Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Dancing queen!

So, while we're talking about how April slipped away from me and I utterly failed at documenting my children...here's Anna-Kate's school ballet recital {hangs head in shame}. She did such a good job and we were so proud of her! My mom was able to come up and we had a yummy dinner at our favorite pizza place before getting to school. She looked beautiful in her dress and remembered all of her moves perfectly, even helping the little girl near her remember what to do. Very, very cute. They danced to Miley Cyrus' "Love That Lets Go". While I wasn't initially thrilled about her introduction to Miley, when I asked her about the song she said, "Oh, it's some Smiley girl song. What kind of crazy name is Smiley anyway?" Lol. Sure do love this girl!

Beautiful girl

They were butterflires. She danced so elegantly and the dress was perfect. :) 

Sweet friends...Annie, Natalie, AK and Marin

The kindergarten dancers.
Caroline, Alena, Marin, Anna-Kate, Sara Alden, Natalie, Rebecca, Annie, Marin

Her sweet buddy Adam came to support her and watch her perform. :) 

Mary Phillips and Anna-Kate



Monday, May 28, 2012

Showering the Caboose

So a million years ago, (back when April just wouldn't quit and it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other...blogging didn't happen) my sweet bestie, Leigh-Ann threw me a baby shower for the caboose. It was such a sweet time with friends and my mom celebrating and praying for our littlest son. I was blessed with diapers, wipes, and gift cards (to starbucks and a pedicure!). Such sweet, generous friends who were are so awesome to welcome with joy our fourth child!

Awesome spread: cinammon rolls, apples with caramel dip, breakfast casserole, bowl of fruit, and rice krispie treats dipped in chocolate. Clearly, she knows me well. 

A love language...sugar dipped in sugar.



As people began leaving my mom brilliantly remembered to get a group shot...minus about half of the attendees. Oops. :)
Lisa, Katie, Leigh-Ann, Mom, me, Laura and Sara.

My sweet friend who is more like the sister I never had. 

With my mom. Bad angle on me. O well. 

With the littlest attenders..Anna-Kate and Lydia.  

Anna-Kate was ecstatic to be able to attend her first shower. :) 



Sunday, May 27, 2012

Chapters ending...

Here's a quick rundown that I've had most morning and evening with my unborn babe, on why he can't join us in this world until June 1.

1. His sister's birthday is all the party planning I can handle mid-May.
2. By the same token, we already have a family birthday in May, he can take June.
3. I wanted to finish school and be able to attend all of Ryan and Anna-Kate's end of the year things (ballet recitals, soccer games/parties, field days, last day of school stuff etc).

Clearly, we have a good listener on our hands. :) While it still isn't June, the major milestone of school ending, has come and gone. And I now have a pre-K4 and a 1st grader on my hands! Completely boggles my mind how this is possible.

Anyway, Ryan's school ended a week before Anna-Kate's. We had a sweet little party with pizza and icecream sundaes for the kids, their closing program that night and then a family carnival the following morning. So fun, super cute, and just completely re-confirmed the decision we made to move him--precious school, precious director and just an all around good thing. So pleased. 


 They had a luau themed party, complete with soccer plates. :)



Ryan and Lydia



Jack on cloud 9 with his bowl of icecream, sprinkles, gummy bears and "treats" (m&m's which he normally only gets for going potty. Lol).


Ryan with his sweet teachers, Grace and Lori


Jack at the carnival the following morning. Both boys couldn't get over their luck that there was cotton candy. :)



In fact, Ryan couldn't be bothered to stop eating and smile. :)



After our hotdogs, chips, cookies, cotton candy, snow cones, and time on the bounce house, Ryan opted into some face painting. He convinced Ms. Lori to give him a pirate patch. Sad that I felt very cool for not telling him no. He looked like he'd been punched by that evening in the pool for his sisters' birthday party...



With his best buddy at school, (besides Lyd, of course) Graeme. So sad they won't be together next year. Graeme is joining his sister at her school for pre-k. 

In the new format of blogger, I haven't figured out how to move pictures that are uploaded out of order...so these shall remain out of order. :) The Thursday evening show.


 Ryan and Lyd waiting to go on stage.



I love the intensity with which Ryan is pointing to his eyes. Lol.


Smiling and singing...love it.


The following week was Anna-Kate's big week! She had field day on Wednesday followed by a very sweet and special last day of school (chapel and a small party in her class). 


Yep, I got her to wear shorts. We "girled" it up with a pink accented hat and bows on the shoulders to try and keep the humongous shirt on. :) 


Haley, Marin, Anna-Kate and Natalie. So blessed with sweet little girls in her class. :)

 with Grace


Her TA, Mrs. Byrd and teacher, Miss Miller. Such a blessing they were this year. In addition to teaching the kids all of the academics, they helped bring my sweet girl out of her shell, make her comfortable being away from me all day, and frankly, helped me be OK with them having my girl all day. No small feat. :)

The kids stood and recited the whole of Psalm 8 for the parents--complete with energy and hand motions. It was awesome! After, Miss Miller handed out awards to the kids for various character traits, creativity etc. Anna-Kate was given the character award for "her over abounding love, joy and servants heart." I was so proud to hear these words!



To celebrate the end of school we went with our friends to Costco for some pizza (though Anna-Kate opted out, still "not liking sauce"...and got a smoothie) and then to Chuckee Cheese for some game time. Again, sad that I felt like such a rock star Mama for this little gesture. :)




"Ride Seh-dee?" These two are so sweet together and Jack just talks about Sadie all the time. :) 




Thursday, May 24, 2012

My girl turns 6, gulp.

I had a mother-fail this year. Ryan's end of the year carnival was on Anna-Kate's actual birthday. He couldn't attend without me, and I so hated for him to miss it. So, I took her cookie cake (her request) the day before her birthday and we celebrated the last day of her being five. :) She seemed to roll with it pretty well. I told her this way we spaced out the sugar...Friday is icecream day at school (her actual birthday) and it was also her party day. She seemed OK with it. God love her!


Morning of her real birthday. She said, "Mama, do I look bigger now that I'm six? I feel taller!"

She has been begging for a sewing machine for almost two years. We saw one at Hobby Lobby and she saw that it said "ages 6 and up" so then changed to, "when I turn 6 I want a sewing machine" (such a first born rule follower...lol). She was beyond ecstatic to open her gift, and I was thrilled to find it at Ross for $11.99. :) Sewing lessons/pictures to follow.


This year she decided she wanted a luau. If you follow me on facebook/remember back to our creative differences, you'll see it's been a long road of planning. :) We had a great time and other than me running a bit late and the alarm at the clubhouse going off for 35 minutes (thus I couldn't get in to decorate etc...) it went off without a hitch! She loved it. :) Her cupcakes for the party.


Close up of the cupcakes. Brown sugar "sand" and piped on swimsuits for the bears (I mean, they couldn't just be naked!). :)



Food table. The pool is out behind this and the covered area is where we did dessert (cupcakes, cake, those nasty frozen sticks of sugar/dye/water--which the kids loved and was super easy, just sayin'. We served "Hawaiian fare" (ham on sister schubert rolls, cherries, pineapple, oranges, bananas, cheetos, and lays potato chips). There was strawberry lemonade to drink. (party fail #2 was forgetting the diet dr. pepper for the adults. Oops. Sorry, parents). The kids swam most of the time, but I also had a little craft for them to do as well--I painted picture frames--hot pink for the girls, turquoise for the 2 boys in attendance--and had sea shells for them to glue (with hot glue assistance) on to it. I'm emailing pictures of Anna-Kate with her friends to go in the frame. They seemed to enjoy that. Sadly, no pictures. ;)



Birthday girls had a special request...cherries and pineapple (though she later told me, "I like pineapple, but I really ordered it for my friends because they really love it." Yes, she said, "ordered it".)



The "Hawaiian luau princess" and my first attempt at a doll cake. I was pretty pleased and happy with what our lei from the Polynesian did to compliment the bottom. :) BTW, six candles is waaay too many!



A few of the party goers--Sara Alden, Marin, Grace, Anna-Kate and Haley. She has been so blessed with some precious little girls in her kindergarten class!


She LOVED her cake! By request she asked that everyone eat cupcakes at her party so we would have cake to bring home to have later. Lol. Smart girl.



It's OK that it took about 4 breaths to get those candles out. :)



Jack was in hog-heaven with his cupcake and popsicle.



It was really fun watching her open her gifts this year and take the time/be able to really read the cards. :)


Not a stellar picture, but the best we got. :)


Birthday girl with her awesome daddy!


Me with my precious girl. I sure do you love, Anna-Kate!



My mom and Anna-Kate share a birthday, so we always have to get a "birthday girl" picture! :)


She soooo loved having her Nana and Poppy there to celebrate with her!


Ryan wanted in on the pictures too (Jack, sadly, wanted nothing to do with it, and as it was 8:30 and bedtime is 7:30, I didn't press the issue). :)