First Week of May

May 1st marked our Engagement Anniversary. 6 years ago, Dave came to my apartment dressed in a nice suit and had my favorite car waiting in the parking lot (a black Jaguar). We drove to Creve Coeur Park, where he gave me a rose and got down on one knee and proposed. It was amazing! Then we drove around to our families' houses telling them. Our parents already knew. I was so glad that Dave respected my family enough to call and ask my dad for his permission to marry me / at least let him know that he was going to propose to me. That evening our parents threw a party for us. It was such a special day and evening. About a month later we had a "formal" Engagement party that was held at a park.
Looking back at these pictures, really brings back memories. I can't believe how young we all were. My nieces and nephews were so little, they ranged from 4 to 13 years old. Dave was 25 and I was 26. What special memories, even though it seems like a lifetime ago!

May 5th marked 2 years of my dad's passing. I still can't believe that he is gone. I still sometimes think "Oh, I have to call him to tell him about..." Other times, I think "I wish he were here to see Kaitlynn..." Actually, there is not a day that goes by that I don't wish he was still here. I have finally stopped begging God to bring him back to us and almost stopped questioning God as to why he took my dad and not someone else. That is a question that I will not know this side of eternity. I cling to the fact that I know one day I will see him again. We will be reunited. I know he is better off, but it doesn't stop the fact that it still hurts. It is an emptiness in my heart, a piece of me that is missing. I have faith in God everyday that He will give me the strength to go on. I thank God for Kaitlynn and Dave because without them I don't know if I could face days like May 5th, Father's Day, October 5th (his birthday) and all the other holidays. They make me realize that life has to go on. We were never promised forever here on earth, but we are promised eternal life if we believe and trust in Jesus.

On Cinco de Mayo, Kaitlynn played outside with the dogs. I cut some flowers from our Peony "garden". We have white and pink ones. They are one of my favorite flowers. Later we made a Mexican fiesta. We had spinach and cheese (and chicken on Dave and Kaitlynn's) quesadillas, rice and refried beans. Kaitlynn had sparkling grape juice. Dave and I had margaritas. We enjoyed a fire in the chiminea. It was a fun night at home!

Kaitlynn's last Kids in the Kitchen class theme was Cinco de Mayo. First the kids made covers for their recipe / cookbooks. They decorated the covers with pictures taken in the class by the teacher's assistant. Inside the cookbooks, were recipes from each week of the class. At circle time, after singing the usual songs, the teacher read a book about vegetables. Then it was time for the kids to wash their hands, set their places and get cooking. They made root beer floats, tacos, chicken tortilla soup, pudding and guacamole dip. Kaitlynn liked the root beer float and the taco. She refused to try the soup, pudding or dip. I liked the dip and I am not a fan of guacamole dip. The pudding was good also. Kaitlynn brought the soup home for Dave to eat, which he said was good.

Rest of April

Kaitlynn made Annabelle and herself bracelets.
Kaitlynn and daddy made me a bracelet.

We went to the Baby Kid Expo in St. Charles. I worked at the MomsLikeMe booth for a few hours, while Dave and Kaitlynn walked around. Kaitlynn got an elephant balloon made, got her face painted like a butterfly and had a flower balloon bracelet made.
(sorry these are blurry, they are from my cell and Kaitlynn wouldn't stand still)
eating kettle corn
While working at the booth / table, I got to see some friends from MLM and a fellow blogger. After working, Dave, Kaitlynn and I walked around together. We had a lot of fun.
After we got home, Kaitlynn played out in the yard. While Dave mowed the lawn, I vacuumed the house and Kaitlynn climbed the tree in our backyard. She also played with Mya and Leah.
After Kaitlynn went to bed, Dave and I had dinner outside by the chiminea. I love relaxing outside in the spring evenings with the chiminea going!

Kaitlynn, Aidan and I met Eileen, Gabe and Merci at the Children's Zoo. The kids had fun seeing and petting a tortoise and a snake. We went through River's Edge where we saw a rhino, hippos, hyenas, a cheetah, and the elephants. We stopped for lunch, then went to the Jungle of the Apes. We saw them being fed. Kaitlynn and Gabe played in the misters and afterwards Kaitlynn said "It was like taking a shower. A shower with Gabe." I looked at Eileen and we just smiled and laughed. We saw the penguins, puffins and bears. The kids had a good time running around and seeing the animals. It was a beautiful day for the Zoo!

We adopted an 8 week old puppy. Kaitlynn fell in love with him at the Expo. Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I went to pick him up from his foster family. He is just adorable! His name is Lever (like the soap) and he is a terrier.
Why are there 3 dogs in these pictures, you ask? MawMaw has been having trouble taking care of Sassy (her puggle) since getting out of the hospital, so we brought her home to take care of her for MawMaw. Kaitlynn loves Sassy.
Bailey and Sassy get along really well, too. She has done well in our home.
Sassy and Lever get along really well. Bailey is not so much into Lever. It will just take time for her to get used to him. Lever is going to be a big boy - probably about 50lbs!

Kaitlynn attended her Kids in the Kitchen class. They made Fred Bird hats, had circle time, sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" and then got started on cooking.
They shredded cheese for nachos, counted out the number of peanuts that corresponded to their age and cracked them, made caramel popcorn, put ketchup and relish on their hotdogs and made a slushie. Kaitlynn did great in class this week! At the end of class, all the kids wore their Fred Bird hats along with their teacher and had a picture taken. It was so cute!
Kaitlynn and I came home and took the dogs out. Lever loves our big backyard! Then Kaitlynn and I went to MawMaw's. We took MawMaw to the mall to get her out of the house and walking around.

Kaitlynn had an activity at her school called On The Go. Different vehicles were there for the kids to explore like a police car, paramedics, mail truck, water patrol, caterpillar and fire truck. You could also take a school bus ride and see a helicopter land. Kaitlynn enjoyed the school bus ride. She was a little apprehensive about checking out some of the cars / trucks. She loved the police dog, Ola and learning about what she does.
Lever loves it outside. We had Bailey, Sassy and Lever outside most of the day. Kaitlynn loves running around with them.
Kaitlynn attended her friend's birthday party.

Kaitlynn had fun playing with the dogs. Hanna and Adam came over to watch Kaitlynn, so Dave and I could go to church. Kaitlynn has so much fun with Hanna and Adam. Kaitlynn and Adam usually play Yahtzee Jr. together.

Kaitlynn's P.A.T. Educator came over. This was Kaitlynn's first 3 year old visit. They played a dice game that involved counting and turn taking. They did some more counting activities with cheerios.
Kaitlynn had fun playing with Lever outside.
I went out for a M.N.O. with one of the playgroup's were are involved with. There were 6 of us that were able to make it out. Last year there were more like 13 of us. We had pedicures / manicures and then went to The Cheesecake Factory for drinks and dessert. It was a fun night!

Kaitlynn, Aidan and I met Gail, Parker, Leah, Ryan, Stacy, Sophie, Camden and the twins (our CBW Playgroup) at the Zoo. We were hoping that the rain was going to hold off until late afternoon. We were wrong. As soon as we headed out of The Living World, we started feeling sprinkles. We took cover in the Penguin and Puffin Cove (and gift shop). The rain let up and we headed over to the Jungle of the Apes. We got stuck there and were luckily under a covering. We went to the Primate House and Reptile House, ate lunch and then went to Zoomagination Station.
Kaitlynn and Aidan playing at Zoomagination Station.
Dave and I went on a Date Night at a church. We listened to Michael O'Brien and heard his love story (for Jesus and his wife). There was a surprise visit from Deidre Pujols. Albert and Deidre contacted Michael to sing at the renewing of their vows. Deidre wrote a song with Michael for that occasion. It was a wonderful night of great music, great speakers and worship!
Kaitlynn was so excited that Hanna came over to stay with her. She was a little upset that Adam couldn't come. But still had a blast with Hanna, as usual.

We went to an event for Dave's work. They had a bounce house and face painting for the kids. Kaitlynn had StL painted on one hand for the Cardinals and Elmo on the other hand.
Then we went to a Kidgit's event at the mall called Little Planet Helpers. Kaitlynn received a tree sapling and got to spin the wheel. She planted Sweet Basil seeds and danced with the girls from Radio Disney. We ate lunch at Chevy's and walked around the mall.
That evening we went to church. Kaitlynn said she learned about praying and showed us how she prays.

April Fool's

I took Kaitlynn to her Kids in the Kitchen class. There are a lot of kids in that class and most of them are 4 or 5 years old. The theme was Foolish Foods.
Kaitlynn fell asleep as soon as we got in the car. We visited MawMaw in the hospital.
Kaitlynn was pretending to be MawMaw's doctor. She was asking her what was wrong and what hurt.

We met daddy and Hanna at home and went to Bread Co for dinner. Hanna hung out with Kaitlynn while Dave and I attended the Good Friday Experience at our church. It was an amazing experience and really put things into perspective.

Cat in the Hat, Clifford and Mother Goose

Tuesday Tara, Bailey and the new baby came over for a playdate. Kaitlynn and Bailey cracked us up at the end of the playdate. They were telling each other "thank you for sharing", "I love you" and other nice things like that. What made it funny was that during the playdate they were not so nice and didn't share so well, but at the end they sure seemed to think they did!

After lunch, Kaitlynn and I went to MawMaw's. We went shopping for all of Kaitlynn's friend's birthday presents (or at least most of them). Shopping early - no procrastination here (for once)!
We went to Great Grandma's to visit with Great Aunt Sue and Great Uncle Dale. I also had to deliver Sue's Avon.

We attended Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss at the ECC. The Cat in the Hat, Clifford and Mother Goose were there, too. Kaitlynn made a Cat in the Hat hat, several books, a bookmark and won a paper back book (from a name drawing). We participated in Songs, Stories and Sillies.

March Begins

One day this week, while out to dinner, Kaitlynn made bracelets for Hanna and Adam.
I attended Bible Study this week and that continues to be a good time for fellowship and networking. Kaitlynn visited with MawMaw Tommie and Linda. MawMaw Tommie gave Kaitlynn her birthday gift.
I love these Mary Jane Crocs that I just bought for Kaitlynn (and she does too)!
Kaitlynn, Aidan and Sassy enjoyed playing outside for about an hour the other day. Thankfully the weather was nice enough. We can't wait for warmer weather.
Kaitlynn, Aidan and I picked up Hanna so that Hanna could babysit Kaitlynn while I went to a SAHM&D Networking Session at the ECC. I was so glad I went. There were 6 other moms there and they all seemed really cool. We are supposed to get together soon. 2 live really close by, which is always exciting. Kaitlynn and Hanna had a good time together, too.

Birthday Cake

Wednesday the 24th, Kaitlynn and I attended Motor Masters class. The theme was bugs.
Later that evening after dinner, we finally cut the Ice Age 3 birthday cake, of course not before we sang "Happy Birthday" to Kaitlynn once again.

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Tuesday the 23rd was Kaitlynn's actual birthday. I can not believe my baby is 3! These 3 years have seemed to fly by. It doesn't seem possible for her to be 3, yet I can't really remember life without her. She has changed our life so much. She has taught us so much. She was the missing piece in our life. She has been the greatest joy and blessing God has given us.
Pictures from past birthdays:
This is a picture from the hospital when I was in labor (MawMaw and PawPaw Dado are also in this picture).
Picture from the hospital
Professional hospital picture
1st birthday cake
1st birthday party
1 year professional pictures
1.5 year professional pictures
2nd birthday party
2nd birthday cake
For Kaitlynn's 3rd birthday, she attended a Grandparent's Class at her school with MawMaw. They had fun singing songs and making crafts. They even sang "Happy Birthday" to Kaitlynn! We picked up lunch and went to Kangaroo Kids where Kaitlynn played with Annabelle. Later that evening, MawMaw took Kaitlynn to Applebee's for a birthday dinner.

Valentine's Classes and Dave's Birthday

Thursday the 11th, Kaitlynn attended Be My Valentine at the ECC with MawMaw while I attended Bible Study. They made lots of crafts. After class, Kaitlynn and MawMaw played in the Commons while waiting for me to pick them up.

We went to lunch, ran some errands, ate dinner and attended Sweets for the Sweet at the library. Kaitlynn listened to a couple of Valentine's stories and made 2 crafts. Afterwards we checked out more books and DVDs.

That evening, we waited for Dave to come home to celebrate his birthday with him. He turned 31. Kaitlynn gave him a Cardinals' shirt and a box of vanilla wafers. I gave him a men's daily devotional and 2 pairs of his favorite socks. We celebrated with cheesecake!

Sports and Dave's Birthday Dinner

Wednesday the 10th, Kaitlynn and I attended Motor Masters. It was Sports day.

We went to dinner at McCormick and Schmicks for Dave's birthday.

Friends

Kaitlynn attended Motor Masters at the ECC. The theme was Winter Wonderland. After class, Kaitlynn went to MawMaw's preschool for a little bit to play with her friend Tyler.

Kaitlynn and Aidan played really well together and were so cute. Kaitlynn decided to give Aidan a haircut. Of course, he had to get his hair washed first.

Kaitlynn loves taking pictures with our digital camera. She took several of MawMaw and daddy at the house and then took some in the car. She also likes bringing in the trash cans. That is one of her "jobs" at MawMaw's - to help take the trash cans down the driveway and bring them back up.

To view videos of Kaitlynn and Aidan, check out my other blog. Don't have the link, email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com.

End of January Updates

Sunday the 24th, we attended church. Kaitlynn went to her class. She ran right in and stayed the entire time. Later when I asked her about class and what her friends' names were. She excitedly told me about the boys! Uh-oh, are we in trouble? Boy crazy already!
Their lesson was "Jesus stopped the storm. Great is our Lord and mighty in power. Psalm 147:5 I can ask Jesus for help because of his great power."

Kaitlynn loves painting her own nails!

MawMaw and I took Kaitlynn to see her first movie. We saw Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel. It was adorable and Kaitlynn loved it. By the end of the movie, she was dancing in the aisle. It was great! Of course, MawMaw treated Kaitlynn to a new purse and a pair of lady bug clip-on earrings. We had a great time. Kaitlynn was wore out and fell asleep after the movie. It was a total Girls Day Out!

Kaitlynn and I attended Motor Masters class. The theme for class was The Circus. For the gross & sensory motor stations, they rode an elephant, walked the balance beam, jumped on the trampoline, hit a ball that was above their head while standing on an elevated surface, had to figure out how to get through a set of hula hoops and swung from a bar. For the fine & sensory motor stations, they played wack a mole, a couple duck games, cut straight lines, used tongs to put popcorn in popcorn containers, played with play-doh and played at the water table.

Kaitlynn attended preschool with MawMaw. She had a great time with the other kids.

Kaitlynn attended a playdate with friends at Kangaroo Kids.

We met some of my old high school friends for lunch. It was great getting together and sharing where our lives are now and fun to meet the spouses and kids.

Kaitlynn and I were driving to MawMaw's, Kaitlynn said "I love you mommy." I told her I loved her too. She said "no you don't." I told her "Oh, yes I do." She said "more than cheese burger and fries." I reassured her that I love her "more than cheese burger and fries." Not sure why she said this. Especially since I am a vegetarian - I don't eat cheese burgers!

Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I went to the mall and to Claire's to look for a new pair of clip-on earrings for Kaitlynn. She watched a 6 year old get her ears pierced and decided she wanted to get her ears pierced. After talking with daddy, we decided she needed to wait. We still think she is a bit too young for that. It's a big responsibility and we want her to be able to take care of them.

Sunday the 31st, we went to church. Kaitlynn ran right into her class. They learned about Jesus' love for them. The Bible Truth for the week was: Jesus loves me. The Bible story told about parents bringing their children to Jesus.

After church, we picked up MawMaw and went to the Zoo. It was cold, but sunny out. The Zoo was having a Delta Dental Winter 2010 event. We missed the Delta Dental show, "Land of Smiles", but did get to watch the Penguin's March. We ate lunch, then Kaitlynn got her face painted. We went to the Bird House and to see the big cats.

To see videos and more photos, check out my other blog. Don't have the link, email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com.

Beach

Last Monday, Kaitlynn and I didn't do much during the day. I think Kaitlynn is trying to give up her naps. She just refuses to take naps sometimes. We went to MawMaw's where she treated us to dinner at Pasta House. MawMaw spent the night at our house.

Last Wednesday, Kaitlynn and I attended Motor Masters at the ECC. The theme for the class this week was the beach. After free time and circle time the kids started the gross & sensory motor stations. They got to surf on a raft, lay on their stomach (and sit criss cross applesauce) and hold a noodle while being pulled around in a circle, throw / toss a beach ball back and forth, hold a beach ball while walking on an uneven mat, surf on an uneven surface and put their feet in the sand and look for seashells. By far the favorite was taking their shoes and socks off and putting their feet in the sand. At one point all 6 kids were in the plastic pool! The next set of stations were the fine and sensory motor ones. Several activities involved tongs (shark attack and lobster activity), stamping on a big sheet of paper, play-doh, digging for gold, making a starfish picture and water table.
Kaitlynn's starfish picture
After class, again Kaitlynn refused to take a nap. That is until we got in the car. She fell asleep on our way to pick MawMaw up from work.
Here's a great way to watch television!
Loving on MawMaw
Kaitlynn loves taking pictures.
Dave, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I enjoyed dinner at El Nopal. On Wednesday nights, they have a great promotion: buy 1 get 1 on the jumbo margaritas!

Screening and Preschool on Parade

Wednesday night Kaitlynn had a horrible time sleeping. She kept waking up coughing, almost choking from coughing so hard. She was so exhausted and would just cry.

Thursday the P.A.T. Educator visited. She did a hearing and vision screening.

Kaitlynn painted her own nails.

Kaitlynn is so cute and complimentary. When she was painting her nails, MawMaw showed Kaitlynn her painted nails. Kaitlynn said "Good job MawMaw". She is always telling us good job or giving some compliment.

Dave and I attended a seminar / meeting at the ECC titled Preschool on Parade. It was so helpful to attend this. It really helped with our struggle / decision on whether to send Kaitlynn to the KMO this year and / or preschool in the Fall. I might write a post on that later.

Thursday Kaitlynn continued to cough a lot and have wheezy breathing. We were getting really concerned because we had seen no improvement. Thursday night she woke up a few times, but once she spent some time in a steamy bathroom and then a few minutes in the cold air, she was great and was able to sleep through the night. Thank you God!

Cooking, Cleaning and Crocodiles

Monday after Kaitlynn's doctor appointment, she wanted to go to MawMaw's house. Since she is not contagious and was up for the visit, I took her over there. After dinner, we went to Target. Kaitlynn found some great stuff in the $1 section. It's one of our favorite stores.

Tuesday, Kaitlynn helped make chili. We finally got our Christmas tree and decorations down.

Wednesday, Kaitlynn and daddy attended Motor Masters at the ECC. After class, she kept talking about a crocodile because they sang "Row, Row, Row Your Boat". She loves the part "and if you see a crocodile, don't forget to scream." Later that afternoon, she helped me vacuum. She loves cleaning. Very domesticated girl! She doesn't take that after me!

Kaitlynn is still feeling pretty bad. She is still coughing and wheezing a lot. She isn't running fever. The steam from the bathroom doesn't seem to help, nor does the cold air. We are giving her steroids, tylenol and using the humidifier. I hope she starts feeling better soon.

FYI - she went to class because she was up to it. Even though she is really sick, she is still very active (accept when she is having a coughing attack).

Little Tykes 2 Class

Kaitlynn's been having so much fun in her class.
Dinosaurs

Nursery Rhymes

Let It Snow

Ladies' Night and Crafts

The 17th, we picked up MawMaw and went to the ECC for Hooked on Books and the Book, Puppet and Toy Fair. Kaitlynn made some pretty neat books at Hooked on Books.


The 18th, Hanna came over and gave Kaitlynn her second haircut. She just trimmed it up. Kaitlynn did a good job letting Hanna cut it.

I went to Ladies' Night at The Melting Pot with MomsLikeMe.com producer Heather and the Discussion Leaders. We had such a fun night out.

Thursday the 19th, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended Little Tykes 2. The theme was fall fun. They made a lot of crafts for Thanksgiving. We were so happy to display Kaitlynn's art around the house!

Welcome November

November already! Wow, time does fly. Wednesday, November 4th Kaitlynn attended her last Kids in the Kitchen class. The theme was Eggs-travaganza. They made french toast, dinosaur eggs, egg boats, orange julius and banana popsicles.

That evening, Kaitlynn and I went to dinner with MawMaw and Kaitlynn kept calling me her sister. We attended a class at the ECC called Songs, Stories and Sillies. Kaitlynn had so much fun in this class. She danced around the room, sang and really participated. This one was geared towards older kids and was able to keep her interested as opposed to the one we attended last month (that she didn't really participate in).

Thursday the 5th Kaitlynn's P.A.T. educator came over for a visit. During her visit, she completed a 33 month evaluation on Kaitlynn. She did excellent. She scored very high in all areas. Yeah, Kaitlynn!

Great End to October

Sunday, October 25th we went to Stuckmeyer's with MawMaw. Hanna, Adam and Brandon met us there. Kaitlynn couldn't wait for them to get there.
Kaitlynn played in the sandbox, rode a pony, played at Fort Spooky, and ran around.

Tuesday, October 27th we attended a MomsLikeMe playdate costume party at the Zoo with MawMaw. Kay Quinn read a Halloween story to the kids and then we all went into Zoomagination Station. Kaitlynn had a good time, but was disappointed that she didn't get to see any animals due to the rain.

Wednesday, October 28th Kaitlynn attended her Kids in the Kitchen class. The theme was Halloween Treats. They made mummies in a blanket, magic wands, witches hats, moonlight milkshake, monster mash and shaky pudding. She also made a cute pumpkin picture, in which she cut the eyebrows out all by herself.

Kaitlynn and I went to MawMaw's and baked a cake, cupcakes and an apple pie. MawMaw made Kaitlynn a special hot chocolate that she really enjoyed.

Thursday, October 29th we went to our playgroup's Costume Party at Kangaroo Kids. Emily and Ella met us there. We brought Halloween cupcakes and Emily brought goodies bags.

While at Kangaroo Kids, Kaitlynn started complaining about her vagina hurting (and she was telling everyone). We called her pediatrician and she was able to see her almost immediately. It was quite an experience getting Kaitlynn to pee in a cup, but she did it. I actually just told her that the doctor needed it so that she could figure out what was wrong. Once she knew that, she peed in the cup. The pediatrician said it's probably a bladder infection, but would send it to the lab.

That evening, we carved 2 of our 5 pumpkins and made caramel apples. Kaitlynn had fun putting sprinkles on her caramel apple. She was also a big help with scooping the "guts" out of the pumpkins.

Friday October 30th, we went to the ECC for a Halloween Fun Fair. Kaitlynn made a treat bag, trick or treated at different "houses", had a pony painted on her hand, listened to a Halloween story, ate dinner, played games, decorated a cookie (graham cracker), and had a great time.

On Halloween, we went to Michael's so Kaitlynn could make a craft with the kid's club. She made a super cute little spider. We headed home and got ready for our Halloween party. Dave and Kaitlynn made Halloween rice krispie treats, then Kaitlynn decorated her pumpkins. We went out trick or treating and had fun with our guests. Kaitlynn passed out and the adults continued to party until the wee hours of the morning. We had a fun Halloween!

What a great way to end October!

Again, you can see pictures from these events on my other blog. Email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com if you need the link.

Kids in the Kitchen

Wednesday, October 21st Kaitlynn attended her Kids in the Kitchen class. The theme was Eating Like Bears / Bear Wants More. She made a tuna melt, salad, chocolate milk, cinnamon rolls and strawberry shortcake. She is always so excited when she comes home from class. She can't wait to tell me about it.

I hadn't been feeling well since Monday evening and by Wednesday I was really feeling bad. MawMaw came out to help with Kaitlynn and spent the night.

Thank God for her and all of her help!

Jim Gill

Thursday October 1st Kaitlynn, Olivia and I went to MawMaw's to run a few errands. Then after dinner, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended Family Night at the ECC. Jim Gill is a children's musician and author who played at the Family Night. The evening was so fun. He got everyone up and dancing.

Make a Smilebox greeting