (boiled, scrambled....) fruit smoothies (made with real fruit & yogurt), nuts (no nut allergies here!!).

I love this post and love reading all the other responses at Kelly's Korner too.  It makes me feel like I'm not the only one who's kids only want chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese 24/7.  I'm hoping their little taste buds will grow out of all that food that makes me feel like a bad mom for feeding it to them.  But in the mean time, I'll try to make meal time as fuss free as possible....except dinner...that's where I say, 'eat or be hungry'!!

100th DAY

Wednesday was London's 100th day of school.  It is a big deal to all the kids and the school makes a fun day out of it.  London was sent home with a note about a week ago instructing her to

1.  Brainstorm LIKE items you and your family can easily collect in quantities of 100.

2.  Choose something from your list and gather 100 of them

3.  Design a unique way to WEAR your collection to school.

4.  Wear your collection to school on Wednesday, February 2.

5.  Be creative and have fun!

Some ideas the school gave were to decorate your clothes with 100 stickers, bows, buttons, or design a hat or jewelry with your collection.

Well, London and I decided on ribbon....since there isn't a shortage of ribbon in our house.  Her only request was that it was red and white.  

Here is what we I came up with....100 ribbon loops on the cuffs of her jeans.  Each cuff had 50 ribbon loops.  And I couldn't help myself and had to make her a shirt too...

In other news....

It is COLD here.  It is in the 30's now and the temps are expected to drop even more and possibly get some snow.  School is going as usual today but I wouldn't be surprised if it was delayed or cancelled tomorrow.  I have read and seen pics of all the crazy freezing snowy weather around the country.  I'm counting my lucky stars that I am not in one of those areas that have been snowed in for days.  There is only so much you can do with kiddo's when you are stuck inside for days on end.