Babies' Birthday

After Lucy's birthday on Monday we woke up and celebrated the babies' birthday! Lucy was almost as excited for their birthday as for her own.  After breakfast the girls opened their first presents. They had gotten some presents from the grandmas a couple of weeks ago and hadn't been very interested in the opening process-but not on their birthdays! They were pros and enjoyed ripping at all that paper. They loved these little plush birdies (and Lucy loved that they were from Rio.)

After naps we met Becca and went to Thanksgiving Point. We were waiting for some of her friends to join us at the gardens so we went to the dinosaur museum. We hadn't been before and it was nice to get out of the heat for awhile. Lucy loved it and kept telling me not to be nervous because the dinosaurs weren't real and the sounds just were trying to make it feel authentic. She protected me form the giant shark too.

 

After our tour of the museum and a walk through the children's garden we went to see the tulips. Poor babies-it was their birthday and we pushed them around in the heat all day:) We took them out in the shade and let them explore for a bit though.

 After a long day out we came home and had dinner. They tried cake at their family party a couple weeks ago so on their birthday we had cookies. They liked them a lot more.

 Before bed they got to video chat with Grandma Leininger and had a great time showing her all their tricks.

ONE

 My girls are one years old. I'll have to update later when they're both not screaming for me, but for now here they are on our trip to the tulip festival on their birthday yesterday:

FIVE

Yesterday was Lucy's Fifth birthday. I can't believe my girl is five. We were talking over breakfast about what she wants to accomplish this year (one of Danny's intense questions) and she said she wants to learn to ride her bike without training wheels, learn to swim, learn to tap dance, go to kindergarten and maybe learn how to play an instrument.  I think it all is going to happen, but doesn't that sounds like a lot?! When Danny asked me the same question this year I think I replied, "Be happy and survive." Being five is going to be awesome.

Lucy determined our schedule for the day. For breakfast she requested banana pancakes. I went to work out and while I was gone Danny went about making them. Unfortunately he left some butter on the stove while he ran out with the kids to buy eggs and came home to a house full of smoke. Nothing was damaged, but after 24 hours airing out, it still smells. Anyway, we decided to let it air out and walked over to Eggs in the City for breakfast.

Afterward Lucy prepared for preschool. On your birthday at school you get to do a special show and tell where you can bring a bag of things you love and show who you are. Lucy packed: her Lamby, a baby picture, her Princess autograph book, and her favorite book (Brown bear brown bear-she said its her favorite because she can read it all by herself).  Then we made some cookies to take to school to share. Right before school her friend Fiona came and we had a little party (because Danny had school all night).  We ate cupcakes and sang Happy birthday

then unwrapped presents. Lucy was so excited about this bubble bath.

She loved this new Cinderella outfit for her teddy Sarah from her Grandma and Grandpa Leininger. It included a wig!

Weeks ago Lucy left the Disney store with Becca saying that she really wanted a Miss Piggy doll she saw there. I told her "maybe for her birthday" like a I reply after everything she wants. Well, she did not forget about Miss Piggy, but I did. I was planning to get it online but completely forgot about it. The week before her birthday I called the two Disney stores in UT every day asking if they and one in stock-no luck. One day my mom did the same in CA, found a doll in Fairfield and drove all the way out there with my dad. She put it in the mail for overnight delivery and it arrive in time! Bless her forever. Lucy was THRILLED. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

After a fun day at school we picked up Danny, who was on a break, and drove to City Creek to play in their splash pad. Lucy loved it and Danny sacrificed his own clothes to let the babies play in the water too (they weren't wearing shoes so they couldn't sit or walk around).

After a fun dinner at Costa Vida, per Lucy's request, we all finally went to bed exhausted. Lucy woke up this morning feeling like she had grown up and happily proclaimed to everyone that she was a mature five year old now. What a big girl:)

Tangled!

On Friday we had a birthday party for Lucy with her friends from church.  This was her first friend party, I somehow have managed to avoid doing one before now! About six little girls came and we had so much fun. Lucy has been obsessed with Tangled since it came out and this was the third year she has wanted a Tangled themed party.  In the past it has been low key just for family, so this year we went all out. 

This is my favorite view of my babies. Whenever I walk out the door they come rushing to the screen to peer out. Rapunzel's braid ran from the door down our walk.

 Becca arrived as Lucy went off to school to help me clean and set up for the party. We had two and a half hours until guests arrived-but we also had three children 18 months and younger! Turns out most of the time was spent feeding and holding our babes and we rushed around whenever our arms were free of children. That is why when the kids arrived I was makeup-less, but at least I managed to change out of my sweats.

Becca insisted I take a picture with my "pin the nose on Flynn" game. I drew it the night before and totally underestimated how long it would take me.  The game was a hit!

 When kids arrived they ran into Lucy's room and changed into princess dresses. This wasn't necessarily in the plan and I was shocked no one argued about who got what dress. Everyone was happy with their outfit and accessories.  Then they decorated Rapunzel's crown.

 This is the only shot I have of our doughnut tower. This could have been cool, but I forgot to buy a dowel and we completely ran out of time. After Becca simply held the thing upright for twenty mintues we gave up and it toppled. In the last minutes while Becc and I were doing everything else Danny crammed toothpicks into it and frosted "hair" and flowers onto it.  Regardless of its appearance, the doughnuts were good:)

 After our crowns were done we sang Happy Birthday and ate our donuts, apples and fishy crackers while watching the new short "Tangled Ever After". Most of the kids (and moms) hadn't seen it. We ended up watching it twice-it is such a cute movie.  Then we played our Pin the nose on Flynn game and made some Pascal party blowers.

 Before the party Lucy and I had several chats about being a gracious hostess and a receiving gifts graciously. We went so far as to act out some scenarios. She mostly remembered them.

 Our Flynn pinata. Whenever I ask Lucy to smile at the camera this is the pose she makes. I put a lot less paper mache one this pinata and it actually broke after everyone had had a try.

 Afterward we painted on the walls just like Rapunzel liked to do. I thought that at 4/5 years old this would be a pretty clean activity. One girl left with globs of paint in her hair and I found another girl painting her foot blue. Oops. At least nothing ended up on my carpet.

 Danny snapped these pictures after the last girl had gone. We were exhausted. I had been fighting a cold for a couple days and with the party done my body instantly felt worse. I guess my willpower had been keeping the worst of it at bay!  (Doesn't Becca look cute in her new glasses?!)

 

We felt very successful.  Lucy and her friends had a wonderful time. That said, like many families I think we'll do friend parties every other year.

Triple Party!

The title of this post could also have been: A Gazillion Pictures. 

While Mom and Katy were in town we decided to throw a little birthday party for my girls (if you remember my kids have three birthdays in two days) with my mom's family. We don't all see each other too often and it was really fun to get together. We met at the park across from my house and had a great time together. My mom and Lucy made this awesome Rapunzel cake ( Lucy cracked the eggs, stirred the batter and licked the bowl and my mom did everything else.)

The babies had a riot. I bought these little matching onesies on clearance when they were about two months old. At the time I wasn't sure I'd survive their first birthday:)

We sat around and visited, played frisbee, at pizza, played at the park and gave kids rides in the wagon.

After dinner we had a pinata. Lucy and I made this pinata together and had a great time doing it. I was planning on printing out the Wanted poster of Flynn Rider for two sides of it, but when I tried I was completely out of ink. I sketched this out instead. I have almost no artistic ability so I was pretty proud of the result:)

 

When I asked Lucy to pose with the pinata and frying pan I got this shot:

 

Everyone got a turn,although the little kids used this bat rather than the pan. We went through each child twice before Uncle Steve had to demolish it.

We brought out the highchairs so the babies could have their first bites of cake. After a bit of uncertainty Lydia got into it. Joyce hated everyone looking at her and screamed into Danny's shoulder until he picked her up. Could my girls be any more different?:)

Lucy put on her own makeup for the event.  I guess she has seen Becca filling in her blonde eyebrows.

My favorite shot of the night:

Joyce did end up loving the cake, just on her own terms.

People kindly brought my girls presents. Lyd was still going at the cake so Joyce was my special helper. They got some cute outfits, books and a great set of blocks.

This bag was so big we put them inside. Most of the pictures I have hide Lydia because she immediately sat down and played with the surrounding tissue paper.

I almost deleted this picture as soon as I saw my face. Don't you love the overly-expressive-fake-enthusiasm on my face? It was an awesome present but nothing warrants that face!

Sarah and Ruby became good friends. I think Sarah took Ruby up the stairs to the twisty slide a hundred times. We are so lucky to have nice cousins.