I'm now officially the parent of a 7-year-old. Brian and I realized that we have now spent over 1/3 of the time we get with her officially in our home. She had a great birthday party. Brian was spending the night on the White Rim so we decided to have a special birthday breakfast: german pancakes, sausage, berries and whip cream. So in other words, desert for breakfast. Then Liesel told me I was supposed to bring a treat to her class for her birthday. So I made cookies. Then I cleaned the house and prepped for her scavenger hunt. The clues took them around the neighborhood and in our backyard, ultimately leading to a treasure map hidden in the swingset playhouse. From there, they had to figure out where the "X" was in the garden and then they took turns digging up the cooler that Brian had buried (very well, I might add. With cooler handle down locking the lid so the entire thing had to be dug out completely by 9 kids and a pregnant lady). They were so excited when they spotted the lid and eventually we got the whole thing out and passed out the goody bags. I went to buy stuff for them, but couldn't throw my money down for a bunch of plastic junk so I just gave each kid $1 and a slap bracelet. Then we busted open Liesel's star piñata we made months ago and they filled the remaining space in their goody bags with candy.
Liesel requested a doughnut cake (hello, easiest birthday cake ever!) and she helped me pick out the doughnuts that morning before school. They ate that, watched her birthday video I made and then she opened presents. Afterward, I was too tired to make dinner and should have just left it at the candy and cake, but they insisted they wanted food so I took them to McDonalds. No surprise that 24hrs later Felicity woke up in the middle of the night throwing up.
Friday we took the kids to the tree lighting and to see santa. Its a great little Moab tradition to have the community come out, the band plays carols, the crowd sings carols, they have cocoa and cookies and the kids tell Santa what they want for Christmas. Then they plug in the tree (a big pine that has been decorated by ornaments the elementary made including Liesel) and a ton of lights.
So Friday ended well, even though it started out rough. Liesel (probably on a sugar crash post-party) didn't want to go to school and then we got in an argument over asking for a parakeet for Christmas on the way to school. Apparently we got there late (although I didn't know it) and so I biked home with Hannah a different way only to see Liesel pull in at the same time from the other direction with tears streaming down her face. She said the door was locked, "and I just couldn't do it mom! I couldn't go to school!" I gave her a hug and let her mellow out for an hr, but then I took her back to school in the car. We talked to her about it being kind of a big deal to just leave the school when we thought she was there! Yikes. But she was fine by the end of the day and I took the kids mountain biking with Leslie and Natalie and their kids-- then went to the tree lighting like I said above.
The following day I got a sitter so I could go mountain biking with friends. Then I took the kids on a hike in Arches which was really fun. Sometimes it's great to have friends around and sometimes it's great to just have us. This time it was great to just be us and talk and sing and play in the sand. When we got home the kids decided they wanted to see "Coco" --a new Pixar movie. We made it about 40 mins in and then Hannah said it was too weird for her and we all left. I knew she was going to say that because she doesn't like anything "weird" so I don't know why I took them in the first place.
The light parade was that night. It's another magical Moab tradition where the community all comes together to watch the floats pass by. Everything is lit up, the hospital provides yet more cookies and cocoa and I spent half the time looking at the kids' adorable faces. It was a great night.
Christmas is stressful, but beautiful too. I finally prepped the advent calendar with Light the World and the kid's did a great job loving their neighbor today. Although, I'm pretty sure Hannah's story was a total lie: after hearing that Liesel befriended someone lonely sitting on the playground "buddy bench" -- Hannah decided to one-up her by telling me that Ava in her class was crying because her grandpa just died and she gave her a hug and they started playing together. I was like, "hmmmmmm." but the point is, her heart wanted to love her neighbor even though it didn't necessarily want to be honest. It is interesting to me that in Liesel's baby blessing she was blessed with obedience and honesty and hannah was blessed with charity and faith...
Felicity has been like World's Cutest Toddler this week. Everything she is doing lately has me all heart-eyed and dying of cuteness. Her little voice and giggles. But man, that child is destructive. She breaks books, draws on stuff, dumps out my makeup, somehow gets soaking wet, breaks ornaments or puts them all in the laundry basket and is somehow always stealing raisins. I'm pretty sure she is fueled on Cuties (small clementines) and milk.
Liesel practicing cartwheels in arches
the mountain bike crew
kids and santa. H asked for a surprise, Liesel a boomerang (?! so ridiculous!) and Felicity a flashlight. If it was up to me, I wouldn't even do santa because I feel like I know what they want more than they do.
a few friends at her party
swinging at her piñata
friends! Piñata! Arm of victory after the hunt!
opening the treasure map
The treasure
Felicity in a tree. She was very happy hear. Seeing that is wearing the same thing two days in a row here (see bike photo earlier) makes me realize I must dress her with what is on the floor. whoops.
Girls on our Arches hike
Liesel at her birthday party!
Doughnut cake I worked on for like a whole 5 mins.
Liesel did not like this picture. She said her smile was weird. I love her shirt. It was a hand-me-down from a friend and liesel has been saving it to wear today for months! It says, "I'm so happy today!"
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