1/3 of the way there.

We are half way done with our home improvement projects until the floors are installed. Done painting most of kitchen. Jeff did a great wall installing drywall to close off a second doorway from the kitchen to Kadyn's new room. All that's left is painting Kadyn's room, painting our half bath, painting the new cabinets we discovered behind some paneling in our kitchen, and moving a few things. Still seems like a lot but the drywall installation is done and we were most worried about that. Jeff really ought to give himself more credit for being a handyman. He always complains and worries that it won't come out right and then when he's done it usually looks pretty decent.

Kadyn is still exploding with her vocabulary. She can identify all her vowels and a few consonants. She can count to 5. She is just about able to attempt any word we ask her too. There have been a few that have taken awhile to figure out like: arbon (airplane), doo doo pa (doodle pad), eyeball (eyebrow), pio (pillow), and a few more that I can't remember. She also loves playing Rosies with daddy (aka ring around the rosy). Once she figures something out she likes to repeat it over and over again like when I was painting on the ladder and she stood at the bottom repeating "high mama, high mama, high mama" and "mama paeeeeeent, mama paeeeeeeent" I'm not sure how she wants me to respond because I will acknowledge what she is saying and she just keeps saying it over and over and over and over and over and over.......

However my all time favorite was when she was in trouble for hitting me. I asked her to repeat after me after she did her time out and it went something like this:

Mommy: Kadyn say sorry
Kadyn: Shawee
Mommy: I
Kadyn: Ieeee
Mommy: hit
Kadyn: Sh!*

I just had to laugh and thank her for her oh so sincere apology. She is definitely a source of humor around our house lately.

One of the unperks of my job.

OK I know unperks isn't a real word, just thought I'd be funny. Yesterday was a bear getting the kids down for their naps because the youngest had another ear infection and kept waking them all crying (I say another because he has had so many I can't even coutn them all!)Also, last week I got the stomach flu. That was just lovely. Now this week I have a cold. All of this while we are trying to get our painting done in our house to prepare for new floors. We have finally decided to splurge and replace the flooring in the entire house, except the full bath. I just can't take it anymore. It always looks disgusting. I suppose I would be more tolerant if it was my own doing, but these carpets have looked like this since we moved in and it doesn't matter how many times I have them cleaned, or how many times I clean them, they just look bad all the time. I'm so excited but so tired of home improvement tasks. I'm ready to be done with the big stuff and focus on the fun stuff like furnishings. If money wasn't and object, we'd go ahead and redo our bathroom but it will have to wait another year I suppose.

I'm so excited and dreading all of this. The daycare will be ran from one wing of the house while the guys work on the other, and then we'll switch. This will mean that the kids will have to eat in the bedrooms at one point. This is going to interesting.

Today I put together an indoor sandbox. Actually it's a rice box. I'm excited to see the kids use it. Yes, it may be a little messy, but at least it will be something different to stimulate them. Having to stay inside all day everyday is getting difficult. They have so much pent up energy it would do us all good to get out for awhile.

I'm planning on getting Kadyn a big wheel and trike for her birthday. I figure we could avoid some toddler squabbles if I get two rideable toys. I would like to clear the garage and make it baby proof so they can ride them in the garage. Perhaps that will help get some of this energy out of them. Kadyn loves trikes, although she hasn't quite figured them. This probably means a lot of pushing for me, but I'm sure it won't take long after she sees some other kid do it.

After our floors are done, we will be working on moving Kadyn to a big girl bed and into a new room. Shortly after that or maybe before (I haven't decided which), we will be potty training. She is starting to tell me when she goes and the time inbetween diaper changes is getting longer, so I think she can hold it for longer. Both are signs of readiness. I think I have also decided to be brave and just do away with diapers all together. Yet another perk of these new floors. Accidents on hard floors is much better than accidents on carpet.

I am looking forward to the month of March so much. My sister and family will be visiting for Kadyn's birthday. Her party just happens to be the day before Easter. So for the first time in years I will actually be with part of my family for Easter. We are planning on letting the kids dye eggs, doing a big easter egg hunt, and letting the girls have a big slumber party. Ironically my sister's anniversary is that weekend, so I will watch her girls that day and let her and her hubby spend a day together in Branson alone. We also have some good friends coming up the week before that we are very excited to see since it's been over a year since our last visit. All in all, the month of March will be exciting for our family.

Well I suppose this blog is getting a bit lengthy so I better sign off for now. Toodles!

The other video

For some reason I couldn't get the other video I spoke of to post in the last blog so here is a new one just for that video.

Just having fun

Here are two videos. One of Kadyn with a new Christmas toy, and another with Kadyn dancing and singing for one of her daycare buds, Kendall, aka "Koko." Enjoy!

Take two.

Well if you've been keeping up with my blog, you know that I've been trying to break Kadyn of hitting herself when she gets mad. The whole teaching her to say mad, mad, mad and clapping her hands thing didn't work. I finally got desparate and started making her go to the naughty rug for hitting herself. Low and behold it's working. The incidences of her hitting herself have gone way down. She knew it upset me and was doing it to get a rise out of me. I guess when I made her do time out, she wasn't getting the rise out of me she wanted so problem solved! I love time outs!

Weird weather we're having.

The tornado sirens went off from 5:30 p.m. to 3:30 in the morning last night. They think a tornado actually did touch down in Springfield a few miles north from us. Two buildings have been destroyed. We are untouched. In retrospect I probably should have spent the night in the closet with Kadyn but all the locals assured us tornados don't ever hit Springfield only the surrounding communties. I kept my eye on the news much of the evening and the tornado spotting were always north of us so I just went to bed and woke once at 3:00 because of the strong winds. That's when they think it hit. Growing up in tornado country I think has made me a bit numb to it all.

The weather has also been in the 60's the past couple of days. This is January for crying out loud. Tornados, spring temps, what is going on?

Just lovely!

Kadyn has started something new the past few days. She is picking her boogers and handing them to us saying, "boogoo, boogoo, boogoo!" I'm glad she isn't happy just slurping them up with her tongue anymore or wiping them on her sleeve, but ewww!

Definitely my kid!

I hardly ever give Kadyn sweets except for fruit. My side of the family has always been known for a horrible sweet tooth, so I would really like to delay that in Kadyn. Today I decided to be nice and let her have some icecream. As she was finishing up I was cleaning the kitchen. Suddenly she yells frantically "Help, help, help!" I go over to see what was the matter and she has this horribly concerned look on her face, "Mo isheem, mo isheem!" I tried to tell her that there was none left, I even showed her the empy icecream box. That didn't convince her. Finally after a few tears I decided to get her mind off of it and let her watch her favorite TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba.

In other news, Kadyn has now transfered her hitting phase from me to her. Whenever she gets mad she now hits her head. She never does it hard enough to hurt herself, but I don't like it none the less. She won't listen to me when I tell her to stop and it seems wrong to put her in time out for doing that. So today I've started something new. Whenever she hits herself I coach her to clap her hands and say, "Mad, mad, mad." I figure that teaches her how to express the feelings she is having vocally (she is still learning the words for feelings) and also gives her the physical outlet in a more positive way by clapping. Hopefully it works. The first time I showed her what to do she looked at me like I was nuts then gradually opened up to the idea and started imitating me. I'm sure I'll have to remind her a couple more times before she really gets the idea that it is a replacement behavior for hitting herself. We'll see how it goes. At the least I figure I'm validating her feelings letting her see me recognize that she is mad. I know from my education to get my masters that validating children's emotions is very critical. They need to know that you understand how they feel. What we have to teach them as parents is how to deal with those emotions in an appropriate way.