4.28.2016

Thankful Thursday

I'm so thankful for our pediatrician.  Sadly, our beloved pediatrician is leaving the current practice (sob!).  I saw her the other day for Kase's well child visit and she had the nicest things to say about me and family.  She said, "You've always had a quiet confidence about you that I truly admire." I am going to miss her!

I thought I'd be thankful that the April birthday craziness is over but I'm kind of sad! It's been a fun few weeks celebrating!

I'm thankful for the storm last night.  Kase wanted me to lay with him as he fell asleep because he was worried about the lightning.  I stayed with him until he was sound asleep and then kissed his cheeks a hundred times.

I'm thankful for sweet surprises from friends for Kase's birthday.

I'm thankful for Kase's funny joke yesterday.  We noticed a couple ducks on the other side of our fence line, then I turned around to do something else and when I looked back, one of the ducks was on the inside of our fence.  I wasn't sure if it flew over or squeezed through by the gate, so I asked Kase if he saw how the duck got into our yard and he replied, "It ducked." Ha!

I'm thankful always for Kylee's excitement about birthdays.  She could hardly wait to give Kase his gifts this morning and was extra sweet all day to him.

I'm really thankful for Kael's band and vocal concert the other night.  He just did such a great job and I could tell he was enjoying himself.  He has had great teachers that I'm also thankful for!




I'm thankful that my friend's baby loves to fall asleep on the swings with me all the time at the park after school.  Reminds me of when Kase was a baby!


I'm thankful that Kent's job is going well.  Every single day, I get to spend the day with this cutie pictured below because of Kent's hard work.  Seriously, I'm the luckiest girl in the world.



Finding lots to be thankful for today.  How about you?

4.27.2016

Kase is 4!

We woke up to a rainy day.  I offered him several choices of how he wanted to spend his special day. Indoor Playground? SkyZone? He said, "Let's read books then watch Lion Guard".  My easy-to-please youngest child just wants to spend the day hanging out.  It's so fun that his birthday fell on a day that he doesn't have school because that means we can spend the whole day just doing what he wants! I do get to spend a lot of time with Kase, but often I feel like I'm running around doing laundry, prepping dinner, etc.  Today I'm not going to do any of that and just play with Kase all day! 





This one. Oh this one. My baby, who isn't a baby at all anymore.  He's grown up so much in the last few months.  

We had his well child visit yesterday and the doctor reported that all was good.  And it is.  We're so lucky that this healthy, happy four year old is ours.  She commented on his muscular build, "His BMI is right at 85, and we like it to be 85 or lower, but our chart doesn't account for the muscles that he has." Physically, he's growing perfectly fine and even eats the occasional green vegetable, which I can say for his older siblings.  Emotionally, he's grown up so much I can hardly believe it.  

He's really enjoyed preschool this year and has made several good friends. He loves to play with them, but he's also a kid who is so content to play by himself (provided that I am nearby).  He has some super hero figures that he's been spending a lot of time with lately.  He loves to say, "Mama, I like it when you play with me." Then I go to join him and he tells me just how to play as he has created an intricate scene in his head that I try to carry out just as he planned. 

Sleeping.  I wasn't sure I'd ever see the day that he slept (almost always) through the night and even falls asleep on his own, in his own bed every night lately. Once in a while he asks, "Mom, can you lay with me?" and I can't resist.  Every time I do, I hope it isn't the last.  Truly, it may seem like a minor thing to many parents of four year olds, but I couldn't be happier with how well he has been sleeping lately. He slept in so long yesterday, in fact, that I had to wake him up for preschool !

He's growing up too quickly, my Kaser. He recently gave me a stuffed animal from his room that he wanted me to sleep with because he "didn't need it anymore".  He rarely wants his old white blanket. He can zip coat zippers, put his own shoes on, and get his own buckle in the car. 

I love when I see glimpses of him still being little.  As the seasons have turned, he's been wearing shorts a lot, and every.single.time, he says, "Mom, can I wear short pants today?"  I don't have the heart to tell him that "short pants" are typically just called "shorts".  I hope he calls them short pants until he's fifteen. 

He's occasionally soft-spoken and often very, very sweet.  When Kylee was dressed up for a birthday party last weekend, she came downstairs and Kase said to her, "Wow, Kylee.  You look very much beautiful."

Today, we celebrate our youngest, our funny, athletic, sometimes serious, charming, book-reading, super-hero-loving four year old! 

He requested a green hulk cupcake cake.  


He LOVES his Captain America punching bag! 


I'm looking forward to spending the day celebrating Kase! We love you so much, buddy!

4.24.2016

Weekend Wrap-Up

It feels like summer around here! Mostly, because it was really warm out today, but also because we have been busy and/or outside allll weekend.  Which I love, but it means I get nothing done inside.

Anyhow, we had a{nother} good one! Wanna hear about it?

Thursday night we celebrated the April birthdays with Kent's parents and grandparents.  We ate at El Azteca (yum) then came back here for gifts.

Cutest little caballero ever. 

Most hilarious caballero ever.  I have NO idea why he made this face because he loves Mexican food and was having a great time that night.  



Friday I planned to be at my preschool conferences all day but Kylee woke up not feeling very well so I stayed home with her all morning.  By afternoon she had perked up a bit so I went to a few of my students' conferences then Kent met me for Kase's conferences.  It was so fun to really hear how Kase is getting along in school!

After that we took a stroll in my parents' backyard because it's mushroom season! Had some fun finding a few morels.


Later that night, the whole Patterson crew came to our house; Keith and Cindy picked up Leaning Tower for the kids and we had cake and did presents.  


We weren't home much this weekend, but when we were, you can guarantee Kase was playing with his "Super Guys".


Later that night Kent and I went out with the brothers Patterson and their significant others.  We ate at Exile and had the best time.  Big thanks to Keith and Cindy for watching the kids.  


Saturday morning we spent getting a few things done around the house, then Kylee had ninja warrior class.  Kael also got to do it this time and he did great! We were so happy that Keith, Cindy, Kevin, Kaity, Kyle and Julia came to watch.  The kids loved having an audience!

After class, Kylee went to my niece Brooklyn's birthday party and I hung out there for awhile too. Kent and the boys went to his cousin's son's birthday party and had a great time.  Kylee stayed over at Brooklyn's- their first cousin sleepover! They are so sweet together. 



Meanwhile, the boys and I went on a bike ride to test out Kase's new tagalong, then hit up Dairy Queen where Kael insisted on paying, using the gift card he had gotten for his birthday.  He's such a good kid and at such a fun age right now.  We declared it Best Dairy Queen Experience Ever because they were sooooo busy and severely understaffed. There were arguments on both sides of the counter, forgotten orders and complaints, but for some reason it was cracking us all up.  We waited patiently for our ice cream and it was so worth it!


Sunday after church, Kael had a soccer game, where Kylee spent most of the time in the shade of our chairs- it was HOT out! Fun game though- Kael had a good game and even scored a goal.


I heart this wagon so much. And the cuties in it.
Later in the afternoon we stopped by my dad and mom's house.  Kase and Huston had so much fun running around together!


We had to hit the grocery store on our way home as we didn't even have a drop of milk in the house.  Picked up a pizza, and as soon as we got done eating, the kids watched some TV and headed off to bed, then Kent and I enjoyed a little date night dinner together outside.

The April birthday fun continues but will wrap up this week with Kase's birthday being on Wednesday. Should be another fun week of celebrating! 

4.21.2016

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for my first bouquet of the season.


I'm thankful  for Daddy Donut Day at preschool last week.  It couldn't have been cuter.  Kase was so proud to get to spend time with Kent at school. 





I'm thankful for rainy days.  The warm weather has been awesome but a rainy day is nice too.  

I'm thankful for dinner plans with Kent's family tonight!

I'm thankful the kids slept in today! It's nearly 7:30 and Kase isn't up yet! 

I'm so thankful that Kent's work is going well.  He/we certainly took a leap of faith jumping into this new position and so far, so good. 

I'm thankful for a fun weekend ahead.  We have several birthday parties to go to and lots of family get togethers planned.  Can't wait! 

4.18.2016

Weekend Wrap-Up

What a weekend! 

Friday morning Kase woke up not feeling well, so we spent the majority of the day doing this. 


Kael was at a field trip to the art center and sculpture park. 


Later that night the kids spent the night at Keith and Cindy's, which they always love! 



Kent declared it No Sit Saturday, and we got a TON of stuff done.  Cindy went with me to watch Kylee at Ninja Warrior.  Later Kent and my dad built a sandbox for Kase while my mom watched the kids.  We also got a lot of miscellaneous outdoor things done, then spent the entire evening out with the whole neighborhood.  Kids had so much fun playing in the new sandbox!







Sunday after church we got a few more things done around here, then Kael had a soccer game, where he scored a goal! I just love to watch him play.


Kylee stayed back and had a nail salon with friends. 


And later that evening we celebrated the April birthdays with my side of the family! It was a beautiful night out and we had so much fun spending time together.  Kickball, a walk in the backyard, grilled out, presents, cake...it was a great night! I just love getting the cousins all together. 


Kael pulled all these ones out of the box one after the other, each taped together and was so happy about it!











I can't get over how grown up Kael looks here. 

3/6 of the grandkids have April birthdays and I couldn't believe how well the ones who didn't have birthdays sat and watched.  It was so sweet!



Love our tradition of each having a little cake!


We also bought one of these tagalongs over the weekend and I think we're going to be doing a lot of bike riding this summer!


Hope your weekend was as fun as ours!