Mmmm...banana bread : )

We have lots and lots of banana bread (or "banana cake" as KK calls it). I made a total of 7 loaves and several muffins with the leftover batter. It is so nice to have a working oven again!!! I've even used it for more than baking banana bread, so that is good too. I am thrilled to have more options for cooking, and have found that I've enjoyed it for once - if you count putting frozen lasagna and pizza into the oven "cooking." A nice bonus to having new working appliances is that they are pretty too. KK is doing great. Her "owie" is already looking better and less red. I'm so happy to have that little hurdle over with. She had a little girlfriend over to play for most of the day yesterday who ended up spending the night. KK LOVED it! She woke up this morning and immediately called out for her friend and they picked up playing right where they left off the night before. I can't wait for slumber parties with LOTS of little kiddos! KK and I are very lucky and blessed to have such special friends in our playgroup.

Tonight Daddy and I helped one of our sitters complete some college applications and financial aid documents. Gosh, collecting and organizing all of that info is worse than buying a house! We made huge progress though, and while I am desperately going to miss this young lady when she leaves for college, I am so excited for her and her future.

I've missed both nights of AI this week. I think I said it was pretty much the only TV I ever watch, but I forgot about my other favorite - the very classy "Girls Next Door". I caught an episode tonight and I have my entertainment fix for the week. Now I'm off to eat some more banana bread...

Beauty Queens

KK had a friend over to play this afternoon and they came up with these colorful outfits. (Note that KK temporarily gave up the red cr0cs for pink sparkles...!) Aren't these lovelies beautiful?!! Just a second ago, KK woke up with two terrified screams. I ran into her room and she said there was a spider and a bee in her bed. So perhaps letting her watch M!ss Sp!der and then reading "M!ss Sp!der's Tea P@rty" was not such a good idea?

Tonight I saw "Definitely, M@ybe" with a friend (the movie was slow, but cute) and missed the voting results of AI. I guess I didn't miss much, because I don't even remember the two who were voted off. I guess I have to wait a couple more weeks for it to get really good.

The appliances arrive tomorrow....whooo hoooooo!!!!!

Just Routine

The last week or so was busy, but quiet too. We had a wonderful visit with Grandma K - she was here for a whole week!! We didn't do a whole lot of anything, which was perfect. KK still asks "Where Damma go?" and then she says "She doe home see Dampa. At Minnasoda." We loved having you here! Grandma's visit helped us turn some major corners on the potty front. KK is suddenly pretty much trained, although I still can't give up the security of those darn puII-up$ when we leave the house. She woke up dry one morning, which is a big deal because her puII-up usually weighs about 20 pounds. I guess at some point I'm going to have to let them go and deal with any accidents - but ugh, I just don't want to. The big challenge is when I'm at work - sometimes the childcare is too busy for the staff to remember to take kids potty unless they ask to go, and she's not always good about asking. She's getting better though, so it's only a matter of time.

I don't think I mentioned that we officially registered KK for preschool in the fall! I can't believe our baby is almost three already! I know she is going to love preschool, and I can't wait to watch her learn and grow even more. And it is in the same building I work in, so it will be perfect. Work is going great, I really love it there.

We had a follow-up with KK's surgeon today, and everything looks good. I had one little moment yesterday when I really missed the bump (again, it was a part of her and I love every part of her) but I got over it. She is healing great and the redness will fade over time.

We missed saying Happy Birthday to Auntie Kar and Uncle Ry - but we didn't forget! Happy birthday to both of you!!! We need to get together before the month is over and have birthday cake. I'll actually be able to bake one soon, because...

We finally bought new appliances, they arrive on Friday! I'm a little nervous that I may have forgotten how to use an oven since ours went out in September. Not that I used it much even when it worked. But, oh, how I've missed making banana bread. I'm going to have 100 loaves of it with all the bananas that I've been storing in our (half-broken) freezer. Hopefully the new freezer will not turn our kitchen into a lake like the one we are replacing did.

Let's see...what else is new...Grandma brought KK some very cute shoes and she wants to wear them no matter what her outfit is - which results in some pretty interesting color combinations... I wish I could get away with outfits like this.

Auntie Sunshine returned from her trip to Europe tonight. I can't wait to talk to her and hear how the last half of the trip went. And to see pictures of the new tattoo. Welcome home Auntie Sunshine!

American Idol is back! AI is pretty much the only TV I ever watch. I almost feel too old to be watching this season; even the "old" contestants are babies. My favorite is David A. (I think he should be everyone's favorite) what a cutie! I don't have a favorite girl yet - maybe Amanda because she's a rocker, but Syesha is great too. Kady can't go away fast enough - I just don't like her, even though I think she is one of the favored ones.

That's the news around here. Very exciting. Seacrest...out.

Happy Balentimes Day

Love, KK

Bye bye bump

This morning KK had surgery to remove the little bump on her neck. She was born with it there, and it's removal was mostly for aesthetic reasons. Both her primary doctor and the ENT specialist recommended that we have it removed before she begins school. We had been planning to take care of it when she was 2 to 3, and since she will be starting preschool this fall, now was a good time. The bump wasn't terribly noticable, but several of her friends have been curious about it and KK would often touch it.

I have to admit that I had to make a conscious decision to not think too much about it being removed, because it was a part of her. She was perfect to me the day she was conceived, so changing anything about her was hard. But I know that as she gets older it could have become an issue for her.

She had a great time at the hospital looking at fishies with Grandma K, putting on special jammies, and going for wagon rides down the halls...


Coming out of the anesthesia, however, was...unpleasant. She became angry and violent and was inconsolable. She was mostly mad at all the tubes, monitors, and IV hookups she had - she wanted them out. Now. Who could blame her. Needless to say, they sent us home rather quickly. She screamed all the way home, but once she was on the couch watching Shrek and eating Nemo snacks she was much better. Tonight, after a nearly four hour nap, she is back to being herself, playing with Grandma and eating a Valentine cupcake that some of her sweet playgroup friends brought to her this afternoon...we're glad to have her back!

Birthday Cake for Daddy!

Today was Daddy's 21st birthday (snicker, snicker). We didn't do any big celebrating because Daddy is working crazy long hours and has a lot going on. We were able to sing Happy Birthday and go out to dinner, so we at least got a little celebrating in. Next year is a much bigger year for him...any ideas for how to celebrate an "over the hill" birthday???

Happy Birthday Daddy!