Spring Soccer

silly kids!

Getting some advice from Dad...

While Logan plays, the rest of us keep one eye on the game and also play a little of our own soccer with the other kids!

Bennett is FOUR!

Bennett turned four today.  FOUR.  It seems like he was the "baby" for so long (2.7 years, to be exact!) that saying he is now FOUR feels so crazy to us!  Bennett is a joy.  He is teaching us so much about parenting each day.  Some days are hard and tiring but he is more than worth any struggle we might feel.  He is sweet, kind, thoughtful, smart, funny, and so so cute.  In just the last month, Bennett has taken leaps and bounds in growing his confidence and expressing himself.  We couldn't be more proud of him.  And we couldn't be more excited to see him grow even more...I think its going to be an amazing year!

I worked hard last night baking for breakfast and also baking cupcakes.  I decorated, wrapped some gifts - wanting to make a special morning for Benny when he woke up!

Logan chose superhero motorcycles for Bennett and wrote the card himself.  He was so excited to give them to Bennett first thing in the morning.

Happy Birthday Boy!

Eden chose some fun stickers, notebooks, and a football for Benny (with mom's help).

Logan the Orator: always reading the cards through.

Bennett was excited about his new BIG BOY carseat/booster from Papa and Nana!  "Now Logan and I match", he said.

And the moment we have been waiting months for...

Bennett opened his Buzz Lightyear wings.  These have been a topic of conversation for about 3 months.  We played with them at a friends' house and haven't stopped hearing about them since.  Bennett wanted so badly to go get some right away, but we kept trying to explain that we couldn't just go buy them.  Then, when I looked around, I couldn't find them at any retailers.  So, I checked out eBay for a decent pair and found this great set.  Then when Bennett asked we kept saying "Maybe for your birthday".  I think by the time his birthday rolled around today, he was pretty much expecting these to be one of his gifts.  Well, they didn't disappoint.  He LOVES them.

Getting suited up.

The wings are motorized, so with the push of a button, the wings go up or down.

Bennett is in heaven (or at least a faraway galaxy!).

Since Daddy would be gone to youth group tonight, we did some candles on a muffin and sang happy birthday this morning.

Make a wish....

Woohoo!  I told Bennett we could do anything he wanted today: museum, library, mall, park (even though it was wet outside).  All he wanted to do was be home and play with his new motorcycles and Buzz wings.  Can you blame him?

We invited our friend Mollie over to share pizza and cupcakes with us tonight.  I did my best to make dinner a little but special for Benny, even though Daddy wasn't home.  Sometimes I have to remember that just little things like fun plates make kids feel so special.  The day didn't have to be over-the-top for Bennett - to him it was the most special day ever.

Toy Story cupcakes.

Four more candles for Bennett

 Eden liked playing peek-a-boo under the tablecloth!

Hooray for our awesome four year old!  You're amazing Bennett!  We love you!!

Band Party

We like to party.  Family Band style.

Eden is quite the little dancer!  She has moves!

Grad Party Fun

Its the time of year for us when we go to LOTS of graduation parties.  I mean, LOTS.  After 10 years doing high school ministry, you can just imagine the number of grad party invites that come our way.  Now, with Facebook mass invites that go out, the number is even more.  Obviously, we can't make it to all of them.  John goes to many.  I used to go to all of them with him, but now with kids I have to choose which ones I can make it to - between naps, meals, baths, bedtime, and activities.  We visited a few this weekend and Leah's Ice Cream Party was a favorite.

They got Cold Stone ice cream (yum!) and even built a special cooler to drop the tins into.

Cookies, cakes, and candy, too.

We spent most of the day here because it was beautiful and sunny!  There was so much for the kids to do, so they didn't want to leave.  The boys played so well, hanging out together on the playlet and basketball court.  We saw lots of friends, too.

Somebody had their first ice cream cone.  And loved it.  :)

Staples for the Brave Boy

Yesterday morning was a doozie!  I had lots to accomplish while John would be home with the kids for the morning.  Logan was at school until 11.  John texted me right away to ask if I had seen a bug bite on the back of Eden's neck (looked like a nasty tick bite!).  I hadn't noticed it before, so we called the pediatrician and were waiting for a response.  I was off getting my haircut.  I waited for another text from John to hear what the doctor said about Eden's bite: should we bring her in or treat it with something? - I was feeling a little worried about it.  The next text that came through while the girl was just finishing cutting my layers was something like this "Come home as soon as you can.  Bennett fell and cut his head open".  So, I jumped up, wet hair, left the salon and headed home.  We jumped in the van and headed to the ER.  Benny was a trooper.

Turns out, Bennett needed two staples since his head split wide open in the back after the impact of falling off a bench onto our wood floor.  He was so brave and barely cried.  In the mean time, we had the doctor check our Eden's little bite and examine to be sure we don't need to worry about lymes.

Then Eden and I went to pick Logan up from school around the block.  It was a beautiful morning, so we waited for Daddy and Super Bennett outside the ER doors and enjoyed the weather.

Double ER tags: Benny and Eden.  But, Bennett wins the prize for being so brave.  He was immediately himself...enjoying lunch all together, playing outside, and all his usual antics.  :)

Staples in the morning, bike rides in the evening.  No problem for this big kid!

*I should note that John has not been fired from Daddy Duty.  He will continue to be able to keep the children while Mommy is away.  lol