The Tencza Family: 2010

When I get spare time (few and far between these days) I like to check out my favorite blogs. Occassionally, when I read something I really like, I will refer to it in my post. I just read my cousin Emily's http://www.captainhambone.typepad.com/ blog. It was a good one! I want to make all the parents of my 5th graders read it! It's something that isn't hard to become a victim of (I've done it myself) but my kids are still young so they can still be saved! I assure you though that my kids will have to earn their possessions at a certain age. My 5th grader will NOT have a cell phone or a laptop and my 16 year old will NOT be driving a brand new car. I am sure we all know people who fall into this category and have gave in to their kids because they want them to like them. It's the same in teaching. I learned very quickly that I was not my students' friend. I am their teacher. If I act like a friend then all respect is lost and my job means nothing. My students have plenty of friends and when they come to school they need me to be their teacher and me to do my job. Kids need rules and boundries. They need to know that they can't have everything right now. Chances are the things they want right now will be things of the past in only a few days.

Just a little tidbit of what the Tencza girls are doing these days. Besides keeping me super busy and not letting me finish such tasks as cooking, cleaning, laundry, sleep, and blogging without being interrupted...they are happy, healthy, and growing every day!

Tara (aka "the princess") is busy keeping her daddy wrapped around her finger, whining when she doesn't get her way, and making sure she keeps us on our toes! She is transitioning into no nap during the day which makes for more whining but an earlier bedtime. It's an okay trade for now since I am at work all day! The babysitters haven't complained too much as she wins them over with her cuteness, especially the grandparents! Of course, her father is easily won over by her as well. For example, the other night while I was putting Kali down she apparently found a black marker. After getting Kali to sleep I went in to check on her and couldn't find her. She was hiding in her room because she had drawn on her face and hands. The black marker was drawn around her mouth and looked like a gotee. When George came back to assess the damage he busted out laughing! Nice! So we scolded her like we should but she insisted that she wasn't a "bad girl", she is just a "silly girl". Yes, she may look like me but she is her father's daughter through and through!

She is handling her big sister role pretty well. (She even cleans Kali's toe jam out before her bath! Tara has the odd obbession with toe jam lately...weirdo!) Kali is really starting to watch her and smiles everytime Tara looks at her. Tara is noticing this so she puts on a show for her once in a while and enjoys it. I can't wait for them to be able to really play together! I am so glad I could give my girls something I never had and always wanted: a sister

Kali: My blue-eyed angel. All throughout my pregnancy I would tell people that I didn't care the sex of the baby so long as he/she got my blonde hair...and it looks like I'm getting myself a blondie afterall! I took her for her 4 month check-up (a little early) and the first thing the ped said was "Looks like we have a toehead!". I told him to tell my husband that because George loves to tell me to not get my hopes up and that Kali is going to have brown hair like him and Tara. So of course I told George what he said. Kali also has gorgeous blue eyes that I wished for one of my kids to get! So I guess I have "one of each". One with brown eyes and brown hair and the other with blue eyes and blonde hair.

Kali is a great baby. She smiles and coos all day and rarely fusses. Now that she is getting bigger she keeps herself busy watching everyone and everything. She is sleeping a good 6-7 hours at night which I am still waiting for her big sister to do! Now that Tara is potty trained she often gets up in the middle of the night to go. So if it weren't for that I would be getting some sleep at night but it's still pretty chopped up. I was prepared for this after having Tara so no surprises there but it can still turn me quite crabby when I have to get up for work every morning.

At her last checkup, Kali was 11 pounds 13 ounces and 24 1/2 inches long. Long and skinny like her daddy was I suppose. She is in the 25th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for height which is what Tara always was so I am fine with that. As you'll see in the pictures following, Kali resembles her daddy very much! Everyone comments on it and tells George that he can't deny this one! If I can get our scanner to work I will scan a baby picture of George and you'll see the resemblence instantly.

Well, on to some pictures!

Okay, these are a little out of order but I'll put a caption on each one so you'll know what's going on.