Kristin
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Posts by Kristin
Summer Hiatus and the Big K
Sep 12th
You’ve probably noticed that I took a summer hiatus from blogging. There was no particular reason for it. It’s just hard to stay loyal to something when you’re living with basically no schedule at all and every day is filled with spontaneity. I’m not complaining at all. We had a fantastic summer filled with so many fun trips and adventures. We traveled, took day trips, visited friends, went to parks and ate way too much ice cream. We were living the life. I know, you’re jealous!
Now it’s back to the grind. And honestly, I’m not complaining about this lifestyle either. Things do seem to operate with more ease when there is routine. Especially with an almost five year old and a two year old running around the house. Our daily scheules will be filled with playgroup, dance classes, gymnastics, soccer and a little thing called Kindergarten.
Brinley’s first day was last week and she had been counting down the days for almost a month. She absolutely loves school and could not wait for the first day to arrive. I knew she’d do fine in school and that she’d be happy and make friends. My issue was with the bus. It just felt so wrong to be sending this little person off on a big yellow bus with no car seat or seat belt driven by a man who I had never before met. When the bus pulled up that first day I had a huge pit in my stomach and seriously felt like I was going to throw up. But I stayed strong and didn’t let her see my fear. When the bus stopped she marched right up the stairs, walked to a seat and sat down never once looking back to us. As they pulled away I felt my throat get tight as my husband signed “Oh man”. That may have been the hardest thing I’ve had to do to date.
Today is her third day of school and everything is going perfect. Though it’s hard to pry out of her what she does all day, I know she’s enjoying it. When she wakes up in the morning she wants to get dressed right away and has a very hard time waiting for the bus to come. Since she’s in afternoon kindergarten, the bus doesn’t come until almost noon. It’s going to be hard to distract her in the morning until she switches in January.
So that’s basically what’s been going on with us. I’m going to try to get back on track with the blog as I know there are many who enjoy reading about our lives. What’s new with you? Any big changes for your family this year?
Mean Mom
Jul 8th
This morning I had a doctor’s appointment and I had to bring both girls with me. It was interesting cramming us all plus a stroller into a little tiny exam room. Nora enjoyed slamming on the computer and taking medical supplies out of the drawers and Brinley sat quietly on a chair and played her Leapster. My doctor loves seeing the girls so even though it’s such a pain to bring them, occasionally I do.
My doctor’s office just so happens to be in the same building as the girls’ pediatrician. Even though neither girl had an appointment today, we stopped into the office so I could schedule a visit for Brinley to have the three remaining shots she needs before entering Kindergarten in the fall. The girls made themselves at home at the coloring table while I spoke to the receptionist. I was trying to draw up my calendar mentally but since I didn’t have it on hand I was having a hard time figuring out when we’d be available to come in (something I definitely should have thought of before deciding to try to make the appointment, doh!). Anyway, the receptionist asked me, “Is Brinley with you right now?” I said yes and she said, “Well how about we do the shots today?” Now I’m sure I’d be hard pressed to find any kid that actually likes getting shots and willing goes, but Brinley certainly is not someone who has an easy time going to the doctor. Regardless, I told the receptionist that it was fine. I figured I might as well get it over with while I was right there.
Brinley had no idea it was coming and I feel really bad about it. She knew that we were going to the doctor’s for me to have an appointment and I know she never in a million years thought that she’d be the one getting poked. Anyway, a nurse came and called her name and we headed back to a room. Brinley started to look a little suspicious. She asked me, “Mom, how come I’m seeing the doctor now?” I explained to her that she had to be checked and ready to go to Kindergarten in the fall and that they had to make sure that she had all her shots. She was NOT happy with me, but she sat on my lap and just looked a bit sad. The nurse started talking and said that she needed a Chicken Pox vaccine, an MMR vaccine and her fourth Polio vaccine. Brinley immediately chimed in and said, “Wait, I already have a fourth Polio!” I just smiled figuring she was trying to get out of one of the shots but the nurse looked at her and said, “Oh really, when did you get it?” Brinley explained that I took her to a supply store and bought it for her so she could keep her drawings and art work in it. Then it dawned on me. She was talking about her art portfolio! (Forth Polio = Port Folio)
Anywho, she sat on my lap and took the shots like a champ. She definitely wasn’t thrilled about it at all and she did cry but I am amazed that she was so cooperative. It’s pretty unlike her 
I felt bad that I sprung it on her but in hindsight it probably was the best decision. If she’s anything like her father, and we know she is, she was better off not knowing about it before hand. I rewarded her afterward with ice cream and a stuffed animal from the mall.
Just Keep Busy, Just Keep Busy..
Jun 13th
So, school’s out for summer.. well preschool is anyway. Brinley has been done with school for two weeks now. Gone is her routine of waking up and getting ready for school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Gone are my 3 mornings a week with only one kid in tow. Now it’s the three of us ALL.THE.TIME! It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just much more difficult to keep two kids busy all the time than it is one. Not to mention that all of our extracurricular activities have also come to an end. No more Tuesday dance class for Brinley or Friday gymnastics for Nora. No more playgroup on Monday mornings. The carefree days of summer are upon us. In order for me to keep my sanity, I have to keep myself and the girls busy.
I’ve signed Brinley up for a few mini-sessions of gymnastics and dance but other than that our calendar is empty and it’s up to me to fill the days with fun, exciting activities. Sure there will be play dates and visits with friends, but we need a little more spice than that in our lives. Luckily we had some hot weather last week and the girls and I were able to hit up a local swimming hole with friends. It took up a good chunk of our day. Today we visited Davis Farmland with even more friends. It’s a great little discovery farm with animals galore that the kids can feed, pet and brush. We had a great time.
The crew with the fake milking cow
We’ve got quiet a few fun things on the calendar for the rest of the summer like our annual trip to StoryLand with our New York friends (Hi, Kel!) and some weekends out to my parents lake house but it’s the day to day monotony during the week that I need to work on filling. I’m open to your ideas for fun things to do with the kiddos this summer. I don’t mind spending a little bit to have a good time, but free and/or cheap events are best!
Tiny Dancer
Jun 10th
Last weekend, Brinley danced in her very first dance recital. Since September she has been going to dance class once a week and learning some ballet and tap moves. She absolutely loves going and adores her teacher. Of course wearing a leotard, tutu, tights and ballet slippers/tap shoes makes it just about one of the best things she does all week. I’ve enjoyed it because it makes her so happy (and I can drop her off for an hour and know that she’s having a great time while Nora and I go enjoy a coffee and some munchkins).
Talk of this recital has been in the air since about December when the girls were fitted for their costumes. Detailed emails were sent to parents on what color tights and shoes the girls were to wear as well as how their hair should be done. The little girls had been practicing their routines like crazy. So how come I was the one who was nervous about the recital?
I worried about getting her the right tights and about how I’d get her super silky and not very long hair to stay in a bun. I worried about where we’d sit in the audience to get a good view of her. I worried about who would watch Nora while Scott, myself, my mom, my mother in law and my sister (basically all of our babysitters) were in the audience watching Brinley perform. I worried about Brinley getting stage fright and freezing on stage or running off stage or crying. All the while Brinley seemed just fine and excited about it all.
I’m not going to get in to all of the details, but let’s just say that I was worried for nothing! Everything went off without a hitch. My fantastic friends Nellie and Chris offered to babysit Nora (who had an absolute blast with them!), we got awesome seats at the auditorium, Brinley had all of the right equipment and her hair was stunning (thanks to the discovery of a “bun donut” and some YouTube tutorials).
Here is a shot of Brinley and her best friend Nina dressed for their tap performance to “Petticoat Junction”. This performance was adorable and the girls did great. The best part is when they all threw their arms up and yelled out Petticoat Junction. I had a huge smile on my face the entire time and Brinley looked like such a natural up there.
Here’s Brinley performing her ballet number to “Dynasty”. She was really in her element up there. Ballet has always been her favorite and watching her prance around on stage literally brought tears to my eyes. I was so proud of her and she looked so adorable. I even saw some tears welling up in Scott’s eyes (but don’t tell him I told you!).
The entire production of the recital was amazing. It was so much more than I expected and I’m so thrilled that Brinley was a part of it. I look forward to many more years of dance in our future. Brinley will definitely be taking ballet and tap again in the fall and she’s also going to give Irish Step dancing a try!
Days Go By
May 5th
Amazing how fast time just flies by, huh? Sometimes I have to stop and think back a few days, weeks or months to really get a grasp on what has been happening in my life. Would you believe that I turned thirty, yeah 3-0, back in December? Honestly, how did I get this old? I remember graduating high school and college and getting my first apartment. Now here I am a happily married mother of two paying a mortgage and managing a rental property.
Oh and in January, I registered my little girl for Kindergarten. Seriously, I feel like I just brought her home from the hospital and she’s going to be starting real school in September? Yikes! Sometimes I feel like her four and a half years of life have just passed me by. My little baby has become a real little girl. She’s reading! She dresses herself every single day {sometimes much to my dismay} and we actually have real conversations.
And my baby? Well, she turned two on Sunday. She’s not a baby anymore! She can do just about anything {or at least she’ll try to}. Walking, talking, running, jumping, you name it – she does it. Her language amazes me. Full sentences is an understatement. She speaks in paragraphs. She knows what she wants and asks for it. She idolizes her big sister and for the most part they get along really well.
My house is free of baby swings and bottles. In their place are ballet slippers and soccer cleats. Gone are the days of walks in the stroller and easily being able to entertain my kids. Now I’m scheduling play dates and preparing for dance recitals. My kids prefer playing with each other or their friends over playing with me.
It’s crazy how quickly time passes, how fast we change and how easily we overlook certain things. Sometimes I wish I could relive the past 5 years of my life. So much has happened and I want to remember it all all over again. But as the days continue to go by I look forward to the future and to all of the great things that are yet to come.
