Field Day!

Today was Leiden's outdoor field day.  I took the girls to watch Leiden's class run around and play games.  I worried about keeping them away from the games, so I brought bribery.  Mimi is just fine with sitting--she's got a sucker.

It was cute to see Leiden running around with her friends. 

Mac was quite well behaved, as well. 

One of the games was water balloon baseball, and Leiden hit the balloon on the first pitch!  She quickly ran to first base.

Her later attempts were not quite as successful, but just as fun to watch!

By now, the sucker was gone, but Mimi was contented with climbing the fence. 

The last event everyone was invited to participate--kicking a shoe as far as you can! 

Leiden really does have a sweet teacher.  The girls got a popsicle with the rest of the class. 

Mac was in her element with all the kids in Leiden's class.  They were all pretty interested in her and Mimi, too. 

It was a fun afternoon and it got the girls out of the house.  Leiden is almost done with first grade!

We took Leiden to the doctor, today, this time for her regular 7 year check up.  She is healthy as can be, aside from her digestive issue.  She is a petite little thing, coming in at 47 lbs and 47 inches, putting her at the 33rd and 34th percentile, respectively.  She's still following her growth curve, so it's good.  The doctor did say that it might be a couple years before she can stop sitting in her booster seat in the car.  We'll see what this next year brings.  They have to be 57 inches tall and at least 8 years old.  Somehow I don't think she'll grow 10 inches in a year!  Mimi may beat both of them out of the booster--and she's not even in one, yet!  Leiden also had to have a bit of a surprise shot, which was sad, but she quickly got over the pain.

Mimi likes to wear the sleeping masks from Leiden's birthday as headbands, and she likes to wave her hand out the window of the car while she sucks her thumb.

Just today, Mimi started drawing more than just scribbles.  For months, now, she has been begging anyone who will listen to draw happy and sad faces for her.  She decided it was time to draw her own.  Very nice first attempts!

The End

We are so happy Grandmere could come visit us.

But it's time for her to go back home. 

We'll be excited to see our families again this summer!

Drums

I'm still trying to figure this out a little bit, but Brad thought it would be fun to get a drum set for the kids.  It's actually pretty cool, but it is SO loud.  And Mimi likes to hit the other girls with the drum sticks.  Stuff like that.  But the girls are thrilled.

Brad thinks it's pretty cool, too.

This afternoon I was up on the top floor and I could hear it.  From the basement.

Hired Help

Today was lawn-mowing day, and my mom got to try her hand at the riding lawn mower.  She thought it was great fun.

Happy Birthday, Leiden!

Happy Birthday, Leiden!  I can't believe you've been with us for 7 years already!  The time goes by so quickly.  The next thing we know you'll be driving!

The morning started with special waffles, courtesy of Daddy.

Then presents before Daddy had to go to work! 

She has been so excited for presents!  This box contained two swim suits for her.

Grandma sent some clip on earrings that Leiden is thrilled about!  (They'll be pierced next year, but she was so excited to find out that they make clip ons!) 

Grandmere and Bapa sent a telescope!  The forecast for the next few days is cloudy and stormy, so we'll have to see if she'll be able to use it while Grandmere is still here. 

Daddy joined Leiden for school lunch, today.  She was happy to have a visitor, and Brad said she showed him around and taught him the ropes.

Leiden's cake request was a turquoise ruffle cake with chocolate insides.  Excellent.  I've never done this frosting technique before, and I have to say it went very well for no practice! 

 

After her chosen dinner of corned beef and cabbage (?  we were all a little puzzled about her choice.  I was not aware she liked it, particularly), she asked to put the candles on the cake. 

Happy Birthday to Leiden!  And she blew them all out, no problem. 

Brad is also apparently excited about Leiden's new sets of earrings.  She'll have to hide them!

We love you so much, Leiden, and hope you had a great day!

Mimi was standing in the bathroom this morning while my mom put on her makeup, and we noticed that it looked like there were 2 Mimi's!  And we commented on how crazy that would make our lives!

It's pretty darn rainy, today.  Rainy enough for Leiden and Grandmere to need umbrellas to go to the bus stop. 

Brad got a few more birthday presents, these from my mom and dad on his 34 and one month birthday.  He got some dress shirts and a movie.

Strawberries!

And we have strawberries!  Love this time of year when I don't have to buy as much fruit!  Also exciting is the growth on the raspberry bushes.  There will be a TON of raspberries this year.  My cilantro is growing, and I have tomato plants grown from seeds that might actually grow tomatoes this year.  Things are looking good!

 

 

Two things happened simultaneously this morning.  Mac had her farewell party for preschool.  They had root beer floats, and celebrated the last day of school!  She has done so well this year, learning so many new things, and receiving glowing reports from her teachers.  I've said it before, people like Mac.  She is engaging and social.  Next year's preschool will be three days a week instead of two, and she's excited already.  Next year they focus more on academic work, preparing for kindergarten.  Brad attended this end of year party,

because Grandmere came into town today and I had to pick her up from the airport!  A few months ago, she was getting ready to buy tickets to come here sometime in May, and was preparing to spend almost triple what we randomly found tickets for!  She'll be here for a week, and we'll celebrate Leiden's birthday and just hang out.  She's excited to be away from the stressful things happening at home with getting ready to move.  We're so excited to have her here.  We love visitors. 

One of the activities we forgot to do last night was hair color, so the girls got it out after church today.  It actually worked really well.  I hope it washes out really well, too.  Mac had some bold streaks.

Leiden's were a little more conservative. 

For months, now, I've been trying to find a piece of furniture on Craigslist to refinish and put in our living room.  I thought about mid-century modern credenzas, antique buffet tables, and just couldn't find anything I liked well enough.  Plus I would then have to refinish the piece.  I was trying to be patient and wait for the just right piece, but it was getting hard!  Then yesterday, I saw this dresser--it was a case of knowing it when I saw it--immediately!  I emailed the lady and made arrangements to pick it up today.  Brad wandered all over the place because of closed freeways, but finally brought it home.  This lady gets furniture and refinishes it and sells the finished pieces.  I saw it out in the car and was so glad.  It was perfect!  And I don't have to refinish it!  To be honest, if I DID have to refinish it, I would have chosen a lighter color.  BUT.  It looks really good.  We're getting windows in this room in a couple weeks, so that will really help with the darkness factor in the room.  Yay for new furniture!

Pajama Party!

With Leiden's birthday party not until the evening, there was plenty of time to get some work done outside in the garden.  Leiden helped prepare the plot for our tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, and basil.  I'm not super ambitious because it seems like it never works quite how you think it's going to.

While Brad and Leiden dug around outside, I got ready for the party inside.  I made cake pancakes--cake batter cooked into little silver dollar pancakes, which I then stacked and poured thinned icing over.  They looked exactly like regular pancakes, and tasted exactly like cake.  Amazing. 

Each girl got to take home a goody bag, complete with nail polish, hair extension, sugar cereal with spoon, and a sleeping mask. 

I made some faux pillowcases to help decorate our 'bed', with plastic tablecloth 'covers'.

We started the party out first with breakfast for dinner.  We had a fruit tray, which literally disappeared in seconds, and quiche cups with juice and milk. 

Then we moved onto decorating our own pillowcases.  The girls got out a big set of fabric markers and went to town on their pillowcases. 

The facials were funny--they were pretty tentative about smearing this stuff on their faces, but soon got into the swing of things. 

Even Mimi could get behind this one! 

After they all had facial on their faces, I provided them with cucumbers for their eyes and they laid on the floor for a picture and brief beauty rest. 

Next came nail painting and nail art.  They really liked this part, and we managed to get through it without ruining the floor.  Excellent. 

Cupcake pancakes ready to be lit.

Happy Birthday to you, Leiden! 

Lastly we did presents, and Leiden got some fun things from her friends.  She was really excited about the Target gift card--she calls it her credit card.  We'll have to take her and let her pick something out. 

The party went well, although it was a bit overwhelming.  I should have expected that, with 10 little girls running around, feeding off each other.  Leiden had a great time, and that's why we do it!  Brad mostly stayed in the other room, probably a little intimidated by all the females running around.  I don't blame him!  I'm glad her party was a success, and that a lot of girls were able to come.  A vast difference from last year's rather paltry turn out.  It really is the secret to make it the weekend before her birthday instead of the weekend after, which is always Memorial Day weekend.