Sugar, Spice and a Whole Lot of Estrogen

A handsome and clever man with a camera he knows how to use is pretty darn lovable;-)
Happy Valentines' Day Nico xoxo

The last thing Kayley said to me while I tucked her in was, "Mummy, I'll tell you what that cough medicine tastes like.  It tastes like bubble gum mixed with strawberries, mashed potatoes and licorice.  See why I don't like it? Do you see, mummy?"  I don't doubt it really but I made her take it anyway. 

Kayley feels like a real photographer.  Today we created her very own Flickr page.  She is eager to show off her budding talent to the world.  I like that she is as enthusiastic as she is because it helps me to remember to keep encouraging her and critiquing her.  She likes to be fairly critiqued!  She asks what she could have done differently when a shot doesn't turn out just so.  Unfortunately she's probably asking the wrong person:-)... but we are very lucky to be surrounded in photographers around here so she always has someone to go to. 

I took Kayley to the doctor today for her cough and her wheezy chest.  She was instantly diagnosed with a chest infection.  I had a feeling.  Her chest sounded like a baby rattle!  She is on some antibiotics now and was prescribed a new dose of Ventolin and Flovent for her asthma as her old prescription hadn't been adjusted since she was a baby.
While at the doctor, I weighed Kayley.  She was a whopping 44lbs.:P  There are kids in Erika's preschool that weigh that or more and Kayley is 7!  Erika weighed in at exactly 33lbs.  I've got little girls that is for sure:)

Erika is a monkey.  Literally.  She climbs on everything she thinks looks climbable and jumps on and off of furniture whenever she is in the house.  The ladder designed specifically for getting up on the top bunk is just not any fun anymore.  She climbs the tiny support boards running across the headboard on an Ikea-made bunk bed to get to the top and I worry everytime.  I'm not as concerned about her falling as much as the entire bed collapsing on Kayley who is all tucked in and waiting so patiently to go to sleep on the bottom.  If I want to get her dressed, her teeth brushed or to the table for dinner, she runs.  She runs and giggles.  When it's time to get out the door, like when Kayley needs to be at school, Erika will find something that doesn't feel so right about her boots, her tights, her hat, her coat...well, you get the idea. This usually turns into a power struggle between her and I with me carrying her out the door shoeless and coatless, her screaming at the top of her lungs that she doesn't want to wear the outfit she has on and to let her down because she wants to walk.  We're working on the tantrum thing. Today when she decided she would not wear her coat leaving the coffee shop we were at for soup, I gave her a choice.  She could put her coat on and have the stupid, plastic pony I broke down and bought for her at the Pharmacy because she begged and begged and begged so many times... (I asked myself why I had to win this one, it was $1.49.  Pick your battles, Andrea)...she could put her coat on and have the pony and it's itsy bitsy little stupid, plastic pieces or she could hand the pony over to me and it would go in my pocket for the rest of the day.  She didn't wear the coat, she froze on the way to the car in the wind and I have a brand new plastic, pink pony.  This pony thing worked all evening too.  I bribed her with it into eating all her chicken and broccoli curry dish I made for dinner AND into picking up the dress-up clothes in her room! Do you understand just how glad I am that I bought that stupid, pink, plastic pony?  I love that girl though.  Such a personality.  I wouldn't take her any other way.  I know she's just 4 and 'finding herself;-)

We ended our night with airplane rides on the bed, tickles and games of trust like when someone falls on top of the other two people when they are least expecting it...I admit, that was a fun game and I'd play again. 

Here are some photos, I have to go...I rented, 'Family Guy: The Freakin' Sweet Collection.'  Oh and Fawlty Towers-Vol 1:)


For more photos, see Flickr...uploading here keeps failing:(