Some missing pictures

Here are some pictures that didn't make it onto my computer for Hannah's birthday post. Enjoy!

All ready, at school


Dirt cups, up close and personal




Abby's view of the Birthday Girl


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Her first day as a 6 year old!

As Hannah kept saying, today was her "first day to do _____ as a 6 year old!" Everything, including walking from the car to the school door, was exciting! She was doubly excited because she also got do picture day on her birthday (for some reason, that made the day extra special for her. Me? I could have done without. Properly enjoy the birthday and get the girl extra cute and not be late to school for the staff picture... too much.)

For her class we brought dirt cup treats. Her teacher declared it the tastiest dirt she has ever eaten and it was hilarious to hear the students worry about whether or not it was real dirt... :) Abby was thrilled because she got to tag along and anytime she gets to go it is a red letter day!

Later on we opened up presents...Hannah appreciating the princess dress from Abby (who has now inherited Hannah's too small princess dress)Her thought right here -- "what is this little thing?" I promise, on Friday when we drive to Seattle, she'll love it (I hope...)A REAL camera! That is when a girl knows she is big!

Hannah acquires the one toy Abby has that she has always wanted--VICTORY!Our princess! (May I do a one second plug for Little Adventures play dresses? They are the best! So easy for kids to put on independently and the one Abby just inherited is 2+ years old and is stilling holding up great. LOVE THEM!)A dirt cup for at homeIf Hannah could do a facebook status update, this would be it.

Hannah's birthday always brings me back to the miracle that is my daughter. For the last few days the verse that has been bouncing around my head and heart is "For this child I prayed" from 1 Samuel 1:27. That is a quote from Hannah, mother of Samuel, praising God for her child. I continually praise God for mine.

Happy

This


Plus this




Makes me happy!

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Party Day!

While Kevin and I ran around like mad, getting things ready, I *attempted* to have the girls calm down (they woke up wired and ready to party!) by telling Hannah she had to read a story to her sister if she wanted to open presents (bad mom!). It worked--for 2 minutes. Then they were bouncing off the walls again. Here the gang is assembled and in order from youngest to oldest (birthday girl is the exception), all ready to hit the star of the show....

A lovely unicorn pinata that Abby and Hannah named Angel Face! Hannah was positive that she HAD to have a unicorn pinata. Bye Bye Angel Face!

Smiling Birthday Girl! Looking so old! PRESENTS!

She was pretty adamant that she had to have a heart shaped chocolate cake. Not sure why, but she was set on that.

Make a wish!

Friends cheering for her -- look at that smile! So happy!

Had to post this picture! Megan holds her daughter Maddie (on her left side) and Lexi (on the right side) who is a month older, but quite a bit smaller. Made me think of the million Hannah and Kennan shots that I have.... :)

The birthday was a hit and I feel like it is safe to say that Hannah is over the moon happy. Abby might be suffering from a major bout of "why did she get all the new toys!" sickness, but I'm hoping it will pass. Abby was pretty thrilled that her two favorite boys came along with their big sisters to the party.

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In a follow up to my last post, Hannah this week opted to put her "giving" money in the school change drive for Japan, which we thought was great. We also provided her with ways to earn extra quarters to bring. She also has met her goal for a present, thanks to some birthday money! She is pretty excited that she now has enough to go shopping, but a bit discouraged that we aren't going to Spokane for awhile. Next week (the first full week of April) we will be heading to Vancouver to visit family and although Vancouver is full of toy stores, Hannah wants to go back to the one in Spokane... Time (and impatience) might change her mind.

Warren Buffett, meet Hannah

For awhile now Kevin and I have been toying with the idea of starting Hannah on an allowance. In some ways I think we are behind the curve. For awhile now I've heard of our friends starting their similarly aged children on an allowance. However, Kevin and I were just not sure how we wanted to approach it and, honestly, it is a bit of work to flesh out how to do it. Yes, we could have just given her some money every week, but we wanted to be deliberate with it and just not sure how we wanted it to work. Plus, the million dollar question--do we want Hannah to have money to spend as she wishes?!?

Well, after putting it off too long (weeks after she created her own chore list and made a sticker chart to keep track of the times did her chores), we finally started, much to her delight.

Here are the parameters we wanted to set up with the allowance--
~savings and giving needed to be built into the allowance
~she gets it regardless of whether she does her chores
~her chores are not expected behaviors, but extras (example-putting clothes in hamper is expected behavior that everyone should do, but washing up the table is an extra)
~I couldn't have her spending her money mindlessly (yes, I know she is a kid!) but would like her to be working towards something

So this is what we set up--
~every Sunday she gets $2. From that 50 cents goes into her piggy bank and 50 cents goes into her giving jar.
~the giving jar will most likely go towards The Heifer Project (buying farm animals seems pretty tangible for her) or our local food bank where she volunteers with our church every few months. We did offer to add to the jar when she memorizes her weekly Bible verse from Sunday School.
~every day she does all 3 of her chores (clear the table, wash the table, feed the cat) she puts a sticker on her chart. On Sunday she gets a quarter for each sticker.
~she is going to have a account ledger where she keeps track of the money she has to spend. I'll be honest, this is the teacher/mom part coming out. She can count money and add it together! Two math concepts at once!
~she has picked out a fun toy store in Spokane (Whiz Kids) that has several items she would like, all in the $10-$15 range. We'll take her shopping when she has saved enough.

So, we'll see how it goes. I'm hoping that this can start a positive, healthy approach to money for Hannah. I'll be the first to admit that wasn't necessarily me. I blithely referred (and refer) to my debit card as my "magic card" and my mother threatened more then once to put me on a cash only system when I first went to college (then I wised up and had my mathematically inclined buddy, Kevin, balance my checkbook. Don't ever think that guy didn't know what he was getting into!)

Here is the disclaimer--she totally blew a dollar today at the grocery store. Had to buy a pack of gum.

milestones

There are momentous milestones in your child's life. The first time she smiled, the first word, the first step. This you record (if you are on top of things, as I sometimes am) and proudly share with others.

And then there are milestones that maybe don't get written down in the baby book, but are just as significant for you as a parent. Abby hit one of those milestones yesterday.

Yesterday Abby woke up at 4:30 with the stomach bug. Although this is always not desired on any day, on a Saturday it is REALLY not desired and on Kevin's 30th birthday it is ESPECIALLY not desired. However, welcome to your 30s Kevin--I think this is reflective of the time of life we are in.

Still, at the end of the day, Kevin and I both had that moment of pause where we went, "hey, I didn't get puked on today!" Abby threw up a total of 6 times (in a blessedly short amount of time-she was done by 10 am) and only once did it require any sort of cleaning up/laundry--and that time it was because it woke her up and she was too sleepy to get out of bed.

So Abby's latest milestone? The ability to run to the bathroom and throw up in the sink.