Happy Birthday, dear Abby...

I woke up on Tuesday with little arms around my neck and one excited girl saying, "I'm five!"  Abby had her 5th birthday this week.  She has been looking forward to this day for months.  Actually, I think she has been looking forward to it for at least year.  She has known that when she is 5, that's when she gets to go to school.  She still has to wait a few more months, but she is so close.  Abby is such a light in our home.  She is always busy and loves to be in charge.  She is pretty good at finding a way to get her way.  But at the same time, she is so sweet.  She gives the very best hugs and knows just when I need one.  She is a great balance of sporty and girlie.  She loves to run, climb, swing, and jump.  She is always on the go.  For her birthday she wanted: A guitar, an "Apple White" doll, something for her American Girl doll, a dress, Barbie, and clothes.  I think between us and her grandparents she got all of her wishes.  We love you Abby Jane!!   

School Projects

Olivia and Sammie worked very hard on their end of the year school projects.  Olivia did a state report on Rhode Island.  Sammie made a Triceratops that she sewed all by herself.  I was so excited to get these projects out of the house.  They were cluttering up my kitchen.  They took them to school last Wednesday.  The very next Friday (just 2 days later) they were already bringing them home!  No!!  Now they are sitting around because no one wants to get rid of them yet.

Open House 2014

Nearing the end.  It happens every May.  Change is good though.  Both Sammie and Olivia have had great years at school.  They grew so much academically and also in who they are.  Lots of changes. Abby wanted me to take her into every kindergarten classroom and introduce her to the teachers.  We made it into two classrooms.
The classrooms are done up so nicely: projects on the counters, writing on the walls, art hanging from the ceiling and on the walls, plants growing in cups.  It is a colorful and beautiful sight.  I will forever love a classroom.  It's why I wanted to be a teacher.  I'm glad I got to do it for a couple of years, even though I was soooo young and inexperienced.  

High Heels

 

Abby has always gotten into my shoes.  She loves high heels and I don't actually have very many pairs.  These are an older pair that she has pretty much taken over.  I got so tired of finding them all over the house, I hid them for a while.  She tries them on with her outfits and looks at herself adoringly in the mirror.  Last week, she discovered them again and wore them all morning--in her pajamas and down the street.  I think she has the walk down.

Dinorella

 The 2nd Graders put on the cutest performance of the story, "Dinorella."  Sammie was so into it and was the so fun to watch.  I guess her little experience in the Wizard of OZ gave her some stage confidence.  It is so hard to see your own kid at these things.  There are so so so many second graders.  I think everyone had a baby in 2006. 

They asked the kids to wear their clothes from the sock hop that they had on Valentines' Day because the story is set in the 50s, only it's about dinosaurs with a twist on the Cinderella story.  Lots of adorable songs.  I love that the kids at this school love to sing.  It doesn't matter what grade, everyone sings so great and is enjoying it.  I couldn't get a good shot but Sammie is on the bottom in a black sweater.

She's all registered

Abby is all registered for Kindergarten.  She was very nervous about her appointment and getting another shot.  We passed the time taking pictures, but she was never very happy about it.  When Abby is in a bad mood, there is no getting her out of it.  Even her preschool teacher has said, "She is the only one out of every preschooler I've had that I can't get to smile when they are in a bad mood."
It's because she is a Biron girl.  They only do something when it is their own idea and their own decision.  It's a blessing and a curse.
SO, of course, no smiles for the doctor.  No amount of tickling, teasing, or anything works.  She just gets more annoyed the harder you try.  I do think that there was some progress by the end of her appointment.  Maybe a little break in her face.  They eventually grow out of it.

Easter 2014

The girls all got a new dress for Easter.  They looked lovely, but I couldn't get a good picture and my finger is in most of them.  They were in too silly of a mood.  Oh, well.  I made sugar cookies and they each got a new book to read in their baskets.  I love this time of year.  I am so so blessed in my life and I have so much gratitude for life and all of its experiences.  I am thankful for a Savior who has suffered all things and knows my pains and sorrows.  It lifts me and heals me.  It gives me more comfort than I can ever express.  I know that trials bring us closer to Him, as we pray, plead, and accept the challenges we have been given.  The power of the Atonement is very real.  It lifts me and gives me the power to endure; to keep going forward with faith and hope and gratitude.

Spring Break

We stayed home for spring break this year.  It was a nice, quiet, and relaxing week.  These kind of weeks are a bit torturous when we have to go back to school at the end of them.  Too much of a taste of summer.  We mostly got up when we wanted, didn't have much planned and just went with it.  We went roller skating, went to the movies and saw the "Muppet Movie," made s'mores, went swimming one day, planted a tree, threw water balloons with neighbors and just watched movies. 
Sammie and Abby slept outside under the jungle gym.  Before they fell asleep, they watched a movie on my nook and I only had to fend off one pretty large toad.  I tried to be secretive about it so they wouldn't know a toad was hopping around their tent and get scared.  I can just imagine them waking up to a toad jumping on their sleeping bag.  I forgot about those.  They fell asleep quickly after the movie. 
I was a little worried about them sleeping outside all alone, so Joey and I slept on the trampoline in case they got scared.  However, they didn't know we were out there and sometime in the night Abby went inside the house and couldn't find us and was crying.  She found Olivia, but Olivia didn't know where we were.  Abby fell asleep in her bed.  Sad.  My kids didn't even know where we were and just went back to sleep.
At some point Sammie came in and was asleep on the couch.  Joey came in also because I stole his pillow.  I woke up about 6am thinking all was well under the jungle gym.  I lay on the trampoline another 30 minutes before getting up feeling so impressed that they stayed in there all night long.  I got up and found an empty tent. 
The next night, they asked if they could do it again.