Clair is 8!

Today we celebrated Claire’s eighth birthday. It apparently started when she woke up at 6 AM and couldn’t get back to sleep. She laid in bed and entertained herself until 730. She proceeded to get herself dressed up in a cute little outfit with the birthday hat she made herself and come in to snuggle me.

For breakfast I made her French toast. For lunch her daddy made her an egg. For dinner she got food from her favorite place. I made her a custom-made cake that I think she enjoyed very much. It was rainbow and included exploding sprinkles in the middle when we get into it.

She got a bunch of presents from her family. She says she got all her favorite things that she wanted. The list includes a Pokémon that I can’t even pronounce, a flying dog name ALPA from avatar. A snowcone maker, snowcone flavors, several dresses, an avatar T-shirt, a new version of around the world ticket to ride, a couple books, and I can’t think about anything else. She was a very lucky girl.

She also got to leaves school early and hang out with her cousins a little bit this afternoon. That was a lot of fun because we haven’t seen him since Thanksgiving.

Her and I had a little game of balloon volleyball this afternoon. We also tried to get in a game after dinner.

 There was a little bit of over shadowing of the celebration because Max had to go get tested for Covid. Now I feel like I also have a sore throat and I’m worried. I hope it’s nothing.

I’m glad we got to celebrate her girl. I think she feels satisfied with the day. Maybe she wanted a few more snuggles at bedtime. 😌

Here are a few pictures of the day. She is busy and moves all the time.

This is how she chose to spend her birth minute. She couldn’t make me happier that she just wanted to sit on my lap and snuggle.

We had a fall start singing happy birthday. She made a stop so she could think clearly about her wish before we sang. 

Birthday eve

Tomorrow my baby girl turns 8. I really can’t believe how fast the days and years go by. She has been so excited about her birthday. We have reminisced. We have anticipated. Tomorrow is the day! She is set. 

Claire is a very bright seven-year-old girl. She has a heart of gold. She truly has a heart for God. She loves to help other people. She is super creative. Her mind is busy all the time. She gets excited to try new things and then want to make her own version of it. She is very observant. She understands how others are feeling innately. She’s especially attuned to other people being sad. She doesn’t like that at all. 

she loves to play with Max. He is her closest confidant and they play very well together. They love avatar and Pokémon and Minecraft and all other Digital things that kids their age love. She also has a very close relationship with her big sister. Clair looks up to Ellie. She is her mom‘s baby girl. We make each other happy when we snuggle. We must snuggle every day. We love snuggling. She can get anything she wants from her dad he just by asking. 

In Claire short life she has played soccer and softball. She has done dance for a year. She has played piano now going on three years. 

We have decorated. We have put up the birthday tree. We have set up the presents. I have baked and decorated a glamorous cake. The balloons have been blown up and placed around the house. The cards are hung on the birthday tree. We are all looking forward to celebrating Claire turning eight tomorrow. I took a half-day off work so that we can have a game day in the afternoon just like she wanted. 

I’m so glad Clair came along to complete our family.

Pitching under pressure

Today was the fourth game of the season for our 15 u team. Ellie is the most experienced pitcher on our team. She has had a rough couple past games and has been trying to work on her pitching with the pitching coach this week.

The umpire was also very inconsistent today. This made it really hard to be a picture today.

I really thought that we would easily beat the team we were playing but it turned into a really tight game. In fact, it looks like we were going to lose at one point.

We only played five innings. Eli pitched the last three of them. We went into the last inning knowing that it was the last inning because time have been called by the umpire. We needed to hold them to win the game. It was 11 to 10 us.

Ellie struck out the first batter. Then Ellie walked about her. Then she struck out another batter. Then a batter her got a hit off of her. Then she walked another batter. They were bases-loaded with two outs in the bottom of the last inning. I kept trying to cheer her on and tell her that she could do this. I was also praying to God to give her strength that no matter the outcome she could handle the situation.

She pitched a good first pitch and the batter had a swing and a mess. Then she pitched a ball. Then she pitched another good pitch with a swing and a mess. Then she pitched two more balls. It was a full count bases-loaded bottom of the last inning of the game. I was so nervous for her. I wanted her to come out successful. I also wanted her to come out with Grace.

She did a few air drops into her glove and took the mound. She threw hard fast and high. By the luck of grace for us, the batter swung and missed and the game was over. And we had dug out of a very very tight inning.

We came away with the win. What I’m most proud of is Ellie. It was a tough game and that umpire made your mind go crazy if you were a pitcher or pitchers parent. She did really well under pressure. She told me she was really nervous and still replaying it in her head is nerve-racking. We are both glad the game is over and we came away with that one.

Ellie is quite the softball player. She also had quite a few good hits tonight. I enjoy watching her play the game. I really enjoy watching her be successful at it. I most enjoyed when she’s enjoying it.

Learning cursive

Clair has been interested in learning cursive for a long time. Last summer she started learning with Miss Jodi, our neighbor. They learned quite a few letters and then Clair took a break. Now that she’s in second grade and they’re teaching it to her in school, she is super excited about it.

All week she’s been writing things in cursive and showing them to me proudly. She is taking her time and really focusing on learning things in cursive. Tonight she made granddaddy‘s birthday card in cursive. She told me cursive makes it look much fancier mommy.

Twas the night before Easter

The kids have had a fall spring break for the first time and I don’t know how many years. It’s ironic, considering the current climate where their home most the time and have been for well over a year now. Nonetheless, they have seem to enjoy just being home and relaxing. We are still not traveling. It was no big spring break plans for them.

The highlight of the week has been the anticipation of Easter. Ellie has been looking forward to baking a treat. The other two have pretty much just been in their own little world playing all week.

Today, what’s the typical Saturday. We got up slowly. I did make monkey bread for them for breakfast which was a big treat. Then they had to do their chores and I went to the grocery store. This afternoon we played some games and they played outside with friends. I planted some pansies and went for a walk with my mom. Ellie baked a big cake. I made dinner while they played on the trampoline with neighbors. David did some yardwork. David did some work around the house. David went and met a potential customer. It was a busy and productive day.

Tomorrow is Easter. 

In anticipation of Easter, yesterday we died three dozen Easter eggs. The kids and I enjoy doing this together. I still enjoy dying Easter eggs almost as much as them. Are used to do this with Erica and Amy and I miss those days. The eggs turned out gorgeous this year. Max did have a moment or two because two of his eggs broke. One that he had worked quite hard on. There were tears.

Tonight before bed, kids kids were lamenting the fact that when their eggs are hidden outside by the Easter bunny, some strange animal comes and takes many of them away. So I made a suggestion to them. I said if you all agree, why don’t you leave a note for the Easter bunny to ask him not to hide the eggs outside. So they did.

There has also been a lot of talk about Ellie‘s Easter basket. Apparently the Easter bunny has hidden Eli‘s Easter basket inside the wash machine for the past three years in a row. Who would’ve thunk it???? Well, turns out there were even prayers tonight asking the Easter bunny not to hide the basket in the same place again. Well, I think the Easter bunny has gotten creative as a kind of answer to that prayer.

I’m looking forward to Easter tomorrow. We are going to outdoor church at a different church and we normally go to. Our church is still not meeting in person. I feel like going to church is a big part of Easter. After lunch we will also go to my moms and hang out outside to celebrate Easter for a bit with her and Jorge. I will be weird with my brother and his family and my sister and her family not being there. This is now the second Easter in a row where we haven’t gotten together as a big family. I miss those days.

I am off to bed now. I must rest in anticipation of the energy up tomorrow.

Gorgeous eggs and their artists!

The note!