Oct 1 ~ I babysat for Abraham Lashmit again for awhile this afternoon.  Katelyn shared toys and snacks with him and they were just laughing and having a real good time!  Natalie has a good time with the two babies as well...she likes to play with them and make them giggle.

     My brother, Jason, called me this afternoon.  He is leaving for Okinawa, Japan tomorrow.  He'll be gone until May (or longer) of next year. It shouldn't be too big of a deal since it's not Iraq or anything like that, but we will be missing him - especially over the holidays.  Please be in prayer that he will stay safe and in good spirits while overseas.

     Nattie had dance class again tonight.  They usually keep the doors to the classroom closed, but tonight they were open for awhile - I think it was warm in there. I walked by at one point just in time to hear the instructor say "There will be no talking during class!" in a firm voice. It is probably a good thing that Natalie is learning to curb her excessive gabbing habit in more places than just home and school...she could use it :)  Don't get me wrong...I love that she speaks a lot and is social, but sometimes it just needs to be toned down a bit.  Kate and I played on the swings outside for most of the time during class.  She is such a little ham...so full of character! 

 

Oct 2 ~ Natalie's preschool held a gathering for parents and children after school this afternoon. A bunch of us met over at Wilson's Orchard in Iowa City to eat our sack lunches and have fun!  This was our first time at Wilson's...it is over past Craig's work on the way to Solon. The orchard was just so green and beautiful.  Unfortunately it was a very bad season for apples, so apple picking wasn't really available while we were there.  We ate lunch and talked with some of the moms and kids for a bit. Then the kids all ran around and burned off some energy. The girls and I walked down to the pumpkin patch. Then we hopped on the big trailer with a bunch of friends and were pulled all through the orchard. The man driving the tractor even drove us right through the creek...Natalie was a little anxious about that.  We were at the orchard for a couple hours, and by the time everyone started to load up their vehicles to leave it was just starting to rain. Before the rain it had been just perfect weather for the outing, so we were all really pleased.  Later in the evening the tornado sirens went off, so our whole family spent a good portion of time before bed down in the basement.

 

Oct 3 ~ The trip to the orchard yesterday just seemed to wear all of us out!  Plus it seems like we've been on the go doing something almost everyday lately.  So I had to make the decision to skip my mothers group today (Hearts In Touch).  By the time we would have left for HIT, Katie was already down for morning nap and Natalie hadn't even woken up yet.  I felt bad because I really did want to see my group and hear the speakers, but I've learned that I have to cut out a few activities once in awhile and that is okay.

     I did attend choir rehearsal in the evening.  After a really great rehearsal, I stayed out for some mom time. I went over to Barnes and Noble for a few hours to browse through some books and have a coffee.  I MADE myself sit down with a magazine and sip my coffee in peace...most times when I get mommy time out I end up running errands or shopping for my kids, etc.  It felt fabulous!

 

Oct 4 ~ My best girlfriend back in Illinois, Sara Emberton, had surgery today.  Her doctor had found a lump in her breast not too long ago and told her that the mass needed to be removed and examined for cancer.  It is really kind of a shock since she is barely 31 years old.  She did call me after the surgery saying that it went well but she was in more pain than she had anticipated. Now is the long wait (maybe a week or two) to find out if it is cancer or not. We are all hoping for the best and are praying for her. I pray that she is free of cancer...but that if it is God's will that she has this awful disease, I pray that He uses it for His glory and that He brings her through it a stronger person than she already is now.  I wanted to send her something through the mail...flowers don't always last very long, so I found a framed photo of two friends standing on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean that reads: A friend will joyfully sing with you on a mountain top and silently walk beside you in the valley. "A friend loveth at all times." Proverbs 17:17.

     Craig is playing in a basetball league again through Coralville Parks and Rec. He is on Matt Kroeger's team again this season, and the first game was tonight.  From what I heard team "Rusty" consists of Craig, Matt Kroeger, Brian Pierce, Chris Moudy (Craig's new manager), John Anderson, Ken Williamson, and Matt Miller (my OBGYN's hubby).  I think there are a few other guys playing, but I can't remember their names or who they are.  Poor team Rusty lost their first game tonight, but they sure had a fun time trying!  Craig hit the showers after the game and went straight over to the church.  He is now helping out with 24-7, Parkview's college group.  Craig is going to be driving the bus once every month or so - picking up the college kids at a couple stops on campus, transporting them over to the church for the special college service, and then dropping them back off over at the university when it's over.  24-7 meets late...something like 9pm till past 10:30, so on the nights he drives he won't be home till like 11:30 or 12.  But Craig loves driving bus and doesn't get to do it often, so this is an awesome way for him to both do something for himself and for others.  I'm very happy for him. Craig got his CDL back when we were first married.  He drove a school bus for awhile to make some extra money while he was still in school and I was working my bank job.  Natalie thinks it is so cool that her Daddy knows how to drive a bus.  We are planning on letting her ride along with him one of those Thursday nights in the near future. My dad drove a bus for a period of time when I was a young girl (though I think his was a city bus), and I got to ride with him a few times.  It is something I still remember to this day...mostly it was just about spending alone time with my Daddy doing something unique and exciting.

 

Oct 5 ~ The girls and I made a short trip out to Cedar Rapids today to pick up Katelyn's last bunch of photos. We stuck around the mall there for awhile and had some fries and a shake. Kate had her first taste of chocolate milkshake and enjoyed every minute of it!

     I recently finished a Beth Moore book entitled Get Out of That Pit. It's a good book, especially if you want an easy read and just something you can pick up and will uplift you.  But other than that I didn't feel it had a whole lot to it and definitely not worth paying the full price for a hardback version. But as I said, it was still good.  Now I'm starting to read James Dobson's The Strong-Willed Child.  Now this book is also easy to read, and I am finding it very useful.  I've also picked up a few other books about strong-willed children and how parents can effectively help shape their wills without breaking their spirits.  We are going through a really tough stage with Natalie right now - we are learning how stubborn and defiant three and four year olds can be!  We have a love/hate relationship with her strong will.  We clearly see how great of a child she is and how much potential she has in many areas, but we also have to be on the ball in keeping her on the right track.  She is many times just high drama and high emotions. It's been hard lately, but we love her and we know that she knows and feels that we do - we just need to make sure we are incorporating the right form and amount of discipline in with that love we have for her.

 

Oct 6 ~ Craig was "ultimate Dad" this morning and afternoon!  He let me sleep in while he took care of the girls.  Then when I got up I was able to just take my time doing whatever it was I wanted and then get ready for choir.  Priceless!  Choir sang in the main auditorium all this weekend for services.  We combined with the children's choir and also got to share the stage with a violin/clarinet/bassoon trio, piano, guitar, and some assorted percussion.  We sang a really great mix of songs that included Your Grace Is Enough, It Is Well, He Knows My Name, In the Cross Alone I Glory, and Jesus You Are Worthy.  Every song was wonderful to sing, so it is hard to pick my favorite.  Love the fourth verse of It Is Well that goes "Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll.  The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend.  Even so, it is well with my soul".  Then my favorite lines in Jesus You Are Worthy being "You died alone to save me. You rose so you could raise me" and "Bearing in Your hurt all that I deserve. Misjudged for my misdeeds, You suffered silently....justice and mercy meet at the cross". 

     Craig and the girls came out for the Saturday night service. Katelyn and Natalie had fun in the nursery area while Craig and I got to enjoy the message.  Then we picked up the girls and attended Family Connection in the atrium. Nat and her friend Meghan got themselves into trouble a couple times, but they did well and had a good time.  Katelyn was just clapping away to the music!  On the way out the door one of the volunteers handed us a packet that has a bunch of family activities and music and such in it.  Appropriately, the topic this week for both Family Connection and the packet was "respect"...I think God must know what we are dealing with lately in our family :)

 

Oct 7 ~ After I got back from church this morning, we all decided to go to the mall for late lunch/early dinner.  We all ate the famous orange chicken at Panda Express while watching some ice-skaters out on the rink.  Then we strolled over to the other side of the mall to the play area.  Natalie found some kids to play with while Katelyn had a fantastic time pulling herself up to all the play equipment. There is one specific play structure that looks like a box of crayons...Kate actually pull herself up and then crawled up onto the very top of it!  The girl has some serious strength!  Nat had a few scuffles with a little girl while we were there - I had to remind her that if someone is being mean to you then to go find someone different to play with.  She has a hard time letting go of friends after she meets them, even if she only just met them.  I think she takes after me a little too much.  We hung out with the Mitchells in their front yard when we got back from the mall. Dakota celebrated her first birthday over the weekend...Karen so kindly dropped off an extra cupcake for Natalie earlier during the day! 

 

 

 

~ pulls herself up everywhere she goes!  She is starting to "cruise" a little around the furniture and such, but still prefers just plopping back down onto the floor and crawling to the next destination.

~ it appears she may be slimming down a bit from her chunky monkey stage. Her face and body are looking a little different lately. 

~ she loves to be kissed on the neck - especially the area under her chin. If you're holding her she'll even go as far as bending backwards so that you'll do it!

~ she is actually beginning to like being rocked in the glider in her bedroom.  Sometimes I'll feed her her before bedtime bottle and she'll snuggle up and rock.

~ she loves music of all kinds and is quite the dancer (just like her sister)

~ some of her nicknames are "Katers", "Kater Potaters", "Katie Bug", "Love Bug", "Katie McKates", "Muffin", and "Pumpkin Pie".  I've also been in the habit of calling both Natalie and Katelyn "Sissy" when they are around each other...I always hated when people called their siblings "Sissy", but now I'm the one doing it! :)

~ for a short while she laughed at my face when I'd tell her no...now she just scrunches up her face and either "yells" at me or cries in protest.  Gotta love it!

~ she is very persistent and very curious and loves to get into everything! 

~ if you eat in front of her she'll grunt and make noises until you give her a taste.

~ she claps her hands very fast and loud now

~ she will sometimes wave bye-bye and for awhile she was saying "bah-bah" but now it's just "gah" or "guh".

~ Actually "gah" and "guh" are what she uses for just about everything except Mom ("MaMa" or "Mom") and Dad ("DaDa" or "Dad"). 

~ she now plays the game where she tosses her pacifier and giraffe out of the crib and cries until you come get them for her.

~ I love it when she presses her soft little forehead to my cheek.

~ she loves swinging and being in the stroller.

~ she enjoys playing pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo (she'll peek from behind the curtains).

~ she is super ticklish under her arms

~ she imitates Natalie quite a bit lately - most recently she was trying to push a toy car along the carpet like Natalie.

~ we've noticed lately that she looks like she has these dark circles under her eyes. They seem to come and go, but we've seen them more and more...so we may need to ask her doctor about that at the next checkup.

~ she is doing really well without her acid reflux medication!

~ she stretches her arms way above her head if you stretch yours first.

 

~ we still haven't cut her hair...been kind of back and forth about it.  It is getting harder to take care of, but we may just wait till spring or summer next year.

~ her taste in food changes frequently anymore. For example: She loves eggs of all kinds (even hard boiled), but does not really like hot dogs anymore. 

~ she loves her sister a whole bunch!  Recently she said to her "Great job, Katelyn!  I'm so proud of you!"

~ most days she loves to help Mommy around the house picking up toys or cleaning her room

~ she is forever singing or dancing - and she's getting good at remembering song lyrics.

~ a few weeks ago she saw her first rainbow up in the sky and was so thrilled!  She said out loud "God said 'Let there be rainbows and let there be butterflies!'" Then she wanted to know if she could touch the rainbow. When I said no she wanted to know why not...ummm...I just told her that sometimes God makes things that are only meant to be enjoyed with our eyes.

~ she is always curious and asking questions.  Recently she asked "Where is Earth? Are people on Earth? Are dogs on Earth? Are rocks on Earth?" etc.  Then she asked if clouds where on Earth...that was a little trickier!  She then stated boldly to me that "God made the Earth". 

~ a few weeks ago she stuck something up her nose for the first time.  It was just so gross!  It was this little piece of fabric that had come unglued from a toy of hers.  She had rolled it up and stuck it in her nose during nap.  A couple hours later she kept sneezing and complaining that her nose burned. When I had her blow hard, out came the disgusting object. So we had the never-stick-anything-in-your-nose-ever discussion.

~ she has become quite the artist!  She colors in the lines and with different colors and everything.

~ she is learning to bring her dishes to the counter after meals

~ we are learning what "good attitude" is and what "polite" means

~ her Daddy is her Hero

~ she likes orange pop

~ she likes to be called "Goofball" and any form of "Bubbaloo" such as "Bubba", "Bubs", or "Loo".  Sometimes Mommy still calls her "my girl" and "special girl".  Our kids have lots of nicknames that change with age.

~ she gives "Eskimo kisses" and "butterfly kisses" all the time now

~ she's a bit of a worrier and gets anxious sometimes...I hope that gets better with time.

~ she still loves being held and cuddled (I'm happy)

~ she can count to twenty fairly well

~ she is recognizing all sorts of numbers and letters all the time...hard to even know which ones she knows at this point

~ she is slowly learning what sounds the letters of the alphabet make

~ she says "I love you Mom" or "I love you Dad" all the time and loves to hear it all the time.

 

 

Oct 8 ~ Believe it or not, today really felt like a laidback sort of day...even though it sounds like we did a lot.  This morning started out with oatmeal for breakfast.  Katelyn made it clear that she wanted to try some of Mommy's and it was an instant hit with her!  We babysat for the Lashmits in the afternoon. Then it was off to Natalie's dance class in the evening.  Katelyn and I played on the swings and also picked out some library books for Nattie (the library is located inside of our rec center). Natalie was sad that she couldn't go outside and play with the neighbor kids when we got back from dance.  That has been something that has been hard lately...many times I can't let her go play with the neighbors mainly because their schedules are so different from ours - that and they don't have young babies at their homes.  Not that we have a rigid schedule or anything...but for example - by the time we get home from dance class I need to give Kate her bottle and put her to bed and then start dinner.  It's difficult to explain that to a three year old sometimes. 

     Good news!  My friend, Sara, already received the test results from her surgery...no cancer!  It is just so awesome - I don't even know what else to say about it!  I told her she needs to come out here so we can celebrate such wonderful news :)

 

Oct 10 ~ In Katelyn news - it just continues to amaze me how much she tries to learn from Natalie!  As I mentioned before, she loves playing cars with big sister.  She pushes them around the floor and I think she is even trying to make little motor noises to go with them.  We have lots of little cars lying around the house, but the favorites seem to be a light blue sports-car-looking one and a little red fire engine.

 

Oct 11 ~ Poor Nattie had a tiny accident today at preschool. I show up to get her and she has a big red bump above her eye and a nice red scratch down her cheek. I guess she ran into the coat rack in the hallway either right before or right after outside time. It's hard to explain, but the coat hooks are on the wall and then they are surrounded by this frame that juts out on either end of the rows of hooks.  Nat's hook is right next to where the frame juts out - so that is where she hit. So I had to sign one of those wonderful accident reports and the teachers decided to move her hook closer to the middle away from the frame. When I asked Natalie about the accident, she told me she wasn't looking where she was going and was "watching her feet walk" instead. 

    

Oct 12 ~ Tonight we all went to Eggy's for dinner. I think it is cute now how Natalie tells the waitress what she'd like to drink...now if we could only get her to say please with more consistency...

 

Oct 13 ~ Craig had some buddies over to the house today to play computer games - a LAN party or whatever the heck they call it :)  It was just Craig, Mark Flanders, Mark's daughter Sarah, and another friend of Mark's. They all crammed down in our basement with their computers and played Battlefield 2 for hours. Of course there were plenty of snacks involved as well. I spent my time upstairs catching up on some cleaning and playing with Kate. Natalie spent the majority of her time downstairs playing near Daddy and his friends. She really wanted to be part of the action!  I don't think she bugged anyone too much.

 

Oct 14 ~ This morning was Katelyn's Dedication day at Parkview Church!  We dropped Natalie off at Sunday School and then brought Kate in with us to the main auditorium.  It used to be that baby dedications were done after service in the small chapel, but they've decided to try something new. They want the ceremony to be more public and witnessed by more of the congregation. So we had to stand up on the stage in the packed auditorium during the last service of the day.  We totally support the "new" way of doing this, but yes it is not something we are used to (especially Craig who is never on that stage).  We dressed Katelyn in a little blue dress and white tights for the occasion. Our Katie was such a little ham up there!  She was babbling on and on and clapping her hands...and a couple times she caught a glimpse of herself on the big screens above the stage!  Craig read a Bible verse that he had picked out, I read what I had written as far as hopes and dreams we have for Kate, and Pastor Dave Foster closed us in prayer.  It was truly a beautiful time up there with our daughter!  This is what we said: 

 Psalm 127:3-5 (New King James Version)

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
         The fruit of the womb is a reward.
 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
         So are the children of one’s youth.
 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
         They shall not be ashamed,
         But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

 Our hopes and dreams for Katelyn:

Katelyn Michelle is our second child – one of our two beautiful gifts from God. 

 While we were pregnant with her, there were times when we’d feel anxious wondering “How could we possibly feel as much love for this second child as we already feel for our first daughter?”  …a worry that we believe many parents with multiple children go through.

 

Little Kate was born – and the love was definitely there.  It’s a parental love that is unconditional, without end, and an “I would die for you” type of love.  Kind of like the love that Jesus has for each and every one of us.  Of course there would be enough love for each of our children, because parental love isn’t unique with each baby.  Sure, we may enjoy certain unique qualities about each of our daughters – such as their individual character traits and personalities, but our love for them is not unique.  We would feel the same love for one child as we would if we were to have twenty children. 

 

As this dedication day approached, we weren’t too sure what we wanted to share as far as hopes and dreams for Katie. We didn’t want to say the same thing we had said during our firstborn’s dedication – we wanted it to be one-of-a-kind.  But we came to realize that just as we love each child the same, our hopes and dreams for each of our children are the same as well. 

 

These are our hopes and dreams for our sweet baby, Katelyn Michelle –

That through the years she will develop a deep forever-lasting personal relationship with the Lord. 

 

That with both the security of God’s love and the security of our love, she will be a strong, confident young lady who is also gentle and loving and full of compassion. 

 

We want her to know just how blessed we are to be her parents.  That every time we look into her eyes we are reminded that God does hear our prayers.  What a wonderful gift we have been given! 

 

     Natalie got to go with her Dad to the grocery store later in the evening. That was a treat for Mommy as well! :)  We've really started to notice that Nattie is the type of child who really just thrives on spending time with the family. I think she's always been that way and we've always known that - it just becomes more and more prevalent the older she gets. Sure, all children do better when they get more family time, but I really do think this is her main "love language".  Nat told us that today in church she learned that "God wants me to serve", so we talked about that for awhile.  And she's also been going around the house singing lyrics to some song at church that goes "Reach, reach, reach touch the sky!" - not sure what song it is, but she is passionate about it!

 

Oct 15 ~ Today was a pretty busy Monday!  I watched Abe for an hour this afternoon.  Then Natalie had dance class in the early evening.  The new thing we're trying to learn for dance class is to make sure to go potty right before class and not ask Miss Holly for a bathroom break.  With the class only being thirty minutes long, it really is difficult to have to keep taking little girls to the potty.  And when one girl asks to go then they all ask to go!  Natalie has been showing us a couple new dance moves the past few weeks - one where she gracefully lifts her arms over her head in an arch and then a more complicated one where she gets up on her toe, curls her other leg back behind her, and then does the arm movement - pretty cool! 

     After dance class, the girls and I drove straight over to the Krutsinger's house in Coralville for a potluck dinner. Daddy met us there. Derricca and Dustin had some of us from the babysitting co-op over for fellowship and food. The Lashmits were there as well as a new couple, Jay and Jackie Allen (I may have the name spelled wrong), with baby Nathaniel who is 6 months old.  In fact, Nathan was dedicated in the same service as Katelyn just yesterday. It was a really nice time with these couples and kids! 

 

Oct 16 ~ Let the party begin! - Natalie's 4th birthday to be exact!  Natalie started celebrating early with a visit from Grandpa Bair today.  Paw-Paw wasn't going to be able to make it to her birthday party during the coming weekend, so he drove all the way out for a special middle of the week visit. Nat was in preschool when Grandpa showed up, so he came with me to go get her when school let out. Though before we picked her up, Grandpa was able to spend a little time getting reaquainted with baby Katelyn back at our house.  We left Nat's school and then met Daddy over at Sluggers where we all had lunch. After lunch we drove back over to our house and Natalie got to open some gifts that Paw-Paw had brought. She was so excited that one of her gifts was her very own fishing pole!  She had been asking for her own pole and to go fishing for some time, so it was a dream come true for her...plus the pole was pink and purple so that was a plus as well!  Grandpa Bair showed Natalie how to cast and reel in the line right there in the living room...then it was off to do some real fishing!  Craig had taken the rest of the day off work, so he went with us as well. We stopped for some bait (meal worms) and then drove over to a spot at Lake MacBride. We were real proud of Nattie - she did touch both the worms and the fish!  Grandpa and Daddy did the majority of the casting, but once the fish hit the line they let Natalie reel them in.  She caught maybe four or five blue gill and she was so happy!  Grandpa also made sure to share one of his fishing secrets with her - that his Dad used to spit on the bait before casting it out!  It was a whole lot of fun, even Katelyn wanted to touch the fish. Before long it was time to say goodbye to Paw-Paw Bair.

     My dad also let me know that my brother is now in the Philippines. He was sent to Japan recently, but then soon after he got there the Army decided to send him over to the Philippines...I'm not sure why and I'm not sure for how long. Sometimes the Army is strange like that...

     A quick Natalie note here: Craig thought this was so funny and so did I so I had to type it out here. Craig dished out some potato salad for Natalie tonight. She didn't want to eat it. So Craig says "Try it. It has potatoes and eggs.  You like potatoes and you like eggs."  Natalie then replies "I like potatoes and I like salad.  But I can't like that!"  Maybe it doesn't seem as funny as we thought?  I guess you'd really have to know Nattie and the way she says things sometimes to appreciate it.

    

 

Oct 17 ~ Praise the Lord, I was able to attend Hearts In Touch mothers group this morning!  This is only the second one I've been to this year...seems there is always some kind of crisis that keeps me from showing up on most Wednesdays!  But this was a great morning...both girls did extremely well in the nursery and had a great time. Our small group was actually supposed to cover for the nursery depending on how many workers we would have/not have. Another praise - there were plenty of workers, so our group wasn't needed to help and we got to attend the meeting!  Janice Ferguson spoke on the topic of Women Making a Difference.  It was about the importance of serving others as well as learning how to graciously allow others to serve you in your time of need. 

 

Oct 19 thru 21 ~ HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY NATALIE ANN!!  This weekend was the big celebration weekend for Natalie's birthday. Grandma and Grandpa Essington came to visit and we did all kinds of fun things!  It was a very busy weekend indeed!

   On Friday the 19th we all went over to Sycamore Mall in Iowa City.  Had dinner at Pizza Ranch and then let Nat run wild over at Par-Tee Zone. There were tons of kids playing that night, so Natalie had a blast!  Katelyn had fun as well - Daddy spent lots of time with her on the flat area with the mats. When we got home from Par-Tee Zone, Natalie and I sat down at the kitchen table and I painted her nails.  I had told her that she could have her nails painted for both her birthday and Halloween this year. So I painted them in the two colors that she had picked out the other day - a hot pink for her fingernails and a sparkly purple for her toes. She exclaimed in the most girly way possible "I love it!".  After Natalie went to bed, I got busy decorating her birthday cake. It was actually two round cakes that were strawberry flavored. One of them I cut and decorated to look like a butterfly. The other I kept in its original shape and decorated with a big number four on it. Both cakes were pink, purple, and white...Natalie's favorite colors at the moment. This was my first attempt at making a cake for one of my girls - not that it was totally homemade...the cake was a box mix and the frosting was premade, but I did bake it, shape it, and adorn it!

     On Saturday the 20th we headed during the late morning to the pumpkin patch!  In years past we've always gone to Bloomsbury Farm in Atkins - very nice place, but we thought we'd try something different this year. This time around we went to Carroll's Pumpkin Farm in Grinnell, Iowa. It was an excellent place as well!  Natalie and Katelyn looked very festive in matching fall colored shirts (I can picture Craig rolling his eyes for the second time!).  It was perfect weather for hanging out at the farm. We started with feeding the goats...Katelyn was in love and kept calling the goats "dogs" or "gogs" and she now says!  Natalie was on the apprehensive side that day (you never know what her mood will be from one moment to the next) and was not interested in going near the goats. She very well may have been afraid because of the last experience she had with the goats at Grant's Farm - those were very greedy, nippy goats. The girls played in the small barn that was filled with corn. Then they got to take a bumpy ride on the cow train. Natalie rode all by herself like a big girl, while Katie rode with Mommy. Natalie laughed the entire time - she was sitting up front and I could hear her from all the way near the back!  There were some neat corn shooter guns that Nat and Craig had fun trying out. There were also many other activities such as tire swings, a tree house slide, a big see-saw, and a wheelbarrow obstacle course. We rode the trailer with Mom and Dad Essington out to the pumpkin patch. On the way out the trailer stops so you can watch a guy set off the trebuchet and launch a couple pumpkins - pretty cool. It was funny because I had mentioned to Natalie that they were going to have a trebuchet there...I told her it was like that thing on the TV show Little People, Big World where the pumpkins fly in the air. Natalie and I like to watch that show, so she kept asking me if the family from that show was going to be there at the farm!  Anyway...we walked around and eyed the pumpkins for a bit - though it was pretty muddy out there, so we decided we'd pick out our pumpkin at the stand back near the farm entrance. Nat didn't seem too entirely thrilled about walking around the pumpkin patch - she probably thought "Been there, done that!", but this was Kate's first time and she was very happy!  She stood up next to all the pumpkins and danced and smiled. We left the farm with one big pumpkin to carve later and two tiny pumpkins for the girls. After the kids took some short naps we had Natalie's birthday party!  Craig and I presented Nattie with a shiny silver tiara and a matching bracelet that said "Daddy's Girl" on it (Craig even picked it out).  She'll also be able to wear those with her Halloween outfit so that's nice. Then she blew out the candles on her butterfly cake...I think she was really excited about her cakes so that made me glow with pleasure!  Then it was on to the gifts!  Gran and Grandpa bought her some really nice shirts and a dress. But the highlight was the Mermaid Dora that she had been asking for the past few months!  She squealed when she opened that gift.  She also opened this crazy blue monster from Mommy and Daddy that sings the Mahna Mahna song from The Muppet Show. She laughed and laughed!  Finally, the big present from Mommy and Daddy...a big girl bicycle with training wheels!  Craig had it all ready and waiting for her in the driveway.  He covered it with a blanket and let her take it off.  It is totally a "Natalie" bike...purple, pink, and white colored, with sparkly tassles on the handlebars, a pouch in the front to put treasures in, and a water bottle.  Daddy even added one of those bells that go "ring-ring" and sound nice and tin-ey (is that a word? - you know, like tin?).  Daddy also picked up a matching safety helmet. Natalie loves her new bike...it was a bit of a rocky start at first...she tends to get easily frustrated at times, but eventually she was riding like a pro!  Hopefully she'll be able to get a few good rides in before it gets terribly cold around here. 

     On Sunday the 21st we took our time in the morning and then had a good brunch over at Iowa River Power restaurant. This is one of Nat's favorite restaurants - mainly because of the view and the chocolate covered strawberries!  After brunch Natalie, Craig, and Mom and Dad E went out fishing so Nattie could use her new pole again. Grandpa was very impressed with her casting skills :)  They also made a stop at Walmart for some baby supplies for Katelyn. Mommy and Katelyn spent their afternoon relaxing at home. It was a terrific birthday weekend for Natalie!

 

Oct 22 ~ Katelyn sure is getting around the house these days!  She made it up an entire flight of stairs this afternoon all on her own. The first time she attempted it she stopped at step three and decided to turn around - good thing I was there to catch her!  But the second time she just kept going right on up to the top. So now it is time to gate up both ends of the staircase. I'm not sure who was more proud - me, Natalie, or Katelyn herself!  I've written down a few other things Katie has been up to lately so that I could have record of them: she has reached the stage where she enjoys opening and closing doors of all kinds, she likes to pull all the kleenex out of the box or unroll all the toilet paper, she tries to sneak over to the dog dishes and play in the water, she likes to blow big bubbles with her spit, she is totally in love with Elmo, she does not like to wear socks and shoes and pulls them off (while shrieking with a total sense of accomplishment!), she cruises around the furniture really well now, and she enjoys bouncing in her crib while holding onto the railing!  I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but Kate has the prettiest giggle I think I've ever heard in my life! 

     Tonight was a parent observation night at Natalie's dance class!  Craig met me there after work - we were only able to watch the last few minutes, but it was priceless!  The instructor placed a small pumpkin in the center of the room, and each girl was supposed to first point her toe and then do a dainty little fairy princess run down to and around the pumpkin. As Miss Holly had explained, most little girls this age are not even clear on the difference between skipping or running, so that is a main focus of the class - just following directions and learning basic things. It was cute seeing the individual personalities and attitudes of each girl as they crossed the room. Then the girls got together as a group and did what they called their "Thank You" dance - I think it was supposed to be a bunch of bowing and stuff like that. Nattie held onto a position at the very beginning but then got shy and decided to start fidgeting instead - so did a lot of the girls. Very cute. 

     In the evening, Natalie and I worked on her "shark journal" together. At preschool they have a couple of different "buddy bags" which consist of a small stuffed animal and a journal. The children get to take turns bringing the buddy bag home for a week. They spend time with their "buddy" (stuffed animal) and then write an entry in the journal about it. So I guess this could be considered one of Nat's very first homework assignments :)  She told me what to write in the journal, then she drew some pictures, and printed her name. She can now write every letter of her first name...but still working on getting the letters in the correct sequence.  For the journal she signed it "NAEttLi".  Shark slept in bed with Natalie before we returned him the next day. 

 

Oct 23 ~ Today was picture day at preschool. After we see the proofs we'll decide if those will be Natalie's fourth year pictures or if we'll have them done at JCPenney like we have in the past. My baby is growing up - school pictures and everything!  Nattie sure is enjoying Parkview Christian Preschool, and I am also very pleased with sending her there. She really seems to be having a good time while learning along the way. Every month they focus on a shape and a color. Every week they focus on a new letter - and she is even starting to tell me the sounds that some of the letters make and what words begin with those letters. They are also trying to memorize one Bible verse each month. Last month it was Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. This month it is Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and tender to one another.  Nat even announced to us tonight that they are reading books by Eric Carle in school (though now she thinks that ALL books are written by Eric Carle!).  She talks about all her classmates a lot such as Ellie, Scarlet, Yvonne, Quinn, Noah, Tyler, and Joey. She sits patiently at her spot at the table until I approach her after school - Mommy is very proud of her!

     Little Katie Bug has been pretty miserable the past few days. We think she might be getting a third tooth down on the bottom and then maybe even her top two teeth as well. She seems to be in a lot of pain...sometimes ibuprofen and chewy toys don't even appear to help. Today she even started shrieking - I don't think I've ever heard anything that high pitched and shrill before. I feel bad since there is not a whole lot I can do. She's not real big into rocking, but there have been a few nights recently where she'll wake up in the middle of the night and just want me to hold her up onto my shoulder and rock in the chair.

 

Oct 24 ~ My firstborn baby is officially a four year old today!  I am still in awe that Craig and I are actually parents of a preschooler. Over the weekend I had brought out the photo albums consisting of Natalie's birth and Natalie's first birthday.  Some days it seems like so long ago, and other days it seems like it was just yesterday.  Nattie is such a joy in our lives - and let's be honest...such a challenge as well.  She is just so full of life and humor and love. I can't wait to see how she'll grow even more over the next year. Doesn't matter how old she gets - she'll always be my first baby.

     I asked Nat what she wanted to do today - she requested the mall.  So the girls and I headed over to Coral Ridge Mall in the afternoon. We grabbed some lunch at Chick-fil-A and sat to eat it over by the ice rink so we could watch this guy skating. Then we strolled over to the play area.  Nat had a hard time with a few girls there...I watched her...she went over to them and asked if they'd like to play with her and they turned her down and walked away.  This happened a couple different times with a couple different kids. Sometimes she can be pushy about it, but this time she wasn't and I just felt bad for her every time I'd see her sad little face.  But that is life I guess. She said one girl called her a "poopyhead" so she told the girl that that was a rude thing to say. Eventually she did find some kids to run around with so all was good.  I told Nattie later on that I was proud of her for trying to make friends and for trying to be a good friend. Natalie is also very protective of her little sister. An older boy approached Kate and tried to pick her up...Natalie came all the way over from the opposite side of the play area and said "Don't do that! That's my sister!". Katelyn had such a wonderful time in the play area!  She cruised and crawled all over the place. She even went through all the tunnels by herself without any hesitation!  Not to be labeling her so quickly - but I wonder if she'll end up being the risk taker of the family?...haha!  After play area we played with the Thomas the Train set over at Barnes and Noble. Then we ended our afternoon with ice-cream at Whitey's.  Natalie's choice was the pink bubblegum flavor. 

 

Oct 25 ~ Today was Natalie's birthday celebration at school. We brought some storebought frosted mini cupcakes for her class. It was also her Share Day so she brought along her new Dora Mermaid to show off to her classmates. Nat had a very exciting day...she came home with a special birthday hat, certificate, and a cup full of goodies. Her best friend from school, Ellie Hagen, also gave her a Sesame Street puzzle...she put it together as soon as we walked in the door at home!  Natalie also received some birthday packages in the mail the other day from her GiGi and Great Grandpa Fleming and from her Aunt Diana, Uncle Mark and cousins Tara and Amber.

 

Oct 27 ~ My morning began with prep work for this weekend's communion services at church. It was nice hanging out with Jill, Terry, Meigen and the other ladies. Meigen Fink is Natalie's teacher this year.  She asked if Nat was enjoying preschool.  I said definitely yes and asked how she was doing especially concerning her ability to focus and refrain from being too hyper. Her teacher said she is doing really well - that she is one of the most outgoing children in her class and not any more over the top than any typical three or four year old would be. So that was wonderful news to hear!  In the afternoon, Craig and I decided to grab the kids and spend the rest of the day at the mall. We enjoyed lunch over by the ice rink, did a little window shopping, watched the girls play in the play area, and also let them enjoy a carousel ride. 

 

Oct 28 ~ Sunday was a busy day for our family!  Craig spent his morning in West Branch helping Brian Pierce move some furniture over to their new house. I loaded the kids into the van and we drove over to The Spot in Iowa City to drop off some taco meat for the children there.  My church choir was scheduled to provide and serve a meal today...I wasn't able to stay because I had my two little ones in tow, but did tell DeDe I'd be glad to drop off some food. 

     Soon after that, it was time for the girls to take a short nap and then get dressed for Madeline Caylor's fourth birthday party. Natalie insisted that she and Katelyn wear matching dresses to the party...I tried to get her to wear something else since they had been matching a lot lately, but she claimed that it was fun matching with her sister. We may as well enjoy it now while they are young - I'm sure a few years from now they won't want to do it!  As usual, the Caylors threw a really nice event at their home. Madeline had a princess party - princess stuff everywhere!  The kids played many games and enjoyed many treats. Maddy Schafbuch was also there (with her mom Laura) - so it was a nice reunion for the three four-year-old friends...and for us adults as well.

     After the party we stopped at Menards to look for a few home improvement items.  We didn't find exactly what we were after, but did come home with some other things. Our Menards store over here is moving locations, so the whole store was 40% off. Most everything was really picked over, but we did leave with a few outside doormats, a folding card table, a new standing shelf unit for our radio/CD player and such, and also cabinets for the laundry room!  I was so thrilled about the cabinets...I have had the laundry detergent, etc on the floor next to the washing machine ever since we moved into our house. And it always makes me nervous keeping that stuff out with the kids around. Craig so graciously put together the shelf for our radio and mounted the laundry cabinets that very same night. The new cabinets don't exactly match the one under the sink (and we don't think they can easily be stained), but it looks fine and it does the job so I am pleased. Maybe I'll break down and install some cute handles or knobs on them someday :)

     Oh, we did do one other thing today...told you it was a busy day!  Before Craig did his handyman stuff, he helped Natalie carve the Halloween pumpkin. Katie was taking a nap at the time, but she did get to see the final result. Natalie picked out a pumpkin face that had eyebrows - very cute.

 

Oct 29 ~ Tonight we took the girls to Sycamore Mall in Iowa City for trick or treating!  It does get very crowded, but we like to go there because it is indoors. It keeps us out of the cold weather and also the kids are able to see other children in all their different costumes...as you know, sometimes when you trick or treat outside in the dark you can't see as well or end up having to wear a coat over your outfit - not very fun.  This year I was fortunate enough to be able to borrow both of the girls' costumes from my friend Sara. The only thing I had to spend money on was the black underclothes for Kate's outfit - yay!  Natalie wanted to be a princess this year which turned out great since the costume we borrowed was a fairy princess. We painted her nails, she wore her birthday tiara, and I added some blush and lipgloss. Natalie said that she felt beautiful!  Katelyn was a cuddly lion this year - complete with a big full mane, paws, and a tail!  She was not very happy when I first put on her costume. She saw herself in the mirror and actually cried...poor thing!  But she was soon fine and both kids were ready for fun!  We picked up Daddy at work and then we met the Pierce family over at the mall.  Luke dressed up as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. This was Katelyn's first Halloween and she also had her first sucker tonight!  She thoroughly enjoyed it :)  We ended the night with a hayrack ride around the parking lot and dinner at Pizza Ranch with Brian, Shawn, Luke and baby Alyssa. 

 

Oct 30 ~ Today was "orange day" at Nat's preschool. They also had a pumpkin party.  After school we stopped at Fareway (local grocery store) for a few things.  Natalie is doing extremely well learning how to recognize letters of the alphabet. She saw the Fareway sign and recited each and every letter to me in the correct order.  I was so amazed! 

 

Oct 31 ~ Tonight was trick or treating in North Liberty. We did take both girls out for awhile so they could wear their costumes again and gather some treats. It was very, very cold though.  I'm glad we did the mall thing the other night...we'll probably keep doing that throughout the years...you never know what the weather will be like on the actual Halloween night. We went up and down a few streets in our neighborhood. Natalie is still very shy at saying "trick or treat" and "thank you" so we were practicing that quite a bit. Everyone kept calling Katelyn a boy because of her not-so-feminine costume. Maybe I should have put a pink bow on her lion mane??...nah, it was adorable just as it was. 

     I received this in an email the other day.  Someone always ends up sending it to me around Halloween time, so I've read it each year for the past few years or so.  I love it every time, so I thought I'd include it in the journal! 

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.