Lena Goes to Preschool

Miss Lena began the Tiny Tots preschool program at the City of Chino in January.  She loves all the crafts they make and is really enjoying the drama and social aspects of being in classroom of kids. 

So super silly is she

Beware the LENA eyes!

Learning to write and always doing art.

The last day of her first session of preschool. 

Our Little Nursery is No More

Grandma and Grandpa's guest room is now up and ready for visitors!

 We finally took down our nursery and moved the girls into the same room together.  It was bittersweet to say goodbye to the room where so many memories were made.  I rocked my babies to sleep in that room and prayed for my unborn girls in that room.  It sat empty for so long when our FETs would fail and now it will be empty once again.  We are glad to have a nice space for visitors though!  We got a set of bunk beds for the girls off of Craigslist.  Lena is on the bottom bunk for now and Kinley will stay in her crib a little longer. 

The last remnants of the nursery are the Dr. Seuss prints which were soon replaced by some of Lena's paintings.

The girls enjoying their new bunk beds!

Lena the Messy!

She painted and then she painted her chair blue.

A little crayon artwork by Miss Lena on my wrapping paper bin.

 I can't keep up folks! We are going through a CRAZY mess-making stage with #1. In the last 48 hours she has colored all over our couch with a blue highlighter, grabbed the liquid dish soap from the kitchen and poured it all over her head, the baby's head, the living room carpet and several toys, taken raw eggs off the counter and broke and smashed them all over the living room carpet, emptied an entire tube of blue toothpaste in the bathroom, and painted her booster seat blue! Seriously?? This phase needs to end. I used to pride myself as a classroom teacher with astute awareness, having eyes in the back of my head. How is it that I knew everything that happened in my classroom with 40 teenagers but I am being outsmarted by one FOUR year old?? I need a new game plan and more Norwex.

Orlando 2015 - The Girls' First Disney Trip

In November 2015 we took the girls to their first ever Disney trip to Walt Disney World.  We bought 10 day park hopper passes and spent 17 days at the the Harbor Lake MVCI property there.  It was exhausting but awesome! 

So much fun on Dumbo!

The highlight of her trip was getting to hold a baby alligator!

Lena had fun learning about pin trading and making crafts in the kids club.

Sisters watching the Florida sunset.

Looking for alligators and turtles.

Winnie the Pooh is one of their favorites!

A short romantic moment in front of the lit up castle.

Sundown over the water

She is game for the rides!

Always these two together.

McKinley Jane: 15 Months Old

Miss Kinley Jane turned 15 months old on our trip to Orlando, Florida.

Stats

Four teeth

Size 4 diapers (almost size 5)

Size 18 months clothes

Size 5 shoes

First visit to a Disney Park (Orlando)

Kinley's Language Skills

Ka-Ku "Thank You"

Yeah! (This is how she responds to most questions.)

Num! Num! (What she says when she is hungry or eating something she likes)

Mickey (She said it clear as a bell once.)

Favorites

Going down the slide all by herself like a big girl

Climbing on EVERYTHING

Mickey Mouse

Cheese

Putting on pretty crowns, necklaces, hats

Her new Winnie the Pooh bear

Lena Joyce: 4 Years Old

Favorites

Paw Patrol

Disney Princesses (Ariel and Rapunzel are her favorites)

Playing outside

Building forts with pillows and blankets

Pretending

Riding rollercoasters

Playing with friends

Eating hotdogs

Mothering her babies (a slew of dolls we keep in my childhood cradle)

Stats

Almost 40" Tall

36 pounds

Size 4T Clothes (She is too short for 4T pants)

Size 9/10 shoes

Lena loves to play with other kids.  She is very uninhibited and approaches strangers with ease and warmth.  She also is tender-hearted.  She is aware when she is left out and gets her feelings hurt.  She cannot stand it if someone is upset with her especially Mom and Dad.  She asks immediately for hugs  and to be forgiven and if she doesn't get those two things immediately she falls completely apart.  She often asks if Dan and I still love her.

Part of Lena's bedtime routine is to pray to Jesus.  She always makes Daddy or I pray first and then she goes last.  Mostly she prays "Jesus always be with us" and often thanks Jesus for various friends and family members.  Sometimes she prays for God to help her not be afraid.

Lena HATES getting her hair brushed.  She hasn't had a haircut yet and her hair is super long (past her behind) and often gets pretty tangled.  She still loves to be with people.  She will sit on whomever is nearest to her.  When I am home with the girls and I sit in the same room as them they both end up lying on me.  She will often ask to "sit with you?"  At bedtime Lena will always ask if we will stay with her 5 minutes and if we say no she will downgrade to asking us to check on her in 5 minutes.  She likes having sleepovers and often plans little evenings that usually involve watching a show and drinking hot chocolate (which is funny because she never actually drinks it - she just likes the idea of it.) 

Lena is a good big sister.  She loves waking Kinley up in the morning and will often climb into Kinley's crib to jump and play with her until I get there.  She is just starting to figure out that Kinley will do what she says so she likes to have her participate in her pretend scenarios.  

Lena's 4th Birthday Party

For Lena's "four" birthday we decided to have an intimate princess birthday tea party!  Lena has learned to love Ariel, Rapunzel, and other princesses over the last year so we invited some of her close friends to come over, dress up, do some creative crafts, and have treats and tea. 

The first hour of the party was spent doing creative centers.  We had the "princess potion" station where they made their own candy pixie sticks.  Then there was a button jewelry station where they could make button decorated hair clips and a beading station where they made bracelets and necklaces.  Lastly there was the nail salon station where I did their nails with Jamberry wraps and matching lacquer.  Such fun!

The second hour we moved into the dining room where the tables were set with real China, silverware, and antique tea cups.  We hung festive lanterns from the ceiling just like the movie Tangled.  Dan was our server and served everyone savory and sweet princess treats and the girls and their moms drank hot chocolate, juice, and tea.  Then it was time for cake and presents.  Grandma made a beautiful Little Mermaid cake!   Everyone took home a cute little zipper pouch with their initial on the outside to put all their creations and goodies inside.  It was such a fun party!

 

Grandma and Lena and one of Grandma's awesome cakes!