Halloween 2013

Another Halloween has come and gone.  This post is a little late since we're half way into November, but I had so much fun with Kaylee this year that I can't help but post about it.

Pumpkin Patch!

This year Kaylee has been really into My Little Pony.  It is a updated cartoon show from the 80s cartoon show I grew up on.  It is actually pretty cute.  Her favorite character is Rainbow Dash:

 I couldn't find a costume to buy, so I enlisted the help of my best friend, Stefany, to help make it.  I shall be forever in her debt.  I thought the costume turned out really cute and it was easy to get on and off.  And it was warm.  Kaylee thought it was about the neatest thing and liked to "fly fast!"

Getting ready to trick or treat

This was ridiculously cute

We hit up our usual place at Country Village with Kaylee's friend Kaila.  They had so much fun getting candy and holding hands.

Friends!

We ran into another one of Kaylee's friends, Maeve.  Kaylee was beside herself.  LOL.  After Country Village, we decided to go to Alderwood Mall.  It was ultimately a bad decision.  Half the stores weren't giving out candy and half the ones that did were out.  There were long lines to get candy.  Kaylee grew fussy pretty quickly and we decided to leave.  Because we were so close to my mom's house we decided to surprise them.  My mom was pretty shocked!  My mom and I then took her around the neighborhood.  It was actually a lot of fun to trick or treat in my old haunts (pun intended) and hit up the same houses I did as a kid.  Kaylee liked this part the best.  I was kind of surprised because I thought she would be worried about ringing doorbells, but the lure of candy was too strong apparently.

A Weekend Trip with Friends

Over the Labor Day Weekend, the Naugles and the Clarks converged upon on my family's Lopez Island property: 4 adults, 3 dogs, 2 kids and 1 paddleboard.

The gang

A view of one of our cabins

Kaylee loves her Uncle Doug

Best Friends

Anni surveys the scene

Sunrise

The view from the cabins.  Not too shabby!

Before

After

We take wine tasting seriously

Sorry, Anni, you got another 20.5 years to go.

Another sunrise

Kaylee loves sand.  Especially in her hair.

Happy Hour!

California Dreamin'

My Brother in Law recently graduated high school and decided he wanted to go on a family trip.  We were originally planning Florida, but California turned out to be much more cost effective.  I admit I was relieved to go only go on a 2.5 hour plane ride. 

California turned out to be one of the most fun but frustrating vacation experiences I have ever had.  Traveling with toddlers is also a gamble, but I am pretty sure my child was possessed by some evil spirit bent on making me question whether I was cut out for motherhood.  This is a slight exaggeration.  Slight.  We had some good days, some bad days, and one day that ending in tears (Kaylee AND me).  This vacation was definitely hard earned.  But it did make me take a step back and really think about the kind of mom I wanted to be and how I wanted to react to Kaylee's....spiritedness.  And it solidify Lance and I as a unified parenting front.  Also, I am so thankful for my in-laws.  They could have easily been frustrated when Kaylee held everyone up, but they were nothing but patient with her.

Here are some vacation highlights:

Kaylee was not too sure about Pluto

The ferris wheel at California Adventure

Kaylee and Auntie Ashley on the ferris wheel

Radiator Springs!

Kaylee's Cars swag

Riding Heimlich's Chew Chew Train with Auntie

Kaylee with two of her favorite people: Uncle Brett and Auntie Ashley

These ears lasting about 15 seconds

Huntington Beach

Kaylee loved the beach

We loved the weather

Santa Monica

Checking out the Santa Monica Pier

Kaylee comparing her hand to Shirley Temple's handprint in Hollywood

Mickey is everywhere!

Dana Point

Checking out the Polar Bear at SeaWorld

Finding the "Nemos"

My little monkey

At the San Diego Safari Park. 

Checking out an antler before our Safari Park tram

Baby giraffe and baby hippo!

Feeding the lorikeets

Baby elephant!

Kaylee is 3!

Well, Kaylee turned 3 on the 26th of July.  I can't believe my little monster is three!  I decided to interview her.  It will be fun to see what her answer will be over the years.  But here is what she told me:

1. What is your favorite color?

Purple

2. What is your favorite toy?

Pink (this is the name of her pink blankie, also known as Blanks)

3. What is your favorite fruit?

Ummmmm, strawberries

4. What is your favorite tv show or movie?

Ponies!  (My Little Pony Friendship is Magic)

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?

Mac and cheese!

6. What is your favorite game?

Mommy (I'm not sure if she means playing with me, or she was getting irritated with my questions!)

7. What is your favorite snack?

Crackers (No joke.  I bet she wishes she could live on crackers)

8. What is your favorite animal?

Piggy (not too sure about this because really I think dogs and horses are her favorite)

9. What is your favorite song?

Mockingbird (Hush a bye)

10. What is your favorite book?

Dragon Love Tacos (as seen here)

11. Who is your best friend?

Maeve

12. What is your favorite cereal?

Eat cereal with allll milk (Really, it is Cheerios and Puffins)

13. What is your favorite thing to do outside?

Play and run and turn the water on.

14. What is your favorite drink?

Milk (or Milky as she often calls it)

Other Kaylee tidbits:
*Kaylee is officially off the binky, mostly potty trained (we still have her in Pull-ups at night) and in a big girl bed.  She actually accepted all these changes WAY better than I expected!

*She is obsessed with being a "Big Girl".  We aren't usually allowed to all her any nicknames, but my dad can call her Kaylee Bean.  She refuses to be referred to as Daughter, insisted that she is a Big Girl.

*Kaylee calls me "Mommy-yai-yai"....a lot.

*We have to sing the following song (in the following order) for bedtime: All the Pretty Horses ("pretty horses"), Hush Little Baby ("Mockingbird"), the second verse of Blowing in the Wind ("Blowin' in Wind"), the first verse of Little Drummer Boy ("Rum pum pum"), ABC and finally, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  The last one Lance actually has to sing to her.

*She is very into mimicking us.  If we wear our sunglasses, she wants hers. 

*Her favorite movies are Cars, Finding Nemo and Tangled.  We took her to her first movie this summer as well: Monsters University.  She decided the monsters were "scary" though.

*A recent list of things she does not like "alligators, dinosaurs, dragons and pirate ships".

*Kaylee always calls our dog "Maura Baby" and says she's "so cute!"

For Kaylee's birthday, Lance and I took the day off of work.  Kaylee loves animals, so we decided to take her to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.  We were joined by my mother in law Vicki and brother in law Brett.  It was also Brett's birthday so we were excited to celebrate with him!

Baby Tiger!

Afterwards, we had the family over for a BBQ and Cake.  Kaylee thoroughly enjoyed ripping into all her presents.  She was so cute and would show everyone what she got.  She would really make sure EVERYONE saw.

One cake for Brett, one cake for Kaylee!

The next day we had a birthday party at the neighborhood park with all of Kaylee's friends.  We had a Finding Nemo theme and had the ice cream man come.  It was a big hit with the kiddos.  Kaylee loved seeing all of her friends and celebrating her birthday.  

I worry when these girls get their driver's licenses.