When you're 3 and 5. . .

a little snow and cold doesn't keep you inside! And, when you're 3 and 5, you're so creative! A little hockey game. . . .all was fun til Porter's hockey stick (aka toy golf club) broke. . .Check out the frozen ice hanging out of the water spout!

Weekend Away

Saturday morning, we packed up (Porter packed his swimsuit and toy cars. . the essentials), and headed out of town. My parents had bought motel rooms for my siblings and I and our families near my grandparents house, and the kids were eager for the motel stay!! We stopped first at my grandparents. . .Trey was checking out my grandpa, who is still a big fisherman/hunter/singer. . .

and no thanks on the catfish offer for me grandpa :) The cousins had fun taking the dogs for a winters walk. . .

First thing on the agenda at the motel was SWIMMING! The kiddies couldn't get changed into their swimming suits fast enough! Some of the highlights of the pool were Ainsley swimming back and forth across the "ocean" on her own in only arm floaties, playing bowling pin (with grandpa as the bowling pin in the water and Porter as the bowling ball :) ), and playing seals and mermaids. We also celebrated Ainsley's birthday with my parents and my sisters! And after the kids were in bed we stayed up and played the game "Apples to Apples" with my parents. . what fun. . lots of laughs! And even got to hit the hot tub!

The cousins had a late night party in the bed watching TV and eating popcorn. And yes, that would be a sign for boots and dogs. . .it was evident it was hunting season :) I enjoyed the weekend. . .just getting away and spending time with my family!

First Snowfall. . .

is SNOW MUCH FUN!!!!! The kids were all smiles as dad pulled them around on the sled and dumped them off. . .
Getting some air time over the little snow pile they built. . .

But, it's a little difficult to walk in boots. . .Thanks dad for being snow much fun! Tis the season for rosy cheeks!

First Snow Angel. First Snowball.

The kids were SO EXCITED to see the snow falling last night and the minute they saw it (before it even hit the ground), they wanted to play in it! So this morning, the kids woke up at 7, and at 7:15 the first snow angel was made and the first snowball thrown!

After MOPS, we had some indoor fun and the kids put on a show for me, titled, "The pirates and the angels day." Can you guess which one is the pirate and which one is the angel? :)

I love how they bowed at the end of their show :) And see that cross hanging up behind Porter? Last night when my dad was taking care of the kids, Porter told Grampa that when he misses him, he looks at that cross and it reminds him of him. . .then he doesn't miss him so much. That pretty much melted Grampas heart!

And this would be Trey finishing off the cookie dough. . . "cookie" is the CUTEST word he says. .he says it in this high pitched voice and accents the first syllable :) He pronounces kitty the same way. Trey LOVES to be read to. When I say, "Bring me a book," he gets so very excited to get one off the shelf, bring it to me, and sit on my lap while I read. When we're done with one book, he's off to bring me another one, with a huge smile on his face!Oh, and I just have to blog about a saying I heard at MOPS today so I don't forget it. It went something like this, "Before I became a mom, I was a better mom!" Any of you moms identify with that? :) Ahh, before kids. . . .I sure did know a lot about them. . .after all I had a 4 yr degree in El Ed/Early Childhood!

Like Father, Like Daughter

need I say more? Ainsley had asked me for a sheet of paper and did this on her own. . she loves adding numbers!! Actually, I did too as a child :)

And for a few Porter funnies. . .On the way to church last night he and Ainsley kept asking, "We know they cut Trey out of your tummy, but how did WE get out of your tummy?" I answered "The doctor helped you out." That was not enough to curb their curiousity, so when I gave them a bit of a more honest answer Porter said, "I WANT TO SEE THAT!!!!!" Now that would not be like father like son :)

And on Tues when I took Porter voting, he thought we were going "boating." :)

Our little party planner. . .

parties on! Ainsley's Birthday celebrations continued Sunday night at my parents, and then Monday morning she woke up SO VERY EXCITED to be 5! Our birthday morning tradition is pancakes in the shape of how old you're turning (complete with a candle in it)!She loved getting birthday phonecalls, and Auntie Stephy's class calls every year and sings! Those would be the new polly pockets she got. . .I'm the one in the purple shirt and skirt, and Ainsley's the one in the birthday hat :) One of her other birthday gifts was a Barbie. . now, I grew up playing with Barbies and still had a good self image, so when I saw a Barbie/dog set at Walmart on sale, I picked it up for her. When she opened it, GooF commented on how short Barbies skirt was, so I said, "I'm sure she has underwear on." Well, I lifted up her skirt to show my husband and was HORRIFIED at what I found. . Barbie was in thongs, and I don't mean flip flops!!!!!!!!!!! Now granted, they were attached to her skirt, but seriously, I could not believe my eyes. This reminded me of the time a boy was over at my house for piano lessons as a kid and I got a plastic barbie in the mail from my Grandma. . .I opened up the gift (in front of him) and the barbies orange swimsuit was not covering her chest! Well, back to Ainsley's new barbie, and it gets funnier. I asked if the little brown things that came with the dog were supposed to be doggy treats or doggy do do. . .well, guess what? They double as both!! The dog eats and poops!! Ainsley may just have to stick with my old barbies :)Good thing I bought one for my niece too :) And speaking of animals, my family about talked me into a kitty at the pet store on Ainsley's birthday, and I am very allergic to them! The little kitty's name was Dre and it was looking at us like it needed to come home with us! The kids were saying, "We love Dre."

Back to the birthday celebrations. . .Grammy came over on Ainsley's big day and brought her a new princess watch (she has been telling us the time every 5 minutes since then. . .think she loves it!) and played games with her. . .notice Ainsley got to wear new jammies as long as she wanted on her day! Then we met daddy at Chuck E Cheese for dinner and some fun (at the request of Ainsley)!

Can I just say that I LOVE the Bozo the clown game, AND I'm good at it!

Afterwards, Ainsley and daddy went on a date to Culvers for her free Birthday sundae! She chose butterscotch and oreos for her toppings. . mmmm!

This morning, Ainsley was the student of the week at preschool. . .she was going to have daddy come tell a story (our kids LOVE to sit at the dinner table and listen to daddy's stories about his brothers and Gramma Becky saying"you boys are filthy") but decided her friends don't know who her uncles are, so she chose to have mommy come read, "Such a Silly Baby." Her preschool friends laughed and laughed. . Porter even got to come to circle time and listen! She also got to bring pink cupcakes with pink frosting and sprinkles for snack time! For student of the week, she said her favorite food is curly noodles and her favorite thing to do is "teach and love!" :)

Porter and I came home and played Construction Site in the sand box. . .I think the picture with his arm over the swing and all the trucks lined up is absolutely charming! Porter William, soon to be 3 1/2!

Porter is not only great with naming his trucks, but he also wrote his name for the first time! We're so proud of you Porter!Now, for a little NOT ME fun from my day. . .

I DID NOT snitch Halloween candy from my childrens buckets. . .NOT ME!

I DID NOT give my 1 yr old a cup with water at the grocery store. He did not spill a little on the floor, and even if he had, I most certainly DID NOT slip my shoe off and wipe it up with my sock!! NOT ME! Then, I did not give him his cup back and he did not spill even more. . .this time I did not have to ask a worker to clean it up because even my sock couldn't soak up that much water. . .NOT ME!

On the same grocery trip, I DID NOT have a 3 yr old crying at check out because I bought the little green container of cottage cheese instead of the big blue container of cottage cheese. Even if he had been crying I DID NOT have people looking at me :) NOT ME! Oh, and I did not give my one year old a sucker, so I could reason with and calm down my 3 yr old! NOT ME!

OK, it sounds like my trip to the store was bad, but it really wasn't. . .the kids stay by me so nicely and don't ask for too many things :) The nice ladies today said, "Look at your good helpers!" And the old lady worker, "Can I help you four with anything?" :) Um, could you get me a big blue container of cottage cheese? Please?!

With that, another great big birthday wish, my little party planner. . .On her birthday morning, she went downstairs to the chalkboard and wrote her name with a number 5 :) Then we took the chalk outside. . .

Birthday Girl!

OK, I haven't even started typing this post and I'm teary! Ainsley, I tell you this often, but you made me a mommy! A mommy is what I wanted to be since I was a little girl, and 5 years ago, I became one. Yesterday we saw a couple pull into the church parking lot, the mom sitting in the backseat with the baby, and the dad driving. That was us 5 yrs ago. . .you changed our life and we're so thankful for that! I remember holding you as a tiny infant and imagining just how much God "our Father" must LOVE US! You are loving, caring, compassionate, kind, giving, thoughtful, smart, tenderhearted, creative, silly, goofy, energetic and we love you just the way you are. . .the way God made you! We are so blessed to have you as a daughter and a big "sissy!" This morning you told Trey that he can now call you "sister" since you're 5! And Porter said, "You're so big Ainsley!" You also wondered if you're having so many celebrations since you're turning such a big number?!

To prepare for your 5th birthday party, you had previously helped me bake and decorate the cake to your hearts delight (first you drew what you wanted it to look like on a piece of paper :) ). You'd picked out Barbie Island princess invitations, helped fill the gift bags, and oh yes, you'd had me put your hair in 5 braids the night before so it'd be wavy. You even suggested you needed a new party dress the day before, so off we'd gone to the Old Navy sale rack :)

The celebrations began Saturday morning. . .you decorated each of the chairs with 5 streamers and set the table, complete with name cards for each little girl. You also made a sign and hung it on the door.

Then, you anxioulsy watched out the window for the little girls to arrive!!!!! Reminds me of somone I know :) The party goers included. . .

(Taetum, Ainsley, Madison, Eliana, Ella and Porter) All the little girls are within 5 months of each other with Ainsley being the oldest and Maddie the youngest.

When the girls arrived, they decorated party hats, and put on face paint and tattoos!

Your party games included, blowing bubbles and playing with balloons to music

Pass the teapot (when the music stopped, if they were holding the teapot they got to pick a candy out of it)

Stick the tiara on the barbie (they thought this was pretty silly), and princess Bingo. . .I had also hidden paper slippers around the house and the girls got to find them!Then you opened presents. . .each girl (or brother :) ) got to sit on our THRONE by you while you opened the present from them!

Oh, and picture of the tiara on my back. . .that would be where Porter stuck his :)

Next, the kids made homeade pizzas, and while they baked we played!

Lastly, it was cake and ice-cream time! We sang Happy Birthday, blew out candles, and I described princesses while the party goers guessed which one I was describing! I love the pic of you blowing out your candles Ainsley!

And that would be Porter, still sitting at the table eating long after the girls were done! Daddy did attend your party, but was behind the camera :)

Later Saturday night, we had Maddie and her family back over and the kids played while the daddies watched football and the mommies drank pepperment mocha coffee! Then we tubbied all the kids, put Trey to bed, the other 4 in front of a movie with popcorn, and the adults played games!!!!!!! Oh, and a HUGE thank you to Grammy and Grampa for watching Trey during the party!

Happy 5th Birthday Ainsley Brielle. . oh, here come the tears again. WE LOVE YOU!