Legos, legos and more legos

No surprise that to celebrate Owen's birthday party this year the theme was Legos. He even told me that next year will be Star Wars (and if I had to bed I'd hold him to it). He's so funny when it comes to parties - I think he honestly likes the planning (like I do). One afternoon he came in to my office and said "let's talk about snacks" (for the party). Anyways, the party was all boys (plus Rebecca who dressed up in her ninja costume and snuck around taunting them; thankfully the party was during Maggie's naptime so we had that going for us) and except for Nathan (neighbor/church buddy) it was all 1st graders from school.

I asked Owen to make me a "7" out of legos so I could make an invite.

I love invites.

Posing with the lego cake.

Second birthday party in a row where spray food coloring - totally good for you - has been a key player.

The pre-event.

This group could have done this for hours.

But then, the real work began. 

Our neighbor Chris owns Snapology - a company that does lego-based workshops, after-school programs, camps and parties! - and she came over to help the boys each make a motorized conveyor belt. Booyah.

It was sooooo quiet. Seriously. They were intense. Except for hands raised and sweet little voices saying "Ms. Chris - *I have a question" - they were in the zone. One little friend kept saying "I have a misunderstanding and need help." Love.

Ms. Chris working her magic. This is the part where I admit I was a worthless helper. I stare at the instructions and its like Uh, Ms. Chris - I have a misunderstanding.

30 years their senior...he's one of them.

Owen doing his thing.

Sweet friends.

Did I mention these creations actually hooked up to mini Lego motors and worked?

Ms. Chris nailed it again w/ having the boys convey Star Wars mini-figures.

 

And she let each of the kids construct their own mini-figure.

When all that was done it was time for cake.

Happy accident that there is sort of a sideways 7 on the cake.

Before the boys left I snapped an iphone shot of of each of them, ran it through a free app that lego-izes photos.

Dane

Harrisonne

Hayes

Joseph

Gus

Nathan

Grant

Maximus

Mac

Of course, right after cake up until the parents had picked up all the boys (did I mention this was totally drop-off? I think we were shocked how well it went, and several of the other moms were too!) - they went sugar-crazy. So no one believed us when we said how quiet and intense it had been. :) A bunch of sweet boys and sweet friendships and lots of fun.

M Squared

Our good friends the Murrays seem to always call their second born Micah by his full name. He's Micah Murray. Sort of rolls off the tongue. Plus if you're the type of kiddo that needs correction frequently, it accomplishes the parental I'm really serious task. Kyle called him M Squared the other day. We laughed. Then I realized we have our own little M Squared. 

Having a popcicle before First Friday.

I mentioned in the post about the girls that we've been having bedtime issues. One night I found her standing on Owen's potty (the tall back part, not the seat) with all the lights on (thankfully both sibs were asleep) and she was all soapy and wet, in her *pink plastic high heels. What the what?

And then we have moments like this, reading/drawing quietly at our friend's Christal's house (no one was home, we were just using their house while our cleaners were at ours) - and I was able to get some reading done. It was a magical morning.

Smoovy date

Cow time w/ Bee

And of course ice cream for lunch (because when they open at 11 or 11:30 it can't really be a snack anymore).

Other notes on M Squared:

• I mentioned these - but she has discovered a pair of pink plastic high heels that were in a dress up kit of R's...and she is obsessed with them. I tell myself its mostly because they make an awesomely loud clicking/clacking noise in all the concrete and hardwood flooring we have. As far as the example I set for her I pretty much wear toms and other flat shoes so I'm off the hook, right? Anyways, we have put our foot down and won't let her wear them at bedtime (it was making a bad situation worse) but she likes to nap in her tent in them. Fine. And she gets home from school, takes off her tennis shoes and puts them on. Click Clack Click Clack. She prefers wearing them while also being naked. 
• She has absolutely NO INSIDE VOICE. None. Her sweet, nasal voice is always on full volume. Unless she is doing an almost imperceptible whisper. 
• Still loves Pip and Posey books but we have a two new favorites that she has completely learned the words too because we've rechecked them out twice - Gossie and The Big Red Barn. I will try to get a video of her "reading" them.
• No surprise but is in a major limit-testing phase. Just an example: yesterday I had my laptop on the kitchen counter and she was on a stool right by me and she kept touching the keyboard. I told her it was a NoNo to touch mommy's computer and if she did it again she would get a spanking. She said noooooooooo (quietly, sweetly, with a testing twinkle in her eye). The she slowly slowly reached the tip of one finger and barely tapped the edge of the computer. Immediately pulled away and laughed. Oh, girl, I wish you hadn't done that. And you will soon wish that too... But she'll do it again, just to make sure we're serious. And we are, but it's also really hard not to laugh...
• She likes to hide and jump out and yell Surcrise!!!

The Girls - Two Peas in a Waring, Sometimes Giggling, Sisterly Drama-Pod

Seems like with Owen in school "full time" we have had more time with just these two. Plus their age difference is starting to seem smaller. They still fight a LOT but I think we're having more instances of actual camaraderie than ever before.

Showing off some new rain clothes. We've always had hand-me-down rain boots - which has been great. But it was fun to get some cute matching stuff this year. Some sisterly love before heading out to play in the rain.

And when mom backs the van into the garage door and you're stuck at home on a beautiful day, what should you do? Water fight of course!

Rebecca

MaggPie

Maggie's car wash

Maggie's Salon

Maggie's Clinic (washing a booboo of R's)

Oh, and some art time with Ms. Geanine - a friend who is staying with us for a couple of months. The kids love having "other big people" around and having Geanine is no different. A few weeks into her stay I think we even stopped calling the guest room "Carlos' Room" which is probably appropriate. :)

With respect to this post's title - it mostly has to do with bedtime. The girls share a room and its been kind of awful recently. We're hoping this is a phase. Part of it has to do with their friendly and also antagonistic relationship. And part of it is to do with the fact that Maggie isn't generally as tired as Rebecca is at bedtime (because she still takes a nap, which she seems to need, but we're cutting it shorter and shorter). Maggie does a lot of: light-turning-on, toy-getting, loud-talking, under-bed-crawling, unathorized-hand-washing, etc. and Rebecca does a lot of ??? shrieking in return? And coming down to tell us what Maggie is doing. And coming down to tell us something she makes up on the way down - like she loves us, or we forgot to tell her what we're doing tomorrow ("the whole story") or she needs water or nose medicine or she wants a unicorn Stuffy for Christmas. We're working on it...we have several fronts that need attack.

Rosalon - Welcome to the Mezger Family

We have a new member of the family and her name is Rosalon. She is an American Girl Doll that Bee and JoJo got Rebecca for her 5th birthday. My mom is not only a great gift-giver but she is an experience-giver. She and JoJo took Rebecca to Houston for a weekend back in August. They stayed with friends and made a whole day of it at the shop - picking the perfect doll and having tea with her. 

Rebecca is quite creative with names - to the point of absurdity. So we were all pleasantly surprised with "Rosalon" because its name-ish. She settled in on a name that started with an R (like hers and like Rose Princess - her rainbow build-a-bear) and then made it up from there. 

Picking her out.

The American Girl employee that helped.

Getting her dressed.

Learning how to care for her hair.

The tea party - R's favorite part.

Rosalon goes where Rebecca goes. Often accompanied by Rose Princess and maybe a few other friends that rotate in/out of favor. She has several changes of clothes including jammies that match Rebecca's and goes in a backpack to church most weeks - Rebecca said she likes church. 

A few other Rebecca notes:

• She wore a dress to school recently - as a skirt. She basically created her own long maxi skirt by tucking the strapes of a dress into her "hidies" (little shorts that cover her undies under dresses/skirts). My little fashionista. 
• We're going to the library reguarly and she not only enjoys picking out books for herself but always insists on picking some out for Maggie and Owen.
• Loves working in the garden at school.
• She didn't want to go to school the other day and I totally let her play hookie. I figure this is the last year we can do that without even having to think twice. Her teacher joked that we took a mental health day. I told Rebecca we played hookie and she got frustrated But we didn't PLAY hookie!!!!
• She spent the other morning running around with me to 5 different grocery stores/markets to find the "right" pumpkins and she not only didn't complain I think she liked it. She said we jad to get just the right ones. My little holiday accomplice. 
• Really likes to tell people: Tengo cinco (I am five - in spanish). She also told me while we were pumpkin hunting - Mom, this is the first Halloween where I am ive. MAN, I love this life. 
•  Love love love to pack things - this has been the case for a while but its actually getting helpful. Kyle took she and O fishing the other day and she put herself in charge of packing the snacks for the trip - and she did a surprisingly good job! There was a variety of salty, sweet, no peanuts (because of O's allergy), drinks - just enough but not too much. 
• She has also taken it upon herself to make breakfast for all the kids on Saturday mornings - it started a few weeks ago - we heard them all come downstairs and before we could even get out of bed she had started making waffles. Its pretty cute to watch. She gets everything out with the help of a stool, toasts the waffles, cuts them, does the syrup and serves them at the kitchen counter. #ourworkhereisdone #wecansleepin!!!
• She keeps telling us about some story that is everyone's favorite at school - it has no pictures and is about a robot monkey who taught himself to read...need to find out more.
• Oh, she is also telling us that she is a Tom Boy - this from our fashionista drama queen...but there is the Ninja Factor. And football (she is a not-so-nice-sometimes Aggie fan in a BIG way) and liking the bloody realities of hunting/fishing. So, its not that far off. Not even sure where she heard the term. Interestly, she thinks there is such a thing as a Tom Girl and she has named several (boy) friends of hers that she says fit the definition...