Be Careful What You Say...

When I heard other moms bemoaning the fact that they only had one more week of freedom then school would be out or meeting for mimosas the first day school starts back, I always said "that will not be me"! Now I think I will be eating my words!

It is not that I don't love spending time with my little girl (who's not so little anymore) it's just the thought of toting her to and from my construction site is not as appealing as being able to go by myself. What about checking on rental properties or going to court??? Sigh....

I will say that she will be rocking a super cute pink hard hat thanks to Lolo and Lola!!!

We do have some fun things planned and I am very much looking forward to seeing and doing those things with a creative and thoughtful four and a half year old (like today we saw a 3 1/2 foot snake in our front yard!!).

Friday is her last day of school...send good thoughts my way!!!

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...