Growing Up!

I should be in bed, but I wanted to just post that Collin cut his first tooth today! I noticed this evening that the tooth has completely cut through - how did I miss this coming?! His sleep has been horrible lately, he drools and chews on everything, but he has basically been doing this forever it seems! The poor guy was a little more cuddly too, it just looks like it hurts something awful. Growing up is hard! 

Speaking of growing up, Kate has been such a great helper lately. She always has, but recently, I have done a lot of bath and bedtimes by myself (single parenting is no fun, I have no idea how people do it 365 days a year) and I now put Collin in his little seat on the bathroom floor and do Kate's bath, then she gets out and I do Collin's bath while she gets herself ready for bed. She is very proud that she can do lotion, jammies, teeth and hair by herself and I'm able to get Collin ready at the same time! Then we read books together (we give Collin one to chew on) and then kisses/hugs. And here is where there is a "growing up" feature I don't like. She has started to say things like, "I wiped your kiss off!" or "Mom, I said I don't like kisses." What??!!! NO!!!  She likes that I get upset and try and give her more kisses, but I just hate hearing that. By the way, Collin is the one soaking up her love, I guess it has shifted from Mommy to him. Their little relationship is so stinking cute!

Taking good care of her brother

What else, Kate has these phrases she uses all the time, they don't always last long, but lately it has been "for years and years." For instance, "Mom, can we go on the boat? We haven't gone on it for years and years." So, this generally means  - a couple of days:) 

She is also obsessed with pretending that she is the Mommy and I am the daughter and Collin is "our son." Every day, I play along for awhile and then have to get strict and tell her that no, I am actually the Mommy now and have to drive her to preschool or nurse Collin:) She really wants to be Collin's mommy and totally has down everyone's relationships "Mommy, you are Grandma's daughter?" Yup! It's one of those cute things that turns annoying (she won't let me push the stroller, yet careens toward the ditch) and I hate asking her to stop pretending, I know having this much imagination is a good thing! She also told me the other day that Collin told her he wants a sister:) 

Our little "Mommy"

We are toying with the idea of turning the sunroom into a true four-seasons room. It would be a playroom/art room/guest room:) We know what we want to do and are pricing it. We would obviously love to have it functional before this winter, yet there are so many other things to do with that money. I want to do it, but am not sure it has the top priority...ugh. 

It feels like everyone is sending their kiddos off to school and Dave and I feel weird that Kate is not in the same boat. I have her in a preschool program (though not sure how much of a curriculum they are actually doing) at a church in New Lisbon. She loves it and asks every night if she is going to school in the morning (right now, I take her over there Tuesday and Thursday from 8a -3p). This fall, many of her peers are going to 4K or 4 year old preschool, but her birthday is not for two months, so she can't go. I know she could totally handle it, though I am really not ready for her to ride a bus (I am surprised by my apprehension about this, it is freaking me out!) She told me she wants to ride the yellow school bus, but I told her that Mommy likes driving her to school:) I just feel like children younger than her are taking this next big step and she is left behind. I am going to increase her time at the preschool program at the church this fall, at her request and to gear up for next year. And actually, as I looked at how to increase her time, I got very sad and realized that I don't really want to have her gone so much. I'll miss her! It seems weird, almost two years ago, I started staying home with her, it is like I assumed it would always be that way. Me, home with Kate. (adding to the brood obviously, but she would always be there) Thus, starts the conflicting emotions of a parent! Wanting them to go, but wanting them to stay:) 

Well, it is super late and I should be sleeping. All day long, I think of things that I need to look up/find/shop for/email back etc. and tell myself, I'll do it after the kids go to sleep. It is so silly and I should know better. I am so exhausted by the time he is actually asleep that I can't even remember what I was going to do, even if I could keep my eyes open. I do try and use the time I'm up in the night with Collin to be productive, but that is a recipe for disaster. Amazon is just too tempting and with two hours of sleep, no glasses and a fussy baby, you just never know what might be brought by UPS to my door in 2 days! 

Peace!

(ps - it is too late to proof this....good luck:)