Shea's Book of Life Party

Shea (and all of us) love the movie Book of Life about Dia de los Muertos with a love triangle, renditions of Mumford and Son songs and a little Radiohead- what more could you want?  

It was kind of like the first Coco and it has almost the exact same Land of the Remembered feel with the magical colors and floating lanterns and flags and lights.  

It is beautiful.  

We tried to recreate it as best we could and I never want to take the decorations down.  It was just so magical.  The pictures really dont do it justice.  If we had known that this was her party theme when the real Dia de los Muertos was going on, I could have really stocked up on stuff, but we found what we could and I am definitely saving the decorations for every year.

My friends from school who grew up in Mexico loaned us some of the stuff that they own and use for parties and it just made the party.  Jeff got a poncho and we had a sombrero and serving dishes and a guitar! It was amazing.  And Jan made Shea a Maria- main girl who every body loves- costume and it was perfection!

 Then we busted out a piñata (even though Jeff said that is probably mixing up Mexican customs.  I feel like they probably had a lot of piñata in the Land of the Remembered).

 Shea loved the piñata and everyone loved helping her break it.
It really was just so much fun.
Then we sang to her on a cake that she and sawyer made with jeff earlier that day.  And sang again and again. She loveddddd it.  Ate it all up.  Until the last time when we dared sing to Victoria.  Then it was almost as bad as last year when sass tried to blow out her candles and help her. bahahhah!!

Happy birthday Shea.
I can not believe that you are 4.  You bring such joy and spunk and gentleness and love and also opinions that you hold to very tightly.  You have shown me what it means to step out of my comfort zone and how much joy that can bring as I have watched you have to go out of yours and seen you shine.  You have taught me patience and you bring me so much joy.  To be loved by you is truly an honor and I am so so thankful you are mine!

Shea's biggest, loudest, craziest Troll party EVER

Shea exclusively wears Troll pajamas all day, everyday- she loves Trolls.

She had seen the movie 3 times before her party and she just fell in love with it.

We all really did. 

It is so sweet and so positive and, I kind of think 'celebrate alwaysish'.

So we knew we had to have a troll party.  Luckily since I never actually threw the twins a crazy 8 party, we had tons of stuff to use.

Jeff helped my vision of a troll tree entrance come true and it looked amazing!

And then the kids had the genius idea to use balloons hanging as the little pods that the trolls live in.

And I took photos before the party and then pretty much forgot.

Victoria shared her birthday with Shea, yet again by using her free time to make Shea these amazing cupcakes for her birthday that were gorgeous AND delicious.

And the kids made their hair into troll hair with this awesome spray hair stuff from Andi.

They loved it.

And the best part, by far, of the entire party.
Shea's entire personality is summed up in this video.
I just love her.
Happy Birthday Shea Shea. I cant believe that you are three.  It feels like just yesterday  you were born and now you are in a big girl bed! We love you so so much.  And are learning how to manage your incredibly large personality...
(and here is one to show us all someday that she did allow victoria to come to her birthday and allowed it it be Vic's birthday too.  She matured alot after blowing out her candles.)

A day in the life of (an almost two year old) Shea

Somedays she likes to put on her make up before she goes out of the house.

She learned everything she knows from me.  She is almost ready for her youtube channel.
And almost every day we take her babies for a walk.  It's her absolute favorite thing to do and she can never get enough walks with her baby.

And then we swing on our neighbors swing.
He has the best swing.  He is 93? (I forget.  I need to ask Jeff.)  He works in his yard everyday and always is happy to let us take over his yard.




Gracie goes on walks with us too, but for some reason I dont have any photos of her today.
I hope I never forget these days.
They just go by so incredibly fast and I know I will miss them with that ache deep in my heart once they are gone and I am reading this blog post in a few years.
Sometimes there are random leaves that fall in the winter and we play in the leaves,

And sometimes we go to the grocery store,

Some days we go take the big kids lunch at "schooooooool".  She loves love going to school and usually cries when we leave.


Today she also tried on everything in Avery's bottom drawer.
That drawer happened to contain anything from pajamas to swimsuits to underwear to shorts.  We are very organized, clearly.

Shea talks all the time.
She can say or communicate almost everything she needs to to me or jeff.  It is so awesome.  Her voice is like magic and it is absolutely melting to hear her say her version of words. She can communicate so so well and it is just so much fun getting to know her more everyday.  I am so thankful for her and it has gotten to be so much more normal to be entertaining her in some way for almost the entirety of the day.  That took some adjusting on my part at the beginning of her life, and I had kind of a difficult time with how all consuming she can be. I know that these days go faster than I think in theory, but there are days that I let all of this get monotonous or I think that I have other things that I need to get done.
I hate that I even have to remind myself that all that I want to do is be here with her in the day, and then all of the kids once they get home.  This, even though the moment by moment can seem ordinary, it is the most rewarding thing I could ever do. Sometimes it takes looking back on the photos of the day to remember just how incredible every moment really was.

Snow Baby

Just, you know, a super cute baby in the snow for your viewing pleasure.


She couldn't even walk she was so bundled up.  In Avery's snow suit from when she was a baby, which was super fun.

And though it seems that I only love one of my children, I begged and begged my other kids to go outside with me on every occasion that it snowed.  They were not up for it.  It crushed my spirit, but luckily I have very busy toddler who is up for all of my shenanigans until we both had frozen toes.

The snow baby also is a huge help with homework.  She gets verrrrrry excited.

annnnnnd she got overalls.  I mean.  The second allison asked if I had seen the polka dot overalls from target I was in the car on the way.

And we happened to get our new pins that we are attaching to all of our shirts (instead of the balloons.  Just for a change of pace) and I had to cover her in flair.  I mean, one can never have enough flair.  I am trying to figure out how I can attach them to everything I own without looking like an old camp counselor.

Just a #sheaselfie to take us out of this post.  Nothing too exciting going on besides snow, ice, canceled school, stomach bugs that won't end, and new overalls.  The flair really pulls it all together, though.
(Same rule applies to the overalls as with the snow. I asked the big girls if they wanted overalls too and they declined.  I clearly have no control.)  
Now, let's all pray we go to school tomorrow so we aren't in school making up these snow days until the end of June when my kids will actually play outside with me.

*********

ANNNNDDDD we did not have school.
So my kids got a chance to totally redeem themselves and play with me, and it worked.  They are back on my good side.

These crazy haired kids are my people.

We got outside, picked up our neighbors and sledded until the baby couldn't take it anymore.

Best snow day EVER.  Or at least the only one we haven't been sick.  Ill take it.

#sheawalks

Like a zombie.

Good Morning, Sunshine.

Yesterday we sat in the car after we dropped off the kids, like we do most days, so shea can drive, and check the map, and change everything in my car that I have no idea how to change back.
Nothing too special, except that pretty soon she will be in 3rd grade and won't be able to sit on my lap anymore.  She will almost turning 9 (!!!), and it will be a blink.
I hope I learn to cherish every single sunrise. Every single day is special and new and different- if I will just look for it.
Mom sappy rant over (for now).
Happy Saturday, y'all.

12 months of Shea

On instagram I did a little picture every month, and even though I recorded it here also, I just wanted to see with my mom eyes how they all looked next to each other.  Besides my lack of consistency on any of the pictures and the fact that there is hardly any coherence to these except the inclusion of shea in each one, I am really glad I did it.
It is so much fun to see what she looked like every month.  And of course I took wayyyyy too many other pictures, at least these were documented in a way I can remember when I have lost even more memory than I have now.
This truly has been the most incredible  year.  I am so gushy and full of momness right now that I even watched the video of her very first bath at the hospital that Jeff took and cried.  How is it that so many days of this year I honesty thought I could not go on and now I can only remember the good? And it felt so long in those moments and now it is but a flash before my eyes.
Time. Such a mystery.  I am so thankful for the negativity that it so often washes away and the good that it can highlight when seen through tear filled eyes of a mom who made it (at least this far).
Happy one year Shea Bean.
You are light.  And it is evident in every photo.  There is a joy behind your eyes.  I cant wait to see how you continue to light the lives of those around you throughout your life.

Shea's Winter ONEderland

Mostly I just moved things that were in our house for Christmas around to one table and called it Winter Onderland.  It was the easiest set up ever.  I feel like I may use it so many more times, poor Shea.

It started with her invite.

I drew these trees on the computer and then added happy holiday underneath (as in, shea's holiday.  The happiest holiday of all)

Then I made her a shirt with the trees on it, naturally.


(which sparked an idea to put it on an adult shirt and the rest is history).







Everyone decorated gingerbread houses, made snow globes, played outside and ate.  It was so much fun.  It was small because it was on the day and the day is right before christmas, but it was so nice.  She couldn't have liked it more I dont think.
Happy Birthday was by far her favorite part and she has watched this video over and over and over....








Happy Birthday cake devourerer.  We love you so much and we had so much fun celebrating you turning one.  Can not wait for so many more birthdays to come!