Mermaid Birthday Party

Makenzie wanted a Mermaid Birthday Party.  Spencer was incharge of the decorations and did a great job of turning our living room into the ocean!

We played pin-the-fin on the mermaid.

And the kids all went fishing using the fishing pole Grandpa gave Makenzie for Christmas.  They caught fish and then hung them on their own lines.

And of course...the famous string maze.  I was too busy helping the kids to take any pictures of the action, but this is what it looked like before they started.

Makenzie wanted hot dogs and maccaronia and cheese.  Mommy was thrilled that it was an easy meal to make!

And the funnest part was probably just hanging out and playing on the bunk beds!

Makenzie Turns 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have no idea how it happened so fast, but my little baby girl turned FIVE!!!

She wokeup and opened a few presents before Daddy had to leave for work.

Then she decided she wanted to go to the Hands-On Children's Museum in Greenville.  It was a nasty rainy day, so it was good to be out of the house and yet indoors.  It was PJ Day at the museum, so we dressed up in our PJ's (all the staff was in their PJ's too, but we were the only visiters that got the memo!!!)

They had a craft called snow art.  You mix shaving cream with glue and food coloring.  It sticks to the paper, dries, and yet remains fluffy.  It's super cool!

Makenzie built a neat little building, mostly by herself.  She wanted a picture next to her masterpiece.

We worked together and built an arch.  Then all 3 kids actually let me get a picture before they knocked the arch down!

Makenzie climbed to the very top of the rock wall several times...all by herself!

Isaiah is playing with the super cute boy in the mirror.  He would make a bunch of different sounds and faces.  Move side to side.  Touch the mirror.  It was really funny to watch.

Yup.  He's standing all by himself!!!  He has to work really hard to get to standing, but once he's there he can tolerate it for almost 30 seconds to 1 minute or more!  My little man is growing up too!

We came home.  Ate dinner.  And opened the rest of the presents.  After Makenzie opened a present that ended up being just a boring package of construction paper, she said "I'm so disappointed."  She was so disappointed that she let Hailey open the other present (which Makenzie knew was just more disappointig paper).  Then she opened 10 bottles of paint and got really excited.  So they ended the day painting.  Makenzie is starting to paint very detailed and realistic pictures.  It is amazing how much she's growing up!!!

SNOW!!!!

After months of freezing temperatures, the weather finally got it's act together and snowed for us!  The girls and I went and played for awhile.  It wasn't powdery enough for snow angles or snowmen, but it was just right for snowballs!

The girls posing so Mommy could get pretty picture.

After about 20 minutes, we went inside, drank some hot chocolate, and warmed up.  Isaiah had woken up, so we bundled him up and let him experience his first snow.  All we had in snow gear were hand-me-downs...so he's in pink.  Luckily Grams had just sent some new clothes, so there is a little manly green thrown into the mix.

Random Cuteness

Here are some random pictures of the kids.  Grams and Grandpa sent the kids a bunch of books that they had read alound and burned to a CD.  So the kids can listen to Grams and Grandpa read the story to them.  They arrived in two seperate boxes, so they got to open presents twice.  Makenzie read one of the books to Isaiah.

Hailey plays by herself very well now.  She loves little doll things. She loves My Little Pony and Polly Pocket Princesses.  She got a back pack for Christmas and love wearing it around the house.

Isaiah loves to take all the magnets off the fridge.  He also talks to himself in the reflection.  I was trying to get a picture of it and he kept looking at me and playing with me.  He has such a cute smile!

I finally got a picture of him checking himself out.  It's really fun to watch.

Indoor Soccer

Makezie started indoor soccer at the local YMCA.  She was very excited to get new orange shorts and a cute pink shirt to match.  She even liked the pink shin guards.  Here, she is ready for her first practice!

Spencer volunteered to coach.  He thought they would have an experienced coach and he would help.  Nope.  He's the one and only coach for the team!!!  So, he spent some time doing internet research and found a bunch of fun games and soccer skill drills and such.  He's doing a great job!

Here is Makenzie's first game!  She likes practice, because they get to play games and there are two girls her age on the team.  She didn't enjoy the games so much.  She begs to be allowed to sit out!  The first game, her team won 4-1.  The second game, we won 8-0!!!  Hopefully she'll start enjoying the games a little more by the end of the season.

Castle Bunk Beds

Our main present to the girls this year was a set of bunk beds.  And since Spencer's hobby is woodworking, we decided to build castle bunk beds.  They weren't ready for Christmas, so the girls were able to help us the week after Christmas.  Their "help" with the painting lasted...ooohh...maybe 10 minutes!

Once everything was painted we brought the pieces into the room for assembly.  Everything was attached with screws, so it can be taken apart and moved if needed.  Once assembled, it weighs about as much as a castle...so it doesn't move!

Here is the finished castle!  Hailey sleeps on the bottom and Makenzie gets the top.  They both have rope lights that circle the bed and some personal shelves to keep their books and other goodies.

After we finished, I asked Spencer if he minded that after building a cool castle he had to paint it pink and purple.  He said, "Nope.  I've got two girls.  I'm just thankful I could build a castle and not a dollhouse!"

Here is how Makenzie likes to get down!