Lorax Party Time

Last Saturday we kicked off the birthday celebration for Brooklynn with a Lorax party at the local library.  The Lorax has always been one of our favorite books (and now movies), and what a great place to celebrate books and especially a book with a great message for kids!  Hazel and Brooklynn were excited to, once again, share their party and see their friends.

Our favorite birthday girls

Lorax cupcakes and Truffula trees cake pops

 Our cute snacks (thanks to Pinterest for all our creativity or lack thereof.....)

Lorax and Lewis love

Sawyer catching one of the Humming Fish

 Chandler's turn

 Hazel swiped the costume

 Chandler's turn

 Adaley excited to see someone just her size - Marcus (only 7 weeks apart)

 Moustache craft

 The kids making their Lorax planters for the Truffula seeds

 Some crafty kids!

 Pass the Truffula seed game

 Uncle Zach reading the story to the attentive kiddos

 Cupcake and singing time!

Brooklynn had a blast celebrating with all her friends!  I think she was a little wiped out, but business is business and birthdays must keep going..........

Strike!

Since we had a day off we met up with the Deegans for bowling round #2.  The kids had a great time this summer bowling, so we thought we'd try again and beef up the competitiveness.  They all did great, even 20-month old Sawyer.  Chandler got the chills as soon as we got there and just laid down on the seats.  The kids played against each other, while the adults were in for a challenge.  Steve killed us all.....uggghh!

As we were getting ready to leave she barfed up her chocolate Cheerios all over daddy!  Time to go!  It's amazing how much parenthood changes you and getting puked on doesn't even phase us anymore.  Besides that hiccup, we all had a great time and enjoyed spending the day with our 2nd family.

Hazel going for the strike

 Bean's turn

 Brooklynn giving Hazie some pointers

 Our litle sicky (but she still made it out there)

 The token "Adaley was there" pic

9 Months

Adaley has really become a girl on the move.  She's at the tough age - into everything, won't nap in the carrier, and starting to climb stairs.  Ugghh!  We've started baby-proofing the house - my least favorite part of having a mover.  Now it takes me twice as long to make dinner, because I spend half my time unlocking and locking cupboards.  We've never baby-proofed this house (because we were in Aurora for the other 2), so the stairs are a challenge because of the set-up.  So for now it's shutting doors and constantly keeping our eyes on our Little Bug.  

She's now eating mostly finger foods (although she still has no teeth).  She wasn't very interested in them for awhile, but now loves feeding herself (and it's a little easier for us).  She loves anything and everything - love this stage before they get picky!  Her favorites are bananas, avocados, cheese, bread, and chicken.  She even ate tuna the other day!

She's starting to pull herself up and even climbed one stair the other day.  It won't be long before we have a cruiser.  She just loves to be around people - especially her sisters.  If they leave the room she'll follow until the go upstairs, and then she'll cry.  She's starting to have the stranger anxiety too, but as long as they stay a safe distance she's all smiles to everyone!

Here's her stats (since we had to go to the doc for a 9 mos check-up because of her weight concerns)

Weight:  19 lb 4 oz (63%)

Height:  30.5 in (100%)

So she's still our little bean - long and skinny and still looks like her mama.  Steve's starting to question the paternity......uh oh!

Her official photo shoot - have to shoot quickly because she's ready to go!

 

 With her big sis

Day of Love

Although I'm not much of a Valentine's Day fan, it sure is fun to celebrate with the kids.  So we made some homemade Valentine's for Brooklynn's class (although it took a few different "sessions", because it's hard to write that long name too many times).  I'm not sure how we'll handle next year when we have to make twice as many.  We also had fun making cards for friends and family.

Now that the girls are expert fonduers, we  thought that'd be fun to do for the Valentine's dinner.  The girls always devour the doughnuts first, then they'll slowly eat the fruit (usually double and triple-dipping).  They even had to wear their red rose dresses.....oh my!

 Chandler showing Addy how it's done (is there anything this girl hasn't tried?  uh oh)

 Flowers for each girl from daddy (we're so high maintenance around here)

Opening gifts from Magra and Papa

So another holiday for the kids!  At least we still have New Year's.....right?

The Kindergarten "Freak Out"

It seems like just yesterday she was this:

And now she's this:

I've always said that I'll feel like my children are not babies anymore, but kids when they turn 5.  With Brooklynn reaching that milestone in a little over a week, I have to come to the realization that I'll have a kid. A couple weeks ago I took my first steps to letting go - registering her for kindergarten.  I'm so excited for her new adventure but, selfishly, sad to not have her home with me a couple days a week.  I'll miss our morning playdates, going to the museum, and just sleeping in and cuddling on those blistery mornings!

A week before registration started I overheard a mom at preschool talking to another mom about testing her child to get into the local G/T (gifted & talented) school.  I did the "freak out".  Definition - what a new mom does right before kindergarten realizing you have to choose what school to go to and scared to make the wrong choice!  It feels like if you make the wrong choice your child is doomed!  It's the equivalent of looking at a college for your kid, but it's only kindergarten, right?

Of course I had thought about this for months and asked around, but I've never felt totally confident in my decision to send her to our local public school.  I mean, it's a I've heard it's a great school and it's super close to us (I've always wanted to be able to walk her to school).  I mean, Steve and I went to our local public schools and turned out ok, right?  But now there's so much pressure getting them into G/T schools or charter schools.  Uggghhhh......

But what makes a great school?  Some would say test scores.  Some would say parent involvement.  Some would say the teachers.  As a teacher you'd think I'd know the answer to this, but nope!  We'll attend the open house and do our best to be involved, but the only way we'll truly know is by sending her there and see how it goes!

As parents we're trying to do what's best for our kids, and in my heart I know what's best for Brooklynn.  Going to school everyday is going to be a tough adjustment (she doesn't do well with transitions).  There's no way she'd be able to handle an all-day program (like the G/T schools have).  It's going to be important for her to make friends (and it's going to be easier to have neighborhood friends).  So I need to quiet the voices of all the other parents in my head and work on getting her ready academically and emotionally and most importantly, make sure she has a great year and a great start to her educational experience.

*Maybe I'll bookmark this post to return to on a regular basis.

Finally Some Snow (for a Day)

This winter in Colorado has been extremely dry!  Even though I'm not much of a fan of winter, I know how desperately we need some moisture and some snowmen!  Every time it snows the girls ask if they can build a snowman, and there just hasn't been enough to do that.  We haven't even gotten to break in our new sleds from Christmas.  I guess that Al Gore was full of it though (ok I'll get off my soapbox).

When we finally had a day of snow we made sure to get out and make our snowman before it was gone.  The girls were ecstatic to get out and play!  Of course it now takes a half hour just to get on the snowpants and gloves and then they're ready to come back in after 15 minutes!  Since daddy was in Las Vegas I had to step up and be project manager for our snow princess.  (The girls wanted to make a Rams snowman, but knew they better wait until daddy was home to enjoy it).

Love kids' snow outfits!

 She ended up a "Cowgirl Tangled Princess" (used dead iris leaves for hair)

Now if we could only break out the sledding gear!

Stock Show is here!

Although we never actually made it to the stock show, we still participated in a few festivities to celebrate the western heritage of Denver.  We went to the opening parade downtown with Grandma.  The forecast was for 60 degree weather, but they were completely off (surprise surprise).  Luckily I had packed warm stuff just in case, because it was much needed!  Some of the kids there were in skirts with no coats.  Poor kids!

The girls were so excited to see the "cowboy princesses".  That's now the highlight - not the cows and horses.  Oh well....guess you expect that with so many girls!  After we endured the cold temps we headed to McD's on the 16th Street mall for some lunch.  

Our Buggy all bundled up and looking quite happy

Even the cold couldn't keep her spirits down

The Longhorns to kick off the parade

Pointing out the cowgirl princesses to Magra

Brooklynn's school had a "Stock Show Day", so she was excited to dress-up like a cowgirl princess!  I was shocked how great all the kids looked in their western gear.  I guess even in Thornton we are a little country.

Sisterly Love

8 Months (awhile ago......)

What can I say......time just flies faster and faster with each kiddo.  I just realized I never posted for Adaley's 8 month birthday, and she's almost 9 months.  Oops...guess she'll get used to being the 3rd child very young.  She's so active now - army crawling everywhere and starting to pull herself up to stand.  Uh oh!  I guess we should get to baby-proofing the house one of these days.  Until then we have 2 live-in safety sitters, right?  Adaley just loves to be around everyone and cries when we leave the room - hide and seek is tough for her to watch.  She's still easy-going and happy and loves her sleep - napping usually 3 times a day!  She's still eating the pureed food and doesn't care much for finger foods, but we keep trying!  The quicker she's independently eating, the easier meals will be for us.  

Her favorite activity - having her sisters push her on her new buggy (and it never gets old for them either).  Of course, they'll "park" her while they grocery shop, and she doesn't like that! 

Finally caught her napping - a sleeping baby is always so precious.  She sleeps sucking her thumb (uh oh) while holding her favorite blankie.  We're surely a "blankie" family!

Her newest game - peek-a-boo!