McKayla Birthday

McKayla turned 3 on December 5!
She also got an American Girl doll and a trampoline.
She LOVES the trampoline! She goes out to jump several times a day. It's good she's found an outlet for some of her energy.

McKayla had a Spiderman birthday party on her birthday. They made spider webs, built a building for Spiderman to climb, and played pin the tail on the donkey.

Hailey's Birthday

Hailey turned 5!

On her birthday she chose a special birthday breakfast of crepes. McKayla gave her a light-up squishy ball. We gave her a soccer net and an American Girl Doll. We had lasagna for dinner.

She had a Frozen themed birthday party the next weekend. At the party they decorated snowflakes and made Frozen silly putty, played pin the nose of Olaf, and ate cupcakes.

Little Moments

Sometimes the little moments, the things that comprise our everyday lives, seem to go unnoticed. Our weeks include preschool co-op's, gymnastics, library story time, ward playgroup at the park, afternoon naps, and lots of cleaning and food preparation. Here's some photos to remind me of this fun stage of life when my girls and I get to play everyday.

 McKayla riding her bike to the park.

 McKayla parking her bike at the park.

 Emily in the stroller.

 Emily swinging.

Hailey and McKayla.

One of Hailey's favorite activities is building. She used to build with Duplos, but during a visit with Grandma Waite she used Legos. Now she loves to build with Legos. She even made me a Lego plane as a present for my birthday! Here's a lego creation she made.

Sometimes we go to library story time. Hailey and McKayla enjoy listening to the stories, but Emily's still learning to sit still. After story time the library has "Preschool Explorers," science and sensory play.

 Haiely and McKayla using the parachute during toddler time at the library.

McKayla playing with snakes in jello during Preschool Explorers, at the library.

Another favorite activity is playing in the fort in the backyard. A friend moved out of the ward and offered her playset to anyone willing to disassemble it. With several cold days of work, I was able to disassemble it and reassemble it at our house. I did transport the roof without disassembling, so it looked like I was caring a small house on the roof of my van... because I was. :)

Hailey and McKayla had just watched "Caillou" go rock climbing, so we made some makeshift rock climbing gear from the Baby Bjorn and a bike helmet, and they climbed the club house rock wall.

Perhaps the girls most favorite activity: swimming. We swim at our outdoor, neghborhood pool all summer, but once school starts they shut it down and we're forced inside.

One day they discovered life jackets. They don't usually use them, but they were a fun toy! McKayla

Hailey swimming in a life jacket.

 Each night, we read a story from the illustrated scripture story book. Bruce often reads and the girls crowd around to see the pictures.

Halloween & Zoo Boo

Shopping & Creating

Hailey and McKayla started thinking about Halloween costumes in early October, but I only wanted to buy costumes once so I made them wait and think about what they wanted to be for Halloween. Hailey saw the "perfect" witch costume the first time, and when we went back later it was gone but she found and fell in love with this costume.  Hailey and McKayla were so excited about buying costumes that they changed in the car right after we bought them and wore them grocery shopping.  McKayla said she wanted to be Thomas the train, but she had already declared she wants a Spider man birthday party, so when I found this spider girl costume in her size, I thought I got off easy. A few days later she told someone that she was going to be Thomas for Halloween, so I figured that I she needed a Thomas costume. The girls and I painted a box for each of them so they could be trains.

Hailey the witch.

McKayla as Spider girl.

McKayla, or Thomas the Train

McKayla, Hailey, and Emily as trains.

 Zoo Boo

Hailey and Mackenzie, Emily and McKayla in the fish tunnel at the zoo.

  Our friend and neighbor, Brittany Foster invited us to the zoo for Zoo Boo. The girls enjoyed seeing the animals, Trick-or-Treating, and playing with friends!

Hailey and McKayla

Mackenzie and Hailey watching the monkeys.

Hailey with a prize from Zoo Boo. So tired....

The girls in the zoo hut.

Hailey petting a goat.

 

Emily climbing

Halloween Night

The girls had fun at all of our Halloween activities including Zoo Boo, Trunk-or-Treat, and Trick-or-Treating. Grandma Lisa was in town for Halloween day, so all the cousins went out together.

Halloween night

All the earnings...

Grandma reading with Hailey & McKayla

Halloween

Before Halloween we went to Boo Zoo with our Brittany Foster's family. The girls loved dressing up as a witch (Hailey), Spider girl (McKayla), and Mrs. Clause (Emily), seeing the animals and trick-or-treating at the zoo. They were a little tentative about petting the animals at the petting zoo, but enjoyed brushing them. Everyone went home tired!

We continued our Haloween festivites with Halloween themed co-opt preschool and a ward Halloween party. I was baby sitting and also made balloon animals for one of the carnival booths, so I diedn't see much, but the girls seemed to really enjoy it. We all went Trunk-or-Treating as a family and by the end of the night, Emily had almost figured out what to do.

Grandma Lisa was visiting during Halloween, so we all got together on Halloween night to go Trick-or-Treating in Michelle and Ben's neighborhood. McKayla was Thomas the Train and Emily was a caboose. Hailey has a Percy the train costume that she played with her sisters at home, but was a "Spooky witch" for trick-or-treating.It was a great night with too much candy!

Halloween costumes

We went shopping for Halloween costumes earlier this week. Each girl had thought about what she wanted to be for over a week and Hailey consistently wanted to be a spooky witch and McKayla consistently wanted to be Thomas the train. So shopping went quickly for Hailey- a dress and hat and make a wand at home. We didn't find a Thomas costume  at the second hand store where we were shopping, but I found a spider girl costume. She had tried on a half doZen other costumes and didn't like them, so when she tried on spider girl and liked it I thought I got of easy. McKayla has been requesting a spider man birthday party and always checks out spider man books at the library (though she's never seen the slow), so we were good. Until a few days later when someone asks what she is going to be for Halloween and she says she's going  to be Thomas... 

So today I made Thomas costumes.:) 

Piano Guys Concert

For Mother's Day, Bruce bought me tickets to the Piano Guys concert. We went with some friends from church, the Torbit's and really enjoyed the evening.