A Not So Quick Cleaning

A few weeks ago McKenzie joined me for my biannual visit to the dentist.  I have been talking to my dental hygienist about bringing McKenzie for quite a while.  She recommended that I bring her to my usual cleaning, let her see what happens to me and then see how far we might get with her.  Well anyone that has a kid knows that something like a dentist visit is a total toss-up.  Despite how well you know your own child, you have NO IDEA how they might respond in a weird situation like this one.  Personally, I thought McKenzie might let the hygienist count her teeth.  Maybe.  As it turns out, I was dead wrong.  Once I finished with my cleaning and x-rays, McKenzie excitedly asked, "Is it my turn yet?"  The girl couldn't wait to get in that chair!

After settling in, she looked at all the dental tools, felt the little air and suction thingy on her hands and let the hygienist get to work.  She not only let her teeth get counted, but also brushed and flossed.  FLOSSED.  I was in disbelief.  She wasn't a huge fan of the water being sprayed in her mouth, once telling the hygienist that she didn't like it and finally saying outright, "I'm done with that one."  I mean, I'd hate for her to be completely compliant.  But overall, a hugely successful trip.

Starting things out...

Not even phased by this!

Smiling...ok, making a weird face... to show her clean teeth!

It's Official

McKenzie turned three last Thursday, and now that we've had her party, it's official.  She's a full blown three-year-old.  Her tantrums have given way to a sassy little attitude that is a little frustrating at times.  As much as I love her determination to do everything herself, sometimes it would be nice to just put her clothes on, pick out her shoes and pull her hair back with no fuss.  Yeah, that's not happening anytime soon.  As frustrating as it might be now, I know that independent spirit will serve her well in the future.  And I guess for now, it's funny to see her wear her dress backwards all day long and not give a care!

Her birthday celebration started a little early, as we enjoyed dinner and ice cream with Drew, Erin, Mere and Ben last Tuesday.  Then, it was breakfast at Shipley's on her actual birthday with Mommy, Daddy, Dandy and LaLa followed by a movie (Brave) with Carter and Granmom.  She claimed Harper's party as her own on Saturday (sorry Harper!) and then the weekend culminated with her painting party today.  Needless to say, she's felt pretty special all week long.

The paint party idea began with a suggestion from Kelly and it was a huge success.  As you can see from the pictures below (click here for even more), the kids had a great time even though it was 100+ outside!  A huge thanks to Jenny for capturing so many great moments!  And just so we don't forget, the morning started at 4:30am when our A/C went out.  Thankfully, we were able to get a temporary motor installed in time for the party.

Ready for the party to begin!

Water balloons, each one painstakingly filled by Carter.  Thanks DAD!!!

Love this picture!

Love my McKenzie!

Even Annie Bean got in on the tie-dye action.

All the kids!

Another favorite picture!

She had some seriously good reactions to presents this year.

So excited for these princesses!

Annie Update

There's not a whole lot to update on Annie, but she's got a few things going for her.  We just started doing food and she seems to enjoy a variety of fruits and veggies.  We are slowly but surely weaning her out of the swaddle blanket.  She has let out a few hearty giggles that really just melt my heart.  Other than that, we're just working our way through the summer.  

A little four month photo shoot.

Looking cute at the lake.

Princess Camp

I did it.  I signed my little girl up for Princess Camp.  How bad could it be, I thought?  There was not just dancing, but crafts and... well, that's it.  Dancing and crafts.  But also, four days of just getting to hang out with Annie from 9-12, since it was a drop off camp.  So, I bought the required ballet shoes, a couple of leotards and tutus and we were set.  I could not be more happy about doing it for McKenzie, because she LOVED it.  I walked her into the dance studio the first day and she didn't even look back to say goodbye.  On the last day, there was a cute little performance and after waiting through TWO other groups, McKenzie finally got her chance to shine!

A quick practice session before we leave.

Cutie!

Getting a hug from Daddy before the big show, barely avoiding a meltdown!

Being told it wasn't her turn yet.  She walked away crying.

Starting position.

Obvious talent, but I love Brant's huge smile in the background even more!

Concentrating.

The only person that could make me like dance!

Best First Friend

Last week, McKenzie's best friend moved to Michigan, taking her incredible family along with her.  Just typing that makes me sad.  I don't know if or when McKenzie will actually miss Brinley.  She doesn't really grasp the concept of moving.  Most certainly, I miss her enough for the both of us.  Though at times they fought like sisters, they had many great moments of playing, learning, talking, plotting, planning and sharing together.  Thankfully, we still have some great friends here, as well as a couple of great cousins, but Brinley will be missed.  Every day.

An all too infrequent night out for the parents!

Tutu Hugs!

Walking in for the last day of school.

School's out for summer!

Chatting over a popsicle.

Skip to my Lou!

Loving the water!

Another school day.

Baseball Night

Dandy recently had tickets to a Travelers game for the whole family.  Since the game didn't start til 7:00, I opted to stay home and get Annie in bed at her normal bedtime.  I'm glad McKenzie got to have a little daddy/daughter time, but I do wish I had seen all of her dance moves.  Apparently, any song that came on for any reason was dance time for McKenzie.  To all of you wondering, yes.  I did finally give in and sign her up for dance.  How could I not?

If there were any pictures of the dancing, I haven't seen them.  But here's a cute one of Brant and BenBen the Pooperman!

Bridge Picnic

A couple of weeks ago, we were feeling the need to just get out of the house for a while.  Brant suggested we pack a picnic and head over to the Big Dam Bridge to walk across.  Well, the picnic turned into Chipotle to-go, but that was just fine.  Maybe even better.  It turned out to be a bit warmer than we expected so the stay was short, but sweet.  And now it's fun to cross the I-430 bridge because McKenzie looks over and points out the bench we sat on.

Playing with the Tinkerbell ball.

Annie refused to ride in the stroller on the way back.  Also refused to smile for this picture. Rude baby.

McKenzie wanted Brant to have a hat!