Kael 41 Months and Jungle Jim's Playland

Dear Kael,

It is with great pride that I write that you are your father's son! I can't even begin to describe how much I love you! I feel like you are one of the greatest friends I have on this earth. You tell me I am a princess, or beautiful just when I need to hear it most. You give me hugs and kisses. I even can confide in you. You listen. And then give me a hug. You have no idea what I'm talking about, but you are there when I need you. Like times when I just need to tell someone what a stinker you can be, but what a sweet boy at the same time.

You had a set back when we went to Grandma and Grandpa Heaton's house with staying dry at night. You are a CHAMP at this whole potty business now. You wake up at 2 AM to have me help you go to the bathroom, or you can make it all night. I'm so proud of you that it doesn't bother me at all having to help you. I then offer to carry you back to bed because you look sooo tired and you never resist. So I get to snuggle you for a few minutes as I carry you back to bed. It makes me so proud and happy. You work so hard.

As for you are your father's son, I mean you have many of his amazing attributes that I love, but mostly his strength in stomach. :) I get motion sick you see, but you don't! You are a crazy dare devil and will try just about anything to have some fun. Dad and I knew you and Eden would be super sad when he had to start school because let's face it, he is going to be gone A LOT this semester. You got him basically to yourself for almost 2 weeks. You were his shadow. You helped him fix anything and everything. You built forts together, you threw airplanes, you went for drives together. You guys were meant to be together in this life. So, we made a plan. After a couple of days of Dad being gone, I would take you and Eden somewhere to have so much fun to help you remember how much fun Mom can be.

It worked! I got you to think I am super cool too. I took you and Eden to Jungle Jim's Playland. And YES, we played hard! They had a merry-go-round with horses, spin rides, bumper cars, FLYING AIRPLANES, a jeep ride, and even a roller coaster! You did EVERYTHING. Eden did too, but you went twice as hard as Eden. Your favorite ride was the airplanes. I was worried you would be scared to do the rides by yourself, or that you just wouldn't be able to figure it out, but I was wrong. You are so smart and this was something you loved and could do! The roller coaster didn't even phase you. You were looking around like what's next Mom while I was sitting there ready to puke and poor Eden was done after just a few rounds. She will probably love it when she is your age though. Can I just say, I'm soooooo excited for Disneyland in March?!

You are an amazing kid! Your energy has never died, but you are controlling it and putting it to good use.

You have started primary!!! PRIMARY! Where did the time go?! I'm not going to lie. I have been absolutely terrified of this day. I had to teach sharing time your first Sunday and I was afraid you would have a hard time. Your first Sunday you did pretty good! I was impressed! Like I said, you amaze me! And once singing time came, you caught on. You really wanted to be the center of attention and help lead the music, or speak at the microphone. You are going to be a natural leader. The best was when you got to lead the music for singing time. You absolutely loved it and you sang and then when your turn was over you behaved so good because you got to do what you wanted. The next Sunday you were quite the stink. You kept telling me you wanted to go home, but I think it was just a bad day for a lot of the kids. But, again when singing time came, you knew just what to do. I'm so happy I can be in primary to see you grow and learn. It might be hard for you to have me there, but I'm just glad for the little bit of time I get to see you grow in this. You are so smart and I love seeing you learn.

We love you Kael.

Love,
Mom and the rest of the family

Kael on the left and you can see a smidgen of Eden's hair on the bottom right. We are an adventurous family!

He's 39 Months

Sometimes I really have a hard time writing a monthly letter. I think I need some funny story that the kids do, or really something incredible to tell them, so they can look back and remember/love their childhood. However, I realize that the most important part of these letters is to just tell my children that I love them.

 Kael, I LOVE YOU!

In pictures here is what Kael is loving lately.

 Paper airplanes. He is getting so good at throwing them. He can hit Derek in the head almost every time. :)
He loves playing with play-dough. He always wants me to create something for him, and let's face it, I'm terrible at this sort of thing. Just try and figure out what animals I created.

Rooster, Elephant, and a turtle.

Kael, you are the funnest! And funnest is a word to me. I love playing with you and seeing your imagination and the things you create. You are so much fun to be around and I love seeing you grow every day!

Month 38 for Kael

 Dearest Kael,

Another month down, which means you are a month older. I think these months are going by faster and faster each month. Slow down ok kid. You are turning into quite the little helper. This makes me so happy! You still stress me out, but you have started obeying so much better. You will always have your moments, but I can ask you to clean up your toys in the tub and you do it. I ask you to grab your pajamas and you do it. I ask you to put something in the trash and you do it. These little things have made life a little better. You don’t like to sleep with your door shut anymore which is annoying, but that’s life. You are so fun and are developing your own fun personality even more.

Last night you really didn’t want to pray. You were whining so much saying no prayer over and over. All of a sudden in your whiney voice you say, “ Heavenly Father, AMEN!”

I had a good laugh. Then I helped you pray and you really liked it. You are really creative. You love to draw pictures and paint. I just bought some paints and you went to town. You take after your Dad and are really quite artistic. At your 3 year old check up the doctor asked you to draw a picture of your Mom so you would be occupied so she could look at Eden. In about 2 minutes you had a picture of my face and showed the doctor my eyes, ears, nose, mouth. She was so impressed and so was I.

I love you buddy! You are so talented! You are a joy to be around. Knock on wood, but I am enjoying you being 3.

Love you Bud,

Mom

Here are your photos. You really don't like to look at the camera anymore. You'd rather take the picture.

 Kael’s new paints

Ugh. Kael's 37 month letter.

Hey Kael,

So it is days like yesterday and today that I wonder what I am doing as a Mom. Am I failing? Would it be better to let someone else raise my kids and I just go to work while Derek goes to school?
I lose my temper. A lot.
I lose my cool. A lot.
Sometimes it is hard not to.

For instance.

Yesterday Kael pooped his pants in the morning. I could obviously smell it. I asked him if he pooped and he gets a huge grin on his face and says, "No mom. I gassed." However, I know he didn't gas. Ugh #1.
After cleaning up that mess not long after I sit on this wet spot on the couch. This isn't unusual because the kids sippy cups leak every now and then and it is usually milk or water. I then notice a few minutes later that Kael's pants are soaked. Ugh #2. He knows better than this!
In the midst of making dinner and cleaning and doing house wife things Kael comes riding into the kitchen on one of his cars and I notice a pile of gold fish crackers spilling over the edge under the seat. AH! I follow the trail and not only did he poor an entire costco size box of crackers into the car there is a pile in his room!
All of my efforts to A. keep the house clean and B. have dinner ready in time were failing.
Then, the kid refuses to eat his dinner and at bedtime insists on having a "piece of bread, milk, banana and a cracker". Hmmmm he's starving. Is it ok to make a 3 year old go to bed hungry? And if I do, will he sleep through the night or cause me to have a horrible no sleep night because he is starving?!
There is no end to the drama.
Today, I finally think he is getting better and improving. He still refused to eat breakfast, but had 2 bites of pancakes. Decides he needs a shower after I had mine. So he gets out and as I'm getting dressed for the day and Eden is down for a nap he is playing quietly in his room stark naked. I figured I wouldn't put clothes on and ruin how he was actually for once playing nicely in his room and entertaining himself. It was pure heaven for 30 minutes! I did poke my head in occasionally to make sure it was a complete disaster.
So, I decide to take the kids on an adventure to the fire station for a Mom's club activity. I got the kids all ready and we went and had a blast. Pictures at the end of this long story I promise. While there we got to walk through an ambulance. Oh after the last couple of days it made me want to go back to work. I miss the rush of adrenaline from working in medicine a whole lot compared to the rush of adrenaline from crackers and  pee and poop.
We get home and eat (a little, forcefully) and I get him to bed. I closed his door to make sure Eden couldn't come in and interrupt his nap routine. As I was leaving his room I looked on the floor and low and behold there is the biggest pile of poop I have ever seen from someone so small. My stomach dropped on the floor in shock of what I was seeing. Will it never end? It might be time to go and renew my EMT license. We had a talk about not pooping on the floor while I cleaned it up and I for once held my temper, my volume of voice, and I didn't cry. I might now though. Ugh #3. He literally pooped on my floor. When we were done talking he must have known how upset I was because he looked at me and said, "Mom I poop in the toilet ok".
I feel like sometimes I not only am getting no where with the kid, but going backwards. I guess the saying 1 step forward 2 steps back holds true.
I love the kid so much. And I have to say I have been preparing for 3 years to be harder than 2. I'm in for a ride if it is starting like this.


Kael you just need to know that obviously I love you. I mean I clean your poop. I promise to do better. I'm not going to give up and I'm going to be here for you no matter what. Poop and all. I do want to be with you all day every day. I dread the day you start school. I actually love being able to stay at home with you and play with you all day. Let's make this next month a little less loud in volume and a little less dramatic and a little more enjoyable. K. I'm not perfect. I hope that you can be ok with that. I am trying to do my best. Go back and look through the pictures from this last month because you've grown a lot and you've become an awesome kid. You are so tough. You stand for what is right. I love you kid. More than you'll know.

Love,
Mom

You insisted on taking this picture with the timer on the camera. You haven't wanted to pose for a picture in FOREVER. And, you are obsessed with that spiderman shirt. I don't know why because you don't know who spiderman is and you are just silly about it. You'd wear that shirt 24/7 if I let you. Maybe I will.

Kael Turns 3 Today: August 6, 2011

Dearest Kael,

Today was a big day for me. I kept you alive until you reached 3 years old. What an accomplishment for us both bud! I have to tell you that these have been the best 3 years of my life and by far the hardest at the same time. You have brought Dad and I so much joy every single day. Your smile is infectious. You really have grown up so much in the last couple of months. You are speaking so much better. You ask me questions and you demand things. One thing just to embarrass you when you are a teenager when you look back and read this; you like to classify your poop. Yes, it is true. Every time you go you have to tell me or Dad if it is either a big one or a little one. I'm just grateful you can go in the toilet. You have made so many strides and it is really impressive. You love to ride your bike that has training wheels now. You are getting pretty good too. You can almost keep up with the big kids, but you don't mind just taking your time and having fun. You still love love people. Just today you kissed a little girl Sidnie on the cheek out on the playground. It was super cute. You and Eden and Sidnie were all giving each other hugs so you thought she deserved a kiss. You love airplanes, trucks, tractors, cars, helicopters, basically anything that goes. You love animals to pieces. You get sooo excited when you see an animal that you have to love it. You help me clean up when you feel like it. You love watching "shows" aka movies on the TV. Right now you are obsessed with the cars movie. Can you tell you like cars? You also love stars right now. The shape. Obsessed again. I have a book called "You are Special" by Max Lucado and it is a sweet book, and you have had me read it to you every night for over a week just so you can see the stars on the people. You faithfully find wherever it is hiding before bed and we read. I love it. We just snuggle on your bed together and it is our time. You are so so full of energy and love life. You wear me out every single day. You love on Eden every day. You have started trying to help her up when she falls down (or when you push her down...). You eat hot dogs like no one I have ever seen. Some days I think I should enter you into a contest. You have a lot of Heaton in you because you love ketchup. You must have Bradley in you too because you love ranch dressing just as much. You have to have those two things on your plate every meal almost except breakfast though. Just the other night we took you to Red Robin for your birthday because you got a free meal. We asked you what you wanted and you picked a pizza. I was so excited! You knew what you wanted. Well they brought you your favorite things, pizza, french fries, and carrots. You basically drank two cups full of ranch dressing and didn't touch anything else. It was quite gross actually, but it was your birthday meal... You are simply a joy Kael. Dad and I love you so much! Every day is an adventure that is waiting to begin when your eyes open each morning. Keep being who you are because you are special!

I love you buddy!

Love,

Mom

                                        Kael newborn                                            Kael at 1 year

Kael at 2 years old

3 year old Kael today! Opening his birthday present from Mom and Dad.

What? A remote control car? Yes, he's spoiled.

 

 So so excited!

35 Months of Joy

Dear Kael,

I am so happy to report that I kept you alive another month. This last month I even managed to keep you alive all by myself. That's right kid. It wasn't easy, but I did it. I have to tell you that you also brought me so much joy this last month. You are such an amazing kid. That's right, I think you are becoming a kid. You are talking to me so much. You have your own opinion and you know what you do or do not want. You helped me take care of Eden and have proven to be the best big brother. You protected her from her cousins who sometimes showed a little too much love, from strangers, and from weird animals. You loved to show off your sister when we were at the airport to all kinds of strangers. You were so friendly and people were so friendly to you. You have a new love of airplanes! You asked me first thing in the morning about 3 days in a row when we got back from Ohio if we were going on the big airplane today?. You were so happy when Dad came home and brought you a "cool airplane". You love dinosaurs so much!
Kid you did it! You finally decided to be potty trained! It was a glorious day for me and it has been a glorious 2 weeks since you decided. This month has been such a roller coaster, and I'm not certain I am ready for you to be 3 in less than a month. I wish that time would slow down just a bit. I love you so much kiddo and I can't wait to see what the next months bring us. You are an amazing son, brother, friend, and child of God. Mom, Dad, and Eden love you so much. Keep being the person you are and I think you are going to do great in life.
I LOVE YOU KAEL!
Love,
Mom

Kael at 34 Months

I always remember to write a letter on the day they are a month older, however, I don't always get around to writing it. We have been very busy this last month getting Dad ready to leave for the air force and for us to come here to Aunt Shelly's. We got to do lots of your favorite things because Dad knew he would miss you like crazy. You are just as obsessed about dinosaurs as ever. You love all things that go. You take good care of Eden. You are taking the best care of me while Dad is gone. You come up and give me random kisses on my cheek. You ask for hugs all the time. You are so friendly.
This last month you have had less tantrums than normal. You are still very energtic and full of life, but you are able to handle difficult situations better. Don't get me wrong, you still throw 2 year old tantrums when you don't get your way some times. I'm so proud of you and the progress you are making with your speech. You are learning so much all the time now.
Your 2 favorite phrases are:
I need to hold it!
I don't want that!
You can hold up 3 fingers to show that you are almost 3. I love it. You love signing airplane. You made up your own sign language for it, and it is amazing. Looks like an airplane. You sure had a blast flying on the big airplane and pointing all of the other airplanes out at the airport. I hope you do just as well on the way home.
I love you with all my heart Kael. Thanks for taking care of me while Dad is gone. Thanks for being amazing on the airplane. Thanks for helping with Eden. I didn't know a 2 almost 3 year old could take on so much all at once. I know you miss Dad, but you are handling life pretty well.
Thanks for being my amazing little boy. I'm so so proud of you!
Love,
Mom