Lissie's Sixth Birthday Celebrations

Ah, March.  Lissie's birthday month.  As always, celebrations extended after her big day with a few more surprises in store before month's end.

Prior to her birthday, Lissie had been busy making plans.  Plans for her special birthday cereal (this year she opted, after perusing the cereal aisle for about ten minutes, for a special edition Reese's Puff's bunnies cereal) for her birthday breakfast.  Plans for her birthday dinner (she wanted chili and cornbread).  Plans for her cake for her birthday party (she decided on a princess castle cake).  Plans for a sweet treat for her class snack (she picked brownies).  Plans for her birthday dessert (a small ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins).  Everything was all planned out (which definitely made it easier on her mama)!

Her actual birthday went exactly the way she wanted, with a few surprises.  She came down to her six birthday balloons on her birthday chair.  She got to open her presents from us and the family.  She opted for a fancy dress to wear to school since she gets a free out of uniform day for her birthday.  Daddy threw her for a loop, though, by surprising her at school during lunchtime with a Happy Meal.  When I picked her up from school, she excitedly told us about all of the cards and nice things her friends did to help make her day special.  And she got to stay home and play with her new loot while her brother went to martial arts.  It was a perfect school-day birthday day.

Watching Lolo and Lola's video message as soon as she woke up!

All the goodies waiting for her to come downstairs! 

Even Rupert gave her a birthday kiss!

Someone had a hard time letting Lissie have her own special day.

Surprise McDonald's Happy Meal lunch with daddy!

The celebrations continued through the weekend at My Gym.  After checking out many birthday venues (Above All, Sky Zone, Glow Galaxy, to name a few) over Christmas break, Lissie said she really wanted a party that was just for her friends - not at a large place.  Since I wasn't really feeling having a party at the house, luckily (thanks to Xavier's godmother!) we happened upon My Gym - and it was perfect!  All of the kids had a blast, and the birthday girl was as happy as a clam!

She picked the cake.

She specially requested the zipline!

Pure bliss!

Who doesn't love a ball pit?

These teachers had so much energy -
I was exhausted just watching them!

Riding the bull

Running through the moving trees

Umm, yeah.  This also happened, haha!

They all had a blast!

Of course, when Lolo and Lola came back from the Philippines, they wanted to celebrate with the birthday girl, as well.  We had been intrigued by the chocolate pinata at Uncle Julio's, so this was the perfect excuse to check it out!  So much fun, and what a yummy treat!

My little cooker was fascinated by the tableside guac

Lissie still needs to redeem her annual birthday mommy/daughter tea date, but that will have to be postponed until April at this rate.  Who knew how busy our lives could get having a kindergartener and preschooler!

Still can't believe this girl is the big SIX.  Time sure flies when you're having fun!

Dear Lissie - Six Years

Dear Felicity (as you like to be called now that you've learned how to spell your full name),

Last week you turned the big SIX and in a few short months you'll be in first grade.  You are firmly in the "elementary-aged" category and are more "kid" than ever before.  You're getting taller (even though somehow you've still managed to be the smallest in your class) and losing that baby chub with all of your swimming, ballet, and running around trying to get away from your 'lil brother.

You are so, so smart.  I am still shocked with all that you're required to know in just your first year of "real" school, but you are taking it even above and beyond what I could have possibly imagined.  In just mere months (through no real effort on my part), you managed to go from being a beginner reader to reading books at a 3.5 level and taking Accelerated Reader tests left and right.  When you first brought home a 150-page chapter book last week, I was a little hesitant in letting you read it.  But you're whipping through it at incredible speed.  You seriously are a book worm like your mama.

But, most importantly, you are kind and have the sweetest heart.  You want to help others - your friends, the homeless, the formerly imprisoned, strangers, anyone - all the time.   You told me just the other day that you want to be a role model - you want others to see your example and follow suit - through your charitable giving, your actions, and your words.  And you, my six-year-old daughter, are teaching me about compassion and love.  You are my example of loving your neighbor as yourself.

I seriously feel like I have won the jackpot in being your mother, and I thank God every day for entrusting you to me.

Continue to be the best you that you are.  I love you.

Love,
Mommy

Some of your likes:

• swimming
• dancing
• going to school
• playing piano
• reading (Bad Kitty books, Mr. Putter and Tabby)
• eating (particularly butternut squash lasagna and brussels sprouts)
• helping others
• Magic School Bus
• camping
• road trips

Some of your dislikes:

• green beans
• being scared
• the dark
• when brother is annoying you
• being woken up when you aren't ready

Your birthday interview:

Random pictures from the year:

Swimming!
(You have since gotten to the point where you don't need a floatie!)

Your pet crab "Diggy" in Myrtle Beach

Beautiful girl with a beautiful butterfly

Ballet

Cross-country
(You finished 25th at the championship race!)

You cannot wait for your First Communion

You lost your first tooth over Fall Break in Dollywood

Letting Daddy vacuum your hair to get it in a ponytail

Meatball Open House - Nashville Rescue Mission Fundraiser

For a couple of years now, we've done a semi-sporadic Friday Night Meatballs with friends.  We got the idea from this blog, and we adapted it to fit our style.  Especially when our children were itty bitties, we felt we could never find time to catch up with friends - going out to a restaurant was daunting with the babes/tots - so we set up an e-mail list with all of our close friends and told 'em all we had space for 6 adults and any kiddos that come with them. The first to respond would have a spot at the table.  We'd supply meatballs and pasta (or whatever entree we felt like making), and they'd all help supply the rest.  The kids were free to make a mess and run around, and the adults were all psyched for a little grown-up interaction.  It is always fun because sometimes the group didn't know each other, but by the end of the night, everyone was friends.

Lately, though, our Meatball Nights have been fewer and far between due to work schedules and just general busyness that comes with the weekends nowadays, but they're always so much fun and great ways to catch up with old friends and have our friends meet new ones.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when my kids started reading a book called Be the Change, Make it Happen: Big and Small Ways Kids Can Make a Difference.
One of the suggestions was to host a charity fundraiser party.  The kiddos were immediately brainstorming ways we could make it happen!

So we decided to modify our next Meatball Night and turn it into an Open House so we could accommodate more folks and also serve more finger-type foods and hearty appetizers (so people can either call it a snack or turn it into dinner).  The kids made a donation jar so our friends- if they felt inclined- could put cash/spare change/a check to the Nashville Rescue Mission, the kids' charity of choice since they serve area homeless.

That's Kindergarten for "Nashville Rescue Mission Donations"

I was amazed with the turnout!  Friends from school, work, and life in general started pouring in to have a good time and unwind from a busy week.  But what, to me, was more incredible were the donations.  Kiddos came in with money from their own piggy banks or that they earned from doing chores or even cherished Tooth Fairy money from their first lost tooth.  Seeing the children - most of them my kids' ages and younger - being so generous was enough to make me say a prayer of thanksgiving that yes, it is possible to teach kindness, and these kiddos ARE making a difference.  In all, we raised almost $300 for the homeless.  And while that amount exceeded my expectations, I was seriously even more impressed with the giving hearts of our friends and their awesome children.

We plan on making a charity meatball event an annual happening.  It was so much fun to do, and it was a wonderful experience for my kids.  I'm looking forward to taking them to Nashville Rescue Mission with the funds they raised so they can see just where their proceeds are going towards.

Oh, and I didn't check yesterday's mail until this morning.  But can you believe that this was the first envelope in the pile?  I wouldn't doubt that that's God's way of saying "Thank you" or, at the very least, reminding us of how many people our little fundraiser will help feed during Easter.  (After doing the math, the answer is 134 meals and provisions - incredible!)

"'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'  And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25: 37-40)

The party was so much fun.  Everyone ate well, played well, and enjoyed each others' company.

Lissie, in particular, partied hard.  So much so that, while the party was still going on, she whispers to me that she's all done and put herself to bed, haha.

Many thanks to everyone who came and donated to the cause.  It was a wonderful learning experience for the children, and I'm looking forward to doing more!

EDITED TO ADD:

We donated our proceeds last Friday (3/3) to The Mission.  They loved hearing about our project.  Never mind that they got a few of the details wrong in their FB post, but how awesome is it that we ended up raising a whopping $349.72 (after a few last minute donations from friends who couldn't attend) to the homeless!  They said that'll feed over 150 people.  So proud of my kiddos and their amazing, giving hearts!

38

All Things Halloween-y 2016

A Ladybug and a Monkey

I started this blog post shortly after Halloween and never finished it.  Now I don't remember everything that happened!  But I feel the need to jot down what I do recall because I'm sure I'll want to look back on my recap later....

(And now that I'm compiling my thoughts, I'm noticing that I don't have pictures of a lot of our fun adventures!  Oh, well.)

Anyway, here's my recap:

Somehow Halloween and Fall Festivities have taken over not just the last weekend of October, but the majority of the month this year.

Due to Justin's unpredictable work schedule (and also enticed by the First Weekend Promotion), we decided to go to Boo at the Zoo early - October 15th.  Justin and Xavier had never been before (they were both sick last year when Lissie and I went for the first time), so it was extra fun to do as a whole family.  We weren't anticipating the large crowds, though!  When Lissie and I went last year, it was on an overcast Sunday evening which led to fewer in attendance all the way around.  But even with the crazy amounts of people, there was so much to do that once we made it through the gates, the lines weren't totally unbearable.  Plus, the added surprise of having our next door neighbor (and my kids' favorite friend) there made it a super special night all the way around!

With their favorite neighbor friend.

 The next weekend, Lissie's school hosted a Fall Festival, complete with a bounce house, games, food trucks, and a beer garden(!).  It was a fun fundraiser for the school, and it was great catching up with other parents and teachers while the kiddos ran around like crazy.  Xavier managed to win an elaborately decorated- and incredibly delicious- chocolate cake at the cake walk, and we enjoyed it for breakfast and lunch the next day since it was so tempting and tasty!  Oh, and it was on the way to Fall Festival that Lissie lost her fourth tooth (in two weeks, even)!

We also went to the Haunted Museum.  The Tennessee State Museum hosted this sort-of-spooky-yet-family-friendly event, complete with lots of ghost stories and games and treats.  While we love the Tennessee State Museum, this was our first time at this particular event.  I was pleasantly impressed with how well done it was, and I know this is something my kids would appreciate even more as they grow older.  I can't wait to go again!

Halloween weekend kicked off with Trunk or Treat at our church.   The next day we woke up bright and early so I could  run a slow-ish, hot, hilly half marathon before yet another Harvest Festival at the Y.  The kids stayed entertained for almost four hours with the super fancy bounce houses, hay rides, train rides, and pizza!

Trunk or Treat!

My cheerleaders

  

 The kids, of course, also had Halloween activities at their respective schools (of which I don't even have any pictures!).  And Lissie had a small party at her dance studio.  Xavier also helped me decorate our pumpkins one day while big sis was at school.

 

Halloween night we decided to try our hand at trick-or-treating in one of our nearby subdivisions.  We were all pretty shocked with the amount of candy that was distributed at each house - if it wasn't a full-sized candy bar, it was a good handful of fun-sized candy.  The kids were complaining about the bag being too heavy after going down just one street!  Since we definitely didn't need all that candy in our house, the kids generously placed most of it in a pile to distribute with our blessings bags later this year.

Finally, the weekend after Halloween we went to an annual Family Day at Harlinsdale.  While the kids and I had been in the past, it was Justin's first time.  He was impressed with all of the fun and free activities that were available.  There were crafts, hayrides, fishing (where Xavier caught his first fish!), princesses, and lots of games and bounce houses.

 

Lissie took care of Mr. Mikey, the class pet, this weekend.
Hence all of the monkey shots.  Haha.

What a super busy and fun way to celebrate Fall!  (And to think, we are now in the midst of a crazy hectic December/Advent