The celebration party!

Ellie's birthday celebration was a blast! I often don't enjoy planning birthday parties, there is just so much that goes into planning food, games, crafts, little gifts to send with the guests, cake, snacks, invitations, and all of that. Not to mention the set-up and the clean-up. I am not a detailed person, and birthday parties require a lot of details when you have several small children at your house.

So, this time, we decided to go with a party hosted somewhere else where all we had to do was show up and bring the kids and the cake. It also happened to be that Monkey Joe's was having a "special" for the month of August. So on Saturday, Ellie had a birthday party that was not only perfect for mom, but for the kids too. And I won't lie, I also love big inflatables. I also have children that require me to help them, so oh boy did I have fun!

Ellie even got her own throne in the party room. It was pretty sweet. And did I mention that I had a helper too? She served the kids juice and pizza, she cut the cake, and she even helped with the opening of the presents. We basically handed her the presents and then she put them all away as soon as Ellie was done admiring the presents. it really was awesome!

 I asked the kids to make a silly face. They happily obliged.

Ellie with Monkey Joe, who also brought her a birthday present.

And Andy with the rascal. Right now she refuses to have pictures taken, so this is as good as it gets!

Almost all the kids with Monkey Joe. Notice Nina is not there. Nina is TERRIFIED of stuffed characters that move and talk, so we made sure to keep Monkey Joe away from her.

 Nina having fun. I just love this picture of her, she was loving being bounced around!

 This is my proof I was there! It was fun!

I wrote more about this day on my writer blog. I would love for you to stop by and read about what this day was like from my "mom" perspective. And if you have any stories to share about a time of celebration, I would love to hear those. So hop on over and leave me a comment, will you?

Birthday Girl

If you are my friend on Facebook, you know that my oldest just had a birthday on Tuesday. Yes, my sweet Ellie is a year older and right now her favorite question is, "How old are you?"

We had a full and fun day on Tuesday, followed by a full and fun day on Wednesday, and today was also a fun and full day. Not all related to her birthday, but it has made a great birthday week. Now we await the arrival of grandma and auntie, and then Saturday is the fiesta!

I have not been able to update the blog all week, but I had to share just some pictures of the birthday girl on her special day.

Ellie woke up to balloons, a present that helped get her ready for the day (dress, necklace, headband) donuts, and a birthday girl pin.

We then had a string scavenger hunt. I basically string some yarn around the house and she has to follow the string all around and find presents hiding along the way. I did this for her when she was three years old and she wanted me to do it again.

She opened presents from us and grandparents, which made the sisters a little jealous (it happens every birthday, regardless of who's birthday it is). You can see here how excited Nina is to see Ellie open presents!

One present I got for Ellie was the game "Guess who?" I always wanted it as a kid and never got it. I loved it, and I won't lie, I still do. Ellie and I played all day. She loves it, I love it, we play. Oh the joys of being a mom! For real friends, this was an awesome present!

Then we went to Cherry Berry to celebrate some more. I would have chosen Coldstone, but what can I say, the kids like Cherry Berry.

The birthday girl and I took a self-portrait, just to prove I do exist and I am not just the one that snaps pictures.

And a picture with daddy, the favorite in our family. Seriously, all 4 of us fight for his attention. What can I say, he is a lucky guy! He has 4 girls that adore him. Or maybe we are the lucky ones, he is an incredible man and a great daddy.

 And we had some chocolate cake!

Next up, the birthday party. It is going to be so much fun!

My daughter took me to fairyland

It happens every time we go to the gardens. A beautiful place that seems so magical, how could she resist the urge to enter into a story and become part of a fairyland?

Our fairyland

 “Mommy, can we play together?” Ellie asks.

I look down at her, her big blue eyes staring at me full of anticipation, dancing with delight as she waits for my answer. Usually my hands cling on to the camera, snapping pictures of the girls, asking for a pose. But today there is so much longing, she has been waiting to do this for a while.

“Yes sweetheart, we can play.”

Her face breaks into a smile that melts my heart.

We let daddy, the sisters, and our friends know that we will be playing, and with that, we take off running. We stop only to plot the details of our adventure.

“What do you want your name to be?” Ellie asks.

I had forgotten. Memories of playing as a kid and choosing a name come back to me. When was the last time I had played with Ellie this way that I had not realized she now chooses a name?

“Eliana.” I say.

“I will be Samantha.” 

Then hand in hand we ran through the gardens away from the trolls that were after us and intended to take over our Kingdom. We escape their grips, only to return to our castle to find out that Mama and Papa were captured. We found the fairies who told us where to find the magic stick that would restore the Kingdom and destroy the trolls. We were captured one more time, and we fought trying to escape, but once in prison, the magic stick had enough power to let us out. As we made our way back to the castle, Mama and Papa waited for us safe. We had defeated the trolls.

Ellie walks through fairyland

Ellie had been waiting to play with me this way for a long time. Part of me mourns the fact that we don’t do this more often, that I find myself too “busy” to enter into play with her this way. As we returned home, Ellie and I had this connection, this special time that brought us together in the gardens.

As I went to bed that night, I shared with my husband that I believed I had today I had helped create one of Ellie’s favorite memories she will have of the two of us. But maybe that is not true, maybe this was not so special for Ellie, after all she gets to play this way with her friends. No, I believe that what took place was more of a gift for me than for her. She is the one that took me to fairyland and presented me with one of the most precious memories I have with her. Somehow, in giving her what she most wanted from me – my attention – I was given a deep connection with my first-born, and a memory that I will treasure forever. 

What precious memories do you have with your children? Share with me in the comment section.

The Missing Cat Mystery

The Missing Cat Mystery: A story about kittens, cousins, and vacationing written by  my very own 6 year old! Ellie loves to write stories and I finally have "permission" to share something with you here on the blog. Please leave her a comment as she is anxious to hear what you all think about her story. If you get this via e-mail, stop by and leave her a message, will you? You are in for a treat with my newest "guest blogger."

Chapter 1

We get to see them

One day, I went with my cousins into the garage. What I saw was 3 little cats cuddling up with their mother! When I went out of the garage I saw Lexy treating the cats like stuffed animals. I told her to stop and she did. When I came back to the garage…Nina was just petting the cats. I got to pet them too.

Chapter 2

The Names

The next morning, me and my cousin Alyssa got to name the cats. I named the black cat Clowe. Then we found out that her name was actually Princess. Alyssa named the stripped one Zebra, and Alyssa named the last one Ginger. Their favorite place to play was under some wood.

Chapter 3

The Escape

Later that evening, Princess went into the woods. I tried to go after her but there were too many branches and poison Ivy. Later she came back and I was so happy to see her. I held her. I put her in my lap. I got to pet her. Alyssa wanted to hold her, I told her, “You could hold her later.”

Chapter 4

All Disappear

The next morning all the cats were gone. So I went back inside. After lunch, I saw one of the babies! But the other two were still gone. I looked in the woods. I found a string. I tried to throw it in to the woods but there were too many branches. I looked under cars. Under trailers. Then finally: I. Gave. Up.

Chapter 5

Came Back

The next morning when I woke up I found Princess! I was so happy, but where were the others? Then some wind blew, and out of the cabinet came…Ginger and Zebra.

Chapter 6

Good Bye

It was time to leave…I had to say goodbye. I felt like I was going to cry. I said, “I love you.” I said, “Good bye.” And I hoped some day…I could have my own cat…until we get a dog.

I kissed her… I hugged her. I sang to her until she fell asleep. Then I said good bye to her one more time.

True Story

And We Lost a Tooth!

It finally happened. The last of my "baby" is coming off giving way to the big girl teeth. The tooth was bleeding and bothering Ellie, so she asked me to pull it. 

I tried, I really did. But every time I counted to 3 my hand was not doing what my brain was telling it to do. I just couldn't do it!

Oh...but daddy's are awesome at this loosing-teeth business. Andy grabbed the tooth and pulled before Ellie realized what was happening. She felt the hole and pumped her fists while she jumped.

Then she felt the blood...

We got the tears taken care off, and then the tooth became the talk of the night. Amazing how a little tooth can create unending conversation.

And so...Ellie sang a little song...

 

So Full of Love- Siblings and Down Syndrome

“Mom, sometimes, when I look at Nichole she is so cute that I feel like crying because my heart is so full of love.”

There are times I look at my children and I feel like crying because of the intense love I feel for them. It is a love so hard to contain that it spills out in tears.  I get this feeling, I am a mom. However, coming out of the mouth of Ellie, my 6-year-old daughter, it surprised me. It made me realize how uncommon this is, and how perfect these 2 girls are for each other.

When Nichole was born with Down syndrome, one of the hardest dreams I had to let go of was the type of relationship I envisioned my girls having. They are only 25 months apart, and I had great plans for them. They would be best friends forever. Because of Nichole’s Down syndrome, I wrongly assumed their relationship would not be close.

They are not playmates:

They do play together, but mostly, Ellie adapts to Nichole. Often, Ellie gets frustrated with Nichole stealing her toys and running wild throughout the house or dangling Ellie’s dearest Rapunzel by the hair. Nichole has a thing for yelling at Ellie in order to get her attention, which is not necessary, but rather bothersome. It is true that my girls are not the best playmates; however, they are closer than anything I could have imagined.

They are sisters:

 Every morning, they sit together on the couch as they watch a show before getting ready to begin the day. At school, Ellie hugs Nichole before they part to their respective classrooms, and if they see each other throughout the day, they try to get another hug. When I pick up the girls form school and we arrive home, Nichole runs to Ellie for more hugs. If Ellie picks up a book, Nichole nestles herself close to Ellie in order to listen to the stories and look at the pictures with her big sister. If Ellie jumps, Nichole jumps. If Ellie laughs, Nichole laughs. If Ellie dances, Nichole does too. If Ellie cries, Nichole runs to her side for a hug, a pat on the back, and gently strokes Ellie’s hair until her big sister stops crying. 

I am amazed at the ways in which Nichole has molded Ellie’s heart. A heart that is full of compassion, acceptance, and gentleness. I see it in the way Ellie loves and treats others, or the way she loves her little sister. In turn, Ellie molds Nichole as she teaches her by example.

There is so much love:

This relationship they have, even this young, is simply incredible. The love they have for each other is a love that surpasses any expectations I had. It is the love that drives a 6 year old to “get it” in a way that few children her age could even grasp, including some adults.

So I sit back and marvel about this love we live with, this vast love we get to experience. I worried so much about what the extra chromosome would do to my daughters’ relationship, but I had nothing to worry about, because there is so much love.  

Here they are, cuddling in a laundry basket. Ellie allowing Nichole some minutes of pure bliss as she holds Rapunzel, the culprit of so many sisterly disputes and chases around the house.

Linked to:

Thought Provoking Thursday

Proverbs 31

Reflections of His Grace

Thankful Thursday
No Ordinary Blog Hop

Women Living Well

Winsome Wednesday

Works for Me Wednesday

Bless a Blogger Friday 
Friday Favorite Things
Brag on God Friday
Home Grown Families
Mama to 4 Blessings

Ellie is 6

What busy weeks we have had! I did not get to update the blog and share that I now have a 6 year old!

Remember when you turned six? The night before my 6th birthday I sat at the edge of my parent's bed, alone in their room. I kept staring at my left hand, all 5 fingers spread apart, then I would slowly bring up my right pointer finger and say "Seis!" The thrill of having to use TWO hands would make me giggle and feel butterflies in my stomach.

While Ellie did not do this to my knowledge, she is still her mother's daughter and the excitement over turning 6 was quite obvious around the house!

Lots of new things happen when you turn 6 (in case you did not know)

• You get to chose a new favorite color
• You get to become your favorite character all day on your birthday
• You get cake
• Your family is supposed to be waiting for you in the morning and jump up and break into song as they sing happy birthday
• You get  a birthday party
• It means you are a big girl (you know, since you need TWO hands to show your age...unless you use sign language I suppose)
• You can do your own hair, no need for mom, regardless of what she thinks

Ellie had a birthday party with some of her new little friends. They were all dressed like princesses and we had a lot of fun. We had games, crafts, and of course a pinata! We are thankful for the new friendships that she has here. Overall, she has done the best as we have transitioned to our new town. We thought she would struggle the most and here she is showing us what loving and living life is all about.

Wow! Six years sure go by fast. I promise every night since she was born, I would lay Ellie down to sleep and she looked just the same the following morning. So how did she get this big!

Being Ellie's mom has been a joy. She is the little girl I always dreamed of. We have fun together, we enjoy each other, and we laugh a lot. Whenever she is upset or angry with me, she writes me notes to express her feelings, something that I really do love about her as she controls her temper that way.

She has a heart full of acceptance and tenderness towards other people. She has the capability to look at every person's potential, and many times she helps me see that in others. Funny how it is your kids that tech you some of the most important lessons in life.

I am proud of her...incredibly proud of her. I love my little princess with such strength.

My sweet Ellie Belly,
As we celebrate your 6th birthday, I am thankful that God gave you to us. it is a  great honor to see you grow up, mature, and care for others.
I love you more than you know.
Love
Mommy

She Makes Me Giggle

Yesterday, Ellie and I had one of those times that are special between a mother and a daughter. We were telling stories and dreaming about the future. We giggled and laughed hard at Ellie's stories of what life will be like when she is a grown up, which for her it means she will be 18. She already knows who she is going to marry and what will happen when they see each other again...when they are 18. And when they get married, they will both change their names. She will be Rapunzel, and I am sure you would have never guessed her husband will be named Flynn Rider. Then, they will act out the movie. Oh, and she will "paint" her hair yellow.She is only 6 years old and her stories are silly and funny, yet, what I loved about it was that she was sharing those with me. I want us to always have this. I want her to always know she can come to me and share her dreams, no matter how silly they might be. I want us to giggle and I want to be a good listener. I want her to value our relationship, and for her to value what I have to say. My relationship with Ellie is precious. She is a special little girl, with a heart full of love, joy, and acceptance. How blessed I am to have her as my own.

Parks, Parties, and Presents

We have had a very busy week! It started with friends visiting us followed by my family coming to stay with us for a few days, followed by my sister in law and her family stopping by for the night. Throw in there school evaluations for Nina and Nichole and getting ready for IEP's on Thursday. I hope you are ready because at this point I have several blog posts coming up, and I might be blogging twice a day! Ha!

My mom, her husband, and my sisters finally made their way to come visit our new home. It was great fun to have them here and my girls were very excited. Andy was excited too...no really, he was happy to see my family.

Ellie's birthday is coming up in August, and my family has been able to be a part of it every year. However, this year might be a little different as my sister is getting married the week after Ellie's birthday. For that reason, we decided that an early birthday party would be fun.

Ellie chose to go to the park, have cake, ice-cream, and presents of course. She waited patiently until it was time to go.

 Once at the park I stayed with Nina so I could help her walk while the rest of the family divided between playing with Ellie and chasing Nichole. However, Nichole did go down some slides and actually climbed around the playground. She was a little bit more interested in playing than wandering which is really good!

 Yes, I even went down some of the slides. What can I say, I love slides, swings, and playgrounds! There is a kid inside of me still.

See this fancy contraption around Nina? It is a walking aid called the Jolly Jumper Walk Eze. Basically it allows me to help Nina with her balance when she walks. If she falls, I can catch her right away. This walking aid gives Nina incredible security and it was incredible to see how well she was doing getting around in the park. She did a lot of walking on her own and she really used the support very little.

 Ellie had a blast. She was running all over the place and at some point she was running away from the pirates with my sister.

Nina was also having some fun without the walking helper. It was so much fun to see her move like that.

 Once home, we did have some delicious chocolate cake.

 With the grandparents who liek to spoil her and make her feel special.

 And I was able to get a picture of Nichole before she yelled at me. we suspect Nichole is allergic to cameras since every time she sees one she yells, "NOOOOO!!!!" and hides.

 Ellie has been wanting this Rapunzel tower for a really long time. It was a constant topic in conversation, "When it is my birthday I really hope I get the Rapunzel tower." It was so fun to see her excitement when she opened it up.

 Along with the bike, Ellie got a  Flynn Rider doll, a Rapunzel dress, a Rapunzel book, a paint by number set, and some clothes. Thankfully, the dog returned home with his owners.

 And here I am with my sisters. or "the other sisters" since my girls are "the sisters." The difference is that there are only 25 months between all 3 of my girls, but there are 13 years between my sisters and I. You cannot tell there are so many years between us, can you? Well, thank you!

 And just for the record, my baby sister (who is 17) is not that much taller than Alex and me, she was just wearing high heels.

Ellie's First Birthday

Ellie's 1st Birthday was a lot of fun. We had a party for her and we invited her friends that are around the same age. We discovered that Ellie does not necessarily like to be around a lot of people, or at least she does not like to feel "crowded." There were a few times when we realized that Ellie was not around, and we would find her in a room by herself playing alone.

I decided to make cupcakes instead of a cake. I suppose it is called a "pull-apart" cake. Maybe next year she will be able to tell me what "theme" she wants for her cake and invitations.

"Mmm, this flower sure looks delicious mom"!

I did have to blow the candle for her.

This was Ellie's idea of enjoying her cupcake! We put it in front of her thinking she would "dig-in," and instead she looked at me and very clearly (in a baby kind of way of course) let me know that she had no intentions of getting dirty. At least she really enjoyed the cupcake!Ellie wore a dress that her daddy bought for her when he was in Mexico for a missions trip. She lloked so cute!