Interview With a Five Year Old {Sydney}

Oh, my sweet, SWEET Sydney!  How I love you so!  You are sweet and kind and loving...your heart is so big it might surely explode with love for those around you.  You are my little buddy and I am soaking up every minute of you that I can.  Keep your loving spirit, always, and you will go far!

Favorite color:  Pinkish Purple

Favorite toy:  Shimmer and Shine toys

Favorite Stuffed Animal:  My Cheetah 

Favorite Thing to Sleep With:  Mommy

Favorite Fruit:  Raspberries

Favorite Cereal:  Strawberry Yogurt Oh's

Favorite Breakfast:  Scrambled Eggs

Favorite Lunch:  Mac N Cheese

Favorite Dessert:  Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Favorite Drink:  Water

Favorite Animal:  Rhinocerous

Favorite Song:  Shimmer and Shine theme song

Favorite Book: The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home

Favorite Game:  Bubble Fever {Tsum Tsum}

Favorite TV Show:  Shimmer and Shine

Favorite Movie:  Zootopia

Favorite Thing to do Outside:  Swing

Best Friends:  Riley, Brooke, Hailey, Jake, Taylor, Ty, Reagan

What She Wants To Be When She Grows Up: Horse Trainer

As per usual with our birthdays, I put together a birthday slideshow for Sydney.  You can watch it here...
Sydney's 5th Birthday from Amanda Michelson on Vimeo.

My Sassy Seven Year Old!

My dear sweet Olivia,

I cannot believe how quickly time has flown.  I feel like each year just goes faster and faster.  Sometimes I look at pictures and I still see you as four or five years old, and other times I find it hard to believe just how grown up you look.

This year has been full of exciting new things...first grade was amazing with all of the learning you did.  I am amazed at how fantastic of a reader you are!  Your dancing, singing, and theatrical talents are growing by leaps and bounds!  You have the same sass and feistiness that you've had since you were born, and I'm sure that will never change.  Keep growing, and learning, and figuring out this crazy world.  We'll be here for you through it all.

I love you more than words can tell!

Cheers to SEVEN!

Favorite color: blue/teal

Favorite toy:  ipad and American Girl doll

Favorite stuffed animal: Ellie the Elephant

Favorite thing to sleep with: Liberty of London pillow 

Favorite fruit: strawberries and apples

Favorite cereal: Cap'n Crunch

Favorite thing to eat for breakfast: waffles with Nutella

Favorite thing to eat for lunch: peanut butter and jelly

Favorite dessert: ice cream

Favorite drink: lemonade

Favorite animal: elephants and dogs

Favorite song: Brave {Sara Bareilles} and Ho Hey

Favorite book: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew

Favorite game: Princess Yahtzee and Guess Who

Favorite tv show: The Voice

Favorite movie:  Zootopia

Favorite thing to do outside:  swim and play on the play structure

Best friends: Ava, Riley, Kendall, Brooke, Sage, Jade & Sydney

What she wants to be when she grows up:  a librarian

I am cracked up because she's probably had Cap'n Crunch once and rarely gets to watch The Voice, but clearly they have made an impression on her!  Also, A LOT of these answers are pretty much the same as the last several years, which can be seen here, here, and here!

WHATTTTT?!

If you've got an extra 20 minutes on your hands.... 

Olivia's 7th Birthday from Amanda Michelson on Vimeo.

Interview With a Preschooler {And a School Picture too}

When Olivia turned four, I started doing yearly "interviews" with her asking her all about her favorite things.  Well, my precious baby girl, Sydney, has just turned FOUR and so it's time to start this tradition with her.   Is she not the cutest stinkin' thing?!

Favorite color: purple

Favorite toy:  Ryder and figurines from Paw Patrol

Favorite stuffed animal: Ryder from Paw Patrol

Favorite thing to sleep with: Mommy {no joke}

Favorite fruit: cantaloupe and watermelon

Favorite cereal: Kix and Strawberry Yogurt O's

Favorite things to eat for breakfast: Kix, scrambled eggs, and donuts

Favorite thing to eat for lunch: chicky nuggets and fries

Favorite dessert: ice cream

Favorite drink: apple juice

Favorite animal: giraffe

Favorite song: Let It Go {Frozen}

Favorite book: Paw Patrol: Pup, Pup, and Away

Favorite game: Hungry Hungry Hippo

Favorite tv show: Paw Patrol 

Favorite movie:  Frozen

Favorite thing to do outside: swim

Best friends: Hailey, Jade, Sage, Brooke, Olivia

What she wants to be when she grows up:  a doctor

Interview With a First Grader {And a School Picture}

I think I slacked a little bit on Olivia's yearly interviews, since I just did them almost 5 months after she turned 6.  {But, seriously, WHATTT?  Didn't we just have her party?}  Her answers have not changed all that much from the last 2 years - see year 4 here and year 5 here - mainly because she is still a picky eater.  :) Oh man, can you even handle the cuteness of that smile in her 1st grade picture?!  {But, seriously, WHATTT?  Didn't we just bring her home from the hospital?}

Favorite color: rainbow

Favorite toy:  Claire {her doll}

Favorite stuffed animal: Ellie the Elephant

Favorite thing to sleep with: Liberty of London pillow and the owl pillow

Favorite fruit: strawberries and blueberries

Favorite cereal: Trader Joe's Strawberry Yogurt O's

Favorite thing to eat for breakfast: donuts, cinnamon rolls, pancakes

Favorite thing to eat for lunch: noodles with parmesan

Favorite dessert: Dairy Queen ice cream

Favorite drink: pink lemonade and gatorade

Favorite animal: elephants and pandas

Favorite song: Takes Heart To Be a Hero {school song}, Uptown Funk, Ghostbusters

Favorite book: Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly

Favorite game: Princess Yahtzee and Guess Who

Favorite tv show: Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig

Favorite movie:  Inside Out

Favorite thing to do outside: swing and swim

Best friends: Ava, Riley, Kendall, Brooke, Sage, Jade & Sydney

What she wants to be when she grows up:  a teacher and a dance teacher

My Fierce Five Year Old

My Dear Girl,

A few weeks ago, you told your Nana that you couldn't wait to turn five because then you were going to be a handful.  {Meaning, showing your age would take all five fingers.}  Little did you know that you already are a handful.  You are feisty and spirited and quick to respond.  You are loyal and passionate and creative.  Your love for drawing and writing has grown leaps and bounds over the past year, and I am so proud of how much you have learned.  

Your sister looks up to you so much, and nothing brings my heart nearer to explosion than when the two of you are playing sweetly together.  Your latest thing with her is to crawl into the big chair in her room and read her stories before bed.  I have no doubt that she will always look up to you, and I hope that you always take the responsibility of leading and guiding her seriously.

Oh Olivia, we love you so very much.  We love listening to you sing and we love watching you dance.  And, while there are days where hearing you say, "Pretend you were my..." for the 100th time is more than we can take, we are always amazed by your imagination.  

Keep blossoming and growing and changing into the strong, brave, beautiful young girl you are becoming. 

Love Always,

Your Mommy

Favorite color:  pink

Favorite toy:  Pirate Fairy doll

Favorite Stuffed Animal:  Ellie the Elephant

Favorite Thing to Sleep With:  Pillow Pet Dream Light {Unicorn}

Favorite Fruit: Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries

Favorite Cereal:  Cheerios

Favorite Breakfast:  Toast with butter & sprinkles {cinnamon sugar}

Favorite Lunch:  Quesadilla

Favorite Dessert:  Ice cream sandwich or Cool Whip

Favorite Drink:  Sprite {which she has had maybe 5 times in her life}

Favorite Animal:  Elephants, horses, and unicorns

Favorite Song:  Weightless by Natasha Bedingfield

Favorite Book:  The Ballerina Princess

Favorite Game:  Guess Who

Favorite TV Show:  My Little Pony

Favorite Movies:  The Pirate Fairy, Secret of the Wings, and Frozen

Favorite Thing to do Outside:  Swing on the swings

Best Friends:  Kendall and Brooke

What She Wants To Be When She Grows Up:  A unicorn or horse trainer

As is customary, I made a birthday slideshow for Olivia.  If  you've got an extra 15 minutes and love seeing {even more} pictures of her, this is the video for you!