Replacement Daddy

Daddy went to New York City to visit his best friend Denny for the weekend.  The kids have been missing Daddy like crazy.  Today Zach called and said he wouldn't make it home tonight because of a snow storm. Trying to explain this to a 2 year old is a little tough.  Apparently Desmond decided that if Daddy wasn't coming home we need a new daddy.  He though for a minute, ran off, and came back with this guy.  He was all smiles and told me, "Daddy's home!!!"   He found us a replacement.  He's only 6 inches tall.  Hopefully our 6 foot tall Daddy comes home soon.  I like the original better :) 

New Helmets, New Milestones

Sierra has gotten so good (and fast) at riding her bike that I decided it was time to invest in a rockin' helmet.  Sierra opted for a Barbie helmet.  Not to be outdone, Desmond decided he wanted a "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" helmet.   We rode bikes three times today.  Sierra along with our neighbors Mr. Pete and Ms. Leslie rode down to our park and back. They were impressed.  She didn't get stuck and even rode uphill without stopping.  They started calling her "The Biking Queen."  Desmond's still got a long way to go, but he doesn't like to be outshone by his big sis.  He hopped on his bike and looked up expectantly at me for a push.  We'll get the pedaling thing down at some point. 

Biker Chic

This girl is digging riding her new bike.  Tonight she mastered riding around in circles.  She literally rode circles around me and our neighbor Mr. Pete.  He offered to take her to the park tomorrow.  As you can tell by the pictures she is ecstatic!

Local Library Adventures

I grew up going to the library almost every Saturday morning with my dad.  We always got to check out books and get Colby Ridge popcorn when we finished.  I wanted to share that same tradition with my children.  They love our local library.  There is an old wooden doll house that is fully furnished. It is covered in glass so you can peak in without disrupting the scene.  Sierra loves to spend at least 20 minutes pointing out all the items in the dollhouse.  They change out the decorations for each holiday.  She likes to tell me about all the new things in the house. 

The library recently got a grant and added a chalkboard.  This is the kids' new favorite.  Sierra and Desmond left some of their artwork on the board.  Sierra's pictures make me smile.  She has branched out from just drawing people to adding rainbows and grass.    

Sierra gets so excited about her books.  She always comes to show them to me before running over to the little table to read them. 

Desmond likes the books and all, but if you were to see his face light up when he sees this giant bear.  You would know it's all about the giant stuffed animals.  He tackles this bear and sits in his lap like it's a family member.  He's also a huge fan of the giraffe.  Before we leave, he actually walks up to them and says, "Bye Bear!  Bye Giraffe!" 

Week 35 Baby Update

Little man is healthy as ever.  The doctor confirmed that he is measuring about 36 weeks.  Again a little on the big side.  He said we might consider inducing around March 1st.  Hard to believe this little guy will be here in a few short weeks.

Sight Words and Spelling

When I interviewed Sierra on New Year's Eve, filled in the blank that said "Something I want to learn in 2014 is....." with read and write.  Seriously.  This was not prompted by Mom at all.  I have been trying to figure how to help her do just that.  She really likes an iPad app called Starfall that teaches her word families.  I made some cards for her to match up when I call the word.  So far she's doing great with words that end with -at (cat, rat, sat, etc.) and words that end with -an (can, man, tan).

These are all the sight words she knows so far.  She can spell all of them too (on a good day).

She is starting to be able to even make a few small sentences with a little help.  She is so proud of herself.  I hope she keeps getting excited about learning new things her whole life.

Potty Training Update

Day 2
Today's Tally:  2 accidents, 5 successes
Success Rate: 71%

Day 3
Today's Tally: 3 accidents, 7 successes
Success Rate: 70%

Day 4: Going to Preschool

Desmond headed back to preschool today armed with several changes of clothes, underwear, and shoes.  I had high hopes he would do his duty most of the day if they could just keep him in underwear.  No luck.  He freaked out about the big potty at daycare.  He threw a fit everytime they took him.

I realized we probably needed to make sure he wasn't afraid of the big potty. We practiced at home.  We have the weekend.  Hopefully, it gets better. He's gotta be potty trained by the time he goes to college right?

Snow Day #3: Playdough and Hot Cocoa

Today was sooo cold.  We did lots of indoor activities.  Playdough and hot cocoa were Sierra's favorites.

Snow #2: We Actually Have Snow!

 Wednesday morning we woke up to about an inch of snow and ice.  In the seven years we have lived in South Carolina, this has only happened one other time.

Sierra has gotten to experience snow several times. She was sooooooo excited to play in the snow. 

Desmond, on the other hand, has only seen snow one other time, and I doubt he remembers it. He did not know what to do.  In fact, he got scared and hid behind the rocking chair for our first 10 minutes outside. 

Thankfully, Sierra showed Desmond how much fun it was to break icicles.  They broke icicles off my car, the mail box, the neighbor's mail box, and the trees.  

Probably my favorite part of the day was playing in the woods across the street from our house.  Sierra found some animal tracks in the snow, and we pretended to be pirates on a treasure hunt.  They both picked out their "pirate swords" (i.e. sticks) and attacked the trees blocking our path.  Sierra even decided to use hers as skis. 

Questions, Questions, Questions

Sierra is full of questions these days.  Here a few to give you an idea of how often I feel stumped throughout the day.

Mommy, can people turn into trees?  What about princesses?
How does the baby come out of your stomach?
What do babies like to eat?
Why do babies eat their mommies' boobies?
When you die, do you stay with God forever?
Can you un-die?
Can you do homework in heaven?

Snow Day #1: Why Not Potty Train?

The weather dipped down into the 30s and 20s today.  School was called off for the next two days due to pending ice, sleet, and snow.  What better time to potty train when you are stuck in the house for two days?  Desmond will probably kill me one day for posting these pictures, but I want to remember this stage in his life. He is still scared of the large potty.  I mean what 2 year old isn't just slightly scared of being flushed down the toilet and out to sea, right?  However, we had a lot of success with the little potty and the iPad.  As long as he can read, "Another Monster at the End of this Book" he will sit.  Sierra was even a big helper and read him his other favorite, "The Monster at the End of this Book."  One day down, a lifetime to go :) 

Today's tally: 5 successes, 4 accidents
Success Rate:  55%

It's a bird... It's a plane...No, it's Super Siblings!!!!

OSierra and Desmond participated in a class at Lexington Medical Center called "Super Siblings." They got to watch a movie about how babies talk, what they eat, etc.  The nurse talked about how the doctor's and nurses might be dressed in the hospital.  She even gave them their own hat and mask.

Next, they to tour the hospital and see the nursery.  The night ended with teaching the kids how to hold and swaddle a baby.  It was my favorite part of the. Igut my heart melted watching them be so  sweet with their pretend babies.  I know Sierra and Desmond will be great siblings to their new baby brother. 

Baby Steele Update Week 33

On Tuesday, I visited the doctor for my checkup.  This was one of my favorite appointment because they were able to do an ultrasound. He is healthy and looking great. He is also very big!    He is already measuring about 5 pounds five ounces  which is in the 90th percentile for babies his age.  The doctor believes that he is a larger baby or my due date might be off by a week or two.  Either way, the due date feels just around the corner.

Here are some pictures of our new little man:

2014 MLK Jr. Oratory Competition

I had the honor of working with and coaching 4th and 5th graders from across our school district on their memorized speeches about their dream for a better society.  I had the honor of introducing our panel of judges forf the evening.  We had over 200 people turn out for the event.

They were such a cute, articulate bunch of kids.  I was so proud of them!   They made the front page of our local newspaper.  I even got a small cameo with the third place winner. Such a great event for our students and our district.

Baby Steele Meet SC Governor Haley

Baby Steele and I were personally invited to the governor's mansion to hear about the rollout of the K-12 education initiative.  I served on a committee of teachers to assist Governor Nikki Haley with setting the priorities of the bill.  She held a reception in her home to thank us.  I have to admit I was a little star struck.  The food was great and the house was beautiful definitely a night I won't forget.