Kenzie's Doodles....

Mermaids Soccer

2011-05-10T00:02:00.000-04:00

We just wrapped up our first season of Littleton Soccer. As we neared the onset of the season, it became known that Kenzie's team was coachless - so of course Daddy stepped up to the responsibility. There were a couple superstars, but mostly first-timers. So the season wasn't full of wins, but the girls showed amazing growth and skill development. Most importantly, each game was filled with smiles. They had a great time! And, Doug enjoyed the experience enough to have committed to coaching as long as the girls will have him!

I took team photos at the last game:

Bridging...

2011-05-09T00:10:00.000-04:00

Kenzie just bridged to Brownies with her new Daisy Troop. This is exciting because I think it means I'm no longer required to sew all the patches on her Daisy tunic now that she has a new one! {Just kidding}.

finally!

2011-05-08T00:24:00.000-04:00

We've been begging this girl to become a bike rider for a long while. She got a bike from Nana & Poppy for her 6th birthday and it has sat without the least bit of interest, since then. Kenzie recently decided she loved riding her scooter to school each morning and as I watched her perfect her balance on that - I knew it was time to give bike riding another try.

Finally the day before Mother's Day, I convinced her that she could do it..and that she'd just LOVE it. I took her to the park near our house which has a large field of soft grass. The soft grass wasn't necessary -- as she just took off!

So, the next day we did more of the same. This time she was speeding around the field and I brought the camera. As I was taking photos, I saw the blue trash bin in her horizon. I thought to myself "Surely she see's that? It's big & blue! She's got to see it!" and kept snapping photos. As I watched her bounce off of it in my viewfinder.. I new that she must not have been watching ahead. Whoops. As I ran over to her she looked up and I could immediately tell she wasn't hurt. SO.. I CRACKED UP! The whole vision was like a clown routine... She drove toward it, bounced off (it was empty), and teetered to the ground. She was ..not..pleased with my giggles!

We finally have a bike rider, and Mama is looking forward to jogging along side her. Just. as. soon. as. she. masters. her. brakes! We took this opportunity to explore some trails in our new neighborhood and discovered that they are amazing! So excited to make use of them..and that "new" bike!

Roxborough State Park

2011-03-06T17:26:00.003-05:00

...exploring nature's jewels. It's so nice to have amazing scenery in our backyard again!

{daddy daughter daisy date dance}

2011-03-06T00:09:00.004-05:00

Several weeks ago we realized that we had a ski trip planned on the same night as a Daisy Daddy/Daughter event. We offered Kenzie the choice between the two... and hands down, she wanted to go to the Daisy Dance. She said, we can go skiing any time... but the dances don't happen very often!

So, a special dress was bought. And, she counted down the days. She looked absolutely precious in her outfit. {and her date was pretty darn dandy himself!}

They had a great time: a double date with our friends the Parkers, a fancy dinner, dancing, and special memories.

Cowboy

2011-02-19T22:59:00.000-05:00

In preparation of Cowboy Nick's 3rd birthday, we did our traditional (i.e. last minute, but we've become famous for it) decorate our own wrapping paper. Both kids were dressed as "cowboy" as we could muster, and Kenzie drew the most amazing cowboy on his gift!

a day off...

2011-02-18T23:18:00.001-05:00

{from school!} So we took a walk to the park. It was a beautiful warm day but there's still snow on the ground!
Lots of silliness!

The cookie says it all....

2011-02-14T23:42:00.001-05:00

{traditional Valentine cookie a la Nana Bieker}

Yeehaw!

2011-02-13T13:11:00.003-05:00

Must. eat. the. snow. before. it. melts!

2011-02-12T14:02:00.004-05:00

Today, there's still much snow.. but it's expected to be 60+. We got dressed up and headed out for a walk. After a block's worth of "I'm sweating" whining, we came home and discarded all warm layers, except for boots. Had a lovely walk.

...nothing will stop this child from eating snow. Except - a bribe of snow ice cream.

Have you ever tried it?
Surprisingly, tasty!

Tom Girl

2011-02-09T14:10:00.004-05:00

Kenzie was walking out of school one day..and standing by the door handing out flyers was a handful of cute high school aged Pom Pom Girls. She was handed a flyer. And, that's all it took to convince her she needed to do the Pom Pom Clinic they were advertising.

So, we signed her up. One night of practice. The next night, they performed at the half-time show of the AHS boys basketball game. Such a cute event. So cute to see her confidence and big wide smile.

The school refers to these girls as the "Tom's." As a family, we had a hard time figuring out what to call the event - Pom-pom, maybe... Tom-tom????? So, we settled on what Rylan called them. "Bum-Bum girls!"

Valentine's!

2011-02-03T16:28:00.003-05:00

We've been on snow days for the past two days.. even though we only had ..maybe.. an inch of snow! The temperatures of -20 were enough to seal the deal for schools, apparently. Funny, Kenzie headed back to school today... and it's been snowing albeit a little warmer. We may be in for another day off tomorrow?

So, we tackled our Valentine's during the break and I LOVE how they came out. The outcome makes each of the kids smile too. We took photos of them with hands outstretched. Cut some slits above and below their hand, and inserted a sucker. Done.

Last skate

2011-01-25T17:00:00.000-05:00

To earn a fun patch for Daisies, we joined a friend at the skating rink in Streets of Southglenn for a last skate. The rink closes for the season in a couple of days and you and Reegan had a lovely time on the ice!

Snaggletooth...

2011-01-13T16:56:00.000-05:00

You continue to let those wigglers just fall out on their own. Your front teeth have been dangling for months. And, then.. you managed to remove one with minimal effort at school! You were thrilled to get to bring it home in it's own little treasure box. But, that second dangler, is still hanging there.....

So, we call you Snaggletooth.
And, you know it grosses your parents out - so you flick it around with your tongue just to make us nuts!

Ski Buddies

2011-01-08T16:53:00.000-05:00

Daddy planned a ski trip for just the two of you. You got to stay overnight and spend two days on the slopes. Per report, the morning of day one was a little rough. But, you got your ski-legs back, and by the end of your trip - Daddy is convinced you're a superstar!

daredevils

2011-01-03T16:09:00.000-05:00

These kiddos were desperately seeking a sledding experience. Amazingly, they survived sledding down the stairs followed by "skiing."

Surprise Visitors

2010-12-30T15:52:00.000-05:00

Doug's 40th birthday arrived, and I managed to arrange a surprise for everyone. Our besties from Birchwood Hills came!! I had such a difficult time getting through the day (& months before) without blowing the secret.

I left the front door open and they snuck right in. The happy grins and squeals I witnessed as they were discovered were PRICELESS!

We had such a great busy time ..but the weekend sped by! With heavy hearts, we sent them back to Kansas. Thanks for coming Wastlers!

!!magic!!

2010-12-28T15:51:00.000-05:00

Daddy received a birthday gift of BBQ from Kansas City. The dry ice gave us an exciting magic lesson:

Winner, Winner, Christmas Dinner

2010-12-25T15:46:00.000-05:00

:: costume changes were essential ::

: table set by the littles ::

::dinner made with Kenzie serving as head chef::

:: fancy drinks for all :: wonderful Christmas dinner, smiles from everyone.

::Followed by EZ Bake desert made by Kenzie {heavy on the sprinkles} ::

Some day...

2010-12-22T23:43:00.000-05:00

maybe you guys will appreciate all the photos Mama took? On this day, you sure weren't interested in being cute in the reflective ornament.. that's for sure!

Ski Bunny

2010-12-19T23:38:00.000-05:00

Kenzie is gearing up for her very first mountain skiing adventure. Daddy gets free tickets to several mountains, and we get the gear at substantial discount... so they are all set for a day in the snow this weekend!

I'm very interested to see how she'll do. Daddy has been skiing since he was a child. Mommy has a rather embarrassing story about her one ski trip {which may or may not have involved a tantrum, ripping the skiis off, and walking down the mountain}.

Which one of us will she take after???

12 Days, 2010

2010-12-13T23:31:00.000-05:00

As has become the tradition, my mom - better known as Nana Bieker - sent the kids very large boxes of the 12 Days of Christmas goodies. This year was especially awesome, because Rylan was old enough to "get it."

Typically, the kids are up at the crack of dawn. But, of course, with this special treat they got up even earlier! Most of our photos are of them with severe bedhead and jammies on. Some are taken because they've convinced me that regardless of how dark it is...it's time to get up and open their daily gift!! I take a lot of photos so my mom can watch them enjoy her efforts. She counts down the days along with us.

Now, Nana goes to great lengths to rewrite the song every year so that the daily goodies are inserted in the song. It's such a crack up to listen to us singing the song...which we try to do before opening the gifts. It's a really fun way to count down the days to the holiday and it makes my kids feel so stinking special. Thanks Nana!

Train Ride!

2010-12-12T23:20:00.004-05:00

Rylan's a decent fan of trains. The light rail in our new city has been especially fascinating for him - he loves to watch it zip along beside us (in the car) as we drive along a highway.

We thought it would be a great time to ride the train downtown for lunch.
And. We. Were. Right!

I don't know why, but I found Kenzie especially cute today. Maybe it was the wonky outfit, she selected herself. Maybe it's just her never-ending enthusiasm. Or, that toothpick. That I kept telling her to throw away. She said it reminded her of Papa Bieker...and how could I argue with that?

Rylan was an awfully tired boy on the way home...

Girlfriend Loves to Skate!

2010-12-09T00:03:00.001-05:00

This fabulous little shopping area is across the street from our subdivision. It's always dressed in twinkley lights and it has a neat little commons area with a large fireplace in the center of it. Hot Chocolate kiosks are easily found...and there's great shopping everywhere you look. A special treat was discovering that the grass lawn (which holds concerts in the warm months) is converted to an ice skating rink during the winter. Kenzie is in love..........

Nana & Poppy Came to Town

2010-12-08T23:44:00.000-05:00

Nana & Poppy came to town to see our new house and love on the kids, since it had been a few months since we'd seen them. We had a wonderful visit showing off our new community. We probably glowed with pride the whole time ~ because they were just as charmed by it as we have been!

We also visited a large number of SA's so that they could do some Christmas Shopping with our wonderful discount. It became a joke as we drove to the next one, looking for another sweet deal. Everyone had a great time, and we even got some hot-tubbin' in.

Although we're loving the Colorado life, it has been a harsh adjustment that our grandparents aren't very accessible anymore. Kenzie and Rylan miss them with a vengeance and it's sure to take many more months before they come to terms with the fact that Friday morning pancakes aren't a possibility anymore.

At least we have wonderful visits like this, to hold us over until next time!!

Merry Holiday!

2010-11-27T23:43:00.000-05:00

While decorating the house, the kids decided to decorate these spare trees for their rooms. Kenzie did hers in Littlest Petshop and leftover Christmas ornaments. Rylan went for the hotwheel car option. I took a few photos and hastily devised this Christmas Card. Of course, as is typical for me, I realized it didn't print well and I ended up sharing it via facebook instead of via the mail. Whoopsie. Usually, it's procrastination that gets me. This year, it was my clever timeliness!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T22:52:00.001-05:00

Our first Thanksgiving in Colorado was spent at home snuggled in the fold of our little family. The weather was beautiful so we walked down to our neighborhood park and had a good play. After a lazy afternoon - we commenced with the cooking. Doug discovered a new recipe for Buffalo Chicken Wings on the grill that was absurdly delicious (Kenzie loved them too!) Kenzie and I made our first stuffing, and it was surprisingly perfect.

Kenzie and Rylan decorated and set the table for dinner. Buzz Lightyear made an appearance for the final feast.

This year, we are thankful for this new home, which we love. This new state, which we love. And, for this wonderful holiday spent together (with some others joining us via Skype). We're building a pretty great life in Colorado, and we're all on the same page when we say we're thrilled & thankful to be here. A dip in the hot tub was a lovely way to end the day!

Splashes of color!

2010-11-21T22:37:00.003-05:00

A Christmas present from Nana Bieker this year was some funding for the playroom. I turned Kenzie loose in there and let her pick out the colors (orange WITH a chalkboard wall!). I let the kids pick the art for it. I let them decide on the furniture and storage. I turned it all over. And, amazingly - it's a bright and refreshing place to play. Thanks Nana!

Halloween

2010-10-31T22:38:00.000-05:00

We were all very excited for our first Halloween in our new house. We'd heard the "circle" is the place to be for lots of trick or treaters. It was a gorgeous day, an unseasonably warm 80+ degrees. Rumor has it..it's typically snowing by this time of year!

Kenzie was a "vampiress" although she discarded bits and pieces of her costume, as she does every year. She was attracted to this costume because of the fancy dress. And, she spunked it up with some arm warmers and glittery eyelashes. At the last moment - she also found some vampire teeth to complement the whole deal. (gosh knows where they came from!)

We walked the circle and did a lot of squealing about the goodies being handed out. Little pumpkins chock full of goodies...Beanie Babies! Holy Moly. The loot was good!

Spinning

2010-10-05T00:20:00.001-04:00

The Denver Zoo

2010-10-02T00:19:00.000-04:00

We made our inaugural trip to the Denver Zoo today. What Great fun we had!!!

Our house is famous!!

2010-09-28T00:26:00.000-04:00

As we anxiously await our move-in date, we were notified that our new front door made the cover of this magazine!

Sweet Siblings

2010-09-23T00:59:00.000-04:00

Nothing warms a Mama's heart more than seeing moments like this. This was taken in the stream, in the park, next to the school...of our new home! We learned that much traffic could be avoided by wasting time in this stream! (before heading back to the campground!)

Breckenridge

2010-09-19T00:46:00.001-04:00

This weekend we stayed in Breckenridge (we can never get a campsite for the weekend!). What a beautiful place to spend a weekend, and it was perfectly timed with Oktoberfest. This was daddy's idea, and I have to admit it was brilliant!

First Day of New School

2010-09-19T00:29:00.000-04:00

We were able to find a great neighborhood and it has a fabulous school! We're so excited that they were willing to work with us while we waited to close on our new house - and allow Kenzie to start immediately (even though it's totally against the rules!)

We took the traditional "first day of school, on the front porch"! And, this gave us all the giggles!

Kenzie started her new school, met her new teacher (Mrs. Jiskra) and enjoyed the limelight of being the "new kid!" It's going to be a great year!!!

Entertaining herself

2010-09-08T00:44:00.000-04:00

Mama was on a conference call for work, and this is how the girl entertained herself to avoid "shushing!"

Cruising...

2010-09-07T00:36:00.000-04:00

To pass some time this weekend, we went driving with no known destination. We visited a beautiful waterfall and had an interesting lunch at a restaurant that Daddy remembered from his college days. The food was good. The place was not so clean. It was a great day of carefree exploration.

Meow!!

2010-09-04T00:33:00.001-04:00

Free face paint at the mall!

Chatfield State Park

2010-09-02T16:19:00.002-04:00

As we wait on my car to arrive, our house to close, etc. we are enjoying some lazy days at Chatfield State Park. The kids are enjoying a park that's just a few yards away. We've wandered to the lake more than a few times. We've taken some time to be artsy outdoors and - we have even melted some crayons in a batch of laundry.

Our first day here was gorgeous. But, we learned a quick and important lesson. "Microbursts" can come through without any warning...and rip your awning totally off the RV! So amidst all the other chaos, we are waiting for an insurance adjuster to come peak at our crumpled up and ruined awning. We'll be looking forward to getting that fixed soon!

While Daddy is at work, we just try to enjoy each other. Most days we find it's easy -- just like being on vacation. :) But, the days that we do find hardest are when the hot sun creeps over and hangs out. Mid-afternoon can be blazing hot! And, well...since we've got no awning and relatively little shade - we hang out in the RV during the hot, Hot, HOT hours and get on one another's nerves.

In summary - I think this camping experience, which may expend on to 3+ weeks, is one that earns us raised eyebrows from most. It's working out to be a perfect solution for us (& our pets!) and I think we're assured some pretty fantastic memories that will stay with us forever.

Hey kids.. Remember that one time... that we camped forever??

Colorado!!

2010-08-29T16:58:00.000-04:00

After a quick trip, broken into two days {with a night spent next to the semi's at a rest stop} - it's official:

We LIVE in Colorado!

Here we are crossing the border. Yep, we were one of THOSE families who stopped to take pictures of the occasion!

***photo of Mom & Dad, taken by Kenzie!

Saying Goodbye...

2010-08-21T00:10:00.000-04:00

As we prepare to move to Colorado, we've struggled with what to do with the onset of school. After speaking with the principal, Mrs. Shoemaker, we opted to have you attend the beginning of the school year at Sunset Ridge. We did this because it'll help get you back into the routine, it'll give you a chance to say goodbye to your school buddies - and it'll have you out of the house as it's dismantled...something we envision might be stressful for you. So, here you were on your first, first day of school:

We hoped everything would go well with the sale of our OP home, and it did. After only a week on the market it was sold for more than we were asking for it (bidding war!) We were also planning for the worst and figured if we had to hang back for a month or more waiting for it to sell, or if our contract went sour -- then at least you would be learning something! So, in total you attended Sunset Ridge for a whole 1.5 weeks. You were in a stellar classroom with a dynamic teacher, Mrs. Engle. I'm almost sad you won't be staying with her - I think you and her would have gotten along GREAT. We put together a fun little treat that you handed out on your last day: a little plastic bag of fancy pencils, monkey erasers, and the little card below:

You went to school with 40 of those little treats. 22 were for your classmates and the rest were to give to kids who weren't in your class this year, and also to the kids in the cul-de-sac. You came home with only two left! You must be pretty popular!

As we prepared to move, we also prepared to say goodbye to you best buddies: Olivia, Mia, Gabbie and Lindsey. You all handled the news differently. Some of your friends seemed rather heartbroken. You seemed pretty "okay" with everything, though. As your last hoorah with the buddies - there was a pool party held with the whole Daisy troop to say goodbye to you.

Then we hosted a pizza and create-your-own-sundae playdate at our house.

We decorated a packing box for your special stuff:

we played "Pin the Kenzie on Denver" (BIG hit!):

and we chased cicadas in the backyard.

Your friends made you some special gifts: picture frames (from Gabbie and her mom Christina), scrapbooks (from Olivia & her mom Kristen), a bobble head dog (from Lindsey & her mom Lori), and I just know you're gonna cherish this mementos for a long time. We gifted each of your friends with framed pictures to remember you by - and a little package of stationary and pencils..with the hopes that you can be pen pals (just as soon as we know our address!).

On our last night in town - our house was empty, but we stayed in the driveway to have fun with the cul-de-sac friends. Nana & Poppy, Annie, Andrew & Kelly came too. You got to spend one last night with your BFF, Olivia, which is one of your all-time favorite things to do.

Throughout our departure, we received quite the send off. It's clear people think you're awfully special. Can't wait to meet a new group of people in Colorado -- who'll soon realize the same thing!

Girl Scout Camp

2010-07-26T17:03:00.000-04:00

This year was your first year to attend Girl Scout Camp. It was a nice distraction from all the house selling/we're moving chaos. You spent the whole week doing terribly fun things with your Daisy Troop, and Girl Scout Troops from all over the area. I was the leader on the first day and we had a great time (once we figured out how to turn your listenin' ears on!) You had an absolute blast but were totally exhausted at the end of each day. We'd take a quick dip in the pool to wash away all the grime & cool off. The temperatures were almost unbearable!

This was a wonderful opportunity for you to grow closer to your troop, further understand your mission, and to spend time with these lovely little ladies before we move to Colorado.

Colorado Camping

2010-07-06T17:53:00.000-04:00

This year, we planned a duplicate of last year's camping trip to Morraine Park. We were really looking forward to it - especially since Daddy has started interviewing for a job in Denver. We had a memorable trip to the mountains this year, but were especially sad to leave them behind on the way back home in Kansas. We all kind of had our fingers crossed that we'd be returning soon as Colorado Residents!

These are my favorite photos of you taken during that trip:

Fourth of July!!

2010-07-04T18:04:00.000-04:00

Lounge Lizards

2010-06-28T18:22:00.000-04:00

The Wastler's Lake House

2010-06-19T18:24:00.001-04:00

Our good friends, the Wastler's invited us to their lakehouse for the weekend. The trip up was a bit awful - because Mr. Rylan spewed his lunch all over the car mid-way there. But, once we got there - we all had amazingly splendid time! Most of the time was spent in the water, which made all of us really, very happy! Kenzie won't stop talking about the "HO" experience. She's a thrill seeker, for sure and enjoyed flying over the water on the HO.

T-balling..

2010-06-12T18:35:00.000-04:00

This year, Kenzie has decided to play t-ball with her peers. She's been playing unorganized t-ball for years with the cul-de-sac buddies, and we've noticed that she's got one heck of a swing!

The year has been a lot of fun (but it was HOT!). Kenzie became known as the kiddo that could belt the ball the furthest. We might have a homerun hitter on our hands (taking after Mama??!!**But, no pressure, Kenzie!**) She also preferred the high activity level of being first basegirl.

Daddy was a team coach, which Kenzie loved. It was a great first t-ball season!

Balloons!

2010-06-12T18:32:00.001-04:00

Daddy brought balloons home from a function at work. Kenzie ran around outside with them for some awesome pictures! (before popping every last one of them!)

Pamona Lake

2010-05-30T18:56:00.000-04:00

We tried out a new camping adventure and headed to Pamona Lake for the Holiday Weekend. It was a lovely venue, very much different than any others we've tried before. We loved it! (except for the ticks!) We tried a new experiment on Kenzie's hair (Pink stripes with KoolAid) and found it failed..but fortunately the place was crawling with things Kenzie could catch and claim as a new pet (for the weekend). She was also obsessed with the merry-go-round. She'd spin herself till she was on the verge of sickness...wait a few seconds and start again. Crazy girl!

1st grader

2010-05-23T19:15:00.003-04:00

Kenzie had her kindergarten performance to close off the year.

It's official...She's a first grader!

Last day of school

2010-05-18T23:59:00.002-04:00

We celebrated the last day of school with a playdate with most of her classmates, right in the green space between the library and school. Popsicles, sprinklers, tire swing, kites, friends.... What a great time!

Kenzie the photographer

2010-05-07T19:18:00.001-04:00

Kenzie borrowed my camera and took some photos of Rylan and I. A job well done, Kenz!

Cutie Patooties..

2010-04-29T19:26:00.001-04:00

Kenzie and her friend Olivia posed for some pictures as they were up to some forbidden shenanigans under the deck (!!mud!!). I love the photos, but am a little concerned that Olivia turned out a bit Avatar-like. Dunno what happened to her sweet little nose. Must've been a sun glare, I suppose.

Kenzie's 6!!

2010-04-20T17:50:00.000-04:00

Kenzie wore a new dress sent by Aunt Mimi on her birthday day. We stopped to sit in the neighbors flowers on our way to school that day, and snapped this photo of the birthday girl:

For the big 6th Birthday Party, Kenzie decided she wanted a "littlest petshop" themed party. Commercialized products have never been my favorite, so I set about making myself crazy with trying to personalize a party based on the theme she chose - without buying anything from the store!

I think it turned out fantastic! I made the "littlest" ever petshop themed coloring books for the giftbags. This was the front page we designed:

I created a scavenger hunt (by taking photos of her favorite petshop peeps in the yard, which served as clues as to where the next clue was hidden! The giftbags were at the very end!), etc.

I found a pet pinata and filled it with candies and petshop critters... Kenzie nailed it so hard on her first swings though - it didn't last long!

I made a cake just for Kenzie and decorated it with Petshop critters. The friends all got cupcakes with fancy little petshop stars stuck in each one. So easy - and the kids wanted to take their star sticks home with them!

Everything turned out adorably and the games were a huge hit. We did "Petshop Owner Says" (instead of Simon Says) and had a Petshop charades (they drew out a critter and had to act it out for their friends), etc. It was a lot of work, but earned a lot of big grins!

So that gal turned six with a whole bunch of fanfare. She's such a vibrant personality, there's never a dull moment around her. She's high energy, fun and so beautiful. Can't wait to see what this next year brings her!

Daisy Philanthropy

2010-04-13T18:12:00.003-04:00

We had so much fun at the Daisy Philanthropy Bake Sale this year. Such a great cause and the girls really put their hearts together to do it!

School Project

2010-04-13T15:02:00.001-04:00

A school project for the month of February included a theme of the "heart of the family." Kenzie and I had a great time making this and were so pleased with the results that we framed it and hung it on our wall!

Flowers for Mama

2010-04-08T16:23:00.000-04:00

This spring has been lovely...and you've been really generous with the flowers you pick. just. for. me!

Easter

2010-04-03T16:11:00.000-04:00

This year for Easter, we visited Nana & Papa Bieker's. We had a great time Easter egg hunting, and playing at the park, and collecting snakes..
{wait, did I say collecting snakes?}

Why yes... Papa took you to an old Mama favorite - a rock quarry that is chock full of ringneck snakes. You made a trip back with several and loved them so much that they got a little "sleepy." You made a second trip and brought home a few more. They traveled back home with you and are now living in an aquarium in your bedroom!

Papa also introduced you to the cellar where you found plenty of bugs and a couple frogs. You had an excellent time (& I believe the grandparents did too!)

Bike Riding

2010-03-28T16:03:00.000-04:00

On this day, you announced you'd like to learn to ride your bike without training wheels. This was the first time we'd even drug it out of the garage...so once you climbed on, we realized BOY, you've grown. Your knees knocked against the handle bars so we had to raise the seat and push the handlebars forward.

You gave it your best effort, but we decided a new bike is in store - and Nana & Poppy are giving it to you for your upcoming birthday. We'll try again soon...on a bike that's more your size!

First Tooth!

2010-03-18T15:41:00.000-04:00

At the most recent dentist appointment, we learned you had your first "wiggler." You wiggled it a bit and then sort of forgot about it... until your second tooth began wiggling too. You were unconcerned until on this day - when you came to tell Daddy something while playing outside and he noticed your tooth was missing.

You. had. no. idea.

And then spent an hour looking for it in the grass and everywhere you'd just been playing. Your cousins came to town this evening and you spent the night at Nana & Poppy's. I guess the tooth fairy didn't realize this as she visited your room anyway. She left you some money and this super cool freshwater pearl necklace that closely resembled teeth. She says she found your tooth in the yard and left you a wonderful certificate as reward for loosing your very first tooth. You were so excited that you wrote her a letter.

Fast forward a few nights later...and your second wiggler also just popped out on it's own accord. This happened when you were crawling into bed for stories. The tooth fairly found the letter you'd written and left a response. She also left the tooth behind so that Mama could put it in your collection of other mementos. You're on your way to having big girl teeth now. Hope the rest of them come out just as easily as the first two?

Lite Brite

2010-03-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

We hosted the majority of a playdate in the closet today...but nobody complained! ;)

Father Daughter Dance

2010-02-19T15:12:00.000-05:00

Ohh. This was a big exciting day for Kenzie. I think she planned her outfit for a week! Including the corsage. THERE. HAD. TO. BE. A. CORSAGE!

The school held a father daughter dance, and the theme involved Poodle skirts. Mama whipped her up a super cute skirt, but unfortunately the "poodle" more closely resembled an opossum. ;) Never the less, Kenzie had a super great evening with her daddy which started with a dinner out with some friends, followed by dancing, of course.

Valentines

2010-02-14T15:07:00.000-05:00

This year the gal emphatically wanted to handmake her Valentines, so we came up with a clever idea of printing some I found online - onto shrinky dinks. (she called the Shrinky Dinkels!) It was labor intensive, but for the most part - fun.

So, there were some that were very girly and some that were more boyish, so I separated them out in packages labeled "boys" & "girls." Turned out that she got a little anxious during the delivery and delivered the girl ones to the boys and vice versa. Note to self: next year, they will be absolutely non-gender specific!

Snow friends

2010-02-13T14:58:00.001-05:00

On this day, the perfect amount of snow fell for us to create a whole family of snow people.

Mama's Girl

2010-02-06T14:56:00.000-05:00

Every once in awhile, Kenzie gets an urge to play with the camera. On this day, she took a lot of unpublishable photos of myself, and this cute one of the two of us.

Princesses!

2010-02-05T14:54:00.000-05:00

We've concealed the face of the princess on the right, to preserve his identity.

Sillies in the mirror

2010-02-04T14:56:00.000-05:00

Extended vacation

2010-01-01T13:02:00.000-05:00

This year, our wish for a white Christmas went a bit too far. It snowed, and it snowed and it snowed right into an extended vacation from school. After returning on January 4 for one whole day, the snow cancelled school for the rest of the week! While cooped up inside only to escape for a visit to the dentist and doctor - we tried to make the best of it with some fun snow day crafts and activities.... We made shrinky dink(el)s, ice ornaments, played in Mama's boots, and lots more. But, mostly we concentrated on driving a Mama nuts!

Christmas

2009-12-25T12:24:00.006-05:00

Our 2009 Christmas was laid-back and lovely. On Christmas Eve, we stayed home with a fire and plans for a Mexican feast. Daddy brought home a Christmas movie - The Grinch. Surprised that it was only 26 minutes long, we spent the rest of the night playing with the gift you selected to open, dancing, and being silly. Christmas Day was spent with Nana and Poppy this year, and we had to reschedule the final celebration with Nana & Papa 3 times due to the crazy snowstorm that gave us a white Christmas. We finally "wrapped" Christmas a few weekends later with this beautifully set table, totally designed by Kenzie.

This year, Santa brought you a Wii. You and Daddy have had a great time battling!

12 day of Christmas wrap-up

2009-12-24T15:36:00.000-05:00

The Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts have all been opened with glee (minus one left for tomorrow), and the days to Christmas have just flown by. I always take a bazillion photos for my mom so that she can watch the process unfold from afar. These are just a few of the photos that aren't compromised by bedhead, jammies, and bad breath. We tend to open the day's gift at the start to each day. It's such fun for the kids. Thanks Nana!

The countdown for Kenzie has been sang out loud:
On the first day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me..one pink watch with little kitties..
On the second day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me... 2 Barbie outfits
On the third day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me...3 opossums hanging from a tree
On the fourth day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me... 4 models to color
On the fifth day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me....5 games or activities
On the sixth day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me... 6 blendy pens
On the seventh day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me... 7 charms on a bracelet
On the eighth day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me... 8 cups of cocoa with a snowman mug
On the ninth day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me... {more than} 9 changes of clothes with a magnetic doll
On the tenth day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me... 10 items with Barbie & Tanner
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me... 11 Stickers & Tattoos
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my Nana sent to me... 12 pieces of bohemian jewelry to be made by Kenzie...

Junk Food Sculptures

2009-12-23T15:26:00.003-05:00

We're loving Christmas vacation and celebrating with a full schedule of playdates this week. We've used junk food sculptures as entertainment for our first two, and so far the creations have been a big hit. I dunno how the parents feel about the activity since the children were expressly permitted from eating the creations until they'd gone HOME. he.he. Something tells me they might not be back to play. ever. again.

To concoct something similar:
Acquire lots of junk food!

For the Christmas trees we used:
graham crackers, green frosting in the tube, marshmallow stars, red and yellow mints, and pretzels.

For the Snowmen, we used:
Donuts, marshmallows, oreos, white frosting (as glue, to hold the body parts together), chocolate chips, rope bubble gum & pretzels

We learned that when you cut marshmallows in half, they cut part remains sticky and will stick right down on the plate, creating a field of snow. We also learned that "licking" is not optional.

Distracted

2009-12-20T15:34:00.001-05:00

Someone got a wee bit distracted piling stuffed animal friends onto her bed, when she was supposed to be getting dressed and ready to begin the day!

Christmas Party @ School

2009-12-17T16:05:00.001-05:00

Kenzie was so excited for her School Christmas Party that she got all fancy. It deserved such preparation because it was so much fun!

Christmas Countdown

2009-12-13T15:18:00.001-05:00

As is Nana Bieker's tradition, we've received our 12 days of Christmas countdown and are enjoying starting each day off with a goodie from the stash and a little singing. Rylan has his own stash too, and it's helping the last two handfuls of days before Christmas fly by in a flash!

This year, Elfie, is watching again and reporting the kids' good behaviors to Santa. Fortunately, there hasn't been too much bad to report. It's fun to hunt him down each morning in his new hiding spot! We aren't doing an advent calendar this year to eliminate a tiny bit of Christmas chaos, but might do it again next year once Rylan is a little bit older and able to participate in doing each (or accidentally forgetting about) each activity. Regardless, it's shaping up to be a GREAT holiday season!

First snow

2009-12-08T15:47:00.005-05:00

We had our first inch of snow land. In celebration, Daddy and the kids went out to catch a few flakes on their tongue as it was coming down. The next day, we enjoyed some outdoor fun in it, followed of course, by hot chocolate. Although Mama isn't a big fan of snow, I do like to take pictures in it...and now Rylan is fully initiated into the snow-loving side of the family! It's official, even the dog loves the snow. So, Mama is on the "wrong team." {family joke}

Kenzie enjoyed teaching Rylan that you can do everything in the snow that you'd typically do outdoors. And, she also demonstrated what snow was safe for eating - saying: "don't eat yellow snow...but this stuff tastes..just fine!"

Having a Ball in the Christmas Balls

2009-12-08T14:55:00.000-05:00

As we do every year, we've continued the tradition of catching some smiles in the reflection of our Christmas ornaments. It's always so much fun to catch the silliness!

Clara's Dream with the Daisies

2009-12-05T15:08:00.000-05:00

Mama and Kenzie enjoyed a trip to "Clara's Dream" as a Daisy's outing. A big hit was the chocolate ballerina handmade treats we got {and ate very quickly} before the show. We got daddy some poppy-seed bread too, but accidentally ate it during intermission.

Kenzie really enjoyed getting all pretty together before the show, and it was a really lovely afternoon just for us to enjoy (with a handful of Daisy pals).

Eskimo

2009-12-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

Kenzie looked just lovely out walking her dog pal in the front yard. Such a pretty little eskimo!

Halloween

2009-10-31T14:48:00.000-05:00

This year we had a gorilla and his friend the pirate for Halloween. Kenzie decided to be a pirate and I ran about collecting fun embellishments for the costume. However, on the big day where she wore her costume to school - we learned that the eye patch freaked her out a wee bit, so it was quickly discarded. She announced that she'd rather be a "pretty princess kind of pirate." And, she turned out just adorable.... She added different bits and pieces to the costume each time she wore it, and on Halloween night, went with a much simplified version!

Piles of Leaves & Kids

2009-10-17T14:44:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-15T14:34:00.000-04:00

The annual trip to a community pumpkin patch took place this year on a gorgeous day perfect for big-girl (no babies aloud) bouncing. She had the bouncer all to herself and took full advantage to go WILD. We came home with many pounds of perfectly whimsical pumpkins and had a great day!

Best Girl Friends...

2009-09-30T14:42:00.001-04:00

Falcon Fitness

2009-09-22T00:09:00.000-04:00

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we're making it a goal to get our bums out of bed extra early and head up to the track for Falcon Fitness - where we walk with your classmates round & round and earn you points toward your school fitness goals. Today was our first go at it and it was lots of fun. Especially since we celebrated with hot chocolate!

My goodness..

2009-09-15T23:32:00.002-04:00

You're growing up much too fast! Kindergarten is treating you well. You seem to enjoy it very much and have yet to receive any discipline. No "flipping cards" for you! You've earned a prize at the conclusion of every week.

And reportedly, yesterday, you stopped what you were doing and rushed over to hold open a door for someone with their arms full. This earned a chain link for your "acts of kindness" chain that's being built in class. I'm ever so proud of you!

Worlds of Fun

2009-09-12T00:11:00.000-04:00

Around came the annual Applebee's employee visit to World's of Fun. Wearing really flat flip-flops, we found ourselves terribly surprised that you were just a "finger's width" shy of being eligible for all the really major roller coasters! (thank gosh, for those fip-flops, Mama says!) You were, however, able to ride on many rides that you weren't qualified for last year - but we didn't try to encourage any more attempts at the monster coasters, although I'm sure you could have passed had you stood "tall!"

You're quite a thrill seeker, and as per usual.. Worlds of Fun was worlds of fun!

Chasing Balloons

2009-09-07T00:05:00.000-04:00

Tonight, we caught the sound of a hot air balloon in the distance and soon saw it floating over our backyard. Excited, we climbed in the Jeep determined to follow it to it's landing. We envisioned a nice long drive tracking the floating balloon, but actually found it landing three blocks away from the house. We had so much fun watching it land, and the process for taking the balloon down to a teensy-tiny little ball. We've all decided this is on the To-Do list. We must ride one!

Irish Fest

2009-09-06T00:03:00.000-04:00

We did the Irish Fest again this year and as per usual, we ended it with the fountains. Enough said! GrEaT time!

Singing at the Park

2009-08-29T23:52:00.000-04:00

Daddy was off for a night out with the boys, so we one-upped him and spent out night singing in the park. We had the place to ourselves so we blasted some of our favorite songs, got goofy..and played the night away.

It was here that I realized that perhaps you're destined for stardom.

A camping we will go..

2009-08-22T23:43:00.000-04:00

On expected beautiful weather weekends, it's still our gut instinct to head off camping somewhere - so we visited Clinton Lake. You had high expectations of !!tree frogs!!, !!bugs!!, !!water!!..and although we didn't find tree frogs, you did find a toad and a gazillion cicadas in various stages of transformation.

The weekend was superb, if only that little stinker brother of yours wouldn't have woken us all up in the middle of the night with his annoying habit of being too scrunched in his too tiny pack & play. And, what with him wanting to play when no one else wanted to! No worries, we all slept in until 9:00 and had a lovely breakfast before heading home.

Brunch at the Park

2009-08-20T23:43:00.000-04:00

At the start of the kindergarten year, we got into the habit of doing something "fun" before sending you off to school in the p.m. This day we visited a nearby park to eat brunch in the park, quack at the ducks and play on the playground. It was such a great weather day..and we enjoyed it very much!

1st day

2009-08-17T15:16:00.004-04:00

Well. she did it! She's officially at kindergarten, and thrilled to death about it. She got dressed, did her hair, and got her back pack on at ...oh...say 9:30 in the morning. She waited by the front door for most of the morning, asking "how much longer???" (school starts at 12:30).

She received some phone calls from Nana Dinkel, who called to wish her luck on her first day. She practiced homework, looked a weeeeeee bit scared (in my opinion), and then endured some "kindergardener on the front porch" shots, even though it was raining heavily. :)

Then, when we walked in the school we saw a familiar face. A little girl named Gabbie Fink was waiting in the lobby and she's a little girl we've run into at just about every story hour, open gym, etc. we've gone too since we've moved here. Kenzie likes her because everyone is always calling her Gabriella, etc. and Gabbie is always correcting them with "No, my name is Gabbie" - just like Kenzie is always telling everyone her name "is. not. Mackenzie." AND, their last names are both "funny." Turns out their backpack hooks and school supply lockers are right next to each other, and they'll be sitting at the same table... so they are fast friends already.

Kenzie wasn't paying any attention to her mama and daddy at all when we left her. There were kids crying and parents crying...and she was oblivious to it ALL. I think she was more than ready to begin this new chapter in her life...

Happy First Day of Kindergarten baby girl!

Cool girl

2009-08-14T15:40:00.000-04:00

School Social

2009-08-13T15:52:00.000-04:00

Tonight, was your school social - your first day of kindergarten is just a weekend away! Funny, I think your parents are more nervous than you are. You walked in wide eyed but ready to show us all you learned about your school at your kindergarten readiness camp.

After a plate heaped with cookies... you're so ready to start the year!

I don't know what you wished for when you blew on this dandelion, as we walked out to our car. But, my wish for you... was for a happy & easy career as a student!

peek.a.boo

2009-08-12T15:44:00.000-04:00

Playing outside

2009-08-10T15:46:00.003-04:00

A fun evening, easily enhanced by good friends, some large scale trash they could play in...and a sprinkler. These are the nights a great summer is made of!

adornments

2009-08-08T15:42:00.000-04:00

While playing outside, Kenzie found herself a feather, and made an anklet out of black-eyed susan's. I found myself wondering about the age we lose fascination for the simple stuff?

Paint!!

2009-08-07T14:21:00.003-04:00

I love it when an activity devised for Rylan ends up being a crowd pleaser for the big kids too. Kenzie kept asking me to paint on this day, so I finally obliged her with this craft activity I'd "earmarked" as a Rylan-pleaser.

Homemade sidewalk chalk paint recipe:
2 tbs. water
2 tbs. cornstarch
4 drops food coloring

Mix different colors in a muffin tin. & Be on the ready with refill ingredients. This was a big hit.

Gymnastics Graduation

2009-08-03T16:42:00.002-04:00

Today was your second graduation from Preschool I Gymnastics. Having missed the last two classes, I asked about which class you should be enrolled in next...and given your age...they told me "Preschool I". Confused, since you've now graduated from it twice...they clarified that most kids spend a year at this level. SO, I guess you have a ways to go!

However, you seem to really enjoy the sport and are getting visibly more confident in your skills at each session, so I guess they know what they're doing, eh?

During the ceremony, Rylan insisted on coming to sit beside you. You sure didn't mind sharing the limelight.

The Birchwood Hills Soccer Team

2009-07-29T16:33:00.000-04:00

Many nights finds us outside with the kids. Often the daddy's will involve the kiddo's in a game of baseball or something. On this particular night, the kids had decided they were playing soccer at 6:00.

At, about 3:00 - they started getting ready.... all sporting tie-die T-shirts, practicing their team chants, and building team spirit. After dinner, everyone convened for a game in our backyard and all the preparation proved worth it, as they had a great time.

Deanna Rose, Again.

2009-07-27T16:29:00.000-04:00

Another cooler than normal day...another trip to Deanna Rose Farmstead. We brought Kenzie's BFF along, and everyone had a blast on the trails and loving on the animals - as is usual.