Pabby's Birthday

Let's all flashback to October 23rd for a moment.  Nick and I took the kids to his parents' home for a little birthday party for his dad.  I'm still having to catch up due to the season of computer trouble I had recently.

A good parent will take care not to call a function a "birthday party" if it does not include at least four of the following: streamers, bounce house, licensed character plates and cups, party games, and a goodie bag.

Upon entering their house, Rigby's first words to his grandma was to ask what kind of party this was.  What kind?  Umm... Pabby's birthday.  No, Grandma, what kind?

Grandma turned out to be no help at all, so Rigby deemed it a golf themed birthday.  I thought that was pretty sweet.  He went with his grandpa's favorite rather than his own.

So Grandma washed a golf ball for the cake, and here is Pabby's golf birthday party:

Soccer Season

After a summer of swimming lessons, I told Bethelle she could pick her next activity.  Go back to ballet?  More swimming?  Soccer?  Something else?

Bethelle quickly narrowed her choices to three: soccer, volleyball, or pick-up-sticks.  We tried very hard to be supportive of any of the three, but there did not seem to be a local five year-old volleyball team and pick-up-sticks, well, I don't even know what to say about that.

And so a soccer star was born.

 There were no positions.  Just a mass of girls moving with the ball, mostly remembering which goal was theirs.

 Rigby could be seen at every game.  What a great fan.

 Bethelle scored the first goal of the season for her team.  I think it may have been game three.

 Here's to a patient coach and some determined little athletes.  Well played!

Who Whair

I wasn't able to take pictures the whole way through Cindy Lou Who's hair session, but I did get one of the water bottle.  It's bobby pinned into a tiny ponytail on the top of her head.

 The answers to the two most commonly asked questions are:
        1)   About an hour and a half
        2)   Yes, it's all her real hair.  Except the water bottle and the chenille stems.  Those things really don't occur naturally.

Un-doing her hair turned out to be as much fun as doing it.

 Until she almost fell asleep in the chair.  This is not just a bad picture.  This is her honest expression.

It was pretty late by the time she was tucked in.  What a night.  Sweet dreams, Cindy Lou Who.

This Tiny Who Daughter

Our ward (congregation) Christmas party was a Grinch-themed Spectacular.  We have a resident theatrical genius who planned a dinner theater narration and presentation of the story complete with costumed characters and a flash mob of "Welcome Christmas" (the song from the cartoon Grinch movie).

The Grinch himself was fantastic.  He had a lot of energy.  Some of the kids were legitimately scared.

 All attendees were encouraged to dress as "Who's" from "Whoville" for the dinner.  Four of our five made a feeble attempt at being festive...

 ... but Bethelle was the crowning jewel of the night, as usual.  This time it was because she was Cindy Lou Who in the play.  My next post will be on that crazy hair of hers.  Oh, the hair!

Here they are in the green room.  Oh, that's funny.  The green room.

When I first told her about being in the play, she was so nervous.   I was shocked.  This girl of mine loooves being the center of attention.  She has a firm belief that the room lights up when she walks into it.  She likes nothing more than to be oogled over.  So what where those nerves?  At first she told me that she would not do it.  I told her that it was her choice, but that I wanted her to take a little time to think about it.  I knew that if she turned it down, she would be sad to watch someone else play the part.

As you can see, she came around.  She did a great job in her little part and she got all the oogling a girl could hope for.

Ups and Downs

This fall, we experienced the best autumn weather that I can remember.  A couple days of rain threatened a change of season, but then the sun came back with a vengeance.  November even hosted a couple days of seventy degree weather.

I took the kids to the park nearly every day.  I'd like to say that I did it because I am such a great mom.  Truthfully, we went because we don't have a yard and because I was sure that each sunny day would be the last.  I am grateful to have postponed the shut-up-in-the-house blues.

 Another fall favorite for me has been seeing Rigby in a hat every day.  Boys just don't have all the fur on their head that we ladies have, so he always wore his Michael Jordan or his Masters hat when we went out.  He is so cute in them.  Just don't tell him that I said "cute."  He insists that he is only "handsome."

"And I'm not smart," he adds.  I am working to break him of that.

 Did you ride the tire swing as a kid?  It was my favorite.  I remember that it made some kids sick, but I loved it.  I seem to have given this love to Bethelle.  She'll ride it for what seems like forever.  She wants it fast and high.  I tried it again after probably 20 years absence.  Yes, I gave the love of it to Bethelle.  Completely.  I no longer have it.

 I've been considering a third haircut for Bethelle.  This picture makes me reconsider.

Two weeks after the November heatwave, the northwest froze over.  We had about two or three inches of snow just before Thanksgiving.  Our power was out for about 24 hours, but we were fortunate that it returned in the evening just as we were getting cold.  Most of the island was without for about three days, but living near the only major grocery store has its perks, including power priority.

By the time the roads were clear, the grocery shelves were wanting and the gas station had run out of all but the most expensive octane.  What a dependent life we lead.  Time to stock up!

The Best Sister in the Wuld

I neglected to add these pictures to the post on Rigby's birthday.

Bethelle made him the most precious card:

 (Rigby, Happy Birthday)

 (Rigby, Happy birthday.  I *heart* you, Rigby.  You are the best brother in the whole wide world.  *heart* Bethelle)

 Who wouldn't love a gift like that for your birthday?  These two are best friends, and Curie is moving right in on their fun.  Let it last, let it last, let it last...

Bethelle is intensely creative.  She thinks and plans like it's a drug.  She begins shaking in withdrawal when she is kept from crafting.

When she saw me looking for Peter Pan birthday cake (or "kace") ideas, she drew this one up for me:

I think that it is incredible!  Look how she has the viewer flying over Never Land with Peter, looking down at the tiny island and ship.  That is great perspective.  I wish I could have made it, but Rigby changed his mind to Lightening McQueen (as seen in the earlier birthday post).

Back to Business

Camille is back!  Yes, my iMac is named Camille.  Ten points to the reader who can tell me why.

(Sara, darling.  No, it is not the same iMac from college days.  I bought that thing in '98!  That would be miraculous!  This is machine numero three.)

I've got to clean and pack a bit tonight, but be expecting posts.  I won't be able to stay away from my blog for more than 36 hours now that I'm plugged in again.