Bee Sting

Dear Colin,                                                                                                                  4.25.16

You had your first bee sting yesterday.  :(  You were picking flowers at the park with Daddy and your sisters when you picked the wrong flower.  A bee was on that flower and instead of being nice and flying away, it stung your finger.  Daddy said that you yelled out for a few minutes then sat on Daddy's lap holding your finger out for 20 minutes.  Then decided that was enough time spent on a bee sting and went to play.

Keep growing strong!

With all my love,

Mommy

Interviews with my kids

What's your name?  Michela
How old are you? 6
When is your birthday?  June 4, 2010
How old is Mommy? 34
How old is Daddy? 35
What is your favorite color?  blue, purple, pink, and yellow
What's your favorite food?  I don't know
Who is your best friend?  Angel
What is your favorite song?  Best Day of my Life
What is your favorite animal?  Tiger
What are you scared of?  Scary movies
What makes you happy?  Parties
Where is your favorite place to go?  Disneyland
What do you want to be when you grow up?   Principal 


What's your name?  Penelope
How old are you? 4 and 3/4
When is your birthday? December 10, 2011
How old is Mommy?  I don't know
How old is Daddy?  35
What is your favorite color?  Red
What's your favorite food?  Pizza and cake
Who is your best friend?  Aubrey, Holly, and Noelle
What is your favorite song?  Best Day of my Life
What is your favorite animal?  Kitten
What are you scared of?  Monsters
What makes you happy?  Hugs
Where is your favorite place to go?   Disneyland
What do you want to be when you grow up?  Veterinarian 


What's your name?  Colin Seamus Quillinan
How old are you?  3
When is your birthday?  I want blueberries in my cupcakes
How old is Mommy? 3
How old is Daddy? 3
What is your favorite color?  Blue
What's your favorite food?  Cereal and cake
Who is your best friend?  Juliana
What is your favorite song?  Looking for Dracula
What is your favorite animal?  Hippopotamus
What are you scared of?  Tall roller coasters
What makes you happy?  Little roller coasters
Where is your favorite place to go?  Disneyland
What do you want to be when you grow up?  Tall like Keeka

Long overdue

                                                                                                                                              12.14.15
Dearest Penelope,

You're 4 years old!  I have a major case of Mama guilt.  Colin was up throwing up every 30 minutes the night before your birthday.  That meant I was up all night taking care of him and didn't have much energy to celebrate your birthday with you.  I did my best though and you seemed to enjoy your day.  In the morning you opened your presents then we headed for kindergarten and preschool drop off.

You are the first of our little family of 5 to celebrate a birthday at school!  We brought Danimal smoothies to celebrate with the class after lunch.  Everyone sang happy birthday and enjoyed their treat.  You were a happy preschooler.

That night you went out to dinner with Daddy, Michela, Grammy, and Papa.  Here's where part 2 of mama guilt comes.  I didn't go out to dinner since Colin was still super sick so I didn't get to sing happy birthday with everyone and watch you blow out your candles.  :(  Grammy took a video so I could see.  I'm glad I was able to watch the smile on your face as everyone sang - just wish I was there singing too.

After dinner, Grammy, Papa, Michela, and I took you to your Christmas performance with your preschool.  You were an angel in the show and I couldn't have been happier seeing you sing along with your friends.  When you first told me about your show you told me that you were going to be a cloud.  After seeing the performance I see why you thought you were going to be a cloud.  :)  You stood in the clouds!
  
I'm sorry I didn't get to give you the day I wanted to give you for your 4th birthday.  But I am glad that you got to enjoy the things you did.

Friday, Colin was feeling better so I figured everything was going to go smoothly for your party on Saturday.  I cleaned the house, prepared the appetizers, decorated the house in stripes, turned our Christmas tree into a birthday tree with streamers and balloons, and baked a zebra cake for your stripe party.  Unfortunately, we were the only people who got to see it.  Friday night while your cake was baking, I started getting sick.  I was in denial but ended up being up all night with the same stomach bug that plagued Colin.  :(  Your stripe party had to be cancelled.   Part 3 of mama guilt.

Daddy claims that the party wasn't cancelled, just modified.  And, in a way, he's right.  Daddy took you and Michela out to lunch on Saturday then enjoyed The Good Dinosaur movie complete with popcorn.  After the movie you three headed over to Grammy and Papa's house to celebrate with cousins.  Again, everyone sang happy birthday and I wasn't able to participate.   While I'm feeling better now, I still feel terrible about it.

We made a pumpkin pie for your birthday (your actual birthday, not your party).  We didn't get a change to eat it on your birthday since you went out to dinner and I stayed back with your brother.  Sunday, I finally got my chance to sing happy birthday.

I love you Penelope Marie.  Your birthday and surrounding days may not have been what we wanted but I will always love you and I will always remember the day you flew into this world, your birthday.

Happy number four Penny Pie.  What a wonderful 4 years it has been.

Love you big girl!

With all my love,

Mommy

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Dear Quillinan Trio,

Why oh why do you insist on sharing illnesses?  Why?  It must be Daddy's fault since he always says, "sharing is caring!"  I'm joking of course.  Sharing is a wonderful thing.  You can make a lot of friends by simply sharing a smile with someone.  But you are more than welcome to be selfish when it comes to viruses.  Keep it to yourself and spare the rest of us please!  Daddy generally avoids it but that's because he gets to sleep!  If someone is sick in the house, I am the one who gets up in the middle of the night to help.  Yes, I love my sleep but I love you more and will continue to get up if and when you need me - no matter the time.    

Please stay well.  Let's not make it another long winter of illnesses.  Please!

Love you,

Mommy

Tee Hee Hee

You had a Thanksgiving Breakfast last week where you sang songs with your class and shared a little bit of preschool with your sister.  We all had a great time.  By the way, getting 3 kids and a mom ready and out the door by 7:20 is tough!  But we did it!

Dear Penelope,

First, how can you be almost 4 years old?  How is it that nearly 4 years has gone by?  What happened to by itty bitty baby?  Now you're a preschooler whose about to be 4 years old!   Wow!

The other day we just finished playing with legos and your brother started breaking up the structures leaving the pieces on the floor.  You came back from your room or bathroom and stepped on a lego.  OUCH!  Those suckers hurt and you now know it!  Well, you looked at the mess on the floor and said,  "Somebody needs to pick this mess up!  I wouldn't have stepped on it if it was cleaned up!"  Did you just grow up and become the parent instead of the kid? Are you almost 4 going on 34?  Are you projecting what you're going to say when you're a mom?  I don't know, I started laughing and suggested that you clean up the mess.  After all, you were one of the kids playing with the legos!  ;)

You crack me up!

With all my love,

Mommy

Fire Hydrant

Dear Colin,

You and I do a 3 mile loop on preschool days.  Instead of having you sit in the stroller the whole time, I let you get out and walk after both of your sisters are dropped off.  It takes us about 45 minutes to walk 1.5 miles but what are we rushing home for? Laundry?  On our way home, you are a chatter box.  When you ride in the stroller you just go for the ride and don't say too much.  On foot, you are constantly talking about what you see.   Since we have been doing this for weeks now, you have picked up on new vocabulary.  Your favorite, fire hydrant.  We see around 12 fire hydrants on our walk home.  On Friday, you requested that I take your picture next to each one on our side of the street.  You get so excited about fire hydrants that I simply had to take your picture.  This is exactly why Daddy and I agreed that you needed to be a fire fighter for Halloween.  You learned that fire fighters connect their hose to the hydrant and that's that  - fire hydrants are awesome!

You asked for this picture.  I requested that you didn't touch this hydrant.  I guess there's no holding back when a fire hydrant is involved.

With all my love,

Mommy

Potty Party III

Dear Colin,

We had our potty party!  You have been diaper free for 2.5 weeks!  You had 1 accident last week and that's it!  Wahoo!  You will even wake up in the middle of the night to use the potty.  For now, I have the potty in your room during nap and bedtime, just so you don't have to go far if/when the urge hits you.

With your sisters, I planned for a whole weekend to do nothing but be at home with the potty.  Being the 3rd child with sisters in school, you didn't have that luxury.  We have had something planned every weekend and I didn't want to delay potty training any more.  So the first weekend, we went to Michela's monster bash on Saturday.  Then went to a friend's house for a dinner / playdate on Sunday.  I admit that you wore a pull-up during the Monster Bash.  I knew there would be bounce houses and bounce houses and pee just don't mix well.  You went commando during the playdate.  :)

You are happy to wear big boy undies.  That seems to be the biggest, most challenging choice in wardrobe decisions.  You have a bunch of undies but will only wear 3 or 4 pairs.  You only want superman, batman, or the flash undies.  The flash has only been part of your rotation for a day or two.  Prior to that was just superman or batman.

I'm so proud of you Colin!  No more diapers!  Wahoo!  I love not having diaper laundry!

Keep growing strong Mr. Man!

With all my love,

Mommy

Preschool Blues

Dear Penelope,

I am happy to say that we are back on track to enjoying preschool again.  We had a few days when you didn't want me to leave.  Let me tell you, it is incredibly hard to leave your child when they are crying for you.  Luckily, that only happened a few times but man, that was hard.  I questioned if you were ready for school or if the school wasn't a good match for you.  I cried while walking home after dropping you off.  My heart ached.   The only reason I kept taking you was because upon pickup you told me about all the fun you had at school.  If school was so horrible you would have been miserable the whole time.

Your teacher and I hatched a plan to help you with your separation anxiety.  Instead of hanging out with you until it was time for circle (9am), I sign you in, give you a big hug and kiss and leave.  Your teacher was in the front the first week of our new routine.  She took your hand when I left and together you waved to me through the glass door as I walked away.  On the 3rd day you were smiling and waving.  

Now you look forward to school.  You ask me if it's a school day and are happy when I say, yes!  I drop you off and you walk to your cubby with your head held high and ready for the day.   I am so happy that you enjoy school again.

With all my love,

Mommy