Tow Tow

 I thought Maggie's birthday party would be our first party in the new house. It actually wasn't - two nights before we had the privilege of hosting a little adults-only (I know!) soiree as a send-off to some new and wonderful friends moving abroad. It was just the fire under our hinies to get a few details in the house done (a rug, a couple of things hung, broken wine glasses replaced) - pics of the house to come at some point. 

Anyways, our first party was very fun - and makes us realize how great it is to make time for adult-only mingling and conversation!!! And the second party - Maggie's birthday - was real life - in all our multi-kid glory - and was a total blast in another way. 

So, glad we got to celebrate this wonderful little girl. Goes without saying - I can't believe she's two. I keep realizing over and over again that I don't have a baby anymore! So, strange! 

Okay, backing up a little bit to explain the theme. Cause you know how I like me some themed birthdays. I was at my moms a few weeks ago and I confessed to her that I had NO ideas for Maggie's party. Zero, I was (thanks to the house) creatively drained. I said - I can't even think of anything she likes!!! Mom calmly replied - she likes balls. BALLS! Yes, Maggie does like balls. She loves them in fact! So, a balls party it would be!

"maggie is two, so let's have a ball"

(a candid shot from back at Easter)

The decor - ball garlands, lanterns...

 and lots of BALLS!

The front door sign that in no way prevented people from coning in the front door. :)

So I remember - I made Shelley's meat BALLS, caprece BALL salad, grapes, cherries...

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!

If anyone questions where I get my over-eager-themeyness....Look no further than my MOTHER'S SHIRT. BALLS.

Just chillaxin and enjoying her party!

CHEESE!

Just checking herself out in the big mirror.

The cake. Gracias a pinterest - again. 

But I wasn't sure what the little ball candies in the original/source photo were, so I used Trix. Whatever those candies were I think this has to be an improvement. Who doesn't love Trix???

This two-year-old is quite pleased with her cereal-covered-confection.

SURRISE! MORE BALLS!

Birthday girl and a row of SWEATY boys.

The festivities.

Trampoline.

Plus a dad

Pop-up soccer goal = tent

 Buddies.

 Sweet friends from way-back

 New friends from up the street

Gave a quick tour at one point and couldn't resist snapping the view from the girls' window

And through the big door

Did I mention it was really hot? We hadn't quite counted on the heat. (And we figured out the following day that our porch fans were spinning clockwise driving air up instead of down so that wasn't helping). So.....where there is a bucket of ice (for drinks), there are children playing in the bucket of ice!

Sweaty brother

Heat doesn't seem to be affecting R's fun.

 Or her smile.

And no crying from this one - Its' my birthday!!!

Once things died down and friends left for their air conditioned homes, we went inside (where the grandparents had been hiding out for a while...as if we wouldn't notice!) for some gifties.

Now Maggie can REALLY join the big kids on their riding adventures on our long driveway.

Our bounce around the living room.

Hey!

My dad snapped this of me during clean-up. I'm holding my spatula with such goofy pride. I need therapy, ya'll.

When you ask Maggie how old she is she (sometimes) says "tow tow" - and she holds up 2 fingers - but using 2 hands. Love it.

Kiddo Update

I found the draft of this post - pictures only - neglected deep in my post list. I uploaded the photos a while back intending to do a general kid update and never did it. Then looking at my list of kid-notes I realized its been so long since I've done an update like this that I don't even remember what some of the notes mean! So, bear with me.

OWEN

checking out a lady bug - did you know they can bite?

Figuring out the neighborhood swing (it appeared hung from a tree in a median at Christmas with a note saying for the kids of Brykerwoods - how cool is that?).

• In a very self-aware moment told me all about how he likes to try to like things that his friends like so they'll have something to talk about - specifically superheroes and spiderman. How old are you?
• Titaniboa. Documentary. Thanks Bee!
• Have you ever had to try to explain "digital information" to a 5 year old? I have. In detail. We're talking down to 1s and 0s people. He was not satisfied with my answer - and I can't blame him - so if there are any techy people out there that want to give this a try with him I would seriously appreciate it. 
• He beats me at chess. Consistently. Have I mentioned I hate chess? :)
• Excited about kindergarten. Overheard Kyle and I talking about different extra-curricular activities offered and he quickly narrowed in on...you guessed int...chess club. 
• Soccer - finished a great little season. I think he had a lot of fun and enjoyed being part of the team. Best quote - telling me his thoughts on how a particular game went - told me that he "just can't find the path!" (through the herd of children at the ball). The boy needs a game plan people!

 Enjoying the swing w/ his sister.

REBECCA

Back in the old house - made a sunbutter and jelly sandwhich all by herself. Without my knowledge. Even cut the crust off using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Proudly displaying over her head.

See the bread on the floor above? And the bread on the pile on the counter? The perfect sandwhich takes trial and error. And an entire loaf of bread.

• R has been doing some speech therapy this spring to work on a few things that were a little bit behind - wanted to nip it in the bud before it slowed my singing, story-telling, chatty little girl down. She had a lot of fun working with Miss Heather and made a lot of progress. We'll reevaluate in the fall but are probably done. Yippee!
• Wants to marry daddy. Only wants to grow up if she can marry daddy. Kyle and I both agree this is a good plan. 
• Was obsessed with Kyle's birthday and what type of cake we should make it and where it should be (not at our new house, she said). 
• Can't remember the preceding remark, but to Nana: "Nana, you talk like Chicken Little!"
• Hasn't happened since we moved so hopefully we left this guy at the old house. But for several weeks Rebecca was having VERY vivid dreams about "the little green man." You could tell this was not a story she was making up. He was real to her. He had a long neck. And was small. And would sneak into the house and sneak around. She was very much afraid of him. Tears. One night she said that someone shot him. Learned quickly not to tell her he wasn't real, but rather that mommy and daddy were there to take care of her and that we have a big, awesome, strong God so we really don't have anything to be afraid of. Parenting crash-course.
• gives "monster hugs" 
• plays with her hair alot. especially the front sections - she puts them in her mouth (we're mostly over that) and curls them and twists them and nots them up - like how you would make dreadlocks. She says she's "making curls" to which I reply that she already has a beautiful head of curls. And if she keeps doing that and makes tangles I'm going to have to cut her hair short like daddy's. Harsh, but we had to get the point across. 
• Likes to store her socks and undies in her toy kitchen.
• When I told her that she and Owen were going to get to do 2 days of a little tumbling camp over spring break she replied, without hesitation - But I need gymnast clothes! (I hadn't even used the word gymnastics.)
• On more than one occasion has yelled "I give my word to you!!!" in a very angry voice at Owen - she thinks its an insult. He giggles and tells her that's not very nice. 
• Loves lemonade - she calls it lemolade. So, we call her our little Lemolady.  

Pushing Maggie on "the bee"

MAGGIE

Enjoying a little help form daddy to master R's scooter. Has since really gotten the hang of it - used to just ride when we pushed her or walk with it in between her legs, but now can sorta scoot!

block time

Loves to have her picture taken. The quinty-eyed crooked smile to the right is when I say - say cheese! Now, its our little game. I just put my hands up to my face around my eyes like I'm holding a camera and she immediately cocks her head to the side - sometimes a lot - and smiles big - and squints even bigger.

Maggie can hold a pen/pencil better than a lot of five year olds. And no one taught her. So, she's basically a genius. :) Here she is doing a little homework.

• MAGGIE ALERT! MAGGIE ALERT! MAGGIE ALERT! MAGGIE ALERT! That's what the kids start yelling whenever she's getting into something dangerous. Or just bothering them. Totally devised by my 3 and 5 year old. But I come running. Its being abused a little bit now because they know I'll come running. So, what used to be a signal for 1) she's climbing the stiars (pre-gates), 2) she's playing in the potty (still a truggle) or the ice maker (getting better)...has now evolved into 1) she took my goldfish, 2) she's standing in front of the tv- kind of stuff. 
• We've had a couple of biting incidents. But she's kept it in the family so that's good I guess. The worst was when she came up to Owen asked for a hug (hu, hu, hu) and laid into his side. Not only totally unprovoked, but really sneaky.
• In the car she sings like a whale. Seriously, google an audio clip of whales singing and this is what Maggie sounds like. 
• Its summertime in Austin and that means mosquitoes. And they LOVE Maggie. Her legs and her poor cheeks. And she cannot keep her hands of the boo boos. She's had some that have been there for weeks because she picks and picks. And she picks off bandaids. Ugh.
• I should have started asking her to do this a long time ago but I forget she's old enough sometimes! She started copying O & R and taking her plate to the kitchen counter after meals. She can't reach. And she doesn't have very good balance. So we've had lots of spills so now I help her out a little, but its sooooo sweet to see her trying so hard to be a big girl - and it was her idea! My favorite part is she pretty much insists on a high-five after each plate delivery! Yea! High Five!
• Major milestone - she is crawling out of her pack 'n play. Why did I not say crib? Well, her crib sorta brokey during the move so she's been in a pack 'n play. And one fateful night she through one of those meaty legs over the edge and the rest is history. So, until we get R a real big girl bed and move M into the toddler bed she's sleeping in her camping tent. And she LOVES it. It'll be a hard transition.
• Words: Owie, Bepbep (Rebecca), Mah-eee, wah wah, ball, ish (shoes), dit do (thank you)...we think she says a LOT more, like complete brilliant sentences, because she talks all the time and really looks like she believes she's telling us things. But we don't understand. It's probably all us. :)

School's Out For Summer

The last day of preschool was two weeks ago. Some of the year shots...

Maggie enjoying a class ice cream treat.

Giving me her "cheese" face - and carrying baby and her lunch box like such a big girl.

Her precious teacher Ms. Quin reminded me that at the beginning of the year Maggie wasn't even walking! Wow - you've come along way M!

R hiding behind Ms. Stacey - eating her popcicle

R and Ms. Stacey

R loved all school days, but especially Wednesdays when Ms. Michelle was the aid. Kindred spirits.

Owen's class sang some sweet songs for us in the sanctuary to wrap up the school year. Its hard for me to think about him not going back next year, although I know he has great things ahead of him in kindergarten - still, big change!

By this point in the afternoon - after extra sugar and the little program put on by the older kids, M was having a really really hard time so all we had time for at the picnic was a quick shot with our beloved Ms. Laurie with Owen. Probably for the best or there might have been tears and no one wants to see me cry while holding a 2 year old, 3 lunch boxes, 3 end-of-year-here-is-all-your-stuff bags and wrangling 2 other kids. I hope Ms. Laurie is one of those teachers we keep up with...

Truly a special place and a great year.