It's Kate's Turn!

Kate-Kate turned 4 this past week. I refuse to admit to myself that my baby is really 4. Two maybe, but four?? I don't think so. But, like it or not, that's the way the chips fall, and she really is a great big 4 year old.

Kate is a little spit fire. She knows what she wants, and by golly, she's going to get it. She is my shadow, and my look-a-like; I don't know what I'd do with out her. Kate loves Barbies more than any of my girls have and is very much into the "boyfriends and dating" scene. In fact she told me the other day that she can't wait to turn 7 so can kiss. Uhhhh.....try 17 honey! (I have NO idea where she comes up with this stuff!) Kate either likes you, or she doesn't and that's just how it is with her. I always tell people to consider themselves lucky when she talks to them or smiles at them. And if she hugs you, that is the ultimate sign of affection from her. She would live off peanut butter if I let her, peanut butter waffles for breakfast, peanut butter and honey sandwiches for lunch, a spoonful of peanut butter for a snack, and peanut butter pickles to top it all off. (They're really bread and butter pickles, but she calls them pb pickles.) She adores her older sisters and brother and does and says everything she sees them do. She loves to sing (at the TOP of her lungs) and dance when no one is watching. Playing "sisters" is her favorite game (she's ALWAYS Courtney and you can be Nellie). Kate keeps us on our toes, but life would not be the same without her. We love her dearly!

On Kate's actual birth date, we had a little tea party lunch with her cousin Brylee. I told Kate to go put on her pretty princess dress but she INSISTED on the devil halloween costume. Alrighty then...

We went with a Barbie themed cake this year. Nothing could have been more appropriate. (Poor Barbie, she was little hefty in the hip - one side stuck out a little more than the other. I like to think her dress was just blowing in the wind.)

The party crew. Kate was so excited when her guests started showing up. So excited, in fact, that she slipped and fell, hitting her ear on the banister. It is now a lovely shade of black and blue with a scab to boot. Poor little girl.

It didn't stop her from enjoying the presents though. Does she look like a girl in love or what? The best was her reaction to her new boots. "Oh! OH! OH! Squeeeeel!" What girl doesn't love a great new pair of boots?

All too quickly it was time to blow out the candles and gobble up Barbie's dress. We haven't seen much of Kate since, she is CONSTANTLY playing with her new goods.

Happy Birthday little one, I love you!

Carrots Are Back On the Menu

Yesterday Halle came home from school and shouted, "I can eat carrots again!" Of course I was completely confused and didn't realize they had been banned from her diet. So I asked why. She said, "Maddy got in contact with Jordyn (a friend who moved over the summer.). We said we couldn't eat carrots until one of us talked to Jordyn. It was a challenge! And now we can eat carrots again." Hmmmm....I guess I didn't realize carrots were such a delicacy as to be something sacrificed in a "challenge". (Notice they didn't use candy or chocolate.) HA! What nuts!

Happy Birthday Halle!

It's Halle's big number 9 today! Her last year in single digits.

Halle is the spark of energy in our family. She is a spunky little girl with a great big heart. She loves babies more than anyone I know, and absolutely can not resist touching when she sees one. She is such a passionate person and loves to laugh, giggle, and just be down right silly. She has one of the greatest smiles on earth. Halle is constantly cracking me up with the things she says and does. She loves bugs and animals, and it wouldn't shock me a bit if she grows up to be a biologist. Halle is always on the go and her mind is constantly thinking up something new to create. She is one of the most creative people I know. If there is gluing, cutting, coloring, painting, or taping involved, Halle is all over it. She loves to hug and snuggle, and there is not a day that goes by that she doesn't say. "I love you." She is a little sweetheart and we are lucky and blessed to have her in our family. We love our Halle Loo.

She requested pancakes for her birthday breakfast today.

On Friday we celebrated with a birthday party. The day started out with the traditional b-day outfit. Doesn't she look so grown up with her new haircut?

Aunt Mimi cut a good 6 inches off earlier this week.


The do is darling on Halle!

I was trying to get a picture of Halle and her cake, and last minute she grabbed the blower. See what I mean about being a silly kid. She sure loves to have fun.

Speaking of the cake...Halle's request this year was a "pumpkin patch". I thought I could just get those candy corn pumpkin candies to decorate with, but apparently those are only available at Halloween. So I made fondant pumpkins instead. I was pretty pleased with myself for my first try with fondant.


And while I'll allow myself to pat myself on the back for a decent looking cake, the turkey for "pin the tail on the turkey" is a completely different story. I am SOOOO not an artist! And the only reason I am posting this picture is because I just couldn't help but laugh at my turkey and his breasts wings. I thought maybe you all could use a giggle too.

There was a pinata this year. We chanced it and brought a ladder into the house on Friday the 13th. Ooooooo....good thing a black cat didn't come walking by. ;)

And although the games were fun, I think the best part was finding Mom's camera unattended. This was just one of many great photos I found.

Of course presents are always the highlight of the party. She got so many great gifts. Everything from an art easel, barbie, shrinky dinks, to board games and a homemade teddy bear.

We gave her a little robotic stuffed animal leopard. He growls and purrs and blinks his eyes and such. She has named him Spot.

I think it is safe to say that Halle has had a great birthday weekend.

Now the candles have been blown out and we wait another year to do it all over again.

Don't Let My Baby Grow Up

The other day I walked into Carter's room and heart hit my throat when I saw this hanging on his wall:
It's a darling little girl!



Thank goodness it's ONLY his little pen pal cousin who had sent him a letter earlier that day. But still....it's only a matter of time before there will be "girls" taped to his walls and I won't be the center of his world anymore. I'm not so sure I'll be able to share him very well.

Whew! I Can Relax Now.

Today was the primary program for our church. This is the BIG culminating event for all the songs and lessons they've been learning throughout the year. I teach the kids the music and, I'm not going to lie, I had butterflies all morning long. I knew they COULD do great, but WOULD they do great? (Two completely different things!) I had also asked some parents to join us for one of the songs. We had never practiced it with everyone together all at the same time. And at the last minute one of the Dad's lost his voice. And just to make myself a little more crazy, I decided to have my very own kiddos (Alyssa, Halle, and Carter) sing a verse of another song all by themselves.

I should not have worried a bit. The kids, every single one of them, sang their very best. The program came off without a hitch and I was so proud of them. They knew all the words, the sign language, they smiled, and sang loud. I just loved it. The congregation loved it. And I know our Father in Heaven was beaming too.

And now....I can breathe a sigh of relief and relax again.

(After the program, one of the primary classes (the 7 & 8 year olds) wrote Thank you notes to all the leaders. My favorite one was adressed to me as "Dear Mistress". TOTALLY cracked me up and made my day.)

I Feel Giddy, Oh So Giddy...

Okay, this is my best coupon shopping trip yet and I got so giddy about it, my left arm started aching and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. (I'm totally not kidding. Apparently I need to get out more.) Anywho... I went to Smiths tonight and this is what I got:

• 9 boxes of Kleenex
• 13 bottles of Gatorade
• 4 bags Halls cough drops
• 5 bottles of Tylenol
• 4 packages feminine pads (I have 3 daughters, got to start stocking up.)
• 8 packs Orbit gum
• 1 tube Colgate toothpaste
• 6 cans veggies
• 5 cans evaporated milk
• 6 boxes granola bars
• 3 bottles Snuggle softener
• 2 boxes saltines
• 5 boxes hot chocolate

Total without savings card = $164

Total w/savings card = $79

Total w/ savings card + coupons = $55 !!!

MAN-waring

Kate is SO funny about our last name. For the longest time, if anyone asked her if she was a "Manwaring", she would reply, " No, I'm a girl-waring." She's finally to the point where she'll now say she's a "Manwaring girl". But do not leave out the girl part. She's not about to be confused for a man.

Oodles of Fun

Halloween weekend was full of fun. I loved having Halloween on Saturday. We got to party all day Friday, and then make a full day of it again on Saturday.

First we helped with Carter's class party. Here we are playing "pass the pumpkin".

Next up, Halle's class to help with the whipped cream eating contest.

Carter wasn't about to be left out of the party, whether it was his class or not.

As you can see, no one seemed to mind a bit that he was joining in. (And yes, this is a different set of kids from the picture above. He would have participated in every single round if I'd have let him.) Halle has got the best little kids in her class. All of them are so sweet and accepting. (Don't ask me where Kate was. She kind of ran all over the place and had a grand ol' time.)

After school parties were over, it was time to head to the church ward party where Billy Ray Cyrus guarded the jump house. LOL!!

I had to snap a couple of pictures of some of the other awesome costumes that showed up. I wish I would have taken more. Here's a Cave Mama and her hatchling. I love how the carrier was an egg!

And how classy are these vampires?! His necklace is real silver (thank goodness he wasn't a real live/dead vampire) and black onyx. It was awesome.

On Saturday, we started things off with a viewing of Astro Boy. I was very pleasantly surprised at how cute this movie was. And I think Carter has a new favorite show to quote from.

And then it was time to trick-or-treat! We headed over to Grandma's trunk-or-treat where we got everything from Krispy Kreme donuts to bags of cheetos! Then we hit Aunt Mimi, Grammy, and Grandma Ruby. She gave the older girls something extra special (along with candy)...drum roll please...shower caps!!! It was all I could do to not snort out loud!! But they were a hit and Halle is SO excited to own one, she says she's always wanted one. Oh my....it gave me a good chuckle.

Carter was a pirate this year. He wouldn't let me draw a beard on him though. And honestly I don't think he cared one iota what his costume was, as long as it involved a toy weapon, he was happy.

Little Thumbelina put her sparkles on all by herself and would show EVERYONE her wings.

Alyssa went to a birthday party on Halloween day and they made these cute little witch masks. She thought about wearing it to trick or treat in,

then changed her mind.

Halle was Dorothy this year. I think Grandma's little Dorothy costume has been through almost all of the granddaughters. Unfortunately, there were no ruby slippers in Halle's size to be found in town, so we went with pink rubies this year. She was such a great sport and didn't even complain about it a bit.

We got home late from visiting everyone, so we didn't even start handing candy out from our house until 7:30. By 8:15 we were out of candy....200 pieces in 45 minutes. It was nuts; so many people!! I think it is safe to say, we had a very full and fun Halloween!