Birthday Part 2

Sadie's birthday had to be continued into Saturday. Friday was too full of other fun things, so we weren't home with just the five of us. So after breakfast on Saturday, I hid her gifts from us around the living room. She enjoyed searching for them. And then she opened the gifts from Grandmom and Pops. All three were excited for this box.

Sadie got a new Zhu Zhu pet that she had wanted.

Silly sticker books for all three girls.

Analise's first silly face.

Even Caramel enjoyed opening a gift.

Sadie got some new dress up clothes in her new favorite color.

And later all three were dancing in Analise's room. I love how Analise stands out in her comfy clothes. So NOT princessy.

Sadie is 4

My baby is four already. And though it's been four years since her rough yet miraculous birth, it is still a very sentimental day for me. When she came out in the morning, I said, "There's the birthday girl. Happy birthday!" She says, "It's my birthday?" Silly girl had forgotten.

Here she is in her birthday shirt, with the new birthday hat, the birthday bear and using the special plate. And that is her yummy cinnamon roll that she hardly ate. The other two devoured theirs.

Maybe it's a good thing she didn't each much cinnamon roll because not much later Grandma picked her up for a donut date. They were gone for a couple of hours. Donuts, dollar store and off to see the chicks at the farm store. Maisie and I got a lot done while she was gone.

For lunch Sadie went out with just mom and dad. Maisie was at a play date, so this made for a special time. She enjoyed the time with just us; we enjoyed it too. Right after lunch she and Maisie went to their friend, T's, house so I could go help in 2nd grade. Thanks G for taking care of them!

Sadie had a hard time deciding what kind of cake she wanted. For awhile she wanted a boat cake, then a fish, and then...who knows. I showed her some pictures of cakes online, and she decided she wanted a tiger. That seemed fitting since orange was her favorite color at age 3, and she loved the tigers at the zoo.

And well, I love it because it was simple. I actually made a cake and didn't want to throw something in the process! The new recipe for the cake worked well, and my homemade frosting came together nicely, too.

After school she played outside with her sisters (it was a beautiful day!) and enjoyed talking on the phone with family members.

As soon as dad got home from work, we headed to Grandma's for the family celebration.

For dinner I made spaghetti braid (thanks Reba!), fruit salad and broccoli. She enjoyed it!

Sadie, you will always be my baby.

One of several phone calls. This one just came right before she wanted to open gifts, so it was a little rushed.

Gift time...cupcake making supplies from Aunt S and Uncle D

She got her own tea set from Grandma

And Aunt S knew Sadie would love new paint. Even if the white doesn't work. :)

Sadie and her special uncle

Silly girl

The oldest and youngest cousin (for two more months) He is so good with her.

Maisie and I surprised everyone with a rainbow cake.

The kids decided to shred the wrapping paper for  confetti. The before...

If you could only hear the giggles

If Maisie isn't giving him a super tight hug, then she's on his back.

We asked Sadie questions at the dinner table and tried to guess her answers. I had gone over these with her prior to dinner, so I thought I knew all her answers. Thought. I guess a girl is privy to changing her mind.

What is your favorite toy? Bike or Wii

What is your favorite thing to do with mommy? Bake

Favorite thing to do with daddy? Tickle

What is your favorite animal? Tiger, lion or dolphin

Sadie you have grown so much this year. Not only in stature (you are tall and weigh a whopping 32 lbs. We will get the doctor's stats another time) but you have developed socially, and academically. You love to sing, and I love to  hear you sing along with worship songs. Kindermusik is the highlight of the week for you. You make us laugh with your funny facial expressions, and you do a nice job of sharing. We've been really impressed with how well you have shared your new birthday gifts with your sisters.

You made the best decision ever this past year when you asked Jesus into your heart. What a day  of rejoicing that was!

You are still a mommy's girl and don't like it when I leave the house. You have no problem walking away from me, but if I move on and you don't know it...you panic. Yet you do fine when I leave you at church for your classes. You are more confident than a year ago.

Since your birthday, you have written your name without any help, buckle yourself in, and you are pumping on the swing. Milestones that make me excited for you, and make me just a wee bit sad that I don't have a baby anymore. But I get over it quickly, because I remember you will always be my baby. Like it or not. :)

Analise on Broadway

Analise had her school music program called "Broadway" last week. She was super excited, and I couldn't wait either. She sang with all the other 2nd and 3rd graders in the choir, but she also had a smaller part this year. Her music teacher asked her to try out for a solo. Analise only tried out because, "She didn't want to let Mrs. S down." Later that night she told me about, and honestly, she got very concerned that she would get a part. So concerned she was almost in tears and couldn't sleep. That's how bad she didn't want to sing into a microphone. It lead to a nice discussion about not worrying about tomorrow, and God would give us the strength to use the gifts He gave us.

Several days later when I was at school eating lunch with her she told me, "I got a part." She wasn't excited one bit. She informed me it wasn't a solo, so I told her we'd talk about it later. As we left the lunch room, we ran into her music teacher, so she confirmed with me that Analise would be singing with others.

Fast forward a few weeks, and Analise was excited for her performance, and she didn't seem nervous. In fact, I was probably more nervous for her. I wanted her to do well for her own sake - to build confidence. And she did awesome! She and two other girls sang a part from the song "Supercala..." And she sang with confidence and a smile! She told us later she just looked at the microphone and forget about all the people out there.  My mother's heart was so happy and proud (a good proud.) She learned first hand that God will equip us with what we need. "For when I am weak; He is strong." I am frequently telling Analise that when God gives us a gift, how we use it is our gift back to Him.

Here are just a couple of pictures. We got there later than we wanted and had to sit in the nosebleed section. :(

Maggot Things

Maisie was given the best gift for her birthday last summer...something I didn't even know existed. They are Magnetic Mosaics. They are quiet, creative, and the girls do one almost daily. They are simply cubes with magnets on the bottom, and they come with several patterns, so they place the correct cube on each square. A bit later they have a lovely picture they put on display.

They were such a big hit that Sadie got her own set at Christmas. Here they are creating another picture. The funny part is that Maisie can't say "Magnetic Mosaic," so she asks me if she can do the "maggot thing."

A Walk in the Park

A couple of Saturdays ago, we decided it was nice enough (despite the March wind) to go for a walk and do some bird watching. Brandon's sis was in town, so she joined us. I hadn't walked this path in years, and it was our first "hike" with a dog. It was one of those times, where I was just happy...out walking in God's nature with my family. I don't want to forget it.

We made it to the bridge and spent time enjoying the scenery.

All day Maisie wanted me to take her picture.

Amazing...all the girls AND Caramel are looking at the camera.

Brandon loved getting Caramel off the beaten path to let her walk and smell things, just like a good hunting dog should. :) And while they did that, I took more pictures.

Nothing fancy; I just thought it was sweet.

Caramel did a nice job walking, and we loved watching her use her nose.

We really do feed her!

Posing

This is what the girls did with Maisie's balloon after it popped. It was funnier in person.

They do love dressing up, and I love capturing it!

Puppy Days

We are pretty well adjusted to puppy life. She is beginning to sleep longer at night, and I am very thankful for that! We keep her crate in the kitchen during the day and take it back to our room at night. This is not a permanent thing; it was just for her to feel comfortable in the beginning.

I learned she sleeps more than I thought she might; this is another good thing. It gives me a chance to get things done...like blogging. :) She sleeps in the morning while we are usually gone, and I put her in her crate in the afternoon, too, while it's rest time around here.

There are moments where she is in full puppy mode. The girls are getting more comfortable around that, but I still find them sitting on the couch just watching. She has several toys, but I am learning that she doesn't stay interested in them very long. She'd much rather have a shoe, slipper or a rug to chew on. Thankfully the weather has been decent enough we can go outside; it's just as good for the girls as it is for Caramel.

We've taken a couple of walks, and she is getting where she seems to like them. Except for when I want to walk her in he morning before the girls are up. I have the time, she has the energy, but for some reason she doesn't like it then. She's going to have to learn though. I can't wait to take a morning walk, and dare I say "jog" with her.

She is basically potty trained, but I hesitate in announcing that. She's had maybe a handful of accidents in the house. I have a bell by the door I am trying to teach her to ring when she wants to go out. Sometimes she rings  it; other times she whimpers by the door. Each time I take her out, I take her to the same spot - by the pine tree. She's shown us on a few time that she knows that is where she is supposed to go. She will be running loose out back, and I will see her go behind the tree to take care of business.

She knows to drop it, leave it, goes potty on command, and "come" when she feels like it. :) We have a long way to go, especially for when it comes to training for hunting.

The girls still like to help with her, and I  am finding that they now argue less over who gets to help with the leash or opening the crate.

Caramel goes with us for school drop off and pick up. This is Maisie's special time to have Caramel in her lap. She loves it! I took Caramel to preschool last week, and Maisie beamed when she introduced her to the class. And Caramel did great. She has such a sweet demeanor. She will let me do about anything to her. We are still working on the biting/nipping at the girls. She does it in love, not anger.

Caramel  is so quiet that I have tripped over her more than once. She barks once every couple of days, and even when she plays rough with Brandon, you can't hear her.

She has her naughty moments, but overall she's been a great addition!

All curled up in the kitchen sleeping. She spends a lot of day in there, with the baby gate preventing her access to rest of the house. We let her go other places when I can watch her completely. When I leave the kitchen, then one of the girls has to "babysit" her, and they aren't afraid to tattle on her.

Sitting pretty. I think she looks like a Daschund on stilts. 

Maisie sharing "secrets" with Carmel

Once upon a time it was the girls getting into the dishwasher...

At this rate, Brandon won't need to rota till the garden this spring.

I love snuggle time after the girls are in bed. However, it makes me soooo sleepy.

Part dog, part kangaroo.

As much as I want to be #1 in Caramel's life, I admit that Brandon really is her fave. Even after he was gone for five days last week, she was SO excited to see him. She couldn't wag her tail fast enough. I guess it's better she loves him than not. But she better wag that tail when she sees me, too. :)

I told Brandon one of the reasons I needed a dog was because I needed to baby something. And Caramel humors me by letting me hold her like a baby. 

Run Caramel Run. And she does - quickly.

Caramel took a liking to this shovel, so the girls love to run around the yard with the shovel behind them because they know Caramel is chasing the shovel.

Analise enjoyed reading with Carmel in her lap.

And yes, I do still love my children and take pictures of them, too. It's just that Caramel is growing so fast I have to capture it!