Both of the girls are doing Lil' Kickers soccer this year. Kaitlyn did it last year, and we figured Austen would be into it by now. This is our Tuesday from 10:30-12:30, June through August. Papa comes with us and runs around with Kaitlyn while Austen and I are in class, then with Austen while Kaitlyn is in hers. Kaitlyn's is not a parent participation deal this year, and she's been little miss independent for the last two classes; doing everything on her own. Proud mama alert. :)
It's funny how a mom and dad notice the same exact changes in their kids, either together or seperate. Jeff had said to me a little while back how proud he was of Kaitlyn because someone at a gathering had asked her name, and after a pause, she answered herself. I had the same moment at her first soccer class when her coach went around asking names at the start.
This may seem silly, but Kaitlyn is our shy girl, and a few weeks ago was the first time either of us had ever heard her tell someone her name. We were both giddy over something that could seem very every-day to an observer. Proud mom AND dad alert. :)
Mariners game
Jeff worked an extra long day and instead of doing the responsible thing -- working for overtime the next day -- he took the day off with us (I encouraged it). It was such a beautiful day and he had been wanting to get his girls to a baseball game. We obliged.
Play dates and days with Mama
Edmonds Beach with Meagan:
LFP Civic Club
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| Kaitlyn came running over to me, arms crossed and crestfallen and said, "Those kids called me little." With my heart breaking just a little (okay, maybe a lot) in that "Oh yeah, I can't protect them from everything" way, I did my best to quickly console but mostly let her know that it wasn't nice, but that she should keep right on playing. She SO badly wanted to go across the monkey cars just like those big kids were. She eventually found a way that worked, and didn't stop smiling (or showing us) for 30 minutes. |
Berry Picking
The girls were invited to go with their preschool to the berry farm to pick strawberries. How awesome is that? See, this is one of the many ways they show that they truly love these kids. The girls had a great time riding the school bus and seeing their friends again.
Fourth of July
Last year, Kaitlyn was so deathly afraid of fireworks that she would immediately break out in hives and become inconsolable every single time she heard one. We spent 4th of July night with a sobbing, white-knuckled toddler for four hours straight, and had to leave parks, etc. if any fireworks were set off (which is very common in our area for the entire month of July). It was awful for her and for us. This phobia ended up carrying over to fires as well. The crackling of a fire, then eventually just the sight of one, would send her into the same tizzy as fireworks.
Needless to say, we didn't know what to expect this year. Since fireworks start going off around here) about a week before the 4th, we didn't need to wait long. The verdict: Kaitlyn is still definitely on alert with the louder ones, but doesn't even really notice the little guys anymore. She has spent four nights in our bed in the past two weeks, but otherwise has done very well overall. One huge difference is that, as long as we are in the room with her with the big booms, she does fine -- no crying and no hives at all this year. Fourth of July night was harder on her with a little crying, but I'd say it was more "typical" of a kid scared of fireworks.
I wish I could say the same for Austen. :) She was fine with everything until she heard big sister talking about being scared. She is now cautious of going outside at all because "There are fireworks outside." She won't be out if there are any (tears), but I think we are on the tail end of the stretch.
Our next test will be fires with Kaitlyn, but I'm thinking positively...
For the 4th, we headed to a neighborhood BBQ with Makya's family (The girls' good buddy - in the picture above - from school.) It was so much fun for the kids -- they close off their culdesac and the kids ride bikes, run around, and play on the swingset. The girls retreated to the basement (this was on Makya's cousin's street, so their house was open to us) for movies once the show really started. However, we were thrilled that the loud ones in other neighborhoods did not bother either of them. Small victories!!
Our own backyard
Our everyday
It's shaping up to be a great summer!
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