Beddy Bye, Big Kids, and some Legos.

Once upon a time, Whitney's room was a guest room.  Because back in those days, we had three "guest" rooms.  And no babies.  And my heart ACHED for a baby.

So as we entered the adoption process, we carefully and tentatively allowed baby furniture to enter our home....

Let's all read how EXCITED I was back in 2009....g'head...it's fun to look back.

So...yeah.  I was pumped.  

A crib.  In my house.  AHHHHH!!!! I was Soooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!  

Man, I LOVE that crib. 

(Check out those weeny, tiny bows!)

The changing pad was just handed down to a friend after serving faithfully for 5+ years as a platform for giggles and singing and silliness and, the obvious, countless diaper changes.  

Bailey looks gigantic compared to Bingo! 

A few months ago, a friend/coworker of Eric's handed down a great bedroom set her teenage daughter had outgrown. Eric spent countless hours painting this bed in the garage...it was finally time to get the first piece of the bedroom set installed and ready.  I have to admit.  I was not nearly as excited by this bed-building as I was when Eric built Whitney's crib in this room six years ago....BUT, Whitney's excitement was contagious, and she was over the moon! 

And just like Bailey was excited about the new bed in the baby's room back in 2009, Bingo was excited about the new bed in "the baby's" room in 2015. 

The kids were SOOO good, playing in the playroom and keeping themselves busy and happy while Eric and I readied Whitney's "new" room for her.  And it was finally time! 

Big kid time. 

Both kids thought the new bed was SO COOL! :) 

Whitney immediately said, "Mommy, dont you think I look like an 8-year-old in this bed?!?!!!"

Whoa.  Slow your roll, Kid! 

I, of course, was shoving pillows along her side to make sure she didnt accidentally roll out.  And she was so proud and excited that she sucked all my worries away.  She's good at that.  

And as the new bed becomes our new normal, both kids LOVE it! 

And Bingo....yeah.  Hes just a mess. 

Yesterday was our first Monday of Summer, and the only thing we had planned was a gym class for Whitney at 3:15pm.  Its not always easy filling the days with enough activity to keep a smart six-year-old engaged while also not wearing out a 3-year-old boy.  The perfect solution (for today)? Legos!

And Legos under Sissy's new bed?! 

Even BETTER! 

(My phone broke last weekend and it was among the best things that has happened to me lately.  This is what I typed when a good girlfriend mentioned she missed me and my frequent pics and posts on FaceBook:

LOL You just caught me! When my phone broke last week, it was sooo liberating to NOT feel so hooked to the screen! I was addicted. It was bad. So the forced-break from social media, texts, calls, etc was inconvenient at first but after the initial "Oh no, what if someone NEEDS me" panic wore off (in about 30 minutes), I got over it and LOVED not having a phone. WEIRD, right!? I even tossed around the idea od getting a land line and ditching a cell phone, or getting a new phone, but not a "smart" phone with apps and bells and whistles, but Eric reminded me that: A) I would need GPS and B) he texts me at LEAST 5 times from the grocery store, so phone-free-Kat would not be conducive to his life. So..looooong story made almost-short: I got my phone screen fixed but have not downloaded the FB app. And I dont miss it. I am able to hop on the laptop at night (like now!) and see all the pics and stories I missed throughout the day, and all is still well in the world. The ONLY thing I miss is my TimeHop app since it forces me to log in to my FB page so I can retrieve my TimeHop pics....but I can log into the mobile FB site instead of using the App. smile emoticon 

I am hoping to try to blog more of my pics and stories and the things the kids say instead of just posting them to FB. I want the kids to see their childhood through my mommy eyes someday....not social media eyes. 

Its so funny you asked this....at the very same time, Eric Bass was saying that he logged into FB at work today expecting to see pics of the kids from our day.....but nope. smile emoticon He'll have to just read the blog! (or, ya know,....talk to us. lol)

And because my phone was a non-issue, I got uninterrupted, crazy-hyper-focused Lego playtime with my two amazing kids, who have the BEST imaginations.  And I decided that I wouldnt cry if my phone ended up in the lake.  

Of course I still took pics.  Because, thanks to my Gramma Mac, my Mom, and my Aunt Ger, picture taking is in my blood.  Its my thing.  Ill NEVER be a "professional photographer".  But I LOVE looking back at pics of our life, and was grateful to be able to grab my camera and snap a few pics instead of absentmindedly snapping iphone pics and posting them to social media. 

And in her very first night in her new bed, Whitney got to welcome the tooth fairy.  For the 8th time.  I think? We've lost count because she's lost so many teeth!

THANKFULLY we had cash on hand this time....but a new bed and a lot of inquisitive moments with our sweet girl required a special note from Trixie, our Tooth Fairy.

(PS You did not miss anything.  We had never named our Tooth Fairy......until now...when six-year-old minds want to know what her name is....and where she lives...and if she has siblings....etc..)

Not gonna lie.  Its kinda amazing what a few sheets of composition paper and a few glasses of pinot grigio can accomplish...because that little girl LOVED this...

I dread the day when Whitney recognizes my "St. Jude cursive writing" from my 3rd grade days....but I hope she knows its just part of keeping magic alive before she grows up and learns about the harsh realities of life. 

And sometimes.  When you are "only" six-years-old, and you miss your "old" bed and suddenly are afraid of heights (says the girl who rides rollercoasters a gazillion feet in the air), you ask for a sleeping bag to sleep UNDER that fancy, big kid, new bed.  Because sometimes, little girls miss the same things their mommy reminisces about.  Sometimes you dont want to be a big kid as much as you thought.  

And because I had the camera out and couldnt take a sleeping pic of Whitney without sneaking in to take a sleeping pic of Grady.........

the Dude. (Who was amazeballs at the movies today!)

PS...you see his legs down there?! At the bottom of the pic?? Yeah.  Dude is long.  But we tried a toddler bed about a  month ago and Dude was all up in our faces, scaring the $@/*# outta me as I sat on the couch at 11pm.  So we couched that concept until he actually shows interest in a new, big kid bed.  He LOVES his crib.  Never climbs out.  Why mess with something that works? 

So.  Yeah.

Judge on.