Making Enough of Me: June 2013

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Pinkalicious Party

This girl came out loving pink. Maybe that's due to a little "heavy" influence from her mom and dad, I'm not sure. But whatever the reason she thinks pink is the only color anyone should ever choose. As long as its pink, she loves it.

When I was introduced to the world of the Pinkalicious books, there was no turning back. She and I both fell in love with them, and just like her older siblings who believe if they have one book they have to have the whole series, we have been collecting all the Pinkalicious books for her ever expanding library.

The morning started out with Daddy taking his favorite girl out for Donuts (a new tradition we started this past year), and then we opened a few fun Dora crazed presents. Her dreams came true when she got her first backpack.

She didn't even know what to think, but as the sleepiness wore off, she got more excited and promptly filled her mochila with all her birthday treasures.

Soon it was time for the 90 minute pink fest to begin. I went above and beyond what I have done for the boys in the past, in terms of decorating. This girl is bringing out the Pinterest in me, and I had a blast getting everything ready.

We had pink cupcakes, but I refused to dope all the little princesses up on dyes and other sweet junk, so I put together a few different strawberry cupcake recipes and came up with a great all natural one.

I made this cute cupcake stand by wrapping two game boxes in pink paper, gluing some fun ribbon, and finishing it off with some extra fairy wands. The Pink Diva was in love with it.

The other foods I served were grapes, watermelon, and a "pink lemonade" that I actually made with an organic lemonade and puréed raspberries. Delish!

We colored Pinkalicious pictures while the guests arrived, listened to the Pinkalicious book read by her daddy and played a type of musical spots each time they heard the word "pink." We played a Pinkalicious bingo game and all the winners (I rigged the cards so everyone would win) received a magical pink ring that blows bubbles.

Showing off their rings

She is so her brothers sister.

When all the games were done it was time for presents and the crowing of her friends. I told all the girls to get their present and to sit down. When the birthday girl saw that there were no more gifts, she went into the saddest fit of hysterics. She didn't understand they were going to give her the presents; she just thought there weren't any left for her to choose from. It was really hard not to laugh. A lot.

We finally got her calmed down and seated on her throne. As each friend gave their gift, she gave them one, too. A pinkalicious crown and wand. The girls were so excited and she looooved crowning them.

She scored in the Barbie and Cinderella department. Heaven!

Our sweet friends from our ward and adopted grandparents, the Browns, gave her this big Cinderella doll,

complete with a beauty shop. I started to cry. (Shocker)

At last it came time for the singing of the birthday song and blowing out her three candles. She couldn't wait. She bit into her long awaited cupcake before anyone even got to the table.

When all the party guests had gone home, I found her with her big brothers (aka her best friends), playing with all her new dolls. Speaking of heaven, I think this is hers. These three really love each other. The boys adore her so incredibly and I think they were slightly (and secretly) entranced by all the dolls and pinkness.

One of my favorite moments of the day was looking up to see the boys (who had been sent upstairs for the party) peering down to see all the action. When we saw them all together we laughed when we realized they were all unintentionally dressed in blue. Maybe that's why I love pink so much. It's been all about blue for so long...

Both of the First Presidencies looking down on all the action.

We have been lucky to have their best cousins here for a week. It made the day that much more special.

We spent the rest of the day at the pool and playing with our new toys. She told me it was the best birthday EVER! I think she's right. (And I'm pretty sure I say that after each birthday we celebrate.)

Even Daddy got in on the fun!

It's been three years since this baby girl came into our lives and changed everything for the better. We love her and all the hot pinkness she brings to our lives! She is truly pinkalicious, crazylicious, funnylicious, and the very bestalicious.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Best Girl Evverrrr

If I could post all the pictures I take of this girl and her smiling poses, I would surpass my allowable gigabyte limit for this blog. She's always got something to say or show me and more often than not it is followed by "take my picture, Mommy."

I happily oblige. I can't help myself.

Leading up to her birthday this past weekend, we talked at length about the birthday party and invited guests and presents and what to serve and how to spend her day and what to have for her birthday dinner and so. much. more. It was going to be the event of the century. Or at least the pinkalicious event of the week.

It's hard to believe that she's three. It is so cliche of me to say that, but truthfully her turning three also means I haven't been pregnant in that long. In ten years of marriage that's never happened. We honestly and truthfully take great delight in every single day we have with her.

I remember when everyone told me about the drama that would ensue by having a girl. I laughed it off but let me tell ya, that drama is in full force. From foot stomping and arm folding to crunched up eyebrows and face down on the carpet complaining that no one will play with her. It's always something that she believes should be worthy of stopping life as we know it. But I will take the drama over the terrible twos I went through with my boys any day. It's actually quite comical to me and just endears her to me that much more.

In the last General Conference there was a talk by Elder Falabella where he said a singing child is a happy child. Well if that's true, this lady of the casa is the happiest child on earth. From sun up to sun down she is singing. I have hours of small video clips where I have grabbed my camera to record the latest song in her self written repertoire. Most recently, after she braved the pool with just a pair of arm floaties (QUITE the brave and faithful step on the part of my girl), she stayed in the water singing for anyone within earshot that she was "the best girl everrr--rrrr!" I added extra "rrrrs" for the mounds of vibrato she adds to each end note. The cashier at the grocery store told me the other day that she made her whole day because of the song she had been singing about scanning the "vegetables as fast as you can!"

We love this little girl and our lives are blessed so richly by having her and all the pinkalicious drama and music she brings to our family. I would have 10 more of her, if I could.

A very Pinkalicious party coming up next...

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

The post where I had toast with my boast

This is the last week of school and I have so many fun plans for the kiddos this summer, I can't wait to get started. And thinking about not having to wake up before 7 to pack lunches is enough to leave me perma-grinning for months! Putting away the uniforms and breaking out the swimsuits and diving toys is a first. I also have some school workbooks I bought for our daily assignments, science and art projects to try out, Spanish lessons to master (won't my in-laws be proud?), and more. Oh, and the baseboards. You can't forget those. They need a good cleaning.

It's going to be a great summer. And it's been a great school year. I got really emotional (shocker) at the kids' award ceremonies yesterday when I thought about it coming to a close. They have accomplished so much this year and have worked so hard. Their efforts really paid off and I was so happy they were recognized for it. Not that I want to encourage that idea all the time (because sometimes doing good without being noticed is important, too); but yesterday for that brief moment when they realized how their hard work had paid off, it was priceless to me as a mother.

Mr. Marcus was recognized as a Graduating Kindergartner (while still wearing size 3T shorts, thankyouverymuch) and received awards for Excellence in Writing, Excellence in Reading, Fly Guy book club member (which basically means he read the series of books, tested on them, and passed for comprehension), Leopard Bowl 3rd place Participant (the school's Jeopardy type contest), Six Flags reading program, and as a member of the Leopard Lewis Run Club.

Excited doesn't begin to describe him.

With his best friends EVER (who are also members of our ward)

Afterwards his class had yearbook signing and a special graduation breakfast where I brought my homemade cinnamon rolls and gave the kids a nice sugar rush.

When his ceremony was over, it was time to go to big brother Mason's ceremony. He was equally excited, but much more reserved in his display of emotions.

I couldn't help but get really emotional while I was taking these pictures (that's why they're so blurry). Mason set a few personal goals at the beginning of the year and when his awards were announced, I realized he had accomplished all of them.

He was recognized for being on the All "A" Honor Roll, being in 13 different reading clubs (see explanation for "Fly Guy" above), 2nd place Leopard Bowl contestant, Excellence in Math, Excellence in Science, Excellence in Social Studies, Excellence in English, Excellence in Reading, Excellence in Spelling (he got 100% on every spelling test each Friday of the year), Six Flags reading award, Citizenship award, Member of the Lewis Leopard Run Club, and AR Top Three with 505 points. That in itself is quite an accomplishment. For each book he read he took a comprehension test. The higher the score on the test and the greater the difficulty of the book, the more points you receive. He had set a goal to get 500 by the end of the year. I admit I was secretly "worried" he wouldn't reach it, but when I heard them announce that number, I nearly burst with emotion. A few people started clapping and the kids in the room let out a big gasp. Not only was he in the top 3, he actually was the top for his grade. The other two had scored 89 and 83. He was so thrilled and red-faced with his accomplishment, and I wanted to rush the stage and hug him. It was all I could do to just sit there and snap pictures.

His two best friends, who are also members of our ward, just happened to be in the same class with him this year. He loves them so much.

His besties. They're all so stinkin' cute.

After his awards ceremony, his teacher invited me back to his classroom for a special presentation of a project he's been working on throughout the 2nd half of the year. He was the only second grader in the school to be in the Gifted and Talented program and as a result, he had to do the research and project on his own. He worked really hard (and secretly loved the "alone" time) and learned everything Masonly possible about Tornadoes and Hurricanes. Then he put together a lap book, again all on his own, during the day at school. I had no idea about anything (only that he was in the program and the subject he was researching).

I am so proud of these two boys. Honestly, some days I pinch myself because I can't believe they are mine. Yes, yes, yes they can be a challenge. I pray to know how to be a better mother and more specifically how to help them channel these talents and heavenly gifts to humbly use them to better the world. I know much is expected of me and of them, and will certainly keep that in mind this summer. While we are cleaning baseboards, of course.