Insta-Birthday: #CJGturns5

Surprise!  A 2nd blog post today!  I realize that I already posted my usual birthday blog this morning.

But I had a really fun time documenting the 5th birthday on Instagram today: with #CJGturns5.

And, with this being a very busy week (in real life, and therefore, the blog), I decided to do a double post because these pictures are just too fun to be buried in a wrap-up later this week.

It's gonna be a fun day! #calliejoy #CJGturns5

Playing with the birthday streamers.  #calliejoy #mayaleigh #CJGturns5

Birthday brunch with bacon! A birthday girl favorite.  #calliejoy #mayaleigh #CJGturns5

Birthday movie date!  #calliejoy #CJGturns5

Some quiet playtime before the fam arrives...Princesses and monster trucks.  #calliejoy #CJGturns5

Waiting to greet her guests with a tiara.  #calliejoy #CJGturns5

A successful birthday party includes yummy sandwiches, delicious gluten-free cake
(made by Boom), presents, and a rousing game of hide-and-seek.  #calliejoy #CJGturns5

I think it is safe to say she had a really good day.

5!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALLIE JOY!!!!

I don't know why, but 5 seems crazy to me.  Like half a decade crazy.

Five years ago she made her debut.

Hello World!

And then came 1...2...3...and 4.

And then I blinked and now this beautiful little baby of mine is 5 and I can't believe it.

Happy Birthday Punkin' Head.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Happy Sunday!

I can't believe how happy a Sunday it is.  Two weeks off, a big birthday tomorrow, and Christmas shortly after...we are SO happy this time of year!  And tired.  But mostly happy.

Saturday

Callie had her Christmas "Dance Show."  It was just like a class, but more people could come (only Boom and I were allowed this time).  She got a new ballet outfit for the occasion.

Here are a couple of videos of some more Christmas dances (sorry the sound is so painful to listen to...as Connie told the adults, this tape (yes, tape) was actually recorded from her old 45s and records from when she was a little girl).


IMG 2264 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.


IMG 2266 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

And then they do mat time every week where they work on sommersaults, cartwheels, and (my favorite) bridges. She rocks at the bridge, just like her mama. I can still do one too.

 
IMG 2270 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

On Saturday night we decided that it as time to try ice skating.  We hadn't ever done it with Callie before.  YEARS ago, Chris and I took our goddaughter, Christine, when she was about Callie's age.  So I was excited to do it again.

I didn't really get to skate, because a certain SUMMER baby would have no part in being in the cold.  She started freaking out at just the sight of her snowsuit, and then didn't really "warm up" to the idea of being outside in the chilly air.  She occasionally watched her daddy and sissy on the ice, but mostly was just crabby.

Our winter girl, however, LOVED it.

We weren't out there very long, so we'll have to try it again when we can leave the little one somewhere else.

Because, the little one much prefers the warmth of our house.  And food.

And sometimes double fisting drinks.

Sunday

The big event on Sunday was our first (of MANY) hosting events of the week.  We had the Hendersons and Johnsons over for a Christmas gathering, and it was a blast!!  There was lots of yummy food (not all prepared by me, thank goodness!) and so much love and laughter.

Johnsons: Peter, Amy, Emily, Andy, Beth, Donald Frederic
Hendersons: Lee, Polly, Kati, Chris, Callie, Maya, Laura, Craig, Mari, Josh (and Kona)

At the end of the evening we took some group shots.  They went as well as can be expected for a large number of people, sometimes including children.

Top: Henderson and Johnson Cousin Kids
Middle: H & J Cousin Kids + Parents
Bottom: Oldest Henderson/Johnson kids + spouses + kids

Finally, our elves have been up to their usual antics.  It is hard to believe we only have 4 more days with them in our midst (*cough* THANKGOODNESS *cough*).

Playing in a ball.....eating the gingerbread house.....hanging out with the shoes.....getting into the mail...

Bringing reindeer eggs......sitting with new friends.....sneaking all the popcorn.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend and an even lovelier Christmas week!

FTPDF

WINTER BREAK.

That is all I have to say right now because I'm in a state of gleeful shock that it is finally here.

So is Maya:

WINTER BREAK?
SERIOUSLY?
#finally

Callie is in full gear-up-to-birthday mode.  She is ready to be 5, and we are ready for her to be 5.  More about her on Monday.

Maya is hilarious.  I can't even tell you how much I love watching her do everything.  Her excitement for the littlest things is amazing.  And her opinions are becoming stronger.  Uh oh... For example, she HATES getting her teeth brushed these days  Like, super duper HATES it.  So I have to pin her down and pry her mouth open to get it done.  Hopefully she won't have an aversion to toothbrushes when she is older.  Also, she demands that we take her socks off in the evenings.  After we get home and take her shoes off, she points to her socks insistently until we remove those as well. 

As for the week in pictures...here they are:

Favorite Thing #1: A Preschool Birthday Party

Favorite Thing #2: Finding this on Instagram on Tuesday.
It captured my exact sentiments.

Favorite Thing #3: DADDY IS HOME!
We went to the Holiday Market on Tuesday evening.
It was cold (and kind of lame) but the girls had fun on the carousel.

Favorite Thing #4: Outings with the Grandparents
This week: Lund's, Como Park, Music Class, Library, Elf Show.
Those girls are LUCKY.

Favorite Thing #5: Things at home
The girls playing together, Maya mastering the fork, Movie night

And lastly, we have a video directed by a certain preschooler who shall remain nameless, but who is definitely bossy.


IMG 2216 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

A big announcement in our family is that there is going to be another wedding!  Mari and Josh got engaged last weekend! 

The upcoming week is going to be crazy busy fun.  Stay tuned.

TBT

ONE DAY.  We are one day away from winter break.  I can almost taste it.  And it tastes like a lot of wine that will be consumed tomorrow evening.

Anyway...here are the throwbacks!  Since last Sunday was the Christmas program, I thought I'd do a couple program throwbacks.

We've got Charlie and Callie- starting with the first day of Sunday School as
2-year-olds, to now as almost-5-year-olds.  CRAZY.

Here we have Maya watching her sister's Christmas program.  Last year she was
happily sitting with Boom.  This year she was happily running away from me and
getting into all kinds of trouble.  But the cheeks- they are the same.

This time of year just really is the Callie Show...so my last throwback is all about Callie's birthday at preschool.

Preschool birthdays are the BEST!

A Birthday at Preschool

The 5th birthday is a week away, but the party has started.

Today was the 2nd year in a row I have been able to spend the morning at preschool for Callie's birthday celebration.  (See this post for last year's pictures).

First, she got to be STAR OF THE DAY, which is totally a big deal.  She got a birthday ribbon, got to pick out of a prize box, AND she got to ring the clean-up bell, choose songs to sing, help with calendar, be line leader, etc.

A little shy at first...

...but over it quickly to help Mrs. Amy with the calendar.

She also got to share the things she brought in the birthday share bag.  Last night she took some time to think about it, and decided to put in a couple stuffed animals, a couple personalized ornaments from our tree (a "Princess Callie" crown and a "Kona" bone), and the Santa picture from this year.

During play time I got to lead the Gingerbread House craft. All the kids got the chance to put a few candies on the house. Callie and a couple other little girls helped a lot. It turned out awesome, if I do say so myself.

Then it was snack time (we brought fruit snacks for the class) and Callie got to blow out candles on a fake cake.  She even let them sing "Happy Birthday" without any weirdness.  It was amazing.

Her next job was to be line leader on the way to the gym.  Once there, she helped lead her class in laps around the gym and other exercises.  Adorable.

The morning ended with talking about the Christmas story, singing some songs and decorating a class Christmas tree.  Callie got to put the first ornament on.

I was so proud of her all morning, and I could tell she was so proud that I was there with her.  It was really special for both of us.

And now I'm all teary and sappy.  I just can't believe that in one short week my baby will be 5.

Weekend Wrap-Up

I have had a LOT of time with my girls one-on-one this weekend.  I have actually been single mom-ing it since Thursday, as Chris is out of town at our friend Nate's wedding.  He was in the wedding (tonight) and looked very dapper.  Along with Big Dave.

So I have been flying solo (with some help, obviously, from the grandparents and aunties).  But the early morning and bed time stuff has been all me...and the in and out of cars and shuttling around and errands and house stuff, etc...me.

I'm tired.  And thankful that it is a limited time experience.

Luckily, the girls have been pretty fantastic.  I was worried after Callie's MAJOR attitude last week, but she chilled out and has been pleasant to be around again.  Phew.

As for the weekend...it was busy.  On purpose.

Saturday

*We played at home and ran errands.  Then I took Cal to dance class while Maya slept at Boom and Bops' place.

 *Then we hung out over there for awhile after dance.  Both girls were interested in a little bench.  It was something my maternal grandfather (Grampy) gave me when I was a little younger than Maya, shortly before he died.  It is really special that my girls are able to play on it now. 

*We continued the grandparent tour, and headed to G-ma and G-pa's house for the evening.  Callie helped Pa make pizza and Maya did a whole lot of playing.

Sunday

*This morning was Christmas Program #2 at church.  It was...something else.  Callie didn't really participate and Maya wouldn't sit with me in the audience.  Instead she insisted on running up to and playing on a little staircase that was right next to the area where the Christmas program was taking place, so I had to be right there with her.  By the end, both girls and the Held kids were all in that area and not really paying attention to the program.  It was kind of hilarious.  Shenanigans, I'd say.

Second set of matching Christmas dresses, and I failed yet again
at getting a good picture of them together.
Callie is easily bribed, but Maya has not discovered the beauty of
bribery yet, and therefore WILL NOT sit still for pictures with her sister.

*After the program, Auntie Yoda and Auntie Mari took Callie out on an Auntie date for her birthday present.  They took her to DISNEY ON ICE!!!!!!!!  She was SO excited and had a fantastic time.  She even got a huge bag of popcorn and a light up Ariel wand.

Thank you Aunties!

*With Callie gone, I got some solo Maya time, as well as some relaxing/cleaning time during her nap.

*After picking Callie up from her Aunties, we headed home for a quiet night of playing, watching "Grinch" for the 2nd time this weekend, dinner and an early bedtime.  At one point while playing, Maya stopped, looked at me, and signed "milk."  So I went to get her a bottle and she sucked it right down.  It is SO cool to see her be able to communicate her needs.

All in all, it was a good weekend as a girl trio.

But we can't WAIT for Daddy to come home.
We had to send him some pics of his girls to remind him that even though sleeping
in and hanging out with buddies might be fun, we are MORE fun.  Clearly.

Lastly, our elves continued their silly ways this week.

Hiding in a kennel.......perching in the tree........looking in a mirror...........sitting with the china

Cooking croutons in the kitchen.......hanging out with all the animals........visiting the princess castle

One more week until winter vacation.  I can't believe it!  Have a great one!