So Kate has her own way of speaking... a sampling of her words and expressions are below:
Darn It
You okay Rye
Top Tarts
Tolka Dots
Tay doh
Teese Car
Things she loves to do:
I go to ballet class.... Friday
I color
Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you See? I see a Green Bird looking at me?
I go with you?
I do it
I get my clothes
I brush teeth
I read books... train books
Mine Rye... it's mine. Das my Mommy.
I want my Mommy.
Reilly proudly selected his outfit for today and styled his hair. :-) Kate just went along for the ride.
He appears to be the next Alex P Keaton... or maybe Troy Bolton. Who knows.
Mom, if I put this shirt in my draw for a really really long time, it will shrink and then it will fit.
Around 10:30 the other night, the kids had been in bed for a few hours, Shad heard someone walking upstairs. He went up to find Kate standing in front of her dresser with her bathing suit on. "I want to go swimming."
Shad put her back to bed and let her know the pool was closed. She had nothing to do with his opinion and insisted on asking me. I let her know the same - oddly she fell asleep after my confirmation.
These past few weeks have been a big test for us. Reilly has adopted a new personality that involves crying and sobbing at many corners. We attribute it to being back in school, our best friends moving out of state, darkness coming at 6:30, the impending third child among other things. Kate has been having her challenges too - if Shad even looks at her the wrong way she screams and comes running to me. (much like I did with my Dad) If I'm around she's attached to me - and wants to do everything with me. (which I am loving) Nonetheless, we are being tested in ways we have not been tested to date. It's been challenging as of late.
At dinner the other night they both hated what we having. Reilly was sobbing uncontrollably about it (we are working hard on the diet and the mealtime in our house) and Kate was just sitting quietly observing. Reilly walked by her chair and she leaned over and hugged him... patted him on the back and said "you okay Rye?" Shad and I just watched for the ensuing 2 minutes where they just embraced. It was the cutest thing and it made us truly appreciate our family and that we have two kids that are learning to love one another.
Kate was so perceptive to know that Reilly was sad. Reilly was so happy to have someone to give a hug to that wasn't Shad or me.
We're excited for number three to arrive, yet still nervous at the same time.
Well, that flu that swept through our house has finally taken it's toll on the entire family - minus the dog (knock on wood). It's been a long week of buckets and bathroooms. Thankfully it didn't last more than two days for each one of us. Ugh... it was a killer though. And, it was Reilly's first experience like that - he was a bit amazed and proud about the noises his body can make. Actually he hasn't stopped talking about it. I guess this is where boys become boys!
Reilly and I were headed to preschool the other day and this was our "fruitful" conversations.
Reilly: "I just burped and my juice came up"
Me: "oh"
Reilly: "I swallowed it again and it was warm"
Me: silent... disgusted... but empathetic
Shad woke up to sounds of choking last night and ran into the kids bedroom where he found that Kate had vomited ALL over the place. I walked in seconds later to a stench (got to love that sniffer during pregnancy - can you say magnify x100!) that was as foul as they come. Upon some sheet changing and pajama removing we realized the vomit was cold - and she had obviously been sleeping in it for some time. We went into divide and conquer mode - since it WAS 3am. I put Kate in the bath and Shad stripped the bed. It seemed the entire bottle of febreeze wasn't going to help the smell. GROSS!
I stayed home with Kate today - we had one close call where she almost lost it on my new work laptop. Otherwise she was good and she slept a lot. Both Shad and I agreed though we smelled the smell ALL day!
Hopefully tonight goes a little better.
This is Kate's latest way to have a long conversation. She gets on the phone and says "Nannie... dehdehdehdehdeh coming over?" OR "Mommie.... dehdehdehdehdeh Reilly's hat". Normally I can piece it together and figure out what she's getting at - but it cracks me up b/c she has been speaking in complete sentences for a while. I think she's itching to have more focus on her and wants to feel as long winded as the rest of us. (Especially her Dad!)
I'm thinking that Kate is not learning from Reilly - you tell me if you feel otherwise.
We did a little hike up to Lonesome Lake in the White Mountains this weekend. Reilly hiked all by himself and Kate hiked about 1/3 of it. We had a great time!
but he thinks he is....
I wonder how long Kate will want to be his passenger, I suspect not very long.
When Reilly and I went to talk to his new fish Ella last night he asked if we could take her out for a walk.... ummmmm....
She's not really like Nandi Reilly. I don't think a walk would be what she wants.
Reilly got a belated birthday present from Auntie Amber, Ella and Grace today. It is a one gallon fish tank. We set it up today and went to the store to pick out a fish. Reilly and Kate are just so excited - Reilly named his fish Ella and after only about 15 minutes has Kate calling the fish Ella too. Here is another one of our infamous phone photos of her.
Reilly's questions about time.
Is that a "long hour" or a "short hour".
I never know how to answer that one so I base it on how eager he is for the time to pass by.
Today was the first day of summer camp for Reilly and his cousin Brenna. I dropped the two of them off with their big backpacks and their bathing suits on. In their instructions they are required to bring a backpack that they can carry by themselves. Put a towel, lunch box, spare clothes and a jacket in there, and it can be quite big. So... it was actually like their backpacks were taking them to camp. I can't wait to hear how it goes.
Reilly turned five and we had a little pool party for him. We invited five friends and had some family. I MADE THE CAKES! I have to say, they came out pretty good for a rookie. 
Okay, well, not really. Summer has been so busy for our family and everytime something funny or cute happens I say to Shad, "I need to blog that", but at the end of the day when I start to wind down... it just doesn't happen. Being pregnant in the summer sucks I decided - carrying this extra weight and losing my breath each time I walk up a step... yes, A step is a bit disconcerting.
Reilly is growing so fast these days he's no longer my "lil guy". He bosses me around like I boss him around which is quite a challenge and he wears my watches and my socks - yes, he really is almost FIVE. He is by far one of the nicest and most thoughtful little guys you could imagine, which I just adore.
Kate on the other hand still believes that the world was put here just for her. She continues to make us smile and laugh with every move and I now, better than ever, understand why my brother - who is #2 - is adored the way he is. #2 is a real good spot.
Here is the latest youtube release on Kate's dance class, it's short so don't leave the computer or you'll miss it. She is the best toe tapper I have ever seen!
NOT! Kate and I look alike but I think at this age I probably had handmedown baseball uniforms. We are trying to give Kate some hope of being chickie - she will likely be in a hockey rink or climbing a mountain before she knows it.
Reilly is at soccer camp with his friend Owen this week. They are two of the younger ones in the half day program but they seemed pretty content just chasing one another around during the scrimmages. The coaches brought them in at the end of the day and had them sit in rows by team. Reilly, I noted was sitting in the "England" row, and Owen was in the "Japan" row. Each kid was given a homework assignment for the night "research something about soccer in your country". The coach then pointed to Reilly's row and said in his cute little British accent "Does anyone know the name of a player on the England National Team?" No response from the row - then Reilly, the smallest guy sitting in the front raises his hand and says "I do". The coach says "Great Reilly, who is a player on the England National Team" Reilly replies "My Mom."
Although I suspected he was going to say Beckham since it's the only player he knows - I thought it was the cutest thing ever that he thought I did. The coaches however, thought it was the funniest thing they had ever heard.
