First Day of School!

This is one of my favorite traditions that Bob does with the girls! He takes them to get their nails done the night before school starts. Best part is that he joins in on the spa fun too! They have yet to talk him into an actual color but I have no doubt one day he will walk out with matching zebra print on his nails:)

Ella reading The Night Before Kindergarten to sweet McKenna.

I can't believe I have two full time students this year! McKenna is starting Kindergarten and Ella Second grade. I love these sisters so so much! 

Since they missed the first two days being at family camp, we rocked the 3rd day of school just like it was the first! The traditional first day of school apple and caramel dip treat. Super easy and so yummy! Mix 10oz of caramel with 8oz of cream cheese. Put it in a mason jar, top with a layer of plain caramel and then sprinkle it with toffee bits. 

First day of school breakfast. The girls requested pink chocolate chip pancakes, sausage rolls and their favorite cereal. The first day is about the only day of the year that we all wake up to our alarm clocks the first go around. It's downhill from there. 

Both girls had a great first day and love their new teachers! 

Sweet McKenna did have an accident on her first day and it just broke my heart. (and made me laugh to the point of tears.) I'm that mom that giggles in moments where laughter probably isn't the best response. 

When I went to pick her up the office pulled me aside to let me know that she had peed in her pants. I was shocked because McKenna has never really had an accident. They said that she was at her desk and didn't say anything but the teacher saw and took care of it without the class all knowing. The sweet receptionist took McKenna to the nurse to get her a change of clothes. McKenna is so tiny that her uniform skirts have to be altered. They didn't have any skirts that fit her, all they had was a pair of boy uniform shorts that were a 3T. They told me that McKenna looked at them and just shook her head no. She was not going to wear them. They found a pair of princess panties that somehow made her ok with the boy shorts so she put them on. She rocked them! She looked absolutely adorable in them! I wasn't sure how she was going to be when I picked her up but the very first thing she said to me was "well...I had an accident today!" She had the best attitude about it and didn't let it get her down. I was so proud of her and like to think that my occasional pee in my pants from laughing so hard has prepared her for moments like this in life. 

So proud of my girls and so excited for this school year!

McKenna's Art Party

This was a fun party to prep for. Lots of splatter paint and lots of help from the Bday girl! I will forever think of this party every time I go in my garage. The drop cloths didn't so much catch alllll of the paint. oops! I would definitely classify it has an improvement to the garage floor though.

I ordered the aprons on Amazon and McKenna loved adding a splash of color and her hand print to each one. I then screen printed McKenna turns 5 on them.

I originally made everyone's party shirt say something different but when they saw how cool my ROY G. BIV one turned out, they all wanted that one too! 

We had her party at a place called Van Grow and it was fantastic! The room was so cute and the girl who helped run the party was so so sweet and fun. All I did for decorations was a table with a few snacks. 

My cousin gave me a genius tip on making the eatable paintbrushes. I would have been the sucker who made rice crispy treats from scratch and cut them all into rectangles. She told me to just buy the already packaged rice crispy treats and then just dip them in colored chocolate. Duh! 

As the kids came in, they could go to a table and do bead work or decorate a party hat. Once everyone got there, each kid got a cardboard letter of their name.

Legacy Cakes once again made the cutest cake ever and it was absolutely delicious!

You know I can't have a party without some kind of giveaway! 

143 was the lucky number. If you haven't read the book Purple, Green and Yellow, you totally should! It's one of our favorites and so funny.

For the party favors I ordered these clear paint buckets from Oriental Trading company. I filled them with art themed goodies. I ordered most of the things from Amazon and a few from Oriental Trading company.

Thank you so much for everyone that came and helped McKenna put the ART in PARTY!

McKenna turns 5!

It doesn't seem possible. 

I remember when Ella turned 5 like it was yesterday and there's no way McKenna is that big now too. 

It's so bitter sweet. I always tell my girls to stop growing. I was saying it over and over to McKenna the other night and she was just giggling and saying, I'm sorry Mom but God is making me turn 5!

That kid is such a light and loves life and God so much. 

We witnessed some bullying the other day at a park with some older kids and on the way home I was talking to the girls about the situation. We were not involved in it but close enough that the girls knew something was going on. Parents were there and things were handled but it was just so sad to see a group of mean girls laugh at the pleasure of bringing another girl down. It really gets the Mama Bear fired up in me. Before I go off on a rant, I'll get back to my point. 

My girls kept asking me why the group of girls would be so mean to the other girl. I told them how I didn't understand or know either and that we should pray for them to have a kind heart.  McKenna then says, well I can be the one to tell them about God if they don't know him. Amen McKenna. Amen.

I love when my 4 (well now 5!) year old reminds me how simple life should be and that the answer to all questions and situations is always God. Always.
One of our bedtime routines is family prayer time. We started this years ago and it's become one of my favorite things. The prayers are short and sweet but always so thoughtful and sometimes hilarious. When it comes to McKenna for her turn, she asks the same thing every single night. "Does Dad have work tomorrow?" Yes he does. "Does Dad have study?" Yes he does. "Does Dad have long extra hard work or normal work?" That answer varies on his call schedule. She then prays for Dad to have a good day at work and a good study. It's like clockwork and so so sweet! Another thing during our bedtime routine is sometimes we lay with the girls for 2 minutes. Every time I start to scratch McKenna's back or rub her head, she doesn't just lay there and relax, she immediately puts her hand on my arm or back and rubs mine too. It melts my heart every time. This kid is pure joy and has a heart of gold.

Even when McKenna was much younger, Bob and I could already see how wise and smart she was. She has most of Bob's genes in her and I love to see how her busy body just goes and goes and never wants to stop. Just like her dad. Even when she's not at school learning, she wants to be learning or growing in some way. She loves to be given a job or task. She loves completing something and seeing the finished product. She does not love to sit still and watch a movie. She will sit still but only with something that she can concentrate on and be hands on with. She loves a craft like all the girls in this house and will create with me all day and into the night. Still, her all time favorite thing to play is baby dolls. She is going to be the perfect mommy one day.

Both my girls have always been so great at just jumping in and rolling with whatever new situation is in front of them. Something I admire in them so much. Moving to a new town this summer and having them both start school with knowing no one about did me in, but not them. Neither one of them are afraid to walk in a room or school full of complete strangers. They do it both so differently though. Ella takes the slow and steady approach and adjusts herself to a new group of friends when she feels comfortable. McKenna dives in head first and basically has the new group adjust to her. I don't mean that in a way where McKenna takes over and is the boss. It's not like that at all. She is actually very quiet at school. What I mean is that her personality just makes friends fast and before you know it, she's got 5th graders saying hi to her down the hall. She is such a hoot and just has a way about her. 

McKenna is very tender hearted and kind. She loves to see everyone happy, including people on tv. She can't watch something unless she knows whats going to happen first. Even after I tell her she still asks a million times whats going to happen next. Full House, Yo Gabba Gabba and Blues Clues are about the only shows she will actually sit down and watch. Everything else, she usually just leaves the room to play.

 I have recently realized this more sensitive side of her. She is my kid who cries in movies, big moments in life or from something or someone that just means so much to her. Happy tears, sad tear, all the above. She doesn't like you to know it though. She tries to fight it and hold them back but sometimes she can't. It's the absolute most sweetest thing to see. She loves people and things in life so much that sometimes it just makes her cry happy tears. Before her class went on stage to sing Happy Birthday Jesus for their school Christmas program, she ran up to tell me something. She whispered in my ear, "I love this so much that my eyes might water." 

You make my eyes water McKenna Leigh. I love you so so much! Happy Happy Birthday my big girl! Now please just stop growing. 

We are celebrating McKenna with an Art themed Party next weekend so I'll be back soon with pics from that!

McKenna's 4th Birthday Party

So let's just pretend it's close to January 3rd. The day my little crazy K turned 4!!!
We celebrated her birthday over Christmas break while we were still in the Dallas area. We had the party at the American Girl Doll store with all her cousins, best friends and grandparents. I am very new to this whole American Girl doll world so it was a different kind of party for me but I think the kids loved it! McKenna and Ella both got their first dolls for Christmas from my parents. It was perfect timing so they would have a doll to bring to the party. Ella got Isabelle and McKenna got Ivy. McKenna saw Ivy in an old American Girl magazine forever ago and couldn't stop talking about her. Something about Ivy stood out to her and she loved her. Of course Ivy isn't sold in the stores anymore so she was a little harder to find. My mom found a new one on eBay that was thankfully not doubled in price.
We got to the store an hour before the party so that the girls could get their dolls hair done. It makes me laugh as I type this because it does sound a little crazy to stand in line for a doll to go to the hair salon. What's even more insane is that after waiting in line for about an hour, we get to the front where a sign said 2 hour wait time for hair appointments. What?! I''m all about the dream world and pretending like your doll is a real person but it's crazy that it takes longer to get her hair done than it would my own. I explained to the girl that we had a birthday party in about 20 minutes and she sweetly took the dolls from me and fixed their hair. It only took about 2 minutes and cost more then I pay a babysitter for 2 hours. Crazy! I loved every minute of it though and loved that Bob not only wore a pink shirt that I made for him but stood in line and watched with the girls as I prepped the party room. Best girl dad ever!

We hadn't reserved the actual party rooms for McKenna's party because they were more expensive but the store was so crowded that day and when they saw that I came with a life sized box and crafts, they were so nice to let us use the private party rooms at no extra cost! It made the party and I was so happy we had the extra space to move around and a room where we could all hear each other.
I made matching party hats for each girl and their doll and a life size doll box for photos.

I was a little thrown off by the hanging hooks when you walked in the room. I guess you just hang your doll on the wall while you eat? I asked if we could use the highchairs and they gladly brought them for each girl to have for their doll. I mean, why would you have a American Girl party and not have your doll eat with you? The hooks did make for some great pics though.

I ordered doll shirts from Jiminee's Doll Clothes and then bought fabric markers so the girls could create their own shirt for their doll. 

I printed off an American Girl bingo that was fun to play as we waited for the food. 

The food was surprisingly really good and the presentation was fantastic. It was a lot of food for kids but they didn't seem to mind.

I LOVED getting to have my best friends there too!

The day before Christmas McKenna randomly tells me she wanted a Jack in the Box. I got it for her birthday and she was beyond excited about it. She cracks up every time still. Love that kid.

McKenna is pure joy. Absolutely one of the funnest kids I know and has an imagination that I dream of. She comes off as shy at first but once she lets you in her world, you are forever changed. That kid leaves a mark on everyone she meets and is just the sweetest most crazy 4 year old I know. Ella is her favorite person and the love that these sweet sisters have for each other makes my eyes water just thinking about. I pray they always stay this close.

Happy Birthday McKenna!