Post # 399: The End

For the past 18 months, I have tried to have a post about one or both of my wonderful daughters daily, and although, that might not have happened, the effort was definitely there. This blog started as just a place to record the little things that the girls did that I did not want to forget, but in the end I realized that nothing that they do is little when they (and their mommy) are my whole world and vice-versa. One day when my daughters read this, I hope they'll realize that every post on here was out of love, and I hope they'll realize how important they are to their mommy and me. I truly believe that I cannot begin to explain to my daughters how much I love them, but I hope it is that way with all parents and their children. Maybe one day if my girls have children of their own, they'll understand the joy that their happiness brings their mommy and me and the love that we feel for them.

Presley and Paxten, please always remember that although life is not fair, it's wonderful, and since this may be the only life you live, live it with all of your heart and enjoy every step of it, and although I will no longer be blogging about things that you two do on a daily basis, I will still be watching you every step of the way, just like I have been, every step of your life so far, even if you can't always see me. I love you both dearly. -Daddy

Noses

I told the girls to stick out their noses and smile.

I was reading to both girls the other night while they sat in my lap. We usually don't do this because Paxten really only likes touchy-feely books where as Presley prefers the longer books with some sort of plot. In one of the books that I was reading to them, there is a mirror on the last page, and on the opposite page above a picture of a rabbit, the book reads:

"I have a button nose. What kind of nose do you have?"

Me:  Everybody look in the mirror. What kind of nose do you have? (I looked in the mirror)

P2:  My see. (She looked in the mirror) Where's daddy's nose?

P1:  Paxten you got a baby nose.

Me:  What about me Presley?

P1:  Daddy, you got a big nose.

Me:  What about mommy's nose?

P1:  Mommy's got a medium nose.

Me:  Well what about your nose Presley?

P1:  (She looked in the mirror) I got a perfect nose.

I love my girls and their noses!

Summer Day Gazes

Yesterday I had a great summer day moment with my daughters. After I picked them up from school we went swimming together while their mommy cooked dinner. After they swam, they put on their "towel dresses" (per Presley) for dinner, and then of course it was Monday, and the ice cream man comes on Monday. We swam. We ate ice cream. We got some in our hair even. I love every second with them so much. When I have perfect moments with them like yesterday, I wish I could make them last forever.

BFF Sisters

It's a known fact that Presley and Paxten are and will be "best friends forever." They have always been close, but last weekend, it is as if something just clicked between the two of them, and they played together all weekend! At one point I was down stairs and I asked Lora where the girls were, and she said that they were upstairs playing. I was a bit curious about what was going on upstairs because I couldn't  hear the common sound of P2 screaming or P1 yelling, "Paxten!" I went upstairs, and they were sitting in the tent playing together with their baby dolls, and it made me feel so proud and happy. I took a picture in the tent, and then they wanted to take another one, and it's below as well. They came up with the second picture on their own. I love my daughters more than words can express, but I also love that they love each other that same way.

"I Wake Up!"

Paxten is usually the last to rise in our house, and most days Lora or I end up going into her room and waking her up if it's before 8AM. Presley usually wakes up and comes down stairs on her own. A few mornings ago, Paxten woke up really early for her, and opened her door to find her "baby gate" that assures us she stays in her room, and she started yelling, "I wake up dadda! I wake up!" So I brought her down stairs and threw her in bed with her mommy and me, but she did not want to stay in bed. She wanted her blanket, so I told her to go get it thinking that there was no way that she'd go all the way upstairs and get it on her own, but I set her down, and away she went. Then on Presley's monitor, we heard Paxten go into Presley's room and say, "good morning Presley," and then after a few minutes of unsupervised commotion upstairs that Lora and I could hear on the monitors, both girls came down with Paxten's pillow and a lot of her baby dolls.

Paxten decided to hide under the bathroom counter with her baby dolls and put them night-night. Notice in the picture below the golden pillow in front of her. That's the "baby gate" she put up after she put her babies night-night. My toddler is becoming a little girl, and I love watching every second of it.

Paxten's Bluff

For a while now, P2 has been trying to do everything herself. "Let me do it," is heard countless times at our house, but all she's doing is seeing what she can get away with, even if it's not something she wants to get away with. I call her bluff often, but I liked this particular one when I walked her into school yesterday morning.

Half way down the hall to Paxten's class, I was walking ahead of her, and the following conversation took place:

Me:  Come on Paxten.

P2:  Let me open the door! (She ran ahead of me.)

Me:  Okay, Paxten open the door.

P2:  Go. (She pointed to the entrance of her school.) Go home dadda.

Me:  You want me to go home?

P2:  Yes.

Me:  Okay. I love you. Bye. (I started walking back down the hall away from the entrance to her class room.)

P2:  No! NO! Dadda!

Me:  Yes?

P2:  Come with me.

Spitting Paxten

This weekend, while we were at a water park, Paxten made Lora and me laugh because while she was drinking water, she all of the sudden just spit some of it out onto the ground.

Later that same night, while Lora was letting the girls help her make brownies, we laughed even harder when Paxten was stirring the brownies, and then out of nowhere decided to spit into the brownie mix. (Pic below right after it happened, and I don't think she actually spit anything out of her mouth. I'm not really sure why she did that, but Lora and I were rolling.)

You see, I've been working with Paxten on spitting out water so we can move on to spitting out toothpaste. Once she gets that, we can use toothpaste with fluoride in it, which will work better than the stuff she uses now.

So after the two spitting incidents, I thought she may be ready to try toothpaste with fluoride in it, especially after eating said brownies. Paxten was very excited to get to use "sissy's toothpaste," and after about 30 seconds of brushing, I told her to spit it out, and her response was: "All Gone."

Oh well, maybe next time. There is a similar story with P1 from about 15 months ago that I blogged about too.

A Hug From Presley

For Father's Day, Presley made me a "hug" at her school. It's a balloon filled with powder, and when she gave it to me, she told me to squeeze it whenever I miss her. It also came with a laminated poem from a daughter to her father with Presley's foot-prints on it, which I loved. She gave it to me a few days before Father's Day, and then this weekend while I was in the restroom, the following conversation took place between Presley and me:

P1:  Hey Daddy?

Me:  Yes Presley?

P1:  Do you miss me?

Me:  What?

P1:  Do you miss me?

Me:  You mean when you're at school? Yes, of course I miss you. I miss you every day.

P1:  No, do you miss me in the bathroom?

Me:  Ummmm, no, not really because I don't want you in the bathroom with me.

P1:  Well because if you miss me, you should just squeeze the "hug" I made you. Here. (She opened the door and handed it to me.)

Me:  Oh, I see. Here, let me hug it. (I hugged it.) That's good, but you know what's better than hugging this balloon?

P1:  Huh?

Me:  This. (I hugged Presley.)

My greatest accomplishments and favorite two days of my life are the days when Presley and Paxten were born, and the gift of them in my life is by far my two best gifts ever!

Rocking Chair

After dinner the other evening Presley and I were outside sitting in the rocking chairs. Presley decided we should be "twins" and "rock at the same time."

So Presley started rocking her chair, and then I joined in, and we started rocking in unison. This went on for about 30 seconds while we looked at each other, and she smiled,  laughed and giggled. Then while she was looking at me, Presley reminded me again why I love her so much when she said in a funny voice, "Hey, am I looking in a mirror?"

THAT made my evening. I love everything that my two daughters do, but sometimes they do things that make me feel right then and there like no person has ever loved another person as much as I love them.

P2 Gets Her Way

Have I told you that P2 is a fireball? I know some of it is because of the fact that she is two years old, but some of it is personality too. (Paxten if you're reading this, please know that your mommy and daddy love you as much as we love your sister, which is more than I can possibly put words to. You'll understand one day when you have children of your own.)

The other night Lora cooked dinner for the four of us, and we all sat at the big table in the kitchen, and it was a nice experience. The girls each had a spoon and a fork due to the variance in the food Lora had prepared. Presley used her fork for her sausage and broccoli and her spoon for her rice. (Lora and I had something different.) Paxten only wanted to use one utensil, which was her fork.

Half way through dinner Paxten dropped her fork:

P2:  Uh-oh! Fork!

Lora:  It's okay. I'll clean it. This one's dirty. (Lora picked up the fork and started walking to the sink to wash it for Paxten.) Use your spoon Paxten.

P2:  Fork. Fork. Fork.

Lora:  Okay, just a second. Use your spoon until I'm finished cleaning your fork.

P2:  No spoon! Fork! Here daddy. (She tried to hand me her spoon across the table.) No want spoon.

Me:  That's fine. Just set it down. Mommy's cleaning your fork.

Paxten did not want her spoon, and that's when Paxten figured out how to get her way. At that moment she took her clean spoon that she didn't want and threw it across the room and onto the floor. "Uh-oh, spoon dirty," she said. "Get it mommy."

Lora avoided making a big deal about it. She picked up the spoon as she was walking Paxten's clean fork back to her, but I was cracking up on the inside. Paxten is equal parts smart, two, and fireball, and I love every ounce of her!

Sweet Dreams?

Every night before we go to bed, Lora or I check on the girls. The majority of the time, it's me doing the checking because that's my job, and I enjoy it. Usually P2 is fine and just gets a kiss, but P1 is usually under the covers (because she's scared of the dark) or close to the edge of her bed, and since she no longer uses bed rails, I move her almost every time I check on her. She is a very heavy sleeper, unlike her sister.

Presley also talks in her sleep frequently, which cracks Lora and me up because neither of us do. The other night when I was moving her, she furrowed her brows, pushed my hands away and said, "STOP IT PAXTEN!" I started laughing, but luckily, like I said, she's a heavy sleeper, and she did not wake up. I love my little dreamer.

Fashionista?

Last Friday as I was getting Presley dressed for school, the following conversation took place:

Me:  Okay Pres, you ready?
P1:  No, I want to wear my shirt like you do.
Me:  What?
P1:  I want to tuck my shirt in.
Me:  Presley, you don't tuck shirts into skirts.
P1:  Yes I do. I want my pink bow showing.
Me:  Yea, but that skirt is not made to be tucked in.
P1:  Well you tuck your shirt in.
Me:  I don't tuck my shirt into skirts.
P1:  Well, I want my pink bow showing.
Me:  Fine.

Email Chime

I have a cell phone, and on this cell phone, I can take phone calls, get text messages, play games, receive email, and tons of other stuff too. I have a different chime that goes off depending on whether I've received a call, text or email. The email reminder is a short little 3 chimes that comes from the end of the intro for ESPN's SportsCenter, which I added about two months ago. The first few times it went off, Paxten would get excited and say, "ICE CREAM TRUCK!" Every time she did this, I told her that it was daddy's phone going off because I received an email. So now I have the cutest and best email chime in the world because whenever I get an email, I get two notices. The first is the normal chime, and the second is Paxten Parker yelling "EMAIL!"

This has been happening for a while, and I love it, but Friday morning, I thought it was especially neat. I went into Paxten's room to wake her up. I opened her door all the way, turned off her fan, kissed her on the forehead, and walked into my office. I do this to give her time to wake up on her own. (What happens when you force Paxten to wake up when she's not ready is a different post altogether and not a fun experience.) So there I was in my office, three rooms away, when my phone went off to inform me that I had just received an email, and as soon as that happened, Paxten shouted her first word of the day while she was still in bed: "EMAIL!" Best. Email. Chime. Ever!

Always Watching and Learning

As a parent, I teach my daughters a lot. I know I teach them a lot more good than bad, but I also try to be aware of the fact that they are always watching and listening, and because of this, they may be picking up some bad habits too. If I have a bad attitude, then that may be reflective on my daughters, so I really try to watch this around them. I hope when my daughters get older, they've absorbed 100% of all the good stuff from Lora and me and 0% of the bad stuff, but I know that won't happen. The important thing for me to do is to always be aware of it, and keep trying.

One thing I read early on in Presley's life was that if you always tell your kids that they are smart, they will always believe they are smart, but if they run into a problem they can't solve, they will shut down and stop trying out of frustration. The article suggests to compliment them on how hard of a worker they are instead. I'm sure I have taken this to an extreme, but I've often times told Presley and Paxten, "you're such a smart, pretty, hard-working girl," and I always tell them to "try harder" when they say they can't do something. I was especially proud the other day when Paxten was trying to put her socks on, and she said, "can't do it," and then Presley said, "try harder Paxie."

Finally, some of the stuff you teach them isn't good or bad, but it's just life. Last night after dinner Presley wanted an oatmeal pie, and so I told her she could have one, but that I was eating pudding with peanut butter. I told her she would think if was yummy, so I'd give her a bite. So I opened up a package of chocolate pudding and put it on one side of a bowl, and then got a scoop of peanut butter and put it on the other side of the bowl, and then I'd mix a bit of each together and take a bite. I let Presley and Paxten try it, and I gave Paxten all she wanted because she did not have an oatmeal pie, but Presley knew she could only have a few bites because she wanted the oatmeal pie. So after about a minute Presley asked for another bite, and then a bit later, she asked for a "tiny bite," and then a bit later, she asked for "just one more bite." While Lora and I were sitting there talking Presley was sitting at the table after these countless number of bites, and then all of the sudden Presley said, "Daddy- that's really good." Lora and I cracked up, and of course, she got another bite.

I love my two clay daughters that I'm constantly molding! (I would like to add that I don't believe in 100% nurture because I believe nature is a big part of them too. Of course, that nature comes from Lora or me or one of our family members.)

Here are all of my girls coloring together. Well, except Cady, she's not coloring.

Ballet by Television

As Presley gets older, we try to introduce her to sports, but she really has never had any desire to play any sport because, "that's for boys." She is definitely a girly-girl as she loves cheerleaders, princesses and ballerinas. The other day she was watching a Barbie ballet show, and I snapped this picture. This is her attempting to dance with the dancing princesses on television. She had her arms up just before I shot this picture. I thought it was sweet. Maybe we should get into gymnastics or ballet. I love my girly-girl!

NakedLittlePaxten

Throughout P1 and P2's lives, whenever we've taken their clothes off for a bath, Lora and I have both always shouted, "naked-little-baby," to which they would giggle and chuckle. Well as Paxten's starting to understand some things more, she's putting her own spin on them. One of her favorite things to do now after we take her clothes off for a bath is to run from us and yell, "naked-little-Paxten!" It's quite funny! Again, I love my silly, goofy daughter!

Dressed Herself

I told Presley to go get dressed the other day before we ran an errand. I can honestly say that this is the first time that she's ever dressed herself that I did not immediately know that her outfit did not match. Sure, I let her wear non-matching clothes all the time to Lora's dismay, but honestly, I had no idea. You see, there's no purple in her top. She officially has more style than me now. Oh well. I'm still a better dresser than Paxten, who wants to wear pajamas everywhere! I love my fashionistas!

Blueberry Paxten

This post is NOT about how much Paxten loves blueberries. It's NOT about how she can eat almost an entire box of them like the one pictured in one sitting. It's NOT about how they are definitely her favorite food, which is awesome because they're classified as a "super food!" No, this post is NOT about Paxten's love of blueberries, but instead it's about what Paxten said while I was trying to take her picture for a post about how much she loves blueberries.

I was sitting in front of Paxten trying to get a picture of her with her holding up some blueberries. The problem is that she does not sit still, and my camera has a very slow shutter speed, so when she moved at all, the picture became blurry. So the whole time, Lora was behind me trying to get Paxten to smile and hold up her blueberries, and every time after I took a picture, Paxten would immediately follow it up with a, "my see, my see," and so I'd show her the blurry picture I had just taken, until I took this one. When I took this one, she immediately said, "my see, my see," but Lora and I were admiring the picture, so Pax kept saying, "my see, my see," and then all of the sudden she stopped and said, "can't see it," and this immediately cracked Lora and me up. We were laughing hysterically. I love my goofy, funny, blueberry-loving daughter a lot!

Memory Rug

This picture of P1 cracks me up. It looks like she was holding onto a wall, but she is actually just lying down on a rug in her room. There are ten different pictures with ten different numbers associated to each picture. The other day Presley was on the potty in her bath room and Paxten was on a stool next to the rug, and Presley told Paxten to try to jump and land on the "seven flower petals." This caught my attention because Presley could see Paxten, but she could not see the rug, so I asked Presley if she knew every picture on her rug, and she said she did. I was then stunned as she started at one and told me what the object was associated with each number, one through ten! For example, "one owl, two flowers, etc." I was so impressed that I immediately asked her how many trees were on another rug to see if she has a photographic memory, and she missed it, so maybe she does not have a photographic memory, and maybe I'm not supposed to brag about my daughter, but this is my blog, and I'm here to tell you, she's damn smart! I love my hard working, silly, pretty, smart girl!

Keyless Remote

The other day when we were at the doctor's office, Paxten wanted to play with my keys, so I let her until she started pushing buttons on the keyless remote. As I took the keys back from her, I hit the lock button just in case she had unlocked my doors, but we were in the actual doctor's office, and not the waiting room, so the chances of her unlocking the doors were not very good. Whether or not she unlocked my doors, I'll never know because my car doors were locked when we got back to the car, but that did not matter because the power lift gate at the very back of my Yukon was up and wide open in the middle of the parking lot. Luckily I did not have anything in the back, and apparently nobody crawled in through the back of my car to take anything, and looking back on it, it was funny, but just not as I walked around the building to see my car wide open at the back in the middle of the parking lot for all to see.