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Category Archives: Cailyn
Just a few random photos from the last few weeks…
Diligently sharpening our colored pencils. It took him nearly 30 min (ANYthing that keeps his attention that long gets my seal of approval!), and he also got every one of our 10 colored pencils sharpened. I was somewhat surprise. I guess twisting the {wrong} way for 30 min. also gets the job done like twisting the {right} way for 5…
Practicing her “Kindergarten skills”…
Pretty much his favorite activity…
All.day.long I hear, “iuh (i want) kick da (the) sock-uh-ba (soccer ball) momma!”
**oops…just a bit too high on the ol’ kick in the next picture**
As much as my hair is looking a bit crazy in this next picture, I am posting it because it’s the only proof that the kids and I were at the zoo recently. There was absolutely no time for pulling out the ol’ Nikon and getting any photos. Cailyn’s school had a field trip, and I told Justin to not bother joining us because I thought it would be no biggie to keep up with the kids alone…well…with the help of the group. W.R.O.N.G.
When we arrived, I realized that not only was her school there, but EVERY other school in Lima was there from babies to highschoolers. What high school kid wants to go to the zoo as a field trip is what I’m wondering. Anyway, there were probably a good 60 HUGE (some double-decker) buses there with kids of all ages. It was insane. Basically, there were so many people that you had to fight to get up to the glass to see some animals, which I didn’t do. I think my kids saw about 3 animals “up close”, and each time they really got to enjoying something, the group was moving on and I had to pry Corban’s hands off of the fence in order to get going so that I could strap Corban into his stroller and keep up with the group. It was sad. And, yes, Corban HAD to ride in his stroller, because he is so incredibly fast and can get out of sight in seconds. He does well about 90% of the time when we say “stop” or “wait” or “come back”, so I was definitely not going to risk losing his little brown-haired, fit in with the peruvian look little self by letting him walk dart around. So, anyway, here we are after having had our “lonchera” (snack…which was more like a meal since i packed actual lunches…oops. darn that spanish note they sent home that i misinterpreted).
Oh, but wait. There’s more to the story.
Immediately following our lonchera time, Cailyn just was about to DIE of being tired of walking. I mean she was as exhausted as they come, and I just couldn’t bear to make her walk any more. (Are you catching on to my sarcasm here?) I mean, keeping up with our group was no joke. If we didn’t I was going to be stuck with some other group I didn’t know, and the place is so big I might have never found our group again! There was just no time for saying no and risking a melt down with an overly dramatic 4 year old, so I gave in and let Corban walk while pushing Cailyn in our umbrella stroller. He, of course, though he’d hit the jack pot, and I was just trying to keep up with him at every turn. He kind of run-walks, just to give you an idea of how quickly I had to get going. It wasn’t the end of the world, but I was definitely breaking a sweat. Can you see why the only photo I have is one we got while sitting with our group?
About an hour before leave time we hit a stretch where it was wide open spaces and we could sort of breathe a bit. Cailyn was having fun, Corban was in the stroller {again}, and I suggested to Cailyn that we enjoy the space and run together to catch the group ahead of us. So…there we 3 went.
I have NO idea why I suggested this. I KNOW that my daughter has never been that great at not tripping when running. And, yet, there we were…running…nonetheless. Well, that is, until Cailyn tripped and whip lashed her forehead into the cement.
CRY.CRY.SCREAM.CRY.SCREAM.CRY.CRY.CRY.SCREEEEEEAAAAM.SCREAAAAM.CRY…etc.
She immediately had a bump on her forehead that stuck out about as far as a little over half of a ping pong ball. Oh gracious. Then, her main teachers and a few of the other class helpers caught up to us and saw that she had fallen. They immediately began helping us, which included giving me 2 creams and some type of alcohol mix on a cotton ball, plus a peruvian coin (that’s a bit bigger than a quarter) that I was supposed to press onto the bump in order to…well…actually I have no idea what it was supposed to do. We also immediately had about 20 people around us and comforting us. Some of our friends got Corban out of the stroller so that Cailyn could ride again, so then I not only had to calm her, I had to keep one eye on him as he wandered away a good 50 feet chasing pigeons. WHY THE HECK DID MY HUSBAND NOT COME WITH ME?!?!?!?!?!!??!?
Basically, the last hour was spent with that group of people, myself, and my kids trying to find the exit so we could end this wonderful field trip. We’re still getting over that bump on our head, but at least we’re not still scream-crying about it. 
Moving on…
When I went to pick C up from school a couple of Fridays ago, she was wearing this. They had celebrated “Día del Campesino”, and this is apparently their version of what a campesina looks like…(basically a peasant farmer sort of)…oh, and that’s a potato around her neck. of course.
After nap photo shoot…
C got to be “La Reina” (the Queen) at school the other day. Every kid gets their day, and hers came this week. She got to take a big basket full of her favorite games, toys, books, etc. to share with the class. They read her letters that we sent from us, she got to wear a princess dress that day(dream come true!), they give her a crown to wear, and they take a poster board of pictures from their life to share with the class. She.Loved.It!
**you can kind of see the bump on her head…this was 2 days later**
They’ve been taking lots of bubble baths lately…
Sister sort of runs the show when it comes to who covers who with more bubbles…
1 or both arms over the side of the tub = T! (time out…recovery needed!)
Brother sort of runs the show when it comes to throwing things like washcloths into the air and making huge splashes.
Eyes squeezed shut and dramatic squeals from sister = “COOORRRBAAAAANN! I DIDN’T WANT THAT!”
Blank stares from brother = “What, you didn’t like that? Ok. I’ll do it again then!”
Happy July!
Two VERY different children…
This is about how much we trusted Cailyn when she was really small near our computer (it was our DVD player in Costa Rica)…
She would often sit and watch an entire movie at one time. Great attention span, and she was only 19 months old.
This next picture just about sums up how close we would dream of letting Corban get to our computer to watch a movie…
You might note a couple of things:
1. He’s so far, the camera automatically assumed I did not want to make him the focus of the photo.
2. Not only is he across the room, the computer is also pushed nearly to the middle of the bed, out of small arm reach.
3. He sat there for about 10 full, but not consecutive minutes of the movie.
4. He will be 2 in August.
I Scream, You Scream, We ALL Scream for ICE CREAM!
Yep, an Ice Cream Party was the way we celebrated Cailyn’s 4th birthday on June 6th. Although we’re technically in winter here, it’s still not cold enough yet to be too terribly out of the mood for ice cream, and this theme was also my attempt to shy away from more princess craziness…which is still a fave thing in our house at 4 years old. SO…ice cream it was!
I actually had the thought today that 4 makes Cailyn look older. She just seems to be blossoming in so many ways. We’re still working on all of the same stuff we’ve been working on since, well, a while back, but Cailyn has also shown so major maturity and growth in the last months. I am very excited to see where God is taking us with our sweet girl.
This past year has been one full of changes and transition for our family, and Cailyn has most definitely taken it all in stride. We’ve had a few bumps here and there with her, but for a child who cringes when the “plan” changes, she has made us proud of how she has handled it all.
I could go on and on about all that she enjoys and her favorite things, but since I know I have great pictures (thanks to my teammates who made sure some got taken at the party!) to share…I’ll do just that!
Here’s the party in pictures:
Justin put this ice cream parlor thing up…Heladería just means like a little ice cream shop.
First sweet friend to show up, Mariana…
(please excuse the hair in C’s face…my shower trumped her getting her hair fixed for her party)
**Cailyn had been asking for like 2 hours if she could get the door when her friends arrived, so we were like, “SURE! But it will be another hour or so, Cailyn, so be patient.” Well, 4pm rolls around (start time), and Justin and I are up in our bathroom finishing up getting ourselves ready when we hear people talking downstairs. We had not heard the doorbell ring, and Cailyn apparently took us quite seriously when we said she could answer the door, because she was downstairs entertaining before we had even made our way down for the party. We had a little talk about opening the door without an adult present. She got the point.
The “cake” (this video was my teacher)
Oh, to hear the conversations between these two…
Liam Fletcher with his “cookie”-sicle…yummm!
I have no idea what C was doing here or who she was talking to, but this picture basically wraps her up! She is a HAND TALKER for sure! She uses those hands and points her finger with the best of ‘em! She also has an innate ability to raise her eyebrows and dart her eyes in order to send her point across. We OFTEN find ourselves dying laughing at her. Most times it is an unconscious thing she does, which makes it SO hilarious!
Blowing out her candle! One of her sweet peruvian friends yelled, “Dónde está la torta?!” (“where’s the cake?!”) after we sang. Her mom was so embarrassed, but I assured her mom that I was very aware that our “cake” was extremely non-traditional for Peru…and even a bit for American parties. Typically, the cake is just a sheet cake, and the kids don’t even eat it at the party. They each go home with a small box with their piece of cake in it to eat on the way home or once they get home. I think her Peruvian friends enjoyed stuffing their faces AT the party.
Pretty sure Michelle held nothing back at the topping buffet…
my attempt at a birthday banner…
We played “Cold Cone” (like hot potato) and if the music stopped on you, you had to tell your favorite ice cream flavor…**i made this cone like 30 min. before the party…quite tacky looking and also in pieces once the kids got done with the game…but still fun!
The piñata!! I really enjoyed making this for C’s party, and it was a lot easier than I imagined it being! Here’s where I found the idea!
Corbs finally got his hit {after} all had been broken and scattered. 
He still loved it.
All of the kids went home with a new ice cream bowl and spoon…
We all had a great time! Happy 4th Birthday, Cailyn!!!
Feliz Día, Mamá!
Well, it’s ALL about Mother’s Day here. Perú celebrates Mother’s day on Sunday as well, so there are red hearts in every store window, signs saying how we all love our moms, and sweet kids who’ve made cute gifts to give out to their mommas this week at school. Cailyn’s Nido was no exception, so we got to have a sweet little mother/daughter picnic at her school this morning. She got to wear a dress (a huge highlight for her!), and we got Dunkin Donuts and yogurt…her two fave things…to eat at our picnic (it was more of a breakfast).
Just before leaving for her school…
When we arrived, we had to find our child’s wonderful drawing, and then we got to set up camp there…
The back of the picture was an interview they had given her about me. It said…
and…in English…it said:
“My mommy’s name is Alison. I don’t know how old she is. She is big, she has long, brown hair, and she is beautiful. ‘She is good!’ I don’t know where she works. Sometimes, she wears pants. She likes to eat oranges, and sometimes she drinks water. She takes me to the park, outside, and to the park close to my house. We play with my little brother, Corban, sometimes with my Barbies and Corban’s cars. I love her a lot. Cailyn.”
Not sure if she meant…sometimes I wear pants and other times I wear nothing…or if she meant that sometimes I wear pants and other times something else…hmmm. I need to make sure I’ve got clothes on when I’m around her to really emphasize in her mind that I don’t generally walk around with just a top on. Otherwise, I felt complimented.
Here’s a lot of the mommas from Cailyn’s class…(that’s my little yellow pillow seat in between the two ladies on the far left)
Cailyn’s teacher leading her class out…with the leader picking her nose…
All set to give her big presentation!
She stood there while the kids all said a poem. Then she stood there as they all sang a cute song. Then she asked to sit down with me, and when I told her to wait because I didn’t think they were done, she began to cry. Nice. So, I let her sit down in my lap while they all sang their English song, twinkle, twinkle little star…the only one she probably knew. Go figure. Then, I had to sort of trick her into going back with them to their classroom for a minute when they all walked out. She finally went, and that was when we “set up” our picnics. I got video, but it’s the most boring thing you’ve ever seen. She does nothing. Oh, wait. It isn’t that boring, because Maddox Fletcher stole the show on his side of the square, so I focused in on him for Steph. Hope her blog readers like it. I’m not gonna post it here, because my child literally just stands there. Not the greatest thing to watch if you’re a fan of the Thompson family…hah!
Things got better when it was time to break out the donuts!
Then, Cailyn began to cry again because all I had for her to drink was a yogurt drink, which happens to normally be her favorite thing. Oh…no…she wanted water. Stephanie (thanks again!!) very graciously let her, another person’s 3 year old, drink out of her water bottle…something that takes a strong stomach, really. Good friend, that Steph girl! She did make sure, though, that Cailyn had finished the bite of donut she was on. I’m talking…it would have been serious back wash. yuck. To top that off, Maddox was basically willing to share everything they had brought with Cailyn, and we even ended up stealing an ENTIRE package of crackers from them due to the fact that Cailyn was feeling full of her donut and about to cry that there was no other option of food. I was definitely not feeling like mom of the year.
So, we were fairly unstable the entire time emotionally…and by we, I just mean Cailyn. She was definitely not on her A-game, but, what can I say…we’re still a work in progress. ME (for how I handle it…ahem)…and…HER (for her frustrating attitudes!).
At the end the mom’s received a cute gift that they had made. A jewelry box. Cailyn was SO excited, and I was told right then and there to take off my jewelry so that we could keep it safe in that new box of mine. We got a picture, but the box is slightly cut off…you can still see the cuteness, though! Oh…and that’s leftover donut on Cailyn’s face.
It was a happy time all in all. I’ve already warned J that if they have a Father’s Day event he will have to make sure he packs the right food. Cover your basis, that’s all I have to say. Happy early mother’s day!
