The Big 5

I can't believe Jack is five.  Five is big!  Five means school!  Five makes me what to freeze time.  Just look at that picture, who wouldn't want their child to stay five forever?  I found him one day happily petting the cat, talking to his imaginary friend, soaking up the sun.  He was so relaxed and calm in his own little world it brought peace to my heart, and apparently the cat's heart too because not many cats would trust a little boy on a trampoline.

Memorable moments of the past year:

• Preschool graduation
• First father and son outing
• Growing two pant sizes
• The wart removal.  eek
• The dentist.  eek
• Learning to swim.
• Learning to read. (short vowels and high-frequency words)
• Learning to ride his bike without training wheels.  At first he hated it, then we moved to a place with a paved road and that solved all his problems.
• Writing me "mom" notes with hearts.  I'm going to save them and then when he wants a tattoo I'll tell him only if it looks like this.  haha
• His imaginary friend, I almost sat on him one day. Yikes!
• Interests of the past year, super heroes and now ninja turtles.
• Learning to do a flip on the trampoline
• Fears letting up
• Loves going to scouts with Jed and will see the boys around town and call them by their names.
• Will still take a nap once in a while, bless him!
• Continually cracks me up with his randomly placed $100 words and funny comments. Deeming the old dinosaur yard ornament in some derelict Overton house the "Statue of lizard" is still my favorite.

We love you Jack!  We are so grateful for such an awesome little guy!

The Fateful Party

As you can see we have been having a lot of party/fun times around here. It was inevitable there had to be at least one disaster.  I'm not going to lie, from the adult perspective (Jed and I) Jara's actual birthday-day was a nightmare.  Jara's perspective hopefully, was all cookies and whip creme.  However there were a few lessons learned.  (I know, poor Jara the oldest experiment child.)

Lesson #1 
Do NOT under any circumstances allow your husband to dig in your yard with a back hoe on a day where running water is a necessity not a luxury.  The key to any kind of happiness and success when cleaning, baking, and having fifteen plus people over to your house is running WATER!  Do not taken this innovation for granted.  At about 9:30am, fifteen minutes AFTER I told Jed "maybe digging up the front yard with a back hoe is not a good idea on our daughters birthday," the main water line was broken with all hopes of running water for 7 more verrrry long hours. 

Lesson #2
Do NOT try to decorate a cake or use a new recipe on the big day.  Pinterest is not your friend.

Lesson #3  
Do NOT plan anything.  Kids just want to play, they don't care about playing games that revolve around a theme.  

Lesson #4
Let Jed do all of the games.  I am not fun.  I am mean and I don't approve of loud noises.

Lesson #5
Don't make dinner for your guests, next time just buy the stinkin' pizza

Lesson #6
If you write a blog post all about how the party YOU planned FOR your child was awful maybe it's time to reassess who you are planning/throwing the party for.

Nailed it.  My glorious failure.  

You are jealous of my grinch smile and professor snape comb over bangs aren't you?  Remember that little part about no water.

Everyone is happy.  He is pretty fun.

Class Party

First grade Halloween Party! 

Love the costumes.

Room mom-awesome.  Becky you are amazing!

Games, prizes and witches brew: check, check and check.

Playing, going home, and not going back the next day, so much better, first grade I miss you in thought, not in reality.  I wanted to buy all my teacher friends a Costco pack of Tylenol to get through the next day.  School after Halloween is cruel.

Halloween

A Minnie, a Kitty, and a Ninja-Turtle

Our first year ever living in a Trick-or-Treatable neighborhood.  The first year I've handed out candy, in about seven years.  The first year we didn't carve pumpkins.  The first year of non coordinating costumes.  So many firsts but not lasts!  Happy Halloween!

Lucky Seven

It's official.  She is a full-fledged seven-year-old.  The last year of innocence and cute baby teeth.  Her personality has changed so much even in the last few month, she is becoming more bold, which can be good in group settings, not so delightful when her mother is asking her to do something.  The questioning its good, right?

Memorable Jara moments of the past year-

• Watching her laugh during Despicable Me 2
• Her art decorating skills adorning her bedroom
• Learning to read, from BOB books to Fancy Nancy and write, from one word descriptions to Columbus research papers. 
• Learning to ride her bike without training wheels
• Learning to swim
• Combing her own pony-tails
• Making her bed most mornings
• The first dentist visit. eek
• Helping with Elise in the mornings
• Splashing in the waves at Newport Beach
• Beginning ballet
• Caring for her kitties, including dressing them up
• Making new friends with neighbors (Jacob, Emma, Paige)
• Listening to melodies on the piano and figuring out how to play them on her own
• Calling me mom (no more mommy) sniff

Happy Birthday Jara! We are so grateful to have a such a wonderful girl!