2 little indians!

Friday was Reneé's "big day," as she called it. She had been waiting for this day for a solid year! They have a big feast with the students--the nursery girls are the turkeys, the pre-k girls are the pilgrims, and the kindergarten girls are the indians. Last year when she saw that the indians were barefoot--she was no longer happy being a pilgrim. She has seriously talked about being "barefoot at school" ALL year! I don't know what they big deal is, but she thought so!

This is how she left for school...of course braids were a must, but she also insisted that she have a headband. If she had mentioned it before it was time to walk out of the door, I would have made it with feathers.

This is how she came home! Her name is Shining Brook. Each girl was given an Indian name for the month of November. She was a little disappointed that she didn't get to be Rainbow Princess, but she embraced it and wrote her new name on EVERYTHING! Every paper that came home had Shining Brook on it! I'm not sure how into it the other girls were, but I seriously doubt they could have been more enthusiastic about than her!

{look at those feet...looks like a ballerina to me!}

Very authentic, right? They dyed and drew on the shirts in class and then a few other moms and I cut and beaded them. I can't remember what her papoose's name was...probably Hazel.

Notice the Shining Brook symbol on her face!

Luckily, this little boy got to be an Indian too! His name was Running Feet--very appropriate! He told me that he colored a pilgrim hat, so when he came home with a feather headband I was a little surprised. It made me even happier that I had stayed up Thursday night making him this Indian shirt. Renée kept talking about hers. I didn't want him to be left out.

They both came home with a list of things that they were thankful for.

Reneé was thankful for daddy, hazel, friends, and happy grams.

Elijah was thankful for daddy.

Maybe one day I'll make the list again...

witch hazel!

Definitely, the cutest witch hazel that i've ever seen!! What you thought halloween was over?!? Dress-up + candy= my kids want it to be Halloween FOREVER!! Maybe it will die once the Christmas tree goes up...only a few more days!! :)

Meet Fi-Fi...She is THE MOST obedient dog, even if she does have the scariest teeth ever!

{This has been our back-up costume for the past couple of years, just in case it's freezing. We have yet to wear it. I think this may be the last year that she could have worn it, which means next year it will be freezing, and we will have no back-up.}

rub-a-dub dub...

3 kids in the tub! Bath time is starting to get a little crazy over here! They love to be in there together, and they LOVE to play with the running water!!
But look who always wins the coveted spot...it's true she is the BABY, and she gets what she wants. always.

giddy up!

So, the kids did actually ride horses the other day at the party. They thought it was SOOO much fun! Of course, as soon as I took Hazel out of the stroller, it was their turns. Luckily, my friend grabbed my camera and started snapping away!

They thought that it was their first time to ride a horse, and I guess technically they were right. They rode ponies at Renée's old preschool at "Rodeo Day." It's all the same to me, but yhey were oh so little...

{yes. that's a fever blister--the plague of her childhood! and does he not look just like hazel!?!?!}

sleeping like a rock...

WARNING: you are about to see parts of Elijah's VERY messy room...he's a boy. he thinks it is clean. it's not.

Last night while I was watching TV, I thought I heard Elijah fall out of bed. I listened, and heard nothing. I decided that it must have been our neighbors upstairs. About an hour or so later, I walked back to my computer. I noticed that Elijah's blanket was hanging off his bed. I went to fix it, and noticed that there was no boy. He was on the floor. He did fall out, but he kept sleeping!

Now, that I know was an inherited skill--youngs can sleep through ANYTHING!!! Too bad all of my children didn't inherit that ability!

i am a genius!

Not only did I fix AND transform optimus prime, but I also figured out a way to keep this girl sitting in her chair! I LOVE this old wooden high chair, but like all of my children she has mastered the escape of the buckle!

I truly believe that 5-point harnesses were invented for my children--I wonder if this ability to escape buckles in an inherited trait!? I've heard that Orum was quite the climber. After lots of frustration, I grabbed the bumbo just to see if it would fit...and it did! No wonder she was able to stand up and dance!! The seat was big enough for a bumbo...definitely to much wiggle room for this tiny girl! It was all fun and games...
until she realized that she couldn't stand up anymore!!! Luckily, an animal cracker was able to drown all of her sorrows :)

our new motto...

Today we went to the park to play on the new equipment....it was fabulous. The kids loved it. When we walked up the new side walk, I saw this. Play hard...laugh loud...be happy. I love it. I want this to be how the kids remember their childhood.

The older two ran and climbed like monkeys. {literally} And the little one just sat in the stroller and took it all in! She is by far our best "stroller sitter!" I hope it lasts. She occasionally chewed on her finger. molars?

Renée brought her ball and hula hop. She immediately put it down to climb. This little boy made it his responsibility to be the keeper of her ball. I think he had a little crush. She was oblivious...I guess an all-girl school will do that to you. She played. He followed her around trying to give her the ball. Sometimes she would take it, and then put it down as soon as he ran away. Most of the time she ignored him, but that didn't keep him away! He kept coming back!

And then she found her friend, Anna Grace, from school! They hula hooped and talked about Renée's tattoos from the birthday party yesterday. They are cute and sweet together, and only a few weeks apart. They had their party together last year.

And when these two ran off, the crush decided to make friends with her brother! Elijah wasn't too sure about that...he just wanted to play ball! He obviously needs to work on hitting the ball and not the tee :)

I think today was a success...they played hard, laughed loud, and were happy--for the most part at least!

monkey!

Today we had 2 birthday parties. The second one was at the equestrian farm at city park. The weather was perfect--70 and sunny. :) Literally within 30 seconds of joining the group, I hear Elijah say, "Mommy look!"

I look. He says, "I can climb trees! I didn't know that I could climb trees!"

He was about 2 feet off the ground. If that is tree climbing to him, then climb away!

"boxes!"

They NEVER get old! this little girl turned 3 stacked rubbermaid container into a "bassinet" of her own--to watch tv in, of course!

evidence...

that she has a tooth AND she's silly!

a REAL boy!

I always imagined that my little boy would play with legos. He on the other hand would rather by hypnotized by the TV! I think if I would let him, he would sit there 24/7...napping intermittently. There are days that I literally have to bribe him to come to his room and play with me. Sometimes it's not pretty.
For the past couple of months, when we utter the word bedtime he runs to his room and starts playing angelically with his toys. Toys like legos or books--neither of which have been a successful bribe!
Tonight he built a hotel. A hotel that he was quite proud of! Maybe I should rethink our schedule--sleep all day and play all night!

LOTS of sewing!

The past few weeks have been filled with a LOT of sewing! {a lot may just be an understatement} It's been fun, but it's always REALLY fun to see a big project like this finished! My sister asked me to make her friend a onesie and a burp cloth. I used that blue floral fabric. Her friend loved it so much, that she decided to use the fabric for the entire nursery!

yay, hazel!

We were cheering for Hazel's new free-standing skills. She was cheering for the Tigers. She obviously, should have kept cheering instead of playing with my thread!
{I LOVE that she can still wear this 3-6 month dress of gabbi's so that I can see her little legs, because considering my children hers are QUITE chunky!}