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Twenty-seven weeks until we meet this little one.

Another October Birthday

Our little friend Louise has a birthday in October, too.  They were on vacation during Obie's party so we had a little belated celebration this week.  I've been thinking about Little Red Riding hood because of Halloween and my friend Ava.  She's dressing up as Red and so I was searching Pintrest (again!!) looking for ideas to help her mom make the riding hood and came across a little Red Riding Hood plushie.  I thought she'd be perfect for Louise... so I whipped one up.  : )

This picture doesn't do her justice!

 It was a big hit!

When I start sewing, everyone gets ideas.  Beatrice made Louise a hippy-colored cat with a curly tail.  And Maggie put together the flower hair clip in Louise's hair.

We Love Louise!  Happy Second Birthday, Louise!!!

(BTW:  I got a picture of Ava in her Red Riding Hood costume today - her mom didn't need my help at all!  Looking good, Ava!)

Obie's Fourth Birthday, featuring the Angry Birds

Yes, it's true.  Earlier this month Obie turned four.  He's a big guy now.  He told me a while ago that he wanted an Angry Birds Birthday Party.  That got my wheels turning.

In my mind we were going to collect lots of big boxes and paint them to look like wood, cement, and glass so that the kids could set them up with some mustachioed Green Pigs and hurl themselves or Red Bird soccer balls into them.  And I was going to make a big King Pig piñata.  And decorate balloons with Angry Bird faces.  And set up an Angry Bird photo booth replete with hand-made Angry Bird masks.  I pinned a whole bunch of other really great ideas to roll about in my head.  I wanted to take over the local park pavilion and just let the kids go a little bit crazy.

Then, of course, time disappeared and I realized once again that it is too bleeping cold in MN to plan a huge kids blow-out birthday party at the park.  And then none of the families that I wanted to invite were in town that day.  (And here I thought I was getting ahead of every one's schedules by thinking this up in August!)

But Grandpa came through for us by suggesting he and Grandma rent a room at the hotel so the kids could go swimming.  So, Obie got a big fourth-birthday, October-in-Minnesota, swimming party.  And I didn't have to think up any more activities... or paint all of those cardboard boxes...

But I did go all-out with the snacks.  Oh, yes.

Red Bird decorated marshmallows and Yellow Bird orange-shortbread cookies

Green Pig rice crispy treats for our gluten-free friends (well, and everyone else, too)

The Red Bird nest was put together with very, very old and stale bran-twig cereal that no one was eating.  There was a bit of a dare going on for one of the adults to eat it, but no one took the bait.  I loved the anger in these Red Bird's faces!

 And the Piece de Resistance!  The Green Pigs built a big number four to protect them from those flying Angry Birdies.  I have to admit the cake was beyond awesome.  I mean Perfect.  Excellent.  If I never decorate another cake, this one will live on in infamy in my honor.  AND it tasted delicious AND it was whole grain. 

 Here's my four-year-old boy.  He has still slightly wet simmer's-hair.  He loved his cake!  (Note the mustachioed Pig.  Lolololol!)

He got lots of great birthday gifts... mostly Angry Bird related, and also Star Wars related.  His friends and family know him well!   For what I felt was a little bit of a last-ditch effort compared with what I had initially envisioned, it was a truly great hotel swimming pool party.  Everyone had a great time and ate waaaayyyy too much sugar.

*    *    *    *

A few days later, after Grandma and Grandpa left, I asked Obie how it felt to be four.  He told me he wasn't four yet and I asked him, "why not?"  Well, although we had remembered to bring the candles to the hotel, no one had matches to light them up.  (And honestly, I felt we'd infringed on the kindness of the hotel employees enough that it was wise to spare them from possibly setting off the fire alarms.)  So, in Obie's mind he wasn't actually four until he'd blown out those four candles.

What's a mama to do?  Go get doughnuts, of course.

So now he's officially, totally four.

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We've had some truly foggy weather here as fall is reminding us that winter is nearing.  But it was still a warm day, so we took advantage and went for a walk.

It was gorgeous and a little spooky.  Perfect for October!

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Democracy in Action

After their snack tonight Beatrice started plying her siblings with questions about what they should do before bed.

Beatrice:  "Raise your hand if you want to play Star Wars tonight."
Hands raise.
Beatrice: "Raise your hand if you want to play Warrior Cats tonight."
Hands raise.
Beatrice: "Raise your hand if you want to stop raising your hand."
Hands raise.
Giggles.

; )

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St. Augustine Beach

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The girls had their first dance recital tonight.  It went well.  Beatrice has been saying all week that she didn't want people to see her dance, but she got right up there and followed Miss Sophia's instructions.  Maggie did a great job, too!

 Here's their class in the front row:  Mr. Evan, Kayla, Maggie, Claudia, Tara, Beatrice, Lucy, Caroline, Maura, Aislin, and Miss Sophia

And here's a close-up. The next big step is to compete in a Feis.  But first they have to memorize their reel.  That might take more than one year of lessons!  : )

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Maggie, Bee, Sam, Will, (Obie), Novia, and Landon

enjoying the record breaking warm March weather!

Hok Si La Park, Lake City

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Minnehaha Falls, MN

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Clare, Maggie, Beatrice, and Louise

Beatrice Turns 6

Here's a recap from Beatrice's recent Birthday. To start off the festivities, we went as a family to Rochester for Birthday Sushi and then Beatrice got her ears pierced. (So, technically, Maggie and Bee both got their ears pierced at 5 years old.)

Here's the before picture. Suave and calm. But as the equipment came out and the paperwork was signed, she got a little bit nervous. And when the two ladies crowded in on her, a gun in each hand, she tightened up all of her muscles, but it was over quickly. She said, "Ow. Ow. Ow. Owwwwwwww!!!" and then teared up. : )

Here's the after pictures. We got Coldstone Creamery ice cream to distract from the stinging ears. That and the blue lollipop worked like a charm.

Look at those red little lobes! She picked out pale purple earrings - the June birth stone, but who really cares about that at 6 years old??

Then on Bee's actual Birthday we celebrated in a traditional Valentine's Day way. Heart shaped Blueberry Pancakes. You can see here that they were hard to resist.

We held Bee's Birthday Party two days later. Grandma and Grandpa Supan came in town for the week so they were there to celebrate and we also invited our friends, the Freids to come enjoy the evening with us. We grilled hamburgers! Grilled! In the middle of February!! And no one froze to death! Awesome. Then we had presents and cake.

While I managed to take pictures of the cake, I didn't take pictures of anything else. So you'll have to take my word for it that Beatrice got exactly what she wanted for her birthday gifts and that it was a great evening.

Happy Birthday, Beatrice! Have an excellent 6th year. : )

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Grandma and Grandpa Supan came in town this week to celebrate Bee's 6th birthday. I gave G'pa the task of building new shelves for me and here they are. They look absolutely wonderful and I can't wait to fill them with all that homeschool "stuff" that is constantly cluttering up all of our flat surfaces. (Yes - the only clutter I have is homeschool related. *)

*That may not be accurate.

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Snow Angels!!

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We had a play date all day long today. : )

Will and Maggie

Sam and Beatrice

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We took the girls to their first ceili dance last night. It was so awesome! Beatrice was very befuddled by some of the moves, but we all laughed and had a great time. It was an excellent Christmas Party to go to and I'm looking forward to more ceili dances as the girls progress through their Irish Dance class. : )

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In Minnesota, you have to wear your winter boots to bed!

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Here's a picture of the kids crowded around Maggie as she disassembles an old electronic thing. Bee's holding the 7 inch spring that was inside the antenna.