D turned 8

My sweet little baby girl is growing up quickly. She is now a very precocious, creative, loving 8 year old girl going into 3rd grade. When did that happen? She had visual art camp the morning of her birthday. We always let the kids choose an activity and a place to eat at for their special day and this not so little girl picked going to the mall and Applebee's. I think she thinks she is a teen. It worked out well because one of her gifts was to go to Build-a-Bear. A few years back she got to make a Rainbow Dash for her gift. Ever since then she has hounded me to go back and get Twilight Sparkle. So we take her back to get it finally and what does she do....picks a different pony!

 After having pretzels, getting her pony, and getting their free loot birthday loot from both the mall and Barnes and Noble we headed home to relax and finish the cake. We were able to head out for an early dinner, where the waitress brought her this giant sundae, which she didn't want to share. Once eating half of it, she passed it over to brother to finish.

 Once home it was time for cake! This year she picked out a white cake, with vanilla buttercream, fresh strawberry filling and strawberries on top. The berries were fresh organic ones we had picked ourselves the day before.

 And then on to the rest of the gifts. We gave her a little sewing project, a potholder loom with extra bands, and L gave her a new color yourself messenger bag. I think she had a great day, I know the rest of us did.

Birthdays Part 2

As some of you know, my children were due the same day exactly a year apart. The fact that D was a day early and L was a few days late means they are the same age for 4 days each year. We always celebrate with family and friends together, although this year we did it a little different and next year will be way different.

D's birthday comes first in the week, and this year my baby turned 7. How the heck did that happen?!?!?! This year it also happened to fall the day after Father's day, so we did major celebrating in 1 week. She woke up to her gift on the table and donuts for breakfast. I had found birthday cake flavored Peeps on clearance at Walgreen's just days before, so both kids got a package of those. D is a major artist, any thing art or craft related she can get her hands on are big hits. I had picked her up a kid artist kit from Target that included paper, brushes, paint tray, and tubes of paint in a wooden box that also has a built in easel. We have tons of things by this brand, and love everything. Well it turns out she was disappointed because the night before she told her brother she wanted the Twilight Sparkle Build a Bear (wish she would have told us!).

She did end up getting her paints out and painting a wonderful flower and beach picture for us to hang on the wall.

Her cake of choice this year was this "Jackie special", 3 chocolate layer cake with peanut butter frosting and chocolate ganache. Yum!!

She also insisted on her annual hair cut. She LOVES it this short in the summer.

The activity that she picked to do on her special day was to go mini golfing. We tried out a new to us place just over the state line in Michigan. We really liked this one! The course was a bit of a challenge for all of us at times, we cooled off with really inexpensive slushies, and played some video games in the small arcade. The kids collected any tickets won and saved them for the next time.

Later in the week was L's birthday. He turned 8 this year, and we took this picture on his last night being 7. He is so super big to me now, and found out that he is already 4'5"!!!!

My science and math loving boy got his first snap circuit set. He is really loving figuring it all out and seeing what he can do with it.

Both kids get to choose a meal for their special day as well. D and Adam wanted the same place so her meal was actually the day before. L really wanted either pizza or a buffet, and then he remembered Cici's is a pizza buffet!

He also decided that mini golf and video games was too much fun on his sister's birthday so he picked to head back to the same place. The only problem was that on the way there was a crazy rainstorm! So after we waited it out in the car, the kids had fun with the impromptu water traps.

D turned 5!!!!

I just can not believe that my little girl is 5 already! Where has the time gone? Pretty soon she will be starting school, making new friends, being away from me, and possibly loosing a tooth. I'm not too sure I like this. We were able to celebrate her birthday this year the day before Father's day, just like we did when she was born. For her birthday, she picked to go bowling. The local bowling alley is all black light, and fun! Plus they have ramps for the kids too little to pick up the ball properly. For presents from us, I had painted her a set of princess peg dolls, and we found a kid's flower press kit. I figured she would love it since she is always collecting flowers and leaves and such. When she opened it, she didn't look to excited. I explained to her what it was, and still no excitement. It took big brother picking her a 3 leaf clover to get her excited and wanting to press it. We have since taken it with to 2 of the grandparent's houses, and a great grandparents house, and have pressed flowers and leaves as we go. She is now very excited about it.

A few days after her birthday, she decided it was time to cut her hair. She had been going back and forth for some time now. One day she wanted it cut, the next it was to grow as long as Rapunzel's! So I guess after 3 very hot windy days, she had had enough. It looks super cute on her, I can still pull it into tiny piggy tails, and she is very happy with it.

Not too sure about the flower kit

Peg princesses, and her pretty present

Happy girl bowling with a glowing pink ball

before cut

after cut