We finally had an official birthday party for Brooklyn!
[*cough* a month later]
...on a Wednesday night...
I am not kidding when I say our days and nights are so packed! This was seriously the first available day we had to squeeze in a birthday party!
Brooklyn has officially decided that swimming is her "thing." (Much to my proud heart's delight!)
We've already signed her up for summer swim team.
[Never mind the fact that I'm not sure she can actually swim!]
She's been talking about her swimming birthday party for months. We invited a bunch of her friends to a little waterpark in one of the hotels nearby. This looks like tons of kids, but she really just invited six friends, plus a friend for Kate! (Their birthday tradition for each other)
The cake was super easy too, since she specifically requested a copy of the cake I made for Kate's pool party several years ago! Also she requested egg-free because one of her friends is allergic.
Gigi and Bob (grandparents) happened to be in town on their way to my cousin's graduation, so they got to come too! I'm sure it was exactly how they'd planned to spend a Wednesday night.
Another fun tradition: in memory of Travis's grandmother who passed away a few years ago, his sister Charlotte started this tradition among their families. Every year on her birthday, wherever we are, we enjoy a big home-cooked breakfast. We call it "A Betty Breakfast." One of her passions was cooking for people, and she never let anyone leave her home hungry. I love that her legacy lives on in this way, especially so our children feel like they know her better!
Travis had two weeks of vacation during April (including weekends and pre-vacation days off due to the weeks of 3x12-hr shifts, it meant he worked a total of 6 days in April!) He filled his time by catching up on a few projects. Here's a sneak peak of one:
Transforming the corner playhouse in the girls' woodland fairy room into a fairy cottage!
Not to be outdone, I dug out an old unfinished project of my own!
Yes, Easter was over by the time I finished this.
Yes I started it four years ago.
Yes the pieces of the half-finished project were so dilapidated I had to entirely start over.
But now it is done!!
And the window is hung! I love this window and its history so much! I seriously unwrapped it from the packing paper it was packaged in by the movers who moved us out of our townhouse, TWO houses and three years ago! Ridiculous. We are very, very slowly moving in.
This was part of my new goal to be productive, and it is a small baby-step-sized one. My goal is to complete one organization/to-do list item and one unfinished project per week. So far I'm doing pretty well. Let's see if I can get the rest of my house under control...
I feel like the majority of our time these days is spent with either ballet or soccer. Or my impending piano recital! EEK! I'm nervous for this one because this time I really shot for the stars...
Kate's ballet studio is performing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and also Rodeo this year. They were invited to showcase part of their performance at her old elementary school's Fine Arts night.
And here's a snippet from Rodeo at her own elementary school:
Last fall Travis and I decided we were through with community-organized soccer, so we started our own league. La Liga KC is now more than halfway through its second season with a total of more than 80 players! It is so much work (mostly for Travis!) but completely rewarding to see how much the kids love to play.
[Brooklyn, second player from right in orange with dark grey socks. Not the best picture- sorry!]
On Friday Nolan and I were invited to the kindergarten Picnic in the Park. We were encouraged to make a kite together as a family. Or... buy one from the store. Yep. Troy had the best time flying it! It was our first non-windy day all week, so the kites only stayed in the air if the kids ran with them! There were a few injuries.
And Nolan spent the entire time on the swings. As usual.
"Mom! Guess what Cheetos make me..." [In a super intense, conspiratorial voice]
"What?"
"They make me HAPPY!!!"
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