Curly Q - 6

Dear Eden,
I have often said you were born after an "ideal labor". I have a tradition to tell you your birth story on your birthday, and today when I mentioned that your birth was ideal, that brought up a lot of questions. First you asked, "so I was your easiest birth?" No, really it just means everything went the way I had hoped and planned.
You have amazing energy and arm strength. Your teacher at school the other day stopped me and asked if I have seen you climb the monkey bars. She said I should watch you sometime because you can do things that most of the 5th graders can't. Obviously intrigued, the next day I picked you up, I asked you to show me. You shimmied right up, with your arms, and crossed over to the other side. It was pretty impressive.
You are smiley girl. I still remember as a baby so many people would smile at you in the store and when you would smile back it just made their day. You still have that. When people speak to you, you just start to smile, it's contagious and makes others feel so good.
You have the cutest curly hair, I am still trying to figure out what works for your little curly mane, and we have learned that you can't brush it, that turns a little disastrous.
This year I think you are learning to make a place for yourself in our family. I don't mean that sound like you aren't involved or loved, but I think you need more attention then you get. You are often found jumping on my lap, following me around, and asking to help me whenever you can. Being the 3rd little girl in the family I think you are looking for your unique qualities, I am telling you that you already possess them. You are happy, energetic and creative. You are very fast at coloring, and getting your jobs done, there is nothing pokey about you.
You love to touch, open, and explore everything around you. I will honestly say that this is an exhausting quality you possess. While I find mail, packages, and drawers opened, explored and strewn around, it's not hard to know where you've been. You have also discovered how to write your name. We often find little evidences of your hand on furniture and walls, when confronted you deny it, and we tell you, "no one else would write your name.", to which you have no reply.
Other things you love: gymnastics, birthdays, reading stories, dress-up, being pretty, being with mom and dad, and candy.
Things you are not so fond of: chocolate, frosting, and being alone.
You are such a fun addition to our family, you bring joy to us with your upbeat personality and energy.
Thank you for picking me to be your mom.

Love,
Mom

Beaver vs. 3 year old boy

The other night Darrin and I were laying in bed, when we are started listening in on Kale's conversation. It was riddled with obvious frustration, and started with this...

"Dad! Beavers are so unfair!! They can bite wood, swim into their house, they can crawl around and eat bugs! It's so not fair!" Which I replied "Why is that unfair?" He said, "Because they can do so many things that we can't, it's just unfair, just so unfair!"

This kid cracks me up.

Kisses and hugs

On Valentines day we were invited to go with my friend and her kids to a few local assisted living centers and pass out Hershey kisses. I didn't realize but Valentine's day is a big day for these centers, they deck out the tables, and alot of the residents even dress in their best to be served a yummy lunch. It was so fun to be involved and the kids did great, they gave out chocolate kisses and gave real hugs, I know it made my day to watch it, I hope the kids felt the spirit of love too.

 

 

 

After that we rushed over to Eden's class party. I wanted so badly for Kale to continue to be cupid for the day and surprise all the kids in Eden's class, but he took a nap and woke up not feeling very loving. I had the costume but he wouldn't wear the wings, arrow or bow. By the end of the party he started warming up, and all it took was a couple of boys from her class to ask if they could get a picture with him and he put on his gear. It was so funny, that they asked if they could get a picture with him, like he is is some sort of celebrity.

 

Then, since it was my mother-in-law's birthday we decided that cupid needed to pay a visit to her too!

 

Cupid's got nothing on this guy

 

Kale was given the special honor of being cupid for the day of Valentines. I am surrounded by mother heroes and one of them makes amazing costumes and serves the community while doing it, (which I'll share more on that later.) 

With careful persuasion we got Kale to wear the costume, mainly because a bow and arrow were involved. After he put it on and paraded around for the day, my heart had been caught. This little boy has the power to make those around him fall in love...with him! I know, I know, I am biased but seriously look at this guy, who couldn't love him?

 

 

 

Put your heart into it

 

On the morning of the Day O' Love, I woke up early to workout. After my workout my friend and I were talking about how we were both going to make heart shaped pancakes for breakfast, great minds think alike. Yet my mind can take a while to get to the end result. I had the brilliant idea of trying to pour the batter straight on the skillet in the shape of hearts, well, this is how well that turned out...

 

 

While Mickey Mouse is cute and all it just wasn't quite heart enough for me, so then I tried this...

 

 

This was okay, but when you flipped it over, the top was still too runny and so it oozed over on the sides looking more like the human heart, still not quite right. By this time, kids are waking up, and looking like this...

 

 

I decided to try out my friends plan which was to make a regular pancake and cut it out after, BRILLIANT!

 

 

Love Bites!

 

I don't want to feel like my kids are missing out from public school day parties, so we decided to host a Valentine Party at our house. I know what your thinking..."Is Prom next?" well, I don't plan on homeschooling in high school but if I am, then the answer is a definite YES! I could host an amazing prom! Okay back to my valentine party. We invited a few other home school families from our church. I invited all the kids to bring valentines to exchange if they would like. We also decided to let kids share some oral reports or projects they had been working on, it's hard to find opportunities to do public speaking so we thought we would throw this in.

When my friends kids showed up with their valentine boxes I knew our simple decorated kraft bags were no match. I love how cute our friends boxes turned out I thought I would share.

We played games, wrote romantic letters with conversation hearts, and decorated sugar cookies. It was such a fun party.

 

 

 

 

 

Oxygen wanted

Sometimes we just need a little bit of air. Our first semester of homeschooling we had many days, we just needed to take a little breather. (the pictures are from a fall hike)

I am ready for the winter to be over, we have had many great days of sunshine and even warm weather but not enough for me to quite venture out.

Spring we are ready for you.