Annika's 9th Birthday

On Saturday, our little girl began her last year in the single digits. Nine years ago, she decided enough was enough ... and surprised us 3 weeks early. Nine years ago, she made us parents. Nine years ago, we realized only idiots make plans and believe they will pan out as expected. Nine years ago, we learned how instant and fierce the love of a parent can be. Nine years ago, we were blessed with a little girl who is brimming with creativity, spunk, intelligence, empathy, energy and love.

Nine years down ... first steps toward 10 (eep!)

Yes, I really do make our kids hold a birthday sign every year. :)

Annika woke up to balloons falling on her head as soon as she opened her bedroom door and the day continued up from there. To be accurate, she also walked into a wall of balloons in the middle of the night when she got up to go to the bathroom and her amazing engineer of a father rigged a new balloon drop system when he woke up in the morning. (Thanks, hon!!)

For the most part, the day was very low-key, which was ideal in many ways considering our recent and non-stop go-go-go pace. It was lovely to simply stop (or at least, pause) to take in the fact that our baby girl is quickly growing up and readying herself for life's next adventures. It was also nice to catch up on a few to-do items while the kids had a MARVELOUS time playing with the plethora of balloons almost all day long. They even created a balloon pit using a bunch of blankets, pillows, and ... yes, the balloons. They created games and stories that were detailed, funny, and downright silly. What more could a parent ask for?

Eric and Conor hanging the family's "Happy Birthday" banner

The balloon pit

Annika decided that she wanted chili for her birthday dinner (yum!) and red velvet cake for dessert. The kids donned their proverbial chef hats and jumped in to help make the cake ... and they did a great job! (I did the frosting solo, but had plenty of offers to lick the bowl and utensils when I was done ... they are such team players!)

All day long, Annika awaited the blessed moment when we told her she could open her presents. I'm pretty sure she thought making her wait until after dinner was our form of child abuse, but she survived the wait and gleefully opened the items from us and a few out-of-the-area family members.

Reading her card from Conor
(who lovingly decorated the envelope with all sorts of curly/fancy letters to spell out her name)

What 9-year-old girl doesn't need a unicorn shirt, I ask you???

Modeling her new mermaid swimming fin

Admiring the microscope from Uncle John & Aunt Wendy

Happy scientist

Pretty sure she would live in this mermaid tail from
Aunt Kajsa and Uncle Jeff full time if we let her

Reading up on her new Jenga from Auntie Suzanne and Uncle Randy... let the games begin

She was a weeee bit excited to see we gave her the wireless headphones she's been longing for

After presents and cleaning up from dinner, the four of us piled on the couch for cake and to watch "The Little Prince" on Netflix. It was a marvelously cozy way to wrap up the day... lots of snuggles and chocolate to go around. :)

Eric lighting NINE candles

Make a wish, birthday girl

Our Boy Is Six!

Yesterday, we celebrated sweet Conor's 6th birthday.

It still stuns us that he has so quickly evolved from a tiny baby with jet black hair to a little dude who loves music, building with Legos and blocks, playing any kind of sport, dancing with a huge grin on his face, and so much more. That said, he's still MORE than happy to crawl up on our laps for an early morning snuggle as he shakes off the night's cobwebs and gears up for another day of playing and living life to the fullest.

Upon waking, we asked him if he felt any different, to which he replied, "Yeah! I feel bigger and stronger!" Later in the morning, while sitting on the couch, he said, "Hey! My feet reach the coffee table now that I'm 6!" (Eric didn't have the heart to tell him that the table had been moved closer to the couch.)

Lucky boy, his birthday landed on the first day of spring break, so he got to stay home all day at home with Eric and Annika ... lounging in his PJs, playing, and soaking up all the glory that is being a 6-year-old-boy. To celebrate his big day, Conor requested waffles and sausage for dinner; I was fully expecting a request for eggs Benedict, so feel like I lucked out in terms of time and labor on that front!

After dinner, he opened his presents (Thank you to his very generous aunts, uncles, and grandparents -- your thank you notes are in the mail) and told us he wanted to go to Menchies for dessert. That was until he realized he would need to leave his new (and newly beloved) Transformer toys at home for said dessert. Umm... not so much. Conor decided to have a little ice cream at home instead, so he could have uninterrupted play time. As a plan B, Annika and I popped up to 7-11 (yeah, we're THAT fancy) and got some ice cream treats for the birthday celebration.

Conor declared that his birthday was "AWESOME" .... can't get any better than that!

Conor hugging his new stuffy

Opening gifts

Daddy helping Conor read the card

Conor and Annika figuring out the Transformers

A couple of weeks ago, Conor had a co-birthday party with his classmates. What is a cp-birthday party? Well, it is the brain child of his classmate's mom who realized her son and Conor are both March birthday boys and suggested we combine forces and have a shared class party. Brilliant!!! We booked it at a local Lego cafe (seriously, what is better for a group of kindergarten children??) The kids had a blast building and building and building to their little hearts content. We had snacks and Lego-themed red velvet cupcakes (fondant Legos cupcake toppers!) and balloons, but the kids loved the Legos the best! One of Conor's little buddies even lost her tooth during the party, making the day that much more memorable!! Conor even had a special (albeit very tired due to a VERY early morning flight) guest ... his big cousin Robert happened to be popping through Seattle en route back to Pullman. How much better can that get??

Conor, Lego engineer

Mama and her pretty girl

Mama and silly Conor

Lego cupcakes

Shhhh!!! Robert's sleeping!