Nick Nick Nick

I love him. He's just edible with his silly pink cheeks and sparkly eyes. He wants to walk all around the house holding our hands. SOO not happy if we set him down in the middle of the floor anymore! So yes, Laurie, to answer your question, Nick is still living with us!!!

The party

I did a birthday party for Daniel this year. I mean a real kid-based one, complete with school friends, games and a green-icing Dinosaur cake (which was so fun to make, just anticipating Daniel's excitement when he saw it). I was intimidated by the thought of a party - I don't mind just a store-bought cake and a bit of family around for presents and a special dinner. But it was birthday #5, so it only seemed appropriate to indulge him... So the invitations read: "You ROAR invited to Daniel's Dinosaur Party". Get it - you ROAR invited?!!! I thought it was funny... The party was great. Games: Make your own dinosaur party hat, Dinosaur fossil dig, and Pin the tail on the T-Rex. Kids: grand total of 16 in the house at once. A bit of mayhem, but whatever, it was worth it all when I kissed a sleeping Daniel goodnight at midnight when I went to bed, and he woke up and with big eyes told me he loved it, and then promptly went straight back to sleep. That felt like the biggest hug. Didn't get a lot of great pics, but here's a few: I'm 5! Daniel and Laura digging Kids eating tacos Nick eating sand before the party - must have tasted good, he just chewed and chewed, and I was just happy he was entertained, cause I was too busy! On his actual birthday we did have just family around. Laura got him some toy dragons (the one thing he asked for), and he was thrilled! This cake was store-bought, but yummy! :)

He's FIVE

Have I really been a parent for 5 years? Have I only been a parent for 5 years? Happy Birthday Daniel. We have loved watching you grow up as a thoughtful, sensitive kid. We are so proud of your love for learning, how curious you are about the world, and the love that you have for your friends and family. I just can't believe you are 5!!!

Long lost children

It's so strange to look at pictures of these children I knew so well and yet can hardly remember now...

Addicted

... to Blurb.com. I'm using it to make Daniel's 5th birthday book (my fairly recent idea to START the process of making memories of the kids' lives, and the ONLY real photo creation I've done since any of the kids have been alive!). It's so much fun cause I just love pictures. I have forgone much in my life - such as blogging - to try to get this book finished and ready to put birthday party pictures in and send off to get printed ASAP after his birthday (which is 3 days away). Here's the picture that'll be on the front. A really accurate snap of this boy... (thanks Jenn, I think it was, for taking it!)

They keep coming...

... these fun quotes, I love 'em. This one I overheard from Daniel while he and Laura were playing: "That's not a job for a princess, that's a job for a prince!" ...from Laura a few days ago: "I'm not a kid anymore". (then what are you?) "I'm a people!"! ...and another from Laura: "Daniel, did you know God is the goodest?"

Life as it happens

A good day is when you walk out your door and see this - From the front porch, looking left at the mountain: And looking right at the city and river: He so badly wants to get up these steps and into the playroom! Sunday afternoon drive to the wildlife park - it's still fun to feed the kangaroos! Yes, they do actually come this close too... Looks like a cross between a rabbit, a possum and a kangaroo. Did you know there were Albino Kangaroos? Big Kangaroo Edward and Edwina the Emus (know the book?) The big kids letting Nick in on their playtime, a huge privilege... ...but they soon wanted him not to touch their stuff... lucky he loved the makeshift playpen in the corner of the playroom!

Quotes

Yesterday's ripper: "I know the most about Jesus, cause I have 4 Bibles" - D. Today's beauty: "I am old enough now to listen to your talking" - L.

Putting it out there

Okay, so I'm supposed to be the mature one, right? Well, sometimes I just want to be grumpy, like when I plan a project and #1 child decides he doesn't want to do it because I said it has to be done with GLUE because TAPE wouldn't work. Yes, that was the quarrel. He likes TAPE. And I wanted to say, "you WILL do the project I have planned", but instead, I did a more disguised version of immaturity, which sounded basically like this: "Okay, you go find your own project that you can use tape with, cause this is the one that I've planned, and I'll do it with Laura." And as if to spite me (and I think it was), he TAPED lots of things to a piece of paper and seemed genuinely happy with his *project*. So in the spirit of my cousin Shelby, I'm putting it out there, cause I'm not afraid to share the down moments, right?! Right. Hmph.

Mess

I was making the bed and stepped on something on Andrew's side of the bed. Most unusual. Hmmm. My type-A husband left a mess. So odd, I got out the camera just to prove it happened.