3rd Birthday Letter

Isabella Jo Castioni Lynn---I'm already smiling because this is what you are currently calling yourself if you ask what your whole name is....the things you come up with.  So I've started this tradition of writing you a letter on your Birthday I feel like I am probably repeating myself but wouldn't let myself go back and read what I wrote before just want you to know whats on my mind today...so today you amaze me, everything about you...you are so incredibly beautiful there are times that I just can't believe you are mine...you have the most curious little brain....I swear you ask me 8000 questions a day and that is a low ball estimate...I apologize for not always being patient with those questions but one day when a little person is asking you...what comes after winter (spring) what comes after spring (summer) and so on and so forth (by the way you know all the seasons in order) you might understand...You are funny you already have great comedic timing and the most adorable little smirk when you know you just said something a little naughty but hilarious...you love with your whole little heart...which scares me for you because I know what that feels like and sometimes it isn't fun but I promise little one it's so worth it!! You can always see what you are thinking on your beautiful little face (and you know it) your "you just hurt my feelings" face could break most hearts...hahahaha you also know that....you can already write an I and can spell your name if asked...you are so smart don't ever quit asking or learning you have a gift you are like a little sponge just wanting to soak everything up around you...you have a great memory sometimes to my dismay once we were at Target (you told me the other day there were 2 Ts in that word as we walked up to it) and I was putting the buggie away in those outside racks and I said "I'll just leave you here" I was kidding totally kidding but still to this day you say "You aren't going to leave me here right" and I feel like a jerk all over again....You make sure you give hugs and kisses before anyone leaves and are the first one to check on someone if they are upset....on the other hand you are probably the first one to throw a punch or a toy as well...it's ok we are emotional people little one don't ever apologize for that either the people who love you will love you for it!!  You are my tomboy in a Tutu one of my favorite pics of you this year you are stomping around the farm in your cowboy boots Tutu and a magic wand...I hope I can always hear your sweet little voice just how it sounds right now even when that sweet little mouth says not so sweet things....you are stubborn, not quite as fun of a quality but it's nice to know I won't have to worry about you as much you will stand your ground....I wish some how I could get into words how much I love you...but there aren't words for that it's a feeling I can't explain to you but it's there where ever you are and whatever you become I'm your biggest fan...one day you'll get it and you'll call me and apologize for being a brat (thats what I did on this night three years ago I called my mom and apologized because I knew she looked at me like I look at you) You are my everything sweet girl and you also happen to be the coolest three year old I know....you love batman right now it's hysterical you even had a batman birthday party....not what I would've picked for my beautiful little girl...but I love it!! You are so special Isabella always remember Mommy loves you bigger than the sky!!!

FALL UPDATE

Ok I know I'm behind but this silly thing called life just keeps happening....haha So my sweet little girl started preschool this fall...I can't tell you how proud I am she is doing AMAZING...every time I pick her up her teacher has something wonderful to say about her...even the day that she said she was a little naughty (thank goodness it's not just with me) she still spoke of how smart she is!!  Isabella is loving it she talks about her teacher and her friends it's really amazing to watch her thrive...she blows me away daily she sings songs from school and tells me "Mommy there are 2 Ts in that word" as we are walking up to Target...I try and remind myself daily that these sweet days are limited that it won't be every day that she screams "mommy" when she sees me and even the awful fits won't last forever haha we have definitely hit that stage full force but hey I'll probably even miss those one day....ehhh maybe not hahahaha

Always watching....

Isabella taught me a lesson today...she asked to take a bath in my bathtub (which isn't abnormal) my bathtub is like a swimming pool for her....she loves to splash and play in there...today I'm sitting next to the tub listening to her play looking at the iPad....all of the sudden I realize she's a little quiet I look up (it's probably been 15 seconds since I last looked at her) and she is "shaving her legs" after I gasp and quickly access for blood (thankfully there wasn't any) I asked her to give me the razor then I explained to her how it was sharp and could hurt her...I told her that it was only for big girls and she shouldn't touch it...whew thank goodness she didn't hurt herself but the real lesson here is...when did she see me do that...she was sitting exactly where I sit in the tub, makes you think a little...she's watching always watching....so today she taught me something that I should always be an example for her...So from now on I'm going to try and be more conscious that she's watching...she's watching all of you too...so today I'm taking my little mini brush with disaster as a lesson learned you never know who's watching that you could be making an impression on...I hope when you read this later sweet girl that you know I'm always trying to do my best...my best might not always be right but it's all I got!  LOVE YOU SO MUCH LITTLE LADY

Dress Up Time

One of Isabella's fav things to do is dress up...sometimes it's princess time....others she's a witch or pirate or cowgirl...cracks me up...today she was running around as Cinderella (you may only refer to her as whatever she is dressed up as or good luck getting an answer)...She wanted me to dress up with her she hands me her size 3T Ariel costume and I try and hold in a chuckle....so I go and find a purple sundress and shazamm I'm Rapunzel!  For the rest of the evening we were Cinderella and Rapunzel...I've been sick this week but I think that was the best medicine I could ask for...she is getting so big so fast so I love these sweet moments with her!!  So here we are Cinderella and Rapunzel!!!

It's official she said the F word =(

Isabella is hilarious...there isn't another way to say it...the things that come out of her mouth blow me away...there have been a few good ones lately I need to get them out before she says too many more crazy things and I forget...hahaha

First of all she has become very literal...almost to a fault...for some reason I started calling her my popsicle (don't ask me why it just happened one day) so the other day while we were getting ready for a bath I said to her..."you are so cute popsicle" and she looked at me stone faced and said "I'm Isabella the popsicles are in the kitchen" I mean she's right but come on give Mommy a break...hahaha

Her Daddy sent her a new ATV for her half birthday...when I asked her if she liked her ATV...she literally looked at me like I had 3 heads and said "Mommy this is not a TV this does not play DVDs" not only did she tell me I was wrong she even had evidence....it's times like this that I worry about how smart she is!! I'm totally in for it.

Isabella has made a new friend...a little calf named Gabby...it cracks me up how cool she thinks Gabby is...if you ask most kids what a cow says they will say "MOOOOO" heck if you ask most adults that's what they will say...however if you've actually heard a cow it's more like "MMEEERRRR" than "MOOOO"...so now little Ms Literal will let you have it if you say a cow says "MOOO" not going to lie every now in then I will say hey Iz does a cow say "MOOO" just to watch her stomp her little feet throw her arms straight down by her side and say "NO MMMEEERRRR" it's hilarious.

This last one I'm not proud of but I have to tell it...it's only fair I tell all of her embarrassing stories so I might as well tell the ones that involve me too...so here goes....on Sunday while Isabella was playing I was talking on the phone with my Mom...I realized that I had planned something on the same day as my nieces first dance recital...I was frustrated and said "OH F&*%" yes I know ya'll I'm not proud of it but it happens...anyways about that time my sweet little princess yells "OH F&*%" I instantly felt about 2in tall...that was totally my fault no way around it...so we sat down and talked about how that was a bad word and Mommy shouldn't say it either....so we both had a time out....while we were sitting there in time out Isabella looks and me and says "Mommy I'm sorry you had to have a time out" I was laughing so hard I almost cried....lets hope she doesn't say that word anymore....

The things she says...

So if you haven't noticed the pattern bedtime is a tumultuous time around here....haha Isabella will do anything to stay awake so we are getting ready for bed and I hear her being kind of loud in her room...as I head her way she comes out of her room with an accomplished look on her face...then I noticed she is carrying something....my sweet little girl handed me the cord to her baby monitor and told me "Mommy there was a snake in my room" you can't even be upset with that...hahahahahaha she is hilarious

Stitches

Well I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later (I would have preferred later) but Isabella got her first set of stitches this week...I feel awful too because I feel like it was totally my fault...I was chasing her and she ran straight into the corner of the wall at my Moms house...I knew it was bad as soon as I heard it...then I saw the blood (why does your head have to bleed so much)....my nurse brain does not work when it comes to her...it sucks...so I took her to the ER because it was obvious it needed stitches...I seriously feel like her getting stitches was worse than labor...the wrapped her up like a burrito and held her down...when they gave her the injection to numb it I seriously thought I was going to pass out or throw up or both...it was awful...she was screaming "I'm too scared...Mommy I'm too scared" it was heartbreaking...it only took 2 stitches but it was 2 too many...after she was done she said "Mommy I want to go to Target" she is my baby I guess lol...after it was all over I picked her up and she instantly fell asleep...poor baby...thankfully she hasn't bothered them at all since she got them...I hope it's a very very long time before that has to happen again!!!

Easter

The holidays are getting more and more fun with Iz...she is old enough now to know whats going on...so this year she ran for eggs when she realized that there was candy inside of them lol and had fun dying eggs...she could do without the Easter bunny but hey we can warm up to him....lol I also can't get over how beautiful she looked in her dress this year...she is getting so big!

Disney on Ice

Isabella has hit the princess phase in full force...so when Disney on Ice came into town, and it was about princesses I knew we had to go...little did I know that I would laugh as hard as I did...Isabella was literally skipping through the Sprint Center before we even got to our seats...when she saw all the souvenir stands she yelled "OH MY GOSH I LOVE PRINCESSESES" it was awesome...she was pumped... every time someone new came onto the ice there was a different reaction...I think that her first crush may be Flynn Rider from Tangled because she screamed like a teenager at a boy band concert when he came onto the ice...then after he left she furrowed her adorable little brow and said "I'm MAD at Flynn Rider" (you can't even make this kind of material up)...the best reaction was probably when the Brave scene started...when she saw Merida she threw both of her hands straight up in the air and screamed for her!  It was awesome to watch her...I can't wait to take her again.

Snowed In

So for the past couple days Isabella and I have been snowed in...we are normally going 100mph all the time so this was actually a welcome break...I thought I might lose it for the first hour or two but then I realized how much I could get done around here...we have cleaned the house...played with her kitchen...made cookies...and just hung out.  I've really enjoyed spending these couple days just us, we've read all of her books a hundred times watched every Disney movie we own and hung out in our jammies...yesterday we made pink snow ice cream...it's fun to watch how excited a little snow and food,coloring can make someone, she loved it!  Probably a lesson for all of us...it's the small things...

Today we were able to get out and go sledding with the neighbors (we are so lucky to have such great neighbors) Isabella loved it..she even got blasted in the face with snow and only was mad until we got it off...We probably shouldn't have gone sledding considering Iz is on an antibiotic for an ear infection but it only snows like this every now and then and we covered her ears....haha at least she had a great time!!

Update time!!

So things have been crazy with Isabella's birthday being in December I always use it as an excuse to let time get away from me...first it's her Bday then christmas then the next thing ya know it's February...so here I am catching up...hahaha we've actually had a great past couple of months...first Isabella's Birthday was such a hit...there isn't much better than knowing that your baby is loved...It amazes me to see all of the people that love my sweet little monster...our house was bursting with people and with love for her party...we ended up with perfect weather....we even got to do the pinata outside....I can't believe she's 2...time really really

flies....here are a few highlights from her party...

So now that I have Isabella....I will have to admit this whole Christmas thing is fun...I am starting to like decorating the house and making cookies and getting excited to see her face that morning...Shhhh no one tell my Mom! This year was more fun than last year too...Iz was excited to see Santa and actually helped decorate the tree...she was even a little bummed to take it down (She is her Grandma's girl)..We tried ice skating...wasn't for us...I don't think I've ever been so sore and Iz was pretty ticked at me during the whole process maybe we will try again next year...hahaha...We had a girls night out and went to see the Christmas Train with B.  We all had our matching jammies and put reindeer food out for the reindeer...they were adorable!!