stinker

Camille is a big stinker. Her classroom at school is called the Explorer room and that fits her to a T. She will not sit in a highchair or a stroller for more than a few minutes. After that she is done and wants to be down roaming. If we do put her down she does not stay in the area she is off. She thinks it is so funny to run from us when we are calling/chasing her. Makes taking her out to eat impossible. She bit her friend’s face the other day. I was mortified. She didn’t break the skin but left a big bruise. She seemed to have this entitled air to her. My friend’s 4-year-old boy was sitting on a chair and Camille kept going over to the boy and trying to take the chair over from him. I had to keep pulling her off him. I think it’s because she basically gets her way and can bully Av. She figures if she can get her way with big girl Av she can do what she wants. Yesterday Av got new rain boots (she was very excited) and Camille walked over to steal one. Off she ran with Av chasing her to get the boot back. They ran into the other room and I just sat there waiting to see what would happen or waiting for someone to scream. They were in there for a good 2 minutes and then they both came back into the room and Camille had both boots. Not sure what went on in there but it sure seemed like Camille won that one.

Avery

For the first time Av came into our room in the middle of the night and told us she was scared. I asked what she was scared of and she said her “room was scary.” It was kind of cute in a way. Yes she woke me up out of a dead sleep but it is a very typical thing for a kid her age and it always makes me happy when she does “typical” things. It also just means her imagination is starting to kick in and that is pretty exciting! I love it though because right now the power of suggestion is enough to make her think things are all better. I took her back into her room and told her “this is the same room we hang out in and have fun in all the time, it’s not scary.” Then I acted like I had just come up with the best idea. I told her I would move her night light and that would help her get more of that light and that would let her see things were not scary. It worked like a charm. The other night she came down after we put her to bed and told me her belly hurt. I knew she was fine but I told her a drink of milk would help it (she loves milk) so after her drink of milk off to bed she went and that was the end of it. hehehhehe John told me to never give him milk when his belly hurts.

Saturday Night

We had our monthly dinner with the Masons and the Shumans. This is only the second month but it was a blast!!!!!! Everyone came to our house and we had an appetizer party. No sit down dinner which was much easier with 6 kids running around the house. The older kids were sooooooooooo good. They played and played and there was barely a fight. They played a lot with each other and built forts instead of playing so much with toys too. It was very cute. The babies did pretty well too. We were able to get them all to bed, which let the adults have a nice break. The girls and I made John an ice cream cake for his bday. As I was getting out the cake I realized I didn't have candles like I thought I had, so in my wine silliness I thought it was so funny to use Av's 4 and Camille's 1 to make the candles on his cake say 41. Yep, I'm pretty funny! Everyone stayed until about 11:30. I think that is an all time record for Av. Since we don’t get to go out and dance at bars much anymore Melissa, Marci had our own dance party at home. It was a little silly but so much fun. Can’t wait for next month!

Food Thief

And it’s not Jack. It’s Camille. She is horrible. She can eat a full meal and the minute I go to put something into my mouth she is right there begging like a dog would. It’s horrible. She steals food from Av all the time. Camille will tell us she’s all done so we get her down from her chair and she goes right for Av’s plate that is sitting on the little table in our kitchen. It’s the same food Camille just ate. She took over Av’s bagel this morning before either one of us knew it. No wonder we keep sharing colds. I only cook breakfast on the weekends. I usually always just make eggs and Camille LOVES eggs. I will only let her eat one a day but she wants “more, more, more!” This Sunday I made French toast instead. You would have thought her world came to an end. I guess since dad was home and I was cooking she was expecting her egg. When I handed her a soggy bland piece of bread (no syrup for her) she was mad. Ended up having to make her an egg. She loves to eat!

sick again

This has been a bad winter in terms of sickness for the Hoekstra girls. First Av had pneumonia, which I don’t think completely cleared up and so it turned into a respiratory infection, then Camille got RSV and then Av catches the cold part of it. Camille is now fine (let’s hope she stays that way) but Av is back to coughing and green icky stuff coming from her nose constantly. I just really really really really hope it does not get worse for her and we do not have to go back to that doctor. Every time I walk into that office lately it’s like “it’s us again, we just can’t get enough of this place.” Please don’t make me go back. Poor little Camille was so sick though. Instead of breathing she was wheezing. She needed breathing treatments. She had to sit there for 8 minutes breathing in this mist through a breathing mask. The first time I had to hold her down to get her to keep that mask on. She just looked up at me with these big sick eyes pleading with me to take that thing off of her. Then she got used to it and realized it was making her feel better so then she would point to the machine and ask for more. The minute that mask was attached to her face she would just go limp and totally relax and enjoy it. It was nice getting cuddle time from her. As soon as she was better though she would have no part of it. Sitting still for a minute is tough for Camille let alone 8 minutes.

Mary Ann

Has become a major fixture in my life. She is Avery’s baby. It’s pretty cute to see her pretending. When I take Camille up to change her diaper Av brings Mary Ann and changes her diaper. Last night Av was sitting in bed reading to Mary Ann. Av has also been taking Camille’s “baby toys” and giving them to Mary Ann. Our friends Matt and Andrea got Camille a toy cell phone. Camille loves it but now her and Mary Ann are fighting over it. hehehehe When Av used to nap at school she had a certain blanket and stuffed duck like thing that were left at school for her to nap with. Since then that blanket has been her “school blanket.” This morning Av found that blanket and duck and said they were Mary Ann’s school blanket and duck and sent them to school with her. Thank goodness I didn’t have to drop Mary Ann off this morning too.

Sunday

After our weekly gym visit I took Av to the movies with a few friends. It was the first time I have taken Av to the movies. Grandma has taken her a few times and warned me that she eats a TON of popcorn but after she is done with the popcorn she is done with the movie. So I got a large popcorn and in we went with her friends. The theater was crowded so we all had to sit behind each other. We went with Caroline, Jackson S and Jackson W. We saw The Princess and the Frog. It was pretty cute and Av made it through the whole movie! Afterwards we met the dads and younger kids at a restaurant. Camille was not acting like herself. Just sitting on my lap. John tried to grab her and get her to play but just then she vomited everywhere. All over John and her new shoes. It was a big gross mess. We left money and Avery with Marci and got Camille out of there. It was weird though because she didn’t have a fever and she was pretty fine afterwards and the next day. I think it was just from 2 weeks of excitement and from all the extra drool she has from her teeth.