Caleigh is 2 years old!

This sweet peanut is 2 years old! I thought I would be so sad and that it would be so weird to say I had a 2 year old but it doesn't. It seems like she has been 2 for a while now. I honestly can't even think of how to describe this little goose at 2 years old. So I will start with her stats - she weights 27 lbs. (54th%) and is 34 inches tall (51st%). She has always been perfectly average with her height and weight and that still rings true.

She is a pretty good little painter and asks to do it all the time. She also says often "Mama, I want to draw." And then is done with it in like 5 minutes. A typical day for us (when I am not working) is: we get her out of her room around 7:45 or 8. She will often be up before then and will go and get toys (quiet as a mouse!) and put them in her bed and then get back in her bed and play with them until we come and get her. We will do breakfast sometime around 8:30 or 9 after I have fed Andrew. She loves oatmeal, pancakes, cereal, and bananas for breakfast and will ask for all of them by name. Sometime around 9:30 after Andrew goes down for a nap she will go and have roomtime in her room for about an hour. Sometimes she plays the whole time and sometimes I find her in there at 10:30 laying on her bed, reading a book, and sucking her thumb. At 10:30 we will usually have a little snack and then Caleigh will help me do chores - fold laundry, put clothes in wash, unload dishes, or cook. Sometimes she watches about 15 minutes of Elmo depending on our day (she literally asks to watch Elmo every day all day - I think she thinks it is the only thing that comes on TV). Sometimes we will have learning time before Andrew wakes up at 11:15 or 11:30 - playing play-doh together, playing 'which one is bigger?' or 'which one is different?' or we will have craft time (like painting). We do lunch either early at 11 if we are going to run errands or lunch around noon and then naps at 1 - she usually sleeps until at least 2:45, sometimes until 3:30 or 4 depending on the day. We usually go somewhere after naps and then we play with Daddy and have dinner. After dinner are baths, PJs, brushing teeth (Caleigh also asks to brush teeth all the time), and reading before bed. I know that isn't the most exciting for everyone to read but I want to be able to look back and remember what we did all day! Some of Caleigh's favorites...

• Food: breakfast as described above, PB and honey sandwiches, crackers, all kinds of fruit - especially blackberries, and grape tomatoes
• Activities: play-doh, watching Elmo, going to the park, having someone throw/swing her around, and hanging out with Gigi/PopPop/KK or Gammy/Bampa

Caleigh's language has been exploding lately. She talks all the time - often in sentences... we probably understand about 40 or 50% of what she says.

That pretty much sums up our little girl!

the day after thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving we spent the day with the Adams' hanging out with PopPop, Gigi, KK, and Uncle David. And we celebrated Caleigh's birthday again!

Caleigh enjoyed playing with some fun Melissa&Doug cutting food that Uncle David gave her. And Caleigh's favorite present - her car! (Which we are keeping at Gigi and PopPop's for now until we have more space). So we spent the afternoon playing with Caleigh and the car. It brought back memories for me of when we used to get our Christmas presents when we were little and the go outside and play with them all morning no matter how cold it was. And Andrew spent some time with his favorite person - his PopPop. "Andrew, what are you doing with my balloon..." And the family shot. Caleigh's birthday basically lasted an entire week and she absolutely loved it! She now likes to sing Happy Birthday Caleigh all the time. Pretty cute stuff.

thanksgiving day

Since both of our families live in Charlotte (Concord) we rarely travel for the holidays - which is nice in some ways - nice to not have to pack up 2 kids and all of their stuff, nice to have time at home and be able to really relax. What stinks about it is that you don't get the feeling of staying in someone else's house (one that you don't have to clean), you don't get to hang out late at night after the kids are asleep talking or playing games, and you don't get to wake up in the mornings to the smell of coffee (that someone else has made) wafting into your bedroom (and therefore don't get to hang out in your pjs all morning drinking said coffee). So this year for Thanksgiving (and Caleigh's birthday!) we went up the the Dyers' house in Concord just before the kids' naps to hang out with both of our families, plus some of Adam's extended family: Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Kemmer, and Aunt Becky and Uncle Ray. After Caleigh's nap we had a little family birthday party for her - complete with balloons (that we blew up ourselves and entertained ourselves with more than Caleigh), Curious George hats, plates, signs, etc. Every time Caleigh saw them she said 'who-who-who' which is what she calls monkeys (because that is the noise they make). Caleigh enjoyed opening her presents!

Andrew spent some time with Uncle Jon (thankfully Andrew doesn't discriminate - Caleigh is still a little nervous/shy around both of her uncles until she gets used to them). Andrew also enjoyed being held by pretty much everyone else - especially Great Grandpa Kemmer (his namesake and look-alike!). What does it mean when you say your son looks like an 88 year old man... Since I was so busy eating (I realized this is the first Thanksgiving in the last 2 years that I haven't been pregnant! - 9 months pregnant in 2007 with Caleigh and about 9 weeks pregnant with Andrew in 2008) I didn't get any good pics of the table which was beautiful or the yummy food that was consumed. After dinner we had a fun time of sitting around being entertained by Caleigh (who was full of sugar and thus hilarious). We also had a special time during which Adam read Andrew's blessing from his baptism for Great Grandpa Kemmer to hear in person. Already looking forward to the cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans, ham, rolls, twice baked potatoes, and excellent pies at Thanksgiving in 2010.

dancing queen

Caleigh is quite the little dancing queen these days. These videos were taken the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (also Caleigh's birthday). As you can see Caleigh is quite hyped up to 1. have daddy home in the evening and 2. for her upcoming birthday and time with all her favorites: Gigi, Pop-pop, KK, Uncle David, Gammy, Bam-pa, and Uncle Jon.

gone for good

Well - the silky in this picture is gone for good. Not on purpose. Earlier this week we lost it at Walmart. By we, I mean Caleigh dropped it at some point and I didn't realize it until we were getting in the car. By that point, Andrew was screaming and Caleigh was whining and there was no way I could take them both back out of their carseats to go back in and look for it.

Despite Adam leaving work to go and search for it and despite calling Walmart several times for a couple of days, it was never found. So somebody out there is enjoying a little purple silky with the initials CGD in it. And Caleigh keeps asking for "other silky." She will cuddle up with her big one and then say, "Mama, other silky." So now Caleigh is getting a new silky for her birthday/early Christmas and hopefully she will take to it just as well. I guess it lasted us for 2 years - besides, when I was asking one of the employees at Walmart about it she said "it probably got swept up in the giant sweepers" - that is not what I think happened to it, but still - would I really want to find it after something like that? Probably not. So sad for Caleigh (and Mama!).

a visit with the greats

Last Sunday, Caleigh and Andrew's great grandparents were in town and came to see us after church. (They couldn't wait until Thanksgiving to see their great grandbabies). Here is great grandpa Jack holding Andrew - this is Andrew's namesake!

I actually think they look a lot alike! I don't know what that means for my 5 month old if I think he looks like an 88 year old man but Great Grandpa thought it was awesome that they looked alike and talked about it pretty much the entire week. Look at Andrew in his little button-up shirt - my little A is getting big! Great Grandma Mary Jane got some love from little A too - this was the first time they met Andrew in person. And attempting a picture with both kids - very difficult on a Sunday at 1 pm, but it looks cute enough!

elmo party!

On Saturday (before Caleigh's birthday which was on Thanksgiving Day this year) we celebrated Caleigh's 2nd birthday with her 2 or almost 2 year old friends. We had a playdoh party with an Elmo theme. Here are Camilla, Sam, and Caleigh playing with some playdoh.

After the playdoh fun died down, it was time for Elmo cupcakes - Elmo paper, yellow cake, chocolate icing, Elmo candy, and a sparkly candle for Caleigh! Happy Birthday to Caleigh... (she LOVED us singing to her and we sang to her many times that day - when she woke up in the morning, before and after her nap, at her party, before dinner...) Mmmm... And Caleigh's friends who celebrated with us that day - Sam (who also almost broke my heart when he left at the end saying, "I want to come next time..." but next time Caleigh has a birthday Sam will be in Prague helping his parents and baby Foard plant a church) Harrison Maggie and Camilla After cupcakes and snacks we opened presents.

Caleigh is giving Milla a hug saying 'And you' (thank you) for her presents... All the moms were there (and baby Foard) And Daddy helped open the presents. Caleigh is sporting her loot - a new dress from Maggie (that Carrie made!) and a purse. Thanks to all of Caleigh's friends who celebrated with her to make her birthday extra special!

little helper

This is how Caleigh likes to help me fold the clothes - by taking them all out of the piles and dressing herself with them. (note the layers on her legs)

Oh, and there are the bows again...

sesame street live!

While we were in the country, Gammy and Bam-pa took Caleigh to see Sesame Street Live! I was really so excited for Caleigh to get to go and see it - she loves Elmo. Before we left to go out of town we went to get Caleigh a special Elmo shirt to wear to the show.

The show was called, "Elmo's Green Thumb" Caleigh even got a special little stuffed Elmo as a treat! It looked and sounded like she had so much fun - makes me wish I could have been there - but I know it was an extra special time with her Bam-pa and her Gammy - thanks y'all for taking her!

a little too quiet

You know how you get that feeling when it is a little too quiet in the house (ie - you know your two year old is getting into something that she thinks she isn't supposed too). I had that feeling last week and when I walked into our bedroom this is what I found.

She was typing away on the computer - my sweet little studious girl.

2 little monkeys, sitting on the bed...

The other day I put Andrew on Caleigh's bed for tummy time since Caleigh and I were playing on the floor in her room. I went out for a minute to put the clothes in the dryer and when I came back I saw that Caleigh has climbed into her bed and sat down right next to Andrew and was reading her bible (to him?).

Andrew was very interested in what she was doing.

4 hole swamp

Last weekend we headed down to 'the country' to celebrate all that is redneck - camo-wearin', cornholin', deer huntin', 4 wheelin', skeet shootin', porch-sittin', and the like. We intended to go to celebrate the Hunts and spend some time with them before they leave for Prague - but at the last minute we had a change of plans and the Kulps, Dirks, and the Dyers ended up celebrating without them. First time seeing Adam in camo and a trucker hat -

I was laughing so hard I was crying when I saw Tyler in his jacket - I think it is the camo version of an old ladies leopard print fleece... hilarious... On Friday night after the guys took an unsuccessful trip deer hunting we hung out and ate some chili, played some cornhole, some Settlers, and celebrated Adam's birthday which was the day before (Nov. 12). Sorry Carrie - this is not the best picture but it shows the hilarious corn candle we put in the cake. On Saturday morning we got ready to play outside... We shot some skeet... The girls went 4 wheelin' through the mud at 4 hole swamp... And stopped for a classic self time shot in this deer stand... We did manage to get stuck in the mud once while on the 4 wheeler - but we put our heads together and figured out an ingenious way to get out of that sticky situation. I also learned to drive the 4 wheeler! After a roaring start (Carrie almost flew off the back!) I figured it out and had a great time! We came back to find little A was partaking in some cornhole action. This picture is awesome T Dirks - it makes me want to sing, "this land is my land, this land is your land..." And I shot a gun for the first time ever! I shot down the skeet on the 3rd try - thanks to all that practice playing duck hunt in the old days. Group picture - We had such a great time and hope to truly celebrate with the Hunts in January. It was a weekend of firsts for me though - first time I wore camo, first time I shot a gun, first time I drove a 4 wheeler... Praise the Lord for great friends and the Lord's beautiful creation that we got to enjoy!