Sometime Buddies

August 24, 2009, 3:33 pm

With Lily entering Kindergarten, I took some time and read through my blog from the beginning years (I started this blog when she was an infant). I was struck with how important Lily was to Noah when she was a baby. I have entries about how he would return from preschool (age 3) and look for "his girl". When Noah started Kindergarten and Lily was 2, they started separate lives almost. Noah was at school all day, and Lily was either at home or at the babysitter's house. At this time Lily also became very opinionated (terrible 2's), and the kids stopped getting along so well.

This summer was the first summer in years where I worked part-time, and Nathan worked from home one day a week. Noah and Lily found themselves together a lot this summer. At first the transition was rough. Lily missed her Tuesdays and Thursdays home with just me and would ask if Noah could go to a friend's house.

After a few weeks of adjustment, Noah and Lily started to actually play together (this is truly a rare phenomenon). I planned some fun days at the water park, and the two had a blast swimming together and eating snacks at the snack bar.

My favorite quote from Lily one day while she was playing with Noah was, "I don't even like you, but I sure am having fun playing with you right now!" Noah and I laughed about this, and then I pointed out to Lily that maybe just maybe she does like Noah. She just smiled.

At the end of summer we had a party for Jack, and I needed help cleaning the house. Noah and Lily both vacuumed and dusted for me, and they had a great time working together. I rewarded them with a trip to Burger King. They had a blast playing together in the play room. I was struck by how soon Noah will not want to play with his sister at play areas... he will some day be far too cool for that. But at that moment, I enjoyed listening to them giggle and chase each other.



So 5 years after I started this blog, Noah and Lily have their own lives away from me and Nathan. They seem to have formed their own little pack, and they go off to school each morning and come home together on the bus. I hear them talking about how they saw each other in the hallway or at lunch. I love that they have a life together again for a while (until Middle school for Noah at least). They still bicker and Lily will argue any point, but they are wonderful buddies some of the time...


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A 3rd Grader and a Kindergartener

August 20, 2009, 11:45 am

Noah and Lily's first day of school was August 18th! Noah has been preparing Lily for Kindergarten all summer and telling her things like, "I wish I could go to Kindergarten again!" and "You are going to LOVE the school lunches!" and "I'll see you at recess and lunch and we could be book buddies!" All of this excited talk has actually worked, and Lily started to get excited about Kindergarten about a week before school started. Before that she kept telling me she would rather stay home with me on Tuesdays and Thursdays like last year, but I think her brother's enthusiasm finally got the best of her.

This year the bus arrives over an hour earlier than last year due to a new breakfast program. I woke the kids up at 6:30 a.m. to opposite reactions. Noah jumped out of bed with a smile and said, "I can't wait to be in 3rd grade!" Lily growled at me.

Here they are eating their breakfast:



After breakfast, Lily cheered up and was excited for her first bus ride.

Here are the kids waiting for the bus:



Lily asked that I sit on the front porch the entire time she was at school so that I'd definitely be waiting when she came home on the bus. Instead I went for a jog and then met my friend Melissa for a walk by the river. I did manage to get on the porch in plenty of time to see the kids return from their first day of school. Jack and Lola also waited for the bus:




Lily came off the bus with a big smile and her glasses on (I noticed the girl she sat by on the bus was wearing glasses also).



Lily had a lot to tell me about her first stay of Kindergarten and her teacher Mrs. Thomsen. Noah declared that once again he has the nicest teacher in the school. He's convinced of this every year. He thinks Mrs. Solomon is the best.

I'm happy that Lily has her big brother to ride the bus with and teach her the ropes...


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A Berry Fun 5th Birthday

August 17, 2009, 9:47 pm

On August 16th, Lily turned 5! Yep, Jack and Lily are birthday buddies. Lily was very excited for her birthday for as she put it, "it's all about me!"

We woke Lily up by singing "Happy Birthday," and she was excited to find a new princess bike in the living room. Noah helped her open gifts from family, and she was once again very spoiled by her Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. Her favorite gift was from Papa: a pair of plastic hands with fingernails and fingernail polish (what could be better for a budding fingernail painter?)

Lily requested strawberry pancakes for breakfast and then helped me make a strawberry cake for her party. We then went to Target where she spent her gift card from Grandma and Grandpa Hottman (she was very excited to pick out something "big" from the store).

Lily picked McDonalds with the play area for her birthday lunch. Then we went to the mall for a little more shopping. Next was the part Lily had been waiting for: all of her friends came over for a Strawberry Shortcake birthday party. They had fun playing pin the jewel on the tiara, making beautiful bracelets with Stephanie's help, playing in the backyard, eating cake and ice cream, and breaking open a piņata.

Lily then had Emma and Sophie spend the night for her first sleepover. The girls painted nails, watched Tinkerbelle, and enjoyed playing with all of Lily's toys. I read them some of Lily's new Strawberry Shortcake books before bed. We had a really bad storm that night, but none of the girls came out of Lily's room. Lily was very sleepy today after such an exciting birthday!

Today Lily had her Kindergarten physical and had a finger poke for her hemoglobin level, a tuberculosis test, and a chicken pox booster. She wasn't too happy with the nurse, but she's set for Kindergarten. We went to open house at the school tonight, and she met her teacher Mrs. Tompsen and put all of her school supplies in the room. She's excited to celebrate her "school birthday" next Thursday.

Lily has been asleep since 7:30 p.m. with her hair in braids so that it will be nice and curly for her first day of school. She has a dress picked out...her pink dress with strawberries on it.




A $5 bill from Grandpa Tackett:



Giving out hugs:



Creepy plastic hands gift:



Lily loved getting calls from family and hearing everyone sing Happy Birthday to her:



I think she liked the gift from Emmalyn:



Nail Spa:



Goofy sleepover time:



Lola hanging with the girls:

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LBJ turns 10!

August 17, 2009, 9:34 pm

Little Bastard Jack turned 10 on August 15th. We invited both 2-legged and 4-legged friends to join us in a grand celebration for what started out to be the worst dog ever (well that may be a little over dramatic) but has turned into quite the keeper. Nathan and I adopted Jack 10 years ago, and we quickly discovered that our puppy was neurotic. He sleeps under our bed (has for a decade), marks our home (inside and out), nips and children, has bitten everyone in the family except me, and is as skittish as they come.

But a decade can do a lot even for a poor abused and neglected 6 month old puppy. For the past year Nathan and I have realized we have a true fondness for our emaciated mutt. We planned a bash in his honor, and we had many friends including 7 canines in the backyard. The dogs were all very well behaved (well except for Pancho the Chihuahua who was sent home after he tried to attack Stadler the Great Dane) and much slobbering, butt sniffing, and pooping was had by all.

Jack even enjoyed opening his wonderful gifts which included pink toys, squeaky toys, and lots of chicken flavored treats. Nathan and I appreciated the wine and carpet cleaner from the Kruses.

Happy Birthday, you little bastard!

Looking sharp in a paisley bandana:



Has Jack ever looked happier?



Watering hole: Stadler, Jack, Lola, and Duke



Grace loved looking at the dogs through the sliding glass door:




Kids and dogs playing outside:

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Our Smiling Dancer

August 13, 2009, 10:04 am

Lily is now old enough to play soccer through her school. I asked if she wanted me to sign her up for soccer, and she replied, "No! I don't like sports! I want to be a dancer!" I felt a little guilty that I haven't had her in a dance class for a year, so I signed her up for dance at the YMCA.

Lily loves dance class. She goes on Wednesday evenings, and her only wish is that dance lasted longer.



Noah has always been a very compliant child especially for teachers, but I wasn't sure how Lily would act at dance. The other girls in her class often run to the window to make faces at their parents or decide to stop dancing. Lily is perfectly compliant the entire class. She never runs to the window. She always does exactly what she is told. She behaves just like Noah would in a dance class.

My sister Janelle signed her son Huck up for dance, and she shared with me that Huck was also a perfect pupil. I'm not sure if this is some genetic thing with Hottman children and grandchildren. I remember being very compliant as a child. I don't recall telling the kids specifically that they must listen to everything their teachers tell them to do, but boy do they ever!

When I was Lily's age, I took dance lessons as well. Of course I can't remember this exactly, but my parents tell me that I smiled so beautifully at dance recitals. In pictures I have a huge smile plastered on my face, so I've always thought that I must have loved dance. Last night Lily had her first little dance performance (the parents were allowed into the classroom on the last night of the session). Before we were allowed into the room, I heard Lily's teacher, Ms. Jennifer, tell the students to smile while they danced. She made a sour face and said, "Don't have faces like this! Smile pretty!" and then she smiled very beautifully for the girls.

Nathan and I walked in and took our seats, and I had the camera out. Lily started to dance and then looked at Ms. Jennifer and got a huge smile on her face. I realized then that when I was in dance recitals I smiled so beautifully because my teacher told me to. I was being compliant, and as I watched Lily dancing and smiling so big I started to laugh inappropriately. Oh these moments of parenthood can't be beat. My beautiful daughter dancing in her pink dress and black tap shoes and me holding a camera and shaking uncontrollably with laughter. I did not make eye contact with Nathan, and I was thankful that Janelle was not in the room. Finally I got it together and enjoyed the rest of Lily's wonderful performance and outrageously big smile.

After Lily danced she came up to me and smiled and then ran to her Papa for a hug. She was very proud to have her parents watch her first dance performance.

Click to see Lily's first dance performance



Lily and Ms. Jennifer:


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Baby Lily

August 12, 2009, 10:03 am

This summer two of our close friends gave birth to baby girls! Lily was very excited to hear that both Dawn and Matt and Jean and TJ were going to have baby girls in the summer. We took a trip to Cedar Falls to meet baby Penelope who was born on June 2nd. Lily was thrilled to hold Penny:



After meeting Penny, Lily started to play "baby" at home a lot. She asked to drink from some old bottles we have, used a doll pacifier often, and wanted us to treat her like a baby. Then baby Ava was born on July 18th, and the obsession with babies continued. Here is Lily holding Ava:



Lily likes to pretend that the laundry basket is her crib. She looks so uncomfortable crammed in the basket, but she lay in there for a long time making baby noises.



At night, Lily even asks us to hold her like a baby and ready baby books to her. She then likes to be wrapped up in her blankets (swaddled if you will) before bed. I just love Nathan's reaction to all of this baby talk. The look on his face is priceless...

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Almost 5

August 9, 2009, 9:41 pm

A week from today Lily turns 5 years old. She is very excited for her birthday and often starts conversations with me by saying, "Let's talk about my birthday party." She decided to have a Strawberry Shortcake party this year because she loves strawberries, Strawberry shortcake books, and Apple dumpling. She would like to have a strawberry cake covered in real strawberries.

Here's Lily enjoying strawberries from our garden:





I bought Lily some Strawberry Shortcake books and wrapped them up already, and she enjoys looking at her one gift. She asks me every day "What does it start with?" I told her an "S", and she asked what the 2nd letter was (this is humorous to me as she can't read or spell). When I told her S and then T she asked, "Did you get me the alphabet?"

Lily wants to have a piņata for her birthday which Nathan is very against (he find that they are dangerous and promote that awful greed at parties where kids are fighting for candy). Lily finally convinced him to get her a pull string piņata with the argument, "But Papa, Piņatas give you tootsie rolls!" She's very convincing.

I have struggled with the decision to send Lily to Kindergarten or not as her birthday is just 2 days before the first day of school. In just the past month, Lily has changed dramatically and become quite social. She plays with many friends each week and does not spend all of her time attached to me anymore. Sometimes kids seem to reach milestones just in time.

Last week I took the kids to register for school, and Lily was extremely shy. Noah assured her that Kindergarten is soooo fun, and he wishes he could go to Kindergarten again (I do too). He also really sold her on the school lunches, and she can't wait for corndog day. We bought school supplies after registration, and Lily picked out a Tinkerbelle backpack, lunch box, and pencil bag. But when I helped her pick out a pink towel for rest time I was reminded that perhaps 5 isn't all that grown up.

Vegetables from our garden:



Girls in green:



All dressed up for a party:



Lily's favorite snack (a strawberry yogurt parfait with a cherry):


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