Ashley is 10!

Ashley celebrated a BIG birthday this weekend!  We are so excited for her to turn 10!  She got her favorite for breakfast, Crepes (and she didn't even have to make them herself)

Then she said she would like to open only 3 presents in the morning.  I told her she was only getting 3 presents so she wouldn't have any to open later if she wanted too!  She wanted to save some for later so she only opened her birthday outfit. 

She spent her big day babysitting for the first time. alone. What a nice birthday present!  Ryan was just working at the cellar and came home twice in the 4 hour period to check on them.  But she did a fantastic job!  I was relieved to be home and so were all of the kids!  It was a good experience for them all and they even kept the house clean!

We love having Ashley in our family, she is so responsible and happy all of the time!  Happy Birthday Ash!

School Play

Ashley and Emma participated in the school play this past week.  It was a LONG exhausting process, I am so NOT looking forward to teenage years with running to and from the school 5 times a day!  And we only live 3 miles away!  Anyway Ashley was tickled pink to not be a creature (skunk, rat, gull etc.) this year.  She got to be a villager she was quite cute I thought.  She took her role very seriously!

Emma on the other hand was happy to be anything, she was a seagull and had a great time.

The play was Treasure Island and thankfully only  went on for a week.  The girls were happy with it, Claire thought it was scary, she liked it a lot better at the second performance (there were lots of loud pirates).  The kids ran the gym afterwards with Serena.  I was glad they all felt good enough to be running Claire, Emma, and Justin have been kind of sick.  Claire ran a bit too much though and ended up throwing up in the car on the way home because she couldn't stop coughing.  SO FUN!

    

I promised myself we will NOT do this again next year, do you think I can convince the girls?

Sick Days

We are finally getting our winter flu I guess.  It has been so nice to not be sick at all this winter, I knew we couldn't escape it though….  Justin got sick Friday night (of course always over the weekend when the Drs office is closed)  He was miserable, like not talking, and just laying around.  Finally Sunday morning he woke up and was talking again and brought out some toys to play with.  I knew right away he was feeling better.

 

I did make him get dressed, brush teeth and comb hair.

He and I stayed home from church anyway, Ryan and I had to tag team.  Ryan had to teach and so did I so we just traded half way through church, isn't that fun!  Justin is still coughing, but is much better, I can tell by his obnoxiousness.  Now Claire has it though, and so it goes around and around!

Sunday’s Pictures

I never have time to take pictures on Sunday morning, but this Sunday Justin and I stayed home, (he had a hacking cough and was actually finally feeling better Sunday Morning)  But I got to take lots of pictures of my pretty girls and a few of Just too!

Some more “Mary Poppins” ones for Grandma Nielson.

This was the best, Claire did NOT want Justin in her picture can you tell?!

Friends

We had Friday off from school last week and so we had some friends over to play!  Their mom has just had her new baby boy on Tuesday so we were really excited because now in one month we get to have our baby boy!  (we hope anyway)

I always think it is so interesting how we have so many fun toys and they want to play in an old broken down cardboard box instead.  Yep, thats 8 kids in one box……I mean space ship.

Ashley, Clay, Serena, Malia, Erica, Emma, Claire and Justin

Malia and Claire eating their oranges.

Strawberry Shortcake

Claire bear is my Strawberry shortcake!  She LOVES strawberries!  I asked her to help me with dinner and she was happy to help with the strawberries!  She sliced them all up in the egg slicer, it is amazing how much help she can really be if I just take time to direct her a little. 

 

She was eating them by the handful, it was quite cute, there were a few left for our strawberry salad.  What a happy helper!

Mommy School

We are trying to stuff as many mommy school days in as we can lately.  Justin will start Kindergarten this fall and I am not sure how motivated I will be this summer to work with him.  He does love school work, which is really nice.  Emma was NOT a lover of school work which made mommy school not very fun, (she does like it better now at school.)

Justin and Claire know all of the abc’s by sight, we do a flash card contest and they LOVE it.

 

Now writing the abc’s is a whole other thing, Justin can write his name and that is pretty much it, Claire can write her C.  I know Ashley could write her name at 3 years old but Claire is more like Emma, not loving the school work as much.

Notice Claire's tongue action:

Ryan was doing the same thing with his tongue when he was helping me make Justin's bed!

Justin is definitely a “south paw”  He loves to spend the day dribbling.  (which drives me crazy in the kitchen) He LOVES to dribble, and now wants to play basketball when he grows up.  He will play baseball when he is a kid, and basketball when he is a grown up.  Sounds like a plan!

I Think I May Be Spoiled

*warning the next picture is not for the faint of heart or squeamish*

The one BIG draw back to my “nesting”  is my swollen feet.  I CANT stay off of them, which is good, but also bad.  I think it is quite traumatic for Ashley, she asks if she can rub them almost daily.  I didn't intend for my cankles  ankles to get in the picture but I wasn't a very good shot. 

Ashley set me up with a great foot massage complete with a “cabana” drink and reading materials!

 

Yes, I am pretty sure I am spoiled!

Baby Blanket Idea

Mom (and others) here is the cute idea I have been wanting to make for the new little brother. I dont know if I will repourpose mens old shirts like she did or just try and find cute plaid/flannel fabrics. I think it is just darling, and not your typical blue baby blankie. I found it at thismamamakesstuff.com, or click on the link below. She has lots of cute ideas.

http://thismamamakesstuff.com/2011/03/making-stuff-hes-all-boy-cap-blanket/hes-all-boy-collage/

Claire’s Pictures

Claire Bear the Three year old.