What Does a 3 yr old Pack for the Lake?

As I was stuffing bag after bag to make sure we had “every comfort of home” while we were at the lake, Kayli sought out her miniature rolling backpack. She packed it with what she deemed “important” items, then insisted that I immediately put the bag in the trunk. She packed the following items: A small fleece pillow, a stuffed caterpillar, toy binoculars, a toy telephone, a cloth book, a red clothespin, and a pair of pink mittens (hmm). Originally, there was a timer in the backpack, but when Kayli saw it, she said “A timer?” “For time-out” and she promptly removed it from her bag! I’m sure we’ll have everything we need and more!

It's Not a Water Slide

Kayli and I checked out the neighborhood pool recently and loved it! The water fountains were so much fun for Kayli to run through. The water-play structure you see Kayli sitting in, looked like a water slide to her so she immediately climbed in for a “ride”. The lifeguard immediately blew her whistle at her to get out. So, first I snapped a picture, then I took her out. The fact that there was such a huge section of “2 and 3 feet water”, made it so easy for Kayli to try out her swimming skills. No lifejacket or water wings! She could swim and swim, and immediately stand back up. She was soooo excited! After a few hours of non-stop splashing, swimming, jumping, etc., the lifeguards called a “pool break”. Kayli immediately laid down on her towel and began to fall asleep. Time to go home. Another GREAT summer day.

This Little Piggy

I dropped Kayli off at daycare, and as she sat down at the breakfast table I realized that I had forgotten to give her the morning dose of antibiotic for that out-of-control-bug bite she got last week. So, since my house is just about 3 minutes away, I told the teacher I’d be right back. Upon returning, I came up quietly behind Kayli, as I saw her sitting with her foot propped up on the table. As I approached, I could see and hear that she was reciting “This little piggy” while she counted off her toes, only her version of the rhyme went like this: “This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy cried wee-wee I miss my mama. This little piggy said ‘It’s otay, your mama aaaalways come back’, as she used all the sympathetic expression of “one who knows”. So pitiful, but good way to "process" out loud.
As long as we’re on the subject of daycare, a couple more things strike me as humorous: 1) She always has a paper that tells me a few things they did that day and what they ate for lunch. When I try to talk to her about them, she denies every one! I might say “Oh, you had chicken and noodles for lunch” Kayli: “No, no we didn’t.” “We not have lunch today.” “Oh, I see, well, did you read about Curious George going camping and get out the tent?” Kayli: (Chuckling) “No, we not read bout camping” “We not even go outside” Ok, guess I’ll just leave it at that.
2) Everyone at daycare has a little bucket in a cubby-hole for their change of clothes, etc. Kayli often brings something from home in the morning that she just has to have with her, but she is always agreeable to putting it in her cubby for safekeeping. At the end of the day, when checking her cubby, I will always see some tiny little toy sitting in her cubby, like a peg for a pegboard, or a fisher price animal or such. The other day Kayli said something that helped me “see the picture”. We were playing with something at home and she said “C’mon mom let’s fight over it” (she wanted to pretend we were both tugging on it) I said “Kayli, do the kids at daycare fight over things?” Kayli:” Yeah, so I just put it in my cubby!” Ok, now I get the picture. Kayli takes charge and “solves?” the problem. Hmm, if only I were a little mouse in this daycare room to see these events taking place. On the other hand, maybe I really don’t want to see EVERYTHING.

1st Haircut?

This was not truly Kayli's official "1st haircut" because I've been snipping away at her bangs for a long time. In fact, the first time I attempted to cut her bangs, at age two, I didn't need to worry about saving a snip for her babybook. She had picked up the scissors I was using and I thought, "Ok, she can hold them for a second, she doesn't know what to do with a scissors." HA! Joke was on me as she slid them into her hair and snipped out a small sample for her babybook! So, what you see here is a picture from her "real 1st haircut from her "mommy beautician" at age 2, and then her other 1st haircut with a "real beautician" at age 3.

OUCH!

Take a look at the first picture. Do you see a pink mark on Kayli’s neck? A bug bite I presume. Now take a look at the second and third pictures. Ouch. Yikes. What the heck was it that got her? Poor Kayli. When the doctor came in and said “So, you have a bug bite you want me to look at?” Kayli piped up “Yeah, see my bug bite?” as she eagerly swept her hair aside for him to see her swollen neck. He looked and said “Wow, you’re not kidding, that’s quite a bite.” She has now had two doses of antibiotics and I continue to watch the site vigilantly. I wish the swelling would diminish soon, so I can quit worrying and stop waking up to check and see if she’s still breathing!

Pockets

As so many 3 year olds do, Kayli loves pockets! When Kayli wears pockets to daycare, I can usually be sure that she’ll produce something “magical” from that pocket when I pick her up. Her face takes on that kind of expression that people have when they are about to surprise you with something. Then, “TaDa” she opens her hand to reveal a handful of pea -gravel from the playground, or a broken piece of plastic, or a half of a crayon. Well, the other day when I went to pick her up, she was wearing a skort with no pockets. She had just finished coloring a picture, so she folded/crumbled it up and said “I put it in my pocket” and proceeded to stuff it in the front of her skort. I shook my head and laughed, but the funniest part was yet to come. When we got home, she had to go potty, and as she took off her skort, THREE folded/crumbled up “art projects” fell out of her skort (I mean “pocket”), and one of the paper’s had someone else’s name on it! Now, I rolled with laughter!

Let Them Eat Cake!

Kayli is always asking me if I want to come to “her party”. I’ll say “Oh, you’re having a party?” “Yeah” she says, “You wanna come?” “Sure” I say, “What will we eat at your party?” “I have chocolate cake, otay?” she says. “Wow, that sounds like a great party! I’ll be there.” So, the other night, I suggested that we go out to the “place with the big fountain” (The Legends) after dinner. I said I knew about a restaurant where we could order chocolate cake. Well, she was immediately “on board”. She said “Chocolate cake? It’s my party?” “Sure, it can be your party.” So, as we drive into the parking lot of the legends, there were cars and people everywhere. Kayli says “Wow, aaall these people come my party!” I chuckle and say “You bet! Isn’t it great?” We ordered the huge slab of chocolate cake at the restaurant and Kayli ate one bite of cake and most of the whipped cream. Even though she talks alot about chocolate cake, she's never had it before. She just knows that on Dora the Explorer, Dora made a chocolate cake for her mom for mothers day and it was yummy. The "idea" of having chocolate cake was as thrilling as actually sampling it. These simple pleasures are so much fun! Now we have enough leftover cake for an army. Anyone hungry?

Too Much Noise!

What a great 4th of July! Kayli and I picked up Grandpa at noon and headed to Aunt Laura and Uncle Mickey’s for the family gathering. Kayli was in seventh heaven, playing in the pool all day with everyone, Uncle Mickey was throwing her “higher and higher to the sky” then “splash” into the water. A while later she convinced Uncle Jim to do the same. After pool, Kayli saw her cousins playing basketball, and just had to “join in”. They did a great job of playing around her, not knocking her over, and occasionally throwing her the ball! Kayli’s least favorite part was when the fireworks started. “Let’s go in the house mom” “I don’t like this noise” Don’t you want to see the pretty sparkles in the sky. “Uh, no thanks.” So, Kayli, who insisted on wearing earmuffs, because the
BOOM BOOM could be heard in the house as well, watched her favorite DVDs (no need to hear since she knows the dialogue by heart) while the fireworks “show” went on outside. It was a late night and the next day we were both happy to take a looong nap! (Check out the basketball game below)

Hail? Not pellets, but golfballs and baseballs!

The plan was to take a leisurely swim in the lake. The weather changed suddenly. From sunny to cloudy to pouring rain. Luckily, we had just gotten everyone's suits on and hadn't gone down to the lake yet. Plan B, make margaritas and sit on the covered porch watching the girls "dance in the rain." Then, Plan C, little girls run for cover as the hail stones began to fall. First, pellets, then golf balls, then baseballs! Jeez, my poor car in the driveway. Kayli watches my face cringe as we hear the "bam,bam,bam", as the balls hit my car and the roof of the porch we are sitting under. She's worried. I tell her "It's ok. My car will be ok." Later that night as she is lying next to me in bed (not happy with the continuing thunder) she says "Mom, your car have dents!" "Yes Kayli, but it's ok, you can go to sleep now." Check out the videos below for the "Dance in theRain" and the "Aftermath of Hail"