Esther's first b-ball game

Esther had her first basketball game this week.  She was SO nervous.  It is a co-ed league and the coach, since she's tall, assigned her a bigger boy to guard and after playing a few minutes she just started to walk toward me with the tears flowing down her face.  She said her throat was hurting but I knew she was really just nervous.  The coach is so great and let her sit out and watch but at the end of the game he talked her into going back in and found a much smaller boy for her to guard (the other team didn't have any girls).  She did much better and managed the rest of the game with no tears.  I was proud of her going back in.

You can tell in this picture she was not really sure about this whole basketball thing.  The kid next to her is running at full speed and she is lost in her thoughts.  Love that girl.

When we got home and were brushing our teeth she told me that after she came out of the game the first time and was sitting on the side, she decided to say a prayer to Heavenly Father to help her to not be scared.  He answered her prayer and that's how she felt brave enough to go in the game again and play.  I was even more proud of her for turning to God for help--He is always there for me and I'm glad she is learning that He will always be there for her.  

Puppet Obsession

Last weekend for two days and nights straight Isaac wore this puppet on his hand.  It's not even a normal puppet but a sock puppet that Esther made at school.  He was obsessed with it.  He would not even take it off to eat and when he got dressed he would grumble and whine until he could see the puppet poke through his shirt or pajamas.  After two days and nights John and I were officially grossed out with the dirty sock puppet.  John took it off before his bath and took it straight to the laundry sink.  Esther was distraught at how dirty it was so we promised to wash it (otherwise you know I would have tossed it!).  When Isaac got out of the bath he kept moving his hand like a puppet and screaming "PUPPET!!!" but we just knew we couldn't have him continue to wear it and still feel sanitary.  Eventually, he got over it and now I'm thinking once we clean the puppet we better hide it from the puppet monster.

Esther going on 7

 My baby girl had her birthday last week and of course, I am way behind on my blogging so here it is almost a week later.  The morning of her birthday something wasn't going her way and she said, "This is the WORST birthday of my life!"  Esther can sometimes be a little dramatic like that but by the end of the school day she was smiling a great big smile.  She wanted to go to the trampoline park at the Sportsplex for her birthday.  She loves that place!  I let her take a friend and they jumped their little hearts out.  They did stop for five minutes to look for Waldo (the present from her friend).  Esther also wanted to go to Panda Express for her birthday dinner so that made it easy for me.  Then on Sunday she got to pick the dinner and we celebrated with my parents and my brother and his wife.  Esther picked meatloaf, potstickers, sweet potato casserole, and then an ice cream birthday cake (NOT chocolate--she HATES chocolate).  She got some new rollerblades for her birthday that she is really enjoying when it's not snowing, of course.  Esther is an amazing reader and very good at her school work.  She loves all things girly and is a great big sister.

 

 

 

I forgot to take the "7" candle (which caused a tear or two) for Esther's cake to my mom's house when we had her dinner and party so the next day she insisted on using it on the last piece of cake.

Lucy is 5!!!

Lucy's birthday is two days after Christmas.  Poor girl.  I had told her a long time ago that she could have a party when she turned five but the time of year gets so crazy that I told her maybe we could celebrate her half birthday with a party instead in June.  She is pretty easy going so she agreed to that.  I probably could have talked her into waiting until she was 6 but I try to be a good mom most of the time.  Lucy had a great day--we hit boondocks in the morning and played games until we got an awesome prize.  Then we watched a movie in the afternoon and Lucy got to help put sprinkles on her butterfly cake that Nana made.  This is the second year in a row she's been able to have Nana and Grandpa Bob here for her birthday and the second year she has made the cake!  I hope she is planning on next year because I am not a great cake maker!  For dinner Lucy wanted shrimp, spaghetti, edamame, and sprite.  So we had that along with a salad and bread.  Lucy got a new bike for her birthday--her reaction was very quiet but I think she likes it.  Uncle Lige was very sweet to put it together for her (and us) and both he and Uncle Dan were very sweet to come to their niece's birthday party.  My parent's also came and we had a fun night celebrating Lucy.   

 

Daddy and Lucy "sprinkling" the cake

 I'm glad Esther is smiling in the picture because she was quite grumpy for a large part of the day--it's hard when it's not your day in the spotlight.  

 Lucy is very easy going because she let Isaac help her blow out her candles AND open her presents.  She is a sweetheart to that boy... most of the time.  :) 

 

 Lucy spent the rest of the evening riding in circles around the kitchen.  She was a little nervous taking it out on the sidewalk the next day.  Esther was sweet to help her with her kitchen rounds.

We sure love Lucy and I really cannot believe she is five.  She loves going to "pre-si-chool" and she loves playing dolls, house, or games with friends or with her sister.  I asked her if she was ready for kindergarten next year and she said, "No, I do not want to get those shots!"  

Boxing Day

 For the 26th we had a very fun day with John's parents.  In the morning we went to Target and Nana let the the girls pick out their Christmas presents--they both picked a baby alive doll that "wets" it's diaper.  I knew they really wanted those but had resisted getting them.  They spent the rest of the morning feeding and changing their babies--they LOVE those dolls.  Thank you Nana!  Next we made a pilgrimage to Nordstrom Rack  and then ate at Blue Lemon downtown and saw the lights.  It was cold, crowded, and beautiful.  For some reason none of my group pictures worked out...  But I promise we were all there.

Christmas Eve and Christmas

 I love love Christmas and it was especially fun to have my brother home to celebrate it with us.  We started our evening at the cemetery putting up some decorations for Sam and singing a couple Christmas songs.

 Then we started our musical program (our prime rib was a little slow getting cooked).  Every year we do a sleigh ride musical number that is very unimpressive and sometimes off beat and off key but we have a great time doing it.  The kids played bells this year and joined the production.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the food because it was amazing--prime rib and king crab legs!  Plus lots of delicious sides.     

 

 
  After dinner we did the nativity and we each talked about a character from the nativity and their significance today.  We were the angels and since the girls were angels, Isaac had to be one too.  He made a pretty cute one.

 Next we got our Christmas pajamas--Isaac and William got matching Superman pajamas so Daddy had to give him a little superman flight.  The girls had to give the old superman hands too.  

  

 

 Then Papa read us a new Christmas children's book and we headed home.

 Christmas morning the kids opened their Santa gifts and then we headed to church.  They were very patient about waiting until after church to open the rest of their gifts.  They were pretty cute in their Christmas outfits but insisted on getting back into their pajamas for the rest of the day.  In the afternoon we went to my parents house again and had another delicious meal and we got to talk to my sister in Peru.  We can't wait to have her home in a month!  

Christmas evening John's parents flew in and we got to spend a few days with them.  I love the holidays because of all the time we get to spend with our families--especially with John!  Once school starts up we don't get to see him much so it was nice to have lots of Daddy time over the break.