She's Seven Years Old

 And, I can hardly believe it.

Every time I look at Laney these days, she seems to be growing up so quickly, before my eyes, and I want to slow things down----way down!   We all had a great day today celebrating Laney. She started the day waking up to a little gift on her pillow. A Fancy Nancy Card game. She is our little game lover, and especially card games.Today was also pajama and game day at school. The kids got to wear pajamas and bring their favorite board game to share. Laney brought her horse game and Daniel brought Mancala. Jesse and I got to join them with cupcakes, fruit and party favors in tow.

Embarrassingly enough, I remembered yesterday to make the rainbow cupcakes that Laney wanted for school, but I forgot to make Laney a cake for our family celebration, with her this evening. We made a run to Meijer where Laney chose a lizard cake.  ---- Yes, I said lizard cake!

Laney you never cease to amaze and crack me up. Happy Birthday! I love you baby! And, yes, at seven years old you are still my baby. Love, Mommy

 

 

 

Back to School

It was so hard dropping Laney and Daniel off, on this first day back to school. It always is! They were both so excited this morning, showing off their new shoes, backpack, and lunchboxes.

When we got to school the excitement had worn off for Daniel, but not for Laney. He was so upset he wouldn't let me give him a hug goodbye, just a kiss. Laney? Well, she was in her element, ready for whatever the day brings.

I can hardly wait to pick them up and see how the day went. Second grade! Here we go:)

Campamento

Today was Laney and Daniel's Spanish culminating event. We went to "day camp" for the morning. We were the eagle group, or should I say los aguilas. The high school students ran the event and did an awesome job! It was a lot of fun. The kids played volleyball, Frisbee toss, learned about CPR, rafted down a river, sang campfire songs, roasted marsh mellows, and painted rocks. Laney was especially good at volleyball nicely lobbing the balls over the net. Daniel was excellent with the Frisbee, making a hole in one! Yeah! They had a blast rolling--- I mean rafting down the river, and of course enjoyed yummy camp treats of marsh mellows and Popsicles.

And we practiced and learned lots of Spanish along the way. It's always nice attending their culminating events and experiencing with them, the things they are learning.

Happy Easter

The kids woke up to their filled baskets on the dining table. We always leave their holiday treats on the table or kitchen island for them to find. It is always the cutest thing to wake up on holiday mornings to their sing song happy chatter over their treats.

Daniel spied the eggs out front,  and the hunt was on!

We haven't even colored eggs yet. We will have to get on it as the day is fast passing. I hope you are enjoying this Easter with those you love. HAPPY EASTER!

****next entry: puppy mischief



Birthday Boy

Happy birthday to you!

Daniel's bday landed on a Saturday, which was great! He ended up having a birthday weekend instead of just one day.  Jesse and I joined his and Laney's class on Friday for birthday snacks and treats. For treats Daniel gave out shamrock rock goody bags with punch balloons, twirly fliers, and 3" round swirl pops. For the snack he chose sugar shamrock cookies with green icing and  strawberries and raspberries. He had me make little ladybugs for the cookies out of m&ms. Folklore says that if a ladybug lands on a clover it brings good luck. If you haven't guessed yet, Daniel loves ladybugs. He even went as one last weekend to Julia's costume birthday party.

Didn't the ladybugs turn out silly? Well Daniel just loved them!

On Saturday, we took Daniel and Laney to Burger King for lunch and play. His choice of course. Daniel told me days before that I had to pick something to eat and not say anything bad about it. I promised and was on my bestest behavior. He wanted us all to eat together. To make him happy this was very easy to do:) We all know how I feel about Burger King food. Nuff said! They played for a good long time and then it was home for cake, candles, and gifts.

Daniel let us know months ago just what he wished for. He kept squeezing his eyes shut before opening his gifts, and saying "I hope! I hope! I hope!" .......and, this is how he and Laney spent the rest of the afternoon and evening after opening his gifts...

What did we do Sunday? I have no idea. I know we celebrated all weekend long, but I just can not remember. It's the brain sieve thing again. And, this is why I should get these memories down much sooner.

Daniel we love you, our getting so big seven year old!

*** next entry: likely to be Easter weekend fun.

Daniel's Bugtastic Bash

It all began with this silly little caterpillar's wish for a bugtastic 7th birthday party.

Of course in the months before the party (because that is how early I start the party prep) there were no bugs of any sort in Traverse City to be found. Aunt Michele to the rescue! She hit the jackpot at one of the dollar stores in Tucson and mailed me all kinds of loot for Daniel's party. We had all manner of creepy crawlies. I wish I had taken more pictures of all the little details. It gets so busy on party day, and I just never do.

The kids had a blast celebrating with bugs, bugs, and more bugs. Upon arriving each guest received a bug on his/her back. They had to ask each other questions to figure out what they were. Some were easy like bee, and ladybug, others were harder like praying mantis. But they all figured them out in the end. We had buggy crafts galore, with about 10 to choose from. Some even did all of them! I created a memory game by recycling spaghetti sauce jars and cleaning off the labels. Inside them were plants, flowers, lots and lots of bugs of every variety imaginable, bouncy balls, cars, dinosaurs, mice, jungle animals, jaxs, dice, marbles, clover coins, leprechauns, etc. On the top of each jar was one of the letters of Daniel's name. The kids had 5 minutes to study the jars and then they wrote down as many items as they could remember. They had so much fun with this. And, the jars all came out super cute. It was great because the game doubled as a decoration.

Next the kids enjoyed pizza and not cake, because Daniel didn't want cake. Instead we had flower pot cupcakes, ladybug cupcakes, and insect cookies.

Lastly we all went downstairs for one more bug game and gifts. The night before I took the main party favor and wrapped each one at one end of a long length of yarn and wrote each kids name at the other end. Then I took these long threads of yarn and wove them all throughout the basement. It took me about an hour to do this and in the end the room was one huge spiderweb. Wish I would have taken a picture of this. This game almost wasn't when Laney let the pups into the basement and they went NUTS! At the time not funny, now-- hilarious! Oh the mayhem!! And now, back to the game. I had a huge 2ft by 2ft metal spider with balloons at the front door that greeted the guests as they arrived at the party. I told the kids that the spider had been hungry and captured some prey, and their mission was to go down stairs and save the captured critters. They all had fun freeing their surprise creatures, Hexbug larva (which I found for a steal online). After this the kids played, Daniel opened gifts and gave his guests his thank you favors for them.

And for the kids who wanted them, we had live ladybugs. They were sent home in bug jars with water and raisins for food. Daniel and Laney released theirs about a week later into our front gardens.

I have to say a great big Thank you to Sheryl who helped me with the party prep. I don't know how I would have pulled off Daniel's party without her. I had the worst case of Bronchitis, I have ever had, in the days and weeks leading up to Daniel's party. Sheryl thank you so very much for everything!

 And that's a wrap on this bugtastically fun birthday bash:)  

**** Next enrty, Daniel on his actual birthday

Early spring down at the creek

Kids and dogs had a blast down at the creek last evening. It was our first time down there all together this spring. Daniel and Laney couldn't wait to show me the bridge they had made last fall season.
They did a pretty good job!

The pups were zipping around crazily in and out of the creek. No surprise there! Daniel and Laney had fun trying out their bridge, swinging, climbing hills, and their fave was working on a mini stick tent which they had also begun last fall. The trillium leaves were sprouting in abundance , so it's only a matter of time before the blooms. It was a fun evening down at the creek. I look forward to more as the weather warms up.

**** Next entry Daniel's buggy bash!

To blog or not to blog...

It so rarely occurs that I check in anymore. I actually logged in tonight to close her down. Ack! Then I just couldn't do it.

So what have you missed in recent months? Let's see... one seriously long "sick-season", multiple sick days, lots and lots of doggy mischief (oh the destruction!), wacky weather, snow storm with 2ft of snowfall in 24hrs, summer heat then back to cold, birthdays, anniversaries, and so much more.

Now, the recommit. I commit to check in with the everyday, the big things, the little things, the celebrations, the mischief, the exciting, the boring and the in between. Why? Because my brain is a sieve and I can't scrapbook everything.

Glipses of the catch up...

Enchanted Unicorn Party

It is already January and I have never gotten around to documenting Laney's 6th birthday bash, so here goes.

This past October we had a shared birthday bash for Laney and Natalie. We held it between both girls birthdays. The theme was unicorns. The girls loved it and had so much fun!

Back to the party...

I didn't take nearly enough pics of all the little details. The girls celebrated with good friends plus, unicorn tatoos, glitter painting wooden unicorns, and sidewalk chalk. I almost forgot we also had "Pretty" the pinata, which we filled with all manner of goodies: candy kisses, jelly rings and braceletts, unicorn candies, porcupine frogs, and gems!. We also had the big bouncer going. Heidi (Nat's mom) and I baked a rainbow cake together with food coloring.I found the idea on many a blog:) Jesse with his steady hands decorated the cake per my terrible little sketchings. The take home favors were Unicorn horns (white chocolate coated ice cream cones) with cherry, raspberry, and choclate dipped pretzels, plus fairytale finger puppets including of course unicorns! The kids all had a blast bouncing the afternoon away. It was all tons of Fairy tale fun!

Snow day

Today was to be the first day back to school after Christmas break. A blizard blew in yesteday and we awoke to 3ft snow drifts. Needless to say it was a snow day. I was not ready to send the kids back to school and was very happy to have them home with me another day.

We spent a good long time outside today. Daniel and Laney helped me shovel the foot deep snow from the front walk and porch. Then we let the pups out and it was mayhem! They get so crazy zipping from here to there. We had a much needed fun time. I am a little sad thinking about sending the kids back to school tomorrow.

Uncle Rex

Rex Tubaya
February 16, 1983- December 23, 2011

Rest in peace Uncle Rex.

Love,

Daniel, Laney

Charlotte, and  Jesse