She'sComeSoFar

Monday night Mackenzie's ballet class had an open house recital. It was a low key event, but they had out cookies and juice. Chairs were set up in the studio and they did a normal class, but with an audience. Perfect for a little one's first 'performance.'

I was so proud of my little girl. I wanted to cry. Multiple times. My little girl has come so far. She has 'worked it out' as she has said herself at times when she as feeling 'a little shy.' Over the last several months she has had a class here and there that didn't go too well, but we have worked hard together to get through that, because she really does enjoy herself. She practices at home and, when she has a good class - where she is brave and has fun, she feels good about it. It's been a wonderful evolution. And seeing her today, despite feeling a little shy since there were parents in the room, seeing her hang in there and do her best...it was wonderful. Most wonderful.

She's learning in ballet. Some simple dance moves and basic techniques for moving and controlling her body. But most importantly, she's learning about herself and learning that she can work through being shy or nervous. It's okay if she doesn't know something, this is how we learn, by practicing and by trying. She's learning that she can be strong and can handle more than she thought possible. She's learning to trust herself. She's learning to be herself. And more than anything, I hope she's learning what it feels like to feel good about herself.

Congratulations on your first 'performance,' Mackenzie. Before bed we looked at some pictures together and you enjoyed seeing the photos of your recital. Tonight you were beaming. And that made me happy. Really really happy.

I was so proud of my little girl. I wanted to cry. And I did. Just a little. You have come a long way my sweetness!

SoLongSummer

Oh my. I have really gotten far behind. Looks like I posted something in September...two months ago! I am also behind on uploading photos and probably taking them. I have to say, what a change! Being too busy to write about it.

So, how was our summer? Yes, I know it's November, but I really lagged in blogging over the summer. I think I did okay part of it...but as things got moving...

Anyway, enough of the excuses. I need to just get to the point.

Kids took their first swimming lessons and we spent a bit of time at the pool at the 'Y.' Mackenzie got a lot more comfortable in the water, despite screaming through much of her lessons. Zach got comfortable in his own way, but was not too open to lessons quite yet. Maybe next year.

On warm days, we got inventive and stuck the little climber in the little pool. Added some extra fun to the backyard swimming. Next year, it's going to be bigger and better! Oh, and the astroturf...maybe next year we'll try grass, but it's hard here in the desert, so maybe more astroturf...haha.

Of course we spent time at parks...parks...parks...

And went on family hikes....

The kids both celebrated their birthdays. Turned 4 and 2. To say time flies, is an understatement of magnificent proportion. Mackenzie had a Wizard of Oz themed party at none other than....Go Bananas. She had friends from school there as well as her friends from 'home.' My #1 goal was obtained, she felt special. What more could I ask for?

Did I cry when everyone sang Happy Birthday? You betcha.

Zachy turned 2 with a BBQ at home. Two parties in less than a week, I was pretty impressed with myself. For Zach, we did a Thomas the  Train theme. I later saw the cake decorator at Fry's grocery and told her how special my Zachy felt when he saw his cake. Showed her picture of him. She said he made her day.

Opening his preparty gift in the morning. I should have posted the picture of Mackenzie watching. She was traumatized. How dare he have a party!

Waiting for his cake. Waiting for everyone to celebrate him turning 2 on the day he was born. Did I cry yet again? You betcha.

While my kid's turning 4 & 2 was a big deal, we here in Prescott also got to be part of the kick off to Arizona celebrating their centennial. Our town hosted the first of a series of Best Fests in Arizona. What a wonderful job they did. I went with both kids...separately.

Mackenzie enjoyed some pink lemonade on the courthouse steps.



Zach got really involved and loved the petting zoo and even made a cow craft.

Zachy moved to the Toddler B class. Here he is on his first day. Riding a bike, of course. in a fireman hat, of course. He has been loving it there. How couldn't he? Miss Lisa has a gift.



Here is the beginnings of his Toddler B picture for the friend wall. He colored it and put Thomas stickers on.

Mackenzie started ballet. She seems to really enjoy it. Some days she feels a bit shy, but in her words, she 'works through it.' Crossing my fingers that she will work through it for her class's little in house recital for Christmas. But if not, there's always next year! I am just proud of how much she is trying and putting herself out there.

And Zachy, he loves watching. At home he loves to copy his big sister's moves. Too cute.

Bygosh, that hardly summarizes our summer by any stretch of the imagination. We spent lots of time at the zoo, continued with our gymnastics (Zach started up too), had visits from Grandmas and Grandpas, took a trip to Out of Africa Wild Animal Park. Hot days we hung out in the mall, rode their little rides, played at Go Bananas. We played with friends. Just had funFunFUN! Maybe, just maybe I'll get some Fall pictures together...before Christmas. Maybe just maybe, I'll get more consistent with this thing, cause I love you guys, my sweet Mackenzie and my sweet Zachy and this is, afterall, for you guys!

StatusUpdate

Thought I'd use some facebook statuses to catch us up even more! I know, I'm still a whole Friday Faves behind though!

• something tells me i should have woken zach up before his nap hit 3.5 hours. it's a play now, pay later kind-of thing.
• darn you, laundry. darn you.
• lunch time. mackenzie wants fish crackers, pretzels or cookies. i have offered turkey. i just asked, 'are you ready for turkey, or do you want to hold out and see if you get snacks?' her response? (with a smirk) 'i'll hold out for a bit longer for snacks.' predictable, i know. but it was pretty funny.
• dad took the kids to the Y. quiet house. yummy turkey and avocado sandwich. and then the cat throws up. can momma get a break? please?
• gymnastics this morning followed by an evening literally running around the zoo = mackenzie out in 5!
• okay so we went to say bye to mackenzie's preschool friends who are graduating to kindergarten. i know it's only preschool and not even my child who's moving on yet, but i wanted to cry. not cut out for the emotions that comes with this parenting thing!
• going to a 'graduation' potluck this evening at Mackenzie's preschool for the 'friends' who will be starting kinder next week. next year it'll be her. oh my.
• and in 3 short years it'll be zachy...oh my oh my!
• never had to work with mackenzie on 'using her words' as the saying goes because she uses them just fine. zach's a little less verbal. unless it has to do with sugar. 'more cookies' flows out of his mouth perfectly.
• mackenzie got a new, special purse yesterday. it's a black poodle with a sparkly pink shirt & bow. i emptied it out tonight & she had put in it: a camera, a cell phone, something to pull her 'hair' back with & her ID (ymca). just like her momma's purse. made me smile. ♥ her!
• My kids birthdays are 4 days apart. I was filling out invitations for Mackenzie's school friends and on the second to last one almost wrote in Zach's date. So, of course I had to open all the others to make sure I wrote the right date, which I did. So, now I need a bunch of invite envelopes. Annoyed. But at least we actually live by stores now. Out in nowhere land, this would have been a major crisis.
• okay, zachy zacher...if you want to feed rufusdog hotdogs, that's fine. but deli meat's not cheap!
• zachy, almost 2, got out his favorite plate, brought it to me & said 'salad please.'
• something tells me that whoever came up with the phrase 'no sense in crying over spilled milk' was either not a parent or long past the toddler years.
• kids playing and laughing. hear a boom and zachy crying. 'what happened?' i ask. 'he fell and broke his head.' oh, glad it's nothing serious.
• suddenly find myself wondering why i didn't take advantage and nap and when both kids were napping, which does not happen often anymore. also wondering why the extreme sleepiness sets in just as the second wakes up. coincidence? i don't think so....
• ‎'it wasn't me. it was zachy. he tried to reach it....with a stool. and then he took it away. he VERY took it away.' i suppose it's possible, if he weren't in the living room busily trying to throw a balloon at the ceiling fan. nice try, mackenzie.
• zachy is 23 months today, a month from two & mackenzie is a month minus 4 days away from four. i know they're still little, but it goes so fast. we were at the zoo monday, which is where they celebrated their 1st & 3rd birthdays. eleven months is not that long ago, but zachy was still a baby. now he runs & climbs & talks. all in eleven months. mackenzie has gone from a totgirl to a little girl. it's crazzzzzy!
• just a hunch, but i don't think 'iphone,' 'text' or 'debit card' were part of my 3 year old vocabulary.
• took the kids to the zoo this morning. love all the playdates we get to have but sometimes it's nice to see them just interact with each other. they were simply adorable together.

GymnasticsDayOne

When we went to Tsunami on the Square in June, the gymnasts came and did a little demonstration. Some totcoaches let the youngins line up and helped them do back flips, of sorts. Mackenzie was drawn. My sometimes shy (sometimes not shy, but always pretty cautious and slow to warm up) Mackenzie marched over and stood in line. She was a little nervous, but determined nonetheless.

Since then she has talked about gymnastics and wanting to take lessons. Okay, my little Mackenzie, consider it done! I called and they had an opening. For Saturdays at 10 am. Not my first choice, but it'll work and get us started.

She got a little nervous at times during the week. After seeing the place on Wednesday when we went to sign the papers, I think she might have gotten even a little more nervous. But, she also stayed excited about being in gymnastics. And determined. That's my girl! Last night she said she was ready.

This morning she was all hyped up.

Come watch your big sister when you get there Zachy, okay? (true quote)

We were a little early, so she watched the other students through the window. Along with brother.

And then they called the yellow cards. She had a yellow card. Time to go. They started with butterfly legs and then pizza legs and then became cats. She sat and looked at me.

But have no fear, once they moved on and I moved out to the lobby, she warmed up.

And maybe even enjoyed herself just a little...

FridayFaves7.22.11

Time to share some favorite moments from the last week. Yay! I mean two weeks ago. Okay, so I'm a little behind, but it's cause we are having fun!

Saturday...

• Having Kathy and Tony T. come over and seeing both kids enjoy them and seeing them enjoy the kids. Such a wonderful evening with wonderful friends.
• See above.

Sunday...

• During Suessical the Musical, Mackenzie snuggling up to me and looking up at me with the sweetest, most delightful smile ever.
• Zachy bringing me books and saying 'The End!' I didn't know he knew that phrase.

Monday...

• Mackenzie working really hard on getting her doll's clothes on and saying 'I proud of myself.'
• Zachy intiating me in Ring around the Rosy. And, loving every fall. Both of us. 
• Sibling fave: Going to the zoo this morning, just the three of us. Mackenzie and Zachy playing so well together. We have a lot of super fun playdates these days, but it was an absolute simple delight to get to see just the two of them enjoying each other.

Tuesday...

• Talking to Mackenzie on the phone on the way home from work. My she sounded so big!
• Zachy, who had come home sick, taking my hand so I could put him to bed. Cutest thing was, it was more a game. He really just wanted to milk the whole sick thing for attention. Smart boy!

Wednesday...

• Mackenzie got to get together with Saiger for a playdate. She waited so patiently and was so excited when she arrived!
• Zachy trying to hit the balloon to the ceiling fan. For a really long time. With sound effects. 'Whoaaa.' "Ahhhh!'

Thursday...

• Zachy 'helping' me sweep the front. I would sweep it into the rock area and he would sweep it out. He likes to 'help' a lot these days!
• Mackenzie got really excited at drop off because her teacher told her they were going to have a special sibling field trip to the gym. She couldn't wait to see her Zachy!

Friday...

• Mackenzie and I sitting in the front playing 'camping.' She must have run in the house twenty times to get more 'things' for our camping trip. We had apple tea!
• Zachy enjoying the smoothie Dad brought home. Really enjoying it. It has sugar afterall, right?
• Sibling Fave: Seeing the pictures from sibling day. Mackenzie holding Zachy's hand. Being the Big Sister to him. The two of them waiting together for balls, Zachy's favorite thing to do. Laughing with Saige as she waited for Chase to come. Love those glimpses! Love them!
• Honorable Mention: Impromptu playdate at Ari & Cate's house!

That was last last week. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll get to some memories from this week.