Fierce Fives

Each year of a child's life seems to have something that stands out and stays in your memory.  For McKenzie I think that her fifth year will show how fierce she is.  We have always seen little hints of this with her determination and stubbornness but I'm starting to see her using these traits together to form a very fierce little girl who is ready to take on the world.  There are so many differences in her from a year ago that it is hard to fully capture them all as time goes on.  I look back at pictures from a year ago and it seems so long ago.

For McKenzie's fifth birthday we celebrated more than she probably ever will again.  Since her birthday was on a Saturday so she took Popsicles to school on Friday to share with her classmates.  On her birthday she woke up as usual to the kitchen table decorated just for her.  This year she has been very into doctor kits and art so she was thrilled to get a doctor coat, bag and equipment and a very special Big Book of Boo Boos that I made special for her. 

This is how McKenzie rolls, asleep one minute and wide awake hula hooping the next she is fast asleep. 

Then we went to the kids' tee-ball game and brought treats for the team.  After the game we packed up the car and told the kids we had a surprise and that we *might* spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house since we packed our overnight stuff.  Then we headed down I-5 for the Great Wolf Lodge.  The kids were thrilled to go to Great Wolf Lodge again and we had a great time enjoying the warm temperatures and the water slides.  McKenzie was big enough to go on all of the rides except one.  Ben still has some growing to do but he enjoyed the big kid area most of the time instead of the kiddie area.  He also loved the wave pool.  Our water camera had some power issues so we didn't get any pictures so you'll have to trust me about how many smiles there were.  My favorite part was watching McKenzie go across this line of floating lily pads holding onto a rope bridge above her head.  It was very doubtful as we stood in line that she could even reach the ropes but she could and she powered her way across and had strangers clapping for her.

I learned a very valuable lesson on that trip - you never ever even pretend you're going to Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Poor Ben was happy to go to Great Wolf but still felt he was going to see his grandparents and asked to go to their house the entire way home.

After that big weekend of fun we still had McKenzie's actual birthday party.  We had a pink pirate themed party for her birthday with friends and family over.  In total I think we had about forty people over which was a bit wild but it worked out and McKenzie loved it.  The weather put a slight damper on the decorations since we had to put up some tents to cover the patio and table but overall the guest didn't seem to mind the intermittent showers too much since it was so muggy that day.

We had plenty of activities planned to go with our pirate theme:
- Make your own pirate ship to float in the stream
- Canon ball toss game with teams
- Canon ball on the ankle where you keep people from popping your balloon
- Treasure hunt complete with pinata at the end

Such a fun day and McKenzie is so spoiled to have so many wonderful friends and family members to help her celebrate.  And of course I must give Pinterest some credit for helping with the games, pirate themed food and decorations.

Batter Up!

Another tee ball season is here and this year both kids are in on the action.  I managed to get them both on the same team so that we could minimize the duplicate practices and games.  That also saves me from having to chase one around while the other practices.  Instead I get to chase them both around trying to get them to practice.  Tee ball is a hard sport for little kids because there is so much waiting around for a turn to catch, throw or hit.  When kids get bored they get distracted so keeping things moving is the way to go.

This is Ben's first season and it's definitely a building year for him.  He gets how to do most of the things which is good but it's keeping him focused long enough that is the issue.  He does love to bat and does a decent job hitting the ball.  I suspect he really just likes the fun hat but whatever keeps him out on the field works for me.

Helmet should read 'One Size Fits Most' - not Ben though.

McKenzie on the other hand is in her second season and what a difference a year makes.  At the first game she got very frustrated with her coach because the coach told her to let some of the other kids field the ball.  In a move that surprises me, I agree with Kenzie, I think it's important in practice to let everyone have a turn but in the game if my kid is moving to the ball and keeping the game going lets go with it.  She'll learn with time that others are closer and have a better shot at making the play but at this stage in learning the game it's all about remembering to throw the ball to first and Kenzie has that down.  I'm working to not become a crazed sports parent but it's hard to see your kid frustrated for doing good.

The real benefit of having both kids on the same team is watching them enjoy spending time together.  We are so lucky the kids get along so great most of the time.  Here they are when the game is in play.  Kenzie is telling Ben to get the ball when it comes and throw to first.  Shortly after this the ball was hit and Kenzie ran and got it, then she stopped tossed it to Ben and had him make the throw to first.  Love it.

Go Team!  It's all about just trying to not hit anyone with a wild throw and remember what base is next at this point.

Thriving on Auto Pilot

We have been having way too much summer time fun and I've gotten a bit behind on everything so it's time to play catch up.  The garden is just one of the many things around here that is a bit on auto pilot and luckily it has done fairly well despite the lack of attention.  The rain that stuck with us this year right up until July 3rd really helped cut down on the need to water the garden.  These pictures are from June 19th which was almost  four weeks ago so I'm due for new pictures, just one more thing for my list.

Here is the things we were able to enjoy out of the garden by June 19th:

* Radishes (they are all gone now)

* Lettuce - more frequent use of this has prolonged our plants this year

* Chives

* Rosemary

* Sage

* Thyme

Items that didn't make it:

* Pepper plant - I believe this didn't get enough water at first being inside the red plastic or maybe it was the lack of sunshine

My first tomato on the vine - this one is from my large variety not my sun gold cherry tomato plants.  This tomato plant is my shortest plant but was the first to flower.

The peas are loving the netting I put up.  Next year I'll have to make it stronger since it started to sag as the bamboo poles moved in the dirt.  

A bee enjoying a beautiful flower on our chives that wintered over from last year.  I never figured out if the flowers were good or bad for the plant, they were so beautiful in the sea of greens that is my garden.

So far it's been a good year for the garden, I'll work on another update soon to share more real time details.  

Extreme Nappers

Both of the kids still nap.  Everyday.  For a couple of hours.  I can probably list off the few days we've wildly skipped a nap to fit in one more fun thing.  It's just not something we do since the kids only have two modes - awake or asleep.  As we are quickly approaching kindergarten for McKenzie we are going to start phasing out her naps and we'll see what we do with Ben but I suspect we'll let him nap for another year or two.

Here's Ben on a recent Sunday morning after playing outside in the yard.  He stopped off in Matt's office to watch a show on the computer and then we found him there snoozing away.  Since the kids have such regular naps we rarely find them sleeping anywhere besides their beds so it justifies grabbing the camera when they do.  

Luckily for us McKenzie's school is doing a kindergarten readiness program this summer so starting in July they will be ending naps at school and helping the kids adjust to staying awake all day.  It's going to be interesting to watch her adjust.  She had such a hard time going from two naps down to one.  We had to implement controlled naps in the morning where she could go to sleep but only for a short time.  Hopefully we won't have to resort to that this time.  

Bittersweet Symphony

There are so many milestones in life that you dream of for your kids.  You look at your little baby just learning to roll over and long for the day they will be running around playing.  When your baby starts to run around reality hits and you realize you'll never sit down again.  Staring at yoru little child cooing in your arms you want so badly to hear them talk and say "Mama".  Again reality hits when they are saying nothing but "Mama".

I recently had one of these bittersweet milestones with McKenzie around writing.  She loves to draw and write things and I spend countless hours spelling words for the many things she wants to write.  I have been longing for the day when she will get it and be spelling on her own, even dreaming up an iPhone app that would spell things for her.  It was a Saturday morning and I told her it was time for a shower.  She said she didn't want a shower and ran off.  I found her digging in my office for pens and told her to get moving to the shower.  She told me she had to do something and so I humored her. She then proceeded to hand me a folded piece of paper and told me to read it.  It was the first letter I've received from my daughter that she wrote all on her own.  She simply wrote "No" then signed her name.  Adorable but it led me to see the road ahead and to enjoy the participation in her writing efforts for now since all too soon she'll be off and running all on her own.  

You Are Special Today

My Mom has a red dinner plate that she would bring out on our birthdays and occasionally other special days.  Around the edge of the plate it said "You Are Special Today".  I loved eating off of that plate and the feeling of knowing I was special even just for that moment.  I think about that red plate often and plan to will get one of my own so my kids can have that special memory as part of their lives too.  In the spirit of that plate I try to find little ways to make everyday things special for the kids.

Why eat another boring dinner at the table on a Saturday night?  We opt to head out to the backyard for a bonfire and picnic.  Anyone with kids knows how dull yet another meal can be, change it up, make it special.

Keeping up with someone's personal hygiene besides your own can be less than thrilling.  Change up the old routines a bit with a mini spa night at home.  Recently I turned on some soothing tunes on the iPhone, soaked the kids feet in the sink and spent a little time relaxing with the kiddos and enjoying each other.

Being a parent is challenging and it can get very repetitive with all the upkeep these little people need.  When I get overwhelmed with all the daily details I need to just think of the red plate and find a way to make today special for the kids and for me.

Come Sail Away

View from the far side of the creek back towards the house

Our backyard is what childhood dreams are made of, it's what made us buy this house despite a lot of other factors not being exactly dreamy.  Luckily Matt and I both shared the same vision of our someday kids playing in the yard and exploring the stream and woods beyond.  Today that dream is a reality and we love to see the kids running wild in the yard playing more with nature than with toys.  

Returning home after the Ladies Tea with Grandma C we discovered Matt and the kids building boats to float in the stream.  What a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon at home.  The kids love to set their boat sailing and then scramble back up the bank to chase them downstream.  They also spend a good deal of time fishing in the stream, haven't caught anything yet but you never know.