"We're goin' to the beeeech"

Kempy,

We've had a pretty mundane month as it turns out.  Your parents have been slaving away at work each day, getting used to a new routine.  Meanwhile, you are in your second week of a new class at school.  It has been a tough transition for you. You get upset each morning when we walk down the hall by your old classroom, place your stuff in a new cubby and enter your new class.  I am told that you calm down five seconds after I leave and everything is peachy.  Why do you do this to Mommy!?  At least we knew your teacher already and you have lots of friends in the class who moved up before you.  Your BFF Maya joined the class this week so the Three Musketeers (Maya, Avery, and Kemper) are together again.  Lord help those teachers!

 

You have had several occasions to spend time with both sets of grandparents as Mommy and Daddy have had a few date nights and I went wedding dress shopping with Auntie Jennifer.  You really love playing with the great stuff at their homes, your water table and your outdoor cars. Not to mention they have the best snacks and you get to do whatever you want. :) 

We've had some fun times at the playground, at church, and general family silliness.  It brings us such joy (and some frustration) as you grow older and explore all kinds of things.  You also test your limits on many occasions.  You talk up a storm, and sing, and boss us around.  Last night I just wanted to relax on the couch but you insisted that I come "Play with Pemper in tunnel."  And so I did because you will only be small a little while longer and I must soak up your sweet, innocent joy while I can.  But seriously, stop throwing food on the ground!

Sunday we depart for the beach.  Daddy's enthusiasm has rubbed off on you and now you smile with glee and say, "We're going to the beeech!!"  I hope you enjoy it when we get down there.  Fingers crossed you like the sand and the ocean.  It will be nice to get away for a little while.  "Here we go, go, go, go on an adventure!"

 

 

Love you,
Mommy

Imagination Station

Kempy,

I am amazed at the ways you have developed in the last few weeks!  I am pretty certain that you have gotten taller as well!

We have had a full month since your second birthday celebrations.  Almost three weeks ago now we celebrated Mommy's ten year class reunion at Hollins University.  We had such fun seeing all our Auntie & Uncles.  You got to meet many Aunt's for the first time which was great fun.  We spent some quality time on campus, where you attempted to steal a golf car--this scored you major points in the cool department with your Aunts.  You made great pals with Uncle Matt and Uncle Mark too, way to go! I think you might grow as tall as them one day! You also helped to hold the sign in our class photo because you refused to miss a photo op.  If there are classmates who don't like that, so sorry.  We had some of our Hollins family stay at our house over the weekend.  Never dull at the Mitchell's, we had to call the Fire Dept. at 2 AM because one of our ceiling fan motors was going bad, got really hot and smoked up our whole house.  Again, another chance for us to be thankful we live in a great place, very close to Roa Co. Fire and Rescue stations.

After Reunion, Daddy left and went to California for 2 weeks to train for his new job.  We missed him a whole lot! Every day you asked, "Where's Daddy" a couple of times.  And each morning as we left the house you said, "Bye, Daddy!" as you do every other morning.  We stayed busy doing lots of things to distract us from having Daddy far away.  We spent time at Papa Bass and Grams House, had dinner with Papa Tate and Beba (before they went to Scotland), and spent our Saturday with Auntie Whit in Lynchburg.  We also went downtown and spent some time with one of your friends from school and his Mommy, such fun! Boy, were we glad when Daddy came home last weekend.  You've wanted him to do pretty much everything with you since he got back. "No, no Daddy do it." For Example: Daddy get the juice, Daddy make the snack, Daddy color the picture, Daddy dance in the car.  Daddy is still really busy with his new job which is going to be great.  We have been really spoiled to have him around so much for a while. We are getting into a good routine I think.

You have been talking up a storm the last few weeks.  Your ability to form little sentences and make sense of things has really taken off.  I have been amazed at your imagination in the last week alone.  One morning you brought me a stack of building blocks with a green one on top that you thought looked like a frog.  You came down the hall saying, "Hop, hop, hop. Look Mommy, my frog. Ribbit Ribbit!"  You have also really been enjoying building castles and towers out of these same blocks.  This morning you turned your cars up on their back wheels and said, "My dinosaur, Roar!" Last night in the yard you were catching imaginary bees and releasing them.  Pretty amazing.

I was so tickled to pick you up from school the other day and watch you put away the animal figures you were playing with. You had them all lined up in a row and you picked up each one, looked at it and said, "Bye Elephant, Bye Lion, Bye Giraffe" before dropping it in the box.

You have enjoyed playing in your new pool and the water table at Papa Bass and Grams house too.  Drawing with chalk is also a favorite pass-time.  You love to sing and know most of the words to "Bah Bah Black Sheep" and "Jesus Loves Me."  Dancing and running around in circles are great ways to blow expel energy.  I think you've done well at school lately, only a few times have you had time-out for playing too rough with your friends.You have been really great at drop off lately too, excited to go in and see your friends.  You have also spent a few afternoons with the older class and I think you will move up to the next class soon.  I can't believe you have been at this school a year to the day.  We will certainly miss your current teacher when you switch classes, you've been with her since September.


You still love to go out to eat and are still relatively well behaved when we are in restaurants.  You still love mac and cheese the best and Apple Juice is king in our house.  Cheetos are out (sort of), popcorn is in.  "Again. Again. Again."  "More. More. More."

It's VBS week in our house again, just as it was the week you began your new school last year.  Mommy is tired.  Time for bed little bear. We love you more than anything, thank you for being Mr. Cool.

Love,
Mommy

Two Soon

Toddler Bear,

Happy 2nd Birthday!  Compared to your birth and first birthday this weekend was a breeze! No trips to the ER, yay (but we did have a bloody nose)! We had a wonderful party with family and some friends on Saturday! Boy, did you make out like a bandit.  Clothes and Books were piled all over the living room. You also got a very cool (read noisy) lawnmower.  Not one, but two helmets arrived to go with your brand new scooter! Daddy and I are already having fun with your drum set and remote control car.  And I am guaranteed to enjoy your kiddie pool as much as you. The sand bucket, shovels, and swimwear will be great for the beach this summer. And your Great Aunts stocked you up on Goldfish for a little while.   We had homemade mac and cheese and grandma's famous chocolate cupcakes!  Unwrapping each gift was a joy for you, and everything had to be opened up and played with at once.   We were all exhausted at the end of the day, but what a great celebration of YOU!

We celebrated Papa Tate's birthday at The Station with the family.  You were a big fan of the mac and cheese dinner and cupcake dessert that followed.  Do you see a food pattern developing?

We had great fun at the Pirate Party Parents Night Out at church.  You love following the big kids around.  And they all seem to love to "look out for little Kemper".  I do believe your favorite part of the evening was climbing a tree, marshmallow in hand.

We had a very nice Mother's day weekend earlier in the month.  Thank you very much for the Krispy Kreme donut and coffee you and Daddy delivered to me that morning, along with the fabulous chocolates that are currently hidden out of sight in the pantry.  We went to Bedford and spent some time with Beba & Papa and also had dinner with Grams and Papa Bass.  We are so very fortunate to have your grandparents close by.  They adore you so much.

As the weather has gotten warmer we've spent a lot of time at the playground.  You've also become a big fan of walking with the stroller so some evenings we go out after dinner.   You get super excited and jump up and down in front of the car as the stroller gets unfolded.  You also give directions as to where we should go.  Easy for you to say, you aren't the one pushing the stroller. :)

We hear a lot of:
"Mommy, mommy, Mommy!"
"Yes, baby?"
 "Sit. Here."
"Daddy.  DAAAADDDY!"
"Yes, Kempy?"
"Sit.  Here."

New things that you are doing:

The Good: You are learning your ABC's.  You sing Twinkle Twinkle and Wheels on the Bus. You can be pretty agreeable, often times you'll respond to a question with, "Okay!" When I ask you what a Pastor says, you reply "Amen!" And when asked what Hanson says, you appropriately respond, "Mmmbop!"  You make efforts to share and play well with others.  Daddy and I appreciate the stale popcorn and slobbery cookies you hand deliver to us. Quote of the Month: "Come on Sirius, Come play blocks."

The Bad: Last night you were chasing Sirius down the hall with your new shovel.  I keep catching you with your finger up your nose.  You think kicking your legs and wiggling while I am changing your diaper is hilarious (again).  Super hard to discipline you when your laughter is so infectious. Word on the street is you've been pushing some at school.

The Ugly:  First day of being 2....you had a melt down this morning because I closed the bedroom door.  On Saturday you collapsed into a red-faced, sobbing mess because (you needed a nap truly) I wouldn't put your shoes and socks on. But then when I did, you were unsatisfied because I wouldn't put my shoes and socks on.  Yeah, you took a nap promptly after that.   You have had some rough mornings going into school too.  You love your friends but man, Monday mornings are tough.


You are high energy, high laughter, high fun.  You get excited about Minions and Popcorn.  And you gleefully cry "library" when we go to get new books.   We love watching you learn new things! You bring so much happiness into our lives.  Keep doing you, kid.

Love,
Mommy, Mommy, MOOOOMMMY!

T Minus 1 Month

Bear,

Happy 23 Months, Kiddo!  I can't believe you are this close to that magic (and tragic?) age of TWO! I have noticed more in the last few weeks that you are starting to "act your age" on occasion. I was away this week at Montreat for several days and I swear when I had returned your vocabulary and speech had improved, in only a few days! I've gotten a lot of "Hey, Mommy!" and big hugs since I came home.  On Tuesday night you and Daddy had a party and you made new friends. I am glad you all enjoyed your Boys Club.

You've had some fun times in the past few weeks with visits from grandparents at Easter time and also Aunt Whit & Laura last weekend. Uncle Mike Yorg also stayed with us one night and I am pretty sure you believe we brought him in just to be your play mate.  You had some delicious Easter goodies which I wish I could say I ate all of, but you quickly discovered their value.  You also really liked doing a little mini egg hunt in the yard.  For at least a week each time we went outside you would say, "Where eggs?"

You also met your cousin Bridget for the first time a week or so ago! She is exactly six months younger than you.  She and her parents, Andrew and Jessica just moved to Greenville, SC so they are much closer to us than they used to be.  At first you were very skeptical of this little lady running up and hugging you right away, but you warmed up and had a good time.


We've had some tough days with a cold and teething in which food was not appealing at all and sleep was less than restful.  For several days leaving you at school brought tears (yours) and frustration/guilt (mine)  but thankfully you are feeling better and out of that particular stage!

One of the things we have realized as parents is we have no shame talking about poop.  In the car, around the dinner table, there is no sacred space in which your functions are not mentioned.  So, imagine my joy to receive a text from your teacher while at work saying that you "pooped in the potty!"  According to Ms. Becca you said, "I pooped. Eww!"  Is it wrong to praise you for bodily functions?  I hope not, because I just came out of the bathroom and you clapped for me. ;)

You have had a great time going to church with me on Sundays recently.  You have become more comfortable having time to play in the nursery and you really enjoy singing and dancing with the older kids at their gathering time.  Last week you waved and spoke to everyone as you walked into the building like you owned the place.  It feels good to have a child that brings smiles to other people's faces.  Please let it stay this way in the next year (fingers crossed)!

So, as we approach the big T-W-O: keep singing, keep smiling, keep dancing, keep hugging, keep exploring.   You always bring us comfort and happiness when we are sad.  You remind us of our purpose and you help us see the world through new eyes.  We love you.


Kisses! (To which you usually reply, "no, thank you" or "no kisses"

Love,
 "My Mommy"

Feelin' 22

Super Bear, 

Happy 22 months kiddo! A year ago today, we bought you a house! Time continues to fly by.  It is hard to believe we are living our second Spring here in Roanoke.  We are enjoying the nice, warm days as we can with trips to the playground and running around in the yard.  Unfortunately, the stomach virus is back along with the spring blossoms so we've spent the last few days recuperating at home.  

You've been trying to count in the last week or so.  You like to count like The Count on Sesame Street. So you say, "Two. Waha ah ah ah."  You have also been waking up pretty happy most mornings, and so when I enter your room you pop your head up and say, "Heeey!"Your cheerfulness has certainly helped with the time change a little bit.  

When we arrive at school you get excited to hop out of the car and carry your backpack to your cubby.  You can identify your friends' spots by their coats hanging on the rack, and you even recognize some of the children's parents! This blows my mind.  You can name most of your classmates as well.  You have a little girlfriend.  She is precious but please don't rush it.  I saw her plant a sloppy kiss on your lips last week! I hope I am still your #1 girl! 

You love slides! Seriously, you cannot get enough of any slide, anywhere! 



I am proud to report that you have been sitting on the potty at school!  One of the coolest things about having you in an environment with children older than you is that you've seen your friends start potty training.  You have asked your teacher on several occasions to sit on the toilet! You haven't really done anything but I am glad you think it is cool.  We bought you a little potty for the bathroom at home but so far you just take it apart and use it to climb up to the sink. It is really early so I am sure it won't stick but when you are ready to train, we'll be ready too.  

I am thankful that you are still well behaved when we take you out in public, to eat at a restaurant for example.  I am pretty sure the young ladies at the local Chinese Restaurant would keep you if they could.  They fight for your attention.  And you handled your first trip to a Mexican place pretty well too.  Who doesn't love nachos and cheese dip everywhere? Seriously, if you could keep this behavior up through the next year of your life, that would be awesome.  

Thanks for being such a cool kid.  We love you more than anything in the world.  Keep being you.

Love, 
Mommy.  Mommy?  Mommy-mommy-mommy!

"Cookie?!"

Dear Cookie Monster,

You are your mother's child.  Not only do you love Oreo's as much as I do (yes, my child does eat sugar, sue me) you also know exactly where the Lemonade and Cookies are served after worship on Sunday mornings! It is frustrating that sometimes you eat the creme filling from the Oreo's and discard the actual cookie, but again, so much like your mother.

What can I tell you of our latest adventures?  We've had a couple more snow days but this time was a bit more icy and we all have had colds so we did not venture out to play.  Instead we ran lots of laps around the kitchen, read lots of books, and even made our own fun out of goods from the pantry.  There was also Sesame Street...and cookies....

In the last couple of days we have spent some quality family time with both sets of grandparents.  It was a nice weekend! You very much enjoyed getting marshmellow goodies at Papa & Beba's house after dinner Friday.  On Saturday we went out for Chinese and Papa Bass and Grams went with us to the mall and supplied quarters for your coin operated Car obsession.  Grams also bought you the cutest little monkey backpack that you are extremely proud of.  Today we got you the matching lunch box.  :)

Last Friday you went with me after school to meet David LaMotte at the church to set up for his concert that evening.  I was quite proud that you were so well behaved.  You were really curious about all that was going on and I was excited that you took such an interest in David's instruments. He let you strum the guitar a little bit, so cool! Perhaps we will have a great musician in our future.

The newest thing you've been saying is "Oh, Noooo" and just plain old "No." It is funny because you will recognize when something is wrong or an accident, like paint being spilled in a storybook plot. You point and say, "Ohh, Nooo!" And you definitely have opinions on music preferences. For instance, you love to sing "Old MacDonald" but in recent days you've become far more particular about what we sing in the car.  Especially since you've learned "S.S. Bathtub." So if we are in the car, our conversations go something like this:

Me: Do you want to sing a song?
K: Yesh.
Me: Old MacDonald?
K:...noooo....
Me: Twinkle Twinkle?
K: No.
Me: ABCs?
K: No.
Me: Down By The Bay?
K: No
Me....S.S. Bathtub?
K: Yesh, Yay!
Me: I am the captain of the S.S. Bathub..... (and on it goes).

It is fun for you to sing along in that song.  You definitely know that "For dinner on the S.S. Bathtub we all eat Mac & Cheese."  You also greatly enjoy to wave and sing along with Daniel Tiger & The Letter of The Day from Sesame Street.

I like that you have more opinions and can help me figure out what you want. It is the same conversation with food. And books.

You've  been handling school and the church nursery very well.  You practically pushed me out of the nursery on Sunday morning!  You also really like doing music with the older children before nursery each week. You are learning to dance right along with them.  I've been impressed at your enthusiasm to go see your friends at school and wave to me and say, "Byyeee."

You did earn yourself a black eye at school a few weeks ago by tumbling into a bookshelf.  Again, I wish I could say you were defending a lady's honor, but I really think clumsiness is to blame.  A few days later you actually fell running down the hallway and sprained your ankle a little bit.  These two things together don't make mommy and daddy look very good!  Its a good thing pediatricians know how little boys are!

You are getting so big! We've bought you another pair of shoes.  And your hair is growing in even more, you had your first haircut too.  We love to pick you up from school and see the joy light your face.  We love to hear you patter down the hallway. We also love to hear you say, "Dadddiee!" and "Mommy??"  We love to tickle you until you are out of breath. We love to receive your wholehearted hugs and your sweet kisses.


I know you'll grow older my son, but in some ways I hope you never grow up.   Happy 21 Months!

Love,
Mommy

Polar Bear

Polar Bear,

Happy 20 Months! We've had such fun with the holidays and now a blizzard weekend!

Christmas with our families was just lovely.  It was actually about 70 degrees at Christmastime so it didn't really have the feel of Christmas the way this weekend does!  We spent Christmas Eve at Papa Bass and Grams house, Aunt Mert and Uncle Nick were there too! Even though you'd had an ear infection and were feeling a bit under the weather it didn't stop you from gleefully playing with wrapping paper, exploring your big cardboard club house, Beatbo robot, and sitting on your shiny red tricycle. We had to laugh because you thought that your Aunt Mert was out to steal all of your merchandise.  You kept taking your things, glaring at her and saying, "Mine!"

Christmas day we went to Papa Tate and Beba's house where we ate ourselves silly and you ran laps around everyone else.  You got lots of fun presents both days and have really enjoyed playing with a new pirate ship tent, wooden cars, and new books!  More importantly, you had so many great snuggles from your family. Santa left some fun stuff under your tree, which you considered quite questionable at the time, "How did this stuff get here?" You got over it when you saw Curious George!  

It was a tough sell to go back to school after about a week off, but in the last two weeks you have gotten back into the routine to the point that there have been no tears when I leave you and no motivation to pack up and come home at the end of the day. You'd rather stay and play with Mr. Potato Head! We are glad you have great teachers who care about you.  You've been learning about winter themed things like penguins and polar bears in your class.

One of the greatest joys in the past two weeks is that you have started saying "Mommy!"  It melts my heart each time I hear it! You've also helped to entertain in the car, as we sing Old MacDonald you chime in on the "ei-ei-ei-ei-ei-ei-ooooo".  You have also spent a lot of time playing with your Gears Table that Papa Tate and Beba gave you last Christmas.  You've finally grown into it.  You are getting better at expressing what you want, especially with affirmative head-bobbing and "Yesh." You also reprimand Sirius when he gets into trouble, "Kittie Gotta Go!"  Like father like son.

We went to Charlottesville last week for a check-up and I am pleased to report that all is well and you shouldn't have to go back! Whoo hoo!  We took advantage of the trek up 81 and met Uncle Jer for lunch while we were there.  You warmed up to him quickly and are loving the Woodstock bird he gifted you.

Today is the first snow day of your life which you've actually been able to play in.  We bundled you up in your snow bibs, gloves and hat, and warm winter coat that were given to you at Christmas.  You liked trying to make snow balls, sledding,and watching the big kids play across the street.

Now we wait for you to wind down, get ready for bed, and rest up for snow day number two.

Love you more than anything,

Mommy