It only took 44 years, a kid who loves Legos, grandparents who were willing to buy the set and the electronics 💗 and a last-minute extra set of tracks to fit around the tree stand… It ended up needing some parental intervention [to get the power hooked up correctly and the tracks in an approximate circle] but Owen did the bulk of it.
I had to go pick up Katie from school yesterday afternoon because she had a fever. She did seem a bit worn out (and had been sneezing and coughing for a few days) but this morning she seemed quite okay—but I had to keep her out for 24 hours post-temperature. This is her “resting.”
There’s a stump in the back yard that we joke is the perfect time-out spot. Of course we’ve never had to use it, but that’s still what we call it. Katie is finally big enough to get up there by herself so this happened.
Apparently shoveling is fun if you’re doing it with cousins and not because a parent asked you to do it.
We didn’t bring snow pants so jammies have to suffice. She didn’t care one bit.
Attack on the living room window!
Cousins Gabby and Robert!
The kids love to dab an this is one Katie came up with tonight.
This doll used to be Gramma Jean’s when she was little, and then I played with her, and now she belongs to Katie.
This is what I walked downstairs to see this morning. Owen was in it at one point, too. And you notice the shoes, too, right? She clomps around in them all. the. time.
I got these cool tester cards to help people try and pick colors without actually having to put it on. Of course Katie was more than willing to assist/play!
I had some old eyeshadows I was going to toss but decided to let Katie have them instead. And boy did she have fun. Owen even got into the game…
As you can see there is no such thing as moderation. Six layers later: “Mom, I’m part Anna and part cat!”
And then Sophia came down and got involved.
And daddy even for roped in.
Katie and Sophia do this almost every day. There’s usually some amount of arguing involved but today was just Katie so it was peaceful. 🙂
The Roar Run is a PTA-Sponsored fundraising event in its sixth year. We are hoping it’s on a weekend next year—it’s a bit difficult getting there to enjoy the other events when the kids don’t get home until 4.
Katie is becoming a master hula hooper!
Stretching before the race!
We were watching the relay races and Katie wanted to try the wheelbarrow.
Neighbors!
Nine minutes until race time!
The group of neighbor kids running together! (Tom was taking the pic down at the fun run starting line.)
Katie came in a minute or so behind Sophia—but we had seen her on daddy’s shoulders for a bit!!
And the same pic close up as she crossed the finish line!
More neighbors!
Love a family photo!
Stacey and Lorenzo, Sophia and Enzo
And I had to try a selfie. It’s a bit more difficult with six people!
We had the results as they were happening and these were the finals (Katie missed a medal by one place—Sophia came in #3):
Of course as soon as I tried to get a video of her she stopped riding.
Katie set up the lunchbox and baby saying they were going to school.
That is a back support for a chair that had been unpacked and just sitting there. So of course it became a hat.
Remember me saying we wanted to try to give the kids experiences instead of stuff? Yeah, well, we also agreed that bigger things instead of lots of little junky stuff would be good, too…so we let Owen decide if he wanted to spend his birthday money to pay half of an ATV. (We had wanted to get them the power wheels but Owen is too big. A neighbor has an electric ATV that Owen loved so that’s how we got the idea.) He immediately agreed so he gave us all of his remaining birthday gift cards and still owes us about $100.
He was ABSOLUTELY GIDDY.
Unfortunately, it arrived like this so Tom had some work to do.
She loves her new power wheels! She was chasing Papa around and then driving crazy circles around the yard.
