4th birthday

yes that would be Rob and Grandpa in the toys

this would be the HUGE Scooby Doo cake the guy at Meijer told me feeds 8-12 people.....I guess I don't small enough pieces! But it worked out.

Happy 4th Birthday Kendall!!! We love you SO MUCH :)

Kendall's special day

Today was Kendall's special day at school. And it was extra special because it was for her birthday. So yes, with a 5 day old infant in tow.....we headed off to Kendall's school. I had to stay the whole time because when it's the kids special day - the parents stay as helpers (well they only need 1). Her teacher was happy that I'd brought the baby because that was her excuse to keep the kids inside!!! Kendall brought the bear that Brenym gave her for her show and tell. I can't even tell you how excited she was to show her friends "Daphne". Their project for the day was decorating Christmas cookies and they had a blast with that.

Kendall is adjusting okay to having a new brother. She sleeps right through him crying and I was really worried about that. I've know she just wants to be involved and included so her job is the pacifier. If he "wahs' (as she calls crying) she can find the pacifier and try to get him to take it. She books to find the pacifier when he cries - it's cute. She has probably kissed him more than I have already. She asked one time why he peed out of "that thing" and she has also lifted up her nightie and asked "can I feed the baby cuz I have boobs." We are trying to give her extra special 1 on 1 attention and I sure hope it helps her adjust.

Want to win a new computer???

Hey - I'll try anything to win something!!! Especially a shiny new HP COMPUTER!! And even though I'd rather NOT give you the link to try to win one yourself - it helps MY CHANCES if I do! I have read the MckMama blog for well over a year now and continue to do so on a daily basis. I really enjoy the way she writes and they are a super interesting family (at least to me). So here ya go http://mckgiveaways.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-giveaway.html but if someone I KNOW wins - I better get at least a Thank you!!!!

first snow of 2009

Kendall was overjoyed with all the snow today. We had to venture out to get boots since I can only find 1 from last year since we moved. She wanted Princess and the Frog boots - but they don't make them in her size, since her feet are quite big for a kid her age. She settled for black since they didn't have cute plain pink ones either. :( I let her play outside until I couldn't take the cold anymore....how come when I asked her in the fall if she wanted to go outside she said no- but when it's freezing and snowing she WANTS to????

We got a letter from the Health Dept that they did a vision screening at her school and Kendall was unable to pass. I'd think that she was maybe goofing around and that's why she didn't pass - but they screen them twice. So we have an appointment next Friday at the eye doctor. Maybe there is a reason, besides her wanting to irritate me, for standing so close to the TV...and our TV isn't small either!!!!

Thanksgiving

Kendall and Coen are about 5 months apart and they get along GREAT. It's funny because at times they tattle on each other - but then they are back to playing 2 seconds later. I'm so glad there are kids Kendall's age on Rob's side of the family - and an added bonus they are kids Kendall's age and she gets along with them.

As Kendall called it - this is her "stage make up"....which worried me at first - but then on Scooby Doo I heard them say stage make up :) whew!!!

As our usual Berends tradition - we went bowling on Thanksgiving. Kendall really enjoyed it this year. She was hopping all over the place and wanted to help everyone with their bowling. Mom was the only one who let her because the rest of them were bowling for some cash!!!

She thinks anytime a name that starts with K is there - that it's her. So Rob was showing her that mommy's name starts with a K also. She learned quickly that I was first and she has "two l's"

Breanna outgrew her Spongebob ball - so she generously passed it on down to Kendall - she was ELATED!!!!

Stone Soup lunch

Kendall's class had a Stone Soup lunch today. Each student had to bring in one item for the soup - Kendall brought the bowls. Last week they cut up all the ingredients which Kendall loved doing. We got to come early to pick them up and eat some of the soup with them. As we got there, each student said to their parent "thank you for joining us for our lunch" and they took us by the hand to get in line for soup. It was fun, but I must say it's hard for a pregnant girl to sit in those little seats at those little tables!!! The girl Kendall is sitting by is Anna - that is who she mostly plays with when she's at school and they both just HAVE to hug each other before they leave each day. Kendall has been wanting to pick out her own pajamas at night. She normally chooses regular clothes - but oh well. So these pictures below are one of the "pajammies" that she chose. She calls them pajammies and her request for what she wanted to pick was "a blue shirt, blue pants and blue socks".....at least she picked all the same color! I found her some really cute pajammies for this year - hopefully she eventually wants to pick the ACTUAL pajamas!

Kendall and Boo

No matter how much Kendall terrorizes the cat, he still really likes her. If she goes in her room to play - he stalks her and finds her and lays there and acts like he's playing with her. Every now and again he does get sick of her mauling him to death and he'll kind of bite her - but it never leaves a mark. If she had her way she'd love it if he could sleep with her at night - but we shut her door all the way and I don't want him waking her up if he really wants out!

Happy Halloween!

Kendall chose to be Aurora (aka sleeping beauty) for Halloween. She didn't want me to curl her hair - "just a ponytail mom" - so that is what we did. It was super cold so she wore leggings underneath her outfit and eventually let me put a sweatshirt on her. We were smart this year and took her wagon with Rob's "Michigan Snuggie" so she was pretty warm most of the time. She was really good at yelling Trick or Treat again this year. When we got home, she had a GREAT time passing out candy to the trick or treaters that came - not sure which she enjoyed better, getting her own candy or passing it out. She kept trying to get grandpa and Rob to eat her candy (which is nice that she shares) but Rob said she gave them like 20 pieces each!!

of all the toys.....

She enjoys pulling a chair up to the sink and playing in the water with her toys. I fill one side up with soap and water so she has bubbles and then we use the ice cube tray as the rinse off bin so there is just warm water in there. Each toy gets its own towel (washcloth) and she just goes to town. She was occupied with this for over an hour the other day. Needed no help or anybody by her - she just kept asking for more towels. The cat kept trying to join her, but he just played with the bubbles so she kicked him off the chair. Totally off the subject, but we couldn't have asked for a better cat. He likes water. He likes Kendall - let's her do anything she wants to him and he will NOT bite her! I caught her trying to put him in a drawer to play hide n seek with him the other day - when I told her to set him down he couldn't go in a drawer he didn't high tail it out of the room - he just sat there and looked at her like "what are we gonna play next". Grandma, Grandpa and Breanna came over on Friday and the children aka grandpa breanna and kendall played hide n seek, which involves the girls hiding and grandpa finding them.....well the girls hid under our bed and the cat hid with them - when grandpa found them and they ran, the cat ran right along with him. Sometimes I kind of WISH he'd bite her because then she wouldn't constantly be picking him up or hugging him or OCK licking him like she does sometimes - but I guess if it doesn't bother him it shouldn't bother me!

Show code

Scene:
Kendall and Mommy in the shower

Kendall: (while kinda flicking her hands at moms boobs) mom, those are getting kinda short

Mom: (holding back laughter) what do you mean?

Kendall: (while patting the top of my belly) they're kinda short because they are touching this now

Mom to self - geez I'm glad my daughter is oh so observant and I certainly hope she does not repeat this conversation at school!!!!

funny stuff

Kendall and I met Dani for lunch on Tuesday......and Kendall was at her best as usual.....first off we met for Chinese. I told Kendall we were going for Chinese food at First Wok and Kendall said "are we walking there?" How do you explain to a kid that doesn't spell, the difference between Wok and walk?!?!?! And a little back story to her next funny comment......so Dani got a puppy awhile back and we went to visit and see the puppy and Dani's boys climbed in the dog's cage and invited Kendall in there. So when Kendall saw Dani walking toward us she said "hey, where are your cage boys?" Then while eating Kendall was telling one of her wonderful stories of when we went to the movies a few weeks ago and she was trying to tell Dani that the movie scared the crap out of her (which were words of another kid we went with....)but instead she told her "the movie crapped on me." Now this morning our cat was really interested in what we were eating for breakfast so he kept trying to inch his way onto the table and when he got his front paws up there I said "well excuse you" and Kendall said "mommy, did the kitty burp?" never a dull moment I tell you. Oh yes what did she ask the other day about Brenym....oh yes she asked if he was going to pop out of my stomach - if that were only the case.........

Kendall has adjusted WONDERFULLY to our new house!! We found a little park around the corner and she loves it - it's within walking distance so that is great and so far nobody is EVER there! She still calls our old apartment "our new place" (she called it that the whole time we lived there) and she calls our new house by the street name.

She is doing GREAT in dance class. There are just 5 girls in there and they all get along great. Last week the parents could watch - and Kendall asked her friend Lily who her mom was and Lily told her the one with the camera and Kendall said my mom is the one with the baby in her tummy.

I wanna go where everybody knows your name

We went to McDonald's for lunch today at Kendall's request - and when you order a happy meal they ask if it's for a boy or girl - well, I said girl and Kendall yelled "it's for kendall barr".....just struck me as funny!!!!
She is still loving dance class - and still talking the teacher's arm off. I've told her to just keep going with the class b/c otherwise Kendall will never stop talking.
Yesterday I was the parent helper in her classroom and halfway to school I told her I was staying with her at school and she cried and said "no I wanna be there by myself". I told her all the parents take turn helping in the classroom and she said "well I don't want it to be your turn today." Nothing like crushing me! Once we got to school and she realized that she could help me with the "helper duties" - she was okay with me staying. Since I was the helper - Kendall was the special person - so she got to bring a friend from home (she wanted the cat) but I talked her into something not alive...she chose the teddy bear that daddy got her. She got to sit in a chair next to the teacher and talk about her friend. This talking eventually turned into our cat's poop and then another kid started telling the class about his new Spiderman underwear. Her teacher is great at diverting them from "off topics" - but I had a great time with eight 3 year olds - surprisingly!!

Robinette's

Rob and I watched our niece and nephew Paige and Coen on Saturday. We took the kids to Robinette's. They loved the hayride! Kendall and Coen even got to pet the horses and they liked that even more. When we got back to their house afterwards - the 3 kids were outside playing and Rob said "I don't hear kids"...so we went to find them - they were on the side of the house in the lot where there is just some grass and we laughed when we saw them.....they had kid camping chairs set up in a circle and had found a bunch of sticks and made a "fire" and Paige even had a long stick she was holding onto so she could roast a marshmallow. Such imaginations!!!

continued

09/20/09 - called aunt becky a dumbo and mommy a wierdo

but i shall also tell ya some of the things that i LOVE about Kendall!!! (i mean, i love all of her, but you know what i mean)

I love.......

that she eats the crust
that she's not a picky eater
that she's never gotten into and messed with my make up
that she is an AWESOME sleeper!
that she's a hugger - a Kendall hug always puts me in a better mood
when she holds my hand
when just out of the blue she says "momma, i love you"
that she asks rob for help when she poops instead of me!!!
how she snores
that she'll sing songs with me in the car

will she live to see 4????

geesh!!! love her to death but she is out of control lately!!!! I will start journaling her "snot" comment/action of the day....beginning with yesterday
09/17/09 - laughed while i yelled at her (i had to walk away.....)
09/18/09 - I told her to quit pushing buttons on the dvd and she said "i can do what i want" and gave me attitude with her head...

I LOVE HER

ugh - beast at the treehouse

And that beast would be KENDALL. We left preschool and went to the treehouse at the mall so Kendall could play a little more....and I looked over and she was in the treehouse and pushed a kid, who was standing, backwards down the slide!!! And this poor kid was like 1 or MAYBE 18 months. I walked right over to the steps and said KENDALL OLIVIA GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW......she got a time out at the mall and had to say she was sorry to that poor kid. He was fine thank goodness but GEEZ - WHAT A BEAST!!!! But she got it back - when she was done with her time out she went back and some girl smacked her on the head - not that I'm saying she deserved it or anything.....

First Dance Class

Kendall had her first dance class this morning. It is just her and 3 other girls and they were all adorable. At home while getting ready - Kendall couldn't understand why she had to wear a different pair of shoes TO the class and then change them. But thankfully, none of the other girls had their dance shoes on either when we got there. She, of course, talked the teacher's arm off and when the teacher said "i need you to sing as loud as you can"......Kendall was most definitely the loudest! She seemed to have a blast and I'm so glad that she likes it! And you can't really see it - but they got stickers on their hands also. Tomorrow is her first day at her new school - it's just an hour and I get to be there the whole time - next Tuesday she will be there all by herself.

Just pictures.....

No cavities!

Kendall went to her second dentist appointment this morning and yay no cavities! So she got to put a star on her picture that is on the wall. She was very excited. She sat perfectly still and never whined or cried the whole time. She was happy to get a new mermaid motorized toothbrush and the mermaid has brown hair!!
I also think I have found a preschool for her in our new neighborhood! We went and visited this morning and every person that I came across was really friendly and the preschool room is huge and Kendall walked in an seemed very comfortable. Now I just need to see if the dance place will let us switch her dance class day to wednesday instead of tuesday so she can go to school!

Meeting a new friend

Kendall got to meet Brady's new sister - Izabell Sue tonight. Izabell has some AWESOME cheeks!!! Kendall got to hold her and Izzy didn't even mind! She was out of it the whole time we were there. Kendall picked out girlie pacifiers today - that seems to be her gift of choice. Welcome Izabell!!!

what an angel!

With no nap or anything on Saturday - Kendall was an absolute angel at the wedding. She had her picture taken a thousand times and she did not complain once! When it was her turn to walk down the aisle she turned and asked me "when will he take my picture?" What a ham. It took her and Coen awhile to walk down the aisle - but they did great!!!