october: baptism and halloween

October was busy, but by far the best part of the whole month was A’s baptism. I took her to her interview on a Tuesday night (I only got to stay for part of it due to a very small, very loud and rambunctious person who cannot sit still). The bishop and she talked for a long while about the covenants she would be making and what it meant. I really appreciated that he took some much time talking to her, explaining and listening and teaching. It was a really meaningful experience and she was so excited.

Then on Saturday, she was baptized! Starting was a bit rough. We just changed wards and I gave everyone the wrong address. So we started a bit late but other than that, the day was perfect. It means so much to have family and friends there and it was such a sweet experience. Aunt A played the piano and Aunt S led the music. Prayers were given by our good friends and honorary Uncle JoJo and Godfather. We sang her favorite songs, I Feel My Savior’s Love and Teach Me to Walk in the Light. Grammy gave a talk on baptism, the covenants being made and the Baptism Bear was a big hit, representing the 3 “bears” of baptism (bear the name of Christ, bear one another’s burdens, bear your testimony), especially the gummy bears she shared afterwards. She was baptized by her Daddy (witnessed by Uncle C and Papa). I love his voice and she was simply beaming. After her baptism the program continued with remarks from the Primary Presidency and A played the piano, “When I Am Baptized” and had her sisters sing. Auntie L gave a talk on the Holy Ghost and what stood out most to A was the way the Spirit can speak and guide us in so many different ways. She was confirmed by her Daddy and from where I was sitting, I could see her sweet face between the men surrounding her. She is so beautiful and looked so happy. She was elegant and poised and so ready for this very grown up decision. After the program we gathered at our house and turned the kids loose to play with cousins and friends. We had cupcakes and fruit and cookies (all at A’s request) and Grammy had made adorable rainbow suckers. The kids had a great time playing cops and robbers, Simon Says and other backyard games.

The next day, the bishop welcomed her as the newest member of the ward and she bore her testimony from the pulpit, sweet and sincere. Even L and I joined, it was such a powerful day. E wanted to go up and bear her testimony but she was feeling too shy and literally crumpled at the last minute. She was so disappointed later and adorably said that she will be so much braver after she gets baptized and the Holy Ghost will help her.

Most of the month was swept up in the busyness of fall. The girls are doing great in school and finished first term. Their grades are fantastic, all above level in everything. But apparently have been late far more often than I knew. It was a disappointing surprise and something we’re working on. They love riding their bikes to school everyday but often get distracted with friends and forget to make it into their classroom on time.

Piano is going great, their teacher gave them all a very specific practice challenge and rewards them each week if they meet the challenge. We haven’t always meet the goal but especially E is so motivated and sticks with her daily practice because of this challenge. She has the hardest time, getting discouraged or frustrated easily but I am so in awe of all of them. L plays so beautifully and musically and long surpassed my skills. A has natural talent and it comes very easily to her. She gets her required practice over with as fast as she can so she can improvise, that’s really her favorite. And E impresses me so much, she’s so much younger and yet keeping up just fine. She’s very hard on herself but doing so well! L still favors the ballads, A favors the jazz and E loves anything that is not a 1:3 ratio!

And dance! Dance has been particularly exciting, the girls are loving their classes and even at home like to show off to each other. We spend every Saturday at Nutcracker rehearsal and L has started working on her duet. L’s schedule changed a bit, moving her from level 2 to level 3 classes where she can be better challenged. Our life is very very busy but very very good and they are loving it.

For fall break the girls spend the first day being lazy! They embraced it as their “day off”. We slept in, watched movies, played the wii, invited friends over and just played. No chores, appointments, classes or commitments. And half of Friday. But then Daddy came home and we went on a family adventure. We had planned to go to Cornbelly’s but it was so cold and windy that we had to change plans. We went to the Museum of Curiosity and spent 8 hours exploring and playing. The kids especially loved kidopolis and spent hours in the bank, the lego room, the library and the puppet theatre. Z loved the toddler play areas and couldn’t get enough. The hit of the day though was the ropes course! Daddy took the three girls to conquer the ropes course and L went right after it, loving every minute. A and E took their time, having to be walked through some of the challenges by a very patient friend they made on staff. They all raved about the experience and have begged to go back.

And then Saturday we went to a Halloween party at a friend’s house. L was the oldest one there, it was lots of little kids, lots of noise and chaos and they loved it. Fun food, great decorations, cute games, the kids had a blast. We dressed up as a family. The girls came up with the idea and it was fantastic. Z was Peter Pan! He didn’t love his hat but loved his toy dagger. E was Tinkerbell, sweet and sassy. A was Wendy, perhaps not as demure as her character since this kid is always bouncing off the walls but adorable and loving her super comfy nightgown. L was Pan’s shadow (so creative!) Husband was Hook and I was Smee!

We also wore our family costume to the ward party. It was a soup potluck at the wardhouse pavilion, followed by a trunk or treat. That was a huge hit, the kids loved it. L did one lap and then hung out with me at the car while the others bounced around with friends and showing off baby Z.

And then Halloween arrived! The kids picked out different costumes to wear to school since we wouldn’t be together. They agonized over costume choices until finding last year’ dance costumes. L wore her flame costume with devil ears, E donned her peacock costume and the eagerly put Z into the monkey suit. A really wanted to be a rockstar and went through several costumes before wearing the bride costume. She was much happier about it when I loaned her the jeweled hairpiece I wore for my wedding. They raced off to school for parties. I helped out at A’s party first, bringing our popcorn machine which was declared awesome by all the kids. We watched the kindergarten costume parade and helped out at E’s Halloween class party too. In between, Z and I played on the playground happily chasing a football with his cute monkey tail swinging behind him. After school I scooped up all the kids and we went to Lee’s Market for their Halloween event. The kids got to trick or treat at different stands collecting an apple, chocolate milk, cheese, snacks and treat. We did the spook alley, which unfortunately was too intense for E (and A but she hid it much better) and then finally got home for Z’s much needed nap.

The girls lounged for a Halloween movie and required quiet time before we ramped up again. Daddy came home to play with a grumpy Z while I took the girls out for trick or treating! They donned new costumes again (L was a racecar driver, A a rockstar and E was Snow White) and took off.  We quickly ran into some of L’s friends so she headed out with them, ready to go much faster than the younger kids could keep up. Then we ran into E’s best friend and her family, who offered to take her along for awhile. So each of the girls were ecstatic to be trick or treating with friends and I loved that they got to go a pace best for them rather than me struggling to keep them at the same pace. We met for soup at a neighbor’s house, did more houses than we have ever done before, ate way too much candy and ran themselves completely out of energy and into bed. Meanwhile Z spent the evening having a great time with dad. He loved answering the door and then stealing suckers from the bucket. They played with remote control jeeps in between visitors and he cried when I took his costume off for bed. (he loves his big monkey belly and was proudly patting it all night, unfortunately he sleeps too hot to wear it to bed)

One for one more fantastic October adventure, husband and I went canyoneering! We left the girls' with Grandpa (first time and they had a blast!) and Z with a best friend (who has a daughter only a month older and already promised in marriage). We left Wednesday evening and arrived super late at our camp site. But Lucy, our trusty Pilot and pretty much the best vehicle ever, doubled as our camp for the night. With all the seats flat and a futon mattress, it was pretty comfy! We got a few hours of sleep and then husband bounced out of bed to make breakfast and do stuff. I don't actually know what they did because I slept another hour. We joined husband's brother, his wife and one of their good friends and the 5 of us conquered the Subway! The hike in started out pretty leisurely and had such incredible views. As we began our descent into the canyon, the hike included more scrambling, short rapells and soon, a jump into a pool of glacier cold water. So, so grateful for full length wetsuits. We were in and out of the water, scrambling over rocks and up and down obstacles. It was fantastic. Cold, but fantastic and so much fun. The views were beautiful and we found that classic subway view, with the rocks elegantly and boldly twisting up, cradling us into its beautiful red cliffs. We took a last rapell into the water and emerged out of the subway into a perfect picnic spot (dining on delicious wraps they brought), and eventually made our way back up the canyon. We had dinner at a bbq joint in Springdale before we headed home. A quick trip but so much fun and can't wait to do it again.

Up next: November.

milestones 9.5, 8, 6, 1.5

L, 9.5 years old

Favorite color: teal

Favorite food: asparagus, sushi, turkey legs

Favorite treat: cheesecake, lollipops

Favorite movie/show: Once Upon a Time, Daddy Daycare

Favorite song/band: L2M, Taylor Swift, Rachel Platten, 5^th Harmony

Favorite book: Secret series

Favorite activities: reading, dance, playing with friends, drawing

Favorite toys: tablet

Favorite animal: tigers, butterflies

Favorite place to go: Tarahumara, Children’s Museum, Planetarium

Favorite/Dream vacation: Hawaii, Peru

What I want to be when I grow up: teacher or a pilot

I dream about: the perfect world

I worry about: my family

I’m good at: dance, reading, piano, sharing

I want to be better at: dancing, piano, gymnastics

Someday I want to: aerial and backhandspring

I’m thankful for: my family, my Heaven Father

I like it best when: I’m dancing, reading or with my family

From mom: My super sweet, tender hearted, sweet toothed, eager to grow up girl. She’s balancing the world of being a kid and quickly becoming a “tween”. She loves to watch chick flicks with me, she’s acting more and more grown up (both good and bad) and her tastes in music and fashion are maturing so fast. It is so fun and so exciting to share these adventures with her. I love shopping with her, hearing about her day, teasing her about her crush and more. I share her anticipations and her heartbreaks.  She has such as strong sense of fairness and equality and she wears her heart on her sleeve: she cries easily, offends easily, but forgives easily. Her week is packed with dance classes, she’s always eager to go be with her dance friends and lose herself in the music. She has much less enthusiasm for practicing piano but she has long surpassed my skill level and I love listening to her play. We love to share a treat and talk after a busy day. Her sisters can still occasionally talk her into playing dolls but she would much rather spend her time reading or hanging out with friends. I’m not sure I was ready for her grow up so fast but I love all the new adventures, the humor and excitement and activities. She’s so much fun and I’m so excited to see what comes next.

A, 8 years old

Favorite color: all of them

Favorite food: pasta, sushi, soup

Favorite treat: moose tracks ice cream, twix, smarties

Favorite movie/show: Once Upon A Time, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, Narnia

Favorite song/band: L2M, Rachel Platten, Taylor

Favorite book: Magic of the Rainbow, Friend’s Forever Jasmine’s Big Idea

Favorite activities: art, karate, gymnastics, playing with friends, dragon training

Favorite toys: Mittens & Ava (stuffed cats), hatchimals, Dana (stuffed dragon)

Favorite animal: cats, dragons, dolphins

Favorite place to go: to eat sushi, bowling, the pool

Favorite/Dream vacation: Hawaii, Legoland

What I want to be when I grow up: veterinarian

I dream about: dragons, being a master ninja

I worry about: losing my dragons

I’m good at: swimming, writing stories, piano improvisation

I want to be better at: backflips

Someday I want to: own a dragon shop

I’m thankful for: my dragons and my mom, getting to come to Earth

I like it best when: I get to play with my friends, or I’m at school

From mom: This girl is racing into the world with plenty of imagination, energy and enthusiasm. She is so happy and feisty and creative, I love everything about her. She does everything with such fire and is always the ringleader, whether its playing dolls with her sisters, rounding up cousins to play backyard games or leading dragon training during recess. She loves to play with her friends, making me grateful for our fantastic neighborhood where she has lots of playmates. And she has taken to piano like fish to water. She knocks out her required playlist as quickly as possibly as her favorite is improvisation. She disappears multiple times a day to go play and create her own music. Karate has really helped to harness her focus and while not taking art lessons anymore, she still loves to create. She’s constantly gathering boxes and random bits for her next project. Her creativity extends into her wardrobe as my little fashionista and she loves to make bold fun choices in her appearance. She loves to help with Z and always has the best attitude when it comes to doing chores or helping me.

E, 6 years old

Favorite color: blue, purple, pink

Favorite food: ramen, mac n cheese, chicken pot pies

Favorite treat: m&ms, raspberry lemon sherbert, moose tracks ice cream

Favorite movie/show: Cinderella, My Little Pony and maybe Wizard of Oz

Favorite song/band: me!

Favorite book: Amelia Bedelia, Dr. Suess

Favorite activities: play with my family, watch movies

Favorite toys: Penny, Prince and Ruby (my panda family), Cinderella doll, Barbie house

Favorite animal: panda

Favorite place to go: the zoo, Grammy’s house, Snow White forest (fav camping spot)

Favorite/Dream vacation: Hawaii, China

What I want to be when I grow up: panda trainer

I dream about: pandas, mom & dad

I worry about: losing my family, not getting along with kids at school

I’m good at: making mommy happy, giving hugs, playing games

I want to be better at: dance

Someday I want to: see a real panda

I’m thankful for: my family

I like it best when: being at home

From mom: This precious little imp has completely stolen my heart. She gives the best snuggles and intuitively knows when I need her to cheer me up. She’s loves to cuddle and still sneaks into my bed nights when Daddy isn’t home. She’s super stubborn and feisty, she knows how to dig her heels in and insist on what she wants. Or on the flip side, she can be completely charming and talk her way out of anything. I’m a totally sucker for those big blue eyes and sweet stories. She has a fantastic memory, despite being much younger than the rest of the piano students, she learns easily and is able to keep up. She gets frustrated quickly but always comes back around, not wanting to give up. She’s forgiving and sweet and so eager to help. She is very expressive and creative. She loves to draw, put on shows and tell long rambling stories. She loves baby Z and fawns over him, often being too helpful. In fact she is often the instigator and prompts the mischief or misbehaviors at our house. She loves school and talks endlessly about her classmates and projects. Her favorite day is Tuesday, when she gets to go to dance and she asks all week long anticipating the day. She is so happy and expressive, and makes everything so much more fun.

Z, 1.5 years old (according to the girls)

Favorite color: blue, green

Favorite food: asparagus, string cheese, bananas, oatmeal, cheerios, broccoli

Favorite treat: ice cream, dumdum suckers, fruit snacks, marshmallows

Favorite movie/show: Mickey

Favorite song/band: everything, he loves to dance!

Favorite book: baby book (a board book meant to teach vocabulary)

Favorite activities: wrestling, driving his little coop car, eating

Favorite toys: blocks, cars, balls

Favorite animal: dog, cat, elephant

Favorite place to go: his crib, Sportsman’s to see the animals with Dad, the gym smoothie bar, Grammy’s house

Favorite/Dream vacation: Hawaii, Washington DC

What I want to be when I grow up: basketball player, a daddy, doctor

I dream about: trucks, daddy

I worry about: can’t find binky or bedtime bear

I’m good at: smiles, hugs, wrestling, dancing

I want to be better at: talking

Someday I want to: climb Mt Everest

I’m thankful for: truck blanket, binky, bedtime bear, mom and dad and sisters

I like it best when: when daddy comes home

From mom: Among a long list of nicknames, Z is our dessert. After having the three girls so close together, having baby Z has been such a sweet experience. He is SO fun and sweet and charming. I am head over heels, absolutely smitten with this kid. I’m his third favorite person (after daddy and papa) and still, I could not love him more. He gives the best hugs. More huggy than even the girls at this age, he swings his arms back and races over to wrap me in a hug. And then releases, swings his arms back again and races to the next person. Sometimes even just between two people over and over. He is also generous with his kisses, especially if he sees me kiss daddy, he has to give one too. My favorite snuggles are when he is tired. He wants me to scoop him up and then he snuggles into my shoulder with one arm wrapped around my neck fiercely. He whispers “night night”, over and over as I carry him to his room. He dives into his crib, gathers up him blankets and immediately rolls on top of them and hugs them like a pillow. He sleeps through the night most of time, sometimes needing a dose of tylonel for teething or a  soothing pat on the back on a rough night but rarely needing to be cuddled, and absolutely refusing to sleep in our bed. He takes only one nap a day and spends the rest of the time racing around full speed. He follows sisters as much as possible and has already mastered the art of provoking them, stealing a favorite toy or hiding an item from him. He loves his blocks and his books, as well as cars and balls. He also loves Mickey! He will watch a few minutes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse but doesn’t sit still for long. He loves music and will immediately dance and insist I dance with him. His vocabulary includes mama, dada, papa, sister, eat, ball, book, night night, go, out, up, cat, dog, (always said overprounced and with great enthusiasm!), up, apple, uh oh, stop it, cheerio and no. He’s totally fearless; he loves to climb (bookcases and tables included) and loves to roughhouse (most especially with daddy who throws him highest). He thinks sneezing is hilarious and insists on climbing into the shower, regardless of whoever is in it and whatever clothes he might still be wearing. When he hears the garage open, he goes racing and squealing to find daddy.

summer 2017

Time to play catch up. The good news is that I take a lot of pictures. And that every Sunday, the girls write or dictate journal entries. Some weeks they enjoy it more than others. But we’re trying. And now for our summer in a nutshell…

June was a big blur of camps and lessons and playdates and adventures. I’m rather ashamed I’ve taken so long to record it because I’m doubtlessly missing so much detail I wish I could remember.

We kicked off summer with the annual family party campout with my parents, siblings and cousins from my dad’s side. This year’s theme was Knights of the Round table! The scrolled invitation with clever language hung on our fridge for weeks with the girls exclaiming over it regularly. We arrived and set up camp on Friday night, just in time for s’mores (I never miss s’mores!). Then on Saturday, we had a fun filled day with so many great activities. I’m glad we took a billion pictures to help the girls remember. We did jousting and archery. We built Popsicle stick catapults and painted wooded shields and designed milk jug helmets. We decorated drinking goblets with fancy crystals and did games and challenges as part of our knight training and ate tons of delicious food. We divided into two teams and decorated giant cardboard castles. Then, protected by our castles, we waged war with slingshots and marshmallows dipped in powdered sugar. And then in victory, feasted on the cupcake dragon I had brought. The entire day was amazing and everyone had such a great day. Even the men, who were by far most covered in powdered sugar from the epic battle.

Husband’s family came for a weekend visit and the girls had a great time. They had a tea party with little lemon cakes and brownie bites. They played dress up and played at the park. We got out all the summer backyard toys and filled the kiddie pool and water table much to their delight.

We celebrated Father’s Day and my mom’s birthday all in one. Grandpa ended up being out of town for work and my mom had just gotten out of the hospital with pneumonia so it was a mostly quiet celebration but with a very cool amethyst geode cake.

Husband, Z and I slipped away for a quick adventure weekend in Washington DC with kid sister. Z was happy and delightful and charmed literally every person he met. He loved riding the metro and insisted on getting his very own sunglasses. The first day we explored the botanical garden (my favorite was the orchids room) and Native American Smithsonian (where mostly we just ate lunch). We stopped for ice cream at a food truck, finding the most creative (and delicious!) flavors I’ve ever seen (like machata, honey buttermilk strawberry, spice cake, southern maple cornbread, ginger, peppermint chip, etc.). So, so good. Then we spent the afternoon at Ford’s Theatre. The employee giving the presentation was a great storyteller, very knowledgeable and needed no fancy tricks or theatre gimmicks. It was a great experience, followed by a visit to the boardinghouse across the street, where a self guided tour took us through a somber experience. Husband later surprised me with a souvenir from the gift shop, a new tea towel with Lincoln’s favorite cake recipe. And then for dinner, we got to go see some longtime friends that moved away a few years ago. We met them for dinner, feasting on delicious Indian food and lingering over conversation, catching up and remembering why I love them so much! The next day kid sister and I took Z (husband and grandpa were working) to the Natural History museum.  I loved the precious gem exhibit and butterfly room but baby Z absolutely lit up seeing the triceratops and again at the elephant. He cracks me up! In fact, we couldn’t even get a good picture with the dinos because he couldn’t tear his eyes away from them. We bought sisters some souvenirs and then visited kidsister’s office to show off the boy and meet her coworkers. Most of them ended up being out of the office when we stopped by, so we took pictures of Z working at their desks instead. And then our afternoon was fantastic! Husband had been meeting with Seantor Hatch’s office all morning and arranged a capitol tour for us! We got to explore the beautiful building with lots of inside information and little known details. While riding the underground tram, we saw Senator Bernie Sanders! I loved the room of statues and even Z was partial to his friend Brigham Young. Best of all, we got to go see the office of Senate Pro Tempor (currently Senator Hatch) and Z had a great time playing at his desk! We hurried back to the hotel where we settled Z in for the night with kidsister’s roommate as a babysitter (he fell asleep within an hour, silly boy) and we went to a U2 concert! The music was amazing, the energy was incredible and it was such a great experience. What a perfect night.

We hurried home from our DC trip to see the girls’ show! They had been attending a two week drama boot camp and preparing a performance of “The Greatest Birthday Party Ever”. L was cast as the lead, Charlie! A played Shadow, a character they created by splitting another role and it was perfect fit for her. And then E played Pim, charming and impish adorable, learning her lines even better than I hoped. (except for the first performance, forgetting her line “but what if I forget?” how appropriate!) Drama camp was a ton of fun, they made lots of friends and especially loved the cast party between shows. Watching especially L was a ton of fun, helping her learn her many lines and explore the delivery and gain confidence for her solos.

We spent a LOT of time swimming. A and E did swim lessons at the new city pool, and spent more time playing than learning and made me grateful for patient teachers. Plus we had summer passes to Seven Peaks water park, but with all the lessons and camps and trips and playdates, we didn’t use it much. We went once on a Saturday with Daddy, rather spontaneously and got to enjoy exploring all the features. As we were leaving we realized Stadium of Fire was that night, so we grabbed some dinner and found a great place to park and watch the fireworks.  Then we had another wonderfully long day there with friends a few weeks later. They shared their tubes with us so we got to explore more of the rides and such and the girls had a blast! They especially loved the tire swing (which despite its small size, I can really get going!) and the waterslides and wave pool.

Our fourth of July was fun, the day was mellow and spent playing with friends. Then we got to watch Grandpa perform with his singing partner at our favorite restaurant Tarahumara. It was very casual and the girls had plenty of space to dance and play and relax. After his set, we invited some friends over for dessert and fireworks. We set some off at our house and then just watched in awe at the over-the-top show my neighborhood puts on every year.

We attended a music festival that grandpa helped put together. It was mostly folk and blues and jazz and best of all, husband’s aunt was one of the featured artists! We got to wander a few booths (the girls went nuts over the tye dye stuff) and discovered a kids’ craft area (after which we could hardly drag the girls away) and loved lounging and listening to the amazing talent.

We also had a day long play date with my brother’s family at the Ogden Aquatics center. The kids loved the pool and slides and diving boards, but most especially any excuse to play with cousins. Z was especially charming, completely fascinated with a fire hydrant water feature. We spent the whole day playing and then picked up pizzas and veggies to eat at the park until it was dark. Then we settled in at the drive in! My girls LOVE the drive in and its always one of their very favorite summer adventures. We watched a minions movie (meh) and Cars 3 (yay!)

We spent a weekend at my grandma’s cabin. The kids were delighted to go play with cousins and created all kind of imagination games. Apparently one side of the cabin was Kittenlandia and the other side was Pandalandia. Our girls especially loved having all the dogs around and smothered them with hugs and kisses and “training” sessions. (one of the little dogs had markings similar to that of a panda and I thought E was seriously going to try to smuggle him home!) On Saturday we stumbled upon “Duck Creek Days”. We bought the kids all day wristbands and they wore themselves out on inflatable obstacle courses and bounce houses and such. We explored the booths and ate treats and had a great day. On Sunday, I introduced the girls to the chest of dress up clothes that I used to play in and then enjoyed all the adorable fashion shows. Z tolerates the long drive okay. He won’t sleep very much but we’ve found he does love books and pull and peel twizzlers to play with.

Our Pioneer Day was a little quieter this year. Husband had to be out of town for work so the kids and I went exploring. We checked out the Charleston Fair getting some food and listening to music.  The girls couldn’t resist one of the booths though and they got to hunt for gemstones like panning for gold.  We watched the little parade and then went to a friend’s house for a bbq and great view of the city fireworks.

We spent a day at Cherry Hill with Grammy and Papa. We came up the night before to camp with them in their trailer. Then on Saturday, the girls and Daddy tackled the waterslides while E, Z and I took in more casually in the camp pool with Grammy and Papa. We had lunch together at our favorite Hawaiian food place nearby and frozen yogurt shop for dessert. But then we had to hurry off to a family reunion dinner. I didn’t know very many people there since it was extended family. But mostly I just chased kids anyway, while husband took over cooking the meat. Z found a yard decoration, a poka dotted chicken, and fell in love with it! He carried it around and hugged it and pet it all evening. The girls scattered to find kids their age and then joined in to the fashion parade, modeling dresses made by the grandma and greatgrandma of the family.

L got to participate in the Fair Days parade. She rode on the float with the dance studio waving and cheering. A decided to set up a drink stand and sold sodas to people waiting and watching the parade. Pretty brilliant!

Somewhere in the midst of our crazy summer, Z started walking! He walked for about a week back in May. Then went back to crawling. And just as abruptly, started walking again. And very quickly, he got faster and bolder and now he’s a mischievous stubborn little imp who has all of us wrapped around his finger. He is constantly getting into everything and refuses to be left out of any adventure. He is fearless and noisy and so ridiculously charming.

One of our favorite summer field trips was a day we spent at the Bean Museum on BYU campus. Each of the girls had a different scavenger hunt and that really kept their interested as we explored and searched for clues. They still laugh about the bear that growled and surprised them and the sneaky cougar that stole the honey! Or the two headed snake that creeped all of them out.

Husband gets full credit for our wonderful garden. Most days he comes home from work, scoops up the boy and they go outside to check on their garden.  Some of our plants didn’t do so well. But the zucchini and lemon cucumbers in particular, thrived and produced enough for the whole neighborhood. So we go on lots of “popsicle walks”, especially on Sunday evenings with lots of veggies to deliver as we go.

Once August started, L launched back into dance, taking various classes and workshops from 9 to 12 Monday-Thursday. The last week of summer was boot camp. She got to work with this year’s new team and embraced the idea of being one of the older girls, like a team captain or big sister and has helped create a lot of excitement and fun. During bootcamp, they add extra activities like an improv night, a movie night and the studio bbq. She came home glowing every time and is having such a blast. She and her best friend are the oldest on the team this year. I’m excited to have her be on Pack for a second year. She has advanced so quickly the past few years that we weren’t quite ready to jump to the next level yet. I’m hoping this will be a good year to build confidence and get the chance to be a leader on the team. Also, she and her best friend will be doing a duo for competition. They’re excited for any chance to get to spend more time together, for the added tumbling classes so they can incorporate more tricks and to dance to music they picked out. I love seeing their excitement and feel this individual coaching will likely be even more beneficial than if she was taking another class. I love the choreographer we’re working with and am so excited to see what she puts together for them.

The last weekend of the summer, before school started, was a whole lot of adventure all packed into one. Friday was my birthday. Husband made me crepes for a special birthday breakfast and then I got to each at the gym. Then the kids and I spent the afternoon lounging, cuddling and watching our favorite show. (I got them hooked on “Once Upon a Time”) One of my girlfriends brought over key lime tarts and lounged with us and it was a wonderful lazy afternoon. In the evening, we kicked off a family reunion dinner with husband’s mom’s extended family. We went to Olive Garden and then played at the park. (But yes, I got my birthday date night. Husband took me to meet my parents for dinner at Chili’s and then see Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat the week before. It was so good!)  The next day we continued family reunion fun at the annual lake day. With lots of little kids, we spent most of time playing in the sand and splashing in the water. The dads took the kids out on the kayaks and Husband took the girls exploring on the island while Z napped on me. It was a great afternoon with lots of family to play with.

The next day began our Idaho adventure. We drove up to join some of Husband’s dad’s extended family and stay at their house. Their girls found lots of kids their ages to play with and especially sweet was L spending time with Gram’s sister, asking to learn to crochet and sharing projects. We got to spend more time with husband’s dad and kid sister, taught the girls how to play pool, and I loved staying up late playing speed scrabble with his (second) cousins. On Monday, we watched the eclipse! The whole morning was spent in anticipation, having a big breakfast and watching the approach. We had a big picnic on the lawn and played lots of games. Husband’s aunt gave each of the girls a short riding lesson, not just led around the pasture but taught them enough to confidently ride and gallop and guide the horse. And the eclipse was incredible! I loved the vividness of color, the ring of light at totality, the way the shadows and the air and the animals around us changed. The drive home was long, with the added traffic we didn’t get the girls to bed until after midnight but fortunately, the anticipation of the first day of school was enough to get them out of bed despite their late night!

The school year kicked off with lots of energy and excitement. The girls are attending the brand new elementary school, three blocks from home and LOVE getting to ride their bikes. L has a male teacher for the first time and was very nervous about how strict he is according to rumors. But so far she’s loving all the science experiments and even joined an afterschool book club. A is doing great and her favorite part of school is recess with her friends. “the dragon crew” spends every recess training their dragons and in other imagination adventures. E was very mad that kindergarten didn’t start until a full week later. She was so ready and eager to go from day 1. She is in afternoon kindergarten, which makes our mornings a little easier, not having to rush her to get up and ready for school. And we love our walks together to school, usually with other friends in her class and then she comes home with her sisters. While she’s at school baby Z takes his nap and I’ve been able to use that time for cakes and catching up on chores and such. Mostly cakes. And I’m very, very appreciative as that has meant I rarely stay up late trying to finish a project now.

My cake decorating business has grown so fast. I’ve gotten to do a lot of fantastic cakes, lots of fun and creative ideas. I’m learning fast on new techniques and am gaining more confidence. Many of them have turned our even better than I hoped and I’ve absolutely loved it. The hardest part has been pricing, trying to guess how long something will take and the best way to do it. My most popular design is the unicorn, which fortunately I love to do. I also especially love doing cupcake creations. I have all my cakes posted onto a facebook page for advertising purposes but it’s really only been through word of mouth. I’m grateful to good friends that have been quick to recommend me and I’ve been able to fill nearly every weekend all summer. I had no idea I would get so busy so fast but I’m loving it.

Epic Dance weekend was a full family affair this year and such a blast. We left right after school Friday, arriving just in time to get L and E registered and handed them off to their dance coaches for workshops and team building and adventuring. While they were doing that, husband and I took A and Z out for a special date night. A picked sushi (of course) and we spent a long time a Desert Book picking out her scriptures and hymn book and such. After we picked up our dancers, we went swimming at the hotel, joined by the rest of L’s dance team. The girls were crazy and were bouncing off the walls, having a fantastic time. The girls love any chance to stay in a hotel so winding down is always a little rough as they beg to explore the room or watch tv or are simply too excited to sleep. But eventually morning rolled around, we ate breakfast at the hotel and dropped off the girls at dance again. Husband took A and Z swimming (since he had slept through the previous night’s adventure) and the thoroughly wore him out. We lounged in the hotel so he could nap and then ran a few more errands until it was time to go watch the dancers’ showcase and pick up the girls. E’s age group did an adorable fairy adventure, making wands and donning wings for their cute routine. And then L attended several classes of different dance styles and preformed a combination she learned in each. She declared hip hop the hardest and jazz to be her favorite. After we left Epic, we met up with Grammy to go shopping. We wanted to find A a baptism dress and struck out a few times before stumbling on the perfect dress. It was the only dress, and happened to be on clearance at a usually too expensive store and she instantly fell in love with it. Success! We had dinner and picked out some new school clothes and declared the weekend perfect.

For Labor Day weekend we had our annual co-family campout with my best friend from collage. Her three boys again hit off with our three girls had we had a fantastic weekend. We spent Friday evening setting up camp and playing games and climbing trees. L had a brief but really rough moment. Their oldest son and she hit it off last summer, agreeing to grow up and get married and she has ever since had a special favor for him. She would occasionally shyly mention she has a boyfriend, especially when all her other friends are giggling and delighting over their crushes. But on the first night of our campout, he told her they were just friends and she took it pretty rough, I think mostly because she had built it up so much in her head. But she bounced back by morning and they had a great time as friends.  We spent Saturday swimming and playing in camp. Husband backed the truck up to the huge tree in our site and they built a big fort to play in. And then they watched the Avengers for some much needed quiet time and declared themselves superheroes for the rest of the time. My parents stayed in a campsite nearby and were able to keep Zach at night and during naptime, making our sleeping arrangements (and swimming) much easier. He had a blast with lots of one-on-one time, playing with bubbles and splashing in the water and devouring animal cookies. On Sunday we attended church together and spent more time playing and exploring.  Each night we stayed up making smores with the kids and then after getting the kids to bed, stayed up chatting. I love my gorgeous friend and every time we are together, even once a year, its like no time has passed at all, instantly connecting and celebrating and catching up on everything.

We celebrated A’s and E’s birthdays with lots of fun and festivities. A’s birthday was a Tuesday. We woke her up for a special breakfast and decorated the downstairs a bit. I took Creamies in for a class treat at school and she got to play at a friend’s house in the afternoon. For dinner we made some of her favorite foods: alfredo tortellini, shrimp and asparagus. E’s birthday was on Saturday so we did a special date night dinner on Friday, taking her to panda express. Then Saturday was the birthday party. After E’s special birthday breakfast, we scattered for nutcracker rehearsal, teaching at the gym and the usual Saturday chaos. And then had their party in the afternoon and so much fun. We had it at the new city pool, starting in the party room for cake and ice cream and presents. They agreed on a Hatchimals theme so I made a Hatchimal cake and we bought a Hatchimal creature for each of their guests as a party favor. They got lots of great gifts, Legos and crafts and L even made them each a Hatchimal house. And then we turned the kids loose to go swimming. E spent most of her time on the playground splashpad with little brother and A did laps on the obstacle course with her friends.

The Women of Steel relay was such a blast. It was my third year running it and I was determined to do it simply because I LOVE the team I was running with. I was undertrained (only doing one 3 mile run once a week for the past two months—definitely not adequate for the 9 miles I would need to run) and fighting a cold. But I showed up Saturday morning and joined my team. I love these amazing women and have been looking forward to our day together for months. We talk and connect and catch up and left each other up. They are so inspiring and entertaining and simply so fun to be with. My first run was rough, the cold air felt awful on my lungs but somehow everything fell into place. By the end of the day I was averaging my pre-baby race pace and feeling fantastic. We took 9^th of 60 teams (we took 1^st the first year and 3^rd the second year, this year all felt undertrained and promised it was just for fun) and were thrilled with that. It wasn’t until the next day that DOMS kicked in and I literally could not walk normal. But totally worth it.

Our ward has changed once again. We are part of a newly formed ward. Husband’s calling as stake young men’s president but I’ve been asked to be the primary chorister. I’m feeling very inadequate and anxious about it, wanting to do it well with a lot of energy and excitement. It will definitely be a new adventure for me! With creating the new ward and general conference, I get a few weeks to let it sink in and will be starting soon.

And for one last adventure, a rather spontaneous trip to Maui! We had planned to go on a couples’ trip to Lake Powell with some friends. But a necessary work trip to Maui kept getting postponed and then landed right in the middle of our lake trip.  We debated what to do. With about a week to go, we decided I’d go to Maui! My mom was already scheduled to watch the kids and encouraged us to get some much needed R&R. So husband flew out Sunday and went to work. I arrived late Wednesday night. Unfortunately husband and his crew ended up working all day Thursday too. So I spent the morning laying on a beach, reading my book, lounging, shopping and getting a pedicure. I ran a few errands for husband and picked up lunch for them. As soon as they were off work we raced up to the Haleakala Crater to watch the beautiful sunset. We got some dinner and took some of his employees to the airport. And then relocated from our hotel in Kihei to Kaanapali. Unfortunately we made hotel reservations before husband knew he had to work Friday too. So on Friday he dropped me off in Lahiana and he went back to Kihei. Again I got to lounge on the beach and go shopping and sightseeing. Husband joined me for a late lunch at Paia Fishmarket (unbelievably good blackened snapper) and shopping on Front Street. Then we drove to Iao Valley, one of the few tourist destinations we missed on our trip last year (it had been closed due to flood damage). We arrived only half an hour before closed but that was plenty of time to race up the two minute trail to see the Needle, admire the views and explore a little bit. There were some locals having a belly flop contest into the river. Thus inspired, husband had a go at it too. We found a lunch plate for dinner, stopped at grocery store for more fresh pineapple and bought some breakfast foods including guava bread (so good), dragon food (cool appearance, underwhelming flavor), papaya (poorly chosen and overripe) and more pineapple (always amazing). I could plan entire vacations around food. *happy dance* And then Friday was absolute perfect in every way. We slept in and lazily readied for the day. We spent the morning surfing, both of us able to hold her own (but admittedly, husband is better than me despite my so cal childhood) and having a great time. We checked out of the hotel, grabbed a quick deli lunch and then spent the afternoon snorkeling. We went to Maya Pier, which collapsed in a storm a few years ago. About half the pier still stands above the water and despite the “keep out” signs, had plenty of locals fishing and using the nearby boat ramp. The half of the pier that collapsed is now a colorful and between reef. We saw millions of fish and they were fascinating to watch, their bright colors gleaming as they darted here and there. I was ecstatic when I caught sight of a spotted stingray and quickly followed. With all my focus on the stingray, I never even saw the jellyfish that crossed over my left hand and wrapped around my right leg. It felt like I was tangled in fishing line that suddenly electrified and I admit I was such a baby, thrashing and panicking to get it off. But I hadn’t seen a turtle yet. So once the initial pain wore off, we swam on. I soon saw a small turtle and mentally willed my stupid jellyfish to be his lunch. We slowly made our way back to shore and husband motioned me over to under the fallen pier where we found a giant turtle! He was huge and beautiful and I love him! He ignored us, exploring the rocks as we took pictures and delighted in our find. Happily satisfied, we lingered on the beach for a while and finally left (in search of more pineapple and lidocaine). The beautiful hotel we stayed at, the Maui Kaanapali Villas let use us the courtesy showers to get cleaned up and then we began our wandering drive back to Kahului. We took the northern route, stopped to explore the Dragon’s Teeth again and found the heart rock! The northern route is used mostly by locals as it’s much slower and more winding and requires a very confident driver. But the views were beautiful. We happened upon a tiny town, in search of shave ice, and stopped at Lorriane’s. A true hidden gem of Maui, this was so fun! It was relaxed and intimate, with an unhurried authentic island feel. I couldn’t decide on a flavor so Lorriane offered to make it her way. I asked what that was and she laughed back “it’s my way”. I still don’t know what it is was but it’s my favorite! She took great care of us and invited us to enjoy our treats “out back”. This turned out to be a perfect view of the bay, more beautiful than any postcard and felt like a perfect sliver of heaven. It was the perfect way to end out trip and without a doubt, we will be back. Reluctantly we left, drove to Kahului for a lunch plate and settle into the airport for a long flight home, eager to get back to our sweet babies. (I cannot say enough how much I appreciate my mom for watching the kids. She managed their crazy schedules of school and dance and other activities, even coordinating playdates and bringing Hatchimals as fun new surprises. The girls gushed about their trip to the Dollar Store and getting to go to Panda Express. Plus it was the first time I had been away from baby Z overnight and he had a really rough time with it. My mom is incredible!)

And then September was over. Literally overnight, our beautiful mountains went from lush rolling greens to splashes of brilliant reds. And then got dusted with magical white snow! (Luckily it didn’t last and we might get a few weeks of fall weather before winter really takes hold.) But our summer has quickly come to end. It’s been so busy and so wonderfully fun, packed with adventure. Onto October!

Z, 15 months

He wakes up happy, calling me insistently. I love to scoop him up (and he usually points back to his blanket, asking me to bring it too), he snuggles in for the coveted wake up hug and squeezes me tight.  We play and cuddle and quickly get to breakfast where he eats everything in sight! His favorite is yogurt, cheerios and egg whites. (and more recently, chocolate muffins.) Then he plays in his chair eating more cheerios while I do dishes or feed the girls.  And then he eats my yogurt.  (This kid is a bottomless pit!) He signs “more”, “please”, “thank you” and “all done”. But he very clearly can say “mama”, “cat”, “dada” and “papa”. He’s had a few others on and off but those are his favorites. He loves to jabber and squeal and make noises.

His favorite toys are cars, pushing them along the ground (or pretending my hand mixer is a car and pushes it along the ground). He also loves his push caterpillar, little people superheroes, his busy board and books. He loves to have sisters read to him! He loves to go up and down the stairs repeatedly and is adorable carrying a toy in his mouth to free his hands for crawling and climbing, earning the nickname “puppy”.  He can walk, having taken his first steps on Mother’s Day, but rarely does.  Instead he crawls lightening fast, mostly on one foot and one knee which earned him the nickname “pegleg”. He loves playing tiger and most especially playing peek a boo.

He’s super ticklish and his beaming smile lights up the whole world. He gives the best hugs and has started giving kisses, leaning in with an expectant, soggy, open mouth, and so delighted when I accept. He loves to eat anything I’m eating, loves going for a walk and has gotten very good at making his opinion known with pointing and clapping. He loves our cats! He squeals everytime he sees them, pointing and begging “cat! cat!” He sleeps soundly through the night, with bedtime bear held tightly under one arm and a pile of blankets underneath him.  The blankets don’t cover him, instead he grabs them, hugs them into a wad and sleeps facedown on top of them, snuggling them. He waves like Miss America, loves to give hi five and more recently, loves to shake hands. He still has his binky, grinding his teeth or chewing on everything if he doesn’t.  But he holds it in his mouth, folded in half and has already worn a hole in two of them chewing on it like that. He loves swimming, splashing in the water, bouncing on my knee and (much to my dismay) chewing on crayons. He hates wearing shoes and has no interest in tv. He is so dang charming that no one can resist his smiles and waves and jabber. He loves suckers and popsicles and is completely spoiled.

And I absolutely cannot get enough of him.

the sprint to summer!

The last few weeks have full sprint speed and so busy. I love chasing these crazy babies and have been doing my best to keep up with them. They are each so sweet and so wonderful and have so much fire and energy.  We’ve been keeping up with the kids journals but quickly falling behind on mine. 

Spring Break was pretty quiet around here. We watched General Conference with conference cups and lots of cuddling.  As the girls get older we have more meaningful discussions about the messages shared and are hopefully getting better at it. We spent a lot of time at the park and playing with friends.  One highlight was a family field trip to Hang Time, a trampoline park and the girls absolutely loved it. And we spent a few days at Grammy’s house, shopping and playing.

Easter was fun, I coordinated the neighborhood Easter Egg hunt again.  We got a record amount of donations and had a good turn out.  Cousins came to join and the kids played great in the backyard and making up their own games. We dyed Easter eggs and did a few crafts and went to the bunny trail at Lee’s Market (they do fantastic special events with lots of giveaways and treats). And Easter morning was a ton of fun.  The girls loved their baskets with legos and new nightgowns. We attended church, took lilies to the cemetery and had a big Easter dinner.

A had a class field trip to the aquarium and had such a blast.  A friend that went as a chaperone sent me pictures of her on the ropes course, fearless and beautiful.  She told us about seeing an alligator and birds that were “flurping” and her favorite—the turtles. But no dolphins, she was sad about that. There was a submarine for the kids to explore and A led the way in a imagination game, pretending they were heading into a storm and trying to save another ship.

Husband has been very busy with his stake calling, speaking in a different ward almost every week.  It was really special to get to hear him speak and the girls loved it.

A and L came home one day hatching a plan to perform tumbling skills in a school assembly.  I told them to go ahead and sign up and we would work out a routine. The next day, a friend texted me a video of them doing it! They don’t take tumbling so it was overwhelmingly skillful but they were having so much fun.

Baby Z had his first smores.  We played at a friends house, having dinner and lounging in their hot tub. We took our fire ring over and made smores and Z couldn’t get enough!

The girls had dance pictures, which turned out adorable.  And we did the Tutu 5K this year.  I ran the 5K at 8 am with a girlfriend and then husband and Grammy brought the kids over for the 1K at 9am.  Even Husband and Z donned tutus (as required) and we had fun.  They ran the 1K and then we downed the Kneaders breakfast.

We attended the Fancy Nancy Goes Glamping Tea Party, one of the library’s special events.  Grammy and I took the girls and they loved it! We got dressed up and took pictures with Fancy Nancy (our fabulous storyteller lady) and did lots of activities.  The girls made purses, painted nails, read books, did stargazing, made a sugar scrub and of course, had a tea party lunch.  They even had a drawing and L won! She received a Fancy Nancy book. And then the stuffed animals they each brought got to stay overnight for the stuffed animal sleepover and the girls loved seeing the pictures the library posted of the animals having pizza, playing games and being silly.

We went to Grammy’s house for Mothers Day.  The girls loved playing in the Jacuzzi and could spend hours playing their imagination games in the basement.  We made lots of amazing food and tasty treats and cuddled and played all day.

L has loved going to Activity Days the last few months.  In May, they did a Mother Daughter activity, we had a tea party and she gave me an amazing hand massage and painted my nails. She’s growing so fast and it’s exciting to look forward to all the adventures we have ahead of us.

The girls are looking forward to summer drama camp this year and got to go to auditions. L sang and accompanied herself on the piano to “On My Way Back”. Then L accompanied A on the piano while she sang from Moana. And then E sang “You Are My Sunshine”. They did great and then recited their given lines with lots of personality. The cast list posted a few days later and L has been cast as a lead! She’s playing Charly in The Most Epic Birthday Party Ever.  E was cast as Pim and they are writing in a character for A.

We had a long and wonderful weekend for spring dance recitals. The girls did great at rehearsal, especially enjoying getting to run around and play with friends while waiting. Then on Saturday, all three girls danced in the Aladdin show.  A was a peacock with adorable feathers and a beaming smile. A was a pink genie with her long legs and precise extensions. And L preformed as a star and as a finale dancer, I was so impressed with her grace and fluidity.  We went to Park City Pizza for dinner and then L preformed in the evening show with Pack, doing their competition numbers.

The girls also performed at the Spring Piano recital.  E played “Dreams Come True”, she played perfectly with even tempo and poise and was so sweet. A played “Jackson Blues”, fumbling just a bit and recovering it well. L played “On My Way Back”, accompanying her teacher, demonstrating the impressive ability to accompany a singer as well as played a Jackson Blues duet with another student. After the recital, we lingered and had lots of treats and played with friends.

L attended auditions for next year’s dance team.  She has been so burned out and exhausted lately that she didn’t want to go. To the point of tears. Of course, it only took two minutes of being with her friends to get caught up in it and then once she was dancing, she was loving it all over again.  But knowing how burned out she is, I’ve worried about it. She really wanted to advance into company next year, I was hesitant for her to increase her schedule and commitment though, preferring she stay on Pack another year. In the end, she danced for three days of auditions and during callbacks, was called in more times than most of the girls which makes me think they really had to debate on her placement. Next year, she will be dancing with Pack! …Truthfully, she was disappointed.  I watched her face as she read the list. A moment later she lit up though when she saw her best friend is staying on Pack with her. The two of them are begging to do a duet next year and we had told them yes, if they were on Pack. If they moved to company, they would need to wait. The girls they danced with this past year split up across four different groups for next year and I’ve really struggled wondering if my reluctance kept her from advancing. I’m worried shes going to be upset or feel inferior when she sees many of her friends dancing on more advanced teams. She is so talented.  I even think more talented than some of the girls that did advance.  Her lyrical and ballet is amazing.  And she loves doing jazz, but the sass doesn’t come as natural to her. I think being on Pack again, getting to be one of the older girls, perhaps more experienced and being a leader will be really good for her. And I’m really grateful we won’t be increasing her schedule just yet. She wants to add a tumbling class and we wouldn’t have been able to with the additional company classes.  And then when she auditions next year, we will embrace what comes then.  The girls often skip a level or do a level two years depending on the size of teams so who knows.

A earned a karate test again and was able to demonstrate her skills and understanding, earning her purple belt! Her teacher complimented her to me, saying she’s come a long way with her control and discipline—what we hoped for the most with doing karate. We’re so proud of her. She’s very talented and good at everything she tries so it’s been a challenge to find something she really loves and wants to excel in. Lately, her life revolves around her friends and playdates. I worry sometimes the importance she puts on their opinions and are trying to fit in playdates when we can with our busy schedule in hopes we can encourage relationships with friends that are good role models. We are definitely looking forward to more flexibility this summer and lots more playtime.

And E graduated from preschool! It was a busy night with our family scattered everywhere. So it was just her and I and Z.  We got ready together, she picked out her favorite church dress (her new blue one from Papa) and she got to pick out dressy clothes for me too. We attended her adorable ceremony and videoed the whole thing for Daddy to see later. My friend teaches at the preschool and stayed to sit with me and celebrate after. Her class sang songs and each got a speaking line (“our future looks bright thanks to parents like you!”, said with lots of flair and excitement and a dramatic pointing to the audience). As their names her announced, they got to speak again into the mic and she declared “when I grow up I want to be a panda trainer!” This little girl is my ray of sunshine.  She is happy and bright, eager to love and hug and make me happy.  When the girls are together she can be needy and feisty, fighting for attention, but most of the time, she is so delightful and I love my time with her. She is sweet and perceptive and always the first me compliments and encouragement. And brutal honesty.

With kindergarten graduation, karate test and dance audition callbacks all in one night, we needed to celebrate. We went to dinner, spontaneously choosing a new place in town so we could have a nice evening out.  It was awful. Tiny rooms meant for quiet, intimate dinners, and an expensive, pretentious menu had me nervous but we decided to go for it.  And then the food was awful. But the girls were good sports, we laughed it off and went home for dessert.

Then the next night we each invited a friend over for a movie and pizza and dessert and had a great night to play at home.

And in the back of all this somewhere… I started a business. I meant to write a whole post about it, but it took off at light speed and I’m barely keeping up. So once upon a time I started decorating cakes here and there, just for fun, for my nieces and nephews.  Sometimes they turned out great, sometimes not quite like I hoped but always getting better.  I’ve taken classes occasionally and then took a series of classes my with my mom and sisters, just for fun.  But it was such a blast and I remembered how much I love doing it. And a few people have asked if I would do cakes for them. And I realized I could do cakes in trade for a family photographer and such. So I did a few, registered for a license, posted a bunch of pictures online and things took off! I’ve been doing 3-5 cakes a week.  It’s been a fun challenge, it always takes more time than I anticipate and I struggle to find the right price points to make it worth it, but I’m enjoying it! This weekend I had kept open to run Ragnar and then dropped from the race (undertrained, have been sick and such) so it was a much needed weekend off from cake decorating. Next week I’ll dive back in for more fun, crazy challenges.

L had a school walking field trip, they went to the intermediate school to go swimming and had lunch at the park. And A’s class did a walking field trip to the local grocery store.  She begged me to join them so we met them at the store, exploring the bakery, the popcorn counter, the meat department and store freezers.

Memorial Day Week was pretty rough. We had planned to go camping with my family but couldn't get the schedule to line up right.  Then the flu landed on our house was vengeance and I'm glad we were home to deal with it. We were so, so sick. Everyone.  a lot.  By Monday, most of us were rallying so we joined husbands family for rounds at the cemetery.  But by that evening the flu claimed round two on most of us, it was thankfully brief but awful and exhausting. 

For the last week of school the girls had lots of fun parties at school.  L got to participate in the 3^rd grade talent show and was picked as one of her class top two to perform in the school assembly.  She danced to Moana and we got to go see it. And they loved field day! They play lots of water games and the fire trucks come to the school to spray them.

For the last day of school we took last day pictures and wore new outfits to celebrate. After school (half day) we took a picnic to Daddy’s office and ate on the grass outside. Then we joined the neighborhood water party at the park! There were TONS of kids there playing water kickball and we rigged the playground with lots of sprinklers and water toys. Z was particularly charming and sweet, wearing his adorable hat and downing popsicles as fast as he could! A’s heart got broken right away when she was declared “out” on her first turn at kickball and not understanding the game, was convinced they were kicking her out of the game.  Poor girl. But she found other friends to play with on the playground and perked up. L was attending a birthday party so she came late and jumped into the kickball game. E flitted around playing with lots of different friends and eager to share at the water table.

And then last night we drove into the mountains for a campfire. The girls did a little fishing and we grilled dinner and made smores.

And now onto summer! The schedule is filling fast with camps and adventures and I’m looking forward to more play time with my sweet kiddos!

quote of the day

both from Miss E

(look sat the window at our surprise snowstorm)
E: "Mom! It's snowing!"
me: "yup.  crazy huh?"
E: "....no.  wait.  will we have Christmas again?"
me: "uh, no.  sorry baby."
E: "then I want it to STOP snowing!"


(while brushing Grammy's hair)
Grammy: "am I beautiful yet?"
E: "not yet. but I am seeing an improvement!"

knows what he wants

I picked him up from the gym daycare and he immediately lunged for the protein smoothie I had in my other hand.  I didn’t know he knew how to use a straw but he began slurping it down right away.

I picked him up from the sitter and she reported he had been a little fussy, mostly just discontent versus his usual happy self.  I could hear him grumbling and as soon as he saw me, he broke into an animated chatter that seemed to both lecture me and demand I scoop him up and snuggle.  I hugged him and then he promptly turned and waved goodbye to the sitter.

I stripped him down to a diaper and set him on the floor of my closet, where he normally plays and burrows through the laundry for a few minutes while I shower (wow, that sounds terrible actually), and then I open the door for him to join.  But not this time.  He immediately chased me to the shower, pulled himself up and pounded on the glass door begging to come in.  He even managed to unfasten his diaper and get it off as he impatiently waited. And then yes, I picked him up and held him in the shower to clean him up.  Baby loves his long showers, relaxing under the water or catching drops in his mouth to taste them and laughing.

milestones 9, 7.5, 5.5 and 1

L, 9 years old

Favorite color: teal and red

Favorite food: asparagus and enchiladas

Favorite treat: red velvet cake and suckers

Favorite movie: Beauty and the Beast (live action) and Mary Poppins

Favorite book: Inkheart

Favorite activities: dance and reading

Favorite toys: crafts (finger weaving and looming) and legos

Favorite animal: lion

Favorite place to go: Big Air Hang Time (trampoline park) or frozen yogurt shop and the library

Favorite/Dream vacation: Hawaii or a cruise

What I want to be when I grow up: a nurse

I dream about: what I would do with a million dollars! (buy a phone and yarn)

I worry about: losing my family, upcoming SAGE test

I’m good at: dance, reading and piano

I want to be better at: singing, remembering to do what I’m asked so I don’t make mom mad

Someday I want to: land an aerial 

I’m thankful for: my family, taking dance, my talents

I like it best when: I’m playing with Eva

From mom: This little sweetheart is quickly becoming a lady.  She is exceptionally talented and works so hard.  She goes to dance and piano without hesitation.  She has a really hard time with corrections, prone to tears and so self conscious, but always takes the corrections so seriously and works hard to perfect it. She’s very emotional and easily upset or embarrassed.  I love that she talks to me and confides in me and I want so much to help smooth everything over for her. She loves to read, loves her crafts and quite literally cannot stand still, she’s always dancing.  She’s got a crazy sweet tooth and a very generous heart. She is so sweet and this careful treading into the preteen years is terrifying but so exciting.

A, 7.5 years old

Favorite color: the whole rainbow!

Favorite food: spaghetti, tortellini, sushi

Favorite treat: creamies and dad’s coldstone ice cream

Favorite movie: Moana and Bedtime Stories and Karate Kid

Favorite book: Magic of the Rainbow (series)

Favorite activities: karate and playing with friends and art

Favorite toys: art kit, Mittens (stuffed cat), Raven (yoga Barbie), legos

Favorite animal: cat and dolphins

Favorite place to go: my friends’ house or bowling or drive in theatre

Favorite/Dream vacation: Hawaii or New York or Legoland

What I want to be when I grow up: veterinarian and a pop star

I dream about: being a pop star and being a mermaid or fairy or superhero

I worry about: losing Mittens, not having my family

I’m good at: art, taking care of Z, spending time with friends

I want to be better at: not shouting

Someday I want to: live in New York

I’m thankful for: my family, especially little Z, and my friends

I like it best when: I’m with my family and my friends

From mom: A lives at full speed, she’s always happy and full of energy.  Karate has been such a great challenge for her and has helped focused some of her energy and teach her control. She loves to be with her friends, constantly begging for playdates (which is unfortunately hard to do regularly in our busy schedule).  She has such a vivid imagination and makes friends so easily everywhere we go.  She can get pretty grumpy if things don’t go her way but is pretty good at shaking it off and making up her own thing when that happens. She is such a good helper and dotes on baby Z.  She’s almost always the first to respond when I need help.  She’s creative and artistic and increasingly into fashion.  She’s much pickier than her sisters about her clothes (especially fabric and textures) and loves to express herself with bright colors and fun combinations.  She is ambitious and wants to try everything. She took to piano like a fish to water and slips away to play her favorite songs multiple times each day. I love her energy and excitement!

E, 5.5 years old

Favorite color: blue, purple and pink

Favorite food: Ramen and mac n cheese and root beer and pasta

Favorite treat: tootsie rolls and M&Ms

Favorite movie: Moana and Cinderella

Favorite book: Amelia Bedelia

Favorite activities: play outside and jump on my trampoline and swing on the swingset

Favorite toys: my pandas, Penny and Prince, and Barbies

Favorite animal: panda

Favorite place to go: to the park and Grammy’s house and GrandmaGreat’s cabin

What I want to be when I grow up: ballet teacher and a mom

I dream about: holding 500 pandas in the same hand!

I worry about: when my pandas get lost

I’m good at: making Z laugh, giving hugs and cuddling mom

I want to be better at: piano

Someday I want to: go back to Hawaii

I’m thankful for: my brother

I like it best when: I have my family with me

From mom: E is my wild card. She is tender and sweet and cuddly. In the blink of an eye, she can be fiery and stubborn. She is silly and happy and fun. She is charming and knows how to work me over to get what she wants. She knows that when Daddy is out of town she can sneak into my room at bedtime and ask to be my teddy bear. She gives the best hugs and I love listening to her stories. She tries her hardest to keep up with sisters and tries so hard to be helpful w baby Z. She gets frustrated easily but doesn’t give up. Like piano—she has a hard time sitting through the lesson or struggles to learn something new but I love that she wants to keep trying.

Z, 1 year old (according to his sisters)

Favorite color: blue, like his big bright eyes!

Favorite food: cheerios, broccoli, grapes, yogurt, blueberries, French fries, banana

Favorite treat: popcorn

Favorite movie: doesn’t watch tv.  At all. 

Favorite book: Baby Words Book, Itsy Bitsy Spider

Favorite activities: putting stuff in his mouth, crawling up the stairs, tick tock, peek a boo, playing tiger

Favorite toys: finger puppets, light up ball, superhero Little People figurines, teething banana, superman

Favorite animal: our cat

Favorite place to go: to bed, the library

What I want to be when I grow up: bigger.  A doctor. 

I dream about: eating cheerios

I worry about: when he can’t see his sisters, being stuck in his carseat

I’m good at: making everyone smile, waving, winking, crawling, making a mess!

I want to be better at: walking and talking, not chewing on the dvds!

Someday I want to: climb Mt Everest

I’m thankful for: his sisters, Tylonel

I like it best when: sister read to him, he hugs mom and holds her ponytail, when E pretends to fall over

From mom: I cannot get enough of this tiny snuggly man. He is so happy and charming and irresistibly sweet. He crawls at lightning speed, can pull himself up and traverse furniture but has zero interest in walking. He loves to wrestle and chase and play peek a boo. He’s super ticklish and has a contagious laugh. I love his winking face! He waves without prompting and responds to “more?” and “all done?” by shaking his head for no or imitating for yes. He says mama, dada, papa, done and cat. He is very expressive and can jabber away to tell me exactly what he thinks. He loves to hug (especially if he can grab onto my braid), head butt (mostly daddy, “bonk”) and leans in with a happy, open mouth to kiss. He still grinds his teeth occasionally and has all 4 molars. He loves going to bed. He eagerly drinks down his bottle of milk and rarely allows me to cuddle or rock him to sleep.  Instead I lay him in his bed with his bedtime bear under one arm and his truck blanket over him. As soon as I leave and shut the door, he flips onto his belly, gathers up his blankets to hug under him and sleeps stink-bug style. He loves to pull laundry off the couch as I’m folding it, chew on the DVD cases and scatter cheerios from off his tray in every direction. He loves his forward facing carseat and threw a fit the one time I tried to put him in rear facing since the big turn around. He is solid and strong and off the charts in all measurements. He loves to look out the window at home waiting for sisters to come home and loves to bang on the piano next to them while they practice. He loves the grocery store and showers everyone with smiles and waves in passing. He is so happy and sweet and easy going. I can’t get enough of his squishy cheeks, gorgeous blue eyes and happy smile.  I tease him that he is our puzzle piece, a perfect fit into our little family and exactly what we needed.