a bouncing birthday

I think I could sum up Rachel's birthday yesterday as "heaven" in her eyes. 

It started when she ran down the stairs at 6:00 AM (sooooooo excited!) and with cinnamon rolls for breakfast (her request). 

She was taking a birthday treat to school (Birthday Oreos--the ones they made for Oreo's 100th birthday that have sprinkles in the icing--also her request), so I drove her to school for the first time.  Who knew that Mommy taking you to school was such an exciting thing?  She talked non stop the whole way about how people would be so surprised that she wasn't on the bus and that she didn't have to get in the line of bus riders at the end of school because I would be picking her up, too (also her request--I would've rather had her ride the bus home because I was really busy getting her cupcakes ready, but she really wanted me to pick her up, and I decided that her birthday only comes once a year, so I indulged her, and picked her up).

While she was at school I worked the entire time on getting her cupcakes iced.  She wanted a rainbow of cupcakes with sprinkles, and I made the mistake of suggesting we make the cupcakes with rainbow layers, too, like I had seen online once, but had I known how time consuming it would be to make them, I never would've suggested it!  (I spent all afternoon on Easter making those layers!)

After we picked her up from school we (Rebecca, Grandma, Grandpa, and I) went out to lunch--for pizza, her request, again, even though we would be having pizza again at her party that night!  I didn't realize that when I agreed on pizza for lunch!

Grandma and Grandpa's birthday present to her was her first trip to Build-a-Bear Workshop, so we went there after lunch.  Oh. My. Goodness.  She was so thrilled with the whole process.  I really wish we had remembered the camera, because she was just giddy the whole time.  We talked her into this rainbow bear (because she wanted to make a Smurfette, but my mom really would've rather had her make a bear) and then found out that she was the very first person to make that bear, because they had just gotten them in!  She name her bear "Ella," and picked out her lovely tutu, shoes, tiara, wand, and bows on her ears.  She came home and played the rest of the afternoon with Ella and Lila, her pony that she had gotten for Easter from Grandma (Rachel's the one who named her Lila).

After a very brief rest time (and nap for Rebecca), it was time to get ready for the party. 

And she had a ball!

I won't put her friends' pictures on here, since I don't know how their parents would feel about that, but there were about 15 kids there and their parents.  It was a perfect size, and they all were completely worn out by the end, after all of their bouncing, running, sliding, and so forth.

The party hostess who worked there said this was the best behaved group she'd ever hosted!  That just made me smile.

Rebecca was really too little to enjoy all of the bounce houses, but her loving cousins, Ethan and Emma, took her into one of the houses a couple of times so she could enjoy it.

This is how she spent the rest of the party....walking around with balloons,

drinking from a cup (instead of a sippy cup--quite a novelty!),

and following around her big cousin, Emma, who she adores.

She also helped the party hostess push the cart into the party room....

After bouncing and a group picture, it was time for pizza and cupcakes.

And then presents.  She loved them all.

She was so, so excited about this birthday "throne."

On the way home from the party she was sad it was all over, but was really excited to play with all of her new things.  When we got home she opened her presents from us (largely unexciting, since much of it was stuff she needed, and not toys!). 

A tired but happy little six year old went to bed last night, cuddling with her new bear.  What a day!

All in all, I think it was a success. 

six

Dearest Birthday Girl,

You've been talking about this day since before you turned five!  Last year you wanted a birthday party with friends, and I told you that when you turned six you could have one.  So here we are!  It's finally the day!

In the fall you went to a birthday party for our neighbors at a bouncing place.  On the way home you asked me if you could have your birthday party there.  I told you that we would see, but you didn't stop talking about it for months.   So tonight you'll finally have your bouncing party with your friends and cousins, and I hope you LOVE it.  You invited your whole class, plus your cousins and some other friends....we're still waiting to see how many people come. (Some have RSVP'd, and I told some people that siblings could come....we could have quite a crowd on our hands!  But no matter who comes, I know you'll have a great time.)

This has been an exciting year for you....  first year of school, first year of Girl Scouts, first lost teeth (and four more are loose!)....  A year of lots of firsts!  You're learning to read and write, and get so excited when you read things all by yourself.  Several times a day you tell me, "Mommy, I know how to spell _______," and then you spell it for me, so proud!

At six years old you're still in love with playing dress up and princesses.  You love to pretend and I marvel at your imagination.  You love to dance in the family room in your princess dresses, watching yourself in the glass of the fireplace.  Your markers continually run dry because you love coloring and drawing so much.  Mostly you draw princesses, rainbows, and flowers.  Your room is littered with pages and pages of your drawings, and every so often I make you go through them and keep only your few favorites. 

Lately you've enjoyed playing outside again in the warm weather.  You play in the sandbox, pick leaves off of the bush (to make "gumbo," you tell me), pretend all kinds of things up in your clubhouse, and draw with chalk. 

Most of the time you love being a big sister to Rebecca.  You often just come up and give her a hug and a kiss for no reason.  You love going in her room in the morning when she wakes up, and Rebecca gets SO excited to see you when you walk in.  You like to boss her around, and you get annoyed with her, too, usually when she's bothering things you're trying to play with, but for the most part you love her and are a good big sister to her.

You're still the pickiest eater I know, and dinner times often result in tears (yours, mostly, but sometimes mine, too).  I'm really ready for you to outgrow this stage.  You also get really upset about certain things, like having your hair brushed when there are tangles in it, having Daddy or me try to touch your loose tooth (or anything else that hurts a little bit), or being woken up from a nap (you've finally given up your nap, which you were still taking almost every at day this time last year, but once in awhile, usually when you're sick, you still fall asleep during rest time, and when you get up you're usually crying and really whiny).

But you are also the sweetest girl I know (well, you and a certain sister of yours), and I am so proud and thankful that I get to be your mommy.  My favorite moments of the day are the first ones in the mornings when I sit on the couch with you on one knee and Rebecca on the other, all of us still waking up, and you both wanting to be close to Mommy.  Though sometimes I'd really love to have my own space, I know that these days of you sitting on my lap are numbered, so I savor them and love the times when you still want to be cuddled. 

You're scared to go to first grade next year.  Whenever it comes up, you get really sad, so I try not to mention it.  When I ask you why you're scared you tell me that it's because you're going to miss me too much.  It makes me cry just thinking about it, because you have no idea how much I'm going to miss you, being gone all day, instead of just in the mornings, but I know you're going to love it, once you get there and get used to it.  You're such a social little girl, and love riding the bus to school so you can talk to your friends.  I know that once you have lunch and recess time thrown into your day and more time to socialize, you'll be in heaven.

Six years sounds like a long time, but they've gone by in a flash.  I watched your birth video a few weeks ago for the first time in years, and watched myself cry tears of joy as I caught my first glimpse of you.  Today I cry more tears of joy, thinking about what a blessing you are to me, and how happy I am that you are my daughter.

I love you so, so much.  Enjoy this exciting day, sweet girl!

happy easter

Scenes from yesterday's (very chilly) egg hunt and today before church (trying to get Rebecca to sit still for a picture is quite a feat) ....

a new obsession

Rebecca is officially obsessed with The Wiggles.  It all started about a week ago, when Rachel was watching a show on Sprout, and The Wiggles came on after her show.  Rebecca liked it, and kept asking for more.  A few days later, Daddy got out an old Wiggles video we had for Rachel and put it in for Rebecca.  Rebecca sat for several minutes to watch it.  That's the longest she'd ever watched anything. 

Over the last week she's asked for it over and over and over.  I got a new one out of the library so we've alternated between them.  And each time she watches it (once per day for the last week, I guess), she'll sit still for a longer amount of time.  Today she lasted almost the entire video!

Most parents want to "unplug" their kids, and not have them watch as much TV, but since Rebecca hasn't been remotely interested in anything up until this point, I'm thrilled that she's finally interested enough in something to sit still so that I can get something else done for a little while! 

So tonight I dug Rachel's old Wiggles guitar out of the toys that are put away in the basement.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Rebecca went crazy over it.  She knew just how to hold it and danced while she played it--it's the cutest thing ever (I got it on video, and maybe one of these days I can put it on here). 

I tried to put her to bed tonight and she kept crying, "'tar?  'tar?" because she didn't want to go to bed.  She wanted to keep playing her guitar.  She finally gave up her crying and went to sleep, but I'm sure tomorrow morning she'll be much more interested in her 'tar than she is in whatever is in her Easter basket!!!

It'll be a busy blogging week next week....  There are Easter Egg Hunt pictures to post (from this morning), tomorrow's Easter pictures, and Rachel's birthday pictures (Monday is her birthday). Exciting times 'round our house!!

conversations

Rebecca's talking is ramping up even more lately.  You can actually sort of have a conversation with her now.  Here's one from earlier today:

Rebecca: "Mommy.....ahh done now."  (as she was finished eating lunch)
Mommy:  "Would you like to get down?"
R: "Des, peas." (yes please)
M: (I got her out of her booster seat.)
R: "Mommy....cars...me...minute."
M: "You'd like Mommy to play cars with you for a minute?"
R: "Des, peas."

So we played cars.....

Here's another recent conversation.

R: "Wawn Mower!" (she's currently obsessed with lawn mowers--I remember Rachel loving them at this age, too)
M: "Yes, I hear a lawn mower, too!"
R: "Dee it?"
M: "You want to see it?"
R: "Des, peas."
M: "I don't know where it is."
R: " 'ere'd go?" (Where'd it go?--with arms outstretched, palms up)
M: "I don't know."
R: "Mommy....died it."  (Find it)
M: (I finally saw the neighbor across the street bringing his lawn mower back to his garage, and he turned it off.)  "There's the lawn mower!  He's all done!"
R: "Mo wawn mower?"
M: "No more lawn mower.  He's all done now."
R: "Daddy....wawn mower....gahge....noise...times." (Daddy's lawn mower is in the garage.  It makes noise sometimes.)

She definitely finds a way to get her point across!  Sometimes I have to tell her that Mommy doesn't understand what she's saying, but most of the time, I can translate.  She's out of luck if I'm not around, though.  Daddy (and everyone else) has a harder time understanding her, though Grandma's pretty good at it when she spends a little bit of time with her.   

Sunday in the sandbox

It turned out to be a beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon.  We were cleaning the garage and getting the summer toys out of the basement.  This led to opening the sandbox.  I thought we were going to need to get new sand this year, but it turns out that after we took just the top layer of sand off, everything else underneath was fine.  I cleaned up the sand toys and the girls got to work.

This was Rebecca's first time in the sandbox.  She loved it (literally--here she is giving it a hug!).

She calls it Elmo (because of its red color and big, round, white eyes).

What a beautiful day!

spring break update

I don't have much to say, but here's what we've been up to:

--We enjoyed our several days at Grandma and Grandpa's.  It included a trip to the lake to throw rocks in (just like my brothers and I used to do when we were little), a trip to the children's science museum there, which Rachel loves, playing at the playground at the park (in the freezing wind), visiting with Great Grandpa, visiting with an old friend and her baby girl, and Rachel drawing lots and lots of pictures while sitting at Grandma's dining room table, listening to all of my old Disney records. 

--The trip also included lots of bad sleep.  The first night Rachel was up with a fever and I couldn't get back to sleep (that was the only fever she had with this sickness, though, so we got off easy!).  The next night I just couldn't sleep.  I've been having a lot of insomnia issues lately.  It stinks.  My kids already have trouble sleeping (Rebecca's back to waking up at 5:00 AM and then crying off and on until I get her up at 6:00), which makes sleep an issue for me, anyway, but when they DO sleep, I should be able to sleep, too.  It's really frustrating.

--My husband finished up 10+ years at his job on Wednesday.  The last several years have been just awful for him there, and he's been looking for another job for a long time.  For awhile we thought we might have to move to another part of the country for him to find something, but thankfully he was finally able to find something closer to home.  It's a 50 minute drive (one way), which stinks for our gas budget, but at least we don't have to move.  On Monday he starts his new position.  He was off yesterday and today for a couple of well deserved vacation days.  I don't tell him enough how proud and thankful I am for him for working so hard in a place he's hated for so long, just to provide for us, but I am.

--My birthday present from him was a night away.  It's tonight and I can't wait.  I told him I just want to sleep.  I don't really care what else we do, as long as I get to sleep without children waking me up.  Sadly, I could very well be stuck in a dark hotel room with insomnia, but I'll be armed with Tylenol PM (and a flashlight and a book, just in case), so I'm really hoping that doesn't happen.   We also plan to see a movie, enjoy some child-free, complaint-free meals, and explore some parts of our own city we've never visited.

--Rachel got her pictures taken yesterday (the spring school pictures weren't good, so we didn't order any, so I had her pictures taken at a studio yesterday for her birthday instead).  They weren't that great either.  Ugh.  Thankfully I had a great coupon and only ended up paying $6 for the pictures I did order!

spring (?) break

Since it's been feeling like the middle of July lately, it's hard to believe it's actually only spring break, but it is.  Rachel finished school today and is off until April 2. (Just as an aside, she's been asking for weeks how many more days it is until April, because of her upcoming birthday.  When she found out that school didn't start again until April, she was ecstatic, because she knows it'll be almost her birthday.)

Tomorrow morning the girls and I are headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house for several days.  Rachel's been talking about it all week, telling me the various things she plans to do there.  All day yesterday she said, "Tomorrow we have to pack up for Grandma's house, Mommy."  This morning before 6:30 AM she already had all of her necessities packed--a container of bubbles, Curious George, and a princess dress.  (!!)  

Tonight she asked me, "How many more hours is it until we go to Grandma's house?"

Some people take their kids to Disney World, or the beach, or some other fun, exciting destination for spring break.  All Rachel needs is her Grandma and Grandpa's house (and bubbles, Curious George, and a princess dress!).

Sadly, though, she is getting sick.  She's started her non-stop coughing, which always seems to be how her sicknesses start.  My husband has been sick this week, so I suppose that's where she got it.  We'll have to wait and see if Rebecca and I succumb.  Unfortunately, we'll be subjecting Grandma and Grandpa to our germs, too.  Hopefully it'll be something short-lived.

The weather is starting to turn here, though, and this week is likely to feel more like spring than the awesome summery weather we've been having.  Ordinarily I'd be thrilled by spring temps, but now that we've been spoiled with the 80s, the 60s will feel COLD!

showing off for Daddy

Today was spring picture day at school.  Rachel and I went shopping over the weekend for a dress--I had picked one out, but she didn't like it, so I took her with me to return it, and we picked one out together.  The ones she liked I didn't, and the ones I liked, she didn't.  So this dress was a compromise.

This morning when she put it on she was SO excited and couldn't stop looking at herself in the mirror, just thrilled with herself. 

When she came home I told her she needed to change her clothes before she ate lunch.  She didn't want to take it off and said, "But Daddy won't get to see how pretty I look today!"  I told her I'd take her picture so he could see.

So here she is (minus the sandals, which she had already taken off)....

And here's Rebecca, just because when I took Rachel's picture, she wanted her picture taken, too.  She wouldn't back up, so here's a close up of a sweaty Rebecca, after playing outside in this crazy-warm weather!

catching up

A couple of weeks ago Rachel had a day off of school.  I was looking for something fun to do, and I remembered the little hands on museum we visited over the summer.  We decided to try it out again and I'm just now getting around to uploading the pictures.

They had added something new to their children's area: an ice cream stand.  Both girls spent the majority of their time serving me ice cream (and making me pay for it so they could use the cash register).

I didn't take a lot of pictures because I spent most of the time following Rebecca, but it was a fun morning.

early birthday

I guess since Rebecca can't read the calendar yet, she decided to give me my birthday present a day early today.

-First, she slept until 6:55 this morning.  I don't think she's ever slept that late.  Rachel was up at 6:30, but she just hung out on my bed while I laid there with my eyes closed and talked to her, so I didn't actually have to get out of bed until 6:55.  It was great!

-We surprised Rachel by picking her up from school today, I let Rachel pick the park, and we went and had a picnic for lunch and played in the 75 degree sunshine (in March!  This weather is unbelievable!)!  Afterwards, I guess because we wore her out, Rebecca took a nap until almost 3:00 (usually she's up by 2:00 or 2:30, so this was a treat as well!).

Of course, the birthday gift ended with the hour-long cry fest we had to listen to at bedtime (she didn't want to go to bed--maybe because she took a long nap?), but it was still a good day.

Hopefully this sleep will carry through into my actual birthday tomorrow.

losing sleep

Not only did I lose an hour of sleep with the time change, but Rebecca must've learned to read a clock or something, because she's decided to wake up even earlier.  Instead of waking up at 6:00 or 6:30 like we thought she would (since it feels like her usual 5:00 or 5:30), she's waking up at 4:40 instead!  Makes sense, right?  Ugh.

The first day she actually did wake up at 6:00.  But the last two mornings it hasn't worked.  She was awake at 4:40, then again at 5:30, and then she woke up for good at 7:00 (I'll gladly take the 7:00, but why does she have to wake up at the earlier times?)

Rachel was up at 2:00 (this doesn't usually happen--she's not usually the problem), which woke me up, and then I couldn't get back to sleep.  So I was awake from 2:00 until almost 4:00.  Then Rebecca's shenanigans kept waking me up, so I didn't get much good sleep.

One of these days I suppose I'll sleep well again, but it sure seems like it's never going to happen. 

on eating

Eating has become a stressful thing.  I'm referring mainly to the girls' eating.  Rachel's always been a picky eater, but it just seems to get worse as she gets older.  Here are the foods Rachel will eat, usually without any complaints:

milk
hot dogs
mac and cheese
pizza
peanut butter sandwich (no jelly...eats this almost every single day for lunch)
chicken nuggets
french fries
potato chips
Doritos
Goldfish crackers
bologna
cheese
crackers
graham crackers
yogurt
applesauce
apples (no skin)
bananas
grapes
strawberries
cantaloupe
pasta w/ tomato sauce (no meat)
ravioli w/ tomato sauce
garlic bread
ice cream
cake
cookies
brownies
candy
cereal (cheerios, or anything sweet, which I rarely buy)
toast
scrambled eggs
pancakes
waffles
popcorn

Actually, now that I've listed them, it looks like a lot more than it really seems.  But notice that it's a lot of junk, and there really aren't many meals in that list (and NO vegetables!).  That's why meal time is such a battle.  Unless I make one of those meals on the list, I hear lots of complaints, and she sits at the table forever to eat her required three bites of each item on her plate.  We've tried giving her a time limit, we've tried making her sit there until it's done, we've tried punishments, we've tried everything we can think of.  It's still a battle.

I wonder sometimes how she stays alive with how little she eats every day.  It must be the vitamin she eats every morning (that's another story--there's only one brand of vitamins that she'll eat--I've tried different ones and she's so picky that only a certain kind will work--ugh).  Lately, though, she's been saying she's hungry all the time.  Growth spurt, perhaps?  But when I try to get her to eat more of whatever we ate for dinner, or something healthy, she won't eat it.  All she wants is junk/snacks, which I won't give her.  So she goes hungry.  I hate it--she's been in tears twice this week because she's hungry, but I won't let her eat what she wants to eat, and she won't eat what I've offered her to eat.  I don't want her to be hungry, but neither do I want her eating more junk.  I don't know what the answer is.

She's allowed to choose what she wants for breakfast (usually cheerios or toast, plus milk) and for lunch (almost always a peanut butter sandwich, sometimes bologna/cheese/crackers, plus fruit of some sort and milk).  Dinner is my choice, and that's when we battle.

And then there's Rebecca.  She's always been a really good eater.  The problem with Rebecca is that she wants to snack all day long and when we sit down for meals, she doesn't want to eat.  She'll eat most of the things we eat (though she'd really prefer most of the things on Rachel's list, she'll still eat many vegetables, meat, and fruit), but she doesn't like sitting in her high chair.  She'd rather wander around and eat, which I won't let her do.  Or at least sit there for a few minutes, enough time to eat a few bites, and then get down.  So she fusses.  So they're both fussing at mealtime, for one reason or another.

And then there's my husband.  He swears up and down that he's not picky.  In his defense, he will eat whatever I put in front of him, for the most part, but there really are very few foods that he enjoys (except sweets or seafood).  And I want him to enjoy what I feed him.  Anytime I try a new recipe (something I enjoy doing), he has to analyze it and know exactly what's in it.  Usually he doesn't like it.  He'll eat it, but he doesn't like it. 

So dinner time is high anxiety for me.  Do I try a new recipe to try and find something he enjoys?  (I've actually found a couple lately!) But whatever it is, Rachel will complain, and Rebecca will want down.  Sometimes I wonder why I bother.  All I need to do is slap a pizza, pasta, or pancakes on the table, and everyone is happy.  I could just alternate those meals and stop stressing (for a couple of weeks, anyway, until they'd get tired of it and start complaining again). 

I really like to cook, but I can't enjoy it, at least not at this phase of my life, because my audience is TERRIBLE. 

Just venting....there have been lots of battles lately and I'm just tired.

pigtails!

Rebecca's first pigtails!

I had a ponytail this morning (I don't, usually), and Rebecca was fascinated by it.  I finally asked her if she wanted some, too.  She said yes, so we gave it a try!

They're a little crooked, but what a cutie!

pjs

The day Rachel's been soooooooooooooo excited about is finally here--pajama day!

She has lots of cute PJs, but for some reason she wanted to wear this nightgown (with pants underneath).

And I did brush her hair, but it looks like she just got out of bed....I guess it's okay today, since she's in her PJs anyway!

funky

Today is "funky sock" day....for "Fox in Socks."

She took off her original funky socks because they were "too bumpy."  They actually were a little too big for her, so they were bunching up inside her shoes, thus creating "bumps."

These socks have Belle on them.  Not all that funky (the other ones had different colored stripes).

So here's a cute picture of Rachel instead.

She's soooooooooooooooooooooo excited for tomorrow's clothes. She's been talking about it ALL WEEK.

Any guesses as to what it is? (No fair guessing, Emily, I know you already know!)  :)