All Things Kate - archived

1.27.2006

Mom-to-be

Whenever Kate interacts with a baby (including holding her sister, but not limited to her), she exclaims multiple times, "Awwww! ShesoCUUUUUTE!" It cracks me up. She loves to hold Lexi and does so at least a couple times a day. Tonight, Mike was helping her hold Lex and Lexi started sucking on her nose! Kate just laughed. She's adjusting so well to be a big sister.

1.26.2006

From the Mouth of Kate

"See ya!"
"This is for you."
"That's a tree."
"Well-wow" (the color of everything.)

1.21.2006

Boots

On Wednesday, our friendly UPS man delivered some rain boots for Kate. Her obsession with shoes kicked in, and since then she has woken up asking for them and proudly wore one or both pretty much all day. No rain puddles to splash in yet, but she does think they are awfully grand for exploring outside.

1.19.2006

Catechism, again

Scene: Dinner Table, Tuesday night.
Mike: "Who made you, Kate?"
Kate: "God!"
Mike and Kristen: "That's right, good job!" *high five Kate*
*Kristen decides to test Kate a bit with some unprepared material*
Kristen: "And who made your sister, Lexi?"
Kate: "God!"
Mike and Kristen: "That's right!" *high fives*
Kristen: "And who made Daddy?"
*Kate looks at her mother as if she were insane*

I guess daddies are begotten, not made.

1.16.2006

Catechism

Kate's language skills slightly regressed when we first came home with Lexi, but seem to be back in growth mode the last few days. She's been saying amen (or, rather, "ma-men") with us consistently, so Saturday we started introducing the first children's catechism question to her in a low-key way at the dinner table.

"Kate, who made you?" *blank stare from Kate*
"God made you, Kate!"
"Who made you, Kate?" *blank stare from Kate*
"God made Kate!"
"Who made you?" and then she replied "God!"

We went through the exact same conversation with her during dinner yesterday as well.

Today at the doctor's office, after having not mentioned it since dinner last night, I turned to her and said, "Who made you, Kate?" and she exclaimed happily, "God!" She's repeated it unprompted several more times.

We're not in a rush to get to question #2 at the moment -- it's just neat to see her growing in the faith.

1.15.2006

Kate's Playdate

A college aged friend, Sarah, asked if she could take Kate out on Friday. Kate adores her, so of course, I agreed. She took Kate to the bank where she got her first lollipop, to the neighborhood park's playground and to the duck pond at the really nice park downtown, then to school to wave at her dad and see all her adoring fans (the logic and rhetoric school students). She came home three hours later and was *SO* happy. Sarah reported that Kate freaked her out flinging herself down the elementary-schooler sized slide without warning and finding the geese attacking her hilarious. That kid has no fear. She cried when Sarah left and tried to get her to take her along. ("Bye, mom!" "No Sarah is going bye, you are staying here." "No! Bye, Mom!") It was her nap-time and it's been a while since we had a fun adventure morning like that, so I didn't take it personally ;o)

1.10.2006

Two thoughts: Mom

Kate has called me Mom for about six months now. Not Momma. Not Mommy. Mom. When she's whining, she sounds fourteen already. Mike is Daddy. My mom is Nana. Me? I'm just mom.

Kate's a mom now, too. A mom to every baby doll she sees. She rocks them, slings them and shushes them with expertise. She walks them back and forth several times and then she lays them down and tells them, "night-night." She has the slight bounce in her step and gentle shake that all parents instinctively use with newborns down to a tee. It's almost scary. 25 years, give or take, and my life could be hers...

1.07.2006

High Heels

Kate loves my high heels. She goes into my closet, gets them from the shoe organizer, walks around the house in them and puts them away. It cracks me up!



1.02.2006

18 months old

This past month has been big in the life of Kate. Her little sister arrived on the scene. She learned at least 25 new words. She spent a lot of time with her maternal extended family. She worked very hard on saying "G.P." and even managed to get it out a few times, to her grandfather's delight. I've really enjoyed watching Kate's personality blossom. She now says "cheese!" and hams for pictures instead of covering her face. She sings along in church and at home to hymns and other music. For example, Mike and I were singing the doxology to her and she was singing along "Pra-Ga! Pra-Ga!" She loves music, in fact, right now she has just climbed up on our bed and turned our alarm clock radio on and is listening to "Performance Today" on NPR, dancing and clapping along. She is an incredibly good sleeper, which is such a blessing to us right now. She is a little grabby with Lexi and over-anxious to share her things with the baby, but at least she is interested in playing with her!