Happy 8th Birthday, Alaina!!

I always knew this day would come. The day when all traces of your early years disappeared, and your life started to be marked by what you can do, rather than what you can't. You are 8 today, and you are the coolest 8 year old I know. You really rocked 2nd grade, doing well in the school part and the friend part. You catch on so quickly to every new thing we teach you to do. Cleaning bathrooms, doing dishes, watering plants, reading to your sisters...you are such a big help to me. Your sisters love you and missed you so much while you were at school. We're all so glad to have you home for the summer.

I pray that you fully understand that you were made in God's image, and that He has plan to prosper you, and not harm you. I pray that you will delight yourself in the Lord, because if you do, He has promised to give you the desires of your heart. I pray you will always trust the Lord to provide for your needs. I pray you will grow in goodness, compassion, brotherly kindness and love toward everyone you meet.

I really like who you are turning out to be.

We love you!

Love,
Mom, Dad, Joya & Bria

Alaina - Age 8

Favorite Color - Black

Favorite Toy - My flying squirrel

Favorite Fruit - Mango

Favorite TV Show - Odd Squad

Favorite Thing to Eat For Lunch -Ramen

Favorite Outfit - My ninja costume

Favorite Game - Limbo

Favorite Snack - Fruit snacks

Favorite Animal - Horse

Favorite Song - The Captain Underpants song

Favorite Book - Tom Gates

Best Friend - Avery

Favorite Cereal - Lucky Charms

Favorite Thing to Do Outside - Run and fly my kite

Favorite Drink- White grape juice

Favorite Holiday - My birthday

Favorite Bed Buddy - Squirrley

Favorite Thing to Eat for Breakfast - Toast with Cookie Butter

What do you want for your birthday dinner? Ramen

What do you want to be when you grow up? A comics writer

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Quick 5

It always takes a few days to settle into the rhythm of summer.

1. We kicked off summer last Friday with popsicles with friends. Once a month we do a babysitting swap with some friends from church, and this month was ours to host. So five little blonde girls got to have dinner, eat popsicles and play outside together. Basically it was a cuteness overload.

2. The start of summer means the start of our Super Summer Challenge. There's a whole book about it if you're interested, but basically it is chores and challenges for points and prizes. We've changed points into dollars (play dollars) which the girls can then spend in my store. We started the challenge on Monday, and Alaina earned $50.00 this week, and Joya earned $30.00. Bria doesn't care. The girls have plans for how they want to spend this money, but I'll see how that plays out and fill you in next week.

3. One of Alaina's new challenges/chores is doing the dishes after dinner. I'll clear and put the food away, Alaina has learned how to load the dishwasher and wash the dishes, and Joya dries and puts the dishes away. This is a glorious plan. Yes, this is the first week, but Alaina still is really excited about this new responsibility.

4. Another one of Alaina's new challenges is learning how to cook. This week she made us english muffin pizzas for lunch. She used the oven and everything. (Side note: if you have any recipes that are easy for kids to make, I'd love to hear them!)

 5. Joya's been a true helper by picking up the living room and her bedroom each day. She wanted me to show you this picture of the fruits of her labor:

Bags filled with who-knows-what, removed from her room

And Bria? She's been spending her days enjoying a new magazine from Gramma and Grampa Kimble.

Boom. Week one of summer in the books.

Happy 2nd birthday to my nephew Elisha! We'll see you in a couple of months, buddy!

Quick 5

We made it!

1. Today is the last day of school. Alaina gets to enjoy a picnic lunch, an ice cream party, and an early dismissal. I well remember the feeling on the last day of school, and I very much enjoy watching her brimming with excitement. She rocked 2nd grade.

2. Watching the personalities of my three girls emerge is fun to watch and frustrating to manage. Alaina loves to pretend. Joya would rather create art. The downside to the creation of art is the negotiation of what stays and what goes. Sometimes taking a picture of her art is good enough. Sometimes throwing away a colored picture out of a coloring book is like removing a piece of her soul. It's a crap shoot when it comes to how she feels about each piece of art.

A rainbow ukulele

Playing the rainbow ukulele

3.  Alaina's birthday is in two weeks. She's already checking the mailbox for birthday surprises, so clearly it's going to be a long two weeks. She typed up her birthday list for us:

Sword/shield   

Magic Tree House Books #s 6,7,8

Stuffed Dragon 

More G-2 pens 

a NINJAGO Lego set 

THEME:

Horses

TREAT:

ICE CREAM!

She's a woman of few wants. She also stumbled across a G-2 pen a while back, and has decided she needs more of those in her life. Clearly G-2 pens are something that should be on every almost-8-year-old's birthday list.

4. Did you know that they have dark chocolate peanut butter cups at Trader Joe's? Well, you should. Lee LOVES peanut butter. I'm okay with it sometimes. It's fine, but I don't need it. But these things, man. Next time you're there, find them. Or make a special trip, if you don't go that often.

5. This is what Bria said to me as I was getting her dressed this morning:

"I'm awesome! Feel my muscles!"

Self-esteem: check.

Happy 4th Birthday to my niece Tegan! We love you!

Quick Update

The days are long, but the weeks are fast.

This has been a busy, but mostly unremarkable week. The Big Event was Alaina's annual school music program. We're pros at sitting through the middle/high school portion of the program. But the true gem of the night was the K-2 program. The kids all dressed as woodland creatures and did A Race to the Finish, the story of the tortoise and the hare. Alaina was given the role of the Fox, who refereed the race. She had a solo and a few lines, and she did an amazing job.

 It is also noteworthy to mention that Bria did an amazing job sitting through the program too. No screaming. No fussing. Just eating her sucker and chilling out. That was as joyous to us as Alaina's performance.

One more week of school, then we'll be in summer mode. We have a Big Summer ahead of us.

Quick 5

Whew.

1. We decided to try out a new hiking place a couple of weeks ago. There is a lovely little river close by, so we donned our shoes and took the girls. It was crazy windy, but the girls had tons of fun throwing rocks into the river.

2. This is the face Bria made the minute we said it was time to leave, and this face stayed this way for a good hour after. YES, I gave her fair warning. Sometimes a warning means nothing to a three-year-old. (It is my kindness to you and me that this is a picture and not a video.)

3. Last weekend was the Great Tulsa Trip of 2016. Driving two 12 hour days in four days was kind of a butt-kicker, but it was worth it to see my baby brother take the walk from college student to college graduate. We are crazy proud of him. Also, I have no pictures of him, but he was there. Anyway, we stayed in a house with the rest of our family, and the kids seemed to have a lovely time hanging out and playing at a park together.

4. The girls handled the graduation ceremony like champs. We won't speak of what happened at Ben's hooding ceremony the night before.

5. We also celebrated at the AWANA awards ceremony this week. Joya got to hold the Bible for the pledge to the Bible, and Alaina and Joya both successfully completed their books, and their times in Sparks and Cubbies. Next year Alaina will be in T&T, Joya will be in Sparks, and Bria is finally going to be in Cubbies.

 Only two weeks left of school! Summer, here we come!