Happy Half-Birthday..and update

I gotta say, I think the celebration of half-birthday’s is one of my favorite traditions I’ve started in our family.  I can see it being passed down for generations to come.  I’m not sure where it came from or why we started, I guess it probably just an excuse for me to get to make a cake and have a party.  The kids look forward to them as much as a real birthday – always loving to add that “half” to telling people how old they are.  We don’t do presents, it is usually just our family, unless the kids happen to have friends over or something, and they just get to decide on their dessert/dinner they want me to make for them.  Then we sing, blow out candles and celebrate!  We usually try to do something fun that day to make it a little more special.  I’m always up for letting my kids now just how special they are to my heart.  If I could have a party every night to celebrate one more day they were a part of my life I would.

So this past Saturday was Turner’s half-birthday.  He is now officially 4 and a HALF!  And so proud to tell you so.  Soccer got cancelled because the fields were too wet, so we didn’t have that.  We hung around the house for the morning and put up our tent in the backyard.  Then went to the store and he picked out his cake (angel food with strawberry icing…yummy).  Then Mackenzie had a gymnastics show that afternoon so we picked up two of her friends and went to that.  When we got home we just let the kids play, ate dinner…just keeping it low key and hanging out.  Then we built a fire in the pit and did smores.  That night I slept in the tent with Turner, Mackenzie, Belle and Abby.  It was PERFECT weather and a perfect idea.  I fell asleep with Turner cuddled up in the nook of my arm, listening to three six year old girls’ explanation and wonderment of the sky and stars, looking up at the stars and drifted to sleep.  It was wonderful.  Turner told me the next day it was one of his best days ever.  The first thing he said in the morning…”Now that’s what I’m talking about!”   Oh and other funny quote out of his mouth this week – so we are leaving church on Sunday (what? Church? Us? – yes we try to make it at least every other week) – and we hear Turner from the back seat say “I’m following God, and you know what God is saying right now...he telling me to do really good in soccer, and baseball, and football!!!’  Ahhh kids views on the world.  He is also the one who went outside last night to play and come running back in yelling…mom mom I just saw a part of Heaven! (the sun was setting behind a cloud and sending out beautiful rays).  So sweet.

So you may have caught on to me saying Mackenzie and gymnastics….yes, we finally got her signed back up.  We pulled her out last fall when they had their fall break, and just never got back.  But it has been killing me.  She just loves it and it is so good for her, and she is really good.  I’d love to have those skills, so I’m all for it.  So about a month ago we found a gym a little closer than the other one, and signed her back up.  She is loving it and so are we.  I think after the summer I might sign Turner up also.  It will help in any sport to learn to take total control over all the muscles in his body…just no spandex! Lol

Austin is a total HAM these days.  Man the kid cracks me up.  He is all about giving us kisses right now, and a kiss that doesn’t hit exactly, smack on the lips doesn’t count – so don’t even try to get by with a quick peck on the cheek.  But I’m glad, it is almost like time slows down watching him near closer and closer with his lips all puckered up trying to gauge the location just right.  He has also become a kid of opposites – meaning he usually really wants exactly the OPPOSITE as he tells you the first time.  This can get in to a pretty tricky game for mommy, knowing that if I really want him to want something, I know it has to be the second choice.  Then there are times like the other day leaving a soccer game when he wanted to ride with daddy, NO with mommy, NO with daddy (repeat for about 3 minutes), and finally making the choice for him to go with mommy and hearing him scream the whole way home how he wanted to go with daddy!  Ughh, yeah – he was tired that day. 

Oh on the tired thing – this cracked me up the other day.  So when Mackenzie had her two friends over we hit a few of “3s a crowd” moments.  So the next morning Belle is talking to Aaron and she says…..”ughh yeah, sometimes Mackenzie gets a little….umm…..cranky?!”  Aaron just laughed.  I told him he should have told her that when Mackenzie gets like that to ask her if she is tired or wants a snack…..ahhh true to my own heart, my blood definitely runs through her! LOL

Oh another big event about a week ago – all three kids now sleep in their own beds!  We took down the bunk beds so they are on opposite sides of the boys room.  It was just getting too crowded with all three in Mackenzie’s bed, and they kept keeping each other awake, and bed time was getting very frustrating.  Amazingly it has gone off super easy!  Turner still cries every night when we say it is time to go to bed, but then falls asleep within a few minutes.  Him and Austin both have their flashlights that they sleep with.  You can often hear Austin in there yelling “Turner, you awake? Turner wake up” but then he is usually out within a few minutes too!  Mackenzie was not excited about the idea when we started it, but is the most fine with it now.  She sleeps so much better without Turner waking her up because she went to sleep first and he is scared, or Austin kicking all night long.  So it has been a wonderful decision for us.

And lastly – yesterday was the last day of school.  I can’t believe Mackenzie is going to be going in to first grade already!  She already informed me yesterday that she misses school already.  When we asked what she would miss she said all the people because “friends make school fun.  But at least Abby is still her neighbor.”  I’m sure we will be seeing a lot of Abby and Belle this summer which is fine by me…the more the merrier!

We are planning a big weekend with garage sale, baby shower, BBQ with friends, camping, exploring, swimming, more camping….can’t wait!