First Dance Class

Right before we left for our first dance
class, Royanne placed a sticker on her
chart for getting up and having her diaper
changed without crying. Lately she has
really started to strongly voice her
opinion about that first morning diaper change.
She ain't fer it!

Can you get 2 year olds to do
stretches?

Maracas add a fun flair!

Some of the girls occasionally do their own thing.
In this picture, can you tell which one
is doing her own thing?

Getting ready. Royanne was a week behind
because I didn't know about the class in time to
make the first session. She fit right in,
however.

Royanne and Molly. The girls should be sitting
on their stars. Annie has none, Molly several!

Stretches.

Work on the mat.

Extra positioning help.

Using the stars again.

In her fav DVD, Angelina Ballerina, the little mouse
dances a scarf dance. Royanne was
so excited to dance a scarf dance!

Lined up for a sticker and the end
of class.

She has her sticker!
She loves dance class.
We have homework to do!!

2/2/2/2

Wow!
My Lilypie tracker told me today Royanne is
2 years and 2 months and 2 weeks and 2 days
old now.
Bruce was looking at a slideshow on
his computer. He said it really hit
him full force: our baby is growing up!
Looking at pictures from this time last year,
from when she used to sit on the island in
the Bumbo and watch him cooking...........
time surely flies.

Dear God above, please make me aware
-more fully every day-
of each and every moment with her.
Remind me everything I say and do
will shape who she becomes.
Remind me to
be kind, patient and attentive.

Latest Visit to Maaco For Annie

After having issues with my computer, not only
did I loose my favorite photo organizing
program, but recently I stuck the
card in the wrong way and bent the prongs
of my digital camera! I am resigned to use
a camera that has a v-e-r-y slow shutter
speed (where the objects have "left the
building" by the time the picture snaps) or
the camera on my phone, that is, on occasion,
discolored, blurry, ...........
downright indistinguishable!

The above picture was taken with the
slow shuttered camera, without it being on
the action/sport setting. I guess Bruce
forgot! We haven't used it in so long.
I was giving Royanne a tour of the break room,
restrooms, the paint and storage rooms, the
office and the lobby.
We had a lot of fun.

Later that day we continued our hunt for
a desk for her part of the office!

Luck is currently not with us.

**

Dance Class

I took Royanne to the local rec center yesterday
to look into the kinder tot dance class. We
approved and I signed her up! She said,
"I excited!"

Last night on the way home from church I was
outlining the next day and all of the
activities it would hold.
I was explaining she'd have to go to bed a bit early,
because she needed to rest up so she'd
have enough energy for dance class (even though
the reason for dance class is excess energy -
my secret, keeping that one from her!) and she
said,
"Sounds good, momma!"

* * *
She was reading a book to herself as I
changed her sheets, and she was licking
her finger as she turned the pages!


She continues to crack me up!
.

Train Ride

We went to Ft. Worth this week, but we took
another way.........Bruce suggested we take the
train! We were going up there to borrow a car.
In the beginning we thought it was a great idea
and that it would be something Royanne would
really enjoy. When Bruce told her about it,
she immediately understood and was very excited!
She told Mimi, "I excited!"

Although you cannot tell from this picture,
she was giddy beyond belief when she heard
the train approaching Friday morning.
(I took a smaller camera with a BIG delay
in picture taking. Now I remember why
I replaced it!)

Although we purchased a seat for her,
the train was set up in sets of two seats. Royanne
wanted to sit next to us both so I held her.
In the beginning this was a good set up.
However, as time went on, her behavior went south.

Royanne looking out the window as
we left the station in Taylor.

Standing up between my knees.
When there was a bit of rough track, her eyes
got real big!
Here she is winking, trying to distract us
from that behavior!!!

After about 45 minutes of wrestling with
her in the seating area, we got up and went
to the lounge area. We figured the people in the
car needed a break from her contrary nature.

In the lounge area,
she was well behaved for about 30 minutes.

Boredom set in and she needed a conversation
with daddy (and then her silky).

Looking out the window in the lounge
area. For a few minutes, she kept pretending
like she was going to lick the tray where cups
sit (she is pictured here, with her arms in
the cup trays). I persuaded her to look for
cows AND sheep, both.

Here she thought crawling on the
floor would be a good move.

NOT!

Well, while
I chauk it up to a fun experience for her
I also think it was too soon to take her
on a train.

On the way home we stopped for a potty
break.

Happy girl

Whupped girl. I covered her with a
blanket and tucked it in her car seat belt.

.

Terrible Twos

Royanne is in the terrible twos, and I mean
TERRIBLE! Where'd my sweet princess go,
anyhow?
She'll just turn into this screaming kid
with a terribly horrible, angry face. She'll
kick and hit and has attempted to bite!

Now that the temp is down, I'm going to try
and keep her busy physically, outside, at
the backyard pool, playground, whatever!
Today we're going to the playground
and then to my grandmother's .....
then the grocery store to shop for
Shawn and Britney's meal.

I made this elaborate chart, since she has
recently discovered stickers, so she can pick
one and place it on the chart when she does
something happily or right or without
crying and whining.
Items up for a sticker are:

*Get up/wake up
*Let momma change the morning diaper
without crying/refusing/hitting
*Eat breakfast without putting food
in hair (especially important Sunday morning!)
*Use the potty a.m.
*Use the potty midday
*Use the potty p.m.
*Eat dinner without throwing food
on the floor
*Take a bath, keeping water in the tub
*Have teeth brushed without crying a.m.
*Have teeth brushed without crying p.m.
*Pick up toys a.m.
*Pick up toys p.m.
*Take nap/rest
*Don't hit a.m.
*Don't hit p.m.
*Don't scream a.m.
*Don't scream p.m.


The chart has pictures that correspond with the
desired behavior. I thought I would try and
resolve some future episodes be heading
them off.
So far, not much improvement!
But we are only on day 4.

Any suggestions? HELP!

:)