{Aside: Brinley has a bike but it’s way too small for her and she stinks at riding it because her legs are too long.  She can’t build up enough momentum on it and gets frustrated.  We’d talked about getting her a bike back and forth but didn’t want to invest a lot of money so close to winter in fear that she might outgrow this one just as fast as the last.  Well, turns out that the bike she liked last time we were at Toys R Us happened to be on sale for $49 so we figured it woudln’t break the bank.  Then when I got to the store, I was informed that it was on clearance for 25% off of that.  So it only ended up costing me $35!}

So, Nora and I go in the store, I find the bike (it was the last one!) and grab it.  I also get her a cute little basket for the front because she keeps talking about putting her (already-named-but-not-yet-and-may-never-be-owned) puppy, Sprinkles, in a basket to take him for rides.  Nora and I get back in the car with the (unassembled) bike and basket and head back home for nap time.  The entire excursion was pretty uneventful and we were back home in no time.

Later that night after the girls were in bed, Scott and I assembled the bike and left it in the downstairs family room with the plan to give it to her after breakfast the next day, her actual birthday.  So morning comes, I made chocolate chip pancakes and we we ate breakfast as a family to celebrate Brinley’s birthday.  Scott mentioned to Brinley that we had a present for her and her face lit up.  Then Nora chimes in, “We got you a bike, Brinley.”  I try to change the subject with Nora and direct her toward her pancakes because I was pretty sure Brinley didn’t really hear her.  Then she says it again, “Right, mom?  We got Brinley a new bike for her birthday?  Hey Brinley we got you a new bike.  It’s for your birthday.”  Ugh.  Brinley is complete into her pancakes and I still think she may not have caught on.  But the she looks up and says, “I don’t want a bike for my birthday.” FAIL!

I figured the surprise was ruined but we all just carried on eating our pancakes and pretending like that conversation never happened.  We finished breakfast, I gave the girls baths and got them dressed.  Then Scott went down and got the bike.  When Brinley saw it, she was really excited.  It was the exact one that she had picked out and she hopped right on it and started riding it in the house!

So I guess the surprise wasn’t ruined after all. Only a two year old to could try to ruin a surprise and fail!

I’ve never written you one of these birthday letters before but I figured now would be as good a time as any to start.  Today you turn five years old!  When I say that out loud I can hardly believe it.  It’s hard to imagine that five whole years of your life have already come and gone.  It’s truly amazing to see how you have grown and changed in those five years.  When you were born, you changed my life forever.  Being your mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me.  Watching you grow into the young girl you are today has been one of the greatest joys of my life.

You never cease to amaze me.  You are beautiful, inquisitive, loving, determined, and beyond-your-years smart.  Your smile brightens my days and your hugs warm my heart.  I am so proud of everything that you’ve achieved in your young life.  You are so eager to do things and you put so much effort into your passions.  You are so creative, just like your mom and so methodical, just like your dad.  It’s amazing how you truly are a blend of both of your parents – in both looks and personality.  What a lucky girl you are

Your excitement and intrigue about the world around you fascinates me.  You are always asking questions and yearning to learn more.  You love to draw and craft.  The way you can take simple objects you find around the house and turn them into works of art is amazing.  You’re always making pictures and books for your friends and family.  You love to read and to be read to.  You always have.  Daddy and I have been reading to you for your entire life and you’ve always soaked up everything that you’ve heard.  I’m sure that’s why you’re so smart.  It comes as no surprise to us that you are reading books that some third graders can’t yet read.  Sometimes you’re too smart for your own good and you can’t be fooled.  You certainly give us a run for our money!

I can’t believe that you are five years old, Brinley.  Sometimes it feels like just yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital.  You were always such an easy-going and mellow baby.  You blossomed into a very inquisitive and joyful toddler and have grown to be such a spunky, loving and, at times, dramatic young girl.  I love you more than words can express and am truly proud to be your mom.  Thank you for bringing so much love, joy and meaning to my life.  Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Love,

Mommy

{click to enlarge for better quality}

Anyway, up until about two moths ago we were a strictly PBS or Disney Jr watching family.  I wasn’t opposed to other shows, it’s just that the girls would always ask for George, Elmo, Mickey, Jake or Angelina.  In fact, Scott and I were the ones to try to broaden their TV watching scope to include Wonder Pets, Wild Kratts and eventually Strawberry Shortcake, Pound Puppies and My Little Pony.  Thanks to a nifty little invention called DVR we just queued up a bunch of said shows for our kids evening viewing pleasure.  Brinley loves the new shows in her repertoire.  However, after sitting down with her and watching some of these shows Scott and I make the executive decision to remove Pound Puppies from the line-up.  The show is just crap basically.  It has no real message and seems to clearly just be a “brain rot” type of show.  I don’t think Brinley has yet noticed that we’ve nixed it and hopefully she won’t.

But on to the original point of this post – PBS and Disney Jr shows do not contain commercial advertisements.  They simply air the show and when it’s over we’d turn the TV off therefore missing any commercial breaks in between shows.  Enter “The HUB”, the channel that airs My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake and the dreaded Pound Puppies.  These shows all contain commercials.  At first I thought it would be a pain having to go in and fast forward through all of them so that Brinley would stay interested but I was wrong.  The kids LOVES the commercials.  I think it’s because she’s getting to see a whole lot of (mostly crappy) products that she’d never otherwise see.

Case in point – Pajama Jeans!  Why on Earth this infomercial airs during a kids TV show is beyond me, but you can bet your money that Brinley has become their youngest spokesperson.  A few weeks ago we were shopping in a clothing store and she said to me, “Look mom, Pajama Jeans!” (They were actually jeggings, but I let it slide.)  I thought to myself, “How the heck does she know what those are?”  And she continued, “Mom, they have the look of jeans with the comfort of pajamas and they don’t leave any unsightly marks!” I couldn’t help but laugh as she proceeded to tell me that I should order a pair.

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?

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.

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!

Over two and a half years later, Brinley’s scar is barely noticed at all.  It’s about an inch long and luckily it’s right in her hair line.  We’ll still be sure to put sunblock on it whenever we’re out in the sun for long periods of time, but for the most part it’s completely off of our radar.  We never see it and it has no lasting effects.  Here is a picture of her scar as it looks today (with me pulling her hair back off of it):

Nora’s scar hasn’t had as much time to heal as Brinley’s but so far I am happy with the results.  If you remember from my original post on it, I was a little bummed that her pediatrician said he’d probably have stitched it instead of using dermabond, but it was too late.  He obviously wasn’t there when we were in the ER and he didn’t see the original wound but that was his opinion.  It made me a little upset that we may have missed an opportunity to have the best outcome for her.  But now that time has passed and the dermabond has long since fallen off, I couldn’t be happier about the appearance of her scar.  It’s virtually unnoticeable!  Unlike Brinley’s, Nora’s is more in the front and center (well a little off to the left) of her forehead.  So a visually noticeable scar there wouldn’t be so great.  I guess she could always opt for bangs, but I’m not a huge bangs fan.  I can honestly say that her scar is never mentioned or noticed by anyone.  Again, we’ll use sunscreen and all that, but it’s a non issue to us.  Here is a picture of Nora’s scar as it looks today:

Nora’s scar wasn’t a nice straight line like Brinley’s is.  But honestly, I had to circle it in the picture because otherwise you’d never have been able to find it.  It’s more of a little bump in her skin than anything.  Hopefully it stays the way it is or gets even better.

So there you have it.  I know the wounds were different and they were on different kids, but that’s my experience with both stitches and dermabond.  I wouldn’t say that one was better than the other because honestly I’ll never know that.  I will say, though, that I am very happy that we went with the dermabond for Nora.  I think that she’d have a much more noticeable scar with stitches.

THE END

One thing that I have really enjoyed having control over for the past four years, five months and eleven days is what my children wear and how they are presented when we’re out of the house.  By that I mean, I love dressing my girls in cute outfits and coordinating their hair accessories to match.  I take pride in their neatness and overall put-together-ness.  It’s sort of like a hobby of mine.  That might sound materialistic or even ridiculous to some, but to me, it’s just the way I like it.  It doesn’t mean that I shop at high end stores or dress my girls in fancy clothes.  In fact, 95% of their wardrobe comes from Target or Kohls.  I am a bargain shopper.  What it does mean is that I just like them to look neat, clean and presentable whenever we’re out.  I like them to be dressed properly for the day/occasion and the weather.  Up until recently, I have had complete control over this.

ENTER 4 year, 5 month, 11 day old daughter. EXIT mom’s control of outfit selection.

I love being a mom to girls.  It really suits me. {Though honestly I don’t know anything else.}  But it definitely has it’s challenges.  As much as I love dressing my girls, I simply don’t have the time or energy to argue about clothes with a four and a half year old.  The mornings are much too rushed as it is and without at least two cups of coffee in me, I just can’t stand to put up the fight.  Even if I did, a meltdown of epic proportions would ensue and I’d ultimately give in to get her to shut up! {Please do not criticize my parenting strategy, or lack there of.}

So, yesterday morning, as we were getting ready for the day, my daughter asks, “Mom, can I wear whatever I want?”  I’d say this question gets asked as average of 5 out of 7 days of the week.  Typically I say yes, but I do ask to see the outfit before it’s put on.  If the outfit is weather appropriate and suitable for whatever the day has in store, I don’t fight it {even if it’s the complete opposite of what I would have picked out for the day.}  I do have to say though, Brinley does know how to coordinate an outfit so my efforts thus far have been worth it.  The clothes she chooses almost always match and look cute.  {I, of course, do still have control over what is purchased!  Thank God!}

Anyway, back to yesterday morning… Brinley lays out her outfit of choice and I go in to her room to approve of it.  She has picked out pink leggings, a jean skirt, pink socks, and a pink, long sleeved shirt.  Sounds great, right?  Well, the pink shirt had a black cat on it with Halloween themed stars and said “Scaredy Cat”.  I mentioned to her that it was a Halloween shirt and that Halloween had already passed but I must have forgotten to put the shirt away.  I suggested another pink shirt to go with the outfit but she insisted on this one.  So, I let it go.  And I let my daughter go out, to a play date even, in a Halloween shirt in March.

Anyway, without further ado, here is what Brinley will be getting this year…

First, and really the only thing she has asked for, the Leapster Exploerer

I had been scouring the Black Friday ad leaks for weeks hoping for a good deal on this.  The retail price is $69.99.  I’m always hunting for bargains but since this is the first year of the Leaspter Explorer I figured there was a slim chance I’d get a fantastic price.  I also wanted the pink one but its a Toys R Us or LeapFrog.com exclusive.  I ended up buying the green one on Black Friday because Target had a $10 off coupon in their flyer and I had the $10 off coupon from specially marked boxes of Cheerios.  So, I got it for $49.99 which I think was pretty good.  I’m also really glad that I didn’t wait because it’s now out of stock almost everywhere!  There are so many accessories and games that go along with this but I tried to be good and only bought her 3 games – Disney’s Tangled, Disney Princesses, and Ni Hao Ki-lan.  Hopefully those will keep her busy for a while.

I also got her a few games.  Elefun, which she has played at a friends house and loved (and I think it’s fun too), Don’t Spill the Beans, which I remember from my childhood, and Hi Ho Cherry-O.

Next I got her a Spriograph.  Remember these?  It’s that drawing thing where you have the little gears and you put a pen in it and spin it around and make cool designs.  Brinley LOVES to draw and I know she’ll get a kick out of this if she can get the hang of it.  If not, I’m sure I’ll have fun with it!

I honestly can’t even remember what else I bought.  It’s hidden away for now until I wrap it.  I did get each of the girls one of those Sing-a-Ma-Jig things.  At first I thought they were a little scary but after playing with one in the store for a few minutes it started to grow on me.  And Kohl’s had them on super sale on Black Friday.  So I picked up two.

Well, there you have it folks.  I’m sure I left something out but you get the general idea.  My girls are a bit spoiled but we don’t really buy for anyone else so it’s not so bad.  And since we just got a new furnace, humidifier, air purifier and central air coil installed last month, Scott and I certainly won’t be exchanging gifts this year. (But my birthday is on December 23rd and I better be getting something for that!  What?  I AM turning 30!)

Anyway, as I was browsing the shelves for some books that might interest Brinley, I noticed her walking over to a little girl that was looking for some books of her own.  Brinley went right up to her and said:  “Hi!  My name is Brinley and I’m three and a half.  What’s your name and how old are you?”  This has become her new phrase of choice when we go anywhere and she sees/meets someone new.  She asks the check out girl/guy at whatever store we’re in, she asked the sales ladies at the furniture stores this weekend, she asks anyone she meets at a park, and even when we’re just passing by someone she doesn’t know she’ll try to ask them.  It’s cute but of course not everyone, especially older women, wants to share how old they are.  Brinley doesn’t understand this and the other day a woman said, “Well, how old do you think I am?”  Brinley just looked at her very confused and said, “I don’t know, that’s why I asked you.”  Luckily the lady thought she was cute and we both just laughed.  The lady managed to get away without giving away her age.  My guess is that she was in her late 50s.

Anyway, back to my original story about the library.  So Brinley asks the little girl and the girl says, “My name is Zoe and I’m four and a half.”  Then they have the most adorable conversation ever!

Brinley:  That’s a nice name.

Zoe:  Thanks.

B:   What’s your mom and dad’s names?

Z:  Heather and Aaron.

B:  Which one is the boy?

Z:  Aaron

B:  What street do you live on?  I live on Rocky Road*.  Do you live in Anytown*, too?  What state do you live in?

Z:  I live on Lovely Lane* in Anytown*.  I live in Missachewits.

B:  What planet do you live on?

Z:  Earth.

B: ::in an extremely excited voice:: ME TOO!!

This entire time I’m standing behind one of the book shelves listening to the whole conversation.  Then Brinley runs over to me and says, “Mom, this is Zoe and she lives on Earth too!!  Can she come over to play sometime?”

*Street and town names have been changed to protect our privacy.