The Girl's Birthday Party Part One

This year we did really low-key birthday parties for the girls. They had a friend party with friends from church and the neighborhood and then we did our family party that evening. We played Wii and Kinect and board games and then ate cupcakes and had a treasure hunt. It was nice to relax and have a good time.

Making "Old-Fashioned" Valentines

I asked the girls if they wanted to make Valentines, I received blank stares from both of them. Cat said, "Mom, I already wrote my name on all of my valentine's". This is when I sighed, sat down, and got really nostalgic. I had been collecting crafties since January to make some real Valentines. The kind with paper heart doilies, glue, glitter and stickers. It was time for some drastic action! I explained to the girls that giving valentines was a victorian-era practice and that girls their age would spend hours gluing and cutting and making special valentines to give to people; that it was fun and that we would do it together. They caught on quickly and sat down at the table to craft beautiful works of art. A little glitter, some glue and a lot of Frank Sinatra on Pandora and we made some of the most beautiful valentines ever! We sat at the kitchen table for a good three hours. It was fantastic!

Fashion Show

The girls put on a fashion show for me yesterday. I had to enter my phone number to get my ticket, then I was expected to be the photographer as well as the DJ. By request, we had some very loud, very rockin Justin Beiber on and the girl's strutted down the towel runway. They are full of SASS and totally rocked the runway. It is funny to me that instinctively they pose and put their hands on their hips and such. They have never seen that being done, where do they learn it? It was a lot of fun and made a pretty rotten day, much brighter! Thanks babies!

Butterflies

For Christmas, Grandma Thomason got Catherine a butterfly garden. We sent away for the caterpillars and the girl's anxiously awaited for them to come in the mail. They finally came and the caterpillars looked like little black rice specks. Not very exciting when you are expecting to see caterpillars and butterflies. They grew so fast though, within about 10 days they had grown huge and were hanging upside down. After a few more days, a hard shell encased all of the caterpillars and they moved on to their pupa stage which was the grossest for me because I then had to transfer them from their enclosed little containers to the garden. This involved me ripping the paper they were attached to off of the lid and pinning it to the side of the net. They were nasty-looking and they wobbled and it really wasn't my favorite thing. Then, they hung there for almost 10 days before the first one hatched into a beautiful painted lady butterfly. We had two the first day, then by Sunday morning 9 had hatched. The last 3 hatched on Monday and now there are no more. We released them this morning. It was a very fun experience, but I am glad it is over. The girls want me to order more, but I think it might be a once a year sort of deal. They are so beautiful though and I got to hold them while I was letting them go which was really neat.

Queen Creek High School Cheerleading Performance

The girls got to participate in a cheerleading camp held at a local high school at the beginning of the month. I know, I am just getting pictures up. They had a practice and then the game was the next weekend. They had a blast and were excited to go out and perform.

Catherine and Sarah

Cat and Sarah with Emily, their special helper

Dancing with Emily and Alejandra, a girl from our ward.

Cat and Sarah with Casey, a little friend from our ward.

The girls shaking it out on the field.

Some funny quips

My children say the funniest things sometimes. I try to remember to write them down, but most the time it doens't happen. Here are some of the things from today that I want to remember.

Catherine: "Can we turn the radio on, it's too quiet"
Me: "Let's leave it off, Heavenly Father has the Holy Ghost speak to us when it is quiet"
Catherine: "I don't hear him"
Me: "Listen with your heart"
Sarah: "My heart can't listen, it doesn't have ears, it just goes bump, bump, bump"

Catherine: "Are we going to the ranch market or the library first?"
Me: "Library, so that our veggies don't die in the car"
Catherine: "If we just bought grapes it would be okay, they would turn into raisins"

Love it!

Picture of the Day

Picture of the Day

At Grammy and Grampy's House

Picture of the Day

We went downtown today and rode the carousel, fed the ducks, fed the garbage goat and followed the tracks in the mall. Thank you Auntie Deborah! Catherine and Sarah tried out their running poses with the Bloomsday runner statues.

Picture of the Day

Picture of the Day

This is Walker a little pine beetle that we found on the Jensen's front porch. Sarah quickly crawled into my lap after discovering him, but Cat followed him around and named him and got very upset when Sarah wanted me to squish him. We have a rule that if bugs are living outside where they are supposed to be, we don't squish them, but Sarah is all in favor of breaking this rule. So here is to Walker, who hopefully will never find himself inside the house and under Sarah's shoe.