Summer Random-ness (or should it be Random Summer-ness?)

I don't know why I always think of summer as a relaxing time. It sometimes tends to be busier than the rest of the year! But it's nice to not have to worry about school and homework and preschool and schedules (too much) or bedtimes (too much) and instead worry about how to squeeze in as much fun as possible!

Last week was busy-crazy and fun. My BIG "35" birthday was last week, and I just feel so old. But we had a fun day - Quentin and the girls surprised me with a yummy waffle breakfast, and my Beehive class brought me some beautiful cookies! After they left, my girls warned me that they made a big mess downstairs and this is what I found:

Yikes! I had to crawl under the streamers to find the presents they had for me. So fun! After that, our girls had ice skating lessons. From there, Quentin, the girls and I went to Ikea to browse around for a couple of hours. I just love that place! Then we met my mom and grandma at Sweet Tomatoes for an early dinner, then my mom invited us to her house for strawberry shortcake and sherbet (my faves!)

Last weekend we went camping with Quentin's brother's family. We went to Smith & Morehouse - we had never been there before, but I think it's going to be our go-to place for camping. It was so beautiful - tall pines and aspens - and the kids loved going to the lake and playing in the river. Ahhh, I love camping!

Makenna found that the butterflies loved hanging out on her finger!

Kasidee went to a princess birthday party this week. She was so excited to dress up in her Snow White dress-ups, and Makenna had a blast doing Kasidee's hair and makeup. I just thought it was so sweet that Makenna took so much time helping Kasidee get all ready. After Kasidee left, Makenna turned to me and said, "Ohhh, isn't she just so cute?"

After our camping trip, we came home and hosed off camping chairs, shoes, coolers, and life jackets. The girls thought playing with the life jackets was fun - they put them on, sat on "magic carpet" rugs, and pretended to have "Flying Lessons." They're so creative - and crazy!

Lastly, it has been fun this summer to have our very own hummingbird! One has made a cotton-y nest on top of the antenna we have mounted under our deck roof. She sits on her nest most of the day, and it's fun to see her flit around and eat the necctar from our feeder. Hopefully soon we'll be able to see the babies hatch! (This picture is not the clearest because I had to take it through my bedroom window. If we go too near the nest, the mom flies away. I can't really get my camera close enough to get a picture of the eggs either. Oh well - you can still see her sitting on her nest on our ugly antenna!)

Summer's In Swing!

Last Monday as we were coming home from the park, we noticed a fire on the mountain above our house. Yikes! We got our telescope our and sat by our living room window, watching and praying. Thank goodness it was pretty much put out by the time we went to bed.



Kasidee sure loves dressing up. This is how she greeted me the other day:



My endlessly creative neighbor Kate is the queen of getting the neighborhood kids together for playgroups and other special activities. On Friday she hosted her second annual "Sidewalk Chalk Festival." Armed with chalk, kids could make their creations on her driveway - and pause for an otter pop or cool water. This was something my girls were looking forward to - so fun!







The girls and some of their neighborhood friends decided to do a lemonade stand one day this week, and then another day they decided to add ice cream to their lemonade stand. They worked hard and had fun - but then they were tempted to try their own products! Kasidee was really enjoying her ice cream sandwich!

Cast Off!

Makenna got her cast off today, and the doc says everything looks good. She laughed at how skinny and white her arm is and how it feels like it's floating since it's not weighed down by a cast. Hopefully this will be our last broken arm for quite awhile (or ever!)

Girls

Every once in awhile Quentin and I joke that he doesn't need boys. He has 3 girls that love to hike, play soccer and other sports, fix things, build things, play Legos, play cars, shoot BB guns, do archery, etc. Not that either one of us think those things are "boy things" by any means. But I think it thrills us to have girly-girls who like to do lots of things. Anyway, Makenna and Kasidee were "fixing" their car the other day and I managed to get a couple of cute pictures:

Funny

The other day the girls and I were talking about unusual first names. I mentioned that one of our neighbors is named "Guy." They thought that was funny. A few days later, Makenna came up to me and said seriously, "Mommy, did you know that there is a guy named 'Man?'"

Makenna had a note for one of her friends from school and wanted to deliver it to her. But I didn't know where she lived and her address was not in the phone book. I told Makenna I didn't know where her friend lived. She said, "Oh I do! It's up."

Makenna is so cute with her words and I chuckle at some of the things she says. A couple of words she has invented are "Preshul" (precious/special) and "Perfectest" (I guess that's even better than perfect!)

Last Day!

'Twas the last day of school today. Finally. It seems we've had Spring Fever around here for months. Or maybe it was lack of motivation to get anything done, or even get to bed on time. So...welcome summer! Now we just need to face the trick of finding the right balance between getting things done and having fun! But I really do love the feelings summertime brings, and I especially love having my girls home!

To celebrate the last day, Kiera's friend's mom arranged to have a LIMO pick her son and daughter and a few of their friends up from school and take them out for ice cream. The mom called me last night and said her daughter would like Kiera to go. She was ecstatic! So after the flag ceremony at the school (which, by the way, is always amazing to me - you could hear a pin drop, the kids were so respectful!) the limo picked the kids up. Makenna, Kasidee and I hung out to take some pictures. Then the mom said to me, "Hey, there's still some more room in the limo - do you and your other girls want to come?" I declined, thinking some other kids would want to go. But it ended up that they were ready to go and had extra room, so Makenna, Kasidee and I joined them! It was fun - we just went to Pace's in Bountiful and back - but boy, what a fun experience and memory for my girls!

Then this evening we had a "School's Out For Summer" movie party. This is our third year (I think) to do this, and I told the girls they could each choose "a few" friends. They had a hard time narrowing down the list, but when I looked at the list I had a hard time narrowing it down too - and even more, I came up with other names too. So after debating, Quentin and I just decided to invite a BUNCH. Mostly kids from school - lots of girls, and one brave boy (besides Quentin)! Good thing they have little bodies that can squish into the little theater room! It was a fun way to kick off summer! YAY!

(Busy) Week in Review

I feel like we have been so busy with so many things for the last few months and I feel like I've struggled to keep my head above water. But now that this week is over, I think (hope) things will start to slow down a bit. Yay summer!

Anyway, this last week was busy, busy, busy. On Monday I went with Kiera on another field trip - this time to This is the Place. I love that place anyway, but it's pretty cool what they have for students to do on field trips. We listened to a "Mountain Man," pulled handcarts, learned the Deseret Alphabet, and rode the train around the park. Fun fun!

Then Tuesday was a bittersweet day of preschool graduation. There's so much work that goes into it! I always look forward to the break, but I sure do miss those kids! There were about 3 or 4 that came up to me afterward and cried! One boy said, "I wish we could have preschool forever!" I do too! I had such a great group of kids this year and it was especially fun having Kasidee in my class. We made lots of sweet memories. I guess it's on to bigger and better things, but I will never forget this year.

Then Wednesday night Kiera and all of the 4th grade classes put on the melodramas that they've been working so hard on. Kiera's class explained an Indian story about why the Great Salt Lake is so salty. Everyone did such a good job. (Because I couldn't use the flash during the performance my pictures are pretty blurry!)

Yesterday was the big "Fourth Grade Mountain Man Rendezvous." It's a special event held every year just for fourth graders, and Kiera has been looking forward to it for a looooong time. It was an all-day event and they were able to learn and do lots of stuff: milk goats, catch fish, eat a dutch oven lunch, run relay races, indentified animal tracks, made leather braclets, rode horses, listened to stories, and did archery. Kiera did her bow and arrow with her right hand (she's left-handed) and she hit the bullseye! In fact, the leader told her later that day that she was the only fourth grader that got it right-on! (She also was the only one in a group of boy cousins that shot a bottle cap with a BB gun a couple of years ago!)








52

My Makenna

It's been an eventful week for Makenna. Wednesday she got her cast - she was pretty excited about it. But she was a little worried that some of her classmates might think the color she chose (green) is a boy color. But then she said she didn't care. After her first day at school with her new cast I asked if anyone said anything about it being a boy color. She said, "Just one boy. But I just annoyed him." (I think she meant ignored? So cute!)

Then on Thursday Kasidee and I joined Makenna's class at the zoo for a field trip. I think Makenna's favorite was the Golden Lion Tamarin. She likes it because it's a monkey. And it's orange. As far as she's concerned, there's nothing better!

Garden: Done

Whew. We finally got our garden in. Cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, pumpkins, zucchini, beets, eggplant, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, red bell pepper, grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes. Yum - I was hungry the whole time I was planting! Oh, and we have cilantro, basil, rosemary, oregano, and 2 kinds of chives. Heaven! I've always liked the idea of gardening but frankly I was intimidated and overwhelmed by it. I thought you had to be a scientist to figure out the right soil, the right plants, how to plant them and water them and take care of them. Last year was our first "real" gardening experience and you know what? It wasn't that hard. You plant a seed, throw dirt over it, water it and wait for the magic. Pretty much. It really is a little miracle, and it's amazing to see how wise our Creator is. Our little garden isn't very big - just right for us - but it's something I look forward to. It gives us family time together, teaches us little lessons, and feeds our tummies!

Funny

Yesterday evening, we had Mom and Grandma over to watch a movie and celebrate Mother's Day. A little bit of our root beer floats spilled on our couch. I told my mom how wonderful microfiber couches are because spills just wipe right off. Makenna said, "Yeah - if you spill punch, you don't even have to tell!"

{love}

All 3 of my girls just adore my mom, affectionately called "Granny." There is a bond between my girls and Granny that is just so sweet. Kiera will call my mom and chat for a long time, sometimes a couple of times a day.

On Wednesday Kasidee spent about 7 hours at my mom's house. My mom had volunteered to watch Kasidee while I went with Kiera on her field trip. Anyway, yesterday Kasidee asked me when we would see Granny again - I told her we'd see her on Saturday and then again on Sunday. Kasidee asked me again later in the day. When she asked me a third time last night, I said, "Why do you want to know when we're going to see Granny again?" Kasidee said, "Well, I think I really miss her."

{love}

What a Day!

Yesterday was quite the day. I knew it was going to be busy - a 5-hour field trip to the Natural History Museum and Red Butte Gardens with Kiera and her class, Kiera and Makenna's cooking class, Kiera and Makenna's piano recital, and Book Club at my house at 8:00.

But then it got busier. About 1 1/2 hours before the end of the field trip, I got a call that Makenna had fallen off the monkey bars at school and her wrist was swollen and hurting. Erg. I felt so helpless and stranded, and I kept thinking in my mind, "Oh, my little Makenna. I want to be with you!" My mom was watching Kasidee and was able to get a hold of Quentin at work. He left work and got Makenna from school. He was able to get her in to the orthopedic specialist who confirmed that her right wrist is indeed broken - the same one she broke about a year and a half ago. It's still too swollen to cast, so they'll do that next week. Till then, it is braced and wrapped and in a sling. Poor thing!

She was in pretty good spirits - mostly really tired - but she was so disappointed to miss her very first piano recital. She started taking lessons in January and was looking forward to this first recital and showing off the piece she had worked so hard at perfecting. We told her it would be okay, and that we would still go to watch Kiera. Makenna said, "Well, let me try something." She sat at the piano and played her recital piece entirely with her left hand (it was a piece that she was supposed to play with her right hand, and a little of her left.) It was so cute to see her little left-handed fingers walking along the keys, but she played every note perfectly, and it sounded just right!

She was determined to still play in the recital, and she - and Kiera - both did great. I'm so proud of both of them. Kiera is loving piano lessons and is doing so well. And I'm proud of Makenna for rising above the potential embarrassment and being so brave!

Bulletin Board

Next week is teacher appreciation week, and I got a phone call from someone asking me to do a bulletin board for Makenna's teacher. Yikes - for some reason it scared me. I have never done one before, I had no clue how to go about it. So...I turned to Pinterest and got a great idea. Then I noticed someone else used that very idea. &%@! Pinterest! It was back to the drawing board, which was fine because within the week Makenna's class changed classrooms and her new room didn't have a "normal" bulletin board. It was about a foot high and like, 12 feet long. Ugh! But I found an idea that worked, and it was fun to do. Kasidee stayed and helped while Kiera and Makenna skipped out and decided to go to a friend's house to play. But at least it's done! (Click on the pic to enlarge it)

Smile!

So...I've been taking a little photography class, and last night was the last of 6 classes. Last time the instructor asked if any of the students had kids that would be willing to come into the studio to get their pictures taken - that way the students could learn about studio lighting, group photo positioning, etc. I totally was excited to have my girls come in! So last night they joined 2 other girls and the class did a little photo shoot. I didn't get very good images (I'm still learning!) and it was hard because we had to take turns being in the "shooting line," but I captured a couple of images to remember this fun experience! My girls were incredibly patient - I guess they're used to having a daddy (and now a mommy!) that takes thousands of pictures!

Waiting while the instructor talks...

Changes Are A'Comin'

My sweet little social Kasidee, who always asks to play with friends and can play with her sisters and their friends for hours, has suddenly become a little homebody. A little clingy. Yesterday morning one of her favorite friends called to invite her over to play. She was so excited and I took her over. She was happy until I was ready to leave - she gave me a hug and a kiss and then gasped in a sob. And then she couldn't stop. I held her close and told her she would be fine and that I would be back in just about over hour. Her friend's mom got her excited about something inside the house, and Kasidee followed her in. But 45 minutes later, the mom called me and said Kasidee wanted to come home. We got inside and she just wanted to sit on my lap. For a very long time. I can't say I didn't like it!

Then yesterday afternoon when we got back from a walk, a message was on the answering machine from a friend Kasidee has been wanting to play with for awhile. They usually play at least once or twice a week, and for the last 4 or 5 times it has been at our house, which is perfectly fine. Anyway, on the message this little friend said, "I just wanted to know if Kasidee could play today. At my house. Bye." I asked Kasidee if she wanted to call her back, and she said yes. I reminded Kasidee that her friend probably wants to have a turn playing at her house. Kasidee got quiet and stared at the cupcake she was eating. She said, "Well, I should probably finish my cupcake. I'll call her back another day."

My heart has broken several times today, looking at my sweet, independent little girl who is growing up way too fast. I know she is sensing big changes are coming - in preschool we are practicing for our graduation program and we talk about how exciting kindergarten will be. Kasidee often says to me, "When I go to kindergarten you will be all alone and you'll miss me so much. But it's okay, because I'll be back for lunch and then we can be together." She's amazingly perceptive and is so in-tune with others' feelings even if they (me) think they're doing a good job at pretending they aren't feeling a little melancholy. It's all good, but I thought I was the only one who was wishing this time didn't have to come so soon....

Decisions, decisions

The girls have been collecting quite a, well, collection of Lalaloopsy dolls. They have a dozen of the minis, and at least 4 of the littles. But none of them have a normal sized one. Kiera received some money for her birthday, and while she is a very, very good saver, she wants to buy one of the bigger Lalaloopsies. The only problem is she can't decide which one. She finally narrowed it down to 2 choices: Sunny Side Up or Tippy Tumbelina. A list-maker like her mom, I came across a paper she had written:
Sunny Side Up
Pros - goood farm-girl clothes
Cons - no dress
Tippy Tumbelina
Pros - pretty; 4 star freckles
Cons - dress too puffy

Oh, if only those were the big decisions I had to make....

Kiera #10!

Our sweet Kiera is a decade old. Can you believe it? I certainly can't. It's bittersweet - I am loving watching her grow and develop into her own little self, but I hate that I can't keep time from standing still. But I guess that's how every parent feels.

Anyway, Kiera wanted an all-girl Lalaloopsy birthday party. We sent out the invitations,

and the party was on Saturday. 14 girls who colored Lalaloopsy pictures, made button/ribbon bracelets, and played "Pin the Tiara on Jewel Sparkles." Jewel Sparkles is one of the Lalaloopsies. (Just so you wouldn't wonder if it was something else!) Then Kiera opened presents and we had cake and ice cream. The girls were able to watch a little of the Lalaloopsy movie before their moms came to get them.

After the party, Quentin surprised our girls by suggesting their cousin Marina sleep over! They were all thrilled, and they had fun playing outside, playing Lalaloopsies (of course) and watching a movie before they fell asleep. In the morning we had pancakes, and the girls played until it was time to get ready for church. We all walked to church and Kiera was proud to show her cousin to her friends at church!

The next day, Monday, was Kiera's real birthday. Quentin had arranged to get the day off, and we offered to take her out of school and take her to lunch. Or we gave her the option of skipping the whole day from school. She really liked that idea - on one occasion...that Makenna could stay home too. Why not?! A birthday is a special day, and since Makenna and Kasidee have summer birthdays, they'll never have to go to school on their birthdays! So we all stayed home, slept in, opened presents, and went ice skating (Kiera's choice)! Then we met Mom and Grandma for lunch at Chuck A Rama (Kiera's choice), and we met Kiera's grandmas and aunts/uncles/cousins at the park to celebrate! Can't beat a 3-day birthday celebration!