All about Ashlyn: Kauai x 2

We had an awesome time in Kauai! We were there for six days this time and it was great! We swam, we snorkeled, we saw the sights, we got sunburned (Jered's back, my butt....ouch!), we ATE, and we went to our friends' wedding. Quite possibly the most beautiful wedding I've ever been to. Everything was amazing from the location to the food to the entertainment. I'll post a few pics when I get them off the camera (I'm so lazy when it comes to downloading them from the camera to the computer). We were also invited to the rehearsal dinner and we ate so much good Hawaiian food! The groom's uncle had recently caught some marlin and tuna so there was two different kinds of smoked marlin, tuna sashimi (raw sliced tuna) and tuna poke (raw cubed tuna with a vinaigrette type sauce with onions). His aunt had made fresh fried wontons too and that was just the pupu's (appetizers)! Then his parents had catered Hawaiian food: pulled pork, rice, mac salad, poi pudding (not my favorite) and his mom made homemade rice pudding with coconut milk. OMG!! We literally rolled back to the car when it was time to go home! That was just the rehearsal dinner! The food at the wedding was even more delicious if that's even possible. As soon as the wedding was over there were waiters with trays full of champagne and appetizers. Seriously the most extravagant wedding we've ever been invited to. The plated dinner was delicious as well. There was this soup that Jered and I are still dreaming about. It was cream of corn with Kona crab, YUMMY!!! I know I gained at least 5lbs and Jered feels the same so it looks like we're going to have to buckle down and get our butts in gear!

My mom drove up the night before we left for Kauai and then she took Ashlyn back to Monroe with her the next morning after we left. At WeeCare all the kids push the parents out the door and wave goodbye so we let her "push" us out the door hoping that she wouldn't cry. Worked like a charm! Mom had a DR appt that first day so Ashlyn got to stay with Kourtney, Ashley and Paisley. She was so excited, she's still talking about it! She got to go to the beach with Grammy and Grandpa, but she said the water was too cold so they didn't swim. She also got to go to the Wild Life Safari! She LOVED it! We hear everyday about how she saw the hippopotamus and he was eating melon and the bears were eating watermelon! Grandpa bought her a book and she shows us everyday all of the animals she saw. They didn't see any rhinoceros though, she says they must've been taking a nap!

The biggest development that happened while we were lazing on the beaches of Kauai......Ashlyn is PEEING ON THE POTTY!!!! We've been letting her go at her own pace for the last few months. I'd ask her if she wanted to sit on the potty and they ask her at school too. She usually said NO! But on our rare weekends at home and on my days off she would usually want to wear her panties, so I put a bunch of panties in her suitcase to go to Grammy and Grandpa's house. Mom said as soon as she saw the panties she wanted to wear them and that was that. She would go in on her own and pee when she had to. "I can do it myself Grammy!" That is one of her favorite things to say, "I can do it myself!" about pretty much everything! She's only pooped once on the potty, that's a work in progress. We're getting there though! Yesterday was her first day back at school in a week and I sent her with an extra pair of panties and leggings just in case she had an accident.....they were still in her cubby when we got there to pick her up!!! Yay!! We are so excited and so proud of her!

She is such a big girl these days! She is getting to be pretty bossy and opinionated and so independent! We are definitely having to improve our parenting skills and make sure she knows she is not the boss. She gets frustrated when things don't go her way or she doesn't get her way. Last night in the bath tub she started crying and when I asked her what was wrong she said she dropped her baby outside the tub (her baby needs a bath too). She told me, "pick it up Mommy! pick it up!" I told her instead of crying she should ask me to help her and to ask nicely. So then I got "Mommy will you please help me, I dropped my baby" So much sweeter that time! We are reminding her constantly to say her please and thank you's. She does a pretty good job most of the time but she is still shy with people she doesn't know. The other day the lady at Target gave her a sticker and I told her to say thank you. She whispered "thank you" with her back turned towards the lady! If she gets in trouble she's quiet for a little while and then she says "Mommy, I'm sad!" When her time outs are over she cries and says, "I need a hug!" Its kinda hard to resist but we're trying to raise a kid that people want to be around. Not one of those bratty kids no one wants around! Parenting is the hardest job ever!!! Its so much easier to give in, right?

The other day she told me "Mommy I like kids shows! Do you like kids shows?" I said "When did you watch kids shows?" We still don't let her watch tv at home that often so I was a little surprised and no I don't really like kids shows! She said, "at Cammy and Caitlin's house! Can we watch kids shows?" I told her no but she could go to her room and pick out a book and I would read to her. She said, "I'm going to get FIVE books!!" I said, "You can pick out two books." She went to her room and came back with three books and told me, "I only brought three Mommy, not five. That's ok, three is ok Mommy." So we read three books!

One of her favorite things to do is watch kids songs on Youtube. This is something we started a while ago and we don't let her do very often. She knows that she can watch them on our phones and on the computer at home. So last night while we were watching football you could hear Baa Baa Black Sheep and the Wheels on the Bus!

She sings constantly in the car. "Sing with me Mommy! Sing with me Daddy!" This morning she insisted we sing the "here today" song. We were singing Ashlyn's here today, Daddy's here, Mommy's here, even the trees and houses were here! Yesterday on our way home from work/school Miss Bossy pants said, "I don't want the radio! Turn the radio off Mommy!" I told her that Mommy and Daddy liked listening to the radio and we were going to leave it on. A few minutes later she said "I'm sad!" I asked her why she was sad and she said "because you won't turn off the radio and sing with me!" I told her again that the radio was staying on so after a few minutes she started singing again. Good grief! She is testing her limits and looking for her boundaries that is for sure.

We missed her terribly when we were in Hawaii but it was worth it because we had a blast. I drove down to Monroe early Wed to pick her up and as soon as I saw her I scooped her up and gave her the biggest squeeze and kiss! I couldn't let her go and she kept grabbing my face and giving me kisses, so sweet! It was a long time to be gone from her but Mom said she did great and only got a little whiny the night before I picked her up. We had talked to her on the phone and told her we would see her the next day. Mom said as soon as we hung up the phone she started crying, didn't want to go to bed, didn't want to sleep alone, etc. She was as excited to see us and we were to see her! Its good to be home but I miss Hawaii already :o)