Friend party

We had a final celebration with school friends on Friday (3/1) after Henry's bday. Having a bday in February is tricky, because the weather is so unpredictable. Several years it snowed on his bday, and several others it was sunny and mild. My preference is always having an outdoor party at home, but that has only happened on 2 of his 7 bdays! We have to think creatively since our house isn't really big enough to have a bunch of people inside . When Henry started kindergarten, we started the "drop your kid off" kind of party, and that helped with the crowd. Anywhoo, this year we did a big party at Stars and Strikes. We don't usually spend this much $, but we had a big gift card that Steven had won at his company Christmas party, so we used that to help with the cost. The best thing about having it there was that they have a party host who is specifically for you...she was great help! Below are some pics of the celebration!

Our host was a balloon artist extraordinaire, and she kept the kids entertained making them whatever they wanted. When Henry arrived, she had this hat ready for him, plus a flashing Happy Birthday button!

He picked 3 colors for his baloons-red, orange, purple.

He requested Wild Kratts for a "theme"...which consisted of a WK cake topper and WK themed goodie bags for the party guests.

Lincoln and Harvey arrived first. I snapped a shot with Henry's bday message above before it got changed.

Let the bowling begin!

Henry with some more buddies-Sarah Elizabeth, Abby, and William.

Goodie bags with zebra striped cakes, fruit stripes gum, some plastic animals, an animal fact card and gel pen...and a wild Kratts tag!

My girls were happy to have Nora Kate come!

The boys were pretty competitive! Other friends here are Hudson, Dawson, and Jackson. That's a lot of "sons"!! haha

And Carter is in this one!

The girls stayed on the "girl side"...funny how they naturally divided! We ate pizza and had lemonade/fruit punch. Zoe and Patty are in this shot.

Balloon flowers!

Here is the whole gang! Sixteen total if you count the littles (Ruby and Clayton). Fourteen bowled.

And the silly shot!

Henry with friends surrounding him being sung to. He was happy if you can't tell! I just frosted a funfetti cake with green and added lighter green grass and propped up some wild animals on top. It worked and was super easy and stress-free to transport.

Henry got wonderful gifts from his friends. Very special!

Afterward everyone went to the arcade area and Henry got some time in the ticket booth. He got to grab the flying tickets that were being blown around, and at the end he could trade them in (for a set amount) or keep what he grabbed. He traded which was a great choice. All the friends got an arcade card to play a few games before parents picked them up. This part made me SOOO nervous, because parents weren't there (for the most part) and they were running free using their cards. I decided to plant myself by the door so no one could escape wo my knowledge. The teacher in me was cringing, and I was literally sweating. I have them their gift bags as the left so I could mentally check them out! Ha

Grabbing tickets in the wind! He had to push them into a ticket slot once he grabbed them.

One last shot in the prize (aka junk and trinkets) area....Jackson and Henry have become big buddies at school this year, and I'm so thankful! Here they are posing for a final picture! 

 Happy 7th birthday, Henry! We loved celebrating with you. You are blessed to be surrounded by people who love and support you!

More bday

We brought home the decorations from Grandpa's house and kept the party going!:)

It is hard for me to swallow the fact that we have a 7 year old, but the fact remains that we do! Henry has matured so much over the past year, and he is really a sweet, kind-hearted kid. I'll try to put a bit below about him. For his actual Bday (a Tuesday which means a long school day), we opened gifts as a family (he got new golf clubs bc he had outgrown his, balls, silly string, yarn, a puzzle, and a model car for him and Steven to put tghr), and we went out to get ice cream (Oreo-his fave!). It was a good time.

-He didn't really have anything he wanted for his bday and said the thing he wanted I probably wouldn't get him. I coaxed him to tell me what, and he finally said a baby brother:) I told him he was right, probably not, but God was ultimately in charge of that so you never know! Sweet boy. After thinking some more, he came up with yarn, a calendar, playing cards, and silly string:)
-Henry was baptized in September. He kept bringing it up and asking about it, so we said we would find a time to talk to Peter about it. Then he kept hounding us if we had talked to Peter. We figured we had better act on it if he was basically begging for it! Anyway, Henry has always been very sensitive about spiritual things (was saved just before turning 5) and very much understood its meaning and wanted to be baptized. All of his grandparents came, and Grandma actually baptized him with Peter assisting. We came home afterward for lunch and cake to celebrate. It was a special day, and we are so thankful for his desire to follow God at such a young age.
-Henry played basketball in winter and did great! Probably his best sports experience so far. Steven assisted and ended up being sole coach more often than he'd planned. But we all had fun going and watching. So many folks started mentioning how much he'd grown in winter-getting taller! And his appetite is bigger now. The kid I never thought would eat doesn't have trouble now! I think some of this physical growth has helped him with confidence in playing sports. He takes golf lessons every other week and has made a lot of progress here, too! It is nice to have a sport we can practice without a team, and he and Steven enjoy hitting balls in the backyard AND shooting hoops in the driveway together.
-We started a behavior/chore payment plan (allowance?) in fall, and it works great. He has loved earning money, and it has been a good way to teach him to tithe and save. Some things he has bought w his money-Hobby Lobby beads and string, then made everyone jewelry. Double-sided markers and a hard sided art book that he is constantly drawing in. Gum packs all his own! And most recently a snow cone maker, 3 flavors, and a pack of cones/straws for it. Big investment! :)
-Henry loves to play games, and card games are kind of a new discovery. He's enjoyed war, Uno, etc. He plays Bubble Gum in a Dish with the girls:) He plays with LEGOS and can get into the zone in his room for hours building. Then sometimes he will go weeks and not touch them. He loves Wild Kratts and Word Girl. He is able to process some real movies now (which I never thought his sensitive side would allow!), so he has seen stuff like LEGO movie, Peter Rabbit, Christopher Robin...there are more, but I can't think! He would rather just watch Wild Kratts than anything, though. 
-I hear him and Annie playing family, and they talk about naming their kids. The names he picks are Chris and Becky (hilarious!). He is awesome to play with is sisters and is a good, gentle friend to them. Oftentimes more gentle than them!
-Henry is such a gift giver. He loves making cards, elaborate crafts, etc, for people. Little holidays like Valentine's and Mothers day (in addition to Christmas of course) are very important to him and he wants to give gifts for them. He bought me yellow flowers (my fave color) for Valentine's day with his own money. He is always in the yard gathering bouquets of flowers and little treasures to give me. He is a sweetheart.
-He loves art and music. The right side of his brain can sometimes go into overdrive! He is also great at math and comprehension/Grammar/handwriting. He would still rather be read to than read, but if we look at his 1st grade year overall, he has had tremendous growth in this area. We are pleased with his progress! He loves to think things through and really understand-and asks so many questions in the process! Jackson in his class has become a good buddy, and evidently they have been planning a play date, so we are making that happen this summer! They've been "designing a rocket" together.

There is SO much more, but I had better stop. We sure do love you, buddy! Can't wait to experience the next year with you and watch you grown. You are a great kid.

Henry's family celebration

Family all came in to TN the weekend before Henry's bday (which also happens to be Grandpa's birthday!) It is a great way to get everyone together during a dreary winter month! Below is Ruby all packed up and ready to go! She loves a full backpack on her back and is always ready to travel!

 Having Grandma DeWitt close to us has been so great! She has come to every kid event (thanks to Grandma toting her everywhere), and I am so happy that our kids will have vivid memories of her being around!!

February birthday buddies!

Aunt Mae never disappoints with a cool cake.

The weather was stormy, so my mom cancelled coming. Still, we had fun eating and opening gifts. Grandma gave him the sequin snake above from Rain forest Cafe.

Together-Henry showing 7 and Grandpa showing 1 (bc Henry is 7 and Gpa is 71 this year)!

Slurping down some bday punch!

Grandpa and Peggy surprised us with a garage set up as a party room! They are so good! And I covet their CLEAN, ORGANIZED garage!

Henry showing gpa the card he made him-complete with feathers, beads, etc.:)

Henry was thrilled with $ from Gma DeWitt. She colors cards to help with her hand exercises, so the new expectation is that she gives one with each gift! If anyone appreciates some art, it's Henry!

Lighting candles together!

We went to church together on Sunday-here are the 6 cousins.

Henry is 7!

Henry turned 7 on Feb 26, 2019. We had such fun celebrations for him that I will post later, but below are some of his favorites. While I'm posting this late, I did actually ask him these things on his birthday! I love seeing his personality through these questions, and I love seeing what changes and what stays the same from year to year, too! Happy bday, big 7 year old!

1. What is your favorite color? Turquoise, silver, red
 2. What is your favorite toy? Remote control car
3. What is your favorite fruit? strawberries
4. What is your favorite tv show? Wild Kratts
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Pizza
6. What is your favorite outfit? Slicky Black shirt
7. What is your favorite game? Car games like war, uno, slap jack
8. What is your favorite snack? Confetti muffins
9. What is your favorite animal? Octopus, hippo
10. What is your favorite song? Slugs and bugs (the whole CD)
11. What is your favorite book? Boxcar children, Mercy Watson
12. Who is your best friend? My class are my best friends. No wait, Ruby and Annie
13. What is your favorite cereal? Life, strawberry Wheats, Lucky Charms
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride the Flikr
15. What is your favorite drink? Orange juice, water
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Gray blanket, sloth
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? donuts
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday. Pizza and ice cream
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? An architect

Ruby is 2.5

Our big girl turned 2.5 on January 9th! She is at such a fun age, and her personality is really starting to become evident! Below is a bit about her!

Ruby with her rock basket-showing me her new PJ's

Babies go with us everywhere-this was to basketball practice. The girls always take their clothes off for some reason. We never have clothed babies around.

Ruby with her baby holster. You can also see here she is wearing Annie's boots-that she put on herself, so they are on the wrong feet!:)

One day recently at Let's Play-definitely not a baby anymore!!

Loving the outdoors! Adores playing outside, swinging, sliding, and anything at the playground!

-Perhaps the biggest thing about Ruby at 2.5 is that she's fully potty trained! I was dreading this and so I kept putting it off, but once we put our all into it, she was super easy and fast! It just took a few days, and just a few small accidents, and that's it! She gets a tiny treat as a reward, and that is motivation enough for her! She is so proud to wear big girl undies like her sis, too. I still put her in a nighttime diaper, but I really don't need to because she always wakes up dry. I'll use up the pack I guess! She wants to do it all herself, and will pull up her undies and pants herself. She sometimes takes everything off, then wants to put it ALL back on herself. One morning she did this before church. Then when I was getting her out of the car I noticed they were on inside out. I went to fix them and noticed her undies were in a wad down in one of the leg holes! haha!
-Ruby loves baby dolls, and she plays with them often. She is constantly going in to her room, turning on the noise maker, getting the stool to turn off her light, and laying her baby (all wrapped up) down for a nap! Sometimes it's on the floor or in the little baby crib. She comes out and whispers, "Shhhh. Baby's sleeping". She loves when I play along and we will creep back in together for her to show me her sleeping baby. She also has a bitty sized baby that she wants to keep in her undies, but we tell her no! We let her keep it in her pants like a holster, and she is very adamant that the baby face toward her like she's sleeping. That's what she's doing in the picture above!:) She takes a baby with her to the car most of the time and holds it in her car seat. Another favorite thing for Ruby is to put her baby in the stroller or shopping cart (sometimes 2 babies-with blankies and other gear of course) and make laps around the house. Annie does this with her quite often-they can have lots of fun together doing this type of thing.
-Another highlight for Ruby right now is rocks and chap stick! She loves both so much! She carries around a little basket of rocks (in first picture) all over the house, and will stop and pour them out, look through them, and put them back. She is very protective of her rocks-a sibling better not try to claim one (they are actually Annie's and Henry's rocks from various places we've collected over the years, but oh well). She also adores chap stick, and we honestly have to secretly confiscate it because she gets so obsessed and it becomes a big mess (she was putting it all over her doll's lips and it became a big mess). She isn't content with just her own lips, either. It ends half way up her face, and once she was rubbing it all over her forehead! She got some in her stocking, and Grandpa and Peggy gave her some, too. She added those to her little rock basket, and, oh my! It has been her focus! She has to put it in a special place before nap and as soon as she wakes up, the very first thing she ask for is her rocks and chap stick! This type of thing reminds me of her bro-singularly focused and into collecting. It cracks us all up!
-She tries to use her manners and will say "Thank you!" for different things...booboo bandays, when a door is opened for her, when a mom gave her cake at a party, etc. She is so cute to give compliments, and will say "I love your ___________"(fill in the blank with whatever!). We were visiting Grandma, and she told Grandma that she loved her sweater. Grandma didn't hear her, so Ruby looked up and said, "Grandma didn't manner me!" Ha, ha! I guess she wants others to use their manners, too!:)
-She buckles her top buckle herself. When she hears the click, she says, "Got it!"She will ask us to "unbuckle" stuff for her-meaning she wants us to open it (like candy or chap stick). She went through a little stubborn streak (October) and wanted to sit in real chair rather than high chair. We try to let her, but things still go more smoothly when she's in it! Sometimes it's not worth the fight, though! She went through a phase of furrowed brow, but luckily it didn't last! She was throwing fits to not hold hands to cross the parking lot, etc. Very 2 year old behavior!:) She was saying, "No, I do it!" quite often.
A few more things...
"Mom, mom. Can I???"
"I want some-ping else"
"Oh man!"
"What YOU doin?'"
"Do you hear me?"
"Chewy, chewy bubble gum. Do it really fast!!"
"My nose is so yuck!!"
"It's coming out!!" (talking about her diaper or when she needs to go potty!)
"I had a burp in my seat." (talking about gas)
"My tummy and my back is full!!" She was also getting being full and being hungry mixed up, so we had some very confusing conversations.
-Very sad flu shot. Saw the big kids get them, and kept whispering to me, "Don't want it. Don't want one!" Then when it was her turn she just lost it before anything bad had even happened. After that she freaked out in Sunday School class because the lesson was
-So proud to get late bday present from Elijah. "Por me?? Por me, mama??" Then that night she prayed and thanked God for "My present and my shirt and my Elijah." She threw major fits when we made her take her new shirt off to get PJ's on, and I had to promise she could wear it the next day.
-Beach trip in Oct and she talked about playing in the sand the whole drive (didn't have memory of our other beach trips!). As soon as we go to the beach, she squealed in delight and fell down in it and rolled around. It was in her face, her hair, everywhere! She is quite the beach bum and doesn't mind being sandy, wet, and windblown!
-Santa pics in our house all show the girls crying while sitting on his lap. She studies the pics and will talk to me about them-"We crying." she would say,  so I asked her why. Santa's nice! Then she said, "He's scary. He's big. He's a monster!"
-She loves to play doctor. I will be her patient, and she will say, "I'm gonna doctor you. Can I doctor you, mama? I gonna shot you. You get a sticker and a treat."

We love you, sweet Ruby Jane. You are a delight and a perfect ending to our family. Can't wait to see what the next bit of your life brings!

Henry is 6.5!

 A lot happens in 6 months when you are 6! Here is a bit about our boy.

Henry is a sweetheart. He is very tenderhearted and thoughtful. He loves to give gifts and will work and work on something, then wrap it just perfectly to give it (usually to me or someone else in the family). He is artistic and musical. He uses all of his free time to draw or color and is always singing and humming. He will listen to music and pick it apart mentally, then the next thing we know he is singing it word for word perfectly. It is pretty amazing! Many people stop us and tell us what a great voice he has. He took piano classes this summer (8wk session), and would love to continue that when he gets a little older. He enjoyed it!
He also took golf lessons this summer, and has continued that into the school year on and off depending on the weather. Our friend at church is a teacher, so it has worked well. He and Steven will go out in the yard and hit fairly frequently, and it's amazing to see the improvement he's made!
 He played soccer in fall-very spur of the moment! Annie wanted to play, but he hadn't shown a whole lot of interest and said he didn't want to again (our 2 ayso experiences haven't been the best), then at the last minute we offered it one more time, and he said yes. He did great! He was one of the older kids on the team, and I think that helped boost his confidence. We saw more aggression our of him than before.He also played baseball in spring and had a good experience. There were times when he enjoyed it, and times when he didn't. Baseball demands a lot of time, so it was kind of exhausting! What he should probably be in is swimming-he is an awesome swimmer, and it comes very naturally to him! He is a little fish-we are looking into a swim team for him.
Henry lost his first tooth in July! He was so excited-pulled it himself, and immediately said he wished it had happened at school! He lost the bottom one right beside it just a few weeks later. It really changed his look! Another reminder that he is growing up....I had to swallow hard when it happened:) He learned to tie his shoes right as he turned 6, so that's helpful! We also got him an alarm for school this year, so he gets up himself and gets going in the morning. This has proven to work well for him. For some reason he pops right up with the alarm, but when we were waking him he was struggling to wake up.
Henry started 1st grade in August and is teacher is Mrs. Padgett. He is always happy to go and is learning a lot. He says his favorite classes are art, Grammar, Science, and handwriting (he has beautiful cursive when he gives his best effort!). I homeschool him on M/W, and we are at home full time on these days which is a change from other years. It has been good! I can add that he is a good little math student, and that he is improving greatly in reading, but it is not his favorite still. I am hoping this will change! He loves to be read to (more Boxcar Children, Stewart Little, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Mouse and the Motercycle are a few), but he'd rather not read himself. We will continue to work on this! Steven helps by teaching Henry his Monday math lesson on Sunday which lightens our load on Mondays. Then on Wednesday my mom has been coming to entertain the girls while we do school which is a HUGE help! He's making some good buddies at school-Abby, Sarah Elizabeth, Thomas, and Jackson are a few.
A few other little tidbits
Special relationship with cousins-especially Layna (major fort building occurs with those 2)
Iowa (this was actually in March, but I'm not sure I wrote it down anywhere)-played and played with Grandma DeWitt (bells, colored together, made up a story/play, hide and seek)
Anne Poodle Noodle
Worry Eater-I'll tell you my worries after I dream
Saw a doughnut place called "Heavenly Doughnut Company" and said, Mom, they're God doughnuts!
He likes older kids
We were sitting down for dinner one night and I was telling Steven my tummy had been feeling kinda funny that day, and I didn't think Henry was even paying attention. He looked up hopefully and said, "Baby?!?!" (sorry to burst your bubble there buddy)
There's so much more, but I will stop. We love you, little dude! You sure are a sweet guy. Can't wait to watch you continue to grow and learn.

**Annie is 4.5**

Annie turned 4 and a half over Thanksgiving. She is getting so tall, that everyone thinks she's at least 5, but it's still a shock for this mama! Annie is still a spunky, sassy, sweet little girl. Below is a little about her at this age. She's lots of fun and growing like little weed!

Annie is a great sibling. She is a little mama through and through and is so caring toward her little sister. She helps me with things like unbuckling Ruby, helping distract her when she's sad, or picking up things she's dropped. She's a good little reporter and lets me know when Ruby is into something she shouldn't be or needs something. She and Henry also have the best time together playing and imagining. She get into all kinds of mischief together-particularly building forts or playing babies or family or hiding from me. I try to let them have at it, but sometimes I have to put a halt on their play when I hear doors opening that should be or the sink turning on...
Henry says he wants to be an architect, and Annie says she wants to be a unicorn trainer. That is a really great way to describe the difference in their personalities! She is all girl-loves anything princess, unicorn, all make up, lotion, getting her nails done, etc. She is a real girly girl. She loves babies (dolls and real babies), stuffed animals, anything cute and cuddly. At the same time, she can be a tough cookie and plays hard outside and doesn't mind getting dirty and sweaty. She is more interested in riding toys than Henry and will speed down the driveway on her zebra. She also loves the battery powered Jeep and drives it all over the yard.
She played soccer this fall (first time for her to do a group sport) and she was great! Had a good attitude and was a great listener. She's a good runner and has some aggression that her brother lacks! She also started ballet this fall and takes once a week. She loves it!! I am amazed at how well she does (because sometimes at home she lets her true colors show I guess!) at ballet! She listens and follows directions. She is a great example to the others there, and she is always happy to go. She loves to dance around the house and show us what she is learning. She loves to put on her ballet gear and would stay in costume all day if I would let her. She may end up doing ballet for a while-we will see! She has a recital in May and is so excited about it already.
Annie goes to PreK at my school on T, TH, and F. She loves it and does great there! She loves her buddies Connor and Owen, and she learns so much! She has rest time there in the afternoons, but does not sleep. She will still have rest time at home, too, on M/W and usually does fall asleep in her own bed. She probably still naps 2-3 times a week (usually once on the weekend). She naps REALLY well if Steven will lay down with her. She is such a snuggler, and she loves to do that (so does he!). She still has to sleep with her blankie and stuffed animals (her favorite one varies depending on the week). And she loves her Hello Kitty pillow and mermaid blanket.
Annie writes her name well and knows all the basic PreK stuff she should know-coloring in the lines, cutting, sorting, colors, numbers, letters, and many sounds.  She learns different verses at school and she also learns all the little jingles about vowel sounds, etc. We have decided to wait and let her go to PreK one more year, so next year I plan to work with her more seriously to get her ready for Kindergarten.
Annie is still a sassy girl and can have quite the attitude, but is also very tenderhearted and loving at the same time. She is maturing, and we can see a lot of change in her each month. Annie does not seem to be a performer like her brother (he's always ready to sing or recite for you or a stranger). She needs to know you and has to be in the right mood to perform. She also doesn't love new people and when people give her compliments out and about or smile at her, she isn't sure how to respond. We are working on this! But I think it's just part of her personality. She really loves one on one time and craves that quality time with the ones she loves. She needs hugs and demonstrative love!
She cries big time over getting her hair brushed-it hurts according to her-but she starts the waterworks before I start the brushing! She certainly has a dramatic streak about things like this. Annie wakes up happy, especially if she is allowed to wake up on her own. She is SUCH a talker and will start earrrrrly with saying so much and so loud! We are constantly working on volume!
She has started loving to bake! She asks me all the time! She's had so much fun baking with her buddy Nora Kate at her house. She loves to help me cook meals at home now, and she is a great helper with cleaning at home, too. She will go super fast when I ask her to clean her room or help clean the living room or playroom, and she does a great job! She has the task oriented focus that some other children lack in this house! She also loves to get a wipe and clean whatever I ask her-it's great!
Annie still has all her own 'isms' and the crack us up. Some recent things she's said are:
What in the goodness??
Good lands!
I feel my heart beep!
Mommy? I just love you! (just the 2 of us sitting together)
When they are a different color, they speak a different language.
There's so much more, but I need to stop. We love you sweet Anne girl, and can't believe you are on your way to being five! You are growing up way to fast for this mama!