The Noriega Family

I went with a couple of my friends to my favorite theatre in Baltimore to see a Broadway production of the Bodyguard.  It was so good and I have not stopped listening to Whitney Houston music since.  

It is has been a good year for theatre.  Hector and I saw this great dance performance in January.  It  was break dancing to classical music; amazing juxtaposition of genres.  Then the following weekend I saw this Chinese Dance company perform a Dance Opera about Confucius.  It was one of the most visually beautiful things I have seen and it was at the Kennedy Center; which is always fun.  Then I went with a friend to see Newsies at the theater.  Not the same as seeing it live, but it was still fun to experience the Theatre in a new way.  Then the Bodygaurd and this weekend Hector and I are seeing a Tango performance from an Argentinian group.    

I love living in a place where I have such great access to so many cultural excursions. 

We did not get much snow this year.  Whenever it was a forecast for snow, the girls would put their pajamas on inside out and backwards and then we would flush ice cubes down the toilet (they learn really important things like this at school).  

Sienna did get one tiny snowman built one morning before school when we had a two hour delay.  We had one day off from school in March because of a little snow.  It was combined with icy rain, but the girls still played outside for hours that day.  

Sienna's Birthday was a smashing success.  Sienna is 6; she has appeared, both mentally and physically to be a six year old for the past two years, but now it is official.  We had so much fun celebrating her birthday and it was all she could talk about all week long.  

Her actual birthday was on a Thursday.  She was excited for school because she got her wear her birthday crown and pin all day long and she got a gift from her teacher.  It was a special day, but we did not do much family celebrating because we were saving that for Saturday.  

Friday night we went to a family friends house to play games.  The kids watched movies in the basement.  I brought a treat for everyone and we sang to Sienna; it was like another unofficial birthday party.    

Saturday was the day she was really looking forward too.  We had a party in the morning.  It was the nicest birthday party we have done; zero stress and just fun with Sienna and her friends.  We we ended up for 10 girls at the house including our own kids.  They were all so nice and fun to have.  Hector taught everyone how to make ninja stars and then we had tons of ninja training games.  

We discovered our ninja names, knocked over cups with bow and arrows, had a contest to see who could keep a balloon in the air the longest using a ninja sword, we threw ninja stars in a basket, chopped plates with our hands and feet.  The girls all waiting so nicely for their turn and they all cheered each other on.  It was so cute and fun.

We opened gifts; Sienna's favorite was the batman watch Hector and I got her.  She loves it and wears it everyday.  She asked a thousand questions about telling time but after two days of asking if she had the time right every other minute, she can now tell time on her own.    

After the party we got ready to head to the pool.  When Sienna turned two we took her to the rec center indoor water park for her birthday; it has become a Sienna birthday tradition ever since.  We invited a couple of families and played for three hours in the water and then we headed to the all you can eat family pizza buffet; also a Sienna birthday tradition.  The kids sat at one table and the adults at another and everyone had a great time.  It was late by time we got home and all three girls we exhausted...but they sure were happy.  

I love celebrating my girl's birthdays.  Sienna is an amazing little girl.  I am so proud of her.  She works so hard at everything she does.  She is so determined to learn.  She never gives up; she just keeps trying until she has it figured out.  She is funny and silly.  She loves to play and be creative.  She loves to dress up as superheros and ninjas and she is always saving anyone in need of  a hero.  

She is sensitive and kind.  She loves to help her classmates and she loves to hold and take care of babies.  

She loves to play games and is amazingly good at strategy.  Sienna puts a smile on my face everyday.  She is my favorite 6 year old!

The girls have been having so much fun with Girl Scouts this year.  They sold cookies and they did such a great job acting grown up.  

We did a thinking day and a cookie rally.  They have worked on projects, gone Ice Skating and enjoyed their meetings.  They have made friends and learned a lot.  They love their uniforms and patches the most.

Estelle and I get to hang out most days while the other girls are in school.  We do lots of fun activities, but when we are home Estelle usually has a costume on.  She loves to be Elsa and she loves to sing and dance.  She really belts out the Disney tunes and her Christian Rock songs.

It has been a busy cake making week.  I had Sienna's birthday and a did two cakes for my friend's twins...all within two days.  It was fun and really makes me want to get my business started.  

Last month I catered and event.  It was Italian themed and I did four different Italian cakes.