April Happenins

Alrighttttyyyy....seeing as how it is JUNE already, let's get April all wrapped up and put away, shall we?!  Here's hoping the pictures help me remember what all happened because the cobwebs in the ol' noggin sure aren't helping this sleep-deprived mama out too much!

➸➸ A new MOD Pizza opened up near us and we are SOOOO excited!  It's right next to Sydney's favorite place {Panera Bread} and so it works perfectly since she is not a huge fan of pizza {but she does like their milkshakes}!

➸➸  We played an April Fool's Joke on some friends and pretended Sydney cut her hair.  And then the next week, she gave herself bangs! 

 

➸➸  Sydney's art fair was at school one evening and I got to take a picture of both of my girls next to the same rock wall that they were always photographed against in the mornings before their classes.

➸➸  Random pictures of my most favorite four year old!

Yes, she ate all of those!

➸➸  I'm so proud of Liv and how well she has done learning to ride her bike without training wheels.  She is the kind of girl who wants to be perfect at everything, and if she's not, she is hard on herself or refuses to try.  We took the training wheels off months ago, but she would only ride in a straight line and stop by putting her legs down.  Back in April (when we could be outside for more than five minutes), we took some evenings to ride bikes and she did great!  She fell, yes, but she got back up, without crying or whining!  I was more proud of her for her persistence than if she had mastered it right off the bat!

➸➸ I had a birthday!  Sydney and I went out for pedicures, and I got a little nostalgic with some pictures of my earlier birthday parties.  Mom and Dad made my favorite meal, and they got me the yummiest ice cream cake!  (And, my brother sent me a King Cake from New Orleans!)

➸➸  Sydney is my BEST little helper ever!  I usually only have to ask her to do something once and she's on it!  Hope she always stays that way because someone in the family is the total opposite!

Wow - these flowers have changed so much since this picture!  They are still alive which is a miracle, but they have also cascaded down the side of the planters!

➸➸  Oh man, I love my little hip hop fanatic!

➸➸  The girls had a fun playdate with their friend, Nate!  He is the sweetest thing, and they had a blast swimming with him!

It's a Bugz Play!

Olivia's group of first grade classes studied a unit on bugs this spring and then went on to do an individual report on a bug and performed a "Bugz Play" for the parents.  Olivia loved learning all about the different insects and chose to do her report on a praying mantis.  David ordered some praying mantis eggs and we were able to see them hatch, but sadly none of them made it to full size.  We also ordered some butterfly larvae and got to watch the entire life cycle!  The girls LOVED those!

Liv did a fantastic job with her lines of, "You really are to mean to me, your manners send me reeling. You had to hit me where it hurts, and now you've hurt my feelings!"  She had that sucker memorized in a matter of minutes!  {I still remember my first speaking part in my first grade Christmas play -- it was, "I'm a tennis dolly.  Won't you come and play with me?"} She loved all the songs that went with the play, and sang them so much that Sydney was able to sing along in the audience!  ;)

These bugs can come to my house any day of the week!!! 

Last All Starz Performance of the Season

Olivia had one last All Starz performance before their recital this weekend.  I really enjoyed watching her perform at various events around our community.  I'm so proud of how she was never really afraid to get up and dance in front of a crowd.  It wasn't always easy getting her to practice at home, but I saw a big improvement in her dance skills over the course of the season!

Here's hoping Sydney joins the team next year!

Celebrating Olivia at School

This year, we celebrated Olivia's birthday with the biggest Otter Pops you've ever seen!  We brought them to her class during recess time and it took most of the kids the entire time to eat them!  They loved them though!  

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.