Pants Off Dance Off

I have heard mothers tell stories about their "naked" children. They relay embarrassing situations and frustrations related to keeping their little one from what seems to be a natural propensity for indecent exposure. I couldn't relate. At least not from a parenting perspective. Wesley does not enjoy being without even so much as a shirt. Right before he was potty trained, I tried to put him down for a nap without pants on, thinking I would save myself the time of taking them off to change his diaper when he woke up. He just would not have it.

Enter child number two. Confession: I'm pretty sure I know where she gets it, and it is not her father. From the beginning, there has been an ongoing battle about wearing shoes that I have been determined to win. Mostly, I have, sort of. Then Cate developed the manual dexterity to remove articles of clothing. And this is not the first incident. In fact, I have posted 3 times about this behavior in as many months. There seems to be one outfit in particular that inspires nudity. Luckily, it is a summer frock, so I'm hoping that once the temperature drops and I pack away that particular jumper, all issues will resolve. (Please, there is no need to question my delusional thinking on the matter.) Still, for all my concern, I do still find it mildly amusing. I defy any of you to behold the following image and not crack so much as a smile....

Okay, if you passed that test, now imagine the following quote from that sweet face, "TA-DAH! Look, Mommy, I pretty!" And yes, she is wearing what you think that is.

I'm not sure if it is a positive sign, but the pendulum does seem to swing back the other direction as well. The other day when I went to get her up after a nap, she had donned the following attire....

Yes, that is two, count 'em, two dresses. She does get high marks for fashion coordination. The dresses are actually the same style, but different colors. Also, she was working the purple number in an avant-garde one sleeve on, one sleeve off maneuver. Again, there were self-congratulatory declarations of cuteness, but really, who can argue with that? Also, I don't think that she napped, but maybe that is splitting hairs at this point in the game.

(Lil) Miss Personality

Whether a Hargreaves book or a beauty pageant award, Catelynn could take the title hands down. She is funny, adventurous, loving, stubborn, passionate, and independent. She is not afraid to let you know when she doesn't "wike" (like) something, but so thankful and joyful when she does. She is content to play peacefully with her babies but will just as easily grab a light saber and waltz into the room declaring, "I fight you!" I could write thousands of words, but instead I will cash in on the value of pictures!

Songbird

If she is a successful singer/songwriter someday, they will come knocking on my door for this video: her debut...

Wardrobe Malfunction

Last Sunday, Cate wore her sweet little flower girl's dress from my sister-in-law's wedding last month. Awww...It is a pillowcase dress made by my very talented friend Anna. But boy, those red ribbons sure are tempting. Cate has been known to untie them, so we had the foresight to pin them for the wedding. When we went to church on Sunday, I feared she may play with them, but I had full confidence that the adults in the nursery would know how to retie them, so I didn't bother with the pins. A funny thing happens in a nursery with 20 or so 2 year olds running around. There just may be enough ruckus to distract the teachers while a little girl unties both red ribbons, shimmies on out of her dress, and pulls one of the ribbons clear out of the casing before streaking a lap or two around the room. And naked she remained during the 15 minutes or so that it took her teacher, Krista to thread the ribbon back in place. By the time I picked her up, she was redressed (with the ribbons in a knot), and half of the church had heard the story. One of her teachers sent me this picture from her camera phone!

Step Away from the Pen!

I may have mentioned that Cate is not to be trusted with writing instruments of any kind. Thus far, two pieces of furniture, several outfits and multiple layers of skin have fallen prey to her abuse of such things. I honestly don't know how she keeps intercepting pens, markers, and the like. The other day, she found a highlighter. Marc and I decided she was painting her nails with it. She had highlighted all ten of her fingernails and was busted after she had moved on to the toes.

A few nights ago, I sat down to read the kids our two favorite bedtime books: Good Night Moon

and How Do I Love You? Below you will find my unfortunate discovery...

While my initial reaction was sadness at the defacement of our precious nighttime ritual, I began to swell with pride when I realized her careful attention to the detail of the comb, the brush, AND the bowl full of mush. However, I'm not sure what she has against that poor little boy (and notice that he is drawing on the wall on his very worst of days!). Now, whenever we read the books, she whispers, "Oh nooo" as we turn each tainted page.

Shirt and Shoes Required

Our morning routine often involves a small amount of television, allowing me an extra 30 minutes to lie on the couch and "wake up" (read: keep my eyes closed for 30 more minutes). A few weeks ago, I peaked one eye open to find Catelynn standing completely nude in the bonus room. Surprise! She has acquired the new skill of taking off her own clothes. Good for potty training. Not so good for slightly neglectful parenting. I burst into laughter, and grabbed the camera, which I'm sure sent her the strong message that this was unacceptable behavior that should not be repeated. She proceeded to stretch her bare legs by doing a few naked laps around the room, then peeing on the carpet. Suddenly, not so cute. About a week later, there was a similar incident where she was caught mid-disrobe. She had managed to unencumber herself from the pants she had on, but the shirt was a halter, and she had only finagled it to where the halter was around her waist, fitting more like an assless skirt. Oh, how I wish there was a picture of that. This time I thought it wiser to speak sternly and head for the bathroom.

My Little Pony

When Catelynn was born, it was clear that she was taking after me in the hair department. Not my current hair situation (in that case, I guess she would take after Marc!), but when I was a child, I didn't really grow any hair until I had celebrated my second birthday. After enduring at least a year of Cate being called a boy and attempting headbands which were not tolerated, we finally reached the bow-in-the-hair milestone. Perhaps not a milestone for most, but it was a proud day at my house. And now, May 13th will be known as pony day. I braved my fears of inadequacy in the styling department, and these pictures show the results!

Big Girl Bed!

Cate has always loved her bed. Normally, she goes to bed without any struggle and wakes up happy as a lark (she does not get either of those qualities from me!). Some days, when she wakes up from nap, she just wants to sit in bed and read a book!Then it happened. One early morning I heard her calling me, but before I could get to her room, I heard her voice again, only strangely closer. Yep, she had climbed out of bed. I decided that would be the end of that and converted her crib to a toddler bed. It has been a fairly seamless transition. Bedtime is slightly more difficult, and I have found her sleeping on the floor in front of her door on occasion, but overall, she is quite the big girl!

Who's on First?

This is Cate's first joke, borrowed from our good friend, Quinn.


In case you can't see the punchline, she is flicking her tongue in and out like a snake (or a lizard!)

Cate's Words: Age 2

I started compiling this list in December. Since then, it has gotten decidedly out of hand. It is amazing to witness the development that takes place between the ages of 18 and 24 months. Despite my best efforts, it is in no way conclusive, but still a fun little peek into the mind of Catelynn at the ripe old age of 2!

Momma/Daddy
hi/hello/bye bye/see ya (she screams see ya from her carseat whenever we are leaving)
yes/no/yeah/nah
"we-we" (Wesley)
up/down (used interchangably)
more/all done
please/thank you (she is so good at saying thank you without any prompting)
eat/dink/bite (VERY important words)
baby (EVERYTHING is a baby and she finds them everywhere!)
uh-oh/owie
ball/book (both words are mostly just the "b" sound at first, but more clear now)
pray/Amen
go
bath/teeth (for brush teeth)
ta-dah (just "dah")
umm (like she is thinking about something)
umhmm (as in, the affirmative)
home/church
clean up/mess
I dunno
I love you
knock knock (while knocking on the door)
pretty/bow
juice/drink
A/E (all letters are A or E)
hot/cold
I wanna/I needa...
Dora/Nemo/Elmo/Pooh
ni-ni/morning (the most pleasant morning baby ever)
Goodnight Moon (our favorite bedtime book)
potty/pee/poop (not that cute-alright, maybe a little-but useful, at least)
t-t (TV)/show
birdie/plane/Superman (ha! just kidding)
play
truck
outside
phone
shoe/sock
open/close
oh man
help

Potty Princess

Cate is all but potty trained. She is certainly ahead of the power curve on this skill, but she began to show interest a few months ago by patting her diaper whenever she was wet or dirty. We introduced the toilet as a fun place to sit and read books, then added Nemo fruit snacks for incentive. Before we knew it....presto, one potty trained almost-two-year-old.

No Means NO!

As it turns out, Cate has quite a few opinions. For the record, she is always hungry, and she always wants to eat. She just really likes to say NO!

Toddler-dom

As of this week, I do believe that Catelynn has earned her toddler card. As she approaches her 2nd birthday, she is stretching her adventurous/mischievous legs. Last Friday, she found a marker and wreaked havoc on our furniture and herself. I have come to find from experience, that washable markers do not necessarily come out of upholstery. A few days later, I got a text from Marc while I was at work telling me that she had eaten half a tube of toothpaste. Luckily it was the children's kind, and when Marc checked with poison control, he found the only side effect was vomiting. And vomit she did! Marc said it was the bluest puke he has ever seen. Somehow, we survived the first 5 years of Wesley's life without any such incidents (although, he was an expert escape artist!). I have a feeling this is just one area my two children may be different.

NOT ready for her close up

My mom sent Catelynn a few new outfits...just because. I wanted to send her a picture of Cate in one of the outfits. This is the progression of pictures to achieve the final two decent pictures, which happened after I told her that if she took a picture, we could go have breakfast!

WHAT a character

Just a few examples of Cate's budding personality....

Wearing her bathing suit bottoms on her head. She is obsessed with putting things on her head, especially underwear. :o

Sporting a new purse from Mimi!

Wearing her winter hat (inside) and loving on her babies.

Take a little off the top

...or in Catelynn's case, a little off the bottom. After much deliberation (probably more than is necessary for such a decision), we went to Sweet and Sassy Salon in Franklin to have Cate's hair cut for the first time. It was getting a little business in the front/party in the back (read:mullet). Wesley's hair grew in the same way. What can I say? My babies are just prone to mullets.
The Before Shot

She was a complete angel for the entire experience. She played with a little phone and held very still. She was not too sure how to feel about the spray bottle, but the blow dryer didn't bother her a bit. We will miss those sweet curls, but there are still a few left, and before we know it, she will be ready for pigtails!

The After Shot

Observations from Lunch

For lunch today, I lovingly prepared a turkey and cheese sandwich for my only daughter. As it turns out, she is categorically against lunch meat. Will not eat it. She proceeded to tear the sandwich apart, eat the cheese, create more bread crumbs than I ever thought possible, and point to the turkey and babble something intensely important. She has also started to spit out food. This is a major transgression! But she spits the food as one might spit out a watermelon seed, complete with the sound effect. I have to tell her "no" and try to pretend I don't think it is hysterical. She also grabbed my arm with her mustard-y hand, and ruined the sleeve of my shirt. Note to self: stick with the PB&J.

And for her next trick...

Marc sent me this video while I was working the other day. The subject line read: "under very close parental supervision."

Good Morning, Sunshine

This is the way Catelynn wakes up virtually every morning: I hear her start to babble quietly on the baby monitor. Then, she plays contentedly in her crib, which can last upwards of 20 minutes on some days. When go into her room to get her, this is what I find:

Don't worry. I realize how good I have it! And if it is any comfort to any other mothers, she has eaten a large portion of the side rails on her crib. :)

Bookworm

From a very early age, Cate has seemed to enjoy reading. She loves to be read to (as long is it doesn't take TOO long), but she also loves to look at the books by herself. Lately she has been jabbering a story aloud as she flips through the pages. The other day, Marc said she was really into it. He wasn't sure what the story was about, but there was a lot of the words "baby" and "no," two of her favorite things to say.

What a GIRL!

I'm beginning to think that Cate may not be the typical girly-girl. As we have already established, she does not enjoy headbands. I'm guessing that hair bows and pony tails may not go over well either, whenever she gets enough hair to try them out. Since she could crawl, she has been intensely interested in Wesley's toys: trains, cars, balls, blocks, etc.

The other day, I found her vrooming a car down the side of the couch, complete with the engine noise. When we go outside, she loves to collect rocks by the fist full....and shove them in the PVC pipe that sticks out of our siding (What is that thing for, anyway? Oh, never mind, clearly it is for rocks!)

And then there is this: maybe a bit girly after all!

Fashion Statement

Riding in the car today, Wesley said, "Mommy, why is Catelynn wearing those tighties....or tight pants. What are those things called?"
"Tights."
"Yeah, tights. What are those for?"
"Well, I guess they are just for decoration."
"Aww. Now Catelynn looks more cute, I mean, handsome than I do."
What can I say? She's a tough act to follow.

(please note the headband she is wearing around her neck...again! Hey, at least she still has her shoes on)

Sibling Rivalry

Most of the time, Wesley and Catelynn play very well together. She doesn't seem to mind that he is loud and energetic, but rather enjoys watching the chaos unfold. He is very gentle with her, downright sweet even. Now don't get me wrong, we are not living in utopia. Sometimes someone gets hurt. Wesley's bouncing will get out of control, and Catelynn will get a bit roughed up. Lately, Cate seems to be exploring her environment, which includes finding out what happens when she pounds Wesley on the head with a matchbox car. Monday was a whole different story. Wesley was bothering Cate in the double cart at Target. He wasn't being particularly abrasive, but she was irritated, and she let him know it. I warned him several times that he needed to leave her alone and give her space. Finally, she had had enough and took matters into her own hands. She leaned back and literally head butted him. At first I couldn't believe my eyes. She did not cry a bit, but Wesley let out an ouch. Then, as I tried to contain my laughter, I sternly told Cate "no-no." But honestly, he kind of had it coming!

Rock Band

It seems the music in the Acton genes is strong in our children. Wesley has long been interested and appreciative of the varied forms of music to which he has been exposed. Now, it seems that Catelynn is in on the action. She very clearly perks up when a catchy tune comes on the radio, and she even taps a little rhythm on her leg or chest. Wesley is quite fond of both air guitar and air keyboard. It leads me to wonder....do I have the next White Stripes in the back seat of my Jeep?

In His Shoes

I got a kick out of watching these videos together. Wesley is a bit older at the time than Catelynn (thus, I'm sure, the reason for his more successful venture), but it sure was fun to watch Cate take a crack at it. Why do kids find it so much fun to march around in giant shoes? Wait, now that I think about it, that does kind of sound fun!

Wesley at 20 months...

Cate's turn...

and one more...

Water Baby

Over the summer, Cate has really enjoyed any and all water activities. Quite the little firecracker, this one is!. She is NOT afraid of getting wet....or dirty, for that matter. She is an interesting combination of a tough cookie and a drama queen. Watch the video and see what I mean!

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A Mile a Minute

Maybe you're thinking, "Sure she's cute, but what kind of tricks does she do?" She waves, blows kisses, plays a little patty cake...you know, the basics. She also dances a bit like Ray Charles (picture that signature head bob only a lot paler and just as bald). At times, she also likes to sing along and is working on whistling. Her favorite pastime is taking all the plastic wear from the kitchen cabinet and carrying her toys around in them. It is not unusual to find her hugging a baby doll and sweetly patting its back. She is also increasingly affectionate to Marc and I, bestowing hugs, pats, and very open-mouthed kisses. She is adding to her vocabulary regularly. She says momma, dada, some form of Welsey, up, hi, more, book, and a variety of other sounds that seem to mean something very important to her. She has some strong opinions about mealtime, especially related to when it should be, how fast her food should be served, and which items she cares to eat. If an unwanted morsel is offered, she politely removes it from her mouth and hands it back to you. To sum things up....she is a character, and we LOVE her!

Walker Catelynn Ranger

About a month after her initial take off, Catelynn seems to have mastered the milestone of walking. It is such a gradual progression from being coaxed into taking steps to abandoning crawling all together. She is growing up before our very eyes!

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PS...the music is from The Weepies new album (love them!).

And she's off....

April 17th: First steps...about 4!

A fine palate

We went to Panera Bread for dinner the other night. I brought Cate some squash from home, and I was feeding her while we waited for our food to be ready. When I brought Wesley's grilled cheese and my turkey sandwich and Greek salad back to the table, Catelynn refused to eat another bit of squash. She looked right around the spoonful I had offered her and stared at my plate. She ended up eating the tomatoes from my salad, turkey, apple, and bread. Only after all the food was cleared from the table, she finished the rest of her jar of squash. Oh my.