Toddler Bed Time!

It's been getting tougher lately for me to lift Kaylee into and out of her crib, and I figure it'll just get tougher as I get further into this pregnancy. So we decided to change Kaylee's crib to a bed. We debated going straight to a full size bed, since we didn't buy the toddler bed rail that goes with her crib (because they wanted as much as some toddler beds cost for just that rail!), but it seemed like too much of a change for her all at once, plus we'd have to buy a mattress and springs for her and just didn't want to do so right now! So we decided to turn the crib into a day bed and use a store bought bed rail on the side (a rail that we can later use on a full size bed if needed). I bought the rail today, took off the front piece (what will eventually be the foot board of her full size bed) and put the rail on. It seems secure and hopefully will work well. Kaylee got in and "tested" it by bouncing and rolling around before bedtime. She was very excited to have a toddler bed now! We were afraid she might climb in and out to play, but she's been up there nearly an hour on her own and we haven't heard a peep since we left. Knock on wood! Of course, she was probably super worn out after a day of school, no nap and a friend's excitement-filled birthday party. The real test might be nap time or bedtime tomorrow!!



Update: seems I spoke (err, wrote?) too soon. After just over an hour, she woke up crying, got out of bed and was wandering aimlessly in her dark bedroom. I put her back in bed and turned on a nightlight, which seems to have calmed her down some; she's still fussing a little, but I think she's staying in her bed...for now...

Preschool Prayer

At Kaylee's school, the kids say a prayer before snack and lunch. The teacher told us they'll learn and say a different prayer each month (at least I think she said it changes monthly). Kaylee goes to school Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and she's only gone one week so far. Thursday afternoon and evening she was saying what sounded like a prayer, but just in bits and pieces, not all strung together. I didn't know the prayer but tried to help her piece together what I could - we pretty much put together the first part (all the "God made" things below), but she wasn't saying the "Thank you" parts. Friday after school she was reciting the entire thing in correct order, and she's saying it again now as she's in her crib to go to sleep for the night. Here's the prayer:

God made the sun.
God made the sea.
God made the fish.
And God made me.
Thank you for the sun.
Thank you for the sea.
Thank you for the fish.
And thank you for me.
Amen.

I thought it was pretty impressive that she already knows the entire thing and is reciting it all the way through correctly after just 3 days of learning it at school!

Little Bit Small

I pulled out Kaylee's jeans and pants from last winter to try them on her and see how many still fit. She was actually very cooperative and patient and tried on the 8-9 pair I had out. They were stacked up and she tried them in order and as I pulled one pair of jeans off, she saw the next was a pair of red pants. She said, "I want to try these on first. These are cute!" So we tried on the red pair and they fit, but barely - I told her, "these are a little bit small." She told me no they weren't, I tried to show her how they were and said, "see? They're a little bit small," and she said, "I'm a little bit small, too." I thought it was funny because she 1: apparently really likes those red pants and wants them to fit and 2: tried to convince me they'd fit because even though they're small, so is she. I also wondered if it begins already that she's upset to be having to go up in size??

First day of school - the aftermath

When we picked up Kaylee and Erin they were all smiles and said they enjoyed school. Kaylee said some other kids in her class cried, but she didn't. She told us she played with toys and play-doh, painted, went to the playground, read books and saw a turtle, plus ate her snack and lunch. We asked if it was a toy or real turtle and she said a real one - she said it ate leaves and water and was in a box, so it sounds like it was a real one. I didn't know they had a turtle at the school, but she has talked about that 3 times (so far), so I think she liked it! Sounds like school is a success so far...let's hope it lasts throughout the year!!

First day of preschool!

Kaylee's been saying she's excited to start preschool and today is her big first day! She'll be going 3 days/week (T, Th, F). She did great this morning! She was so excited and had fun riding to school with her friend Erin, who's in a different class, but with whom we're carpooling. The girls were very cute in the car. We unbuckled them in the carpool line so the teacher could take them out of the car and as soon as those buckles were off they were ready to jump down and leave, even though we still had a minute or two to wait. Once the teacher had them both out, they walked off without even a look back! I'm looking forward to picking them up today and hearing all the stories they'll have to share.

Last baby tooth

Kaylee's 20th, and final, baby tooth popped through while we were on vacation last week! Her top left 2nd year molar. I noticed it on Wed as I was helping brush her teeth. Now we wait for those to grow and then start falling out in a few years. :)

More beach

Yesterday Stephen went snorkeling and brought some snails back for the kids. Kaylee thought it was funny that she got to hold one. She keeps talking about how slimy it was.


We went to Pompano Joe's for dinner and the kids loved the fish tank. Some photos from after dinner:



After dinner we went to The Track, where there are go karts for adults, putt putt, a kids' area and more. The kids had fun on the rides; Kaylee really enjoyed pushing the buttons in the control seat of her airplane.



Other funny things...rather than bringing her pack & play, we rented a crib for the week. Before we left home we told Kaylee she'd have a special bed at the beach, and she is so excited about it. Every day she's excitedly told at least one person about her "special bed" and sometimes brings them into her room to show them. She also has been calling Stephen, Stephanie, Jason & Kimberly "the mommies and the daddies" and the first thing she asks when we go in to get her in the mornings is, "where are the mommies and the daddies?"