Christmas please come soon!

The kids have been out of school since Friday and are so stir crazy.  We have had quite a week with both the water heater and furnace going out on us and one of the kids having to have their face superglued together after their sibling got mad and through a matchbox car at them.  I really hope the next few days speed by.  On a positive note, Pyper lost her first tooth so we get a visit from Santa and the Toothfairy in the same week! 

Happy Birthday Pyper!

We celebrated Pyper's 6th birthday this weekend. She took charge this year and planned every detail. She assigned certain people to bring very specific food. She told her dad where to place every decoration. She planned her outfit and she decorated the cake. I loved it! I just sat back and took my orders along with everyone else!

Here are 6 things I love about Pyper...

1. She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. Pyper has always been really good at reading people and doing exactly what she needs to do to work them over. Her older sister has never really been able to do this and gets really frustrated when Pyper works her magic.


2. She is my frilly little princess. She is almost always in a a petti skirt (or 3). She comes home from school and changes immediately into dress up clothes. I keep thinking she will outgrow this stage, but based on her recent birthday purchase of the most ridiculous Belle doll, I think we will still be going strong for a awhile.


3. She is stubborn. Man alive that girl will stick to her guns until you are blue in the face. I have to be very careful to choose my battles with this one because she can go on forever. (That is why she wore the most outrageous outfit ever to school on non-uniform day last week). She can outlast me in an argument almost every time. I am sure this will be beneficial for her in the future, but it is sure hard to parent her.


4. She is very caring and empathetic. Pyper loves with her whole heart. I love that she takes such good care of her little brother. She feels so bad everytime he gets in trouble. He can always talk her into helping him with his chores and giving him hugs. She is the first to notice when someone is having a bad day and tries to help in whatever way she can.



5. She has the cutest little speech impediment.  She couldn't hear really well for about a year so she leaves off the beginning sounds of a lot of her words.  She is in speech therapy right now and I can tell that it is slowly getting better.  I know this is best for her in the long run, but I am really going to miss how she says "pider" instead of "spider" and how she would tell everyone that she was "Sive years old."

6. She has no patience.  Literally none.  If there is something coming up (like her birthday) that she has to wait for, she will nearly explode with excitement.  She can't stay focused on a boring task like cleaning her room for more than a minute.  She is just a little ball of energy.

We love you Pyper!!  Hope you enjoy being six as much as you enjoyed being five!

Getting in the Thankful Spirit

We started a new tradition this year for thanksgiving.  We have a giant glass bowl in the middle of a wreath and everyday each member of the family writes down something they are greatful for and puts it in the bowl.  We are supposed  to wait and read them on Thanksgiving day, but I have to admit that I take a peek every once in awhile.  Some of them are illustrated and some of the spelling is amazing.  I love it.  One of the girls will help Asher and then he will add a little scribble.  So cute.  I can't wait to read them all!  I would love to hear others ideas for getting in the thankful spirit, so send them my way!! 

Happy Halloween

The kids got Halloween pictures taken last week.

My little Alice.

The Queen of Hearts.

And even though I tried to convince him to be the Mad Hatter, he saw the Thomas costume and it was all over.

Happy Halloween!!

Asher's Birthday

Asher and his Thomas cake!

Wow it has been a long time and I have some catching up to do.  Let's start with Asher's 3rd birthday.  I think this has been the hardest birthday for me to get through so far.  Asher is my last baby, there are no more planned for the future. 

I look at him now and he is no longer a baby or toddler.  He is a boy.  He has lost that awkward toddler walk with his little belly poking out.  His  body has thinned out to big boy proportions.  He talks to much and says the most grown up stuff.  I terrifies me. 

Yesterday I was spelling something to London so he wouldn't understand and he turned around and said "Secrets secrets are no fun, secrets secrest hurt someone."  Guess I can't get anything by him anymore.  He started preschool one day a week. I thought it would be so nice to go to the store without any kids and have 3 whole hours to myself.  Instead I felt so lonely and cried the whole way home.  I am going to miss my little shopping buddy.

Opening presents.

Since Asher is 3, here are 3 things I love about Asher

1. He is always looking out for his sisters.  Today he went downstaitrs with Pyper because she was afraid of the dark.  He held her hand so she wouldn't be afraid.  What a sweet guy.  His sisters adore him as well and will do anything to help him.



London and her original Thomas shirt she made just for his party.  I couldn't be mad that she ruined this shirt when it was so cute!



2. He is all boy.  Sometimes it drives me a little crazy that every object he picks up is a gun and he has to make very loud sound effects to accompany every car and gun that he plays with.  He runs full speed every where he goes with no fear for injury and he always has some bruise or goosebump on his head.  He now knows when we go to the toy store when we are in the pink aisle and will yell "No girl toys!"

3. He still let's me snuggle him at night before he goes to bed and will sing "You are my sunshine" to me if I catch him in just the right mood. 

Back to School

I know this post is very late.  We have had some internet issues around here and needless to say, Qwest is not my friend,but internet is working intermittently so we will give this a try.

My girl's started school a few weeks ago.  London started the 2nd grade. She has a man teacher who plays the guitar and loves to do art projects.  She is in heaven.  She might have a little crush.  I am so glad that she loves her teacher. 

Pyper started kindergarten and she loves being able to walk into school with her sister and tells me about all her adventures.  She feels so grown up.  She told me I am not allowed to help her into the car when I pick her up.  She can do it by herself.  I am the only mom sitting inside the car and not getting out to open the door for their excited kid.  I feel very lazy sittng in there while she struggles 2 or 3 times to get the door open by her self, but I am trying to let her have this independence and I am trying not to cry when I think of how grown up she is.

One of my favorite moments everyday is watching these two sisters hold hands as they walk up to the school everyday.  I am glad they are together.  They even see each other for a moment when they are coming and going to recess.  When Pyper told me she saw London at recess on the first day, I said "Let me guess, you two ran up and gave each other great big hugs."  Pyper responded with "How did you know that mom?"  I know because I see how much these two love each other and watch out for each other and I think this is going to be a great school year.

Family Pictures

We were so lucky to have Jen take our family pictures last week.  The kids had so much fun and want to go back to the location every day.  Please check them out here and leave a comment.  We get a free picture if we get 20 comments!  Thanks Jen!