Preschool Work

Here's a little sampling of what the Bugaboo has brought home from preschool. I love seeing her learning to write. Every now and then when she sees a letter that strikes her fancy she'll ask, with urgency, for a paper and pencil so she can practice writing that letter. It's as if she thinks, "I have to write this down before I forget what I saw!"

Tracing and writing mom & dad.

Picture depicting her house.

I can't remember what she told me about the pictures she drew. She's in bed now so I'll post her description later.

Happy Halloween!

Mommy Daughter Date

M-Bug and I had a few days to ourselves this last week and decided to take advantage of it. With the big girls at school and the boys out of town we planned a mommy/daughter date.

On the menu:

To the Mall!

Old Navy for a new winter coat

Buy a gumball from the gumball machine

Ride the carousel

Play at the playground

Eat lunch at Chik-fil-a

Of course we had to take pics of ourselves after we got all gussied up to go out.

(Notice the object sticking out of M-Bug's cast. This is how she carries her lip gloss....everywhere!)

The Old Navy dog!!!!

I have been telling M-Bug we would ride the carousel since before we brought her home. We finally made it! She loved it. I love the smug little looks on her face in these two pictures.

At Chik-fil-a. This is an attempt to get a picture of her cute hair. On our way in she told me she thought people were going to tell her they thought her hair was cute. She was a little surprised that no one had said anything. I mean look at that hair. Who could resist commenting on it?! Apparently everyone in Chik-fil-a that day!

Mmmmm......Icedream!

Cast #3

M-Bug went to the doctor on Friday to get her cast off. Little did we know they would put another back on!

After another x-ray the doctor determined that although it is basically healed he doesn't think the bone growth looks strong enough to be unprotected quite yet. Considering the bugaboo's tendency to fall, I agreed.

M-Bug was pretty good about the whole thing. She was excited to pick a new color and went with red to match her Halloween costume. She was also excited that she still gets to take a bath in the sink.

Big Daddy told M-Bug he'd make her cake since she was such a trooper about getting another cast. During her nap he made & decorated these cupcakes for her.
What a fun dad!

M-Bug enjoying the deliciousness of her "Happy Third Cast" cupcakes!

Cast #2

First off, this is my new favorite picture of M-Bug. Her Daddy was making her laugh so she actually has a genuine smile. What a beautiful girl!

We took The Bugaboo's cast off after 3 weeks, as instructed by the doctor. After peeling it off we could see that her wrist was bruised and it didn't feel like the other wrist. She was also complaining that it still hurt a little. So off we went to the doctor's office for a new x-ray. He said she needed at least two more weeks in a cast. Instead of sending us to the children's hospital they casted her there at the pediatrician's office. Unfortunately they didn't have supplies for a soft cast. So we're stuck with a hard, non-waterproof cast.

On the bright side it's PINK which is what M-Bug wanted all along, and she thought it was pretty exciting when I had to give her a bath in the kitchen sink so her arm didn't get wet.

Hopefully everything will be healed in 2 more weeks and she'll be cast free!

Shenanigans!

When Mom's away......Dad watches sports while the kids run wild!

I came home the other evening to discover that The Bugaboo had cut her own hair, leaving a little pile of brown curls on the living room floor.

It looks like she just wanted to frame her little face. You can't blame a girl for taking her beauty into her own hands.


Overall, it wasn't too bad. She's still adorable!

For the record, Big Daddy is a great babysitter! I've had much worse happen on my watch!

Preschool!

M-Bug & LuLu

M-Bug started preschool this week and is absolutely loving it!

Her best friend LuLu is in her class, as well as a few kids from church.

It's so exciting and comforting to see M-Bug's growing confidence. She was a little nervous the morning of her first day, but the jitters left as soon as we got to the classroom. She was so ready I had to remind her to give me a hug and kiss goodbye.

Big Daddy took The Bugaboo on her second day. As they were walking out the front door she ran back and in a very grown up manner said, "Mom, a hug and kiss." She kissed me on the lips, which is rare, and wrapped her arms around my neck and then scurried out the door.

I love those moments!!!!!!!

At dinner that night Big Daddy told us how M-Bug walked into the classroom, found her cubby, hung up her bag, took her lunch to the fridge, and then sat herself down on the rug, next to LuLu of course. M-Bug was beaming and we were all so proud of her.

Caterpillar!

The Bugaboo found a caterpillar at the park today.

She was in 7th heaven.

She has a love for all living creatures and is always excited to see any bug or animal.

She let that caterpillar crawl all over her. It took every ounce of patience she had to let the other kids have turns holding it.
Unfortunately we weren't going straight home so we couldn't bring the little guy with with us. Next time for sure!
While we were getting in the car M-Bug was going on and on about caterpillars and how much she loves them. The last thing she said was "Mom I love caterpillars. They're so cute and tickley."

Speaking of her love for animals somehow she got on a camel kick. Every time I put her to bed, as I'm about to leave she says, "Mom, how much do you ride a camel?" I still haven't figured out what exactly she means by that but we proceed to talk about riding a camel, how to ride a camel, and that if she wants to ride a camel we have to take a trip to Egypt. She also wants to ride an elephant.
I think this all began when one night she asked me if she could ride a Hippo. I told her you can't ride hippos and a few nights later she started in on the camels.

So one day expect a picture of M-Bug on a camel!

First Broken Bone

The little Bugaboo broke her arm last week.

The credit goes to M-Bug's no fear personality. Even after telling her she should not try to get off the bunk bed without climbing down the ladder she had to try it out for herself.

It was such a small break that is was hard to know if she was really hurt or not. Lucky for me she is a pretty tough kid who happens to fall and get hurt A LOT with little to no whimpering and crying. She gets back on her feet and keeps going.

So, after an hour of crying and whimpering on the couch, and complaining that the ice pack (bag of peas) was hurting her arm I figured we better take her to our pediatrician.

They got her in within a few hours, x-rayed her arm (in the office I might add ~ love it!), and found a small buckle break. The doctor put on a splint and sent us on our way with instructions to take her to the children's hospital to get casted.

Yucky splint! It was too fat and M-Bug tried to take it off several times.

Waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the "real cast" at the children's hospital. I couldn't believe how many kids were in there that morning waiting to be casted. The nurse told us they had 91 appts. that morning. Bugaboo quickly made friends with another 3 yr. old girl, Sammy, who had also broken her left arm.

The final product!

A soft cast she only has to wear for 3 weeks and I get to peel it right off her arm.

M-Bug really wanted a pink cast, but purple was all that was available. The doctor sent us home with some pretty Co-Ban (spelling?) wrap to jazz it up a little.

Two more weeks to go!

Bundle of Joy

M-Bug is just a little bundle of joy, even when she's not!

She's as stubborn and headstrong as CoCo, but exerts it differently.

When CoCo was her age and I couldn't get her dressed to go out, I would throw my hands up and say, "Fine, if you won't get dressed we'll have to take you to the store in your underwear." I would even start carrying her to the car. She would flip out and get dressed, because naturally, you don't go out in your underwear.

M-Bug and I were having the same dilemma a few weeks ago so I told her what I use to tell CoCo. "I guess you'll just have to go the store in your underwear." A few minutes later she still wasn't dressed. When I ask her why she hadn't gotten dressed she said, as if I must have forgotten, "Mom, you said I could go to the store in my underwear!"

I caught this moment between the two of them tonight.

Although they are 3 years apart M-Bug & CoCo share a room and neither likes to fall asleep without the other. CoCo is pretty good about letting M-Bug pal around with her and keeps her eye on her when they are playing outside. Today M-Bug drew some pictures for CoCo and hung them by her bed. M-Bug was so thrilled when CoCo said she liked them.
They really are so much alike. I hope it keeps them close to each other.

Too Cute!

Too Cute to not take Pictures!

Super Me!!!

What would we do without sisters who teach us to put panties on our head and run around like a super hero? Life would be so boring with out them!

In this photo M-Bug is saying "Super Me!"

Of course Boochy needed in on the action too!

Bugaboo Funny:

Big Daddy always makes a big deal about being the one who "brings home the bacon." When M-Bug asks him, "Where were you today?" He tells her, "I was at work so I can bring home the bacon." This morning the Bugaboo woke up oh so early and was laying in our bed watching Bid Daddy get ready for work, when she says, "Daddy, you better not be late or someone might steal your bacon." Cute little bug!

Swim Lessons

M-Bug and her darling swim teacher.

We've had swim lessons everyday this week and M-Bug absolutely loved it!

She has gained so much confidence in the water and is so proud of all her new accomplishments:

blowing bubbles,

picking up rings from the steps,

swimming from the step to the teacher without floaties,

and her favorite - using the kickboard.

Once the Bugaboo mastered the kickboard she refused to let anyone help her. Even after slipping off and going under she got back on and said, "Don't help me. I can do it myself."

Hi Nana!

This a video of M-Bug "calling" Nana from our hotel room. We had just arrived at our hotel in Albuquerque and the kids were wild!

Be advised: Things get a little tense at the end. Pesky little brothers!

Ice Cream, Baseball, and Airplanes

Ice Cream!

We had another stroke of luck and the Ice Cream man came! M-Bug was finally able to use her "Ice Cream Man" money. I think she enjoyed it!
I tried to get a pic of all the kids together but the older girls ate too fast. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that M-Bug refuses to bite her popsicle, only licks.


Baseball!

We're a little nuts about baseball in our family so taking the Bugaboo to her first major league game was a big deal.

We had a blast!

It was a little tough adjusting to taking four kids to the park, (hence the leash on the one that runs the most), but everyone had such a good time we went again a few weeks later.
The photo above is the Booch, M-Bug and Coco watching a contest on a smaller daimond they have in the children's area.

M-Bug and I riding the carousel.

We buy each child one token and they can choose how to use it.

M-Bug headed straight for the carousel.

No game would be complete without an ice cream break around the 5th inning.



Airplanes!

M-Bug's day revolves around Big-Daddy leaving for work and coming home, so this week we decided to go see Big-Daddy at work and check out his plane.

We didn't get to go out to the flight line, but the kids got to sit in a couple of "practice" planes they have in the squadron, which probably was much better and more entertaining for them.

"I'm flying Daddy!"

"The Miracle of the Bunnies"

M-Bug has been amazingly strong and happy through this whole transition. As I mentioned in the last post we tried to get her excited about coming to our house by telling all the exciting things that she'd find there. She's crazy about animals so I told her about the bunnies that sometimes hop around our back yard. This is the one thing she really grabbed on to and used it has her coping mechanism. Whenever she would start to get homesick for Nana she would cry for a few seconds and then in her sweet emotional voice say, "I'll see the bunnies? I want to see the bunnies." Then she would calm down and cheer right up. It was sad and sweet and inspiring all at the same time.

After we picked up the other girls at the sitter, we still had about an hour and a half drive, until we got home. M-Bug had a little Nana moment and fixed it by talking about the bunnies. I told everyone to pray their hearts out, for M-Bug's sake, that there would be bunnies in our yard. While saying my own prayer in my heart I thought, "This isn't how this whole prayer thing works. I can't just turn to the Lord and say, 'Please place bunnies in my yard in about one hour. Thank you,' like I'm ordering at a fast food restaurant." So, instead I told Him that I know He knows what M-Bug needs and if she really needs those bunnies to comfort her they will be there. And if not, it wasn't because the Lord wasn't listening, but because M-Bug was going to be okay.

We got home, no bunnies. The night went on, we got everyone in bed and things were great. The next morning we all helped get Magster and Coco off to school. Daddy K, who has asked that I refer to him as Big Daddy from here on out, took the Booch and M-Bug out to play.

A few minutes later I heard him calling me and telling me to come outside.

Nestled in the grass were 5 tiny new born bunnies!

The Bugaboo was fascinated and so excited!
She said we had to feed them, so we chopped up some carrots for them.
(After googling what to do about the baby rabbits, this wasn't what we should have done. Oops!)

Big Daddy and I were amazed and humbled at the lengths the Lord will go to show just one of his children that he loves them.

What an amazing journey this has been so far!