Happy Birthday, Lily!

Yesterday, Lily celebrated her fourth birthday with a bunch of her friends at a gymnastics studio, and the kids had such a great time!  They spent about an hour out in the gym with the gymnastics instructor, playing parachute games, jumping in the ball pit, running through an obstacle course, walking the balance beams... and - Katie Anne's favorite part - was swinging in the giant swing!  All the kids had a fabulous time.  Then, we headed upstairs where the kids ate cake and ice cream, and then Lily opened her birthday presents!

I definitely wish I'd brought my mom's big-dog camera, because the lighting in the gym completely messed up my camera - and there would've been some great shots because there was a ton of laughing, flipping, jumping, and smiling!  I think the lights in the gym messed up the camera, because even the pictures of the cake and present-opening phase of the party weren't clear.  I tried lots of different settings to get some decent shots, so here are just a few that I was able to make.

Lily and Katie Anne on the monkey bars

In the ball pit

Lily opening our present

Lily, Katie Anne, and Emma showing off their ribbons and water bottles!

Katie Anne completely loved the whole party and the whole gymnastics scene.  She was so excited for several days leading up to the party, and all she could talk about after we left was the different gymnastics activities.  So, I think some gymnastics classes are coming up in our future!

We Don't Say "Rectum"

I question whether to post this hilarious conversation between Saunders and Katie Anne because of the "language", but it was soooo funny that I simply have to put it down for my dear followers to enjoy.

Setting: Katie Anne's room, approximately fifteen minutes ago. 

Background: I'm getting Katie Anne out of her party outfit (fun pictures of Lily's party to come!) and into a gown for her nap, and Saunders is explaining to me why he cannot help get her down for a nap.  In his explanation, he used the word "rectum".  Do I need to explain why he said that?  I hope that I do not.  If you know Saunders, I'm sure I don't need to explain anything.  ;)

Katie Anne:  Daddy, we don't say rectum.
Saunders: Um, okay - we don't?
Katie Anne: No, rectum is a bad word.
Saunders: Oh, okay.
Katie Anne: Daddy, rectum means butthole.

Saunders and I kind of freeze, and then almost die laughing.

Saunders: Katie Anne, who told you what rectum means?
Katie Anne: Nobody.
Saunders: How do you know that word?
Katie Anne: Well, Daddy, because you just said it.
Saunders: Katie, what two-year-old can tell you the definition of rectum?
Me: I don't know.
Saunders: Where did she hear rectum?  Or butthole?
Me:  I do not know.

Sometimes, she cracks us up so much that we can barely breathe.  Katie Anne was stone-cold serious the entire time, though.  She means it - we don't say rectum.  So, remember that.

My Baby is a Big Girl

Well, I've experienced another one of those moments that tell me my little baby is quickly becoming a real big girl.

This picture...

is of my daughter,

in the playroom, 

in the basement,

by herself,

watching a movie,

while I make dinner 

UPSTAIRS.

And, this was totally her idea!  When we were unloading the car, she asked if we could play in the playroom.  I explained to her that I had to start dinner, and she said, "Okay, how about I play down here while you start supper?"  I asked her a few times to make sure, but she was totally comfortable hanging out in the playroom by herself.

I was a lot more worried about her being down in the basement than she was... I kept coming down to check on her every few minutes, but she was totally fine!  She watched some classic Care Bears, and then built a city out of blocks until dinner was ready.

I just can't believe how grown-up - and independent - she's getting!

Lil Miss Shiner

Well, Katie Anne busted up her little face not once but twice at school!

Today, there was such beautiful weather outside, and Katie Anne was so excited to get out in it.  So, during her class's morning trip to the playground, she apparently fell and busted the right side of her face on the playground equipment.  Then, when her teacher asked her to clean up to go outside for her afternoon playtime, she got so excited and ran around the room to pick up the toys.  She tripped over her shoelace and busted her left eye into the corner of the bookshelf!

So, the poor little precious looks like she's a professional boxer!

(Update: it actually looks a lot better today, and she said neither injury bothers her.  She also wants the record to reflect: "I was so big and did not cry any times.")

Say Hey (I Love You!)

One of Katie Anne's current favorite songs is "Say Hey (I Love You!)" by Michael Franti.  I sang it to her a few times, and then we heard the song on the radio, and she totally loves it.  She loves to sing it, and it is totally cute!

Lucky the Leprechaun Update... and Funny Grammar

Leopard-Cons...

First, a Lucky Update... Saunders got caught up on the blog last night after dinner, and he reminded me that I'd left out on of the best parts of the Leprechaun story.  I guess we need to check out a library book on leprechauns or something, because it has become obvious through our morning treasure hunts that Katie Anne doesn't know much - make that anything - about leprechauns.  However, she was quickly able to do one of my favorite things that young kids do with new knowledge - assimilate it into what she already knows.  So, she now says that the golden egg surprises are hidden by "Lucky the Leopard-con".  I asked her what a Leopard-con was, and she said, "Just a magic leopard, Mommy."  Last night, she was talking about animals, and she said, "Hey, how about a Puma-con?"  So funny!

Grammer-er...

Also, we've noticed Katie Anne doing something funny with her grammar lately - specifically, when making verbs into nouns.  She must have figured out that, to turn a verb into a noun (although I doubt she thought about it in those specific terms- haha), just put an -er on the end of the word.  I guess it would be like play ---> player or jump ---> jumper.  So, she's doing this will all kinds of words now.  

For instance, we were out at Okinawa eating some yummy fried rice last weekend, and she told us, "I think I'm going to be a bander, and I'm going to play the drums."  We thought - bander?  Oh, she means "in the band".

A few days ago, she was driving her little blue car.  I asked her, "Are you driving to work?"  She said, "No, I'm just pretending to be a parker."  Then, she parked her car and got out.

Then she said last night, "I can't wait to be a teamer.  I'm going to play soccer."

It is so interesting to watch her language develop and see how she puts things together... and it's pretty funny to try to figure out some of the words she's making up.

Green Eggs and Ham

To celebrate Dr. Seuss's actual birthday tonight, Katie Anne and I thought we'd make a delicious dinner of green eggs and ham!  I cooked a small ham for us, and then I scrambled 6 eggs.  Katie Anne got to do the fun part - coloring them green!  She was very excited for her part of the project.

Ready to color her steamy bowl of eggs

 

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze!

Stirring time!

 

It's working!

A little more mixing...

All done - ready to eat!

Our yummy supper - bright green eggs, ham, hashbrowns, and fruit

The little Cat in the Hat loved her dinner!  She had three helpings of eggs!

The Cat in the Hat

This week is Read Across America Week in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2.  You may remember that we did several projects last year that were lots of fun.  This year, I didn't feel up to tons of projects in the evening, but I wanted to do some fun things to celebrate.  So, we kicked off the week by focusing on The Cat in the Hat and making our hats.

Katie Anne studies the book to get it just right

 

Working hard

She LOVES the stamp-ish paint brushes from Lakeshore

 

Painting our bow ties

Drying until tomorrow!

Lucky the Leprechaun

A special visitor came to our house this morning, early on the first day of March.  It was Lucky the Leprechaun, and he left Katie Anne a note on her nightstand to tell her that he'd hidden a magic gold egg somewhere in our house for her!

 

As soon as she woke up (literally as evidenced by the total KA bedhead), Katie Anne wanted to know what the paper on her nightstand said.

She was stunned to hear about the treasure hunt!

Each morning, Lucky hides the egg (filled with a treat) and leaves a clue on Katie Anne's nightstand to help her find the egg.  The game will continue until St. Patrick's Day.  This first morning, the clue was "Your special treat is hiding where you eat!"   She was sooo excited to go hunting her egg, and she immediately thought it was hidden around the kitchen table.

She spotted it!

 

Hooray!  The lucky egg!

 

What could be inside?

 Chocolate!

 Three cheers for Lucky the Leprechaun!

Park Playdate

We've been lucky to have nice, sunny weather on the weekends, so Katie Anne and I have taken advantage of it by meeting our friends Vanessa, Lily, and Bear at the park to play!  We start with a picnic lunch, and then the kids are off to the races.  They have a great time playing together and running all over the place.  

The cutest part of these playdates is the big difference between Lily and Katie Anne's play last year and this year.  When we met in the summer and fall, Lily and Katie Anne loved to play on the playground, but they didn't play any other games.  Now, they play all kinds of "big kid" games like Hide and Go Seek, Tag, and Duck-Duck-Goose.  Bear joins in for a few rounds of Hide and Go Seek, too.  It is so cute to watch them play together!

 

We've got to sign this girl up for soccer in a year or two - she's got some skills!

Happy Lily!

Hiding...

Bear found you!

Bear's turn to hide... they love to recycle hiding places.

Tag - you're it!

 Sweet girls...

Happy Birthday, Carlton!

Last night, we celebrated Carlton's 27th birthday.  

 Katie Anne wanted Carlton to have a laptop party - she wanted everyone to bring their laptops and play online games, which is hilarious because that's what Carlton loves to do!  Well, we didn't take the party to that level, but Vicki did get Carlton a very cute laptop cake - and Katie Anne did bring her Barbie laptop just in case!

Earlier in the day, Saunders had gone with his dad, Carlton, and Carlton's father-in-law and future brother-in-law to the shooting range for a little guy's day out.  Then, we all met up at the Joneses' house that evening.  We had a yummy dinner of steaks, hashbrown casserole, meatballs, Agan's rolls, carrots and onions, and several of tasty dips before the meal - lots of Carlton's favorite things!  For dessert, there was cookie cake, ice cream, and Agan's cookies.  Everyone had a fun time talking, eating, and catching up!

 

  

  

  

 

Time for dessert!  Carlton blowing out his candles...

Vicki getting ice cream for everyone

 

Yummy cookie cake and ice cream!

 Black icing makes for a black tongue!

 

Carlton opening his presents - and showing off his card from Katie Anne