Party Like a 2 Year Old

I never really wanted a child born in the summer because I loved having my birthday during the school year, but it sure does have its perks. There are so many different kinds of parties you can do during summer. This year was Kinsey's first "friends" party and we went with a water game theme. The weather was beautiful the week of the party, but as we were setting up, a storm cloud covered the sky and it started sprinkling. I was so so sad. Luckily, the sprinkling stopped and the storm held off for an hour and a half so we could have the outdoor party as planned. Even if it was a little cooler than I would have liked.

 As usual, Pinterest was my friend during the party planning stage. I made little sponge balls for the pool and pool noodle hoops for throwing water balloons through. 

The kids played for the beginning of Kinsey's party. If you ever have a party for a bunch of 2 year olds, I highly recommend water balloons. They were a HUGE hit!

Kinsey absolutely loved breaking the water balloons in her hand. 

Next up we had dinner. Grandpa Walker was kind enough to BBQ hot dogs for everyone. 

And I just think all these girls eating together is the cutest thing ever!

 After dinner Kinsey opened her presents. She got a great assortment of books, dolls, clothes, and toys. She loved all her presents and would not let her sisters touch anything from her birthday party!

 

She also had lots of friends and family there to celebrate the big 2!

As usual, I made cupcakes instead of a cake. It is so much easier to eat for the little kiddos! Those tiny cupcakes are addicting too. They were the perfect size for Kinsey. 

Kinsey was so excited to eat the cupcakes...but not so excited about blowing out the candle. Note the scared face. 

 

 She had a wonderful birthday party and was so excited to see all her friends!! Thank you to everyone who was able to make it. We scrambled to clean up as the rain started, but I'm just SO GLAD it waited until after Kinsey's party to really start pouring!

Entering the Terrible 2s!

Today is my precious girl's birthday. I think this officially means she is no longer a baby, although she'll always be my baby. Kinsey is a firecracker, sassy girl, drama queen, sweetheart, bossy pants, awesome sister, and 100% girl all rolled in to one. I guess the many sides to Little K automatically equals GIRL :)

Lately Kinsey enjoys playing dress up and choosing her own clothes. We go through a lot of clothes each day. Sometimes I'm about to put something on her and she shouts "NO!" so I have to let her choose something else. Half the time she likes to put her PJs back on (assuming I got her dressed that day).

Along with wearing a lot of clothes, she is obsessed with SHOES! Not hers, but other people's. Kinsey goes for the heels a lot (girly girl) and I just cringe hoping she doesn't roll her ankles or face plant. She actually does pretty well in heels and we haven't had any mishaps yet. 

Kinsey loves going outside to blow bubbles, play at the park, and swim. She also absolutely adores other kids and is on her best behavior when they are around. The attitude is usually saved for me. I'm lucky, I guess. 

She is the GREATEST big sister (most of the time). Kinsey seriously loves her sisters and they adore her. Unfortunately, they are now at the age where they notice when Kinsey takes away everything they want to play with. All the toys are "Kinsey's!" Recently Kinsey has had the desire to pick up Scarlett and Shayla and walk around with them. They don't weigh much so she can definitely do it, but I have to watch her very carefully because she tends to throw them down like a sack of potatoes. 

We've done a bit of potty training here and there over the past few months. She got really good at pooping in the toilet (hallelujah) and hit or miss with the peeing. Then Kinsey started always saying "potty" so we would take her but her diaper would be warm from just going. So we decided to put it on hold for a little while until she gets the concept to use the potty BEFORE she goes. And in case you're wondering about the picture, she found a new love for nudity during the potty training phase. 

See how Scarlett and Shayla love her?!

Kinsey still loves food, but she's gotten a little picky. Fruit and anything with sugar are usually a good bet. She rarely eats meat and loves cereal, cheese, and mac and cheese. Veggies are normally moved away from her other food. 

This little girl has flown a few times and really loves it! Of course, it's not easy getting her to sit still so no one else on the plane has fun. 

Kinsey Kins is quite the fashionista. For some reason she only wears sunglasses upside down. I, of course, think it's the cutest thing in the world. 

Kinsey always waves and says bye to people, but with her pronunciation she says "die." I'm not sure whether to be concerned that she tells everyone to die. A few other favorites she says are: no, Layla (Scarlett or Shayla), let go (directed at Scarlett and Shayla), car, hat, and more. Every letter of the alphabet is apparently  "I" or "B." And she is fascinated with ants!

To be honest, Kinsey has been quite the challenge lately, but I still love her. It's fun watching her learn and grow but not so fun having her tell me "no" all the time. I guess I should stop telling her "no" because she really just copies me. She is such a silly goose and we love her so much!!

What's a graduate to do?

It's been a long and quick four years of Eric being in chiropractic school. The last year was totally chaotic with having three kids, me being hospitalized, and Eric taking board exams while working in his school's clinic. But with each obstacle thrown his way, Eric came out on top! He managed to pass all his board exams on the first try and be the first in his class to meet all the clinic requirements--taking us to Utah this summer for a preceptorship.

Eric and his school friends at a dinner for the graduating class

 Despite the craziness of traveling with three kids under the age of two, we headed to Kansas for a quick trip to attend Eric's graduation. He deserves all the recognition he can get, plus I really like a good photo op :) It was an exhausting plane ride for anyone assigned to Kinsey. The bottom left picture about sums it up. 

 Eric's parents were saints keeping all the kids in check. We could not have made the trip without them. Even though none of us were able to pay attention to the graduation ceremony (who planned that during nap time?!), we were there supporting our Eric!

I'm so proud of this guy. He now has his doctorate and can start really helping people in a field he loves!

So what does the future have in store for us? Eric learned so much during his preceptorship he decided to stay at Align Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Provo and keep working with the doctor there. If you know anyone looking for a chiropractor in the Provo area, he's your guy! He also secured a position at a nearby pain clinic and volunteers at Provo High School treating all the young athletes. He absolutely loves working at the high school and is so happy at the end of the day. As you can see, Eric is as busy as ever and still working hard to support our family. 

Proud graduate of Cleveland Chiropractic College

We couldn't be more proud of him and thankful to call him ours. We love you Eric!!

Eric with his four biggest fans!

The Twins at 6 Months

Half a year?! Has it really been that long? In many ways it seems like Scarlett and Shayla were just born yesterday, but I also feel like they've been with our family forever. A little over a year ago I found out they were in my tummy, now they are growing and thriving every day on their own. 

They are still captivated by Kinsey. It is my favorite part of the day to see the twins watching Kinsey and Kinsey saying "hi" while shaking her head in their faces (yes, she copies me haha). They reach for toys like crazy, which Kinsey is not a fan of. She takes all "her" toys away from the babies and says "Kinsey's." We have a long road of sharing ahead of us.  

If they are well rested they will play on the floor really well by themselves. However, any other time (hungry or tired) they must be held. Lately, outside has been our savior. They love the fresh air and calm down more easily when outside. I sometimes even take morning walks so they'll fall asleep in their carrier instead of on me!

I was so happy they finally grew into these sleepers aka I still roll up the sleeves twice. Scarlett and Shayla look like little angels in them. 

SHAYLA

For the most part, Shayla has always been more welcoming to strangers holding her than Scarlett. However, now if she is even a little bit tired she requires mommy. She will even reach for me, which just melts my heart!! Don't worry, daddy still gets plenty of snuggles in. 

 Shayla has discovered her feet. I believe it's one of the cutest baby habits in the world. She can also roll from one side of the room to the other in a few seconds. I have to really watch her to make sure she doesn't face plant into furniture or toys. She also goes on her hands and knees now. Crawling is going to happen before we know it!

They are getting so big!! When I go on walks with all three of them, a baby and Kinsey will sit in the stroller while I hold the other baby. It's pretty exhausting when it's hot out, but I do what I gotta do. 

I've always been obsessed with Shayla's cry and the face she makes. It reminds me so much of Eric!!

Exhibit A

SCARLETT

Scarlett is still the ultimate mama's girl (yup, I have two of them now)!! She hates strangers holding her still. Basically she only likes me, Eric, and Grandma Walker. And of course, Kinsey. 

Scarlett rolls and moves around a lot, but she is a few weeks behind Shayla in the mobility department. I don't have to worry about her moving to the other side of the room if I look away for a minute. She either finds a toy to play with or cries to be picked up.  

 They've been putting their pacifiers in and out of their mouths by themselves. So cute!!

 If one baby is crying and I go to pick her up, the other gets jealous and starts crying. They are both vying for my attention all the time. Add Kinsey to the mix and that makes for a crazy mama. I maintain some sanity in the brief moments Scarlett will fall asleep while playing. In this picture she grabbed my nursing cover and snuggled up to it in her sleep. 

 Some days I want to pull my hair out (mainly thanks to Kinsey entering her terrible twos), but they are definitely worth it. As much as I want time to stand still, I can't wait to have 3 little "Walkers" running around the house.