Another Birthday

8 years ago we brought you home. Our heart was now outside ourselves.

Every day you bring us so much joy.

We cannot believe how fast you grew.

With your little personality.

Full of life and happiness.

And you are the best big brother. How loving you are.

Each year that passes makes us love you more.

Sharing as you explore the world.

Growing into a big boy but always our baby. Our first baby.

Mommy thinks.. you're growing too fast.

We're soaking it all in...

But some days I want to rock you again. At least I can still pick you up!

We are so proud of the big boy you have become. You amaze us every day with your intelligence, your kindness, your silliness, and your love.

Chase you are SO big and you are 8 now!

But you will always be our baby! Always. We love you.

While we try to teach our children all about life, Our children teach us what life is all about.~Angela Schwindt

Sweet N Sassy

Here's the little lady with her big birthday present. She picked out Elizabeth from the American Girl store. It was our first trip to AG and undoubtedly not our last.

For the 4th birthday Ellie requested a princess party with make-up and no boys allowed. I stumbled on Sweet and Sassy salon for girls and decided it was a perfect fit. They answer the phone "how can I make your day sweeter?". It's just fun to call them!! Anyway... we booked the Princess Makeover party which included dress up, an up-do, glitter dusting on hairdo, clear make-up, nails, a crowning ceremony, and dance party. What more could a 4 year old girl ask for??



I thought not much more but the salon did call me back and ask if I wanted to add on limo service. Are you kidding!!! They are 4! Carseats and limos should not mix. I don't think she noticed the limo was missing.

Here she is getting her up-do...

She is loving this can't you tell?

Make-up and heart stamp on her cheek.

This looks professional doesn't it?

Nails!

With her princess friends Riley, Catie, and Delaney...

Making her grand entrance after being "crowned". Apparently not too shy!

With all her royal friends.

Dance party!

And then... enters her most glamorous guest... her fabulous barbie cake made by Aunt Mel. It was exquisite! Almost too pretty to eat but eat her we did. I have to admit I ate much more than my fair share of this barbie dress.

Full body view of her homemade barbie cake. Yes, Melissa did every swirl and placed each candy pearl herself! She is cake genius!

So sweet & sassy it was! I have to say I am loving my beautiful 4 year old. And I would love to freeze her at this stage forever. But I think I say this every year. Happy birthday to our sweetie pie!

Goodnight My 3 Year Old Baby

I just read you Knuffle Bunny and watched you fall asleep. You belly laughed when Knuffle Bunny was left at the laundromat. Then you tucked in Elizabeth your new "merican girl". You picked her out last night and there was no hesitation she was your baby. You took her to the restaurant and got her a booster seat. You made Chase babysit her when you went to the restroom.

You listened to our prayer tonight and told me you loved me and then you were out.

I watched you fall asleep and then couldn't make myself leave the room. I wanted to eat you up I love you so much. I thought I might wake you with too many kisses. This is your last night of being 3. How is this happening so fast?

I hope you know how much you are loved my sweet wonderful precious baby.

Tiny Dancer

If I talked to you about the tutu purchase, please forgive me. The website to order tutus has way too many color combinations and styles, with ribbon, without, lengths, etc. If you know me you know the choice was not simple. And when the custom tutu finally arrived I was not pleased at all by how short it was but alas there are no returns on custom tutu orders. Ellie instantly proclaimed it was "too little" and "don't fit me" when she opened it, most likely because there was also a new Disney Sleeping Beauty dress as an option for dress up. I finally got her into the ballerina get up yesterday afternoon and took a few pictures. Sometimes I like to pretend that I am a professional photographer and that I have talent. So I try really hard and use multiple settings and torture my kids. However it doesn't really look like she was tortured does it?

No, I believe she loves the camera and posing. So yesterday afternoon while Chase shunned me to play Wii with his new friend down the street and gave me evil looks when I tried to take their picture I changed subjects to the willing two year old.

Sometimes I need to put aside the laundry and dishes and monotonous picking up of things to the side. Stop and capture the moment. I don't do this often enough and before I know it.. poof it will be gone.

Stellar day

Before I start on the stellar day update I want to point out that there have been no entries since the pumpkins. So sorry and I have no excuse other than I've been busy. I think the only people that occasionally peek at this blog are relatives that don't get to see the kids and I am so sorry because so much has happened since Oct! Geez! They both grew 1.5 inches!

Anywho... last Thursday was a bright spot in Chase and Ellie's educational journey and I thought I might write about it...

First off, Ellie is now in school! Not preschool yet, that starts in the fall but she has started Kindermusic which is a once a week music class for 15 weeks. She is definitely ready! and so excited that she goes to school like Chase now (which he continually reminds her is not real school). Here she is on her first day of "school". Could she be any happier?


Then to top off our stellar day of educational firsts, Chase came bounding off the bus freaking out because he won a contest. What type of contest you ask? A writing contest! And he won a Spy toy which he is proudly displaying below.

His class was asked to write a sentence and he wrote 3! With proper spacing and pretty good spelling or at least sounding out! And the brilliant manuscript is below...
In case you can't decipher it, it says.. "I was with my Dad at his work. My Dad had to type for a long time. My Mom got me McDonald's." Pure genius!

Our Pumpkins

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. - Henry David Thoreau

A few pictures from our annual trip to Berry Patch Farms for some pumpkin picking, hayriding, and pie eating. I am learning. We went early in the season and were there when it opened. No nasty rotting and smashed pumpkins in the field the first weekend! Just the pick of the bunch. Here are a few pictures of our pumpkins with the pumpkins...