The Sweetest Thing...

So the sweetest thing came out of Mikayla's mouth last week....

Let me give you some history leading up to said sweet moment....
Our dog, Bud, has been very sick. He stopped eating and we realized he had an infection in his mouth which required minor mouth surgery. A week later after he started to eat again, he stopped eating and he started throwing up. We thought his mouth might still be hurting and tried more pain meds...didn't help. Took him to a second vet for another opinion and ended up taking him home with a load of medicine. We had a trip planned to Arkansas and had to leave Bud with a friend and we hoped and prayed he would start eating again. We came home to find an even skinnier Bud!! Michael and I talked about it and decided to take Bud to the vet and we were weighing our options... the night before taking her to school I told her that Bud is real sick and might have to go to Heaven. She didn't like that too much but she at least was prepared.

So here's where the sweetest thing comes in to play....
Wednesday morning (Dec 22) before Mikayla left for school I told her to give Bud a big hug and tell her that she loves him...

MAC hugging Bud: I love you Bud and hope you feel better and if you have to go to Heaven, I will see you when I get there...

Sigh....needless to say the tears flowed all day long that day, what a sweet girl!!!!

Updated funny sayings

A few weeks ago I got a hair cut and decided to go drastic and cut 8-9 inches. Before Mikayla went to bed that night she said... "Don't worry mom, I still love you even if you don't have long beautiful hair like mine!"

A week or so later I picked her up from school on a Wednesday afternoon. I told her we had to hurry because we needed to get home to check on Bud, our dog (he had just undergone some minor mouth surgery and the pain medicine made him kind of loopy). She wanted to stay and play but I needed to urge her towards the truck so I say "I have a surprise for you in the truck!" to which she said, "What could you possibly have in the truck that I would want?" All I can think is...are you 4 or 14????

Mikayla is in her school Christmas play. She is going to be the Virgin Mary... I am waiting for her to ask what virgin means and so far I have lucked out. However, she has informed me several times that I could start calling her the Virgin Mikayla and I am thinking "You BETTER be a virgin!!"

Tomorrow is the actual play...stay tuned for updates!!!

My Own Rule...

So for her birthday, a friend from her class gave her a Kid's Adventure Bible. It's pretty cool in that it takes the stories of the Bible and makes them "kid friendly" for lack of a better word. Anyway, at school they have been talking about Moses and tonight we read a story about Moses and Pharoah (sp?) and the Ten Commandments, etc... We had a long discussion about how Commandments are God's rules.

So before she went to bed, Mikayla announced she had her own rule...

MAC- I have my own rule mom (finger pointing in the air). My rule is no one is to go to Egypt because there is a bad man there (Pharaoh, again excuse me if I misspelled his name).

So, now we can not go to Egypt!

Damn It...

About 4 weeks ago, we were pulling in the parking lot of Mikayla's BAPTIST school parking lot we saw the little boy that Mikayla is going to marry...his name is Colton. Not the tallest kid in the class, but all the boys want to be his friend and all the girls want to marry him!

As I pull into a parking spot...

Me- Look there's Colton
MAC- Where? Oh... As she unbuckles her seat belt and tries to open her door (thank goodness for child locks) and the door doesn't open... then I hear "Damn It!"
Me- Mikayla Aubrey Cathcart...we don't say those words! As she looks away sheepishly...


Fast forward to this afternoon...
I finally let Mikayla wear flip flops because we just had to run a quick errand before nap time. First one flip flop flops off and she wants me to pull over to get it and put it back on...Not going to happen.

So then she grabs her second flip flop to make sure it does not fall off. As she plays with it and is waving it around it falls to the ground and what should come out of her mouth...
"Damn It!"

Day light saving what?

It's apparent that a 4 year old's body does not pay attention to DLST...

While mommy and daddy were hoping for an extra hour out of Mikayla, who should appear at my bedside at 5:30 in the morning (granted it was 6:30 in the morning according to her internal clock)??? You guessed it...Mikayla.

We even put a digital clock in her room and told her she couldn't wake up until the clock read 7:00...but she claims she was wide awake and needed to go potty. So after the bathroom I had her lie down until her clock said 7... next thing I know there's these little feet running around the house!!!

Oh, and she didn't take a nap either....*sigh*......

A Look Back, Almost 4 years of Parenthood...

So as the month of October gets busier and busier, I can't help but wonder where did the last 4 years go???

So here's a look back on some of my favorite pics...*sigh*...years one and two...

She's almost 10 months old here...and learning to make messes... Next Christmas 2007

After eating cake...or icing...on her first birthday!!

This is right before the "Blue and White" Fashion show at UTA, February 2008

July 2008

December 2008

Out of her mouth...

A few weeks ago, while my sister was taking Mikayla swimming, Mikayla managed to swim all the way across the pool (maybe one corner to the other totaling 10-12 feet)

Tita Tin- Wow Mikayla, Good Job!!!
MAC- Thank you! I couldn't have done that without myself!!!
Tita Tin- You surely couldn't have...and then proceeds to laugh!!!

Awesome!

Yesterday, I met some friends at the Museum of Science and History. As usual, it's so much fun to play at the Children's Museum inside of the MSH. This time we were with Mikayla's best friend, Samantha and her parents and Jessica and Hadas.

Of course as soon as we get there Jessica grabs Mikayla and Samantha's hands and runs to the Dino Dig (where they loook for already burried dinosaur bones). Then we run to the other outside portion where little kids can build or play with water. From there we played in the grocery store and the hospital. Then it was time for a snack and and her first IMAX/Omni experience...



We sit down to watch Sesame Street and Mikayla looks at me and says "Mom, this is the most awesome thing I have ever done! Thanks for taking me!!"

I give her a HUGE hug and think, "Wow, this is pretty awesome...getting to spend this time with Mikayla and take her to her first IMAX....even if Elmo is a little annoying!"

Things we say...

So here's an update on some of the latest and greatest out of Mikayla's mouth...

We recently acquired a dog, Bud the boxer. A friend needed to have a few of her dogs go to good homes because she didn't have the time to love on the dogs, plus work, plus new baby. She knew that we LOVE boxers and asked us if we would consider adopting Bud. We told Mikayla that we would be watching Bud for awhile just to make sure that Bud and Mikayla were compatible. Turns out that Bud is the PERFECT dog for us!! He sleeps more than any dog I know! So after almost a week, Mikayla called my friend Amy with a very important question...

MAC - Hi Amy!
Amy - Hi Mikayla! How are you?
MAC - Fine...
Amy - That's good...
MAC - I have something to ask you...Um, I have two dogs, Sarah and Wolfy but um they are just pretend dogs, and I don't have a real dog and I was wondering if I could keep Bud?
Amy - Do you take good care of him?
MAC - Yes (doing her excited hand rub and scrunched up face)
Amy - Do you love Bud?
MAC - YES!
Amy - Ok, as long as you promise to take good care of him and love him, you can keep him
MAC - Ok, THANK YOU!!!

Per Amy...it was the sweetest conversation and as I listened to it and watched Mikayla's face I couldn't agree more!



A few mornings ago I asked Mikayla to clean up the front room...aka her play area she calls the back room...
MAC - "Mom, I need a little help..."
Me - "Honey, you made the mess all by yourself so you get to clean it all by yourself..."
MAC - "Mom, part of your job description is to clean up after me..."
Me - "Ahhhh, No"

Last night my mom and dad came over to watch Mikayla while Michael and I went to parent/teacher night. I told my parent's that Mikayla could not eat anything else until she finished her corndog to which Mikayla said...
"Lola, I don't mind if you want to share with me..." Sneaky little girl!

Other things my almost four year old is in to...
Mine's bigger
I'm bigger/older
Mom, who's bigger/older?
Mom, he/she made a bad decision didn't they? (talking about ANYONE she sees smoking...)
I love Hello Kitty!
I love Princess (insert any Disney Princess character...especially Sleeping Beauty!)
Mom, she's my best friend!
We're not friends anymore...
We're best friends again!
I love Bud (our new dog) but can we a girl dog too?? I never had a girl dog before...(we've had Bud for 7 days...)

So this is Mikayla in a nutshell!

Funny Songs

There is nothing like hearing my daughter belt out the lyrics to some of mommy's songs...

I should really get this on video, but imagine if you will, a three and a half year old singing the following songs....

By Kellie Pickler.... "I'll be there in the back of your mind, from the day we met to the very last time and it's just too bad, you've already had the best days, the best days of your life!!..... I heard your gonna get married, have a nice little family, live out my dreams with someone new. But I've been told that a cheater is always a cheater, I've got my pride and she's got GLUE!!!!!" (really supposed to be YOU but Mikayla likes Glue better...)

By Lady Gaga " Mamamama.......mamamama..... Can't read my, can't read my no you can't read my poker face" (Mom, why would he poke her face? I don't really know sweetheart, I don't really know)

By Kelly Clarkson " Since you been gone, I can breathe for the first time, I'm so moving on, yeah, yeah, Thanks to you, now I get, what I want..... Since you been gone" (Mom, is Kelly Clarkson angry in this song? Why?)

By her all time favorite, Taylor Swift, which Mikayla calls Taylor Switt... "She's wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts, she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers, dreamin' bout the day when you wake up and find that what your lookin' for has been here the whole time...If you could see that I'm the one who understands you, been here all along so why can't you seeeeeeeee, you belong with meeeeeeeeee...."

Last but not least, by Rockwell ... "I'm just an average man, with and average life. I work from 9 to 5, hey hell I pay the price All I want is to be left alone in my average home, But why do I always feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone? I Always feel like somebody's watching me and I have no privacy. Woh, I always feel like somebody's watching me, Tell me is it just a dream?"

There are many more, these are just a few I find funny. Like should an almost four year old being singing about "the best days of your life", "belonging to someone", etc....makes a mommy laugh!

It cracked...

So Mikayla woke up from her nap this afternoon and asked me to tell "sister" (her imaginary sister) to stop messing with her flip flops. After we do this whole bit I tell Mikayla...

Me- You have a great imagination!!
MAC - No I don't...
Me - You don't?
MAC - Nope, it cracked.
Me - Your imagination cracked?
MAC- Yes, it's broken.

I love that little girl's imagination!

Worst Mommy...Ever!

So I might be the worst mommy ever...

I just let my child watch the entire "California Girls" video by Katy Perry. At first I thought it was pretty harmless. I kept wondering if Mikayla would notice the provocative moves and I would wince every now and again, but alas she is not old enough to understand most of the innuendo.

I was waiting for the comment about the singer being naked (everything covered strategically) but all Mikayla saw was the cotton candy she was laying on (and now she wants some cotton candy). Mikayla kept pointing out the other candy stuff in the video. I was a little disturbed by the whip cream cans on Katy's bikini top...especially as it sprayed everywhere... that I was getting ready to change the channel but the video finally ended!!!

And what does my daughter say...

Mom, she's got cupcakes on her boobs!!!

Me: Isn't that silly!!! (Worst Mommy of the Year....here I come!)

Volume Control

So I was reading a friends blog this morning and she made me laugh!! All to often I am telling Mikayla to "use her inside voice" or "whisper in my ear" and it all started with this encounter in March or April...at Walmart...

We had just, JUST walked into Wally World when my little mini-me noticed a rather large looking woman...

MAC "MOM! (real loud...at least to me) Why is that man in a dress?"
Me "That's not a man sweetheart"
MAC "Are you sure?"
Me "Yes, I'm sure." As I glance over to the woman who is just smiling and nodding at me....like maybe she understands what I am going through...and then...
MAC " Then why does she have a beard?"

And all I could do was turn the corner and grab the basics in order to escape!

Here's an idea...

So Michael and I have been racking our brains on how to "ween" Mikayla off of having us lay with her for one song as we put her to bed...



I'm not a fan of bribing my child (ok, yes I am...) so here's my compromise...and let me give you a little background info.



A few weeks ago Mikayla spent the day with her friend Samantha. Samantha has princess sheets...so for a few days we listened to how Samantha has princess sheets, a trampoline, a dog and a baby brother. I mean Mikayla was GREEN with envy!!!

Michael and I toss around the idea of giving her a surprise if we don't have to lay with her, the "mark it on a calendar" idea, and settled on the "give her a heads up that this will end soon". She did not like the idea that she was going to have to give up this mommy or daddy lay with her time. (I mean who would...she gets a sippy cup of water, a thousand stuffed animals, burp cloths and blankets plus someone will rub her back for almost a full four minutes!)

I tried the "if mommy doesn't lay with you for a week we can go to Toys R Us..." I got the "no...i don't think so" response.

So we have given up on this idea of changing her bedtime routine...UNTIL...

Tuesday, Michael had to go out of town for work (if you can call Las Vegas work...ok but to his credit it is up and at breakfast at 7:30 am and he doesn't get back to his room until after 10 pm...and let's face it, I'm not there so how much fun will he really have??!!). Tuesday evening Mikayla and I go to Target as I am on a mission to find a cheap slip-n-slide (BTW found one for $1.24!!!)

On the way to the toy section we pass the coordinated kids room aisle...low and behold what's at the end of the aisle?? PRINCESS SHEETS!!! Short of hyperventilating and passing out, Mikayla makes it known that we are not leaving the store with out said sheets.

Me "Let's think about it..."
MAC "Let's just get them..."
Me "Let's tell dad about them and see what he says..."
MAC " Let's just get them, please..."
Me "Let's see if you can be a good girl and we'll think about it..."
MAC "I AM a good girl and I just said please...."

Brilliant, quick thinking mom that I am, I say...

Me "If we buy the sheets mommy and daddy are not going to lay with you at bedtime..."
MAC "Ok, you don't have to lay with me, are we getting them???"
Me "So at night, we will read one book then you hug me good night and I leave..." (thinking I needed to spell it out)
MAC "Ok, are we getting them and can we put them on tonight?"
Me "Ah...Ok, but mommy is not laying with you tonight"
MAC "YEAH!!!!!!!"

So who knew...the secret to bed time happiness is princess sheets!!! Two nights and counting all is going swell!!!

I thought wrong...

I thought it would be great if I had twin babysitters come over once a week. These two girls are GREAT! They are 13 or 14 years old (bad I know that I am unsure of their age...to their benefit, I think they act like they are 15!!) honor students, creative, sweet, honest...you get the drift.

So Mikayla is totally excited to have these two girls come over tomorrow. She cleaned her play room, wanted to pick out a special outfit, and has talked non-stop about tomorrow. I thought I would be smart and start dropping hints that mommy might run an errand or two while the girls are here.

MAC: Will Daddy be here?
Me: Daddy will be at work...
MAC: Will their mommy be here?
Me: For a little while...
MAC: But I need a grown up to stay with me...YOU have to stay with me!
Me: But the girls are teenagers...they are like grown ups.
MAC: Don't leave me... (breaks into full blown sobbing and crawls into my lap)
Me: I won't leave you (because how can I?)
MAC: Don't leave me...sigh and gulp)
Me: I am staying with you, I'm staying...
MAC: Okay (big sigh)

Then we talked about maybe tomorrow if she's having a good time she might let me leave for a few minutes...Nope, nothing doin...

I thought, and I was wrong!

VACATION...

So we went to South Texas to visit my husband's grandparents...Mikayla's Great Grandparents, Nana and Papa!

They live in a retirement community...300+ brick and manufactured homes, one 9 hole par 3 course, a pool that is only used on once in the morning and once in the evening for water aerobics, 45 minutes to Padre, 25 minutes to the outlet mall (yippee) and 30 minutes to the Brownsville Zoo... the whole trip = HEAVEN!!!

Mikayla made her first trek to South Padre last year and she loved it. This year was even better! We must have picked up half of the washed up sea shells, played in the waves, fed the sea gulls (greedy buggers) and played in the waves again.

As we were leaving the beach Mikayla said:

Maybe next year we can go to the part of the beach that doesn't have salt in the water...

Don't know that we can accomplish that... *big grins*

She was a trooper both times we hit the outlet mall. Of course it helps that we park right by the Disney outlet. First trip she scored a princess towel, three princess cups, and a set of plastic figurines for the "Sleeping Beauty" movie.
Before we headed to the mall the second time, Papa let her grab a few handfuls of change ($13.40) so she could shop again... this time she paid...all in change... for two more sets of figurines (Cinderella and The Little Mermaid) plus a princess t-shirt (mom and dad had to chip in $12 but it was money well spent). Those little figurines allowed mommy and daddy a few hours of peaceful shopping with a few bribes on the coin operated rides and some skittles. Oh and now the little princess is addicted to Starbucks b/c the lady put her apple juice in a cup then put whip cream on top!!!

Our last day we went to the Brownsville Zoo. A very good little zoo if you are ever in the area. There was plenty of shade (much needed for a south Texas zoo), small enough that we were only there about 2 hours and tons of great exhibits. They had a few "free fly" areas for birds so they would just be sitting on the walkway or flying around our heads, there were camels (cool) and sea lions. The gorillas seemed to pretty personable too! Oh and at the end, Nana gave Mikayla some money to buy something from the gift shop...imagine that!

I failed to mention earlier that Nana and Papa have a golf cart! We pretty much rode in that every day. Some days it was just for the sake of driving, other days we helped daddy "fish" for golf balls, or we used it to go to the pool.

All in all it was a great trip. She was a Super Trooper on the 9 hour drive down and we managed to make it in under 8 1/2 hours on the way back (the trick was taking the toll road AROUND Austin on the way back...more mileage, less traffic!). I will say that in car dvd players with head phones ROCK, on top of me keeping a secret stash of coloring books and movies to keep the drive smooth.

JUMP

My little girl jumped off the diving board for the first time today!!! Albeit not to me (I was hiding behind the corner of the house where she is taking swimming lessons). It's amazing what she will do for other people...
I was sooooooooooo excited and proud of her!!! My baby is JUMPING into pools!!! Hopefully the swimming thing will catch on soon...

The Silence

I bring home dinner and when I walk into the house I notice that something is visibly different... it's quiet!

No Mikayla is not taking a nap, she is spending the night with my parents. So it's 6:15 on a Memorial Day Weekend Sunday night... and I will enjoy the silence and watch a movie with my husband.

I miss my little girl, but I will cherish the peacefulness of this evening!

Some More Wedding Non-sense

So it appears that Mikayla is OBSESSED with marrying Zeph! She keeps talking about it and the only thing I know to do is ignore it. My way of thinking is that if I ignore it, IT will go away...so far that hasn't happened.

Mikayla has been on this topic of kissing Zeph, which morphed to marrying Zeph, which has totally blown out of proportion to needing to have a baby shower with Zeph for the past two weeks!!! (I blame the baby shower part on all of the gifts that our cousins received this past weekend and the fact that Shrek and Fiona had triplets)

MAC: Mom, Zeph and I are going to have a baby shower!!!
ME: What?? Where??
MAC: We are going to live in Arlington and have a baby shower!! Will you bring me and Zeph a gift??


This is me ignoring that conversation...

Weddings, kissing and more

So last Thursday my little girl dropped a bomb on me...



MAC: First thing when I get to school I am going to kiss Zeph

Me: (learning that Zeph is short for Zephinias) What? Why?

MAC: Because I love him!

Me: Well, maybe you should ask him first...(thinking, maybe you should as ME first!)

MAC: Why?

Me: Well, beacuse not all little boys want to be kissed yet

MAC: Well he's thrree and I'm three so it's ok.



When we get to school, I ask the teacher if there really is a boy named Zephinias (hoping and praying this might be one of her imaginary friends..) and by golly there is a little boy named Zeph! I gave the teacher a heads up...don't want my little girl to be the class tramp!



We had a lovely weekend in Arkansas, celebrating the imminent arrival of a new baby cousin and visiting with family and friends. Upon seeing the soon to be mommy with the pregnant belly Mikayla asked me if baby Riley could come out of her mommies tummy so she could hold her. That brought on an ENTIRE conversation of why that's not possible. Luckily there was a new swing and a few dogs which I used as distraction devices! I was also holding and loving on another little cousin who is 9 months old...Mikayla informed me that I had to put him down because I don't love him, I only love her....I am sensing a little jealousy!



All of this leads me to today...

On the way to the mall to meet my mom for lunch Mikayla informs me of the following...



MAC: Mom, if you want to get pregnant and have a baby I can't be your baby anymore because I won't fit in your tummy. So you will have to get another baby because I am not your baby I am your big girl.



Once we find my mom (aka Lola) Mikayla informs us of her soon to be marriage to Zeph...

MAC: Lola, we need to go to my size clothes and pick out my wedding dress.

Lola: Who are you marrying?

MAC: Zeph... (almost like she was saying Duh)

Lola: Why?

MAC: Because we are three and in love!

Lola: (Big smile and giggles)

ME: But you don't need to get married until you are 30

MAC: How many more birthdays is that?

Lola: giggles...

ME: Too many to count!

MAC: Lola, do you want to come to my wedding to Zeph? Do you want to see us kiss?


I am beginning the ban on Disney movies!!! Even Shrek gets married and kisses the bride at the end....Jeesh!

A House Can Be Replaced But Memories are FOREVER....

So yesterday was one of those life altering days....

Four years ago my parents bought an old fraternity house...the house of the fraternity that my husband was a member of and I was a sweetheart for the chapter!!! I was still pregnant with Mikayla (by a few days) when they "closed" on the house. The property came with the Main House (DU House) and the Garage Apartments (the GAP). Our goal was/still is to make the main house our real estate office and the GAP will be totally renovated as a two unit garage apartment. After many revisions the city gave us permits to start re-habing the GAP in June 2009. Since August 2009 this rehab has been my main goal. It's finally to the point where cabinets, trim and doors and painting were all scheduled to happen this week.

Yesterday, between the hours of 2 and 3 am a fire broke out in the main house!! Take a moment...yes, the house burned down! (ok it's still standing, just missing the attic and most of the second floor) What a way to start a Monday.

At 6:45 am (I'm still sleeping) my dad calls and says there has been a fire at the DU House. ( I later discover I missed a text at 5 am from Michael's cousin who saw it on the news) Michael tells me he will swing by on his way to work. I get up, brush my teeth get Mikayla dressed when Michael calls to tell me that the DU House has been on fire, firefighters are still there and he's not certain but it looks like the GAP is still standing. My parent's are on their way from way west Fort Worth...I call and tell them what Michael said and load Mikayla in my truck and head over...

Two fire trucks are still there...along with the Fire Commanders (?) suburban and the Fire Marshal's Tahoe. They are done "fighting" the fire...in fact I think most of the fire fighters were packing up (which is a long process in and of itself) but there are a few still walking the house making sure there aren't any "flare" ups. The Fire Marshal is doing his thing by trying to ascertain where the fire started and possibly determine what started it.

What's truly amazing, is that the GAP the place I have poured my blood, sweat and tears into...and is located a mere 15 feet from the burned building...is ok. I mean it's OK! Not a stick of wood was touched by the fire or is damaged from smoke... amazing!

Mikayla and my mom sit across Thornton Street on a tire stop in the parking lot...looking like displaced people and we don't live there... we were just hoping to rehab it to have an office with some rental income. Mikayla asking questions and mom answering them.

I walk around taking pictures and answering questions when I can. I watch my dad do his "dad engineering" thing... which means he is doing his best to answer questions and being as helpful as he can walking around and amazingly not getting too dirty. I look over and see my daughter talking to my mom. I walk over and Mikayla points out that this beautiful, old pecan tree. She wants me to know that it's going to be ok because the tree just only got burned in the middle and the rest of the tree is ok. WOW! Not only was she incredibly patient for over an hour and a half but she was way insightful. To look at things through the eyes of my child...

So this leads me to the highlight of the morning. Mikayla got a very personal tour of a fire truck!! All of the guys were really great in dealing with her and she was able to get up in a fire truck. The fire fighter opened all of the nooks and crannies of the truck and showed her some pretty cool equipment. Of course when she got in the truck she had her hands covering her ears (the truck just running, no sirens, is kind of loud) she noticed the roll of stickers!! They gave her 10 or 12 for being great at the scene and she was in HOG HEAVEN!

So, to the old DU House...thanks for the memories. Luckily, it is just a house...it can and will be rebuilt. People are precious and memories are forever!

Friend to all

So as I am kicking back with a diet coke, sitting on the back patio watching Mikayla throw a ball back and forth over the fence with the neighbors kids I realized that my child has a farmer's tan! I know this because she is shirtless (she was partaking in a red popsicle...hence the no shirt on). Her belly and shoulders are a creamy white and her arms and face have a healthy summer glow to them. It's incredibly cute. What's even cuter is that our neighbors speak Arabic to each other and Mikayla pretends to speak Arabic too!! The neighbor's daughter is approx 9 or 10 years old and is a wonderful big sister type. She is always willing to play with Mikayla and she knows how to say things so Mikayla understands. Anyway, she gets a kick out of listening to Mikayla mutter non-sense trying to imitate her.

Which leads me to ponder how my child acts around other kids... Needless to say I am blessed. Mikayla can go to the park and not have anyone to play with and be totally at home with her over active imagination (we have several siblings we are forever picking up from school...and for those who don't know, Mikayla is an only child). If there are others around, Mikayla flocks to older kids and babies...but she will play with anyone, anyone at all. She truly likes people of all shapes and sizes...accents included! We were at the mall play area and she heard a mom speaking spanish to her child. She comes running over to me to imitate the conversation!! We were walking into her school and she wanted to know why the lady behind us was speaking spanish...I had to explain that the lady behind us was speaking chinese (I hope) and not spanish. Mikayla then wants to know why she doesn't understand chinese!! What a fuit loop!!

I am lucky that she is soooooo open and I hope to foster an environment where she continues to sees no boundries.

Happy Mother's Day!!

To all my friends who are moms and to their moms...

The hardest job in the world is Mommy.
You have to know when to guide, praise, punish...
You can heal all things with a single kiss...
Your heart breaks when things don't go their way or when they don't feel good...
Your heart can grow to 100 times it's normal size from a smile, hug or slobbery kiss...
You ache when you haven't seen your pride and joy all day...
You have a new appreciation for going to the bathroom all alone...
You want to protect, shelter and encourage them...

So many more things I could list but for now I will say...

Thank you mom for raising me...I happen to think you did a great job! Thank you Mikayla for being an amazing daughter! I am sooooooo lucky to have you and I want you to know that no matter what, I will ALWAYS be here for you and love you unconditionally!!
I LOVE YOU!!!

To all the SUPER MOMMIES

For the past two days I have gotten up at 6:30 in the morning (at least an hour earlier than I am used to), taken my shower and gotten ready for work all before Mikayla has woken up. Then it's get her dressed, teeth brushed, breakfasted and make her lunch followed by hurry up let's go to school (or have my mom come over). She has been out of my sight (either with my mom or at school) ALL DAY! I got home Monday night around 6 pm and tonight around 6:30 pm. It was hugs, dinner, bath then bed. I feel like I haven't really seen her and I miss her! So what I am saying is that I count my lucky stars that I get to see my little girl as much as I do.

To the mommies that do this everyday...I salute you! You pull energy from a depth that knows no bounds...and I now know that an "I've missed you mommy and I love you" means soooo much when you come home at the end of the day.

Expert Negotiator...

So it appears that 3 and a half year olds are EXPERT negotiators...

Me: You need to eat all of your rice and beans
MAC: But I don't want to eat that, I want to eat sumpin else...
Dad: If you finish your rice and beans you can eat an orange
MAC: Ok, how 'bout I eat one, two , three, four bites? Then can I eat an orange?
Dad: (smiling behind her back)
Me: No, you need to eat ALL of your rice and beans before you can eat anything else

After five more minutes of some extreme negotiating...

MAC: (after 4 bites of rice) How 'bout I eat just my rice?
Me: Ok...eat it all and I will get an orange for you...

Apparently I should not be the President of the United States because I obviously negotiate with child terrorists....

Chill Mom...

So yesterday I made a "deal" with my darling daughter...
Me: We can go to Sonic and you can have a cherry slush with TWO cherries in it if you promise to listen to mommy and daddy tonight, no whining, and you have to listen to mommy and daddy tonight. Ok?
MAC: Ok mommy, I promise to be good and listen to you and daddy.
Me: Sounds good, let's go!

Later at home...

Me: What was our deal? (As she isn't listening to me...)
MAC: (head down not looking at me... silence)
Me: I guess no more slush...
MAC: Just chill mom, I will do it!

Jeez...when did she turn 16?

Not Modest...

So yesterday I took Mikayla to The Children's Place (kids clothing store). We went to get their oh so cheap "two flips flops for $5" deal and found a cute swimsuit cover-up. Then I spotted the "additional 40% off the lowest price" rack...ahhhhhhhhh! So I found some FABULOUS shorts for my little girl...asked her which ones she liked best...she picked one out...I found the right size and before I could ask Mikayla if she wants to go try them on she has kicked off her flip flops and yanked down her pants and is standing in front of me NAKED!!! Ok, almost naked...hello kitty t-shirt and dora panties stayed on...thank goodness!!

Apparently this was also a little exciting for another little girl...she stood and watched the whole thing!!!

My Big Kid

I love the way the things we say come back to us in a different way...
For example, I am giving Mikayla her bath. Since we went to the "big kids" class today I thought I would carry on the big kid theme and mention that "big kids" don't mind a little water in their eyes...
That worked for a moment...but since I used WAY too much shampoo there was extensive rinsing to do...which prompted Mikayla to say...
"Ugh Mom! Way too much water in my eyes!!!"


On a totally random note, as we were pulling into the parking lot of "big kid" school today Mikayla shouted "MOM...What's that??"
I look over and all I see is a pile of wood (literally...parts of chopped up tree) so I say "where honey?"
"Quick, over there, OVER THERE!"
And to my surprise, right next to the dumpster was a Mama Duck leading about 6 or 7 ducklings back to their nest!! What a beautiful sight to share with my duckling.... *sigh*

My Wish...

So there's a Rascal Flatts song titled "My Wish". I loved it from the beginning but it takes on a whole new meaning when I think of my daughter. It goes a little like this...

"I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish."


So that song says it all right? So as Mikayla gets older and more "ornery" I feel bad when I lose my cool with her. I know it's bound to happen b/c when in the history of parenting has a child ALWAYS gotten along with their parent?? While I know I'm human I find myself (several times a day) taking a deep breath and try to remember that she is just stretching her wings and trying to figure out how to be her own person. Then I think about how my parents loved, nurtured, and encouraged me and my sister (ok a little disciplining too...). So this leads me to the phrase I saw on facebook..

"Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."

That about sums up what I feel like my parents taught me (oh and many other things too) and what I hope to instill in Mikayla. Primarily, I just hope she knows that somebody loves her...

Big Kid

On Tuesday, the director at one (yes Mikayla goes to more than one school...) asked if it would be ok if they moved her up to the 3-4 year old class. I was totally ecstatic because that's where I wanted her in the beginning. (She is currently in the late 1's and 2's class because her birthday is after Sept 1. She was one of two children potty trained, she is the oldest, and she is the most vocal and understandable and I felt she would be better stimulated in the older class room...not that I'm a bragging mom or anything)
Anyway, I digress... Tuesday when Michael picked her up she exclaimed that she was going to the big kids class tomorrow (tomorrow = Thursday). She named the friends she would play with, her new teacher's name and she had to call her Lolo and Lola to exclaim the great news!
This morning, Mikayla got her clothes from her closet, socks and shoes and asked if I could take off her pj top because since she was a big girl going into the big kids class she could dress all by herself! Proud mommy that I am I let her (luckily we decided on an outfit last night). We packed a big kids lunch (lunchable) along with an orange, yogurt, and pretzels...got into my truck and headed to school. Once we signed in the director came out and asked if it would be ok to start Mikayla in the "big kids" class on Tuesday...a bit deflated I said sure (apparently there's a new kid that started that was going to require a lot of attention from Mikayla's new teacher). If you think I was deflated, imagine the look on Mikayla's face while she listened. We had to back to the truck to get her jacket (it is a bit breezy today) and while we were walking out there Mikayla said "why did I put on my big girl dress if I'm not going to the big kids class?" (implying that she dressed special for today...) My heart broke a bit for her because she sooooo wanted to be a big kid!! Luckily I told her that Miss Bonnie and Miss Grace wanted to see her one last time before she joined the big kid class...that seemed to pacify her.

Let's hope for no more delays next week...Big Kid Class here we come!

Vocabulary

There are times where I think, "holy cow, how does my child know that word?" or "where did she pick that up from?" Other times I wonder how she "hears" what is being in said. So I would like to tell you a few words that Mikayla says and even if you correct her she will tell you that what you are saying is not right.

Here's a list of Mikayla Vocabulary

Somfing = something
valerina= ballerina
odserdation= observation
flootball=football

I am sure there are many more but that gives you an idea... I may add words as I remember them. I hope it makes you smile like I do every time I hear one of these words!!

The Rules

Parents must be careful when we start "creating" rules. Last night I was talking with my mom (also known as Lola) and as it normally happens, we get louder and louder and started talking on top of each other.
With in seconds Mikayla pipes up...

MAC: Shush guys! You can only talk one person at a time and if you don't start talking quietly I will put you in time out. Do you understand me?

Really, are you three?? I guess I have my work cut out for me and must be careful when instituting the rules....

I ate it!

So Mikayla has taken to moving the cushions on the love seat. It transforms into her "play ground" with a few pushes and shoves. First time she did this we found three crayons and two markers and a hair clip. The second time I thought we were free and clear of any more landmines. On the third time I realized my mistake...

Me: What are you eating?
MAC: Candy
Me: Where did you get it from?
MAC: The couch
Me: Oh Mikayla, we can't eat candy from the couch (bleah)
MAC: Why not?
Me: Because it's old, honey and mommy just doesn't want you to eat old yucky candy
MAC: Well it's all gone. I ate 3 pieces and they were yummy!

Not to self...check couch cushions on a more regular basis...

Mikayla-oke

So Mikayla loves to sing...much like her mommy. It also appears that she likes to make up the words to songs...much like her mommy.

One day she watched a particular princess movie over and over again. To the point of knowing when the princess is going to sigh, when the swan "squaks", and most of the songs. One song in particular...flash forward to Thursday. On our way to school, as we are loading into the truck, she starts singing...
MAC: Home is where the nart is, the nart is, the nart is. Home is where the nart is, when your nart is there your home!
Mommy, what's a nart?

Me: Honey, I think the word is heart.

MAC: Are you sure?

Me: I'm pretty sure...

MAC: OH! Home is where the heart is, the heart is...

Dot Com

So MAC has taken to adding a "dot com" to everything. For example, she sees a commercial about potty training (we've been diaper free for almost a year) and she says "go to potty.com to find out more"...more what, I have no idea. She will also talk to her stuffed animals like she's the teacher and says "kids, get a parent or an adult to help you log on to (insert website...pbskids.com, disney.com, nick jr.com) and you can play games and do art projects." Geez... She will also throw out a random "color.com", "drive.com", and "shop.com".

I remember being three (ok, just little) and thinking how cool markers were and now my three year old has been on a computer since she was one and a half!!!

I don't get it...

So apparently I have two blogs... as a newbie I created my first blog and instead of adding to it I started a another one. Anyone know how to delete one of these?? I hope I can figure it out...

On another note, short stuff is figuring out her left from her right.

MAC: Mommy, this is the hand I color with and it's my left hand!

Mommy, are you turning right?

Mommy, Taco Bueno is on the left!

*sigh*

Pablos...

So I picked Mikayla up from the zoo (she had gone with her Grandmother and a few cousins). As we were getting in the truck I told her we had to go pay Pablo...
MAC - Which Pablo?
Me - What do you mean?
MAC- Painter Pablo or Mechanic Pablo? Am I missing one?

Alas she was not missing one...and we went to pay Painter Pablo!