Miss E Turns Four

It was as if I had tunnel vision: I stared at the clock reading 6:30 am, and that's all I could see. Crowds of nurses and doctors swirled around me as Mr. Kuda held my hand. Pushing wasn't coming easy, and as my gaze slipped from the clock to the doctor's face, I watched his lips quietly move as he spoke to the nurse: We need to get the baby out.

Labor had started nine hours earlier, and I had been pushing for at least two. The details are hazy and filled with oxygen masks, crazy yoga positions, and words of encouragement from practical strangers. They weren't strangers any more: we had survived this night together. Mr. Kuda was so excited he was actually doing a happy dance, filled with part wonder, part excitement, and part sheer exhaustion (and maybe a bit of terror?).

Within an hour, she was screaming. Her cry was sweet and soft, but as the color came to her cheeks, she was handed to me.

"She was holding onto her cord, that stinker. She was holding on for the ride."

If only we had known at the time: we would be the ones holding on for dear life as we became parents for the first time on that blustery Thanksgiving morning. In an instant, we were changed. We were parents.

Miss E, this has been a year of growing in so many ways. You have a heart of gold, your sense of humor surprises me daily, and your soul is wider and deeper than a good amount of adults I've encountered. You make mistakes on purpose, because you like to learn things for yourself. You are so smart, it's scary. You show me how to look at things of this world in different ways, and I love you for it.

Most importantly? Your heart is filled to the brim with a loving kindness so strong, it is awe inspiring. Last night at dinner, you didn't see my napkin in my lap, so you started to rip yours in half so I could have one. Last week, you made sure daddy was OK with me taking the last bite at dinner because you know he loves pasta so much. You don't skip any chance to love on your brother, and you tell me all the things you love about your friends all. the. time.

Miss E, you have rocked our world in more ways than one. You are filled with spice and we never know what we're going to get with you. And we wouldn't change it for anything in this sweet life God has given us.

Heavenly Father, bless this sweet girl of ours on this, her fourth birthday. Lord, we pray she grows courageous, strong, and wise. We pray she loves You always, and that we can show her what a life living for You looks like. Lord, protect her heart, guide her mind, and lead her to show kindness for others always. Amen.

xoxo, k.

**

Y'all, this week has hit me over the head with commitments and turkey. I'm spent! I'd LOVE to get out a post before Thanksgiving, but in case it just doesn't happen, I pray you have a Thanksgiving filled with people you love, good food, and the peace that the holidays should bring. Thirty days until Christmas!

xoxo, k.

Giving Thanks {Two}

Yesterday, we went to church. We went to early mass so we could get some things done afterward, as the next few weeks bring with them house guests, birthdays, and the true kick-off to the Holiday Season (despite what the mall suggests to us): Thanksgiving.

We were home by 10 am, and the kids ran around Mr. Kuda while he completed some much needed yard and house work. I *finally* got around to tackling some piles in my office. I vacuumed, I dusted, all while listening to a book on tape and enjoyed some much needed solitude before the craziness of the next few weeks settle in. We planned an early Sunday dinner, and my mom came over. We ate. We relaxed on the couch, basking the ordinary-ness of it all.

Little fragments of thoughts tried to pry their way in to my mind: the decorations I want for my house, the dinner I want to host, the family we should plan. But I was able to keep those thoughts at bay. Because today, in all of its ordinary and normal? It was a great day. There were tantrums and "no!" There were unchecked items on my never endig to do list. But there were life breathed moments that, while ordinary, became extraordinary. Because they were ours.

Sometimes I get so busy trying to make the life I think I should have to be memorable, that I forget to be thankful for the beautiful life set directly in front of me.

Miss E took a nap yesterday. So when I went to do my final rounds before finding my own slumber, I wasn't surprised to hear her sing-songy voice as I approached her door. I can't really remember the specifics of our conversation, but I know she asked to play with my hair, and I know she told me she loved today because all of her family were in the same house. I held up my fingers to take a "memory picture" of her sweet face. When she asked why, I told her that I took a picture in my mind because I wanted to remember this moment with her sweet face forever.

She grinned.

You can do that?

You can do whatever you want with your memories, Em.

She smiled again.

Thankful. For the ordinarily extraordinary. For the normal and mundane. For the expected and routine. Thankful.

**

Sometimes we just get caught up in the details, yes? Regardless of our circumstances, we have so many sweet things to be thankful for. As you take time to look around, what are you thankful for this week?

Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

xoxo, k.

Hooking up with some amazing inspiration on this Monday! Head on over!

Five Minute Friday: Turn

Every week, a whole heap of fabulous women get together and write for Five Minute Friday. Today's prompt is...

Turn

Go.

The sun shone brightly as we ran through the cool morning breeze. She turned away from me as we dodged the lower lying tree limbs, and giggled. She reached back to me as we went, but as my hand grasped to feel her tiny smooth fingers, my own fingers moved through hers as if she were a ghost. And then she was gone.

I woke up to my heart thumping in my ears, the fear of losing Miss E somewhere in the woods haunting me deep down to the bottom of my soul. And as I sat up to catch my breath, I realized almost immediately what the dream had meant in that moment.

She's getting older. A little braver. A little more ready to walk a few feet in front of or behind us. As her fourth anniversary on this earth creeps up on us, I can sense her independence growing. Her want to figure things out on her own. I am so so proud of her, but my heart aches for this very moment. This time that feels like a tipping point of sorts, teetering on the old and new, the young and old, on the brave and not quite so sure.

Stop.

Though she be but little, she is fierce!

Oh, this girl of ours. She's done quite a number on me, and we haven't even gotten to the hard stuff. Hope y'all are enjoying your Friday evening!

xoxo, k.

Day 8: Teaching Our Kids to Encourage

I don't know, maybe it's the eternal optimist in me, but I really like to root for the underdog. Like, really. And while we're at it, if we're watching a football game and I'm not rooting for a specific team? I secretly always cheer for the offense.

You read that right. I cheer for both teams. I know that someone has to win, but TV folks are so good at pulling me us in! The Olympics? Don't even get me started. Mr. Kuda just knows that there will be two weeks of me sitting in front of the TV with a tissue box. I get invested.

But I digress.

I'd like to think this as a positive personality trait of mine, but the older I get, I'm starting to see that, good or bad, it just isn't the norm. It breaks my heart to see more and more stories about bullies, about adults making fun of others, and everyone looking out for their own gain. It can be disheartening to think about how we brought our kids into this pessimistic messed up world of negativity and ugliness.

Now, if parenthood was a marathon, I'm well aware that I'm pretty much just finishing up my first mile. However. I do know what I want for my kids as they get older. And that's kindness, to love Jesus, and to cheer others on.

Encouragement. If I'm going to write on it for 31 days, I should at least attempt to describe some of the things we're doing at home to teach our children what it means to root for the other team. Even if they're not rooting for us.

Since moving into our "forever home," family members who have stowed away my childhood belongings for sixteen a few years finally had the chance to load off the remaining boxes. It's been fun, going through all of the stuff I had saved in high school and college. A lot of it I threw away, but the kids clung onto this one thing, and I just haven't had the heart to throw it away.

A pom pom.

So seemingly innocuous, but something that really started the encouragement train in this house. There's something innate in these kiddos that makes them want to cheer others on. So I ran with it. I think it's important to note that, of course we encourage our kids every day: you went potty! You put on your shoes! You ate all your dinner! My focus here is to take it to the next level... Out of our front door and into the community.

Being a cheerleader yourself teaches them to be cheerleaders.
When they dance? We go full on "Go mommy! Go mommy!" It's contagious. But they won't know how if you don't start. Be their cheerleader, and they'll cheer on others. And that being said...

Be someone else's cheerleader.
Even if they're strangers. The thing about it is, that unless we show our kids what we're trying to teach them, it just won't stick. This works really well at the playground. I may look silly, but my kids don't see it that way. Cheer other kids on. Tell them they're fast or daring. Even if it doesn't occur to your kiddos in the moment, it will catch on.

Use words they understand while encouraging.
I stole this from Sesame Street. Elmo likes to start his sentences with, "I like the way you... " Miss E, I like the way you shared with your brother. Mr. C, I like the way you waited your turn. We've been using this language for some time, but we're starting to see the fruits of it. Every so often, I'll catch Miss E telling her brother, "I love the way you just smiled at me, buddy!" It's heart warming.

Attach emotions with encouraging words.
"Miss E, when you told Mr. C how much you enjoyed his smile, it made his heart so happy!" There's an organic sincerity to the way we talk about our feelings and the encouraging words that go along with them. It's empowering to even the two year old. He beams when he hears these things.

That's just a start, and I want to be clear about one things before I close: not all things are rainbows and sunshine in our house. I make mistakes, Mr. Kuda makes mistakes, and the kiddos make mistakes. Thank goodness! But you've got to start as you mean to go on, and I think we've started something good.

What do you do to encourage your kids to, well, encourage? What has worked? What hasn't? I'd love some suggestions! In the meantime, grab a pom pom and go root someone on :)

xoxo, k.

Five Minute Friday: Because

Every week, a whole heap of fabulous women get together and write for Five Minute Friday. Today's prompt is...

BECAUSE

Go.

It was 'red day.' As I came in to wake her, I paused to capture the memory of stuffed animals surrounding her head, the comforter pulled up to her chin, and the wavy mess of hair across her forehead. I brushed her hair aside. It's time to wake up honey. It's red day! It's going to be a great day!

She promptly rolled over (catching glimpses of her teenage years), and with a waiver of tears in her throat she curtly stated, "I am not wearing red. It is not red day for me."

Shocked at the non-conformist reaction to red day, my face burned and I tried my hardest not to let the anger push past my lips. "But everyone will be wearing red, Miss E. You need to wear red."

"I don't like red. I am not wearing red. I want to be different."

I couldn't let it go. I didn't force her to wear red, but I couldn't let her be. I kept reminding her what everyone else would be doing. I forced a red sweatshirt on her brother, and even grabbed a red shirt for her school tote, telling her that if she changed her mind she would have the option to change at school.

As we drove the 30 minutes to school, my heart was saddened as the usually rambunctious and chatty girl sat in the back seat silently, staring out the window. I had broken her spirit of individuality and independence that morning. And I needed to fix it.

"Miss E, I am sorry. I should not have made you feel bad for not wearing red. I am proud of your decision this morning, and I'm proud that you stuck up for yourself. That was a brave thing to do. I love that you want to be different today."

She smiled at me in the rearview mirror.

Because I let my own insecurities get in the way, my own fears of rejection because of my differences, I almost let her go to the same place I go. I almost let her believe that it's not ok to be different.

But she is fearfully and wonderfully made, and because God was able to show me this glimpse of His mercy and grace, I was able to see past my own fears and insecurities. And because of this otherwise ordinary morning, a three year old changed the way I look at what it means to be comfortable in her own skin. She stuck up for herself against her own momma, and I could not have been more proud.

Stop.

Thanks for reading today! In case you're not familiar, next week (on October 1), I'll be venturing into an unknown territory: writing for 31 days straight on one topic. I'll continue with the Five Minute Friday prompts throughout the month, but I will try to stay on my theme of the month: Finding ways to Encourage Others Daily. I hope you'll join me on my adventure!

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda

Tot School: Letter L

(Miss E ~ 46 months)
(Mr. C ~ 23 months)

Linking up over at the Tot School Gathering Place!

Hello, hello!

So, this is actually our second week of Tot School this school year, but Blogger and I had a fight with last week's post, and Blogger won. I've decided to just move on :)

Mr. C is so much more into the structured activities I've planned each week than I ever imagined. He's been a bit slower to talk than his sister was at this age, so unfortunately that means that sometimes I underestimate the full extent of his capabilities. It has been so much fun to watch him!

Our room was set up with all things L, including the kiddo's reading nook. We LOVE going to the library each week to pick out our books for the week's Tot School letter. This week was no exception. Since our letter L focus was on lions, llamas and leaves, our books went along with the theme.

A favorite was Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. Since the weather has been oh, so nice, we headed outside to collect items for our very own leaf man.

Miss E gave hers a walking stick, just like the one she likes to use when she goes for a hike :)

In addition to letter-focused printables found here, Miss E has been using the Kumon workbooks for writing and cutting. She's been SO into figuring out sounds of letters and trying to write them, so I thought I'd capitalize on it!

To keep her thumb up, I draw a smiley face on her thumb nail as a reminder. Works like a charm! I think I learned the trick from 1plus1plus1equals1.net:)

Back when Mr. C was a wee one, we did a whole week focused on The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We took out a few of those activities, since the caterpillar eats leaves. Of course!

There you have it! A fun, but VERY busy week. Fall always brings out the craftiness in me, so be on the look out for some fun crafty-crafts soon!

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda

Fun Girl's Hair Bow Display

I'm linking up to Serenity Now blog's Weekend Bloggy Reading party this week! Hop on over and enjoy some other amazing projects!

Y'all. Ever since these have shown up on Pinterest, I knew that at some point I would end up buying one. Until I found my inner craftiness, and realized I could probably do it myself. And you can, too!

This.

This is what our "hair drawer" looks like. On a good day. And Miss E is three (going on thirty), so I know this little situation will not rectify itself unless I enlist my favorite craft store, some elbow grease, and get to work. Because let's be honest. She's a girly girl, and the bows are only going to get bigger with age...

But you know what? It cost me less than TEN DOLLARS.  I'll let that sink in for you for a moment.

I know. Awesome.

Are we ready? Good!

Supplies:
* Cork board or other frame with some sort of backing attached to frame
* Spray Adhesive
* Fabric
* Ribbon
* Decorative Trim/Cording
* Hot Glue

There's a cork board under there. I promise.

1. After ironing our fabric, Miss E and I headed outside in some fresh air to use the spray adhesive to attach the fabric to the cork board. I really didn't want the fabric sliding around, and this was the perfect solution. It was the first time I had used spray adhesive (remember? I'm in the middle of finding my inner craftiness...), and I have to say, I loved it! It was very forgiving, especially with the fabric. I was able to lift it up and reapply as needed for several minutes.

2. Miss E and I gently smoothed the fabric to ensure no wrinkles were on the front side of the board. I sprayed the cork first, then the actual frame, tucking the fabric in close to the edges.

3. Using the spray adhesive, I sprayed each edge of the frame, gently wrapping the fabric around it. The only tricky part was the corners. I ended up wrapping it like a Christmas present, and it was perfect.

And honestly? I'm pretty sure I could use this for some other project. How cute does it look just standing alone like this? Adorable.

4. We headed inside, and I got to work with my hot glue gun. After measuring the ribbon out and spacing it evenly, I attached the ends of the ribbon to the top and bottom of the board, leaving most of the ribbon free to attach Miss E's bows.

5. I used jute cording to go around the edges. I liked the idea of breaking up the fabric a bit, and adding the jute did just the thing. A little hot glue around the edges to secure, and it was complete!

6. Last, but not least, add the bows! I wish I had caught the look on Miss E's face when she saw our creation complete. Pure joy!

And here's a shot in her room, low enough so she can reach it.

There you have it, friends!! Completely organized and super adorable hair bow display. And so easy!

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda

Toddler Tantrums vs. Preschooler Tantrums: A Commentary

Toddler Tantrum:

Mr. C (pointing, screaming, tears streaming): Ugh! Meh! Nana! Ugh! Meh! Nana!

Mrs. Kuda (calm voice, hiding smile because it's so darned cute but I know it's bad to laugh so I don't): We're eating dinner soon. No nana now. Would you like to play with your train?

C: (pointing, squealing toward train, smiling, laughing)

End of tantrum.

Preschooler Tantrum:

Miss E (whining, with the threat of tears): I want my peanut butter sandwich.

MK (calmly, but only because my eyes are closed I'm and breathing deeply because this is the fifteenth time today she has both whined and demanded something without using please or thank you or anything kind that she said when she was not giving me previews of what she'll be like when she's sixteen): Let's try that a different way.

E (whining, higher voice, tears in eyes): I want my peanut butter sandwich on a plate and carrots and an M&M. NOW.

MK (eyes still closed, calm but strained voice): That's not how we ask for things. Try again.

E (full blown tears, now hanging off side of her chair): Saying PUH-LEASE is so HAAAARRRRRD. I want my lunch!!! I am so hungry!!!

Tears continue. Sent to room. Thirty minutes later, Miss E starts laughing, comes down stairs: I'm so sorry mommy! I love you! May I please have my sandwich now?

End of tantrum?

Sigh.

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda

Easy Sensory Bin for under $10

I'm not sure about you, but sometimes (and I'm saying this when it's been raining for 3 days, and we've all just about had it with each other and this house) it's just necessary to have some sort of activity at the ready when the kiddos are getting restless.

Who me? I never get restless...

Wait. An endless activity, perfect for rainy days, and only $10? Yes, my friends, it's true. And here's how I did it!

First, I went to Target and rummaged through their $1 bin. I know I've mentioned this before, but I cannot tell you how much I love this! Here's what I found: perfect little tongs sized for Miss E, little Chevron patterned buckets, and mini-scoops. After grabbing some rice and split peas, we were ready to go!

I had the plastic bin and dinosaurs at home already. I poured in the rice and split peas...

Then added all the fun goodies...

I collected some tops from Mr. C's pouches of food when we're on the go. I thought it added some nice color, and gave Miss E something to dig for.

After giving Miss E the rules of her new bin (nothing in the mouth, and when you pour it has to be over the bin), she was ready to go!!

And don't forget the clean up! Miss E is always at the ready when it comes to cleaning the house. Picking up her toys? Maybe not. But using a "sweeper" to help mommy? Absolutely!

Miss E asks to play with this every single day. I try to limit it to a few times a week to keep it new, and so I can use it to my advantage (Cooking dinner, anyone? This is a perfect distraction!). That being said, it's perfect to incorporate into Tot School every day. Just switch out the smaller items with the theme you're using that week. I just happened to have dinosaurs lying around, and they were perfect for this bin.

A few things: Our bin is small. Homes in our area are small and expensive, so it is what it is. I have a friend who made a much larger one, and it is AWESOME. But we just don't have the space to store something like that. Secondly, we used rice. I love the color contrast with the split peas, but it is a bit messier than if I had used any sort of dried beans. You can see the dust from the rice on my jeans in the above picture, as well as on Miss E's face in the first picture.

And that's it! It took me no time at all, it was super cheap to do, and most importantly, it's a crowd pleaser! Even Mr. C enjoys watching his sister play, and helps by spraying all of the rice all over the room with his hands. That's what we have vacuums for, right?

Now get to it!

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda

Tot School: Spring Has Sprung!

Miss E ~ 28 months

This week was one of those weeks that there was just no time to plan, but seeing that we've been so stinking busy in April, I wanted to finish the month off strong. Miss E has had her colors confused for quite some time (except for purple, of course) so I thought for Tot School this week, we could combine our spring theme and colors for a week. And I'm so happy we did! We got outside, got to know our colors a bit more, and I got to see Miss E get creative with the activities I set up for her.

First of all, if you haven't been around the DC Metro area in the past 1-2 weeks, let me just tell you something. It has been GORGEOUS! Like the perfect kind of spring. Really. It's kind of making the winter that never ended seem like a distant memory. Sort of.

What better way than to discover the colors around us than to explore spring? That's exactly what we did. For our first day of Tot School this week, we went for a nature walk. And then we did it Every. Single. Day. Both Mr. C and I loved getting the fresh air, and it was such a joy to see Miss E discovering all of the beautiful colors nature provides.

"Lots' of yellows, mommy!"

"It's kind of like light yellow, mommy."

"You take this home."

For each walk, we focused on one color. Green was the obvious, as it's bursting in everywhere you turn. We also focused on yellow, pink, red, and purple. As a side note, Miss E thought it was hilarious that blueberries tend to have a "dark purpur" (purple) color. How observant!

Here we are shamelessly discovering someone else's tulips. Since mine are already spent. Sigh...

Azalea's are now one of Miss E's favorite spring flowers. There are a TON in our area, and it seems to blow her mind that they come in all sorts of shapes and colors. Too cute.

Since Miss E is an apple that hasn't fallen far from my tree, the kid loves to organize things. Enter our color sorters! I found an awesome pair of little tongs in the $1 bin at Target. I had been searching for something a little easier for her little hands to work on fine motor skills. Clothes pins and regular tweezers were just a bit too challenging (which = frustrating). Finally! That bin never seems to fail me. (And I love how it's parked right near the entrance so I never forget to stop by :)

I just pulled out some of the 4 ounce cups I use for Mr. C's baby food, gave some basic instructions, and Miss E went to town. We went back and forth, suggesting which colors to choose next. So much fun.

And since she had commented on the purple blueberries, I thought it might be the perfect chance to make colors "real world" for her. I grabbed some of her play food, and had her add them to the puffy balls. What a hit! She did this activity over and over and over again. I think I'll add it in next week, too.

I cannot tell you how much this correspondence has changed the way she sees colors. She now brings them up all the time as she observes her surroundings, and it just makes me so stinking happy.

We also have these awesome foam letters that I had originally bought for the bath when Miss E was just a baby. Well, long story short, they never made it there. Miss E did this sorting on her own... I'll let the picture explain itself:

Love her tongue sticking out to the side. Thinking hard!

Here's one of my favorite shots of the week, during our quiet time.

If she wants to read, I'm not going to tell her where to do it.

In addition to the above activities, we colored A LOT, read books with the themes of colors and Spring, and I really let Miss E forge the way. We also did some gardening, but unfortunately missed the photo ops (between keeping Miss from throwing dirt, and Mr. C from eating it). I'm usually a planned activities kind of girl, but that's what I'm loving about Tot School. As long as Miss E is engaged, she's learning!

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda

Where I'm linking up this week!
Tot School at 1+1+1=1
No Time for Flashcards