Three Mizes + Two...

We're keeping Bailey this week while the other Mizes are in FL for the week. 

She's having a good time.  Her favorite pastime in the world is stalking and watching squirrels.  Tommy feeds our squirrels so Bailey parks herself at the backdoor to keep watch on them.  I even had to pull the blinds down on the door to keep her settled.  She just moved to the window beside the door!

In the meantime, Mae is dying to get Bailey to play with her.  She jumps and barks and nips at her in an effort to get her attention.  Bailey is too wrapped up in her squirrel watch most of the time. 

They get along great!  Maybe Dear Mae will learn something this week!

Smile...We're Going to the Tent...

Erin had her first dentist visit yesterday.  I told her about it and talked to her for a long time about what they were going to do.  She told me later that we were going to the tent.  I kept asking her what she was saying and she kept saying tent.  I figured out she was trying to say dentist!  So, she was excited to go.

After a small scheduling snafu, we were in the room waiting for the doctor. What the scheduler forgot to tell me was that I needed to request an "exam and cleaning" because I we ended up with was an exam.  So we go back today for our cleaning.  Lesson learned.

The doctor was super nice.  It's a pediatric dentist so she is set up for kids from the waiting rooms to the dental chairs.  Erin got to watch Dora while they worked on her.  She loved it.

She was very, very good.  She was taken for x-rays and I couldn't go.  I was a little worried about how she would do, but apparently it was all for nothing.  She just walked off with the nurse and came back smiling about how good she did.  (I should probably be a little worried about how easily she walked off with the nurse!)  

Then came Dr. Ragsdale.  She leaned Erin back in the chair and talked to her about what she was doing.  Erin was very compliant and listened to everything they said to do.  She got a great check up with perfect teeth and she told us to keep doing what we're doing, but to not forget to brush her teeth in the morning too.  So, we add one more thing to our list of morning duties.

Going Native...

I made William a teepee for his birthday.  One of Erin's friends has one that they bought at the Nutcracker Market.  No telling how much they paid for it.  We've been to her house for play dates and Erin loves the teepee.  So, I found a pattern at the fabric store and decided to make William one for his birthday.

I cut the pattern to size and bought the PVC.  Tommy helped me cut it and it was pretty much done after I sewed it all together.  The worst part was cutting and sewing them together.  It was not hard, but very time consuming.  So, together it went.

We had to put it away because we didn't want Erin to see it.  Then I got to thinking she needed one too!  So, back to the fabric store I went.

I decided to make Erin's bigger then William's so I went off the pattern and just increased the size about 4 or 5 times.  So, her teepee wound up being big enough for Tommy and I to get in with her.  It worked out well because we have just the right amount of room for it in the dinning room.  

Here are some pics of the finished products.

I monogrammed William's name on his later, but didn't get a picture of it.  It turned out really cute!

First Position...

Erin's ballet outfit and shoes came today.  I just have to say how excited I am.  The shoes are so little and cute.  I'll be saving these for sure.  (Of course we had to order a WIDE but they're still super cute!)

This is just one of the many reasons it is so fun having a girl!!

Time for Your Check-Up...

We had our well kid check up yesterday with Dr. Elahee.  (It's actually Dr. Elahee-White now since she got married last year, but I can't seem to make the change...)  Or as Erin calls her "Dr. Ele-fee".

Since we're potty trained for pee pee we just HAD to check out the bathroom in the waiting room.  Super Yay there.  After that we were called back and put in our room.  Erin is super nosey so of course she opened the exam room door to watch the other kids/nurses in the hall.

Dr. Elahee came in and gave us the head to toe once over.  She is sooooo good with Erin.  Since Erin loves to watch Doc McStuffins, she told Dr. E all about what she was doing as she examined her.  She was a big girl and didn't give us an ounce of problem.

Speaking of ounces... Here are her 3 year stats:

Weight: 36 pounds - 75% percentile

Height: 37.75 inches - 70% percentile

I actually thought was was taller then that.  I guess there are just some shorties in her class.  I was so proud of her.  She stood on the scale and stood by the height chart like a big girl and only had to be told once how to do it.

She's hitting all her milestones and surpassing some of them.  Momma and Erin together are not doing so good on the nutrition.  I try to get her to eat the right things, she refuses, I give in because I don't want her to be hungry when she goes to bed.  That would break my heart.  We're going to make an effort to get better at that one.

She got one shot yesterday and laid down on the table for the nurse with no problem.  I had to hold her arms and the nurse held her legs and make it quick.  Erin just said "Owwey" and never cried.  She took that shot like a champ and then got up smiling at the nurse who gave her a shinny silver band-aid.  I couldn't believe it.  Shots hurt!!! 

We got kudos on the discipline we use for her.  Erin is very willful and stubborn and will not listen or mind me most of the time.  (I am getting mine back in spades according to Gram...)  We use the time out rug and she has started refusing to sit down on it.  (It's the rug in front of the back door.  It just seemed like a good spot to sit her in when we first instituted time out.  I can keep an eye on her there and ignore her at the same time like you're supposed to do.)  Since that is not working too well, I started putting her in our room and closing the door to get her attention.  She hates being locked in there by herself and the waterworks and drama soon follow.  Tommy said we were making her feel abandoned but I knew it was just the right thing to snap her out of her attitude.  Dr. Elahee said I was doing the right thing.  I only leave her in there about a minute.  As long as we get lots of hugs when she comes out of time out all should be okay.  (We do hug and make up and then talk about why she went to time out in the first place.)

Erin continues to be the best sleeper EVER!  She goes to bed between 7:00 and 7:30 after her story books and potty.  She usually settles down around 7:30 or 8:00 and sleeps until 6:30.  Her bedtime is early by most parental standards but it works for us.  She obviously needs the sleep since she has stated refusing to nap at school.  We talk to her about it but there is little we can do to make her nap at school.  At home we follow the same schedule they keep at school to make sure her routine is consistent.  (I know again with my OCD!)

All in all the three of us seem to be doing a good job.  Now if I could only get Mae in line...