Everyone has got a last name.....

"Anna, everyone has a last name. Chickens last name is chicken boc boc!"

Oh Ash Ash!

If we ever arrive somewhere late....

Its usually because of this.

Abby has to climb into the van, shut the door, do a goofy walk to her car seat, climb into her car seat, buckle her car seat and get a book.

I should be happy she likes to do this all on her own but believe me when I say it takes easily 5 min. And its so much faster for me to put her in. But then again I don't want a headache from the major fit she would throw.

Lil miss independent. Just like her sissies!

Cheese!

The half birthday cake

After swimming lessons we stopped by Target for Anna to pick out her cake. She selected an amazing looking rainbow tie dye mix and bright blue icing with fish sprinkles included. Within minutes of getting home, we were baking it!

Anna did most of the baking; sisters did help of course!

Mommy must have not greased the pan enough or taken the cake out to early or not let it cool because this is what happened when I tried to flip it out of the pan. Yup.... cake fail.

I called Anna in to see it and braced myself for disappointment but she surprised me by saying, "It's okay mommy. It's okay. It's still beautiful!" Oh my Anna Banana, I love you. You would have been just as happy with this as the cake :)

Plus it meant they could eat the scraps early :)

Luckily the cake batter was intended for two 8 inch circle pans and I had cooked another one with it. So I attempted the second one and it was also stuck to the bottom. So I had to cut it in half to get it out of the pan (which was fine because we were doing a half of a cake layered with the other half). Little did I know that when cutting it in half there was a rainbow!!!!!

Anna loved it an decided she did not want to frost the top; just the sides. So we went to work with frosting and sprinkles.

I think next year I'll just buy her a tub of icing- it was her favorite part :)

Anna couldn't wait to eat her cake and since Daddy was out for the night we decided to invite her neighbor friends (they actually came over and rang our doorbell to see if the girls wanted to play outside) over to eat it with us outside. It was a hit!!!!! We sang "Happy Half Birthday to You," blew out 5 1/2 candles and Anna and Ashley thought it was the best thing ever celebrating with the big kids.

Mia, Abby, Anna, Ashley, Lucy and Corrine. "Hanging with the new big neighbor friends :)"

And if the night couldn't get better, after cake they all had to use the bathroom. Once the got inside our house they didn't want to leave. Anna came running to me saying, "Mommy, they LOVE our house. They LOVE our house!!!!" I just wonder how long she's been dying to get them to come in our house.

Anne and Ashley were so excited. The girls complimented their rooms and told them they have the "coolest" room out of any of the rooms they have seen (this of course made Anna's day to hear big kids tell her that!) They couldn't believe Anna and Ashley's chapter book collection and played a long time with the fairy books. They told Anna and Ashley that both their beds are awesome. (I totally wish I could have seen their face; I only heard most of the talking. They get so goofy and smiley around the big kids). Ashley was having a BLAST as well; she probably laughed and talked the loudest of all of them. During this time Anna comes to me and says she has to poop. When she is going potty in the office she really quietly admits to me that she accidentally pooped her pants.

Yes the child was having so much fun she didn't want to leave her room. She literally pooped her pants.

So I cleaned it up and she looks at me with worried eyes and asks me to go get her some panties from her room. I asked her if she is embarrassed and she said, "Yes. I don't want them to know!" My poor baby :) Anyway we found a clean pair in my room and she return to playing. She said no one noticed one bit!!!

Then they ventured down to the basement where they destroyed and already destroyed area before I had to kick them out for our super early bed times :)

My girls loved every minute. Every minute. I just love that they were included and treated nicely :)

Happy 1/2 birthday!

Someone is 5 1/2. And is pretty stoked about it :)

Sad Face

Our Jayhawks lost yesterday.

Anna was not too happy about this (check out the sad face above the jayhawk).

We still LOVE our Jayhawks!!! Next year boys, next year :)

Biking with Daddy :)

"I can bike with my eyes closed while wearing flipflops!" Said Anna

Washing mama's car!

We love washing momma's car. Especially with neighborhood friends! Having fun today with neighbor Lucy; gardening in her backyard, riding bikes, washing cars and eating lunch and snacks outside! We love warm days :)

Side pony tail

We've been requesting these a lot lately :) at least she still looks adorable!

Abby just being Abby

While Anna and Ashley consumed much of the attention with learning how to ride their bikes, Abby did a wonderful job just being Abby! She played and play and played. Sh would have been perfect if she had only kept her shoes on :) I gave in after putting her shoes on her feet for the 4th time and just let her run around in her socks. It's amazing how different you treat a 3rd child compared to the 1st :)

We love you Abby!!!

By no means was it hot enough to be shirtless but she had gotten her shirt wet and didn't want it on. And since she was playing in water she was just going to get the next one wet. So we went shirtless :)

No shirt, wet pants, sissies shoes on the wrong feet and one big happy smile. Oh man do I love this age (except for her hard headedness and tantrums!)

 It appears that the Dora trike has been passed on (or someone thinks it has been). BTW, the best $2 ever spent at a garage sale :)

We have a training wheel biker!

 

So up to this day Ashley has only wanted to ride the Dora big wheel trike outside. She had spent some time this past week riding her strawberry shortcake training wheel bike in the garage but has never wanted to ride it outside. Until today....

It is amazing how positive attention towards one child can make another one work harder. Within minutes of Anna starting to learn how to ride a 2 wheeler, Ashley was out their with her Strawberry Shortcake bike wanting to know how to ride it.

And she did great. Great until we notice her jumping off the bike to get it to stop; which resulted in a minor knee injury. The poor thing never learned how to brake!!!

So Daddy went to work with Ashley and in no time she was a braking, training wheel biker! She was so serious, patient, kind and hard working with Daddy. And she loved it. She told me, "I never want to ride any bike BUT this one!!!"

Way to go Ash Ash!

PS Ashley was super excited to show our neighbor that she was no longer on the Dora bike and on a fast big bike like them! So cute :)

 She attempted the glider bike and decided she wasn't quite ready for that yet :)

 Went back to the Dora trike after a back spill....

 But in no time she was back on the bike!!! And smiling a HUGE Ash Ash smile :)

We have a 2 wheel bike rider!!!

Today it happened. Anna learned to ride a two wheeler.

We had been talking all week about how this weekend was going to be all about learning to ride her bike with Daddy. And she was so excited.

Daddy and Anna spent close to an hour in the morning learning how to balance her bike without pedals. Anna was patient, persistent, determined and a great learner. She did get tired towards the end of that hour but she really did give it her all. After that first hour she was gliding down our cul de sac with ease and beginning to get comfortable with the pedals back on. The hardest part for her was figuring out to start the bike while getting on the pedals (BTW Daddy did a superb job teaching this part to her!). She showed a little frustration at this point but it was more like she felt like she didn't know what to do now that the pedals were on. She never said that it was too hard and she never was discouraged; she was so eager to keep trying. Any time we asked her if she wanted to try again, or if she wanted to go back out and bike, she always said yes. She was bound and determined to learn!

After a lunch and mid afternoon break, we headed outside before dinner to practice what she had learned. And no kidding. She was biking on her own within a couple of tries. It's like something clicked during the afternoon break. She was so proud; smiling so big. She came running to me and hugged me and then ran back to Daddy and hugged him while thanking him. It was a pretty big deal; she was a pretty big deal.

She continued practicing at getting more comfortable with the bike and by the end of the night she was biking with one of the neighbors. A lot of people drove by and cheered her on, she had the biggest smile!! Right before heading in for the night she biked from our house to the cul de sac and back, never stopping. WOW. These kids sure do learn fast!!!!

We are so proud of her; especially with how patient, determined, kind to us, persistent and hard working she was throughout the entire process. Way to go Anna Banana!!!!

PS I guess she asked Daddy if she could bike everyday. Daddy said he wasn't sure but probably most days. She then told him, "But mommy said I have to practice everyday!!!!" So cute that she took that literally; I did say that but meant she had to continue practicing every couple days to continue to get more comfortable with the bike. I have a feeling she will be out their everyday she can!

PSS I guess her two neighbor friends (Clare and Lucy) were talking about when Anna would be off training wheels. They both said by the end of Spring Break. Anna was so proud to show them that she was ready to ride with them, training wheel free!

It got hot so we had to change clothes :) These must have been lucky bike riding clothes because she was up and riding in no time :)

 The dress got dirty from the back wheel so we had to change clothes again!!!

 SO excited and proud to be biking like the big girls!!!!!