Monday, May 6, 2019

Maddie's birthday

Madelyn turned 3 a few weeks ago!

I spent the night before getting her cake and presents ready. She was very specific: a brown cake with green frosting (her favorite colors) and rainbow sprinkles and brown cupcakes with green frosting and rainbow sprinkles. I added the My Little Ponies because she was in a Rainbow Dash phase. 

First thing she saw when she came down was her new seesaw!


A big hit with everyone. 

Although Blade prefers rocking over being rocked. 

We had decided to go to the Tulip Festival for her birthday, so after the kids were done with school we drove south and picked up Lance. It was kind of cool and rainy and there were more daffodils than tulips, but we still had a great time. 

Does she have style or what.

Plenty of space to run.



She was obsessed with these pinecones.

Lucky dad.

We left the cake at home and brought the cupcakes to celebrate. It was hard to get the candles to light in the breeze.



Most angelic face ever.


 Fishies!


"I three!"

A giant pair of shoes. We must try them out. 



After we left we stopped by my cousin's wedding reception in Provo, and then hurried home for the rest of a late night party!

I guess she's pleased with it?


Girlfriend got spoiled. 

She had to check out her new sleeping bag in her fave colors. Nice and warm!

Yum yum yum.


Some things about Maddie at age 3:

- is seriously the most adorable person ever
- has so much to say and talks non-stop, but has some trouble with pronunciation 
- thinks she is "big" now and can do anything
- does good with potty most of the time
- wakes up 1-2 times a night, mostly to use the potty
- naps every afternoon for 2+ hours
- is obsessed with Blade but not very gentle
- loves playing outside and riding Daryn's scooter
- loves nursery at church and gymnastics
- loves to look at books and be read to
- mimics everything her sisters do and say, for better or worse
- is a total goofball
- is very affectionate and loves to snuggle
- 35 lbs and 39 inches at her doctors appointment- around 85th percentile for both
- wear size 4t clothes and size 7 shoes
- knows the whole alphabet, and about 50% of her numbers under 20 
- can count to 20 with less than 5 mistakes
- is very independent and likes to do things herself, then double-check things with us

Maddie's birthday survey:
1. What is your favorite color? Green and brown. And blue. And this color and this color and this color (pointing around her). And white. And red. And orange. And that color. 
2. What is your favorite toy? My train
3. What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries and grape. 
4. What is your favorite tv show or movie? PJ Masks and Super Why. And Calliou.  
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Grapes. And watermelon. (We literally never have those.)
6. What is your favorite game? Cheerio (High Ho)
7. What is your favorite snack? Cheese snack (stick) and orange
8. What is your favorite animal? Bear. And kangaroos and duck. 
9. What is your favorite song? I Love to See the Temple and I am a Child of God and ABC's and Ipsy Bipsy Spider
10. What is your favorite book? Dora book
11. Who is your best friend? Mikayla (babysitter). And Little Grace (her cousin, who is not little)
12. What is your favorite cereal? Lucky Charm
13. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play on the swing and jump on the trampoline and play on my big green slide and play in the baby swing and hang on the monkey bars. I like all the things to play outside. 
14. What is your favorite drink? My giraffy water
15. What is your favorite holiday? Uh... with presents
16. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Unicorn
17. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? French toast. And pancake. And with yogurt. And oatmeal. 
18. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pasta! 
19. What do you want to be when you grow up? A scary monster
20. I am very proud because… I play with Blade and play with Mom and Dad
21. I am afraid of monsters and the dark and ghostes. 
22. Name one thing you do really well? Playing with Bladey and playing with all my toys and playing with Daryn and with Reagan
23. What is your favorite time of day? Going potty and having treats after dinner and eating my favorite food that I don't like 
24. What makes you feel sad? Daryn wont let me play with Blade sometime
25. What makes you feel happy? Playing with my train and playing with Blade robot with Blade
26. Where do you want to go on vacation? A see the star when it's dark
27. What is your favorite thing to do with Mom or Dad? I don't know! Swing me around and hold your two hands and swing me around and around. 

Everything she does is so stinking cute, we are all completely obsessed with her! She is the best and we loved celebrating her.

Spring things

Life never seems to slow down. We've been busier than ever the last month!

Kindergarten graduation pictures for Daryn.


A major change for Reagan:

We all love it!


Blade discovers the keyboard.

 And he's super into books these days. It's basically the only time he holds still. (When he's looking at them himself. Not when we're trying to read to him.)

He literally looped his arm through this book and refused to let go so I could get him dressed.

Maddie loves helping out with Reagan's class in library. Blade loves it less. 


Activity day fun! I love these girls.


And at Activity Days last week, Blade decided he was finally ready to try walking for real and got up to 9 steps!

He also gets stuck under the bed, though, so let's not get too excited. 

Dinner at Pizza Pie Cafe. We literally took 400 pictures while the kids were continuously dumping the cup of props on the ground and this is the best we could get. 

Parent lunch at school! I braved it by myself. 


Making the best of yet another rainstorm on our way into gymnastics. 

At the playground after school. Maddie was convinced she was doing something amazing. 



Putting the "mad" in Maddie. 


How can one baby be so cute?!

Even when he is driving us nuts at church or stuffing an entire half of a banana in his mouth at once. 


A giant 5 leaf clover!

Extra luck for my little Irish dancer and her ballerina sister at dance pictures. 

Daryn was still looking super fly that night for Parent's Night out at gymnastics. 

We dropped the girls off, got a babysitter for Blade, and started our anniversary celebrations off right with a showing of Avengers! Our smiles quickly turned to frowns when the movie stopped 3 times throughout. We pushed on, and got free movies passes afterwards. 

Flowers from Lance and flowers from my garden. 
 

Since our anniversary was on a Wednesday night, we had a quiet takeout dinner at home after the kids were in bed. Happy 9 years to us!

On Saturday we bookended the occasion with a session in the Salt Lake temple and dinner at The Roof afterwards. It was our first time and it was amazing!!