I have a new respect for parents of multiple children.

Especially in the car.  After school playdate and dinner with Lila (and little brother Winston!)

Times like these

It's times like these that I think I might just donate an organ, if ever necessary, to save the life of this dog.  Ralphie must live forever.  Even so, it would be nice if they would snuggle somewhere other than the middle of my bed.  Neither of them are easy to move once asleep.

Thank you notes

Kendall is writing her own birthday gift thank-you notes this year.  I'm not sure why I thought this would be easier on me, it is not.  I'm still proud of her!

MLK Day reunion with east side friends at The Lot

Beautiful, 68 degree weather for MLK Day this year!  Gotta love being able to play in the sand wearing spaghetti straps in January a mere 2 days after 30 degrees and rain.  Dallas weather - there are just no words to describe the weirdness.

6th Birthday Party at Emler Swim School

Kendall had her 6th birthday party at Emler Swim School, where she also had her 4th birthday party.  An Emler party in January has it's up sides and down sides.  Upside:  Up to 30 kids can attend.  Downside:  Up to 30 kids can attend.  We invited 28 and all but one rsvp'd in the affirmative.  About 20 wound up coming.  The party was a success and maybe worth the extra gray hairs I acquired in the party planning phase.  Maybe.  Next year I might just take Kendall to Disney for her birthday because it might be less stress and definitely more bang for the buck! 

This is as close to a group shot as we could get.  It's missing several kids because some were still in the changing rooms.

Cake by Stein's Bakery.  It was really good and decorated perfectly, according to very specific  and lengthy instructions from the birthday girl.  My days of making homemade cakes for birthdays are over and Stein's is officially hired.

This is Caleb, Kendall's "boyfriend" of several months now.  Now that he's made the blog, it's official.

A perk of kid parties is getting to see old friends that I haven't seen in forever, so it wasn't an entirely stressful and painful experience for me.  These moms are JCC friends from 3 years ago, 4 years for one of them.  This is over 1/2 a lifetime for our girls and they are all still friends despite being in three different schools.  I think partially because the three moms are so cool!  :)

Another upside to large parties:  lots of presents.  

Another downside to large parties:  lots of presents.

Ice skating

I've been promising Kendall a trip to Galleria Mall to go ice skating for over a year now.  We finally went today and it was anticlimactic, to say the least.  Kendall clutched the rail (and me) the entire one time she went around the rink willingly.  The second time, she went under duress and threw in some tears and screaming along with the clutching.  These pictures were taken before the terror set in.  I went around a few times by myself to try to justify the $26 I spent and was pleasantly surprised to find that I can still skate and did not break a hip.  It's been a good 20 years.   

When we got home, Kendall put on her roller skates and skated around the house for a while.  Then she performed a few "skating shows" and announced that she now "feels in her heart" that she can skate.  I think she can skate in her heart for a while before we attempt again in reality.

Annual trek across town to the vet

Our vet's office is near our old house so it's about 30 minutes from us now, but we love Dr. Williams (and she cuts us serious deals on the bills) and Kendall is somewhat of a mini-celebrity there so it's worth the trip.  Both dogs received good bills of health.  And both had gained weight since this time last year.  Not so great for Ginger but Ralphie was not in good shape this time last year so it is a good thing for him.  Despite the deceptively serene scene pictured here, these dogs are NOT good in the car and Kendall is NOT helpful with them.  I genuinely hope to not have to have all three of my dependents in one car for at least another year.  Happily crossing this chore off the list for the year!  

Twilight update

Twilight the Fish is no Emily, but he/she ... it has turned into a pretty personable fish.  It now comes to greet us when we approach the tank and begs for food shamelessly.  It also spends A LOT of time in the castle.  I initially had some reservations about purchasing a castle for a fish but this fish has firmly embraced its inner princess.  

Year of the American Girl

For someone who had ONE American Girl doll this time last year, Kendall sure has made up for what she wholeheartedly considers to be lost time.  Her friends "all have over 100 American Girl dolls each!"  Are there even 100 American Girl dolls?  I don't want to know.

On the last day of winter break, I took Kendall to the AG doll store and bistro.  She had a $20 gift card and $40 of her own to burn.  She was very conscious of what things cost .... and also fairly loud about announcing that certain prices were ridiculous but I'm sure she was just voicing what all of the moms in there were thinking.  We spent about 30 minutes browsing and then decided to have some treats at the cafe.  She didn't bring any of her dolls so we had a loaner doll join us for cupcake decorating and a smoothy.  

I have to give this place props.  If they can't serve wine, a root beer float might be the next best thing.

While we were eating, we discussed the value of money and how important it is to think about your purchases before you make them.  She now knows both concepts of impulse buying and shoppers remorse.  I really thought we were going to get out of there without having purchased anything but food, but she went back to the bitty baby idea and she did have just enough money for it.  

Here is Kendall with her veritable litter of children.  4 girls and 2 babies (one of which is not an AG doll).  She has remarked several times about how "interesting" it is that she can handle SIX children and I can only handle one.  Thus far, I have handled this with the same grace and dignity that I am handling the new restrictions with respect to my "embarrassing" use of her karaoke machine around her friends.  I bite my tongue until it bleeds to resist announcing that (a) her children don't speak and mine speaks enough for at least 6 children, and (b) I am not the one in this house who is tone deaf and shouldn't be allowed to sing in front of people .... but whatever.

I'm still not sure what the bitty baby's name is.  It's gone from Chloe to Maya to Bella to Belly to .... god knows what else.  I got out the box with some of Kendall's infant clothes so she could dress her new baby in her own baby clothes.  We had a great time going through these clothes.  Kendall insisted that she was never that small and I had a sudden onset of serious allergies that caused my eyes to tear up.

FINALLY, she is playing with a baby doll.  She went from stuffed animals to these American Girl dolls who are actually supposed to be 9 or 10 years old.  Now she's going to have to see how hard a baby can be!  :)  I've never actually seen her sleep with a doll before, until tonight and it's very sweet. Got help this baby if it wakes this mama up.  It will NOT be pretty!

Update:  Baby whatshername was brought to MY bed somewhere around 1AM because she wasn't letting Kendall get any sleep.  Again, her baby is easier to share a bed with than mine!  

Kendall's fridge!

Two days before her birthday, I got a new refrigerator and told Kendall that was her birthday gift.  She was oddly excited about it, hugged me and thanked me.  Then she grabbed a cloth and went to work cleaning 'her" new appliance.  I wound up telling her that it was not her present when I realized that there was a very real danger of me not being allowed to use "her" refrigerator.  

Six, going on Twenty-something!

And just like that, she's six.  Well, not exactly "just like that."  More like just like that .... and that ... and that ....

Celebration #1 on December 31st with Saza and Nana.  The absolute best part of Kendall getting her own iPad (mini) is that I can actually reclaim possession of my own iPad which was commandeered the day I got it.

I have to admit I did not think she'd appreciate this nerf gun from Uncle Jeff ...

... but she loves it and has pretty good aim too!

Beanie Boo #??? from Mommy.

Fashion Plates from Auntie M and Papa Hugh.  I remember having these when I was a kid - so fun!

The Princess cookbook from Lindsay and Landon has some great recipes!

Birthday cake #1.

Celebration #2 was the night before her actual birthday after dinner with daddy.  A karaoke machine from Mommy and Daddy that can be used with the new iPad!

Guess what she sang first?  I don't think she'll ever let that song go.  Or let me let it go.

Celebration #3 occurred on her actual birthday long before the sun came up.  She woke up to balloons in her room, some of which had sadly deflated between 10 the night before and 6AM.  Then enjoyed a birthday breakfast of birthday cake #2, a strawberry shortcake.  It's fruit, right?

And of course some karaoke at dawn.  This time, Lady Gaga.

I took the day off and Kendall and I spent the nasty, rainy, cold day just relaxing at home.  Only excursion we made was to the grocery store to pick up birthday cake #3 that Nana had ordered.  We had four of her friends (the 3 Conley kids and Alana) over for pizza and cake that afternoon/evening and we were all having fun until about 5:30 when Kendall mysteriously disappeared.  Poor little thing wound up with a nasty tummy bug and everyone had to either eat pizza quick or take it home because Kendall was not leaving the bathroom.  The cake had to be cut and sent home with her friends as well.  It was a long night in and out of the bathroom for us and a sad ending to a 3 day long birthday celebration.  We both slept until 8:30 the next morning, though, and she was 100% ok by then!

The day after her birthday, Daddy took her to Grandmother and Pops' house, then bowling, then to the library.  Finally, we were able to put candles in and light what was left of cake #3!

At some point, I will have to start planning celebration # "i have now lost count" that is scheduled for January 18th at Emler Swim School with 30 of her closest friends and classmates ... but I'm going to recover for a few days first. 

Happy 6th Birthday to my girl who is growing up waaaaay too fast!  I do have to say that if she was as old as the number of birthday celebrations she's had in her past 6 years, she'd be in her mid twenties by now!