Sesame Street! Live from Layton!

Two days before Braden came home, I took the girls to the USO Sesame Street show. It was open and free to active duty military. Each kid got a spinning light up Elmo toy to dance with during the concert and take home after. I really wish Braden had been home for it. It was so fun to watch the girls dance at the stage and interact with the characters. 

This Honker came down off the stage and honked Lila's honker.  Now how many kids can say that?

6 Years?!?!

I can't believe we have owned an Anabelle for six years. I am even more amazed at the joy she has brought to us in that amount of time. She took two poor, kind of stupid, college kids and made them parents. And what fun it has been. She's had my heart from day one and she keeps me on my toes. 

She insisted she wanted ANOTHER snake cake. It kind of looks like a worm. Partly due to Maisey climbing up and eating the tongue I made. Her birthday was on a busy Wednesday so we had her traditionally requested dinner of ravioli & brocolli, ate the snake/worm/caterpillar, and then she opened some presents. 

We threw her a small science party on Saturday with a few friends. She is really into science and why things work so it seemed like a good idea to get a group of small children and watch things explode.   

And we had a very special scientist show up to run the experiments. He called himself Professor Fluffernutter. The kids went wild with giggles.

Making elephant toothpaste. We also made oobleck, lava lamps, and exploding soap. All the kids said it was the coolest party they have EVER been to. And their parents said they went home saying the same. If you want to rent Professor Fluffernutter for a party his Saturdays are open in late afternoons for a nominal fee. 

Maisey told me she didn't like the cupcake. She sure doesn't look like she doesn't like the cupcake. 

 

I am a soccer Mom!

We are having fun with Anabelle in soccer. She was really nervous about playing and was not excited that I signed her up against her will. But after the first practice she walked away telling me that she wanted to live her life on that field. She has only had 2 games so far, hopefully by the end of the season she will stop chewing her nails and putting her hands inside her sleeves and twirling her jersey around. 

This beast of a girl literally took about 15 shots.  Anabelle had 2 goals scored on her but did really well as keep.  It was fun to watch.

This is when she comes out of the goal. Yeah, she's the one sitting down. I think we have a keeper on our hands.

One little kid on the other team who was also freakishly good and took several shots on her, with only one being successful,  walked up to her at half time and stood in her goal. And she looked a little scared. And then he said," Hey goalie!" and she said with great hesitance, "Yeah?" And he said, "You're really good. You saved LOTS of balls." And she looked at me. And I smiled at her. And then she looked at him and smiled. And said "Thanks" in a rare-for-her shy-ish voice. 

Shown here are Anabelle's two coaches. The official one with the "Coach" shirt on,  and her Dad with an actual soccer jersey on. Because he's played soccer before and he knows what he's talking about. Needless to say it is a bit of a challenge for Braden to sit on the sidelines and watch.

Her only non-yelling fan

This was my favorite save of the game. 

VIP

It's awesome to know important people. I know our Moms told us we are all very important people. Heck, my Mom even played a tape from joy school with a catchy song about being a VIP in my family. But some people are VIP's with really good seats to the REAL Salt Lake soccer games. And we know those people. And they took us to a game with them. It was pretty much the same experience as every other ticket holder there. Well, there was the valet parking when we pulled up. And the buffet of food before the game. And the snacks they provided for the game. And then there was the really bouncy cushy seats at midfield. And the other buffet at half time. With more drinks and snacks for the second half. Not to mention the desert buffet post game where we met all the players. Not a bad way to watch a game really.

First day of school

Anabelle & Lila started school last week. Just a few hours after returning from our all night drive home from Washington actually.  Because what do we care if they're tired all day? Not our problem! 

They were both excited and happy to go. And it was hard for me to feel anything but the same when I knew what a good thing it would be for both of them. It's just a few hours a day so it's not such a huge deal. Long enough that Maisey and I can grocery shop in peace. Well, she does lean her head on the back of the cart and sings at the top of her lungs throughout the entire store. And this is how I define peace these days. 

PRESCHOOL!

She LOVES her backpack!

KINDERGARTEN!

The girls spent the morning before school running around the house with their backpacks on, including Maisey, who also insisted she wear hers to drop them off. When they got home from school I opened their backpacks to check for any papers from their teachers and found that they had taken their backpacks to school stuffed full of toys and animals that they had been "hiking" with.

As soon as we started walking home Masiey asked where Lila was. I told her she was at school. She said, " Can you go back and get her"? I told her that I couldn't and that she would be there the whole morning.  She said, "THE WHOLE MORNING?!".

But then she went home and pooped in the potty so I gave her a donut and put her in panties. And she was ecstatic! And so was I! And then she peed on the floor 6 times in a row and my enthusiasm quickly turned into impatience and I put a diaper on her and moved on with my life.

Lila doesn't have school on Fridays and that makes Maisey happy because she gets her old partner in crime back. They spend the whole morning just paling around together.

Doesn't she look terrified to leave me?

This ain't our first rodeo...

It's our second!

Last week we ate gummy worms and M&M's for lots and lots of hours in the car until we finally ended up in Washington. Like we'd miss a chance to let our kids have free range of Grandma's yard and Grandpa's horses. Or professional bull riding. Or seeing Beldon dressed up like the cowboy he always wanted to be. That would be crazy.

We had a fantastic week, as always. It is something of a rarity to get the parents all to yourself so we felt a little spoiled really.

Plus our best pals from college came over from Seattle so we felt even more spoiled.

Every time we go home to Braden's parents house I always come back with a hundred horse pictures. With happy girls in them. I'll show you ten and you can believe me about the rest.