Happy Birthday My Helen

We celebrated Helen's birthday with a breakfast birthday dinner and cupcakes. This year Poppy was sick and he was unable to participate, I pray he's better tomorrow (or tonight). So things were a little delayed. Thankfully, we seemed to have settled into the tradition of pancakes, eggs and link sausage with lots of syrup for birthday dinners. While it was not easy to juggle it all, we managed to survive, even the girls managed to fight over a few things but mostly played well together. Carys helped me wrap the presents this afternoon and prepare the table. Helen also had an onigiri (japanese rice ball) lunch with cupcakes for her entire class. This Sat. is her party for a few of her close friends and preschool mates.

Walker got a little toy he loves so he was happy for a time and Carys got a little something too since she helped me shop for Helen. I took some pictures and will get them up as soon as we set our computer up. I gave in and Helen got play makeup (totally plastic though she wanted the real "play" makeup) and an entire princess outfit. She's been talking about makeup since she was three. I'm not sure why it's in there but it is. Since I can't convince her to let it go, I have decided to work with it. Maybe we'll find an age appropriate outlet for her love of cosmetics and sparkly jewels.

Thanks to everyone who sent cards and gifts. She was thrilled to hear your birthday wishes.

Outside

Walker also has a blast outside and asks more than the girls ever did to go outside. Of course, right now it's more grunting and pointing but he KNOWS OUTSIDE.
Many days, we are at the park 2-3 times. He loves to climb and is learning to slide.

Worm Hunters Extraordinaire

I cleaned out an area to be completely devoted to vegetables this year. The girls enjoyed excavating in the dirt, many ant mounds were located, roly poly's were relocated and more than a few worms were unearthed. The girls had a TON of fun and Helen found the biggest worm I've ever seen.

Helen and Walker

Usually Helen and Walker are tugging, pushing, pulling, grabbing, hitting, crying, and wrestling. I happened upon this sweet moment, it was not staged. Helen is beginning to learn to read and it obsessed with teaching. She can't read this book yet, she is reading Bob books and is becoming very skillful with Phonics. Walker LOVES to sit in my lap and read so it's no surprise he was sitting in her lap. I can't wait until some of the unwanted physical activity calms down but maybe it never will.

It's Cute Sometimes

Visitors

My highschool friend Angie came to visit me twice, yeah, I'm happy to reconnect, can you tell? Cool thing is we still have so much in common. She loves the Lord, has two great kids, is married and likes to good food and travel. She's great with our kids, and in many ways, it's like there's been no time lost. So, thank you Ang. and Dave for visiting Chicago, we miss ya.

Cool Sky

Stormy night at my house a while back, good night!

Birthdays Past

Walker had a small party at home with a few friends and snacks. He was not happy with the direct attention during the cake presentation but got over it quickly once he started eating cake.









Poppy had a family birthday complete with homemade cupcake tower.





Carys had a small party with some girls from school. She enjoyed having her friends over. We had a ton of crafts, planted some seeds, the girls played Duck, Duck Goose and Simon Says. No one cried and everyone when home with an extra cupcake. Party success.

Ba-na-na

This morning, Walker woke up with his usual hunger. As we were standing in the kitchen preparing to strap into the highchair, Walker pointed to the bunch of bananas on the counter and said BA-NA-NA! I was thrilled! Now, we've not been worried about his speech in particular, but I do think the girls were speaking more words by now. Of course, I shrieked and freaked him out so when I asked that he repeat to Poppy, he just gave his shy grin instead.

Previously, he's clearly pointed to a bird in his favorite book with Poppy, and said clearly BIRD. But has not repeated that with me during reading sessions. He has no problem with the word ball, which when he says it, sounds like BAHL. In fact everything round is a BAHL to Walker.

Today was a very communicative day, he was rubbing his belly for hungry and scratching his hips for pamper change. Plus a few other hand motions I could not quite make out, I have to learn his sign language as well.

Where did Winter Go?

We got i-phones in November and fast forward to April. We have a video function on the i-phone and now mostly send videos to our families via e-mail. It's quick and instantly updates everyone on our goings on. I like this but I'm starting to miss dragging out the camera for those cute shots. It's convenient to take photos and video with the i-phone but the picture quality is better on our big camera. So for a trade off, I guess this has been a bit of an experiment. I can pay to put video here but I'm not sure I want to.

So, I was not sure if I should continue with the blog since we were updating family with video, which was the original reason I created this blog. But I have used this to update old friends and introduce new friends to my family. And as a record for the children, the blog is valuable, since their baby books are hidden in some box somewhere in the basement.

This brings me to updating 4 months. There as been so much activity. Christmas, Walker, Cullen and Carys' birthdays, visits and visitors and Resurrection Day (Easter). Not to mention all the mundane but wonderful growings of Walker and the girls.

So I'll try to slowly catch this blog up to date and continue on for the children who may one day look back at this fondly and share this with their children.

The photos are of Christmas, and Carys and Helen's school Christmas pageants.

Halloween 2009

Updates

So many updates:

Walker stood by himself for 10 seconds.

Carys lost her second tooth.

Helen gave a dance concert in the basement, western style.

I've got a few pics, I'll upload as soon as I can.

Walker, Everywhere!

Walker is on the move! He is all over the place and very curious. His favorite activities are chewing, picking up floor lint and fur balls, banging, throwing and invading his sisters room to play with the pink piano.

Pizza Time

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Spaghetti; a Mom and Kids Best Friend

Tooth Fairy Purse

The night Carys lost her tooth we whipped up this little tooth fairy purse for under her pillow. It has a little pocket for the tooth and a big pocket for the cash. Inflation has hit the tooth fairy hard.

Helen Time

With Carys in school during the day, Helen gets to be the big sister and have some time with Mommy and Walker to herself. I'm trying to make the most of this time before her school starts to do some fun things with her. We've gone to the conservatory yesterday and the zoo today. I'm not sure what's on the agenda tomorrow, but I'm going to try to make cookies with her tomorrow. We're also reading, working on her writing and playing at home.

Another First-Tooth Fairy Where Are You?

Carys has had a loose tooth for a few months now. After almost a year of talking about it (because one of her school mates lost one at 4 yrs!). She finally managed to wiggle the tooth free tonight without tears. According to her she was in the closet when she finally managed to break it loose and heard a "crack" (her words). She showed me and I must say I did not expect my stomach to feel so queasy, but it did. So I offered to try to pull it out-eek. Napkin in hand, I tried to yank it halfheartedly, I admit. Carys was adamant, I was not to yank it (OK, no problem) but I could pull it. So we agreed she could continue to wiggle it until it fell out (it was literally hanging in her mouth). After playing with it while I cooked dinner, it came out without a frown.

So she's on cloud 9, Helen is happy for her and a little jealous of the impending tooth fairy visit, and I'm glad I did not have to do minor surgery before dinner. We made a little tooth purse for it and currently, it's under her pillow with a little baby Carys tooth waiting to be exchanged for some tooth fairy goodness.

First Grade for Carys!

Carys is officially a first grader! We started the morning alone reviewing some of her baby pictures. I'll have to put some here b/c I was not blogging at the time and she was such a little doll as they all are. We had a breakfast taco breakfast and the entire family walked Carys to her first day of school. We all had a little tear in our eye and lump in our throat this morning after she filed in the school building with the rest of her class.

Carys was quick to inform me that they did have snack and they did not do math. It was a short day so I think they just gave them all a tour, accounted for their school supplies, and the kids got to make name tags for their desks. Her teacher seems to be a more seasoned veteran, I'm a little glad for it. I think Carys will need some quick assessment to make sure she stays challenged and does not lose interest in reading and her other skills she's been developing.

Tomorrow is her first full day, we'll see how the family fares once we are in full swing. For now, the kids are in bed, her lunch box is in the freezer and I still have breakfast taco fixins to pull out in the morning.