Mouth Full of Clean Teeth

Karlee had her first experience at the dentist office yesterday. I've been putting off the inevitable and decided it was better to get it over with before Madelyn arrives. Teeth brushing at our house is a dreaded event. Karlee fights it 90% of the time two times a day. We've tried different tooth brushes, tooth pastes, letting her brush herself, letting her brush my teeth. Nothing seems to get her excited about teeth brushing.

I've had the appointment made for a few weeks and have been telling Karlee all about the dentist. When we arrived, she was excited to have her picture taken beside the monkey sign. Then, when we walked in, she ran straight for the train table and started playing. When they called her name, she just held my hand and slowly walked back to the room.



She was shown all the instruments and I held them to show her they were okay. The sweet hygienist turned on the TV in the ceiling and Dora was on. Karlee perked up and was ready. I got to sit in the chair and Karlee laid back on my stomach (which was pretty uncomfortable for me!). They started by counting her teeth and she has 20. I snapped this picture when Karlee was just looking around and checking everything out. She looks scared to death!



Karlee sat really still and did everything she was asked with no complaints. I was fully expecting the dead lip lock like I get at home every time I come at her with a toothbrush! When it was all over, Karlee was excited to get a prize out of the toy machine. I asked if she wanted to go to Walmart and get a really big prize for being so good. She said, "no, I got a little prize from the dentist." Definitely not the answer I was expecting either!



She got a t-shirt and wanted to wear it the minute we got home. She also had to go outside and show Sable her clean teeth. She was so proud. Teeth brushing last night wasn't as bad as it has been but it was back to a fight this morning. Maybe I should get dentist tools to start using. She might like those cold silver things better!

Pumpkin Time

I have taken Karlee to Jack-o-Lantern Lane in Lafayette for the past two years to pick her pumpkin out of the pumpkin patch. She has always liked it but it has always been HOT on the days we went. The other day we were driving around town and she spotted pumpkins at a Farmers Market. She was excited and said "look at that pumpkin garden." I then realized that we would not be making a trip to the real pumpkin patch this year. Picking out pumpkins in 90 degree weather just did not sound appealing this year!

So, when I picked Karlee up from school Monday, we headed to Shakey's pizza for lunch and then to the Farmers Market. She walked all through the pumpkins and picked the perfect two. One for her to decorate and one for her and daddy to carve. I much preferred the one minute walk through the pumpkins rather than the hour spent at the pumpkin patch in 90 degree heat!

I broke out the paint when we got home and let Karlee just go at it all over the pumpkin. She was so proud of her creation. She jumped in Chip's arms when he came home from work that night and immediately said "Come look at my pumpkin. I made it pretty."





Karlee could barely sit still through dinner. She was ready for her daddy to help her carve the big pumpkin. They started with cleaning the inside out.





Then they moved on to making the face. Chip just couldn't draw a simple set of eyes, a nose, and a mouth. He told me to find cookie cutters for different shapes. He used those for the eyes and the nose. Then, he used a serving platter and a funny shaped acrylic bowl to draw the mouth. I guess he was putting his building science degree to use! Karlee was trying to trace cookie cutter shapes herself on the other side of the pumpkin!





While Chip and Karlee were concentrating on the face, I was busy picking seeds out of the pumpkin goo. I tried my hand at roasting pumpkin seeds for the first time. I remember roasting them in grade school and really liking them. Karlee tried one while she was eating a before bed bowl of cereal (something she has started asking for lately-maybe she's gonna get some meat on those bones!). She immediately dove into the pan for more. She was a big fan of pumpkin seeds!

Random Happenings

There has been A LOT going on lately. I feel like I have run a marathon and am still trying to finish it.

Two weeks ago, my closest friends gave me and Madelyn a monogram baby shower. The nursery closet is slap full of clothes that are passed down from Karlee. But, I wanted Madelyn to have some special things of her own. And, Lord knows I don't have time to sit down and monogram or sew her something myself right now. That's what maternity leave is for!! It was such a fun shower and I thank all my sweet friends that came and showered me with such adorable gifts.

The amazing hostesses

Parkway has had lots of activities in the past few weeks. The Auburn Fire Department came last Monday and Karlee was overly excited to see the firetruck. When I picked her up from school that day, Mrs. Kim said "My, my! You have a child that is scared of nothing." Of course I know this already but I had to ask exactly what she did. Luckily it was just roaming all through the truck and wanting to drive it. When the siren went off, Karlee was about the only one that didn't run and hide. I guess she's used to loud beeps coming from Chip's tractors and dump trucks! Thanks to her sweet teachers, I have a few pictures from the event.





Then, last Thursday, Parkway had a Grandparents Breakfast before school. I didn't warn Karlee about it before hand and she was kind of confused for a minute wondering why all her grandparents were at school with her. I managed to snap a few pictures before I headed to work. I was really wondering how Karlee handled them leaving her at school when it was over. My mom said she just told them bye and went to playing. Karlee is thoroughly enjoying her class this year and it's obvious when she can let my mom leave her without pitching a fit!




At lunch that same day, my bosses and co-workers had a little baby shower lunch for me and my co-worker Tiffany that is due 4 weeks after me. It was fun and Madelyn received some sweet things. I only took a picture of the cupcake cake. I was busy eating and opening presents!



And, since I am my own cleaning lady at home, I tried to get some cleaning done last Thursday night while Chip was at home to keep Karlee occupied. Well, as the pictures show, he didn't do a very good job. I started vacuuming and Karlee came running into the bedroom with her vacuum cleaner to "help." I told Chip since he was doing such a good job at keeping her out of my way, to just come take some pictures because it was pretty funny. He wonders why I don't get as much cleaning done on my off days as I used to. He got to see for himself why that night. Karlee wants to "help" do anything and everything! I have given her a cloth several times lately and told her to clean the baseboards in the living room. She happily does it and I happily watch. This 37 week preggo just can't get down on the floor as easy as I used to!

Family of 3 Pics

I wanted to document the pregnant belly with Karlee before it's too late. Take a look at www.mariwilkes.blogspot.com for a preview!!!

Hickory Dickory Picnic

I picked Karlee up from school today with a plan for a picnic. I had her bike in the car and we were going to Town Creek Park to eat lunch and ride (me push) her bike around the trails. Well, Karlee said "I want to swing at the park." So, we headed to Hickory Dickory Park instead.




After eating a quick bite of lunch, Karlee took off to the swings. She was fine with swinging for a while until other kids showed up. Then, she followed them everywhere. They were all boys so they were wild and Karlee just gave up chasing them. She found two slides and probably went down each one of them 20 times.





She found some ropes to walk on. Then, the monkey came out in her and she started swinging on them. Her arm strength just amazes me for being so little.




She wondered upon the big kid swings and tried her best at swinging in them. They were just too high off the ground and she didn't like them. So, back to the slides she ran.



Karlee wore herself out and didn't pitch the fit I was expecting when I told her it was time to go. She almost fell asleep in the car coming home. It didn't take long for her to go out like a light when I put her in the bed for nap. I stayed in her bed after reading a book for a while just snuggling. I am cherishing every minute of this time with her. I know in the weeks to come, her world is going to change. If the last tax return extension wasn't coming up on the 15th, I would go ahead and take the vacation time I have left before starting maternity leave. I'm going to pack in as many mommy/daughter play dates I can before Madelyn arrives.