Lilly Turned 4

Lilly turned 4 this year. Her birthday landed on a Saturday so we celebrated all day long. We started out at the library for story time. It was something fun that Lilly and I did together with no boys. Those moments are rare. Later we went to Monkey Joe’s to jump on all the bouncy houses. I told her she could pick any activity she wanted and that was her choice. I think she thought it was a birthday requirement since we went there for Bennett’s birthday. After Monkey Joe’s, Tyson and Lilly went to the John Deere Pavilion for craft day. They made a cute turkey. For dinner we made our own pizza that Lilly helped make and then we opened presents.

This was the first year Lilly told me what she wanted for her presents. She didn’t understand the price limits though and kept telling me I could buy something because it was only $7. She told me she needed as many presents as Bennett had.    

 

 

Lilly got a Cinderella birthday cake she picked out. I wanted to surprise her with it but she was really adamant about picking it out herself. It was a very cute cake.

 

Lilly holds up her 4 fingers but can’t seem to figure out that she is 4 years old. Her primary teacher keeps asking her how old she is and she holds up her fingers. The teacher then says “how many is that” and Lilly says “I don’t know, that is just want my mommy told me to do”. If you ask her to count her fingers she ends up counting too fast and only gets to 3.

In preschool they celebrated Lilly’s birthday by having her make a birthday crown at home that she got to wear all day long. Unfortunately, some of the jewels fell off in the morning and she was very upset when I dropped her off at school. The day was furthered marred when she got smacked in the face during play time. The run-in with the hula-hoop did a surprising amount of damage to Lilly’s poor little face.

 

Dear Lilly,

It has been a year of ‘whys’ with you. It is your favorite question and I think you say it more out of habit then curiosity. You want to know why the world, people, and animals do the things they do. Your very mild attitude has gotten a bit sassier over the year. It has been fun watching you start preschool and make new friends. You are very artistic and spend most of your time making pictures, painting or crafting.

This year has been spent helping mommy with Bennett, vacations to Arizona, Utah, Chicago, Wisconsin Dells, and Nauvoo, swimming lessons, music classes, play-dates, visitors, baseball games and many many many family activates.

Thank you for being an easy girl to bring places. I love spending time with you. You are funny and think of the craziest things. Thank you for taking care of everyone when they are sick. You are so sweet and make sure everyone has plenty of fluids. You still love to play with your doctor stuff. Thank you for just being you. There is no one I would rather spend my time with.

Happy Birthday! Your mommy and daddy love you so much,

Love
Mom

Haircut

Bennett got his first haircut. It was starting to look like he had a mullet. People even started commenting about it. He did a pretty good job. The hair stylist, a friend from our ward, just used scissors so it wouldn’t be so scary. I gave him a sucker and he sat on my lap. There was a small amount of crying because he didn’t like being forced to sit still. He looks so much better now that it is done. I wished I would have cut it before we took our Christmas pictures.

Before

During

After

Lilly also got a trim and wanted her pictures taken.   

Before

After

October 2014

Halloween is Tyson and Lilly’s favorite holiday so we try to pack the month full with Halloween activities.

This year we visited Wallace’s Gardening Center for all of their Halloween activities and pumpkins. They have bouncy houses, a blow up slide, small hay maze, toy tractors and pumpkins.

 

We spent a day at Pride of the Wapsi Pumpkin Patch. We did this last year as well. They have goats, bunnies, tunnels, slides, a family barrel roll, pony rides, a sandbox filled with corn kernels, a train ride and a wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch. Bennett was a little young to do the train or pony ride. He did enjoy the slides and sandbox. Lilly loved everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

We spent a weekend in Nauvoo for a ward temple trip. I know this isn’t Halloween related but I still thought I would record it. We woke up early in the morning and drove down. Kathy sent us some family names to do so that was a lot of fun. I did an initiatory session for my name while Tyson was at the temple welcome center with the kids. Once I was done he handed over the kids and completed an endowment session for his name. Since his session went longer than mine I took the kids out exploring old Nauvoo.  I am very thankful for their pioneer children area with costumes and toys. It keeps the kids nice and busy. Luckily it was a warmer day. After our sessions were done we headed home. It was a full Saturday and very enjoyable.

Our wards Trunk-or-Treat is always the Saturday before Halloween. I decided to dress up with Lilly. She really wanted Tyson to be a ghost but he wouldn’t make it happen. This Halloween was nice because Lilly used the same costume as last year and Bennett’s costume was a hand-me-down so I didn’t have to spend any money on costumes.

 

 

We made sure to carve our pumpkins for Family Home Evening instead of waiting for Halloween this year. It was such a better idea than trying to squeeze it in on the day of Halloween.

We started Trick-or-Treating as a whole family. Bennett did not last long though so I went home with him after about 5 houses. Lilly and Tyson continued without us while I handed out candy at home. Bennett was a wonderful greeter. Except, he insisted on eating candy all night and every time I opened the door he would crawl outside. It was hard trying to juggle him and the candy bowl. Our door was really sticky and gross by the end of the night, sticky finger prints all over it.

Once Tyson and Lilly got back I wanted a turn taking her out so we went down the street. She was one whinny girl by that time though and it wasn’t worth it. It was windy and cold that night. After Lilly was done she had fun with daddy handing out candy.