Hang 10 Hunter

 He is double digits.  I am not doing well with it.  Since when do we have a ten year old?  Didn't I just have him?  I realize I am getting ready to start a new phase of parenting in the next couple of years.  This year Hunter really wanted to go to Sunsplash water park for his birthday with his friends and Deke and I.  He wanted to have a surfboard theme of Hang 10 so we went with it.  So we told him to pick two friends and we got someone to watch the three little ones for the day so that we could go with him.  It was a BLAST.

First of all the two friends he brought with him are awesome boys.  Really fun, respectful and polite but still busy and crazy like boys are.  They would pick a slide and then carry their own tubes up the stairs and talk to each other while waiting and talk with Deke and I.  It was so fun and yet crazy to sit and just visit all day with them and realize how much older Hunter is getting.    

 Him and I found a cake we liked online that was made of rice krispy treats with marshmellow fondant over top of it.  I did my best to copy it and think it turned out pretty good for it being my first time ever working with fondant.  

 We got to Sunsplash right when it opened and it was the perfect day.  Since it was a Tuesday there was hardly anyone there and we practically ran on all the slides all day long.  With no little ones to tow around we were able to slide together, with Hunter and even go down the slides with the tubes for four people.  It was neat for Deke and I to get that time with him without any siblings.  The weather was great and I hadn't been down waterslides in a couple of years.  I forgot how much fun water parks are especially when there aren't any crowds or lines to wait in.

 The boys were up and down every slide in the park over and over again for about three hours until they took a break in the lazy river and decided they needed some food.  I wish I could've gotten pictures of them on the big slides but I didn't want to risk getting my camera all wet so I kept it in the locker majority of the day.

 I love this picture of them chowing down their hot dogs...

 It was hilarious when they were splashing each other with the hoses and suddenly...

 They got drenched from a giant bucket over their heads.  Deke and I couldn't stop laughing and they thought it was awesome.

 They ran so hard and had so much fun.  I couldn't help but smile at the fact that they all stayed where we could see them but definitely wanted to walk ahead on their own or would ask to go up a slide on their own and Deke and I would go down the one next to them and agree to meet them at the bottom.  At that age where they are ready to "spread their wings" a little.  

 We headed home about four o' clock and did cake and presents....

 Then we took his friends home, grabbed up Ave, Em and Hudson and went back to the park as a family and closed it down.  There was even less people for the rest of the day which was perfect.  Deke and I just traded off Hudson and took turns sliding with all the kids.  I could not believe that Emma went down the same big slides as the other kids and loved it! She kept asking to go again and again.  We got home, had pizza and watched a movie before bed.  It was a great birthday.  Somewhere during the day Hunter turned to us grinning and said, "Dad and Mom, this is the best birthday ever!"  Deke and I laughed because he literally says that every year.  Every year.  Happy Birthday Hunter, you are an amazing kid. You are smart and tender and funny.  I know I always say it but you truly make parenting so fun and rewarding.  I love you, Mom.  P.S. How about you "hang 10" for quite awhile, let's not get in too much of a hurry to grow up :) :)

7 year old surprise

There is probably nothing that Ave loves more than hanging out with the "big girls" meaning her mom and aunties.  So as her seventh birthday approached she decided that since they were going to be in town that she would like to have a party with the girls and do big girl stuff.  So we made her invitations to go with that theme.  She got to help me make them and both the girls were elated that they could take the lid off and on and actually pretend to paint their nails.

So we drove over and met the girls at a nail salon.  We grabbed up some yummy vanilla bean drinks and got comfy in our chairs.

Ave couldn't stop smiling.  She loved that the chair was a massage chair, that the water was warm and that they gave her a pillow behind her back.  She giggled when they scrubbed and massaged her feet and legs because she said it tickled.

She chose a bright pink polish that totally fit her and then the guy who did her toes added cute little white polka dots.  They looked so cute...

Mom decided to try some polka dots too...

It was so crazy to be there with my sisters and look over and see my daughter sitting there chatting away with everyone.  We were getting our nails done together!! It made me think of all the fun years I have ahead with my two little gals.   I love her.

Next we were headed to the mall to do some school shopping.  Little did she know that a big surprise was in store for her.  Ave has asked and asked to get her ears pierced and Deke and I decided that we would let her get them when she turned eight.  We both thought that this would be a good age where she could be responsible enough for them.  Over the past year however instead of focusing on talking about her baptism when she turns eight all she could talk about was that that was when she would get to pierce her ears.  Ooops.  It was really important to Deke and I that when she turns eight all she is focusing on is her baptism and what a special event that is, not focusing on her ears.  So together we made the decision that she was responsible enough now and that we would surprise her this year on her birthday.  When we got to the mall we told her we were going to look for some jewelery to match her school clothes.  When we walked into Claire's Deke and the rest of the family was there and we revealed the surprise!!!

She was SO EXCITED!!! She was so cute I could hardly stand it.  She just kept smiling and touching her ears and talking about which ones she picked out and showing me all the earrings she wanted to get after she could take them out.  Of course it was no surprise to us that she wanted all the long dangling earrings, any that sparkled or were bright colors.  That's our Avery :)  When she went to choose a stud to put in as her piercing of course she pointed to the largest diamond earring that cost an arm and a leg.  It is go big or go home with this girl.  Deke and I told her we would start with something a little smaller so she chose a nice diamond stud that was smaller and perfect for her ear.  The Claire's lady (who by the way was the grumpiest employee I have ever met in my life.  You would have thought her lovely little tiara may have made her a little bit friendlier but no.) marked her ears and Avery just beamed.  I reminded her that it was going to hurt but that she would be so happy that she got them pierced once it was done.

When they did the first ear Avery said "Oh ouch, owie" without a tear and still slightly smiling.  She did awesome.  Then it was time to do the other ear and now she knew that it was going to hurt.  She kept pulling up her shoulder not sure that she was wanting to do it again.  They told her to hold my hands and she closed her eyes....  

Within a few seconds it was done but this time big tears fell and she cried a little.  I told her how beautiful they looked and reminded her that I cried a little too when I did mine.  She did such a good job.  It was cute that as soon as they handed her a mirror and she saw how cute she looked the tears quickly subsided.  As she examined them carefully I asked her if she was still glad she did it.  "Yep, they are really cute. I love having my ears pierced!!"  She looks ADORABLE with them.  I love them.

All day long she kept touching them and saying "My ears are just sooooo cute! I LOVE my ears pierced!!!"  On the way home we stopped to get gas and she hurried and unbuckled to come up front and check them again in the mirror.  All afternoon at home I would see the bathroom light go on and there she would be sitting on the counter, hair pulled back, looking at them in the mirror.  "Mom! Now we can share earrings with each other!!!" she squealed as my heart swelled a million times.  "And so it begins" Deke smiled at me.  Oh girl stuff.  Sharing earrings, and curling irons and clothes and all the other fun things that having a daughter brings.

  Avery you are such a spunky, fun, silly, energetic, wonderful, beautiful, daughter.  I love watching you grow.  Happy Birthday my Ave.  Love you, Mom.

"Puppy hair shop"

I love that my kids love to use their imaginations.  Summers can be hard here in AZ because it is too hot to run and play outside.  They are so good about finding fun things to play inside the house.  The other day Emma went around and gathered all the stuffed animal puppies in the house and said she wanted to "do their hair and give them baths."  So I helped her set up a little table and we gathered some necessary tools and she "opened up shop."

Avery and Hunter were the customers and lined their puppies up to wait for their turn to be groomed.  Emma first clipped all their nails.

Then they were bathed and given a thorough scrub with a loofah. Then towel dried.  It was cute to hear the way she was talking to them as she took care of them.  Pretending that they shook water on her and got her wet.  Or telling them to sit in the tub because they were "trying to jump out."  It was super cute.

Then she spent a long time brushing their hair and putting "perfume" on them.  Styling the only girl puppy's hair and putting a bow in it.  Then of course giving her accessories.  She also filed and pretended to paint her nails.  Then she called the customers to come and pick up their dogs.  She had them all looking fresh and clean and new.  It kept her busy for an hour and she had so much fun.  I just love getting to play with these kiddos of mine, they keep my days so busy and fun.