We're Getting Married!

A few weeks ago the girls came downstairs all dressed up. Allison told me that she was getting married. I asked to whom and Allison said to Amelia. So I officiated the ceremony where the girls promised to be nice to each other and to always love one another. At the end, I declared they were sisters forever and they hugged.  We had to repeat the ceremony later that night when Dad came home.

 

A Birthday Celebration

Allison celebrated her 5th Birthday on July 26. She was very excited about her birthday this year and talked about it for months. She knew she wanted an Ariel birthday (Little Mermaid), so we obliged.

On her actual birthday, we celebrated with the immediate family. Amelia gave Allison the presents she had picked out from the dollar store. I made pancakes using our letter "A"  and birthday cake cookie cutters. For dinner, she chose Branns Steakhouse and Grill, simply because they have the Tootsie Roll machine. When you order a kids meal, you get a token to get some candy from the claw machine. Allison made out like a bandit with a ton of Tootsie Rolls when we went for my birthday, so she wanted to go back for her own birthday dinner too.  

A few days later we had a small birthday celebration at our house with close family and friends. We recruited my niece to do the face painting, the kids searched for lost treasures in the sand, pinned the tail on the donkey, and everybody ate some cake and ice cream. In all, we had a great time and Allison was excited to be the star of the show.

 After the party, the girls tested out Allison's new gifts.

Big Girl Bedrooms

We finally switched the girls from toddler beds to their "big girl beds."  The conversion was a long time coming, however we were very hesitant since we would be losing out on valuable play space in their bedrooms. We have been slowly picking up things for their new rooms since late last fall, so it was exciting to see it all finally come together.  Allison was very excited for her new room. 

Amelia, on the other hand, liked her new bed, but she wasn't too happy with us for getting rid of her rocking chair. To make room for her new full-sized bed, we had to get rid of the glider chair in Amelia's room.  I didn't realize how attached she was to this chair until we got rid of it. She was so mad when she came home from a weekend at Nana and Papa's house and discovered the chair was gone.  When we told her that we had to get rid of the chair to make room for her new big girl bed, Amelia responded that the chair was gone but there was no big girl bed. She made sure she pointed that out for the next two weeks while we finished getting her room ready.  Once Mia saw the new room, she was quick to point out where we could have put the rocking chair (so what that it would have completely blocked the closet door and literally would have had to have been strategically wedged in between her bed and the wall). She has come around and now loves her new room.

It was a Happy and HOT 4th of July (only a month late!)

We celebrated another wonderful 4th of July with the family. It was a hot one, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees by mid-afternoon.  The main road leading into the town where we watch the parade was already closed off by the time we arrived, so we had to walk almost a mile to get to our parade spot. 

Amelia's number one goal was to collect enough candy to restock her treat bag; she was at the end of her Easter candy (finally)!  While Amelia walked out with a big bag of candy, she lost most of it due to "flooding". The candy was starting to melt, so I threw it in the cooler so that it would survive the rest of the day in the car.  However, the plastic bag had a hole so when the ice started to melt, the water seeped into the bag and flooded the Tootsie Rolls and other goodies.  After getting home and when the girls weren't looking, I spilt Allison's stash between their two treat bags.  

After the parade in the morning we headed to my sister's house for lunch, swimming and games. Despite the intense heat, it was a great afternoon.  By the end of the day, the girls were happy to be home and relax in their rooms while playing with their Leapster games. 

Happy 5th Birthday Allison!

Happy Birthday Allison! You have been excited about your birthday for weeks and have been counting down the days. It has been a big year for you.  You have grown into quite a little lady.

You have become a little chatterbug and you love to talk (I wonder where she gets that from)? Questioning "why" to every statement has now been replaced with "How do you know, Mom?"  You also have lots of ideas and are very willing to share them  (I have an idea Mom)! Coming up with games and activities for you and Mia is something you really like to do.

Allison, you are very caring and loving.  When you were going to daycare, Dad or I would have to wait five minutes while you gave all of your friends a big hug goodbye. You are also fascinated by babies. Everywhere we go, you spot out the babies and you like to tell the parents that you "like their baby."

Testing our patience has been a favorite past time of yours during the past few months. You are testing your independence and also getting bolder and braver. At times, you think it is hilarious to be naughty - especially at bed time when you are beyond tired and you can't stop with your giggling.

You also really love learning, Allison. You really enjoy "circle time" with Mom and you are beginning to recognize many new words. We are looking forward to you starting kindergarten and watching you grow and discover new things.

Rainy Day Fun

A few weeks ago I told the girls that they could play outside in the rain, as long as it wasn't storming or too cold.  Making this promise probably wasn't such a smart thing to do since we are in the middle of a drought. There have been so many days that rain was in the forecast, the skies darken, and then the rain goes right past our area and we remain bone dry.   

On this past Thursday, the chance of rain was 70%, the highest chance in over a month. I put Amelia down for her nap and told Allison that she had to sit down for some quiet time.  I closely watched the radar and could see rain everywhere on the radar, everywhere except over our neighborhood where there was a clear patch.

Finally the rain came. Allison and I tried to wake up Amelia, but she wanted nothing to do with it - she was out cold.  So I bundled Allison up in her rain coat and boots. She had a ball walking around with the umbrella.  After a while, Allison had enough and went back in the house. 

A few minutes after Allison went inside, Amelia woke up and came down excited that it was raining out.  I put the boots and rain coat on her and we headed outside. At first, Amelia wasn't sure what to make out of it. I had to encourage her to splash in the puddles and run around.  The rain then really started to come down and Amelia ditched the umbrella so she could take full advantage of every puddle and splash to her hearts content (of course this was after I put the camera away).

As Sung by Mia...

"Baa Baa Black Sheep"
'Baa baa, baasee, special, special, any bags full....one for my little brother who lives down the drain. Baa Baa baasee, special special, any bags full."

"The Farmer in the Dell"
"The farmer and the dog, the farmer and the dog, hi ho mumble mumble, the farmer and the dog."