Arwyn Week 63: Arwyn Runs Free! - 8/1/2016

Arwyn is still really loving her Daddy more than anyone else this week.  If he comes into the room, she cries and reaches for him, even if I'm already holding her.  She's still really needing to be held in our arms all the time, and she bursts into a screaming tantrum every time you try to put her down.  It's really frustrating because we are so used to Arwyn being the quiet, easy one.  All this crying is not quiet or easy!  She's super picky with her food.  Sometimes she'll just look at something and decide she's not interested in eating it, and will just bat it away.  It's so aggravating because she won't even try it sometimes, how can she know she won't like it when it didn't even get near her lips.  Leia wasn't nearly this picky when she was this age, but she sure it now.  So if Arwyn is starting out 10x more picky now, what are we in for at age 2????  Oy vay, we sure are in trouble!  Arwyn does like bacon (which Leia wouldn't touch until just recently, so I guess there's that), and it makes Josh so happy.  She kept pointing at it to ask for more, more, more, until Josh decided maybe he wasn't so happy because if there girls eat all the bacon, then there's not enough for him!  We went up to the soccer field to play one day, and Arwyn just loved all that big open space.  She was running around like crazy, and just laughing and giggling...so much freedom!  She's still waking up a lot at night and moaning, but I still can't figure out exactly what it is.

Leia has her first day of her new Pre-3 class at school.  I think this is the equivalent of what other people call pre-school, but it was a pretty uneventful switch for us since it really just meant going into a different classroom each day, and she's already been spending a lot of time in that class over the last couple months, so it was a pretty seamless transition.  But it is a major step because she couldn't go there until she was potty trained, and they do step up the curriculum a bit more and have the kids be more independent.  She's getting so grown up!  It was pretty funny because she was reporting in to Josh about all the new rules of the new class, listing off all the things she's not supposed to do, but then she goes off and adds in all these ridiculous "Leia" things that she made up: "Can't climb trees, can't jump off buildings, etc."  She sure has a great imagination.  Even though Arwyn has gotten pretty big these days, Leia still affectionately refers to her as "My Baby."  "I want to kiss my baby, I want to sing to my baby."  Sometimes I think she's talking about her baby dolls, but it always turns out to be Arwyn.  She's very possessive and loving of her little sister, when she's not stealing stuff out of her hands, kicking her, or knocking her over that is!

Waving with joy at being allowed to seat and eat by herself in a big girl chair at the dining room table!

This cute little fan is ready for the new season in her cozy new Steelers jammies!

Slides = smiles!

Such a big slide for such a little person!

Arwyn's not afraid, bring it on!

"Whoa, maybe this was a little scarier than I thought it would be!"

Waving to all the strangers at the park.

Busy with art time...Arwyn loves to try doing what Leia does!

Come on over for a game of Steelers Corn Hole!

Finally grew into her track suit and she's ready for her next workout!

Aproned up for a big multimedia glueing art project.

The ski chair may have turned into another toy storage box, but that will not stop Arwyn from using it properly.

I just can't ever get enough of this sweet little face!

Looking up to big sis for a little playing inspiration.

Scrunch-nose face...her new regular!

Password = Arwyn

Arwyn Eats Bacon! from Katharine Transue on Vimeo.

Josh wanted the girls to like bacon, until he realized they are eating all his bacon!

Nice day for a family ride to the park.

Leia is so balanced and confident on the random bike; she kept alternating between no hands and no feet!

Run, run run, I'm free at last!

Playing chase with Dad.

She just loves to laugh and laugh...it's nice to know she's having a good time so much!

Treasure hunting...what else?

Hey you!

Leia hosted a princess dance ball.  Arwyn and I were invited.  We had to wear gowns, tiaras, and necklaces.

The following montage of pictures shows Leia's great ball dancing moves and spins...

Yep, she's a great dancer (and singer)!

Arwyn Week 62: Arwyn Likes to Dance - 8/25/2016

Arwyn has been really distracted with her breast feeding recently.  Rather than getting a good, long, uninterrupted feed, she's constantly looking me in the eyes, then smiling and laughing.  Plus, she likes to stop and sit up and give me a big kiss right in the middle, then gets back to business.  It's so cute and funny, but she gave me a clog and then wasn't doing a good job of getting it out, and it sort of tells me that our little breast feeding relationship is nearing the end.  I stopped with Leia at 15 months, so I'm determined to get there with Arwyn, but I can see she's going to make this last month a bit difficult.  And I don't think she'll be so angry and upset when we stop the way Leia was, but I guess we'll just see.  Despite not really wanting to breast feed much, Arwyn has been really clingy this week for some reason.  Always wanting to be held by either Josh or myself, and throwing a fit when you have to put her down.  She's also been really into her Daddy this week, sometimes choosing him over Mommy when she wants to be held.  It sure does make Josh feel good, and it may be another sign that she's over the breast feeding.  She's been much more interested in trying to play with Leia recently, and has been calling out "Yay-ya" more and more.  She also likes to emulate her big sister, so the other night when I wanted to breast feed her and put her to bed, instead she insisted on sitting at Leia's little table on her stool and eating dinner with her.  She was trying to steal Leia's dinner, so I had to give her some of her own, and when she finished it she still tried to steal more.  She was so fired up to be sitting at the "big kid's table" eating a meal with her sister instead of her high chair.  You could just see it in her face that she felt really important.  She was also tapping her toes and bopping her head to the beat of the 80's tune Josh was playing, so the whole scene was just hilarious!

Leia has had a bit of a bad week, in my humble opinion.  Her Grandma told her she was sending a package, and the girl threw multiple tantrums every single day until it arrived, which was probably over a week later.  We were so sick of her tantrums that I actually found some shoes that Grandma had sent awhile back that we were hiding until they fit, and I threw them in an old USPS box and told her the package actually arrived.  That worked like a charm, but then the all the real boxes showed up, so she got so many presents, and now she just keeps telling me more and more things that she wants.  I tell her to put it on her list for Christmas, but she just keeps throwing fits about it anyway.  The main thing she wants now are ballet slippers, which is silly since she doesn't even take ballet.  The fact that she wants any more shoes at all is ridiculous because the kid is like Imelda Marcos with all the shoes she has in her closet right now!  She changes outfits and shoes multiple times a day...how did I end up with such a fashion monster??  Anyway, she is really grateful for her packages.  She pulls out each item and says, "Oh, this is so cute! Sanks Grandma!"  Sometimes she acts so adult for how little the really is.  We had a fun time at Emmett's second birthday party, and Leia got to play on his new swing set.  The surprise of the day was when she actually jumped forward off the swing to make her grand exit!  I had no idea she was up for that bold move already.  She was so funny too because she's always liked our friend Jody because she gets jelly beans overtime we go to her house, but the other day Jody came to our house and Leia lost her shyness and was really into showing Jody all her special treasures.  So then at the party she kept yelling from the swing, "Jody, look at me, look at me!"  Pretty funny how she bonded with Jody all of a sudden.  Leia has also been picking a nose a bunch this week, giving herself many bloody noses.  When we ask her why she keeps doing it, she says, "Sorry, but I was hungry."  Guess we don't feed the kid enough, she has to get sustenance from her own buggers!

Ahhh, watch out, it's the Googie Monster!

Little sweetie in her summer dress and hair clips...at least for as long as she leaves them in!

Turns out Kiddie Pools are fun with or without water.

Relaxing in the shade with her new coloring/sticker book.

Two peas in a pod or two TURDles in a pool? Just kidding!

Bags are packed and she's ready to go, dragging her own bag to Nana and Poppy's for the night!  First overnight at their house for Arwyn!

Happy 6th Anniversary to me and Josh...delicious and relaxing dinner out at Graham's.

Feeling a little shy when we arrived at Emmett's raging party.

Arwyn was a little shy and clingy too, wouldn't leave Josh's side the entire party.

Wouldn't even smile all day.

A little slip 'n slide mania is always good to break the ice!

There she goes!

Splash!

Checking out Audra and the pool temp...Arwyn decided not to go in today.

So happy that these three do like to play together, at least most of the time.

Happy 2nd Birthday big guy!

The injured reserve, watching all the mayhem from a safe spot in the corner.

Double slip n' slides and over 30 people worked just fine on John and Stacia's newly landscaped lawn and garden.

It was quite the party, and definitely a fun new space to hang out.

Didn't even know that John and Stacia had so many friends with kids!

View from above.

Cuddle bear Daddy hanging tough in the corner with little Arwyn all afternoon.

Ah, finally a little smile.

Now this kid was a pro, grabbed his cups and chugged while sliding right by!

Bubble time!

Everybody sing: "Happy Birthday to Emmett..."

Still not quite sure about candles and fire.

Did somebody say there was cake??  I think we have a few takers!

Emmett, you need to blow the bubbles not eat them!

Practicing for a future lawn mowing career...guess nobody told him the new lawn never needs mowing!

Arwyn is the only person who can wake Leia up at 5:00 from an overlong nap by sitting on her head and still have Leia be smiling and happy with her!

Password = Arwyn

Arwyn Plays Peek-A-Boo from Katharine Transue on Vimeo.

Arwyn takes control of the Peek-a-Boo game by putting the towel over her own head.

Leia loves having a partner in crime to play in her tent with her.

The living room is always trashed, but at least the girls are having fun, right?

Flower statue pose!

Daddy Day at the park!

Smiling, swinging kids are the best!

Piggy Tails!

Busy studying and taking notes about what all the big kids get to do on the other side...

Fired up to be at the big girl table with her own plate eating dinner with her big sister (rather than the highchair of course).

Password = Arwyn

Arwyn Bopping to the 80's from Katharine Transue on Vimeo.

Arwyn eating at the big kid's table while bopping her head and tapping her feet to the 80's music.

Getting goofy with little miss pillow head...yep, you guessed it, Daddy Day!

Josh's quote: "Thank you NPR for playing a piece yesterday on the way home from daycare about the science behind Freddy Mercury's rock god tenor voice... Leia heard a clip and said, daddy I want that!!! No problem at all... Today she was introduced to Bohemian rhapsody and head banging... Tomorrow we shall work on the irregular vibrato..."

A little Wayne's World head banging in action!