Our American Girl

Last weekend was all about Miss Lexi.
She requested to take her closest friends from class
for frozen yogurt after school.
It was a freezing cold day, but these girls didn't seem to mind.
They ate, sang, played and danced around Yummilicious.
It was just as loud and festive as it looks from these pictures.

Then, Sunday was her actual party.
The birthday girl had been hoping for a
Halloween themed celebration in our backyard.
But her momma just didn't have the energy (or time)
for such a big undertaking this year.
Instead, we decided on a festive day at The American Girl Doll store.
We took ten friends along with us, plus Ryleigh and several moms.
It was the first time many had been inside the store,
and it was the first time any of them had celebrated a birthday there,
so it ended up being a great choice.
One of the highlights was all caravanning over together to The Galleria.
The girls were all dressed up for the occasion,
and they brought along their dolls.
Each doll was treated to a birthday crown
and doll seat right at the table - super cute.
The store tends to every sweet little detail -
like mini tea cups and saucers for the dolls,
a super cute and super pink crown for the birthday girl,
warm hot chocolate and cute little games for the table.
The little ladies feasted on mini pizzas, grilled cheese and tomato soup,
fruit and yogurt platters and mini pretzel bites
while the moms enjoyed our own pots of tea.
We filled our time playing telephone, telling jokes
(5 and 6 year old humor is a riot),
answering "all about me" questions that were left on the table for us,
and then touring the entire store in all its glory.
The girls oohed and ahhed when seeing the doll hair salon
(if you've never experienced this, you'd be amazed.
it is literally a hair salon all for dolls - marketing at its most genius)
and then started Christmas lists right on the spot.
It was truly a cute way to celebrate our very own American Girl!

Today you turned 6

Alexis,
Today you are six!

Hard to believe, but true, our baby girl is six whole years old.
At 6, you are all things "s"
smart, silly, spunky, stubborn, sassy, strong willed, social…
and, as always, super excited about your birthday.
I went to your school Friday and read to your class.
Afterwards, I joined you for lunch and brought brownies in
for you and all your classmates…you helped me bake them of course.

Today, we have your party at the American Girl Doll store!
You have been talking about it for months, little lady.
And while we are so excited for you, so proud of you,
mommy and daddy are also just the tiniest bit sad…

...because these days we look at you and see how big you're getting.
Don't get me wrong, we love this new age - the kindergarten girl -
who's close…so very close to truly reading all on her own.
We love to see you race home and tell us about your homework
(each day you get a short reader to complete).
We love to see how you can now sound out the words, nearly all on your own.
How daddy can pick any page after you and mommy have finished,
and you proudly read it to him without a single mistake.

We love to see the artwork you come home with
(always filled with rainbows, hearts and happy faces),
the math problems you have solved, the sentences you are learning to write,
the patterns you've created, how you write the date at the top of each page,
just like a big kid.
We love to hear about the hot or cold lunch you bought - all by yourself -
in the cafeteria (you think this is just about the coolest thing ever).
We love to hear about the new friends you've made in Miss Smith's class,
about the boy you think is pretty neat who invited you out for frozen yogurt.
We think it's wonderful how excited you get for all your "specials",
especially science and art.

We think it's pretty cool that you love to play Star Wars with the boys,
just as much as you enjoy secret spies or treasure hunt with Ella, Molly and Olivia at recess.
We get the biggest kick out of you in the hallways each morning,
waving and calling out to your buddies from your locker.
I'm not sure there's a shy bone in your body.
Sure, we love to see you whiz around the neighborhood on your two wheeler,
riding it down to the playground, over to Starbucks
or even to school on the rare mornings that we have enough time.

Sure, we love to watch you swim to the bottom of the pool for rings,
climb the high rope or swing from the bars at gymnastics,
tackle the high diving board with confidence,
tap to your hearts content with Ava and Callie each Tuesday at dance class
and grow more confident, more interested each week at tennis.

We admire your independence…as you pick out your outfit each night before bed,
brush your teeth, do your mouthwash, clean your newly pierced ears,
and often help your sister into her own pajamas.
We think it's awesome you decided to go out on a limb
and sign up for winter basketball because one of your best buddies asked you to.
And more than anything, of course, we love to see they way you mother Ryleigh,
how you guide her, teach her, look out for her, stick up for her, and even how
you boss her around…because we know you take this big sister role very seriously,
and we hope you always will.

The thing is, Lexi, that it's a little bit hard as your parents to "let go".
To send you off and watch you soar, and even sometimes stumble.
When we look at you,
we see at once both the fragile, small newborn baby you were
and also the big girl you're becoming.
You are more than ready to take on 6…
just bear with us as we try and keep up.
Wishing you the happiest birthday, Alexis Rose!!!!

Getting our $'s worth

The girls are at such a great age for Halloween,
so it was nice to have a number of events leading up to the big day.
First up was the UP Halloween Carnival.
I was in charge of planning this party, along with two girlfriends,
and it was great to see so many kiddos on hand, and all of them happy.
There were games all around the gym, a giant bounce house,
a freaky freeze dance and even a costume red carpet.
It really set the stage for one of the most fun weeks of the year.

The girls also had the chance to dress up during their dance classes...
always very cute to see.
Ava and Callie are in ballet/tap with Lexi this year,
something we are so thankful for since they are at different schools now.

 Here Ryleigh is with Brendan's daughter Emily,

both girls are sweet, little, girly versions of their daddies

Ryleigh's preschool class had a party Halloween morning that the parents were invited in for

And then I headed over to the elementary school for Pumpkin Day.
This is a huge, long standing tradition at UP.
Every child decorates a pumpkin and on the Friday of Halloween week,
they are all displayed on the walkway leading up to the school's front doors.
The kids get to walk around the school, looking at all of the super cool creations,
and then parents join in for an outdoor picnic at lunchtime.
You would not believe the creativity of some of these children (and/or parents)!
Lexi decided early on that she wanted, what else, a princess pumpkin,
and she never wavered from that selection.
It will be our only year here at UP,
and I'm so glad we got to take part in this wonderful tradition.

 There's her finished product, complete with a crown

 Just a few of the hundreds that were on display

 A Happy Meal and lunch with her kinder besties

The boy standing behind Lexi is currently one of her boyfriends

(We are so not ready for this)

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween!
We are still recovering a bit from all the candy filled, sleep deprived fun,
and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Both girls were pumped when the big day finally arrived.
Princesses Ariel and Anna were the selections this year
("because there are sure to be too many Elsas, mom!")
Of course I had to take a few pictures here at the house first.

Lexi insisted on an official Little Mermaid pose,

just like from the movie 

And then we were off to our playgroup's pre-party.
All the dads joined also, it was such a fun way to kick off the night.
Can't Halloween fall on a Friday every year?

At last, it was time for trick or treating.
We met up with some of our favorite 5 years olds and hit up the neighborhood.
These girls were on a mission - little sister and brother included.

Our sweet Anna, who was pretty terrified of the whole holiday last year,
certainly found her stride and couldn't be stopped as she raced from house to house.

What a fun Halloween 2014!
The girls are already busy planning their costumes for next year -
and we may finally be setting our sights beyond the land of princesses ;)