Weekend Getaway

 Our family took a little weekend vacation to Branson. It had snowed on Wednesday here and Thursday down there, but the roads ended up being pretty good by the time we left on Friday morning.

 We had been on the road for about 20 min. when I realized I had forgotten my wallet :( so we had to turn around back north and get it. Which was a disappointing way to start the trip. We stopped in Springfield, MO for lunch at Chick-Fil-A and then to visit the big flagship store of Bass Pro. The kids loved seeing all the animals and outdoor gear. Zoë and Naomi both picked out new stuffed animals to add to their collection.

Next, he headed down to Branson. We checked into our WorldMark location around 4:30 pm. The kids got situated, started up the fire place, and checked out what was on TV. I hadn't realized the Winter Olympics were starting that night, so it was a nice surprise to get to watch some of the opening ceremonies and a few of the events! We ate pizza and had brownies and ice cream to keep our Friday night tradition alive. The kids enjoyed taking turns in the jetted bath tub. Then we went to bed! 

On Saturday morning, we woke and ate eggs and blueberry pancakes. Around 9 am, we headed out for our first ever family show! We drove up to the Grand Country Music Hall to see "Amazing Pets". Applejack was our host and shared lots of funny jokes and included the kids in several activities to keep them entertained. We watched cats jump and climb, dogs stand on their back legs to dance and spin, had parrots fly over our heads, and a few other fun tricks. The kids went onstage to sing a song and participate in some of the activities Applejack led. 

 After our morning show, we went back to our suite and made lunch. Then we went to the huge hot tub and played for about 30 min. before we headed back for rest time. We watched some TV and then picked up bbq from Big D's BBQ. We ate dinner and then headed over to the rec center where we played ping pong, pool, foosball, a driving game, Levi played a shooting game, and then the kids all tried out some of the equipment in the fitness center. We had a blast! 

On Sunday morning we ate breakfast, packed up and headed out. We went to Mochas and Meows, a cat café we were very excited to visit. But as we pulled up to the the store front, there were no cars in the parking lot and there was a paper on the door that simply said "We are closed February 1-15. Sorry for the inconvenience." To say we were disappointed is an understatement. But we walked up to the windows and checked out the cats inside. Some came to the window to check us out as well :) We returned to the van and began the trek home. On our way, we stopped in Bolivar, MO at Lotus Tea Co. The kids enjoyed excellent boba smoothies and Jeremiah and I tried some coffee and tea. It was a board game store as well so the kids had fun looking around and we made a nice little stop of it before finishing the trip home. We were very thankful for our weekend away! We don't take many trips, but we're hoping to add in a few more here and there to add a little adventure and fun to our days and years, as well as make some great memories with our family! 

Naomi is FOUR!

 Well the year is almost over, and Naomi did indeed turn 4 on November 11, but I haven't gotten around to writing up her post yet. So here I am in an attempt to complete it before 2021 ends. 

We had a fun birthday celebrating you! We started the day with chocolate donuts and strawberry frosting. We took you to lunch at Red Robin where you enjoyed fries and your sundae (below).  In the afternoon we got to watch Zoë at her dance class, which you loved! That evening we had pizza and  brownies with M&Ms with Mimi, Grandma, and great-Grandma. We had a party on the next night (11/12) with all your family -- Aunt Teresa and her family, Grandma, great-Grandma, Pop-Pop, Mimi, and us! You got some new outfits for your Baby Bella and a feeding chair and playing toy for her. We had chocolate cupcakes with pink swirl frosting. 

You love dressing up in your play clothes -- Anna, Moana, Elsa, and Belle (which was your favorite for many months and who you dressed up as for Halloween!). If not your play clothes, then you love wearing dresses. You play so well and quietly while I am doing school with the kids. You have your own handwriting book so you can participate with us during school times, but other times I'll look over and find you sitting quietly on the couch reading books or playing with your babies. I am so thankful for this! 

You have such a sweet personality! All throughout the day you'll come up to me and say "Me love you!" and give me kisses on my cheeks and nose and mouth. Sometimes I have to cut you off but I usually don't because I love you too! 

Sleeping pictures are my favorite. You look so peaceful and beautiful! 

You loved riding the pony at the Restore Fall Fun Night at Weston Red Barn farm. You weren't scared at all! 

You like to help me bake and cook. I mainly let you stir, mix, and add ingredients. You've done a bit of chopping but not much. Over the summer, your bakery item was chocolate cupcakes and you did a wonderful job helping me prepare them whenever anyone ordered them! 

You received your first haircut from Tamra at Salon Si Bon! We didn't take off too much, but she evened it up and helped bring back a little bounce. You had a lot of fun! 

You waited patiently for nearly an hour to have your face painted at Parkville Days! You did better than I expected sitting there and waiting for her to paint your unicorn face. 

Working on your selfies -- I have hundreds of pictures on my phone very similar to this one :) 

12-29-21 4th Birthday Interview: 

What is your favorite food? Chocolate

... favorite color? Purple and black

... favorite drink? Soda (what?! We don't even drink soda!) She means the sparkling cider we had for Christmas eve. 

... favorite movie? "I don't know" 

... favorite TV show? Cocomelon

... favorite song? "Cocomelon. Me just like Cocomelon movies and songs!" 

... favorite outift? "This!" (her new Elsa from Frozen 1 and 2, reversible dress from A. Teresa)

Do you like summer or winter? "Winter, wait summer. Wait Winter. Snow." 

Favorite thing about Zeke? When he plays with me. 

... Levi? "When he plays with me. (whispering in my ear) 

... Zoë? "When her plays with me (still whispering in my ear)"

... Mommy? "When you help me." 

... Daddy? "I don't know." 

What do you want to be when you grow up? "Mom and me have babies."  

What is your favorite thing to do? "To have somebody help me and help me open stuff and when we play family." 

Naomi Irene, you are an absolute joy and treasure in our family! You love to snuggle, but you also run warm so you never wear pants to bed ;) that's why I got you a nightgown for Christmas. You love to sing and dance and you love to dance along to Zoë's dance classes online. I can't wait to see what you learn and how you grow in the year ahead. We love you so very much! Love, Mommy 

Levi is EIGHT!

 Happy Birthday Levi Olin! Today you are 8 years old! You are currently downstairs playing Axis and Allies with Daddy (your new favorite game) while we wait for your orange rolls to rise and bake for breakfast. 

Levi, you are such a kind and thoughtful boy. You don't want people to feel left out, you stop and check on people when they get hurt. You pick up on ALL the emotional cues in the room. You have a big case of FOMO :) You are learning to play the piano and have begun creating your own series of dragons and you asked if you'd be able to publish your "book" at the library when you are all done. Every morning you let out the chickens and spend a little time playing with Marshall. Every afternoon you vacuum the living room and you are always one of the first to arrive when I ask for help. At night you take care of your gecko, Sapphire, walking him around the house and feeding him. Sometimes you'll help shut the chickens back in. This summer you learned how to make our family's giant cookie and now you make one for us every Sunday. You sold several over the summer and everyone agreed they were delicious! 

You love to spend time outdoors -- your favorite activity is fishing. You also like our hikes and playing at the park. Just yesterday you found a big branch that fell down during a huge windstorm this week, you dug a hole in the back yard and hammered in the branch, so now it looks like we have a new tree in the back yard :) Then you proceeded to hang your pinecone bird feeders that you made for the birds this winter. You spot all kinds of birds and hawks when we are out on walks or driving around. 

Tonight we are celebrating your birthday with some friends and family. We are having a Nintendo themed party. And you don't know it yet, but you're getting a Nintendo switch. (I mean, you've asked for it, and want it, but we're trying to surprise you anyway). You've even worked really hard to save some money of your own to help pay for it. I hope you love it so much! We are having pizza, fruit, veggies, cupcakes and ice cream. You even put up streamers last night in the shape/design of a Switch. I think your hopes are high! 

You and Zoë seem to share a special middle-children bond. 

Birthday Interview -- December 17, 2021

What is your favorite color? Dark green (after look at his new multi-tool from great-Grandma)

...movie? "Home Alone"  

... tv show? "That's a hard one, but it's going to be "Dragon Riders: Race to the Edge". 

... book? "Snake books" 

... fruit? "Mango" 

... animal? "It depends on the day, but its birds." 

... thing to do everyday? "Well, on a normal day I like playing outside and helping the birds. And I like with my family." 

... about Naomi? "That she's funny and she's kind." 

... about Zoë? "That she's good at hide and seek and that she has lots of colors in her life." 

... about Zeke? "I like that he's smart and he has great ideas." 

... about Mommy? "That she's a great chef and that she makes my birthday meals."  

... about Daddy? "That he likes playing games with me and going fishing."  

What do you want to be when you grow up? "The first thing that I want to be is to have my own zoo and it's only reptiles. The second thing is that I want to be a person who loves birds and builds nests for them." 

What do you like most about homeschooling? "Play time and math." 

What is your favorite food? "Whoo, that's a hard one! I think it's homemade pizza." 

Anything else you want to remember about turning 8? "That I can have good memories and that my friends can come over and that we'll have a great time! " 

Levi, you are an intense child and I find that we have many things in common, for better or worse. I can't wait to see what the year ahead brings as you continue to learn and grow. I love that you want to snuggle with me every time we read, even though I often ask you to let someone else have a turn. Somehow you convince them that it's your turn again ;) I love your zest for life and your energy to run and play and do all the things. You typically wake up every morning around 7 am, but this morning you came out of your room at 630 am, excited to start your birthday early. I pray that in the year ahead your friendships will grow, your self-control will strengthen, and your love for others will be returned back to you in abundance! Love, Mommy 

Zoë is 6!

 This year we celebrated Zoë's birthday in grand style -- at the beach in San Diego, CA! 

- You absolutely loved the beach and the ocean! You were in the water as much as you possibly could be, even though the water temp was in the low 60s! You played on the boogie board and caught a few good waves. You had fun shopping and buying some new jewelry and accessories. We decorated our condo's room with a birthday banner and brought some candles from home so we were able to sing to you! On your birthday we ate donuts for breakfast and ordered black/white and white/black cupcakes from a little bakery called Pure Cupcakes. They even came with pink sprinkles! You chose pasta with meatballs and cucumbers for your birthday dinner.  

- I love this picture! You were having such a laugh! :D 

- We ate all our dinners outside because the weather was so lovely! 

- Your big birthday gift from your family came about a week before your birthday, so we let you open it ahead of time since we didn't want to lug it on the plane. 

- Your new sleeping bag!

- One of your current favorite things -- whistling! You are quite good at it, you have good tone and I think before long you'll be able to whistle songs. You would do it a majority of the day if I didn't shut you down quite a bit. 

- 4th of July party at Bryan Dolinar's farm! 

- When we went to CO to visit Grandma at the end of June, we visited Mehaffey Park where we celebrated your 1st birthday. It was a lot of fun! And we even were there when the little waterfall turned on. 

- Our first trip to Smithville Lake for swimming this summer. I loved this swimsuit we picked out for you this year! You have gotten SO TAN! You have a done a great job swimming in the water and being very comfortable above and below the water. 

- For our summer bakery, you helped me make brownies! You love chocolate so it seemed like the right choice for you to assist with. 

- We had fun attending Miriam's dance recital in May! You are getting ready to take another session of dance this Fall. 

- Slimy things don't bother you a bit! You and Levi brought up this {lovely} worm for me to see from the backyard. 

- You were such a great helper with your sister at our W+F Field Day at the end of April! I was busy coordinating the day; you chose to participate with the younger group going through an obstacle course and playing with different balls and jump ropes and such. 

- You LOVE art! You do some every single day. Whenever we clean your room, it is covered in paper with drawings, colorings, paintings, writings. Daddy is teaching you how to water color on Sunday afternoons. We have an entire rubbermaid devoted to art this year for school. 

- Easter at Aunt Teresa's house! 

- You love animals! Playing with the new kitties at Heather's house. 

- You got your first major haircut in the Spring! I thought it might help because you were putting your hair up in a ponytail every day. But alas, with short hair, you wanted your hair up even more! So we've been letting it grow out. You said you never want to cut it short again! It's finally getting to the point where it will all fit up in the ponytail, so we are happy to be back to that point again. I'd be curious if you'd like a pixie cut sometime so you don't have to deal with it at all. But for now, I'm not willing to go through the growing out process again... for a long while :) 

 Birthday Interview -- August 20, 2021
What is your favorite color? Pink
... movie? "Bolt" 
... TV Show? "Sofia the First" 
... Book? "My Princess in Black book and From the Desk of Zoe Washington and Anna and Elsa" 

Favorite thing to eat? Cupcakes
... Fruit? Strawberries
... Animal? Kitties
... thing to do every day? Draw 
... about Naomi? "That her be's nice." 
... Levi? "umm, that's a hard one. *giggle* when I was a baby, I liked Levi." (They had gotten in a an argument earlier that day.) 
.... Zeke? "That he builds things kind of like me." 
... Mommy? "That her reads to me." 
.... Daddy? "That he is nice." 

Who is your best friend? "The one that I've known longest is Miriam" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "An artist and a teacher." 
What do you like most about homeschooling? "The new books that we got. The handwriting books." 

What are you looking forward to most about being 6? "That it was my birthday. And *whispers* am I getting that suitcase? We get to play a lot." 

Zoë Kayte, you are such a joyful, fun-loving, strong, athletic, artsy girl! I love spending time with you and listening to the way you view the world. You have been listening to the Ramona Quimby series on Hoopla for months and like to bring in her stories to our dinner time conversations. You tried jiu jitsu for the summer, but I don't believe you've been converted. You tried one CrossFit class back in the Spring and loved it, so I think after your Fall session of dance, we will put you in a session of CF. You seemed very natural at the moves, so I'd love to support you in that area. You are doing a great job taking care of Dora and proving that you want an animal of your own. All last year you asked for a kitty, recently you've mentioned a puppy a time or two, so we'll see what we can come up with in this coming year! You want to get your ears pierced soon and I just know it will make you look more grown up. But it will be fun to wear earrings together! We've finally figured out that you like to wear athletic clothes the best. After months of struggling where you won't wear most of the clothes in your dresser, I tried some organic cotton clothes from Pact and some of the athletic clothes from Target and now you don't have any problem picking out clothes for the day. No more dresses for you! I'm just thankful we finally have an answer for what you like to wear. I am looking forward to the year ahead with you! Love, Mommy