Caroline's Birthday! ~4~

I took several pictures of Caroline on July 10, her actual birthday.

She was so excited it was her birthday!  For days after, and sometimes even still, she shyly tells people, "I'm four now..."

Four little fingers!

We had a party on July 13 for Caroline while we were in WA.  That day, I blew up lots and lots of balloons.  The kids wanted to help, and blew up balloons.  Brian blew up lots too!  We blew up the whole package--over 100 balloons, I think.  Maybe 140???

 Austin already knew how to tie knots in balloons.  Julia learned this day.  I told the kids if they wanted to help, they had to tie their own knots. ;)  And they did!

While shopping at Costco, we'd pass the tables of clothes, seeing what was new, on the way to buy groceries.  During several trips, Caroline noticed tables piled with these tutu dresses.  Every time she'd tell me, "I wrote that dress on my birthday list."  The funny thing is, she never even had a birthday list!  Sometimes the kids and I talk about writing down things they want on their Christmas lists, so that must be where Caroline got the idea.  On the day of her party I gave her the dress.  She loved it!  And she knew that was the dress she "wrote" on her birthday list.  :D

 Caroline wanted a princess party and a princess cake.

I decided just to order one from Safeway, instead of making one.  I am so glad I did!  There was plenty of other things going on that day--one less thing to worry about.  Caroline plays with the princess figurines at home, now.  The middle dark pink flower is actually a white ring that changes to dark pink in the sun!

Caroline and Lauren wanted to wear their princess dresses to the party, so we packed them in our luggage!  My mom asked us if Caroline's princess dress was a real dress, or a play dress up dress.  Caroline piped up, kind of irritated, "No!  It's a real dress!"

I thought she might want to change out of the Rapunzel dress into her tutu dress during the party, but she kept it on the whole night!  Her cousins wore their princess dresses too.  Annaliese's came off pretty fast.  Here Caroline is watching my mom play Angry Birds.  Ha!  She knows how to play it too, and likes to play on Brian's phone!

Marty and Colleen let us have the party at their house.  After dinner, the kids went on a scavenger hunt. 

Julia did a lot of work for this party!  She sewed all the goody/hunt bags.  She made up all the clues.  She and Colleen put up balloons and hid all the hunt treasures around the house and yard.

 The kids who could read took turns reading the clues.

Short-haired Rapunzel toting her bag over her shoulder during the hunt.

 The next activity was a balloon relay!  Marty organized the teams:  older kids on one team, younger kids on the other.  The kids had to run across the yard with balloons (2 for the older kids, 1 for the younger) and sit on their balloons to pop them, then run back so the next teammate could go.  Annika didn't want to play.  Lauren heard a few "pops" and ran off crying.  Then she came back and ran w/ the balloon, but had me pop it!  Caroline had a hard time sitting on her balloon--too light--so I would help her buy stepping on it.  At the end, Marty had the kids race to see who could pick up the most balloon trash!  Ha ha!  The yard was cleaned up fast!

 Isn't the pinata cute?!  WalMart had a bunch of these, and other cute designs.

Lauren was mad we bought this one (said it wouldn't hold much candy!!). But Julia and I stuffed it full!

Uncle Scott and Uncle Doug were good sports and held the pole for the pinata.  That could potentially be a dangerous job!!  The big kids made some big hits!

My grandma Arlene came to the party and said it was fun watching the kids.  It was.  :)

Alyssa ended up breaking the pinata.

Playing with Granpa while the other kids hit the pinata (all the kids had several turns).

Mad dash for the candy!

Aunty Colleen  and Julia set up this princess "throne" for Caroline.  She sat there to open her presents.  They found this Rapunzel headband/wig for her at the dollar store.  Most of the kids took turns trying it on.  Funny!  Especially on Austin and Baby Aliana.

Brian took this with his phone.

Caroline got lots of fun presents!  What a lucky little girl!

At home in CA, a couple weeks before our trip, Lauren told me she was going to give Caroline a present.  Lauren said she was going to make up a song and sing it for everyone at Caroline's party.  She'd go in my bedroom and practice.

At the party, after all the other gifts were opened, it was time for Lauren's gift.  She was feeling a little shy, but she did indeed sing a song for everyone.  I don't know how much of it was what she practiced back at home in CA, as much of it seemed to come into her mind as she sang!

Marty put on music after Lauren's show, and the kids got right to dancing. They all put on a show! LOL Lauren was so pleased with this and said her song started the whole dance party. ;)

Brian took some fun phone videos.  Thought I might as well try to upload them.  We'll see what happens!

 

While the kids danced around the living room, I got the cake ready to go.  These little girls waited very patiently while the dinner remains were cleared and the cake plates and things were set up.

Time to sing Happy Birthday to Caroline!  I guess Austin didn't want to be in the picture?!

Four candles for our sweet girl.  She blew them all out, then we ate cake.  Caroline chose chocolate cake with chocolate filling.  Can you tell what she likes?!  Everyone stayed late to visit.  It was a fun party.

June 10-16

Freckles!  Austin and Caroline are our only two kids who have freckles.  They both get them when they spend time in the sun.  When winter/foggy spring comes, the freckles fade, then return in the summer. 

Austin's are more pronounced, I think b/c he spends more time outside, at recess and PE at school.  Cute!  (Though Julia and Lauren say they are glad they don't have them! Ha!)

The first day of summer vacation, Austin and Lauren got busy making signs for their bedroom doors.  Austin was very clear on who could not come in his room.  ;)

The same day, Julia sorted boxes and drawers in her room.  She had one dresser drawer where she unpacked her ribbons, awards, etc., b/c she had no place to put them when we first moved.  Well, they stayed in the drawer all year.  Now they're out.

She also had a couple boxes that never got unpacked, so now that is all put away too.  I think she enjoys this kind of sorting.

Austin stole Caroline's Kailan and LaLaLoopsy treehouses.  Only the treehouses--not the dolls!  He used them for forts for his Lego battles.  Caroline wasn't happy about this and reclaimed them in a few days.

Cute matching dresses.  Lauren loves this dress.

The three youngest kids are taking swim lessons Mondays and Wednesdays this summer.  Julia comes along and swims on her own.  Caroline was so proud of her own new goggles we bought for her this summer.  She's never had her own before.

She was so excited to swim!  She is braver than she is knowledgeable, so we really have to watch her around pools!

Lauren ready to jump!  She's known how to swim for a few years now, but I can tell she's getting more confident.  She used to be afraid of backfloating, that she'd bump her head on the wall, that she'd sink...  Now she is able to float along nice and smoothly.

Both Austin and Lauren really like using flippers to swim!  Caroline?  It depends on the day.

This week we went to the $1 movies in Santa Maria and saw Journey II:  Mysterious Island.   Austin especially enjoyed it.  The girls liked it too, but Caroline was a little scared in some parts.  It was perfect for Austin's age--adventure!

He read Caroline stories before her nap one day.  Cute!

The little girls had a sleepover in Austin's room for a few nights.  I don't know what happened to enforcing the rules on the sign he made Monday...!!  The girls each spent a night in Julia's room, then all three of the younger kids stayed in there another night.

 Brian's birthday was June 14.  We went on a walk that night after dinner.  Austin is a little intimidated of his new bike yet, so he rode his scooter.  Lauren needs practice riding hers, so she rode her scooter, and Julia rode Lauren's new bike.

Lauren was not happy about that, at all!   She made such a fuss about it, the whole time we were out, saying Julia isn't careful and how Julia was going to scrape up her bike!  When we got back home, Lauren said, "Good.  I see you only made two marks on it." Hmmph. Pout.  For what it's worth, I think any marks on the bike were there before we left the house! 

Lauren started shaking her bootie at us, and said she was doing the booga booga.  Not a happy booga booga, whatever that means, but a pouty "I'll show you!" attitude booga booga.  Now she still booga boogas, and it's become kind of a joke with her.
 

Brian had to back his car out so I could get the jogger stroller out of the garage.  When we came back from our walk, the little girls "helped" him drive back in.  Notice Lauren is all smiles again.  This is so how it goes w/ her these days!

 Julia joined the 4-H sewing group late in the year, in March (instead of September).  The sewing teacher lives right across the street, a couple houses up.  Our community leader suggested Julia join, so she did. 

She was able to start right in on their last project of the year, making a rail fence quilt.  Here is her quilt before we gave it back to the sewing teacher for her to quilt in on "Bertha", her big quilting machine.

Now Julia has to finish sewing on the binding and she'll be done.

We celebrated Brian's birthday Friday night.  Thursday, his actual b'day, he brought home pies from his work b'day celebration, so he/we did have some treats that day.  :)

He opened his presents, then Austin started putting bags on Brian's head.  Not sure where these ideas come from?!  Brian requested molten lava cakes, which turned out yummy!

Saturday morning...Austin came out of his room like this.  Not sure where these ideas come from either!  He was nicely playing Legos, and the next thing we see, there are Lego pieces covering his eyes...

Cute rompers!  Lauren told me she liked this romper when she saw it online.  I show her almost all the clothes I buy her, before I buy, b/c you never know what she'll like!  I have her "rules" pretty much memorized, but believe me, her rules change!  Rules:

*No white, sometimes a bit of white sleeve is ok, but heaven forbid an entire white shirt, even if it has a picture or writing on it.

*No light pink.  It's babyish.  She wants to be "girlish" (her word).

*No bows

*No hearts (seems to be "giving" a little on this)

*No cute little animals

*Prefers skinny jeans if she's going to wear pants, but will wear other styles if they're embellished

*Prefers dresses with or w/out leggings

*Hates tights: "Especially when they have little pictures on them like cute little doggies!"

*The trendier the better.  This is where we disagree.  I like some trendy, but think some of the trendy styles are too old for girls her age.  Luckily there are plenty of options.

Anyway, Lauren liked the romper online.  Liked it instore.  Liked the ruffles and color.  Turquoise is her favorite these days.  And then, threw a huge! giant! fit when it came time to wear it!  Julia told her girls her age wear rompers.  No use, Lauren had it in her head she hated this romper.  It turns out, she didn't like the ice cream cones on the little bow (I guess she didn't see that earlier?!?!).  She pouted about it most of the morning.  Later in the afternoon, she did agree it was a good comfy outfit for a hot day...  And so it goes!  This is very, very typical around here!

Lauren had to sweep the benches this day.  Then Austin had to sweep the patio.  Caroline wanted to help too (more willing than her siblings).

Notice her stylish dress-up shoes.  :)

May 6-12

 Lauren turned 7 on May 6!  She wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese for her birthday.  So we did, after church.  First we had to stop at a few places so Julia could collect soil samples for her science project.  Once that was done, it was time to celebrate.

Presents! 

Notice the zebra throw at least on the couch.  Not on the loveseat where it goes, but close.  ;)

All three younger kids bought these rainbow slinkies with their Chuck E Cheese tickets.  Julia had Caroline's here.

Lauren requested a Veggie Tale Bible; that was one of her gifts.

Seven years old!!

I also made her headband, when I made all those bows for Caroline.

Lauren requested a Tinkerbell cake.  I was sooooo busy in May and didn't have a clue how to make a Tinkerbell cake.  So we bought it from Vons.  Lauren chose chocolate with custard filling, just like two years ago.

We ate cake and ice cream that night.  Yummy!

Lauren getting snacks for herself and Caroline.  It is so nice all the older kids can reach the snacks for themselves!  And help out with Caroline.

I made this turquoise flower headband too.

Lauren requested a new bike for her birthday.  She did need one!  The other bike is Caroline's size.

We stopped at Toys R Us after Chuck E Cheese, and Lauren chose this bike.  It has a furry seat cover she liked.  :) 

Austin outgrew his bike as well, so he also ended up with one.  Both were on sale, so that made it even better.

Caroline set these desserts out for us.

 Cute little Cubbies!  This was the last club night of Awana.  All the kids with summer birthdays got their birthday buttons this night.

They are singing, "Happy Birthday, Cha cha cha!" here.

Caroline and her sweet little friend.  The Cubbies had ice cream sundaes to finish off their year.

Playing Mrs. Potato Head

 I made Lauren pick up the princess tent, and she made a new reading spot.  She set up all her birthday presents around her spot.  Oh my...

Brian came home with these flowers for me May 9--to celebrate 15 years since we were engaged.

Lauren's (and Julia's before her) old bike is the perfect size for Caroline.  C was so excited about her new bike!  She could hardly contain herself, and was jumping up and down all over!

 Brian helped both little girls on their bikes.  Lauren still isn't too sure about no training wheels.  Caroline took right to riding her bike, of course, with its training wheels.





 Playing early in the morning before school; no one else was even up!

For Mother's Day, Brian asked what I wanted.  I chose to have him install irrigation to our front porch flower bed.  I had bought plants to plant there, but there were no sprinklers or drip lines.

The Saturday before Mother's Day, Brian tunneled under our porch sidewalk, to attach the porch bed to the watering zone in the flowerbed zone in front of the house.  Austin helped him.

They both had to go to the Awana T&T book finishers party that night, so I planted our new hydrangeas and some other plants.  I also moved a couple plants that were in the bed.  Lots of work!  I weeded and pruned the whole time the boys worked on the irrigation.  It was a busy day in the yard for all of us.  Julia and Lauren had to help weed, which they were not happy about!  ;)