Birthday for a Big Girl!

Somebody has a five-year-old in the house.
Um, yes, it's us. It took me long enough to get used to not being able to reference my kids as babies (though I still do sometimes). Then, they kind of outgrew the toddler phase and I couldn't really call them that in good conscience anymore. Preschoolers still feels right for the boys but heavens almighty, we have a five-year-old. Who, technically, is still in preschool...but five sounds so much older! It qualifies for kindergarten!!! So, anyway...it is all very strange.
Don't even start me on James turning 4 next month. 4.
But, first, let us focus on Lovely Lady Bethany and her Marvelous March Birthday...

Her birthday fell on a Friday, which is a school day. Best kind of birthday, yes? Well, actually, there was another little girl with the same birthday who happened to have family visiting and they were coming to the preschool that day...so...she celebrated her birthday on Friday and Bethany didn't until Monday, but that just meant two birthdays, right? Right.

Here she is, ready for school!
You can tell she is feeling fancy.
(new birthday outfit from Grandma Trudie helps...)

As, of course, do hugs from Daddy.

One of our first activities of the day actually had very little to do with her birthday and more to do with our good friend being in town. Kristyn had made her way back to the valley for a few days and since she had her new little one in tow (new to me at least), a get-together was a must. She, Ali, and i made plans to meet up at "The Butterfly Park" aka San Tan Village's play area. Bethany was at school so I felt a little badly for her missing out but she had friends and celebrations of her own to attend to. :)

Ben was super cute conquering the slide. Backwards.

James just wanted to jump off everything possible.

Ali's little Staten and Kristyn's little Liam got to know each other to our amusement.

They are both SO cute!!
(as are their mommies of course)

It was really fun to do a little catching up with my friends and let the boys play. After a while it was time to get the boys to Grandma Trudie's house so JC and myself could go pick up Bethany from school for a special lunch, just the three of us. She was super excited. We had plans to go eat at The Rainforest Cafe which I thought she would really enjoy. We have only been out to eat as a family a handful of times so it is quite the exciting concept for her! Plus, a jungle environment...so it was looking like a rather fun experience.

First, she said hesitant hello to the alligator guarding the outside. (Crocodile? Cue one of my sisters correcting my choice of species. Haha)

Then there was the snake.

And, here, heading in to the actual restaurant. This took much persuading since we had to pass under a tunnel-like aquarium. I feel your pain, my dear.

She and I shared a fabulous salad. I love chopped salads. It makes me so happy that my kids will go out of their way to eat vegetables.

We ate our meals, then someone asked if it was Bethany's birthday. We said yes, to which the waiter replied "Do you want me to get her sundae ready?" and ran off to do just that. And so we figure they do the whole free dessert, sing her a song type thing. Which, both JC and I HATE but thought there was a chance she might enjoy it so decided to give it a shot.
She hated it too. Here, she is all huddled against me while they are singing to her.

(Um, also, they totally charged us for the sundae. Not a big deal to pay for a sundae, don't get me wrong, but considering we don't really eat dairy so we wouldn't have otherwise ordered it and since the guy barely gave us a choice in the matter, it seemed odd. Rainforest Cafe - cool effect, okay food, kind of lousy service. There is my review. Um...and we will totally go back with the boys someday regardless.)

Here she is being super cute eating the cherry off her sundae and here I am being a goofus showing her how to do so apparently.

When we got back to Grandma Trudie's house to pick up the boys, it was the moment we had all been waiting for. My sister, Monica, has taken up cake decorating. And when I say taken up cake decorating I mean has seemingly become an expert overnight.
Bethany had been throwing cake ideas at me for weeks and it came down to the day before and I had nothing. So, Monica stepped up and took over the project. This is not the first time she has rescued me in the birthday cake aspect.
Anyway, when we picked up the boys, the cake was ready!
Here is the moment of reveal. Look at that face.

A Princess and the Frog cake.

Wow is all i can say.

We packed it up to take home for later enjoyment and James carefully guarded it.
This picture has no real relevance except LOOK at those EYES!

Bethany's aunts had presents for her, which is always a treat. Bethany is always so kind and lets her brothers help her open her stuff.

Aunt Laura displays her easily-amused side with the gift bag. I love my family.

Later, after some playtime with her brothers, Bethany gets a visit from Grandma Teri, bringing by some fun stuff in present form. Here, she is reading a piece of paper that reveals to her that she is going to get to go see a play at Hale Theatre - "The Princess and the Pea" with Grandma the following week! What a fun present!
(If you notice, we were indulging in lesser entertainment at the time - Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse)

Later, after dinner, the cake fulfills its purpose...
(look at that detailing on the side!)

JC lights the candles and we all get ready to sing but due to her earlier experience at the restaurant, Bethany has decided that any type of birthday singing is not on her list of fun activities. So, she sweetly asks if we can please not sing. It was a little sad. But, upon my agreement, she returned to her normal happy birthday self!

So, in a rather non-traditional move, we moved right into blowing out candles.

And, of course, eating.

The next birthday event of the day was a fun one - Grandma Trudie and Aunt Laura took her to see Annie, put on by a local theatre company. It was a version of the musical just for kids, so it was somewhat shorter and just right. Bethany was so excited...she even let me fix her hair, curled and all (never before happened) and we got her dressed up in a new outfit, put on some lovely little sticker earrings and a ring she had just gotten from Grandma Teri, and she posed for a sweet little picture. (with her new stuffed animal she had picked out at The Rainforest Cafe - Roary.)
Such a pretty little lady.

She made sure to give Scout some attention too so he knew that her priorities were still straight and he was still the favorite animal in the house.

Then, she waited patiently on the porch for her ride to whisk her away to a fun, rather grown-up activity. :)

Ben was a little less formal for the occasion.

Bethany had a great time at the play and really seemed to enjoy her whole day. It was really fun to spend the day celebrating her and doing things that she liked, watching her have a good time. She is so important to our little family. She is an excellent example to us all and definitely keeps us on our toes! There is much to be learned from her in the way of compassion, kindness, and fun. She keeps us all doing our best, and is never lacking in giving affection or kind words.
We love our little girl! We can't believe she is growing up so fast!

Another Spring Break Story OR Skipping Ahead Again OR Why I Don't Do Things OR Tuna Juice In My Hair

Today we awoke with a couple simple goals in mind:

Play with Michael.

and
Clean the house.
and
Plan ahead for the whole weekend since you're going to be away for most of it.

That last one may have been just mine.
But, anyway, it was looking to be a busy, but reigned-in day. Plans to play outside with our neighbor, Michael, were used as motivation for getting through breakfast, getting dressed, morning devotional, cleaning the playroom.
Then, FINALLY, time to go outside and play with Michael. But...it was only 9am. And Michael, being 10 yrs old and on Spring Break, wasn't up yet. So, upset kids equal not-so-fun driveway play. So, we threw sidewalk chalk, ran over each other on bikes, and screamed at each other a lot (well, I mostly just sat on the porch and tried to get some reading done in preparation for a lesson on Sunday).
It was all a little horrible.
But all the screaming woke Michael up and he came to play so maybe it was worth it?

Anyway...we all played. Front yard, Garage, ("Not inside though, Michael") Back yard, Front yard, ("No, really, Michael, not inside.")...kid has quite the interest in the inside of our house for some reason.
Trust me, kid, you're missing out on nothing. Ooh, unless your house is lacking in general clutter and dust. Oh wait, it is. (Seriously ALWAYS spotless. Literally spotless.)
After a while, it was getting a bit warm, the kids were getting flushed and bored and Michael's Grandma, AKA our lovely neighbor Candace AKA Sister Greer AKA The One Who Leads the Music in Primary came out to say hi and invited the kids to come play inside. We all went inside and enjoyed some fun play time in Michael's room. (Well, again...I mostly just read. But there was a cool train set.) Michael's Grandma AKA Candace AKA...nevermind...she had been mowing the lawn (yep) and disappeared to take a quick shower. The bunch of us moved into the backyard which my kids, by the way, think is the greatest backyard of all time. It was getting toward lunch so I warned everyone that we had about ten minutes to play then we would be heading home. Nobody was very happy with me (Michael had just had breakfast so he was quite suspicious of my reasoning, might I add) and I had a feeling it was going to be an interesting scene once the time came to leave.
Play time continued though, I pushed on Bethany on the swings and perused the raised garden bed, thinking of whether or not I would try something like that while the boys pretended to be pirates. I noticed that in one section of the yard(there are several 'sections'...corner lot), the sprinklers were on.
Good timing, Candace, I thought to myself since she had just finished mowing the lawn.
I also thought to myself "Good thing we're playing over here and not over there since the kids are terrified of nothing more than sprinklers spontaneously popping out of the ground and chasing them with their streams of water."
And that is where my thinking stopped. I broke up some sort of fight, and playtime ensued.
Then, things sort of happened in slow motion.
I saw the sprinklers stop and pop back into the ground.
I saw the kids all playing tag nearby.
I saw some funny movement throughout sections of the grass the kids were in.
I heard a sound like a dishwasher starting up.
I thought, hmm. That's a weird noise.
Then...the backyard suddenly exploded into arcs of water meant to refresh and pamper the freshly cut grass.
Screaming.
Running. (always the wrong direction)
Panicking.
Observing. (Michael)
Rescuing. (Me)
James was first, as he was closest. I scooped him up and delivered him, shaking but hardly wet, to the back porch...out of the line of fire.
Bethany had the good sense to remove herself to the section of the yard without sprinklers. But it was on the side opposite from where we all were. The island of the sprinklers separated her from her family and the tears started.
Poor Ben was running around like a chicken with its head cut off amongst the sprinklers. Once he got hit, he would turn and run another way until he was hit with water again. (Keep in mind, these are not the little wimpy fountain-type ones like we have. These are the kind that shoot a giant stream of water and make their way across the lawn, criss-crossing each other, the tops of their arches at about the height of my head. To the kids, these were like giant hybrids of their worst nightmare.) Eyes alternating between wide and panicked to squeezed shut in terror (all while running and flailing), Ben was trying his darndest to get the (word of your choice) out of the battle zone! I went in after him, tripping over my Old Navy flip flops (they are so slippery when wet) as he kept changing directions. He couldn't hear my calling and comforting over his own screams and shrieks. Finally, he notices me and turns my direction, arms outstretched, mouth open in a cry, eyes locked into mine. I can tell from five feet away that he is shaking like a leaf. And right before I get to him, right before he is safe, the minefield of horror strikes its last blow and a nearby sprinkler smacks him with probably a half gallon's worth of water right in the face. (That's when I actually felt super bad and...stopped laughing.)
Ben to porch. Hugs, kisses, face check (wasn't a forceful enough blow for pain, just really really wet). Boys huddle together.
Time to get Bethany.
She stands 20 feet from me, eyes wide and welled up.
"Mama."
"Don't worry, I'm coming" I say.
Back through the sprinklers, scoop her up.
"I don't want to get wet."
"You're going to have to, hon."
And like moving targets we went. Made it to the porch. Set her down. She joins the soaked, traumatized huddle.
(This is when I started laughing again.)

Time to go home.
Nobody wants to.
Michael is appearing a little glad to be rid of us though, after that display.

I dragged James home (literally) while Bethany droopily led the way, Ben plunking along next to me in a bit of a daze, his shoes making squishing noises and leaving tracks on the sidewalk. I delivered James inside where he refused to stay. So, in order to clean up the bikes out front and get things all closed up, I had to lock him in his bedroom. I know it sounds horrible now that I'm out of the moment. But I really wasn't sure how else to get him to stay home. I know for a fact he would have escaped and run right back into the Greer's house soaking wet, slipping on their entryway and breaking something or other (whether in his body or without). So...into his room. Bethany and Ben sat on the stairs inside while I cleaned up out front, staring into the distance.

Just now writing this I remembered that I couldn't get the garage door to close. Still open. Hmm. JC will love that. Sorry honey. I'll get right on that.

...in a minute...

Back inside, I changed everyone's clothes. James stopped crying about that and started into it about something else. I think something about spiderman markers and a Mr. Potato Head. Ben busied himself with something in the corner of the kitchen (smart kid) and Bethany wailed about tuna fish and how she liked it last time she had it but she thinks this time she won't like it. Then, tired of the competition for the loudest wail, she clocks James on the side of the head.
I may have also locked her in her room.
Well, not really, but she did get sent there. Not as much of a flight risk.

Suddenly, I realized that this one spot of my head right around my ponytail had been itching for like, ever. (You know how that always happens after you've had a ponytail in for a while) And I was sure this is what was causing 96% of my irritation at this point. I couldn't take it anymore and scratched the itch, feeling much better. Except then I realized that I had used the same hand in which I was holding the can of tuna I had been draining. The first half of the draining had been done in the sink. The second half, right over my ponytail.
How do you forget you have an open can of tuna in your hand?
Hmm.

How indeed.

(JC and I are off for a little overnighter and day at the Renaissance Festival tomorrow and Saturday. It should be lovely and all the work I have to do today will be so worth it. Wish me luck. Especially since rest time just ended. At least I know that, if all else fails and I need something to refresh and relax me in the midst of all the preparations, Wet 'n Wild is just a couple houses down.)

kids.

It's spring break.
Bethany only has school three days a week and for only 2 1/2 hours at a time. But, for some reason, not having that in the schedule this week is so liberating. Clean all day, lazy in the grass all day, movies on and off all day, swing all day, or any combination of the above is possible.

This morning we are downstairs outside.

I am behind on my blogging (when does that ever happen?) and usually will not allow myself to skip ahead at all...writing about the present when the past is not yet accounted for leaves me feeling uneasy.

But the kids are happy and I am alternating between involvement and observation. They were amusing me just now so I grabbed my handy dandy laptop.


Most recent conversation:

Bethany: James, you be the daddy.
James: K
Bethany: Who is the mommy?
James: I dunno.
Bethany: Well, who do you want to marry?
James: I donwantu.
Bethany: Yes you do. We're supposed to get married.
James: No, I don't want to. (more forcefully this time)
Bethany: Yes James, you have to find a friend who you love the best and you marry them. A girl. Someone who wants to follow Jesus like you. (This tickled me. We have been talking a lot about Isaac and Jacob's choices in spouses since I have been preparing lessons about this for Sunday School and Bethany always asks what I'm learning about. Then, to my delight, she always wants to talk about it all in very much depth. Prepares me for the teenagers.)
James: No!!
Bethany: Yes!
James: NO!!!!
Bethany: Uh! (in frustration) Ben?
Ben: What Mahnuhnee?
Bethany (Mahnuhnee): Who do you want to marry?
Ben: What?
Bethany: Who do you want to marry? A girl.
Ben: What?
Bethany: Uh! (in frustration)
Ben: Uh! (in amusement)
Bethany: (to all) I am going to marry Rowdy. (our little friend who moved to Utah! Made a reappearance this week for a visit! Yay!) Or...I might marry Buzz and Woody. (of Oystry - - Toy Story - - fame)
Boys: (stare at her, slightly amused, waiting for the punch line)
Bethany: Just kidding! You only marry one. (thinks) But...Mama married two.
(everyone shrugs it off and moves on to a new topic of conversation...something about the sandbox.)


Ah, to embrace the rules of communication that kids abide by.

Now back to the sandbox...

P.S. I dedicate this post to my sister, Katie. When I sent her pictures of the kids playing outside this morning, she expressed her envy. Slaving away in her cubicle at 'Make-A-Wish" she says, "My soul aches behind a buttoned cardigan and hosiery."
And though mine aches just a little at my stained t-shirt, cut-off shorts, un-shaven legs and crocs, I totally know what she means. And I don't feel a bit sorry for myself.
So, Katie, our morning antics go out to you!
(...call in sick tomorrow and join us...)

(This is how you eat trail mix on spring break)

To Bike or Not to Bike?

As spring has begun to make its way to our little homestead, we had two exciting things coming up for our little Bethany - - her birthday and her trike-a-thon at preschool.
Every year, the school does the trike-a-thon through St. Jude's in which you pledge a bit of money to go toward a good cause and the little ones learn about bicycle safety and then ride back and forth on the sidewalk repeatedly. It is a big deal.
These two events merged together for good this year and we decided to buy her a bike. Last year, as I was packing up the van on a preschool day, suddenly remembering it was trike-a-thon day, I grabbed a helmet and one of the kids' tricycles (seemed appropriate) and headed off to school. Little did I know that this was a bigger deal than I thought, with all the kids and their big-kid bikes (shoot, I just didn't think about the fact that she was probably old enough for one of those!) and cute little princess or spiderman helmets and a big hoopla.
I swore that next year I would make a bigger deal of it so she could feel excited and festive. And maybe have a big girl bike.
SO, we decided to get her a big girl bike for her birthday, but just a little early. JC was still without a job at this point, so one morning we just up and decided to make a trip to Target and see what we could find. Now, keep in mind that our children all think they are exactly the same age and get all the same privileges at all the same times. So, at times like birthdays and other special circumstances, they get really confused.
You can imagine what this was like, trying to let Bethany pick out a bike (which she was ecstatic about) with two little brothers who don't understand why in the world she would get one and they wouldn't. Now, there are times to enforce this kind of thing and birthdays are definitely it. But...after watching all their little faces just light up with all the fun options in front of them...we decided pretty quickly that they would all get bikes for their birthdays...just early. :) Then, when the actual birthday came around they would get just a small present to celebrate.
With all the figuring out and decision making done, we ended up heading back home with a princess bike, a spiderman bike, and a smaller toy story bike.
SO cute.
JC set to work on putting them all together. Little did we know this turned out to be a bigger deal than anticipated (as was the whole morning it turns out) and it all became quite hectic. It was quite the morning!

Finishing touches on the princess bike!

While James grows quite restless waiting for his turn...

Scout makes himself comfortable inside the box previously occupied by a bike.

Bethany is so prepared with her lovely little helmet!

And James takes matters into his own hands with the opening of the box!
(This is where I start thinking that I sure hope that we don't end up having to return it!

JC plays biking coach while I play photographer.

And off she goes!

Woohoo! She's a natural!

After much laboring, the spiderman bike appears nearly ready to go!

And James gives it a try.
And then throws himself on the pavement purposely in an effort to express his frustration that he can't quite work it.
(This is where I start thinking...hmmm...we might end up returning that one.)

Ben helps with oystrybike (His pronunciation of Toy Story bike) assembly.

Then, gives it a shot.
Looks adorable.
Can't quite work it.
Doesn't care all that much.
(This is where I start thinking...maybe they are both going back...)

But, with this kind of good time, 1 out of 3 is not a bad result!

Then, a week later, it was Trike-A-Thon Time! Bethany had practiced and practiced and we were all excited to see her participate!

She leads the line of preschoolers! All in their school shirts! Cute!

So sweet.

After her much practiced and perfectly mastered bike riding, she was rewarded with her very own water bottle and some treats.

Which led the boys to believe it was okay to try to raid the treat basket.
It was, however, not really.
Therefore...

Able to ignore the fact that her brothers were melting down just feet away, Bethany enjoyed the rest time with her friends after the big "race."

And her bike rested amongst all the others.
Sad that it only got to participate in one trike-a-thon. Because, alas, the end of preschool is coming near for our little girl.
But, do not fret, little bike friend, kindergarten is within riding distance. :)

We Own the Night

Evenings outside start out innocent enough...wanting to burn off some after-dinner energy, enjoy the twilight during a time of year when mosquitos have not yet claimed it, your average run of the mill motivations going on...

You swing a little swing to lull your body into the gentle rhythms of sleepy-time breathing

But, before you know it, the sun sets and a new-found energy envelops the backyard.
An old, broken window screen combined with an old, broken baby swing rope become something that propels you into motion. A toy golf club becomes a sword that readies you for whatever game is coming your way.

The shining eyes of your domesticated cat from the balcony above become ominous reminders of the change in the air present as the moon takes over the sky.

To-do projects you have been avoiding suddenly feel pressing.

Regular backyard objects become thrill-seeking opportunities.

And yet, still, like any other time of day, when it's time to follow mom and dad inside...
much like the moonlight...
you can't fight it.