Princess Bidgoods in the...

bathtub, and she won't get out!  T loves the King Bidgoods story and enjoys her time in the tub just like the king.  In true T style she hates thinking about taking a bath, but once in the tub she doesn't want to get out.  She loves hopping in right after the epsom salt is poured in.  The grittier the better. She loves to be silly so we got some silly shots were things need to be covered are covered. 

T: I was hoping to catch a few drops of water. 

I was looking at old blog posts filled with M's silly faces.  It seems right to include several silly T poses as well!

The Gallery and Boutique in our home

As I mentioned in T's Birthday post, she is quite the artist.  She is very creative and decided to make a gallery right in our home. 

T: I was just making more things for my gallery. 

Here was the view one day...

A couple of days later there were more projects ready for viewing.

T decided to create a Boutique in her bedroom.  This was a bit stressful when it came to actually using her drawers, closet and bed so I was very thankful when her store closed.

T: Welcome to my shop.  What would you like to buy?

T: We have some lovely things on this wall. 

T: We have more lovely things down here. 

Windows, Snowballs, Football, and Yahtzee

... and a few other things too.  These photos are a good mix of things that happened in February.

T: I wanted everyone to know that I love my Grandma!

I am so glad that Brandon got the photos below.  Every time we get a snow my heart smiles as I walk past the elementary school playground.  The kids work so hard to make large snowballs.  Maybe they are considering making snowmen, but get tired.  I am not sure what happens, but whole area is filled with these big guys.  M said sometimes 7 kids will roll a ball together.  What a great workout!

My view as I walk.

Zoomed in so you can see just how big they are.

M loves to read and he loves football.  He came up with a plan to look at the final season w-l records and sort his helmets accordingly.  I can't remember exactly what his system was, but he was very focused.

M: So the ones on the left side of the picture have a better record than the ones on the right side. 

T's room changes every single day.  She had a very cool fort over her big bed for a couple of days.  The fitted sheet was the perfect roof.  She sure does love small confined spaces.

T: This was a very cozy bed!

I mentioned earlier that T is loving her OT this semester.  She can't wait for her Monday dates with these lovely women.

T: My OT friends are so fun and so pretty!

M has really gotten into Yahtzee!  He isn't too thrilled when he loses, but he eventually tolerates it.  He had the game of his life so we had to document it.  He got Yahtzee three times for a total score of over 400!

M: I had the best game EVER!

T: I LOVE playdates that involves Chinese food!

Birthday Weekend Fun!

T didn't know it, but her Birthday celebrating was far from over when her actual Birthday ended!  My parents came the following afternoon.  The kids were SO EXCITED to see them.  

Grandma and Grandpa came bearing presents.  We didn't get any good shots of T showing her gifts, but her favorite was a basket that my mom made for her bike.  T is currently using it to hold craft supplies in her room.  She sure loves baskets. 

T: I love fancy presents.  I am wearing the necklace I just opened. 

M got a couple of very thoughtful 1/2 Birthday gifts as well.  He got a joke book and an indoor soccer ball thing.  He devoured the joke book that weekend.  It was pretty cute to hear him sharing jokes.  He didn't actually get them many times so we had to explain why they were funny.  So much to learn.

M: Hey everyone, listen to this one.

M: I wondered how this would work.  It just glides on the carpet. 

On Saturday morning the girls worked on T's pink strawberry cake.  We used the same recipe I enjoyed growing up but modified it to be gluten and dairy free.  It was so much fun to smell the smell of my childhood Birthdays. 

T: Grandma Kathy and I were working really hard. 

T: We made the eggs get really fancy. 

T: I can't wait to eat these!!!

After an early lunch we headed to the bowling alley.  The kids had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa in January that they wanted to go again on this visit.  They also filled their reward jar and chose this activity.  This time we were able to get two lanes and the special dinosaur guy so that bowling would be easier for T.

M: First we have to enter in our names. 

T: I liked trying out all the balls. 

T: Here I go!!!

T: Sometimes it takes a while so I just rest on the dinosaur. 

I  helped her carry the ball out to the dinosaur and get it going.  At the end of our time there T did it herself.

T: I did it all by myself!

M doesn't use the dinosaur and he really enjoys bowling.  He moves pretty fast.

M: Bowling is pretty intense.

A rare family photo... the kids told us they were going to pose like they were about to bowl.  I guess T is really taking things seriously!

The Bowlers... wait a minute Grandma and Grandpa were with us too!

After bowling Brandon and M did some car racing while T put her coins into random machines and wound up with one rubber duck and a lot of skittles.  It is fun to see Brandon and M enjoy the car racing.  They both get pretty into it and drive very fast.

Check out those speeds!

This face...

Wait... this face too!

After bowling I got things ready for the party and my parents spent quality time with the kids.  Yes, M is wearing shorts because it was "so hot" that day.  It was in the 60's which is indeed warm for February!

M: Grandpa Daryl really liked that one!

T: Grandma and I did our stretches. 

M: I can't believe I am wearing shorts in February!

We had a couple of families come over for cake.  T kept switching what she wanted to do so we actually confirmed things with one family that morning.  It was T's style for sure.  Lots of pink and lots of sugar!

The first graders.

Sweet little A

A Beautiful Birthday Girl!

We love you so much T!

T: I just couldn't wait to blow out the candles!

T: It took a long time to get them all out!

T: I had a big piece, but it all fit on my fork!

Happy cake eating kids!

After the party we had tasty grilled food and watermelon!  It felt like a summer night in the middle of winter!

T: Grandma Kathy is a great reader!

T: Grandma was my daughter and I made a nest for her. 

My parents left on Sunday morning.  We went to class and church and then had a quick lunch. After lunch we went to an amazing production of Sound of Music and then raced home for the new member class (at church).  It was a full and wonderful Birthday weekend!

A Whole Hand - My Baby Girl is FIVE!

I am sitting here in complete disbelief and denial.  My baby girl is FIVE!  How did this happen?  The days are long, but wow do the years fly!  I just can't believe that she has been home for over four years.  She continues to have enough personality for five little girls... and enough energy too!  She was nicknamed "Girl on the go" when she was one and she has not slowed down a bit. 

At age five T continues to be obsessed with all things fancy.  She loves to use the work "pazazz " whenever possible.  She is constantly saying, "that's my style" referring to fancy things and "that's not my style" referring to sensible  plain things. I am sure you can guess which girl in the family is less into things with pazazz.  Haha.  

T LOVES art!  She sits at her desk, on the floor, in her room, in the family room, where ever she is and creates something.  She has a unique eye for art.  It will be exciting to see where this will lead her in the future. 

T loves talking about crushes and boys.  She often laments to me, "I just don't know who I am going to marry."  Oh dear, what will the teen years be like!  She is always on the pretend phone with her boyfriend. 

T loves books and is a great pre-reader.  She spells everything she sees and asks, "What does A*R*B*Y*S spell?"  It is super endearing, but I have referred to it as the "Why stage part two" because the questions never end.  It is amazing to think of all that her brain is processing. 

T has had a GREAT semester at the local University's OT department.  Occupational Therapy seems to be a great option for her.  She continues to practice body awareness and personal space.  We have a long ways to go, but we do believe she is learning and retaining some of it. 

T loves her school.  Everyone in her class is her best friend and her teachers rock.  We feel so blessed that she is where she is! 

T is getting used to her BAHA.  She is now able to wear it 7+ hours a day!  Yahoo!

She is a Daddy's girl.  She loves her dates with Brandon and all the special time they share on Monday's. 

She loves to play in her room.  She plays family, store, car trip, parade and much more.  I am usually her teenager.  She often tells others, "My kids kept me up last night."  She has many elaborate stories about her kids. 

She still loves to snuggle.  I am so thankful for our morning cuddles.  

She LOVES "tired" and her thumb!  Maybe this will be the year we kick the habit, but I am not counting on it. 

She enjoys keeping treasures and trinkets and sleeping with them, right on the bed with her.  Her bed usually has just enough room for her surrounded by all her stuff. 

She loves to eat!  She can still put away more food than seems possible.  She is under 30 pounds so we are not sure where it goes. 

She bounces, skips, runs, jumps, squeals, whooshes her way through life.  I am so excited to see how she will blossom this year!  I am so very thankful and blessed to be her Forever Mom!

And now for the actual events of her Birthday...

She woke up early and was very eager to open gifts. She has been thinking about turning 5 since about 2 weeks after turning 4.  She continued her trend of previous years asking for every single thing in every store for her Birthday.  For T it is quantity over quality when it comes to gifts.  She wants big piles of presents!  She takes delight in every gift no matter the cost.  She got MANY hand me down gifts this year and she was so grateful for every one.  

T: I am a WHOLE HAND!!!!!!!!

M was still home and wanted to open his half Birthday gifts.  He was excited about a magic set though the directions are extremely complicated. 

M: I am glad to have a few gifts. 

Once M went to school we let T have at it with all of her gifts.  I know it looks like a crazy lot of gifts, but many packages just held one hair clip which we were given my someone who outgrew them. 

T: I love LOTS OF PRESENTS!!!!!

T: This is great!

T: I have wanted this blanket for an entire year!!!!

T: My own Barbie Car!  Look at all this room to put stuff!

T: I got lots of Barbie stuff!  I tried to load some of it into my car.

I joined T at school so she could show her BAHA to her class.  She was as precious as can be as she explained, "So, some people have little ears and they need BAHA's to hear better."  My heart melted. Her classmates were in awe of her little box.  What a blessing to be a part of it.  I also brought T's pink cupcakes to share with the class. 

The weather on T's Birthday and the days following was incredible.  It felt like a taste of summer in mid-February.  We kept telling her that this may never happen again on her Birthday.  She is a summer girl for sure so it was her perfectly ordered day!

After school there were more presents to open.  She was fascinated by this tile rubbing thing.  There were all the rage in the 80's and I was able to find one at a craft store.  She couldn't wait to try it out.

T: First you have to decide what you want the girl to look like. 

T: Then you put the paper in. 

T: Then you rub over the paper and you make a special fancy girl. 

T: This horse barn came in the mail!

We went to our favorite restaurant for dinner!  We were so thankful that Curt and Deb, the kids local Grandparents, were able to join us!  They both did very well and it was an enjoyable meal.

T: Curt had some special Birthday jokes!

T: I loved when they sang to me and let me wear this fancy hat!

T: They wrote me a message. 

T: The cake had dairy, but I got to eat the writing!

T: I sure love these ladies!

It was a special day for our special girl!