Life Lately

I'm having a hard time finding the energy to blog much the last couple weeks. I'll get back into it but things are just heavy right now. Heavy in a lot of ways. Globally, for one, that's obvious. And then we are coming up on the two-year anniversary of the pandemic and that is triggering. Mandates are being rolled-back and that is terrifying. I'm back to hybrid work from fully remote in January and that's another big stressful transition. And while we are all well and happy, parenting is hard. Heaviness or not. It's just plain hard and some moments are more difficult than others. What is painful at the moment is the burden of not understanding a child's behavior and feeling completely incapable of fixing it. That somehow, every tantrum it is a direct reflection of your parenting choices and worrying how other people perceive that - especially people in your family. 

But it's not simple! Two things are true: you can try your best and you can still get it wrong. You can give your kids the most loving and supportive environment you can afford and it still won't be enough. And that no matter how happy or unhappy they are right now as kids, that can and will change—for better or for worse and that could be your fault. Maybe you didn't try enough or maybe you tried too much, smothering them and making them incapable of independence. It can feel so helpless. There is no way to "win," and the weight of that is monumental. And don't get me started on parenting advice trends of today. They are so punitive to older generations and nearly impossible to implement.

Ugh. Okay, enough of that. Bright side! I'm looking forward to more consistently warm weather. It's not here but I'm living for its future. I can't wait for our bathroom renovation to be done and I'd like to believe that could happen soon. 

Here is a peek of life lately...

Took the kids to Barnes and Noble. They were in heaven in the toy section.

Kip and I tried Shrinky Dinks for the first time and they were a hit.

Ivy is obsessed with CocoMelon and kitty cat stuffies.

 

Mandy found her new hobby - expert level Legos. Kip is jealous.

Kip and Ivy have started being really sweet with each other...sometimes...most of the time they annoy each other...as siblings do!

 

Dan and I had our dental cleanings this weekend and I finally finished the whole root-canal/crown business. Glad to have that done!

And the best update, Mandy organized our "spice" cabinet and put everything into nice labeled jars. It's so pretty!!

Before:

After:

I love organized spaces! Good job, Mandy! Thank you!!

The Ensemble

I've said it before, but Ivy is a vibe. She loves dress-up, as most kids do, but she has a particular affection for it.

This is her ensemble of choice:

Minnie Mouse bathrobe under a rainbow tutu skirt. Pink witch hat, and a unicorn headband worn as a necklace. 

I wanted to fully document this as a post in its own right because I know some day will be her last day to wear this and at this point, aged nearly two - this is Ivy - in all her glory.

Peeks from the Week

Recap of the last week.

Kip got a haircut on Sunday. I'm getting more confident with what to ask for and paying attention to how it's done so I can do trims at home on occasion. Kids haircuts are expensive, especially at kid focused salons with all the special gimmicks like car chairs, tvs, and overpriced toys at checkout. But, Kip likes going so I'll probably still take him here.

Monday was the Valentine's celebration at Kip's school and they decorated their valentine boxes, had an ice cream party, and did some fun 100 day activities. Kip came home with a box filled with treats.

 

Kip's teacher had the kids do a little keepsake craft with questions to answer. Look at what Kip had to say.

It is hilarious and mortifying since it makes me sound really inappropriate! I do not take baths with him. And special time is when he and I play just us while Ivy is napping. I emailed his teacher to clarify some things and thank goodness, she wasn't alarmed by any of his responses. Geez, kids say the darndest things.

Mandy gave Dan a mini Lego set for Valentine's Day and Kip and Dan had fun putting it together.

Ivy turned 21 months old! See that post here.

I was hoping our bathroom would get finished this week but that didn't happen. So I'm focusing on sprucing up our closet in the meantime. I painted it last weekend (ugh!) and worked on wallpaper liner for the shelves this week after the kids were in bed. Maybe, fingers crossed, the bathroom will be done by March?

Kip has four day weekend for President's Day/mid-winter break. He is getting really into his crafting and loving his little desk in his room. We are going to take him to Hobby Lobby this weekend to get some more supplies for inspiration. 

Happy holiday weekend!

Ivy || 21 Months Old

We are in the final countdown to age TWO, and official toddlerhood! Here is a little recap of the last three months.

Ivy at 21 months

Weight: ?? (25lbs. at 18 months) 

Height: ?? (32.5 inches at 18 months)

Personality: Smart and snuggly

 

19 Months Old

 

 

Started cutting her canine teeth

Started calling her pacifier "ama" 

Consistently saying Mama and Dada

Said her own name

Visit from Marmee & Poppa

Celebrating Thanksgiving and enjoying the food

Working hard on playing legos, monster trucks, and trains

Bad cold and first tummy upset 

Cocomelon "sick song" obsession

First visit to see Santa

 

Favorite activity: dress-up 

 

 

20 Months Old

 

 

First time flying (four flights)

First time going to Kansas and visiting extended family

First Christmas opening her own presents

First time meeting her baby cousin, Olivia

First time on a tractor

First time banging on a real piano 

First time for an overnight at a hotel

First time playing in the snow and sledding

Giving unprompted hugs

Loves looking for the moon in the night sky

 

Favorite activity: stickers

 

21 Months Old

 

Started expressing interest in using the potty

First time trying on underwear

Started calling Kip, "bruh" (brother)

Loves playing "naked baby" after bath

Starting to be a little bit naughty

Learning hide and seek 

Starting to sing along to songs

Visit from Marmee

"no way!" 

"What?!"

Bad cold and cough

Cooped-up inside because it's was so cold outside

Attachment to Kee-ka

"Ha pe" (help please)

Emphatically shaking her head and grunting "yeah"

Favorite activity: binge watching Cocomelon

 

Eat 

Ivy has remained a picky eater. She rarely ever touches what we offer for dinner. She prefers yogurt and fruit in any variety (fresh, canned, dried, freeze dried). Blueberries are still her favorite but she loves grapes, strawberries, raspberries, mandarin oranges, apples, and applesauce. She is a forever snacker. She is always trying to get into the pantry to pick herself a snack. She loves granola bars, dried fruit, yogurt melts, goldfish, cereal, crackers. She likes cheese and salami and quesadillas. She also has a sweet tooth and loves Popsicles, chocolate, lollipops, and cookies.

Sleep

Ivy's schedule has remained fairly consistent this year which is such a change from her first year. She takes one nap a day from around 10:30 to 11:30-12:30, depending. She loves her fleece sleep sack, paci, and kitty cat in the crib. We put her to bed around 6 pm but recently started pushing it to 6:30 pm since she started waking up around 5 am. Our hope is that a little later bedtime will save us dropping the nap before two. She has never needed as much sleep as Kip did at her age but we want to hold onto that nap at all costs! Her bedtime routine is hugs and kisses with everyone, brushing teeth, one book or a short rock and then to bed. She usually moans herself to sleep. She does wake up in the night fairly frequently but Dan or I just rub her back or rock her for a bit and she goes back to sleep. Like her brother, she rarely ever sleeps past 6 am. 

Play

Ivy keeps up with Kip, no problem. She loves to play with him and when he refuses to include her she manages to figure out how to play along side him. She loves trains, monster trucks, hot wheels, Legos - anything he does. She also ADORES to dress up and regularly plays with her stuffed friends by feeding them and pushing them around in her stroller. She loves coloring and stickers and play doh. She loves to run around and be outside and is entirely proficient at riding her push car down the block. I have a sense she will progress to a trike quite quickly.

 

Talk

Ivy's biggest leap in the last three months was in her communication. She is progressing so quickly with her speech which is so different from the way Kip was at her age. I know they say girls develop more quickly than boys in speech and that is definitely the case. She is saying full sentences and expressing needs and wants. She tattles on Kip and throws full tantrums. A lot of what she says is hard to understand unless you are familiar with her. We have no trouble interpreting her little pronunciations and I adore her high pitched little birdie voice.

 

Ivy bean is sweet and sensitive, emotional, stubborn, a true snuggler, and the most lovable doll baby ever. She knows what she wants and she will get i! I cannot believe she is nearly two!! Time is dissolving!!!!

Ivy and Pumpkin

Out with Elmo, in with the cat.

We got Ivy this little stuffed cat at Storybook Land this past summer. She never paid much interest to it until recently. Now, she carries it everywhere and plays with it often. We named it Pumpkin but she calls it Kee-Ka (kitty cat).