A Glimmer of Hope

We've come to that time of year where you need a glimmer of hope that Spring is around the corner. We got that glimmer last week on Sunday when it climbed to 66 degrees! I was so excited I had trouble deciding the best way to enjoy the nice weather.

I decided a trip to Isabella Cannon park/Raleigh Rose Garden for a picnic would be a good start. And some ice cream at Goodberry's would be a good finish. The girls agreed!

Addie begged to climb to the top of the rock and I let her. She is so big now...

Collins really takes her time on the outdoor stage very seriously..."Let it Go" of course.

 

 

It's was so nice to play outside and feel like it was Spring (if only for a day)!

A Hard-Working Hallway

You would not think our downstairs interior hallway would be very entertaining to children, but you would be wrong. This is one of the girls' favorite spaces to play in. They shut the office,  the bathroom, the playroom, the kitchen and the foyer doors and what do they get? A small, secluded, windowless space to entertain themselves in.

They turn off the lights and bring flash lights in and create a cool light show. They host picnics. They throw and chase balls. But their very favorite way to use that hallway is for dance performances. They not so politely tell me to "get out", to close the kitchen door, and to not come in until it's time for the performance.

Here is what a recent episode of "play in the hallway" looked like in photos...

There was some intensive dance training going on...

which posed a bit of a problem because the student got easily distracted and the instructor got easily frustrated.

We have enjoyed many performances in that hallway and look forward to many more! :)

Future Career?

When people ask Collins what she wants to be when she grows up, she answers with "an opera singer". Don't ask me where that came from. She doesn't even know what that means (although that would be really cool if it happened). If you ask me, I think she might end up being an engineer or an architect. She loves building unique structures and objects and really thinks creatively. 

For example, these binoculars (or "beh-nock-lee-ers" as C calls them)... 

Her teachers set up a new building center in their classroom by putting out a bunch of random objects and letting them create. Collins came home with these super cool binoculars. There is a star that hangs over the end that she made as a "sun shade". There is a logical explanation for why she used wine corks on the top, stars at the end, and red tape where she did. I asked her if the other kids made binoculars too, and she said she was the only one. I marvel that she came up with this unique design on her own! Her teacher said that she was a real leader in the center; that other kids started making binoculars after they saw Collins's pair.

Then at home she built this block structure. What impresses me about this is that it's not just a house for the Grandma and the little girl. It's got a pool out back (using a tray) and a garden (using magna-tiles) and there are a bunch of items in the front designed to protect the women from a purple monster (a marker, a tea napkin, a wooden chest of drawers, etc.). There is always an explanation for everything. Imagination hard at work. :)

Outside later that day, she was inspired to use the sticks in the yard (that fell from our day of "severe weather") to create a giant fairy house. 

Maybe I am amazed her brain works this way because mine does not. Regardless, I love seeing what interesting things come from that little brain! Perhaps she will become a singing engineer? :)

Believe it or Not...Collins Turns Five

She finally did it. Our baby turned five-years-old! I pleaded with her to stop growing and to turn four again this year instead of five, but all my efforts were in vain. Collins is growing up fast, and this birthday felt like a big milestone.

Collins loves birthdays more than anybody else I know and had been counting down the days to hers for MONTHS. We were all relieved when it finally came. :) And despite our best efforts to slow her down, we all know she was ready for five. When you can completely dress yourself, write all of your letters, and scale the monkey bars, it is time.

The birthday festivities kicked off Friday afternoon when Aunt Alli came into town (so sweet of her to drive in from Charleston for the party). She hadn't been back to Raleigh since she moved back in the Fall, so we celebrated with a delicious lunch at Hayes Barton Cafe. Pretty fun to finish off the meal with some Patty Cake (Addie ate most of it) while watching a pretty snow fall outside.

Next on the agenda? The arrival of Poppy and Nana! No birthday would be complete without these two, and it's no shocker that Collins chose to take us all to Bad Daddy's for dinner. Of course there was a milkshake and a sparkler candle involved.

On Saturday morning (her actual birthday), we kicked off our day-long celebration by letting C open her presents in bed (her request). There were lots of mermaids involved in these gifts! Then she got treated to some french toast with Gigi and Pop Pop at her favorite breakfast joint (Finch's). She had just enough time at home to get silly with Addie before being whisked off by Poppy and Nana for an IMAX movie and lunch. Strong start to the day, right?

Her departure coincided with the arrival of the bounce house. We had given Collins two choices for the mermaid birthday party she had requested this year- 1) a swim party at the Buffalo Road Aquatic center or 2) a party at home with a bounce house. Guess you know which one won! She has always wanted a bounce house so I think it's neat she got one for her 5th birthday.

Addie took full advantage of having the bounce house to herself for a couple of hours. Although she was unsure of it at first, she quickly acclimated then refused to get out of it for the remainder of the 8-hour rental. No doubt, she enjoyed that bounce house more than any other kid that day!

But Collins and Nana got plenty of bounce time in, too...

And finally...the birthday party! Oh how I stressed over this party the week prior as I watched the forecast dip 20 DEGREES in a matter of days. Ugh..how in the world were we going to fit 30+ people inside our small house on the coldest day of the year? Would the kids be able to bounce if it was so cold? Would the snow we were getting on Friday affect whether we could have the party on Saturday? The whole thing stressed me out!

As usual, my worries turned out to be not a big deal. It WAS really cold (28 degrees), and we did have a lot of people jammed into that playroom, but it was fine. The house was not too crowded and the kids didn't care if it was cold outside. 

As you will see, we really got into the mermaid theme this year. I was almost embarrassed for guests to see how much trouble I went to because they would think I have a problem. Collins said, "People will walk into the dining room and ask how in the world did you make the seaweed and fish?!?" And I said, "No, sweetie. People will walk into the dining room and ask WHY I made the seaweed and fish." :) Regardless, people have fun in different ways and Mom and I think it's fun to make mermaid photo booths and jellyfish decor in our free time. 

Because I knew she could handle it, I gave my sister all the hard assignments for the party including this super cute shark fruit bowl and the most important item...the cake! Of course, Al nailed them both!

Seriously- how good is this? Al is obviously very talented because she just threw this together Saturday morning. And it makes me laugh because this wasn't even our original plan for the cake. This was our second choice for the design. It was perhaps her best work yet and my favorite birthday cake of all time!

And speaking of good...Donna made these adorable cookies. Loved them!

As the kids arrived, they headed out back first for some jumping...

Then they decorated their own treasure chests...

Against my better judgment, I set up a sand station in the playroom. Kids thought it was cool so I chose to ignore the huge mess that it caused!

So thankful that Mimi has lots of large TV's at her house because from one of them came this fabulous mermaid photo booth. 

Then it was time for the next craft...sand art. Cute Jack (the lone brave boy among a sea of girls) came up to me after he made his sand art and asked if there were any more crafts. I responded, "Do you want there to be??" I was not expecting his answer to be yes, but it was!

This craft was also very messy, but they turned out really cute. Celia-Gray was so proud of hers she asked me to take her picture with it. :)

Then it was cake time! 

The final activity was a treasure hunt for the party favors. But first we gathered the kids for a cute cold-weather group photo...coldest mermaid party ever?

I asked everyone to find the treasure map in their gift bags and explained that treasures were hidden all over the house and yard for them to find. They took off quick! 

First they found mermaid pencils in the bookcase, then punch balloons behind the birthday cake...

then bubbles in the mailbox...

and then silly putty in the fort.

And then finally, "X" marked the spot...these five-year-olds gave that treasure chest their best whacks and still couldn't pop the pinata. 

So Collins pulled the string and everybody scrambled for their treasure...and then headed home.

I can't thank our family enough for not only driving so far to come to the party, but for all their help! These events are truly a group effort which is part of the reason they always turn out so special.

After the party, Collins opened some pretty great presents...

For example....best-themed birthday gift ever? Alli had the idea; Mom had the sewing machine! Collins, Addie, and Rosie received mermaid tale fleece blankets. (I might have used a tail already on a particularly cold night!)

It was a fabulous party, but by the end, Collins was overwhelmed and exhausted I think. That was one heck of a busy birthday. Plus, she hadn't slept well the last two nights from a hacking cough that kept her up. A couple of meltdowns told us she was spent. I kept thinking back to one of our favorite Berenstain Bear Books "Too Much Birthday" and wondered if this was maybe the case for Collins. But after her friends had left and she was taking a final bounce in the bounce house before it came down, she yelled, "best birthday ever!" so I'm going to hope that was the case. After all, five is a big one. 

And the last bit of birthday business...her official measurement. How our baby has grown...

Happy 5th birthday, Collins! We are so proud of you and couldn't love you more.