Amalia's Fourth Birthday!

I can see now that birthdays get more and more fun, and a bigger and bigger deal the older the kids get.  Mollie's fourth birthday was full of excitement and anticipation, and it as so much fun for me to see her really experience and be aware of turning another year older.

She started her birthday a little early, in hopes to shorten the gift-opening time at her party, a section of the party that is always difficult for all the non-birthday kids.  My parents went all out right from the start.  I mean come on, just look at that face!

Yup, it's a Sleeping Beauty princess dress with a music-playing brooch on the front and "I Know You I Walked With You Once Upon a Dream" written in glitter along the bottom.  Amalia was in awe that such a beautiful dress even existed, let alone that it was now hers.

Maybe the best part about this age, though, is that she was almost equally excited for all her gifts, no matter how small.  Princess books ... AWESOME!

Drum ... DELIGHTFUL!

I know what you're thinking, "Who on earth bought a four year-old a drum?!  Who hates Nicole and Bryson that much?"  Well, that person would be me.  Yes, I bought this for Mollie, and I'm glad I chose this one ... it's blissfully quiet for a toy drum.

Opening gifts early allowed for a little more time to actually enjoy her gifts ...

... and for Baylor to get to try them out as well!

Lambie!

Elsa!

Doc McStuffins!  Oh my!

Needless to say, she enjoyed everything she got.

And, as she's not a fan of cake, she enjoyed an ice cream treat with a special birthday candle in it.

It was a nice, quiet day, and it was fun to celebrate our wonderful little lady.

But the birthday festivities weren't over yet, no sir.  We hadn't even had her official party yet!  The preparation for it, like all parties held at our house, was extensive; baby proofing had to be done, clutter-creating toys had to be removed temporarily, actual cleaning had to take place ... it was intense.  Even Baylor helped out, though; Mollie was just dying to have a sign like her brother, so he worked on putting that together for her.  He worked off the picture of the one Mollie and I made for his birthday.

He ran into a little trouble when he had to write out her name, so Bryson lent a hand.

Then, it being her actual birthday morning, she got to open a few things.  First up, an envelope of cards she had written to herself all year long.  Yup, cards from herself ... that's how she rolls.

Next, was a card from her dear brother.  He put a lot of thought into it, and I was really proud of him for it.

The front: balloons and flowers.

The inside: a sweet message, a picture of her ice skating, and part of a map of a skating rink.  Random, yes, but his heart was in the right place, and she has really been wanting to go ice skating.

The back: the rest of the map of the rink, including the check out area.

Of course, he was itching to get her some Legos, so I helped him pick out a set she had asked for.

I'm not sure who was more excited for her to receive this gift.

Her party was the next day, and it ended up being nearly an all-day event.  The sign took a prominent place on the mantle for the party, just as it had for Baylor.

Mollie didn't really want any games except a guess how many things are in this jar game, but she was really interested in having a craft table so I got a brand new box of 48 crayons just for the occasion.  *sigh*  It was a thing of beauty, all those perfectly-sharpened crayons lined up just so.  I digress ...

I made ice cream cones out of balloons and had a ton of leftover brown paper that I ended up using for the craft table.  (I didn't take a picture of the ice cream cone balloons because they didn't turn out so hot and had to be put in weird areas because they wouldn't float on their own with the cones attached.  Awesome, I know.)  But the kids seemed to like getting a little crafting time, and I was excited to find something that almost all the kids could participate in.

With emotions running high, because that's how birthday parties tend to go, there were a few tears here and there, but overall the party went really well.  Happy memories were made and, best of all, Amalia was celebrated.

Happy (belated) fourth birthday, sweetheart!  We love you so much!

Miss Mollie at Two

I was combing through some of our old vacation photos when I found this gem of a video.  It's hard to believe she used to be this little and say so little when she is growing taller by the day and talking up a storm now.  It's a sweet memory, and I thought I'd share it this afternoon.  Enjoy!

March 2014 Round Up!

Because who wouldn't love a MARCH round up in mid-June, right?

March was a busy month, partially because it was reading month and there were little activities to do every week, including a read-in at Baylor's school.  It also coincided with pajama day which was just awesome.  Who doesn't love pajama day?!

It was also busy because we had Mollie's birthday party toward the end of it, which always sends me into a tizzy.  (I'm not a natural party planner and some might say our house isn't always "guest ready", so it tends to take a lot of clean up and whatnot to get the house ready for so much company.  Believe me, I don't even go for Pinterest-worthy.)  Her birthday, however, will be another post.

She did get some money for her birthday, though, and with that money she bought her dolls bunk beds!  There was, of course, some assembly required, and the kids got to help and learn more about how to use a screwdriver.

The final product was beyond adorable!  Great choice, Mollie!

We had to take the glider and ottoman out of her room to fit in the new addition, and it was a little sad for me to see it go.  (It didn't go far, however, as I decided that it would look *fantastic* in our bedroom!  Hey, I couldn't get rid of so many memories all at once.)  But her room is a little more "Mollie" now, and she loves getting to rock her babies before putting them down for bed and tucking them in, just like a little mommy.

She also started "reading" to her dolls a little more than before, even "following along" with a bookmark just like we do for Baylor when we read at bedtime.  (The quotation marks above are because she isn't actually reading ... she's telling the story like she remembers it, using the pictures as guides along the way.  Baylor completely skipped this step while learning to read, and I wish he hadn't because it is amazing to see what her little brain comes up with for these stories.  Quite often they are more creative than the original.)

We had some particularly strong winds and cold weather in mid-March, and our much-neglected basketball pole and hoop were knocked over completely.

Bryson took a few Fridays off in March, and one day Mollie got to spend some time just her, Mommy, and Daddy.  We went out to lunch at Smashburger, and I think Mollie really enjoyed her time as the center of attention.

She also loved Smashburger itself and proclaimed it "better than Mr. Burger" - music to my ears.

March was an eventful month - perhaps why I never got around to posting this back then - but it was also full of fun and new experiences.

That's What They Said: Present, Future, and Past

Baylor:  (at dinner)  Ughh.  I am the most tired man in this house!



Amalia:  Mommy, I HATE beets.
Me:  I'm sorry to hear that, honey, but you still need to eat them.  They are good for you.
Amalia:  There is NO WAY Baylor likes these.



(While we were in Florida, my dad asked Amalia if she was going to get married on the beach in Florida someday and she answered yes.  Then ...)
Grandpa E:  So, Mollie, I know you're going to get married down here in Florida someday, but how old do you think you'll be when you get married?
Amalia:  (resolutely)  Thirty-five.
Grandpa E:  Thirty-five.  Okay.  And how old is your husband going to be?
Amalia:  Two hundred.
Grandpa E:  TWO HUNDRED!  Wow, that is ... old.  Well, maybe he'll have a lot of money by then or something.
Amalia:  Yeah.
Grandpa E:  Still, don't you think that two hundred is a bit old?
Amalia:  Yeah.  Okay, he'll be twenty.




Amalia:  Mommy, I wanted you to make my grilled cheese into diamond shapes!
Me:  I did.  See, I have them all pointing to your ketchup.  (outlined the shapes with my finger to demonstrate)
Amalia:  Ohhh!!  Thanks, Mommy!
Me:  No problem, sweetie.
Baylor:  And hey, look!  The ketchup is in the shape of a cone.
Me:  (after careful inspection)  Well, buddy, I'd actually say it's more a dome shape.  The ketchup isn't really thick enough to stay in a cone shape.
Baylor:  Ahh, it's a dome-angular prism.




(talking about school in the fall while riding to swim school ...)
Baylor:  And when I am in second grade, you'll be in kindergarten and ... we'll get to walk to our classrooms TOGETHER!  We'll both be at the same school!
Amalia:  Cool!
Baylor: And, Mollie, sometimes, if you have Mrs. Murphy, sometimes you won't eat lunch in the cafeteria.  Sometimes, well, if you bring your lunch from home you'll get it from your backpack which you'll always have with you ...
Amalia:  Always, of course!
Baylor:  ... but if you get lunch from school you line up behind Mrs. Murphy.  Oh!  Mollie!  When you are in Mrs. Murphy's class you will bring your lunch to school!  Mommy, you better start making lunches the night before because you'll have to make TWO!!
Me:  (smiling)  Good idea, buddy.

(later on in the drive ...)
Amalia:  When I am in last grade, I will be a teenager.
Baylor:  The last grade is twelfth!
Amalia:  Yeah.
Baylor:  In twelfth grade you will be seventeen!
Amalia:  Yeah, and when you are seventeen and when you go to college, you look kind of like an adult but you are really still a kid.

(still later ...)
Baylor:  (excitedly)  Mollie, when I am in fourth grade I get to go through my second graduation!  I get to graduate from fourth grade!
Amalia:  (also excitedly)  Yes!  And then you will be a teenager!
Baylor:  No, I won't.
Amalia:  Yes, you will.
Baylor:  No, I won't.  Thirteen through nineteen ... that is a teenager.  When I am in fourth grade ...
Amalia:  (interrupting Baylor)  No, Baylor!  Don't tell me anymore!  I want to be surprised!
Baylor:  (taken aback at the very thought)  But I was just going to tell you ...
Amalia:  (in earnest but not upset)  No!  I want to be surprised!  I want to be surprised all the time.  And when I turn into a grown up, I will be surprised about that, too.  I will look at myself and say, "Hey, I'm a grown up!"
Baylor:  (persistently)  But I wanted to tell you ...
Amalia:  (firmly but kindly)  No, Baylor, I want to be surprised.






(for dinner: penne with red sauce, strawberries, bread, milk)
Me:  (as patiently as possible after repeating this phrase for nearly an hour)  Mollie, please eat.
Amalia:  (previously stoic, is now upset and whiny)  But, Mommy!  I don't want to get the sauce on my lips!  It will make them all messy!
Me:  (surprised at the turn in the conversation)  Mollie, look at my lips.  (pointed at lips)  See, I ate all my pasta and I didn't get messy.
Amalia:  (positively irate)  Mommy!  I don't want to look at your lips!  I don't want MY lips to get messy!
Me:  (giving up)  Okay.
Amalia:  (disgustedly)  Ugh!  That sauce is creeping me out!
(I couldn't help but laugh at that one.)




(also at dinner ...)
Baylor:  (to Mollie and me)  Do you know how angler fish get their food?
Me:  Actually, Baylor, I do!  They mesmerize other fish with their little light and then (makes a chomping motion with hands) they eat the littler fish.
Baylor:  (concerned)  But Nemo and Dory were faster than that, right?
Me:  (smiling)  Yup, they were, buddy.
Baylor:  They live in the midnight zone of the ocean, you know.  And there is not a lot of food down there.  (after thinking for a moment)  Actually, there IS a lot of food down there!  There are things that live in the vents.
Me:  (smiling at his knowledge)  Yup, that's right, buddy.  But I don't think the tiny little animals that live in the vents are what angler fish eat.  I think they eat bigger fish, but there aren't so many of those.  But that's why they've adapted to their environment.
Baylor:  What does "adapted" mean?
(spent a bit of time explaining adaptation/evolution)
Baylor:  Well, the angler fish could always go up to the sunlight level to find more food.
Me:  Actually, buddy, that probably wouldn't work.  First off, the angler fish has adapted to the darkness of the midnight zone so his eyes are very sensitive to any light; it would be way too light for him up in the sunlight zone.  Secondly, it is very cold that deep in the water, and he probably wouldn't survive in the warmer waters.  And thirdly, you know that water weighs a lot, right?  (Baylor nods.)  Well, the angler fish has adapted to all that pressure and likely wouldn't survive in an environment with much less pressure.
Baylor:  (after thinking for a brief moment)  Well, it is colder at night than it is in the daytime, right?
Me:  Yeah.
Baylor:  So he could come up in the nighttime so the water would be colder for him.  And if the water was kind of murky, then the moonlight ... because the moon will be shining into the water of the sunlight zone ... wouldn't show through and hurt his eyes.
Me:  (smiling)  Baylor, those are very good ideas.  You never know, I suppose.  But what about the pressure of the deep water?
Baylor:  (after thinking for a much longer moment)  Wellll, when the angler fish gets up to the sunlight zone in the middle of the night, the other smaller fish will see his light and come all around him and put a lot of pressure on him, just like in the midnight zone!
Me:  (smiling)  Well, there you go.

That's What They Said: Point Taken

(While Baylor and Mollie are playing owner and doggie, respectively ...)
Baylor:  Doggie, do you need to poop before we leave?
Bryson:  Why are we all of a sudden talking about poop?
Baylor:  Because we are playing doggie, and doggies poop everywhere.  Did you know that?


Amalia:  I am going to have a lemonade stand this summer.  Pink lemonade.  And it's all going to be just for ME!
Me:  Yeah?
Amalia:  Yup.  And when people come up and say, "Can I buy some lemonade?" I'll say, "Nope!  This pink lemonade is for ME.  But you can get some lemonade at my brother's lemonade stand.  His name is Baylor."



(Just after Baylor got in the car after school ...)
Baylor:  (struggling with something) Unhh.  Uhhhh.  Ah!  Wow, my pockets were hurting me all day!
Me:  What?
Baylor:  (wrestling with one pocket)  Ughh!  Got it!  I had this big rock in my pocket all day and it was killing me!  (wrestling with the other one) Ugghh!  There's the other one!
(both "rocks" were giant pieces of asphalt for his rock collection ... *sigh*)



Amalia:  Mommy, I want to go to Mars someday.  Can we go to Mars someday?
Me:  Well, honey, Mars is a really long ways away.
Amalia:  Well so is Chicago ...

That's What They Said: Honesty, Brutal and Otherwise

(I gave Baylor a kiss.)
Baylor:  Mommy, I am rubbing in that kiss.  (rubs cheek softly)  You know why I am rubbing it in?
Me: (smiling)  No, why?
Baylor:  I am rubbing it in because that kiss had love in it.
Me: (overwhelmed)  Aww!
Baylor:  See, and when I rub it in, the love gets stored!


(my mom, talking to Baylor about his walk-to-school experience ...)
Oma:  Baylor, when I was in school, we walked to school every day!  Can you believe that?
Baylor:  Why?  Because there weren't any cars yet?



Amalia: (crying while I'm driving)  Mommy, I want to see a dinosaur NOT at the museum!
Me: (slightly exasperated)  Like a REAL dinosaur?
Amalia: (cries harder)  Yeeeessss!
Me: (sighing)  Mollie, I'm sorry to tell you this, but dinosaurs aren't alive anymore.  They died a long time ago.  The ones we saw at the museum were just robots.
Amalia:  (surprisingly eases up on the tears)  They aren't around anymore?
Me:  Nope.  They died a long time ago, sweetie.
Amalia:  So were they around when you were a kid?
Me:  Um, no.

Walking From (and To) School!

Apparently yesterday, May 7th, was National Walk or Ride Your Bike to School day.  We were appraised of this well ahead of time and decided to do a test run, mainly to see how long it takes to walk to school, after school on Tuesday.  Amalia and I walked to school at a normal pace and found that it took about 25 minutes, about what I had expected.  We then picked up our little buddy and started the trek back.  Now, about halfway there, Mollie informed me that her legs hurt and she was getting tired, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to have to walk all the way back, the way back being nearly entirely uphill and all.  So, after a slow start, we stopped in the shade of a few pine trees and enjoyed some protein-packed snacks to get our energy back up for the trek.  

We made it home safe and sound, but they were completely worn out and basically vegged out on the couch until dinner.  Needless to say, I was a bit nervous about starting our day out that way the next morning.

Then Mother Nature, apparently sensing my concern, threw a huge thunder and lightning storm our way and "ruined" our plans to walk to school on the designated day.  Baylor was upset at first, but I think it worked out for the best.

Today, though, was perfect weather for a walk to school, so we slid on our sneakers, grabbed some water, and headed out a half an hour before school was supposed to start.  About halfway into our walk, Baylor let me know that he was, in fact, hungry.  I, uncharacteristically, did not bring any food, so I offered him some water and he was satisfied with it.

Along the way, I was reminded that my children have two speeds: mosey/saunter and run.  Since running was not an option - I wanted Baylor to have energy for the rest of the day and Mollie to have enough energy to at least make it back home - we moseyed our way to school.  I watch bunches of other families on bikes zooming by us, getting to school with plenty of time to spare, and I started getting more and more nervous that we would be late.

Imagine my surprise, then, when we got there early!  Not super early, mind you, but early nonetheless.  Baylor, not having gotten to school this early since fall, was hesitant to join the rest of the kids and we spent the last couple minutes before school chilling on the "secret" path.

After the bell rang and Baylor was cool with us walking him to the front of school, Mollie and I started walking home.  We met this little guy as we were walking, and he stared us down as long as he could before scampering off, scaring the crap out of Mollie in the process.

Mollie was pretty tired the rest of the day, but Baylor took the cake for sheer exhaustion by the time dinner rolled around; because the day had been so nice, the teachers decided to sneak in a couple extra recesses - he had FOUR in total - and he went all out in his swim lesson after school.  It was absolutely no wonder that he was irrational up through dinner and then relatively quiet after that.

I don't know how often we'll be walking to school, but it certainly was good exercise and I'm glad we gave it a try!

56 Years Young

Today is my mom's 56th birthday, but since my dad was going to be away for her actual birthday we celebrated with him over the weekend.  Mollie made a card for her Oma, complete with a scribbled "maze" on the front.

We gave her most of her gifts today on her actual birthday, but the kids wanted to give her their present on Saturday at the birthday celebration/Kentucky Derby party (it falls near my mom's birthday every year, so we usually incorporate the two if we can).  She was delighted to find they had picked out a garden angel, complete with pinwheel-style flower wings.

Right after my mom had foot surgery a few weeks ago, Baylor told her he was going to make her a crossword puzzle with 55 words - since she was 55 at the time.  Let me tell you, that is a lot of words.  But after a few weeks we finally had it, and I was able to work all the words into a massive crossword puzzle for her birthday.  The theme: What Makes Oma Happy/What Oma Loves.

Of course, we got to enjoy some of my sister's phenomenal baking, as we do nearly every time we get together.  My mom requested lemon meringue pie for her first special day (of two), and Christine pulled it off with flying colors.  It was tart and delicious.

Baylor, of course, ate the meringue off the top first, and quickly.

We had a great time celebrating my mom's birthday and watching the Kentucky Derby (Bryson's horse won), and it was nice to be able to celebrate the amazing woman my mom is.

Mom, thank you for all that you are and all that you do.  You are an exceptional role model and a beacon of love in our family.  I know that this birthday was different than others, but I hope you were able to enjoy it at least a bit and know that you have so many who love, care for, and appreciate who you are.  I love you!  Happy, happy birthday!

Little Robots

This morning Baylor got his hands on the box our new garbage disposal came in and decided he wanted to turn it into a robot costume for himself.  (On a side note, I didn't realize how momentous this was until I was actually typing it out ... Baylor has NEVER liked wearing costumes!)  So we made robot costumes!  I found a box for Mollie, albeit a much smaller one - sorry, sweetie, and we set to work.  I cut out the head and arm holes, and then later on I made all the little cutouts for them to glue to their robots.  (I would have let them do the cutouts, but they were busy cleaning up almost every toy and book they own, and we were pressed for time.)

After dinner, we finally got to assemble the robots.

Mollie's came out great, complete with buttons for stopping, going, dancing, and sleeping!

Baylor's came out wonderful as well, with buttons labeled "wings", "flight", "timer", and "fold in".  That last button, when "pushed", makes him draw in his arms and head and shrink down so he is entirely in the box, legs and all.  It's awesome!  He also glued wings to the back of his, which prompted Mollie to eventually glue wings to the back of hers as well.

My two sweet little robots!

That's What They Said: Feelings and Assumptions

(While reading a Superman chapter book ...)
Bryson:  (reading)  "Metallo opened his chest plate to reveal a chunk of glowing green rock."  "Glowing green rock" ... do you guys know what that is?
Amalia:  I think it's a sucker.



(While we were talking about our upcoming trip to Florida ...)
Baylor:  No, I don't want to go to the beach this time!
Bryson:  Aw!  Why, buddy?
Baylor:  (earnestly)  Crabs.



(While I was about to shut the door after retrieving the super-wet newspaper from the front porch ...)
Baylor:  No!  Wait!  Leave it open!  (smiling)  I want to feel the fresh air!  I want to feel the spring breeze!



Amalia:  Mommy, do you know why I dance funny when I have to pee?
Me:  Because you are trying to hold it in?
Amalia:  No.  That is part of my ballet!



(While reading our nightly Bedtime Math selection ...)
Bryson:  Okay, "Wee ones ..."
Amalia:  (excitedly)  That's me!
Bryson:  (smiling)  Yup.  "Wee ones: If you have a pet lizard because that's your favorite animal, how many shoes do you and he need altogether, assuming your lizards want to wear shoes?  Lizards have 4 feet."
Amalia:  Okay, so ... (beginning to count on her fingers) we'll need rain boots, sandals, sneakers ... hmm.


(At dinner, Baylor was rockin' a dapper little 'do as his hair has grown out a bit and I was able to sweep it off to the side after his bath.)
Amalia:  Baylor, your hair looks so handsome!
Baylor: Aw.
Me:  Awww!  Yes, it does, Mollie!
Amalia:  (sweetly)  Just like a little old man.