Kaitlyn Turned 2 and Addison is 3 1/2!
Again its been a few months since the last post. The big news since last post is that Kaitlyn turned two years old on August 17, 2011. We had her party at Jeff’s clubhouse at his condo complex. It was on a Sunday afternoon. We had cupcakes, chips, dip, and pigs in a a blanket. After the party we swam in the pool. Kaitlyn opened many of her presents as people arrived. She got such things as clothes, Princess tent, princess couch and chair, lamp, rug, and goggles. Friends of Kaitlyn that came were Gavin Lane, Ella Bailey, Lane Merrill, Gracie Clayton, Adam Watts, and Madeline Sherrill.
Uncle Brock and Aunt Miranda couldn’t make it to Kailtyn’s Party so they came up and took the girls to Chuckee Cheese instead. They had a blast!
This is what the Target Isle looked like one night while I stepped to We got the girls bunk beds back in August also. After the girls got to sleep in bunk beds at our beach house they were really in to bunk beds. So I got on Craigslist and found a nice set. I think they look good in their room. Addison usually sleeps on the top bunk and Kaitlyn on the bottom bunk. They love it when we make a fort on the bottom bunk.
Josh competed in the Garage Games in August also. We went down and stayed with Aunt Jenny. Linda and Jeff came with us to support Josh. I think he was a little nervous since this was his first Crossfit Competition but he did awesome! We got to visit the Georgia Aquarium while we were there also. The girls enjoyed looking at all of the fish and getting their faces painted.
For Labor Day weekend, we went to visit Aunt Amanda, Uncle Ted, and cousin Claire. We had so much fun! It is always great to spend time with my sister and for the girls to get to play together. They played together real well. We got to go hear Ted play in his band on the waterway at Wrightsville Beach. Josh and I tried out a Crossfit Gym down there. Josh and I enjoyed getting coffee in the mornings. We took all three girls to get there hair cut one day. That was quite interesting since none of the girls sat still while the lady cut their hair. We had fun just hanging out together. Making Nana’s Sugar Cookies for her birthday
We have been able to go to three Clemson Football games this year and that has been a lot of fun. The first two games I sat outside the game with the girls and tailgated the whole time. Brock and Miranda had the hookup with a flat screen TV and satellite. We played corn hole and ate good tailgating snacks while watching the game. The girls had fun looking for numerous golf balls since we were parked right behind a golf course. I got to go in to the North Carolina game and Mimi and Nannie kept the girls at Mimi’s house. Claire and Amanda were in town this weekend also so the girls got to hang out again. Later that night we got to hangout at the Maltby’s annual cookout. The girls had a lot of fun getting to see their pals Emily, James, Drew and Parker.
In October Josh and I traveled to Columbia to run in the Marine Corp Mud run. Linda kept one of the girls and Pappy Ken kept the other. It was a nice break for mommy and daddy. We had a lot of fun. It was my second time running this race but Josh’s first time. This race is a 5 mile run with 33 crazy obstacles. After the run, we hung out with friends from the gym then drove to Spartanburg where we went shopping before staying in a hotel that night. 
We took the girls to a pumpkin patch and apple orchard out in Edneyville at the end of October. The girls had fun riding the Moo Moo Train while there and looking at the animals. 
The Moo Moo Train 
For Halloween weekend we went to the Fall Festival on Saturday at church. It was freezing!!!!! The wind was blowing so hard and it was like 40 degrees. Josh and I took the girls but we didn’t stay long. The girls would have stayed longer if it were up to them but I could barely move I was so cold. I coerced girls to leave so we could go get ready to be princesses for the indoor Trunk or Treat at Mills River Methodist. Josh had to go to work so wasn’t sure how it would go with me getting the girls ready by myself but it went fine. Addison and Kaitlyn were both Cinderella. They looked beautiful. I curled their hair and sprayed glitter in it. They had a lot of fun at the Trunk or Treat. They ran into their friend from school, Merritt Bandy. We participated in a cake walk and actually won like 30 cupcakes!
Halloween was on a Monday night and Josh had to work again. This time I asked Linda or Nana to help me get them ready and then go with us to go Trick or Treating. We first visited Lonnie and Shirley then the other surrounding neighbors. Next we went to see Josh who was working at Biltmore Park. We parked at Eddie and Michelles’ house, ate pizza with them, and then went to the surrounding houses. I was able to talk Addison into being Belle versus Cinderella since she had been wearing the Cinderella dress for like 10 days straight. I left Addison’s hair down like Belle’s and I thought she looked beautiful!!!
The first weekend in November we went camping in Black Mountain at Josh’s family’s land. Uncle Jeff, Uncle Steve and Uncle Brock went down on Friday night and then Josh, Addison and I came down on Saturday. We thought one night of camping might be better for Addison to start out with versus two nights. Nana kept Kaitlyn since we didn’t think Kaitlyn was quite ready for the trip. Addison had a blast! She didn’t complain once even though it got down to 3o degrees and was quite cold. Jeff had borrowed someone’s 4 wheeler and she loved riding that. I even drove her on it. I was a little nervous since it was a manual but I got the hang of it. She loved eating the marshmallows and watching all of the dogs running around. She liked sleeping in the tent and carrying her flashlight around.
The following weekend we went to visit Mrs. Kim in Chesapeake, Virginia. Her husband is deployed right now with the Navy overseas and we decided it would be a good time to go see her over Veterans weekend. This trip was 7.5 hours. Kelly Bailey and Ella went with us although Kim didn’t know they were coming. Kim loved her surprise . I decided to take just Kaitlyn with me so I could have one on one time with her and it would just be easier with one child and maybe allow me to spend more quality time with Kim. Again sweet Nana helped out and kept Addison. We had an awesome time visiting Kim. Kaitlyn played so well with Sawyer. She played much better with him than she does with Addison but I hear that is normal for siblings but sometimes I wander. I think Kaitlyn really enjoyed the one on one time with me. I certainly did. Unfortunately while there Kelly got really sick with a stomach bug. A few days later this bug hit our whole family. Kaitlyn did so well during the car rides. She didn’t fuss at all. While we went to Virginia, Addison and Nana had a special weekend. Nana took Addison to ride a ponies in Etowah then a trip to Sam’s Club to purchase the movie Lion King.
Words from Beth Ann, the Director of their preschool:
She said Addison is going to be a manager of some sort, a teacher, or a tour guide. She said she loves to help the other children. She helps the other children put their shoes on… She said that Addison and Kaitlyn are very smart and they really like to learn. She said that Addison greets all of the parents when they come to pick up their children.
Beth Ann said Kaitlyn is so sweet and loving. And that if she wants your attention she will get it from you in some way whether it is in her words or eyes. She said that Kaitlyn will be athlete and that she is very fun. She said she isn’t rough at school. (like she is at home)
Addison Doings: Right now Addison loves princesses and she asks many many Why Questions. At night our routine is to take their gummy vitamin, a spoonful of honey, read one book, and then brush their teeth. Then I lay Kaitlyn down first and say her prayers then lay Addison down and do her prayers and prayer book. They are still going down around 8:30 pm. Daddy works about 3 or 4 nights of the week so most nights its just mommy and the girls. Daddy watches the girls on Wednesday nights so I can go to a girls Bible Study. It isn’t always easy to not come home and see them right after work but being in the Bible Study is a must to help with accountability and Christian girl friends. Addison is still a major thumb sucker and I know she is over 3 1/2. Addison had her first hair cutting experience. While staying with Nana they worked on using scissors. So when I came home last Sunday I looked at Addison’s hair and noticed a rather large chunk of hair missing from the right side of her head. She unintentionally admitted she had cut it. So… I had to schedule an appointment to get her hair trimmed up to match a little better on the other side. I went ahead and got Kaitlyn’s trimmed up as well. Kaitlyn’s hair is starting to lengthen. Addison has learned a bad work from Daddy recently so we are trying to undo this word. Apparently Josh has said Damn'it some time around the girls and Addison heard him. So now every now and then when something isn’t going her way it will slip out! We are working on correcting this. This certainly reminds Josh that they are paying attention to everything we do and say.
Kaitlyn Doings: Well I have been trying to limit Kaitlyn’s paci time recently to the car and her bed but it has back fired on me the last few days because she has started sucking her thumb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I am not really sure what to do! I know its a lot easier to take a paci away than a thumb. Kaitlyn had learned the question “Why?” from her sister a lot earlier than Addison started. Some of her recent phrases: “Why you got that on? Why Pappy Ken come down? Why you got your jacket on?” Today Kaitlyn has asked “Why” at least 15 times.
Parenting Issues: Well to be honest, this parenting thing is not easy! I am always searching for answers on how to handle certain discipline issues. I have been praying for God to show Josh and I how to parent in a Godly way and for God to show us what to let go of and what not to. I was recently told about a book called “Love and Logic”. Our church library had it on audio which was awesome because reading parenting books is just not happening. I am reading at the pace of a snail. I do my quiet time with the God and after that not much reading for pleasure is going on. So I had a work trip to Raleigh two weeks ago and I made it through two whole parenting books in two days!!!! More than I have done in 3 years! The main point is to let the consequence do the teaching. So Josh and I are trying to put this into practice.
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