Halloween

I love the annual Halloween photo! This year we had:
- a cheerleader (that's vintage from mom's high school days)
- a colonial Felicity girl (fresh off the sewing table)
- a happy astronaut
- the cutest little witch you ever saw!

So much fun!

This was Lizzie's first year to Trick or Treat. She got the hang of it rather quickly and walked further than she ever has before. She was a tired little witch by the time we coerced her into going home.
Abbie's Felicity dress came together amazingly well. Here's a sneak peek at what's currently on my sewing table (and not coming together so well):

I have my fingers crossed on this one! And will update in a couple weeks with the final product!

Birthday Girls!

Abbie turned 10 and Katie turned 12 in October!

These birthdays are just flying by!

These girls LOVE having birthday parties at home, but with 2 birthdays only 2 days apart it makes it a bit overwhelming for mom. With one daughter who starts brainstorming for her party 11 months out and the other who just can't decide on anything, this year I had the girls plan their own birthday parties. I gave them each a worksheet to fill out with all the necessary details. No invitations would be sent until they turned in their completed worksheet -- a week before their selected party date. This worked very well for us. The best part was they were both completely delighted with their party and mom didn't have near the stress involved.

Abbie planned a spa themed party with pajamas. She called it Abbie's Spa Fun Party. The kids made chocolate-dipped strawberries to be eaten with the birthday cake.

They did a 3-part hand treatment and painted finger nails. Abbie directed party games in the basement while mom transformed the Spa Table to the Birthday Cake Table. We sent the kids home with some spa-like favors wrapped up in a hand towel -- Abbie's idea.

Katie wanted to take her friends out to frozen yogurt for her party.

They started at the house and also dipped strawberries. They decorated some cute note pads with ice cream-y paper and blinged flowers. This was part of their party favor. Then they headed out to the local frozen yogurt place with oodles of toppings.

Happy girls. Happy mom. Happy Birthday.

Avery - Emergency Birthday

Avery turned five in July. We had cake and candles in Brianhead. As kids her age do, she'd been talking about her birthday party for months, but after our trip it wasn't mentioned anymore. So I figured she'd had enough birthday.

Then in September she remembered that she never had her party and the commentary picked up again. Her mental party was growing in size and theme so I decided we better quick have an emergency party.

We had a baking party where the kids each decorated a homemade chef's hat and decorated 4 cupcakes to take home in a bakery box. They were so cute! [The kids & the cupcakes.]


In the picture below, notice all the girls all working on decorating their hats while all the boys are off in the background playing. Innate gender differences right here.

Happy Birthday Avery!

October - Birthday Month - Part 1

Since this month is full of birthday festivities in our family, let's start off with our birthday from last month.

Our Lizzie turned 2!!

We celebrated with a cake & candles with cousins in San Francisco.
Our family wouldn't be the same without Lizzie. She is adored by all.
We have yet to hear her really use words,
but she doesn't miss a beat when it comes to pointing out:

doggies
bikes
American flags
balloons
airplanes/helicopters
and now pumpkins, of course

Her current loves are:

stories
puzzles
playing outside
trying out her new jumping skills
making a "cheeseball" face when I pull out the camera

We can't wait to see what this next year has in store for her!

Off to Meet the Wizard

As I mentioned in a previous post, the girls worked and saved money over the summer to buy a ticket to see Wicked in San Fransisco. Austin has 2 siblings in the Bay area, so we could visit family, see the show, and enjoy the fun location. A home run!

By mid August I thought I better get our tickets. We were thinking fall -- like during their fall break in October. When I searched for tickets, come to find out the SF run of Wicked ends on September 5th! Really?! It seems it's been playing there FOR YEARS, but alas, only until Sept. 5th! We quickly talked/made phone calls/secured tickets for the Sept. 4th matinee and moved up our plans for a quick Labor Day jaunt to CA.


Well, the whole trip was a home run! Our LONG drive left something to be desired, but the rest of the trip was the best; fast, but great.

After sitting between an excited Katie & Abbie through breath-taking Act One, Abbie looks at me and says, "This is even BETTER than the cd!!" (She's referring to my prepping them that the voices wouldn't be exactly the same as the cd we'd been listening to.) So cute.

After the show, we even stumbled upon the stage door where the actors come to sign autographs. So Katie and Abbie were able to meet many of the performers. Here they are meeting the Wizard:

We've been home for a week and a half, and the girls are still playing the music and singing the songs. (Okay, me too.)

I wish this could be a "summer work" tradition, but there just isn't a Wicked every year. I'll figure something out.


While we were at the play, Avery and Lizzie spent the afternoon with cousins! Yay for cousins! We hung out, went to parks, the beach, ate yummy food and generally spoiled ourselves with fun family time.


Avery and James were pretty much self-entertained in their own world of make-believe from sun-up to sun-down.


Avery and Lizzie have never really been to the beach before. (Do I hear another family vacation coming on?) They loved the sand and Avery collected bird feathers that regretfully had to be left behind. Avery & Sadie happened to sport identical swimwear from their '09 collections.

Ducky (Umbrella) Goes to School

Avery conveniently had her Meet-the-Teacher/Assessment last Monday so she could go to school on the older girls' first day of school. However, yesterday was her official first day of Kindergarten.

The morning began cold, dark, and rainy. Our planned line-up on the playground turned into a mad dash into the school to be told first to go to the cafeteria, then sent back to her classroom.

Getting Ready to Dash into the School

Loving older sisters ushering Avery to her class - Lizzie & I couldn't keep up.

She did a marvelous job being happy and participating (all the kids did.) I was fine as long as I got myself out of there. After Avery sat down at her table, I looked around and saw several moms with moist eyes looking wistfully toward their suddenly grown babies. I knew I had to get out of there fast.

Ready to Start the Day!
(I kick myself for not moving that McD bag!
They were learning about "environmental reading"
where kids recognize logos and "read" them.)

School!

Sixth grade. Fourth grade. Kindergarten.

The only year we will have three at the same school.

A lucky cold snap (80 degrees) meant Avery could wear the sweater and purple boots she picked out in July and has been anxiously waiting to wear ever since. Below is her "amazing pose" she has been rehearsing for the first day of school. It sort of morphed into a WWII era stance.



Notice only 2 out of three wearing glasses in the top picture. Katie transitioned to contacts last week. She sure figured it out fast. Don't know if I could do that. She is quite pleased with her glasses-free face.

Temporary Downsizing

While the big girls were off to visit my parents in Arizona, we had some quality time with the little girls. It didn't take long to miss our big kids, however, we were quickly transported back to what life was like about eight years ago with just a toddler and preschooler. I knew that I'd be short on helping hands while Katie and Abbie were gone, but I learned there is just a lot less work to be done with half the kids gone.

We did lots of simple things geared just for this younger set.

We did a lot of this:

A carousel ride gets so much mileage with these guys.

Made some apricot jam with the apricots from the CSA - yum!

Purple carrots too!

Finally got this dress made for Lizzie based on a tutorial from here.

Then, my big girls came home -- happy from a week of grandparents love, and even a little bit older and more independent than when they left.

The end.

Boston Creams

Austin's mom's side of the family held a family reunion this summer. They were so smart to plan a cooking demonstration by Austin's aunt and grandmother.



Even though Fae started her demo by saying, "Don't try this at home, it's too hard," how often are my girls going to be taught something by their great-grandmother? Thanks Jergensens!

Hi Five!

Our little fire cracker turned five this month! Avery's birthday and our nation's birthday are celebrated together each year (her's is the 3rd.) We love our Avery and are excited to have a five year old in the house again!

Avery requested chocolate cake with white frosting -- enjoyed w/ cousins in Brianhead. On her birthday, we had a neighborhood parade and breakfast. She voted to skip the community parade that includes LOUD motorcycles and sirens.

She has had a 2year+ interest in Thomas The Tank Engine and received a train charm to add to her birthday bracelet this year. Avery loves to color, sing, dance, ride her scooter, and play trains. She is excited to start kindergarten this fall at the elementary school.


While walking to church this morning, I noticed Avery grabbed the perfect accessory to go with her birthday dress from grandma. Only Avery completes her look with a hand-crafted torch from preschool! Happy birthday Avery!

Brianhead

Last week we gathered as many of Austin's immediate family as we could and headed to Brianhead, Utah. We went cabining, that is camping-like activities with the use of soft beds, an equipped kitchen, and hot showers. We had a great group of cousins, amazing scenery, and perfect weather.

There was not much sleeping going on in the kid's "sleeping loft" on the first night.


Grandpa's dog, Dan, was quite a hit with the kids.


Hiking at Cedar Breaks Nat'l Monument


More Hiking
Lizzie decided she's rather hike than ride in the plush backpack, so she & mom hiked back at Lizzie-speed.

Avery's fifth Birthday


Gentle wrestling with the newest Bankhead addition, Austin. Max knows all the best tricks babies love!

Making s'more's at the fire pit.


We missed cousins Claire and Jackson who are living in Europe. Wish you were here!