Things Kids Say

Some gems I want to remember:

-When Seth and Catherine were little, Catherine learned that all she had to say to get Seth riled up was, "I win!" Didn't matter that there was nothing to win--those words had him up in arms. Elise has figured out a similar tactic with Aaron: "No, no, Aaron!" Even if he's happily playing, the sound of those words will bring rouse him to a fury. "No, YOU no no!" Elise thinks it's a great game until Aaron gets so angry he pushes her over. Doesn't stop her, though.

-Aaron talking to me one morning after a bath: "You love one Aarons. And zero lions. And 15 chickens."

-Seth has discovered Catch Phrase and requests to play it every night. One night we were playing together and it was his turn. He says: "It's a type of yellow from the 90s." We were stumped. Tan? Beige? The answer: Old Yeller. We may have actually died laughing. 

KYA

We were very excited to find out that KYA offered homeschool classes during the day. I helped get the homeschool classes started years ago, so it was great to see that they were continuing! We missed the first month while we were in Arizona, but we very much enjoyed our two months of classes, especially since all four kids were able to participate (that's a big seller for me). 

On the last day of class every student went through the entire obstacle course while the rest of us watched and cheered. I got video of them all, but pictures will have to do for the blog. 

I was really proud of Seth. He has a lot of me in him and doesn't like to fail in front of people. It was not an easy course and he wanted to skip parts of it because they were hard. But with some encouragement from his teacher he tried the entire course!

Catherine is a natural climber and weighs practically nothing, so she had an easier time. The only times she struggled were when her arms were just a little too short to reach. Her most impressive move was monkey climbing her way across a bar to get to the rings.  

Aaron loved gymnastics. He is still very careful and slow, but he's determined. He did all the obstacles but insisted on having help from a teacher the entire time. He misses having class every week and begs to go back.

And then there's Elise. The youngest in the class by over 2 years. But that didn't slow her down at all. When it was her turn she took off running, leaving the teacher to chase after her as Elise climbed and jumped without warning. No fear here! She's clearly following in her sister's footsteps.  

Thanks again for another great class, KYA!

February Fun

One day it hit 80 degrees in February. It feels like a fluke every time, but both Catherine and Elise were born on February days that were unusually warm, so it must be fairly normal. We joined friends from co-op for an afternoon at the park:

Catherine invited her friend Sophie from co-op over to play. I also taught Talia and her sisters piano that day, so there were lots of girls to play with. Bente snapped these pictures of the girls reading together while I taught: 

Talia & Elise

Aaron, Talia, Catherine & Sophie reading together: 

Seth has a class at co-op called Community Helpers, where they come up with service projects to do in the community and then do them! They've made treats for first responders and chew toys for dog shelters. I really love that he has this opportunity. 

This time they made snacks and treats to deliver to a local nursing home. I wasn't able to go, so Bente took him and sent me these pictures. 

Serving drinks

Seth is a very chatty guy so I figured this would be a good fit for him. Bente said he made friends with these two men. The one in the Ravens coat was a big sports fan and told Seth that the 82 on his jacket was the number of some famous athlete. He told Seth to go home and ask his dad who it was. "Your dad will know!" Bahahaha! 

Seth and his friends

Sunday afternoons are hard. Elise is starting to give up her naps, which means no breaks for anyone. Jon is either working on seminary or home teaching. Which means it's just me and the babies...again. Since we choose not to use electronics or play with friends, Sundays can be long days. Thankfully homemade playdough and Mr. Potato Head toys make for at least an hour of entertainment!

Looking forward to some warmer weather so we can go on walks!

Elise at Two

Little Dinosaur Cat,

I can't even handle you. You are adorable: big blue eyes, little red curls, chubby cheeks and and pink lips. I just want to kiss you all the time. But you'll have none of that. You wake up and don't stop moving until you're asleep again. Kisses slow you down.

You clearly rule the house. No questions. Poor Aaron is the only one who hasn't accepted this fact. Thankfully we all think you're cute and generally just do your bidding. But if not, we face your wrath and it is not pretty. 

I can't keep up with you. Just yesterday you got a hold of a pen and drew all over the windowsill. A few hours later you got a dry erase marker and drew all over a different sill. You love coloring, but not on paper. Usually your favorite canvas is your own skin. You take off your diaper. You climb in the tub and turn it on. You're not letting me off the parenting hook, that's for sure!

You are independent, determined and clever. I am excited (and a little scared) for your future. Thank you for making me laugh every day, even if it's out of insanity.

Love you, Miss Lori

Here's what you're up to at age 2:

*You move, move, move all the time. You eat about five minutes worth of dinner in your chair, then insist on being let out so you can do your gymnastics routine between my chair and Dad's chair. When that's done you climb on my lap and flop around. Eating dinner is very, very complicated right now.

*You would eat seven little applesauce pouches every day if I'd let you. You scream when I don't.

Geyser ponytail day

*It's generally not worth it to fight you when you want to do something. Like wear your Sunday dress to bed over your pajamas:

Or go outside when it's 40 degrees and raining wearing nothing but boots and a diaper: 

You made it to the trampoline before you realized IT'S REALLY COLD OUTSIDE: 

*You love, love, love Uncle Timmy. You greet him with shrieks when he walks in the door, then stand outside his bedroom and scream because he won't let you in while he's changing. He's basically your sole entertainment every evening. And heaven forbid one of your siblings should want to play with "Nimmy"...

*You have turned into quite the reader. You even take a book to bed every night. Favorites are Penguin Says Please, Doggies, Peek-a-Boo, and Good Night, Gorilla. 

*Your babbling has increased exponentially recently. I'm still hovering around 30-40% translation rate, but generally I get your point eventually. 

*Shoes are your favorite. We go through several pairs a day. You insisted on wearing your purple tennis shoes to church last week after wearing your church shoes everywhere else. 

*You've finally adapted to nursery at co-op and still love nursery at church. I've gotten to sub as chorister a few times and love seeing you get so exited to sing! You do all the actions and a few words. Sunbeam is still your absolute favorite. 

*You're giving up your nap, just like Catherine and Aaron did. I never like to see them go, but it does make our schedule much more flexible.

*You're also starting to think about potty training. I would be perfectly fine waiting another year, but you complain every time you have a wet diaper and insist I change it. Ready or not...

*You think you're a big kid and do your best to keep up with everyone else. 

Elise Turns 2

After a good night's sleep in her ladybug dress, Elise woke up to her birthday cereal and balloons!

Not going to put down her milk to smile for the camera.

Milk is most important.

I'm a terrible mother who scheduled her daughter's well-check on her birthday. So we got all dressed in her cute birthday shirt and then headed to the pediatrician.  

Don't miss the pink sparkly shoes.

They squeak when she walks.

Two hours and one shot later (very, very long two hours with Elise crawling on any and all surfaces and jumping off the exam table), we all deserved a treat. So off to Chick-fil-A for lunch! And, more importantly, ice cream: 

Delicious!

Siblings also deserve ice cream.

Well, maybe not Seth... 

I think we went to a park after this. It was a lovely way to celebrate our little Elise kitty!

Catherine's Birthday Interview

(She insisted on taking the video with "her" camera, which is my old point and shoot, so the quality is awful). 

1. What's your favorite color?

"I would say...like a greenish, blueish, mixed together. And light."

2. What is your favorite food?

"Quesadillas with, like, chopped cheese. Daddy put it on and I was like, "Mmm...".

3. Who is your best friend?

"Sophie (from co-op) and Emma Olivera."

4. What's your favorite movie?

"The Emoji Movie."

5. What's your favorite toy?

"My bean bag. I like jumping on it."

6. What's your favorite game to play?

"Catch Phrase."

7. What's your favorite game to play on the Wii?

"Super Smash Bros."

          -iPad? "Minecraft."

          -computer? "Cool Math."

8. What's your favorite snack?

"Granola bars with chocolate chunks in them."

9. What's your favorite animal?

"Cats! Kitties, kitties, kitties!"

10. What do you want to be when you grow up?

"A doctor for pets."

11. What's your favorite song?

"Imagine Dragons. Radioactive."

12. What's your favorite Primary song?

"Gethsemane."

13. What's your favorite book?

"Elephant and Piggie."

Catherine at Seven

My Catherine Cat,

Where did the past year go? I feel like you just finished preschool and suddenly you're nearly done with first grade! I'm grateful we're able to homeschool this year: I feel like even if the time is going quickly at least I'm not missing it.

You are still the unique, independent and creative soul you've been since you were a toddler. It's hard to pin you down in any categories. I love it. 

You are my helper, my assistant. If I need something done, you're there. If Elise is into something she shouldn't be (which is most of the time), you'll take care of it. My life would be a lot harder without you. 

When you come down in the morning I never know which Catherine I'm getting: snuggly Catherine, grumpy Catherine, head-straight-to-the-art-supplies Catherine, or iPad Catherine. You are still a cat: you decide when you want affection and how much. 

I love you. I love your creativity and your wonder. I love your independence and confidence. You are amazing. Happy birthday, Sara the Catherine.

Here's what you're up to at age 7:

*Pictures. All the time pictures. Generally you would steal my phone, but I remembered I had an old point and shoot which is now yours. You fill up 16 GB really quickly.

Selfie!

*You like your device time, but you're not ruled by it. Many mornings you'll come down and get straight to work on some project you dreamed up in the night. This particular day you made a fort for Aaron & Elise:

*You are an outdoor cat. If the weather is decent, you are out. Winter has been long, cold and wet, so any sunshine means we need to get out. After lots of rain and snow, we had a sunny day. We ditched our schoolwork and spent the day at the park:

*Closely related: you are still not a fan of hair ties, but are getting better about letting me put one in your hair in the morning. You still ask for short hair frequently. 

*You finally hit 40 pounds. Huzzah.

*You're loosing teeth like crazy. 

*You finished your first grade math halfway through first grade. We'll see how far into second grade math you get before the end of May!

*You like your space. You also tend to get lost in your little world if left alone to clean your room or get dressed.

*You are a great reader. Elephant and Piggie books are your favorite, but you also love Phobe and Her Unicorn and will steal Seth's graphic novels. The other night you went to bed with the scripture stories.

*You can be quite sassy and standoffish. 

*You loved your Primary teacher, Brother Garver. Your heart was broken when he moved away. 

*You could play creatively all day. School is generally a terrible interference with your plans. 

*You have lots of friends at co-op, but don't generally play with them during lunch recess. Instead you tend to play independently. So not much of a change since preschool.

Happy seven, little one!

Catherine turns 7...and some Elise

Birthday cereal and lots of balloons!

Since her birthday was on a Sunday we had to do the partying after church. I did let her open one gift before: matching cactus dresses for her and Elise, plus a matching cactus skirt for me. Thanks for the idea, Kenna! Catherine has literally worn the dress every day since (including for PE).  

Matching cactus girls.

And Aaron.

For her "party" this year Catherine opted to have Emma Olivera over for a playdate/lateover/movie and candy party on Friday. It was very low key, but I think they both had a great time! 

The "cake and ice cream" party was after church with the Knoxes and Oliveras. We spent our time after church making the three different types of cupcakes Catherine requested for her "cake" this year:

Mango coconut (Elise's choice because I wanted them), cookies & cream, and smores: 

Elise's cake: 

Catherine's cake: 

Two birthday girls ready for the singing: 

Catherine blows out candles: 

Elise...tries really hard: 

Seth "helped" by blowing them out for her without asking...

The next night we video called Grandma & Grandpa Mikesell to open their gifts: 

Most of the video chatting consists of the kids fighting over who gets to hold the iPad.

Both girls were greatly spoiled with books, clothes and toys. Elise was so happy that she insisted on going to bed in her new ladybug jammies, ladybug dress and with her new kitties. Happy birthdays, my sweet girls! 

Early Birthday Gifts

Catherine's bedroom has been...not my favorite room. But compared to the crazy mustards, browns and greens on the main level, it was fine, so I let it stay. But after I got everything else painted, her room kept driving me crazy. It was just too dark for a room with just one window (now why a corner bedroom only has one window is a question I would love to ask the builders). Plus that pink was just SO pink! 

My friend Melissa has a great eye for design and has been swapping piano lessons for decorating. I told her Catherine's room was our next project, figuring anything she did would be an improvement, not matter how small. My only request was for a change of paint color! I knew she would do amazing things, but I didn't realize HOW beautiful the room would be!

The Before:

(I do miss those cool princess prints, though!)

The goal was to have the room ready for her birthday on the 18th. Melissa bought everything and got it all ready to paint. We happened to have two weeks off our co-op, so I was able to do most of the painting. The pink was horrible to cover, but after 3-4 coats, it was done! Catherine helped me with the blue on the top:

Timmy, Jon & Elise were in charge of assembling furniture (thank you, Ikea!): 

We sent Jon & Catherine out to Red Robin for a birthday lunch date, then Melissa and Emma came over to get the room all set up. We got everything ready, wrapped the door, then waited for Catherine to get home:

(technically for Elise too since she'll be moving in at some point)

And the After! 

(the blank wall is where her art will go)

Aaron loved being the helper getting the room ready: 

He was also a big fan of the fuzzy rug: 

I took a video of Catherine seeing the room for the first time, but she also insisted on taking about 100 pictures to show to the Knoxes. 

Catherine on the top bunk:

Catherine on the bottom bunk: 

Catherine on the rug with the new soft, sparkly blanket: 

The blanket is now a dress: 

The mermaid pillows were a HUGE hit: 

Elsa is now sleeping on the desk: 

Final pose in her new, big girl room: 

I am beyond happy with her beautiful new room. It makes me happy every time I walk past (instead of cringing like I did before). It's amazing how much the decor and colors in a room affect your mood! Catherine loves spending time in there and has been prolifically creating art. Now we'll see if we can keep those art supplies in the room when Elise moves in...