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Kallee,

It has been almost 4 months since my last post and I am hoping that will not happen again. 

So many things have happened since the last post that I will try to be brief, but not sure I can keep it down to say 1500 words.

First of all, after Kallee turned 4 she has grown up so fast.  Her words are easier to understand and she is doing so well with counting and loves to make up lines (which she calls words) and then tell you a story.  It is really cute and if you are fortunate enough to get a story then you should feel special.

Kallee also has grown taller moving all the way into size 5 in clothes by the end of the summer.  It is kind of funny to see how the dresses that she started out wearing in the beginning of summer are not fitting as well. 

Kallee has done a complete turnaround in the water as well.  At the beginning of summer it was still a chore to get Kallee to like the water.  Luckily we did have a great instructor that got past Kallee’s crying and whining.  But at the beginning of our vacation in Hawaii we started seeing a change in our little girl.  She hated the little pool at the Hyatt, and by the second day, our daughter was swimming all over the big pool going crazy.  It was awesome to see.   In fact, she jumped in one time without her life vest on and two young kids grabbed her and brought her back to the side of the pool.  I thought it was over and Kallee would be through, but she grabbed her vest and jumped right back in.   

When we came back to the swim lessons at Tri-City Court Club, Kallee was the first in the pool and was going under water, swimming to her teacher, and diving for rings.  The teacher who was the same one as before for almost a year was complimented by all the other teachers show could not believe the Kallee was doing what she was doing,,,, yea, our daughter was infamous at the lessons.   I was so proud of Kallee, and as of now, she has jumped 3 steps in the swim school, to the point where she is almost ready to be with the big kids.  

The start of the summer had some really good times as Kallee, Jayden and I explored the parks and hung out at places and just enjoyed being at home doing things.   It was a good break as we were getting ready to go to Maui.

Maui was another awesome time.  I will miss these family times on the island of Maui when the “Maui Home” as Kallee and Jayden like to call it, is sold.  But as long as we can stay there, we are going to take advantage.  It is a time where Alison and I are not bothered by work and we can just if needed, turn off the phones and have a good time.  Kallee kind of likes the beach when we build things and when she can look for shells, but she loved the pool more.   Jayden and Kallee like going to the Swap Meet and swimming in the stream up at Iao Needle.     They love going to dinner and we got to enjoy first Friday in downtown Wailuku, of course, the kids were really would up and crazy,,, but that is what are kids are highly excitable.

Kallee hates sand in her shorts so after a while the beach becomes a thing of the past.  But there still is Moose’ McGuillicudys in Keihi, where Kallee gets to dance to 80’s music.   She is so comfortable with whom she is and it shows.  I love that about my Boo’s.  

What I did not appreciate about Kallee was her propensity to steal candy and hide and eat it.  Which is why we have basically moved all candy out of reach or the house all together.  Kallee would grab and moved behind a chair or in her Princess tent in her room and eat it.  With wrappers as the way we would catch her.  She also loves to draw on anything including the doors and walls and floor.  That has been stopped for the most part.  But the worst thing that she did was cut her hair… aaarrrghh.  I will never forgive myself for that one,,, and looking at her when I saw it and then seeing how much,,, oh so much hair had been placed in the garbage.  Slowly but sure ley the hair is coming back.  I miss the long hair because I could pout that kind of hair up in a sport pony which I know how to do, all the other types of hair style I will refuse to learn under the Man laws.

During the summer, the relationship between Kallee and Jayden has grown a lot.  He HAS to put up with her little sister as she does not give him a choice.  The kids play all the time together, whether Jayden is interested or not.  Both of them have great imaginations so they are very willing to go to different places to have fun.  Good for them.   I love listening to Kallee play Mom with her dolls or try and tell everyone what to do when playing and then throwing a fit when they do not do what she says.

Okay, quick rabbit trail.  This summer at the Benton County Fair my daughter found the one game no one can put a foot on her.  It is called find the candy in the hay stack.  She had easily tripled what Jayden got.  She could “feel” where the candy lay in the hay.  Amazing!

The start of the school year has been smooth for Kallee.  She truly is amazing how easily she makes friends and can adapt to new environments.  She “mostly” does love going to school, but there still is the days where our daughter wants to sleep in and hates school.

But when she is there she loves it.  This weekend she did the laps to raise money and made 23 times around the infield of the track at Kennewick High School.  She was really cute running with her teacher and her friends and stopping at Alison’s feet having a good time.   She is really getting into making mommy coffee and painting and being very creative.  She is singing a lot of songs she learns and she is very much appreciated by the teachers and other kids.  She can now write just about every letter both small case and capital letters, yet she still does not quite understand the difference between the letters.  She can spell her name, so that is good. 

Alison is really impressed as I am with how the people at St. Josephs work will Kallee.  She has come home with some really impressive stuff.  Plus Kallee is happy about being there and gets mad if I show up too early. 

I will remember so many things from the first half of Kallee’s 4^th year:

• The fake cries when she does not get her way.
• ·         Her positive sunshiny outlook at life.
• ·         Our time at night together when I watch her fall asleep.
• ·         Her coming in at night and telling me about her nightmare and settling her down to sleep.
• ·         Her Thumb and nose thing
• ·         Watching Kallee and Jayden in Hawaii and thinking to myself how really lucky I feel.
• ·         Her laugh when she is really happy.
• ·         Her trying to learn to ride a bike, and she can now pedal and sometimes turn around.
• ·         Her negotiations at the table on what she has to eat and how much.
• ·         Her never having cavities!! Crazy.

I am amazed how much Kallee has grown in the past year.  You know that she is very aware of her surroundings because she talks to people and tells them how she cannot eats nuts because she could get sick or how she seems to “know” everyone and loves to see you and she gives great hugs.  She always wants to be the center of attention, and can even make the most petulant person smile at times.

I look at my daughter now and hope and pray that she stays strong in her beliefs and always shows the ability to make people around her feel comfortable and good about life.  Her bullheadedness and refusal to be swayed on her thoughts is both awesome and frustrating.  I just have to make her see the correct and incorrect way to look at things without losing it and SCREAMING at times....

I know that Kallee is growing past the toddler-baby stage into the little girl.  But in my eyes she will always be my little one.  I know that as a father I will see her in pigtails with her thumb in her mouth and in a sundress.  She is my little Kallee Boos. 

Pictures for the summer 

House Building

Kallee and I were kept busy last night building a house. When I told her that she build a really good house Kallee acknowledged that she not only did last night but ALWAYS did. When I wasn't sleeping in the house I was able to get a couple pictures. ENJOY.

Papa Lee

Kallee knowing how to have fun, and DIRTY!!!

Kallee and her cousins and brother go for the fun of sledding.  In May you say... did not stop them.  Of course in May you sled in dirt.  To me, this is why we come up to Concunully.  You see three generations of people there... having fun and helping the youngins get really, really dirty,,, and happy.  My daughter is barely recognizable under the dirt.  But there was fun and enjoyment to be had....even on a side of a hill.

What a great time!

Kallee is 4!

Kallee turning 4

Our Kallee turned 4, though it took forever to really celebrate it.   I have issues with the shoulder and tennis.   Plus then Jayden got sick and smashed his thumb in the car.  Then Alison and Kallee got sick.  So we finally got to celebrate it two weeks ago.

Kallee was okay with that as long as we had a party and she got to have one of those.  As always, it was full of pink and it was princess themed.  She really does love to act like a little princess.  She likes to dress up, especially with the shoes.  She likes wearing the shoes.   She likes to take me and have a little tea party with her dolls every once in a while.  I do my best to be a good tea party guest, but I sometime fail and she scolds me, but seems to forgive me easily.

This year has gone well for Kallee, She finally got potty trained and we are also do not need to buy anymore diapers of any kind.  That is a great feeling.   She is only crying in the swimming lessons every other time.  I am hoping she starts getting over that fear soon as well. 

Her language skills and verbiage are getting more extensive and clearer.  We did take here to a speech specialist and we were told she is doing okay for her age.    She definitely struggles with her words when she is mad or crying, and she will get frustrated with you if you do not understand her, but most of the time my little girl and I are on the same page.

Here are some stories that I can remember over the past year:

I will remember this year as the year of the sneaky Kallee,  if you are not careful, you will find your candy had been eaten by the Kallee sugar hound.  She loves sweets so much, to the point we have had to either get rid of the sweets or moved them to way out of her reach.   Her sweet tooth is enormous and her nose just can smell it from anywhere in the house.  Jayden has even lost a Easter Bunny to the Kallee sugar hound.   She will also borrow your pens and markers as well as your scissors to cut her doll’s hair so you have to keep one eye on her at all times.

But she is also one of the happiest kids I know.  She can make you smile by just listening to her talk to her dolls or explain to no one what she is doing, like putting on her clothes or playing in the bath.  She is a creature of habits, wanting you to “sit with her a little while” every night.  She loves being in Jayden’s bed.  Yes, she sleeps in Jayden’s bedroom while Jayden has taken over the spare bedroom, after we moved out way over 75 garbage sacks full of clothes and toys.   She likes to emulate her brother whom I know is someone she looks up to.  She loves to hang out with JJ and torture the poor boy.  But you can tell she really thinks he is one of the greatest people ever. 

I will remember that Kallee moved from size 2 to size 3 in a month and then to size 4 within 4 months.   I will remember all the ways she gets her hair done and the only thing I could do is comb it and put in what I call the sports Pony, which is wrapping the band 3 times and the pulling the hair up to get it tight on the back of her head.

I will remember that she loves pink clothes and purple.  I will remember the painting and artwork.  Her lack of girly attitude when it comes to insects, and her thumb in her mouth when she is bored or nervous.  

I will never forget the pain of toilet training or how she found the right swim instructor who would not let her give up on going under water or give into her insistent crying.  How she tells us to stop talking or the hysterical cries when she is really upset.     Or how she looks in her little dance outfit and how proud she feels when she does something right.

I will miss the time she decides that climbing up on you and putting her nose on yours is not cool.  Or the Kallee Boo hugs that I would get when I was gone too long for her taste.   I will miss the phone calls asking where I am and why I am not home.   I listen to the Darius Rucker song It won’t be like this for long and think to myself how I have to slow down and listen and pay attention to these times.

So here is to slowing down and paying attention.  Here is to a start of a good summer.  Here is to going to Hawaii and spending time with our kids… as a family.  Here is to the next adventure..