Walle and Kate

I forgot all about these til I loaded the pictures on the computer today. Kate is so funny with Walle. She just loves him and he... tolerates her. I was sitting on the floor last week and Walle wanted me to play with him. He got more than he bargained for when Kate started playing. Walle loves to play tug-a-war and Kate loved playing with Walle.Also another Kate and Walle story. She was crawling after Walle and would bury her face in his side and giggle. When she would let go of him, he would walk to the other side of the room and Kate would go crawling after him just laughing to bury her face in him again. He is such a good dog with her and puts up with a lot. He has always been really good with her. And to think, we were told that his breed wasn't good with children.

Another Birthday

Yes, March is full of birthday's in this house. I just had to tell you all about how wonderful my husband and kids are. Yesterday was just a lazy day and so nice to just stay home. Nate had picked up some steaks to grill for me and the kids were so lucky because he found some on sale for them too. We had a real fancy dinner right in our own kitchen. It was lovely. After dinner I was able to talk Nate into playing Pirates with me and Tucker and not 20 minutes into the game, Tucker sunk my ship. :0( So our came Yahtzee. Norma got a yahtzee on her first roll and ended up with a total of 3 for the whole game. Today we all got to sleep in which is so super nice. Nate made breakfast and boy was it a breakfast. I'm telling you, my husband spoiled me! I challenged Tucker to Pirates again after breakfast and he was "too" nice this time around. :0) We totally skipped church and Tucker ended up getting a note from his class telling him how much them miss him. Oops. My Dad made dinner tonight and it was amazing as usual but I do have to say that the best part was the cake. My Mom made me "Better than Anything" cake but she uses chocolate whip frosting on it instead of the whipped topping. So Good! I was going to put a picture of it up here to rub it in all your noses but I'll just eat it instead. :0) I have had a wonderful birthday and am so grateful to my family for making it that way.

Happy Birthday Nana!

Happy Birthday to my most wonderful Mother! I am so glad that my Mom is my best friend and always has been. She is someone that I look up too and love with all my heart. I don't know where I would be without her and the understanding and love that she has for me. I love you Mom!

Cake and Ice Cream

I can't wait to show you Norma's birthday cake that my mom made for her.I love it! Isn't it amazing! My mom is so good! I have fond memories from my own Barbie cake that I had when I was her age. Mom says that I was 4.Isn't this the funniest thing after the cake was cut, it reminded me of "Parent Trap" the original movie when they cut her dress off and she walks in the dance showing her underwear. :0)
Norma was so excited about the whole day that she couldn't even eat. All she wanted to do was open presents. One of her favorite gifts was Larry came with Angela and Cindy for dinner. She was so spoiled. She got a lot from us on Friday but she got even more from Nana and Papa.What a wonderful day and I think she'll be having a lot of fun for the rest of the week with so many things to do and keep her busy. And keeping Kate away from all her new Barbies. Kate likes them just as much as Norma.

Happy Birthday Norma!!!

My Norma Sue is 5! Holy Cow!

I was planning on putting her birth story on here like I did with Tucker and some pictures of the scrapbook pages I did of all her baby pictures but I have a lot on here just from today so I'll have to do that another time.

We started out the day with presents before the boys went to school. First thing to come out of the package was this hopscotch that we got her from Grandpa and Nana in Mongolia. She loves it! She has been really into hopscotch for a while. Anytime there is sidewalk chalk out, she will draw herself one and play for hours.
We went to Monkey Island after school and I think it was a hit. More so Norma than the boys.

Kate didn't mind it either. I feel bad that some of these are blurry. But what can you do when you don't know how to do anything more than just push the button. :0)

Love these ones of Norma and Thadd though. It took a bit for Norma to feel okay to go down all the slides. She was really nervous at first but by the time we left she was a pro!



This is what Tucker liked doing the most. I think if he had had some friends to jump with it would have been different but then again, he just loves his video games.


I wanted a few more pictures of Kate and this is what I got...
She didn't like the flash.


And can't help the thumb pictures.
Norma had a great day full of presents, family and fun. She has been very spoiled but what else is new. :0)

Walking

Just had to post some of this cute little thing walking. She walks all over the place now. She hardly crawls any more. She will stand up in the middle of the room just to walk 2 feet to the couch. :0)

Kate's 1 year pictures

What a story behind these! We took Kate up to Target for her 1 year pictures because we had been told that they were good and there were coupons. :0)

We went last Friday, the day after her birthday and of course on the way up there, she fell asleep right before we got there. I have to give credit to the lady taking her pictures. She worked really hard to get her to be okay. As you can see, it didn't work too well.
This is Kate's "I don't think I like you touching me" look and stand.


This was the first time she wore her birthday dress and she just hung onto those knots. She was just standing there in the middle of the room and I think she felt safer hanging on to something.
I just laugh so hard every time I see this one! She was so mad at me. She really didn't want to be there. She is glaring at me if you are wondering who she is looking at like that. :0)
I love this! She is my only thumb sucker and I had given her the blanket that she sleeps with. I made these blankets for her and the first thing she did when she touched it was put her thumb in her mouth. It makes my heart feel good to see this.
I really like this and we paid a lot for this one but how could we not get this one. She did NOT want to hold them, she did not want to have us handing it to her, she wanted nothing to do with them. I love the "E" because I had put it under her arm and made her hold it. This was just as she was throwing it with her "Come on Mom" face.
The only picture with a smile! She was crawling toward me and the door. :0)

Girls Check-up

Both the girls went in for their check-ups yesterday. Norma for her 5 year/Kindergarten check-up and Kate for her 1 year.

I knew that they both would be getting shots so when I made the appointment I thought I was making it for a day that Nate had off so he could come with me. Nope. So my Mom so kindly offered to come with me. I was looking for someone to comfort one girl while the other was getting their shots.

Norma's stats: Weight 37 lbs - 25% Height 42.25 inches - 49%
Kate's stats: Weight 19 lbs 3 oz - 18% Height 29.25 inches - 53 % Head 47.5 cm - 96%

When we got there another mom and daughter walked in with a cup to pee in. I had totally forgot that I would have to try and do that with Norma. I had brought her in for a UTI once and it was terrible trying to get a sample. Not this time. :0)

When the nurse tested Norma's eyes, she didn't know what a plus sign was but she said to the nurse, "When I turn my head like this it's an X!" So that is what she called it. They said that her eyes were fine but with the family history of both parents and both brothers having glasses we are still going to take her in before school to find out if she'll need them.

Other than the most awful experience EVER getting shots for one of my kids, the girls are very healthy and made it through in one piece. Norma is pretty sore today from her shots and has a really nasty bruise but she fought hard and lost so she will be sore for a few days. Kate got a fever from her shots but she has been my only child to really have a reaction to shots. She always gets a fever.

Happy Birthday Kate (part 3)

First thing first...



Happy Birthday to my Aunt Kathryn. You are the most amazing person I know. You are a second mother to me and I love you for that. I know that if I ever need someone I can turn to you. I am so lucky to have you in my family and I know that Conference wouldn't be the same without you with us. Thank you for all you do for me and my family. I love you! (Walle must have known that the kids were singing to you. He came and sat so pretty there that I had to let you know that he was there. He loves you as much as the kids do.)


Yesterday was the last day of birthday partying for Kate. Cindy and Angela came over for dinner and we tried to warm Kate up to them. She is being so funny with people lately. She will not go to anyone but me and she cries when others try to even touch her. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that she is a Mommy's girl, she is the only child that has been, but I do feel bad that she won't go to other people, including family.

I'll have to post pictures from last night later. I only got one and she is not happy in it. Angela took a lot and she is going to send me some. Cindy and Angela gave her a Build-A-Bear. It is so super cute! Kate was such a stink about it. She started crying when Cindy gave it to her. I wanted to put the scrapbook pages I did of when Cindy gave Norma her Build-A-Bear, Giggles.

Norma loves this bear and slept with it til just a few months ago when her Dad decided that it was time to take it away from her. She had loved this bear to death. Really. The tail was gone, it was no longer white no matter how much I washed it, it didn't giggle anymore and the stuffing was all lumpy.

All in all, I think Kate had a pretty good birthday. What a spoiled little girl who doesn't even appreciate it. :0)

And this one is just for Cindy. I told Norma is was going to rain today and she put on her puddle jumpers that Cindy gave her last year for her birthday. Love this girl!

Happy Birthday Kate (part 2)

We got to have dinner at Nana and Papa's for Kate's birthday and we got Chinese! Love it! Kate picked out the ham out of her rice and loved the noodles.
Here is her cake that the rest of us get to eat and...
here is hers. It's a tradition that the 1 year old gets to have their own cake to eat on their birthday. I know, a little sugar rush? But it's a tradition.


She didn't know what to think at first. She keep looking at us to see if we were going to take it away from her.
Love that she picked off the hearts and ate them first.
Daddy finally cut it open so that she could get some of the cake part and not just frosting.
She liked the frosting better.
She offered to share with Thadd. He told her no.

Love the sucking of all the fingers.
Sugar crazed eyes!

After we took the cake away and cleaned her up, she had a few gifts to open.
This is her gift from John and Celest. It was her first present that was actually wrapped. She had to have a little help from Mom. Then I cried when I saw the book. It has all the nursery rhymes that I have a book of from my Grandma Thomas that she would read to me when I was little.


Kathryn helping Kate open her gift. I love getting pictures of the two Kathryn's together.


Papa gave her a baby that giggles. She liked that the moon lite up.
Hugging the baby. So sweet! And then a kiss.
We have one more day of birthday partying for Kate. We still have more gifts from Nana and Papa to open today and Aunt Cindy. :0)