Sarah Turns 6

We started the party early on Sunday. She got to open a new dress to wear to church and the Frozen dolls that were going on top of her cake.

After church we went to Justin's parents for dinner and then a bunch of cousins came over for a pinata and cake.

This is the pinata she got last year on her birthday but couldn't talk her into using. After a year of bonding, she was ready to let it go as long as we took a picture of her with it first.

The candy was also a year old. Mmm-mm. Rock hard Frooties.

"Before I blow out my candles, say 'Make a wish!' "

Monday morning she woke up to a birthday surprise of doughnuts from Dad. He was at Daylight at 6 am so he could make it to work on time.

 She loves doughnuts. We all do.

She opened her presents when Justin came home from work then we ate dinner and went to a play, Miss Nelson is Missing at the Scera Theater.  It's a favorite book around here.

 I can't believe she's getting chapter books.

Justin bought this Rapunzel castle months ago and it's been hidden at his parents' house. She found it a few weeks ago but was still surprised to get it.

 She got the post-birthday blues but only because she had such a great day and just loves her birthday.

 Six years ago we became parents. Our world was turned upside-down and has never been the same (all in a good way).

6 Things About Sarah
1. She likes more food than she thinks. She always refuses to eat stuff but if we can get her to try it, she likes it. We're working on her remembering for next time.
2. She is good at including others and wants everyone to have fun.
3. She is super flexible. She'd be a good dancer or gymnast.
4. She loves everything girly and everything not girly. Her prized possessions are her doll and fishing pole.
5. She would be a good cruise director or FBI interrogator. (She wants to be a veterinarian, engineer or teacher).
6. She has a long attention span. I think that's why she's so smart.

Jaana Austen turns 18

My beautiful niece Jaana turned 18 earlier this month. What the??? That means if she's 18, I'm not 22 and I refuse to believe that.

My sister-in-law-who-is-amazing-at-theme-parties threw her an All Things Jane Austen party. Sarah, Erica and I rode up to Logan with my sister and her daughter for the event. And I do mean event. Lisa put more work into this than I did my wedding reception.
  

 Seriously. I was looking around for the waiters in coats and tails.

 My fancy nieces Kyra and Isabella

 Beautiful and now legal Jaana.

Best Cousins Forever, Allison and Sarah

 Kyra made the cake. Did I mention she's 14? She's got fondant skills.

My birthday wish for Jaana was for her to marry someone with the last name Austen so she'd be Jaana Austen.

 Erica did not appreciate sitting on the grass while I photographed like a crazy person.

 I don't know if I've ever eaten on real china with a name place before. I've read about it.

 Her young women leaders and their daughters and her grandma also came. And my sister Rachel.

After we were full and feeling fancy, Lisa's father's cousin (or something like that) arrived with a wagon to take us for a ride around the country side.

 Complete with parasols and fans.

We were hoping more people were out and about their neighborhood that we could flaunt our sophistication but we only saw a few people.

 When we got back we played Jane Austen bingo. I didn't win because I ate all my Skittles.

Then croquet. I didn't win that either but I did pretty well considering I was carrying a 15 pound baby while I played

 Our audience.

Then later we watched Austenland and went to bed. Erica woke up at 6 am the next morning and wouldn't go back yo sleep. So we watched Gilmore Girls on Netflix in Kyra's room until everyone else was awake. This was a much needed girly weekend.

The Cute Kids on the Block

Erica loves food. It's a really fun and messy stage. She can tell when she's not eating what we're eating and she gets mad and noisy about it.

This was from school picture day. I couldn't bring myself to spend $20-$30 on a package of pictures that would cost me $7 to print myself, so we took our own before she left for school.

 Henry wanted to play picture day too.

I just love her. She can be an opinionated stinker but she has a big heart and is everyone's best friend and favorite student. She is a great big sister too.

This was from crazy hair day. I thought it looked familiar when I was done and realized I used to braid my stuffed My Little Pony this way.

 Sarah thought this was an appropriate outfit to go up the canyon.

First things first when you arrive at camp. Find a stick.

Mountain Man Justin has been living in the woods for the better part of a month. Sometimes we visit him.

 Yup, that's your dad.  Okay, he hasn't spent all his time hunting and it's only been 2 weeks. That's just where his head and heart are even when he's at home so it feels like a lot. He leaves again tonight. Let's all pray he gets an elk tonight and can come right back home and be done.

 I think every child needs a picture of themselves sitting on their dad's lap while on a hunting trip.

I love the timelessness of hunting pictures. I swear this could be from 1987.  I think it's the timeless, classic look of camo.

 Can you believe this is the first picture I've taken of Erica in the tub? Third child, I tell ya.

 The kids cleaned up the house so they could put up the Halloween window stickers. This is pretty much the extent of Halloween decorating at my house. Not my favorite theme.

 So Erica is super funny. She'll be sitting up all fine and happy.

 Then she sees something she wants and leans for it.

And gets herself stuck in this half-crawling position. If she can manage to get her other foot out from under her, she ends up on her tummy, just kicking and frustrated. Sarah and Henry didn't crawl until they were 11 months old. I wonder if she'll be sooner since she wants it more.

Erica turned 8 months old on Sunday so she and I sneaked (just learned "snuck" isn't a word) out of the house to take some pictures of the occasion.

She was most interested in the grass.

 I love her blue eyes.

I didn't know it was possible for a baby to make me baby hungry when I have a baby and she is that baby. She's pretty much the best.

8 Things About Erica At 8 Months

1. She is a mama's girl. Oh man. If I leave the room, she'll let you know.
2. She is finally getting on some sort of a nap schedule. We've been doing whatever works, when it works with no resemblance of a pattern or schedule but I think I see some consistency emerging.
3. She wants to do what her big brother and sister are doing. She's their biggest fan.
4. She loves Cheerios, chicken, and fruit.
5. She is so silly first thing in the morning. She gets the giggles if I just look at her. She has a big sense of humor for one so small.
6. She's a great sleeper at night. She sleeps 12-13 hours, wakes up once to eat.
7. She loves to grab my hair, arms, and neck. Coupled with her razor sharp nails can make for a painful day.
8. She does not like strangers. She preemptively cries so they won't whisk her away.

Henry and Mu-uh

If you know Henry, you know that he is quite attached to his baby blanket. We're talking Linus level attachment. He may ask me to  make his blanket into a sports coat when he's older.

But lately, as Henry's imagination is developing, Mu-uh (how he said blanket as a baby) has taken on a role more akin to an imaginary friend. Sometimes Mu-uh is a puppy, sometimes a baby.

Just about every day Henry tells me about what Mu-uh is doing or what Mu-uh needs.

H: Mu-uh is hungry.
M: What does Mu-uh eat?
H: Puppy food. But he's not a puppy, he's a blankie.

Sometimes his words are oddly familiar.

M: I'm going to take a shower.
H: You can. But be quiet, Mu-uh is sleeping.

Mu-uh is wrapping paper when he wants to surprise me with my own phone, it's Henry's helper and uses it like oven mitts to get clothes out of the drier. It's a pillow, a confidant, a conspirator. And every night it's a blankie.

Here Mu-uh is kissing an owie.

M: Is Mu-uh a boy or a girl?
H: A boy. (All annoyed) He's not a baby. Just a blankie.

Henry also has imaginary friends. There are 6 of them and they mostly go to and from school, go on hikes with him, or they're going to meet us somewhere. They are very rarely at home with us. They're just a group of kids that he talks about. They live in a house together in Provo but they don't have a mom. The only one he's mentioned by name is Anthony.

Other funny things Henry has said (I am M)

H: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
M: What are you thinking?
H: Doughnuts.

Fo-shakes (snowflakes)

M: We're having chicken for dinner.
H: And noodles? Or rice? Or coconuts?

After saying a brief and lacking prayer at dinner "I didn't bless anything!"

H: Mom, my shoe is calling you.
M: What's it saying?
H: (In a low voice) Hello, I'm Mr. Shoe.

"I want cereal and I want too much."

"I smell ice cream"

"You're my giant mom."

Henry to Justin: "Sarah's mom is your friend." Best friend.

"I'm gonna squirt your flowers so they're nice and flowery."

"I found a roly-poly bug. It's name is Erica.

Looking at the Lucky Charms box. "What happened to his mom? Maybe she died."

M: Your face is all dirty.
H: I have to be dirty.

"Remember when you pushed the wrong button on the microwave and broke it and we had to get a new one?" (Not exactly how it happened.)

He's a fun kid. He's mellowed out a lot over the last few months. I think knowing more words has helped us understand each other and we've gone from 2 or 3 tantrums a day to maybe 2 or 3 a week. (I think I just jinxed myself by writing that.) He loves his dad and if he likes something, he and dad like it. "Dad and me love these chips." He likes every fruit or vegetable he's ever tried. Cherry tomatoes, sauteed onions, cucumbers, salad. All good.

Now if I could just get him to decide on a Halloween costume. His ideas are either a dog catcher or a rocket ship.