Girls 2012

Oops, we haven't gone anywhere.  Just busy...
Emma had a birthday last week - it was pretty awesome.  Eight!
She had a bowling party - again.  It was just as much fun this time around.  Even though I had a huge birthday dessert snaffu the night before.  Luckily, I did manage to fix it at the last minute and only we know that there ever was a problem to fix.  And the resulting cupcakes were delicious!
Emma.Sophie.Natalie.Johnna.Alex.Brandt.Emma N.Olivia.Kali.Hannah.Abbie

Andy took a few pictures of the girls today.  Cute.

Celebrating a birthday

Sophie turned 5 today. She got to have a most spectacular day too. I went on a fieldtrip to the zoo with Emma and her class at school. Andy stayed home to take Sophie on a special outing. They went to the climbing gym and Sophie was amazing. Then she got to go to the Build a Bear store where she picked out a sweet lamb to stuff and love - thanks to her birthday gift from her Nana Barbie and Papa Tom. We came back home and she helped a wee bit with making the cupcakes, then headed off to Emma's soccer game (where she rocked). Once home, the girls headed up for showers while I made the frosting for a quick, very late cupcake celebration. Then off to bed. Phew!
Happy birthday, dear Sophie.  You may be small in stature, but you have a big smile, a huge personality, and our love for you is enormous!

seven

When she turned seven, I didn't notice it.  But, I do now.  She is growing up!  I guess this is no secret, but to see this picture, to hear her read books and talk about what she learned at school each day - well, there is no way to not notice it.  Just so long as she takes her time about it...

how a girl turns 7

In our house, turning seven means
*waking up at 4:30 in the morning to make sure that birthday girl and sleepover friend can play as much as possible before sleepover friend has to go home.
*eating blueberries, raspberries and cinnamon toast for breakfast - birthday girl favorites.
*piano lessons.
*trip to the bookstore to pick out one new book - birthday girl's choice.
*meeting dad at Burgerville for dinner - birthday girl's favorite.
*get sung the birthday song several times by multiple family members throughout the day.
*webcam with Nana Barbie and Papa Tom.
*suffering through the wearing of the birthday crown for Happy Birthday song to make mom happy.
*opening all of the family gifts.
*going to bed extra early without any fuss - such a long day, such a tired girl.

The 7th birthday gift favorites - American Girl doll outfit and chair, puzzles and crafts, new boots, squinkies and puffles and everything Taylor Swift.  We have squinkies everywhere - you will have to look them up to see what the fuss is all about.

A 50's theme bowling birthday celebration

Today was Emma's birthday party.  We went to Hollywood Bowl, used up 6 lanes and tallied up 43 games of bowling, ate two pizzas, three popcorns, three pitchers of lemonade, and 40 cupcakes (this number includes about 20 mini cupcakes).  Emma had a great time and was thrilled to have so many friends make it to her party - including the neighbor boys and one boy from class, Brandt.
Afterward, we sent Sophie home with her friend Johnna for a sleepover and Emma brought her friend Natalie home with us to do the same.  This is the very first time that Sophie has had a sleepover with a friend and she was so excited she could hardly stand it.  I had to remind her to give me a smooch goodbye.  Our house feels very weird right now.

I have a request for apples, so more posting later.  A good birthday celebration was had.

While the edamame was cooking

Sophie made some gift wrap for her gift to her sister.  The big 7th birthday is less than two weeks away.  I think that we ended up with hearts because there has been so much talk about and prep for Valentine's Day this week.  Emma will love it regardless, and we didn't have to buy anything to make some cute girly wrapping.

Cupcakes and Candles

After dinner we sang "Happy Birthday to You" and ate cupcakes. By request of the birthday girl, the cupcakes were lemon with green frosting and sprinkles. You just can't go wrong. I considered attempting to make a healthy cupcake, but really - for birthdays you just have to bake with sugar and butter and enjoy every last bite. We did.

Miss Sophie is...

mischievous

snuggly

funny

daring and brave

funny (I had to say that twice because not only does she like to tell "knock knock" jokes, but she also likes to make silly faces and has a running style that can make anyone laugh)

a good story teller (especially the tall tale genre)

good at winking

a good climber

a good gymnast

a loving little sister who thinks her big sister is the best thing ever (and she really is)

the best hugger.

...and she's four now too!

Turning 4

Sophie is four years old! I can't really believe it. Except that I know it's true. So, we had to celebrate and without a party and tons of rain (record wettest June 2nd in Portland history just so you know) we had a somewhat quiet celebration. It was all about Sophie and whatever she wanted. Like Pita Chips for breakfast.

She spent the morning opening her presents and playing with them. The first thing she got was a small gift bag left in her room by the door. Inside, she found a t-shirt with the number 4 on it and a bird and some green toenail polish (yes, I went there). Since she insisted on dragging me out of bed at 6:15 this morning, the two of us watched some Caillou together while we waited for the sleepers to show up (I mean Andy and Emma, not pajama sleepers).

Sophie then got to open her dollhouse. Nana Nana and Papa Papa made this dollhouse, similar to the one they made for Emma except for a couple things. Emma's was modeled after our old house, Sophie's is green (because she likes it). She also got a new mouse family and some furniture to put inside and she loves it. Both girls now have a Lack table from Ikea for the dollhouses to sit on for playing (instead of on the floor where they practically lay down to play).

Sophie also got a big bucket of pink and pastel Legos (from Nana B and Papa T) to extend the blue bucket the girls got at Christmas. These were played with for well over an hour this afternoon. Sophie finally got the doll that I have been making for her forever now. I'm not sure exactly when I started on this, but it's been a long time for certain. She had been mostly finished for quite a while, but I just wasn't thrilled with the hair. I finally added an extra layer of hair and called her good. With a little momma made clothes and a bunch of store sale bought clothes, she was complete (though she could really use some underwear). Sophie put Elsa in the doll bed tonight so that she could sleep with her new doll (happy Momma). I also made Sophie a silly little birdcage (she is fascinated with them and it was cheap and easy) and a birthday dress (which she didn't wear because of the lousy weather). Emma gave her a book called "Otis" by Loren Long. I love it. It is such a sweet story.

Phew, an exhausting post to say the least. I am going to add a second post with the climbing gym pictures - oops, I forgot to mention that we took the girls to the climbing gym today and they were awesome. They made their parents proud - at least some of it must be genetic!

Being 3

Last night I asked Sophie what she liked most about being three. She said that the best part is that she can fit in small places. I asked her what was most exciting about turning four. She said the best thing is that she can go places by herself. Hmmm! Not sure about that one dear. Oh, I asked her what her favorite thing to do is (for her preschool homework assignment) and she said her favorite thing to do is playing with her sister. Love that.
Sophie turns four tomorrow and I almost feel like we are letting her down. She asked to have a day at the zoo on her birthday instead of a party. The weather is not going to cooperate so we went to the zoo on Sunday. She knows we went for her birthday, and we are still going to do something (the climbing gym) tomorrow. But, now she is asking about a birthday party. When we walked through Willamette National Cemetary yesterday, she brought it up again and even asked about a party in the cemetary (somehow she thinks this would be fun). Hopefully, we can give her a fun day tomorrow in spite of the rain and she will forget the party thing.
ps - I finished Sophie's birthday dress last night. I will post a photo soon. I don't think she will get to wear it on her birthday though. :(

Last day being five

We had a party today, to celebrate Emma's sixth birthday.

She invited a small number of friends and had a craft party.

First, we painted wood frames and while they were drying the girls made name bracelets.

Then, we made these super cute clothespin dolls - found here. All of the painting was done ahead of time, I cut the fabrics, etc. The girls picked out their doll body, base, head and dress and then we followed the steps to create the dolls. They did require a little mama-help (glue was not drying fast enough) but the girls loved it. They all went home with an extra set of doll supplies (including a painted head) to make another one later. Then, we sent them all out back to swing, play Simon Says, and just burn some energy - it was sunny out there. Total fun, and the cupcakes were a hit. Chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Yummers!

Okay, the last thing on this post - we plan to head to the climbing gym with the girls tomorrow as the special family outing and Emma was great about the no-gifts thing. Most people brought gifts anyhow, which was very nice and Emma was super appreciative.

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you...

Hope you have a very lovely birthday Nana! Love, your Oregonians!

Allow me to introduce you

This is Elsa Doll. I made her for Sophie, for her birthday. She is modeled after a doll that I found on another blog and etsy. I just couldn't justify the price tag, but I really loved the doll. So, I decided to make one. First, I drafted a pattern (sketched one on graph paper, and then drew lines for cutting). Then, I headed out to the shops to collect the materials - I already had the right fabrics, but I needed some carded wool for stuffing and the right wool felt for her face. Really, that's it. She's sweet and Sophie loves her so much. She tells me all the time: "Mom, I really love my Elsa Doll." I think she knows what that means to me, because really - she tells me this all the time. She knows.

Elsa is starting to look a little sad. She has some dirty spots on her body that need washed. But, to get her away from Sophie long enough - well, it just hasn't happened. Maybe we can get her cleaned before her grandparents arrive.

Emma asked for one too. I made her one, and she likes it but she has Teddy and she hasn't shown it the same love as Sophie does. I also made one for a niece of mine.

This is our girl as a three year old...

She's determined.

She's so loving and kind.

She loves her sister Emma.

She loves frogs and the color green.

She loves to lick butter.

Sophie is ...

very articulate.

smart.

funny.

Sophie enjoys...

gymnastics class.

green granola bars.

swinging in the backyard.

m&m's.

the elephants at the zoo.

playing with big sister.

books.

Sophie can...

walk the length of the balance beam unassisted.

draw faces - they usually look like frogs.

wiggle her ears (or so she thinks, and it's darn funny watching her try).

climb rocks (she has no fear).

make anyone smile - she's just infectious that way.

Happy 3rd birthday sweet little Sophie.

One special girl, two special days...

I guess we made up for the skipped birthday last year. Today was Sophie's actual birthday and we took her to the zoo. For a train ride. And to see the elephants. Emma got her a super sweet and soft stuffed baby polar bear as her birthday gift. We all shared an elephant ear. Both girls fell to sleep on the way home.

After dinner, she finished opening her presents and had chocolate ice cream with sprinkles on top. She savored every spoonful.

Frog girl is turning three

Whew! one birthday party for a three year old - check!

We had a lovely little backyard bbq yesterday to celebrate Sophie's third birthday. We planted seeds with the kids, played games, ate sausage (her favorite), and released 1500 ladybugs into our garden. The kids loved that. It was so much fun to finally get to really share the enjoyment of our backyard with friends. Loved that...

For the real birthday day - we plan to head to the zoo. It's becoming a tradition around here.

Miss Sophie is turning three...

...really soon in fact. She talks about her birthday party all the time. So, of course there must be one. We didn't have one for her last year - it was an intentional plan - we decided that with no back yard yet, it would be expensive and we were really all about taking care of the backyard. So, we got her a playhouse instead. She still loves it, as does Emma and the neighbors. So, it's good. But, this year the talks about a birthday party started shortly after we started discussing Emma's birthday party. It's been that long. The consistency in her ideas is amazing. "I want a birdy party." The more recent ideas include green frosting on the cake and a green birthday candle. When we were in a store yesterday, I actually asked her what she wanted for her birthday. Here is what she so honestly said: "I want a book about a frog." I asked her if there was anything else, and she never came up with anything. She did at one point remind me about the party and the green frosting and the green candle. I've got that part covered. And, amazingly - this mama can find books about frogs.
Of course, a birthday means a few other things too. I will have a post really soon all about Sophie. With pictures and stories of course. It also means she gets a birthday crown. Check - I will share that soon too. There is also the giant candle that is supposed to last eighteen years that we will need to burn for hours just to get to the 3. Finally, sausage. If you are attending Sophie's third birthday party you will most likely eat sausage. It's what Sophie wants after all.
edit: I had a tutoring session last night and my student asked Sophie what she wanted for her birthday. Of course, the frog book was the first thing she mentioned. BUT - then she added that she wants a doll too. Arrgh! I haven't worked on her doll in a couple months, and now I have just a little time with a lot of work to do. I had gotten to a tough spot in the project and decided to put it down for a while. But now... work, work, work.

some flowers to know

Thanks to the Angry Chicken, I know my flower. It seems that each and every birth day of the year has it's own flower - so, now you get two. One for the month of your birth and one for the day of the month you were born. Here are the flowers for our family...
Emma - violet and veronica.
Sophie - rose and double red pink (dianthus).
Lisa -daisy and tulip.
Andy - gladiolus and flowering reed.
I know, very interesting right? Well, go find your flower...

Now, about birthdays... we do have one coming up in less than a month. Miss Sophie (AKA rose double red pink) is going to be three. We are planning to have a backyard bbq type thing right here the weekend before. She is very excited about having her own birthday party - and she talks about it constantly. Usually, she tells us she wants to have a bird party, or sometimes she wants a frog party. No matter, the party usually sounds complicated.

recovering...

That's me, on the recovery thing.
The girls were invited to a party today...it was at Chuck E Cheese. I was rather frightened of the whole idea, but they had a great time. Mostly, they just wanted to ride the little rides and play in the tunnel and slide. But me, well I had bigger plans. Like beating the Virtual Jump Rope game. I did. I almost did once, but when I jumped I fell off the jump pad about one jump short of the finish. I went back a little later... and I did it. It was good to see that my jump rope skills are still decent. Or something...
The girls were not impressed with skee ball. Or most any other game. And there was a game where you punch little yellow rubber ducks - not cool at all. That's alright, back to the Virtual Jump Rope game. Good times, we stayed for about three hours and mostly they are mellow and wiped out now.

That was then, this is now...

It's taken me a while to put this post together, for no particular reason. But here is how it went: Emma had a great time at her party with lots of friends, lots of gymnastics, and yummy cupcakes. I was busy - so much, I didn't exactly lock the remote flash on the camera (it fell off once, and didn't fire many times). I forgot a few supplies. Andy spent over six hours (yes, 6!!!) in urgent care and the ER. He has about a dozen stitches in his little pinkie finger, his finger nail is there only to help a new one start growing, and he has a big old fracture in the littlest bone. He arrived to the party just in time to help load the car! I know he was unhappy about all of that, he is still in pain when bumped, etc., and has yet to see the specialist about the bone. So - it ends up a birthday we won't likely forget... especially if there is scarring.

This is Emma at the cupcake table wearing her birthday crown. I plan to make one for Sophie as well. Then, I did promise that I would make them each one that can be used for play - the birthday crowns will come out once a year. I followed the pattern from Soulemama's book: The Creative Family. I think I mentioned this before, but it was super quick to put together once I got focused on the task.

PS - I still can't believe that she is five! So smart, so loving, so amazing. And, she likes to help with the dishes! Can you believe it...

Oh baby,

My baby is five!

There she is on the day she was born - newborn sleepiness and all.

Today, I don't imagine her being so peaceful as this - but probably just as charming.

What is Emma like at five? Well...

Creative

Funny

Sensitive

Smart

Thoughtful

Loving

Caring

Emma loves pink and princess and all things related. She loves her ballet and gymnastics classes. She is an amazing little artist who loves her smelly colored pencils and a good art pad. Her favorite food is yogurt. Her favorite color (breaking news here, as of this morning) is brown (really, I still think it is pink, but this new silly side of Emma is entertaining). Her favorite show is Ni-Hao, Kai Lan. Her favorite thing to do for fun is play princess. Her favorite book is Duck and Goose by Tad Hills. Her favorite place to go is The Secret Forest. Her best friend is Sophie.

Emma and Sophie are playing right now. I am about to start decorating cupcakes. Andy is on his way to urgent care - he smashed his pinky on his walk with Charley this morning. Gotta keep things interesting around here...