kate turned ten and we had a party (waaaay back in june!)

 

Miss Kate turned TEN years old this June!  To celebrate, we had a party.  A real party, even with friends and activities!  (That doesn't happen but maaaaybe once in my poor girl's birthday careers.)   It wasn't too fancy, but we sure had fun.  The girls roasted hot dogs (brats actually- Kate's favorite), made cool tie-dye shirts with markers, and had cake and ice cream. 

 

 



For a fun craft, the girls made these cool t-shirts.  It was super easy and super fun!  The girls wrapped their shirts over paper cups with rubber bands, decorated the part that was stretched over the cup with  markers, and then soaked it with rubbing alcohol (using a syringe) to make the marker bleed.  It was a super duper easy way to tie-dye and we had a lot of fun doing it.  Even Claire made a shirt!

 

 

I just have to say that these girls are some of the nicest girls I know and I feel so blessed that Kate has them as friends.  Being the extra mile kind of mom that I am, I only let my girls invite 4-5 friends to their party, and so there were quite a few more cute girls Kate would have liked to have invited but couldn't.  Anyway, I was so worried to start a new school last year and then we added even more chaos with me being so sick.  I couldn't have asked for a kinder, more thoughtful group of friends to help Kate through a hard time.  They made what could have been a very difficult year into one of the best school years Kate has had.  It makes me want to cry when I think of what a blessing they have been for her.  I would be sooooo happy if they could continue their friendship 'til they are little 'ol ladies!

Happy Birthday, Kater Bugs!  We sure love you!

everytime i download pictures, i smile . . .

 

 

. .  .And then I think to myself that everyone should have a Ryenne living at their house.

 

 

 

kate is a rock star

One thing that is really awesome about Kate is for the most part, she is very easy going and easy to please.  She makes my life so much easier on crazy days!  For instance, when I was going through all of our pictures, I saw this one for her fourth grade program.  She had been looking forward to her program for months and was so excited when she got a speaking part!  Even better, she got to dress up as an Indian!  I was excited too, because we already had a great Indian costume that she had worn a few years earlier for Halloween.  The week before her program, she kept reminding me that we needed to get down the costume box so we could find her costume.  Thinking I could find it in a snap, I kept putting her off.  Finally, the morning of her program, I got into the costume box- dismayed as I remembered that half of her costume had been borrowed from Aunt Kerri!  Knowing there was no way we could get it in time, and feeling sick that I had messed up her big day, I admitted what I had done to Miss Kate. 

I shouldn't have worried.  With a shrug, she found a brown shirt and leggings to wear under the part we had and told me, "Don't worry, Mom!  At least I have brown hair. . .and I'm standing in back of someone, and so except for when I say my part, no one will even see me!"  She's a rock star, that one.

This reminds me of a funny, but oh-so-Kate story from the other day:

Kate has been playing soccer this fall and has been loving it.  I think she has converted her identity as a "gymnasticker" to being a soccer player.  In fact, last week she was thrilled when her coach told her after her game that she had played "like a monster"!  They had another game a few days later and she was so excited.  Well, sure enough, the day of the game she came right in the house after her bus ride home, went straight to the toilet, and threw up.  When I went in to check on her, she looked miserable, but the first thing she said was, "Mom, how fast do you think I can get better so I can go to my game?"  When questioned, she insisted that she was only sick because she didn't have enough breakfast and thought she would be fine.  Unfortunately, she continued to throw up, and when we decided she'd better not go, she went in her room and cried for over an hour.  It wasn't until late that night when she finally admitted she had secretly thrown up during the last break at school, but didn't tell anyone because she wanted to go to her game so bad.  And the next morning, she insisted she was doing great!  Why?  Because she wanted to go to school to find out how she had done on her math test.

I love that girl!

ryenne and emmy's ballet recital 2012

 

happiness in a box

for a small fee, emmy will paint your toes too

ryenne turns twelve! (last april. . .but who's counting?)