Serenity in July…and the beginning of August =)

by Chrissie Wainright on August 22nd, 2014
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So much happened in July that got separate posts… (Fantastico, Serenity’s Birthday) that I forgot to post for Serenity and DZ!  I only discovered this when I went to post for Maia.  I decided to do a quick post before we get into all the back to school fun of next week.

 

Serenity Year 7 2014

 

8/22

I haven’t written anything in Serenity’s journal since her birthday!  We’ve just been so busy.  It’s been a wonderful summer, and I’ve written things other places.  We had Fantastico, which was just as fantastic as ever.  It’s so much fun seeing how she plays with our family and friends!  And we spent a great week in California visiting with our loved ones again.  Now we’re back home getting ready for another year at school!  Serenity will be going into kindergarten this year!  I have found myself wondering if the fact that her school calls it early primary is keeping me from being traumatized =)  But I’m excited for her! She’s happy and excited about going back to school.  We hosted back to school parties for her class and Donovan’s class.  It was so much fun to see all her friends and their parents again!  We spent a few hours at her school working at registration, and she got to wander around her school and visit with classmates as they came to register.  She even got to help Rachel Hamby at the t-shirt table for awhile.   And we scheduled a playmate with a new friend that’s starting in her class this fall.  So exciting!  I love that she’s so confident about school, that she enjoys learning, her teachers and friends.

 

We held two back to school parties in one day, and the afternoon party got cupcakes with fish swimming on top that the kids helped make =)

We held two back to school parties in one day, and the afternoon party got cupcakes with fish swimming on top that the kids helped make =)

Some more highlights from the month…

 

“I’m the first baby, Donovan’s the second baby, Maia’s the third baby and probably the last baby unless we go crazy on the babies.  THAT would be surprising!  It would probably be a time before that happened.”  Couldn’t stop laughing after she gave that speech. =)

 

Serenity got to have her first sleepover that wasn’t at a grandparent’s house while we were in California.  She and Henry had so much fun that they had another one before we left!  Serenity and Henry have always seemed to be on the same wavelength since they were tiny babies.  They’ve just always liked similar things and done things at a similar pace.  So it’s fun to watch them as big kids still enjoying each other’s company!  And they still intend to marry each other, which is also too cute for words =)

sleepover2 sleepover

Our visit to California this time could be summarized as swimming and legos.  We had lots of other fun times too, but these things happened nearly every day!  Ann and John and Eric took the kids to Kona Kai a lot.  I usually was home with a sleeping Maia, but I managed to go the last day and got a few pictures =)  John got me an amazing set of legos for my birthday, the Lego Architecture Set.  He had also pulled out all the legos from when Eric and Tina were kids, and we had a blast all week making crazy things like elephant cars and batmobiles.  Donovan kept asking John to make batmobiles, that John bought him his first big kids lego set, a batmobile of course.

 

She wanted a sling to carry Lisen so we tied a pair of her leggings around her.  =)

She wanted a sling to carry Lisen so we tied a pair of her leggings around her. =)

Lisen

Lisen

The kids went with us to lunch at the Thai place...and actually ate!  Serenity's was thrilled that her dress matched everyone =)

The kids went with us to lunch at the Thai place…and actually ate! Serenity’s was thrilled that her dress matched everyone =)

Family mini-golf!  So much fun!  And the kids were actually fairly competent.  Only a little fussing about the score... I had a really good mini-golf day.  Probably the best since Eric's score the day he proposed to me =)  The dragons defeated him again this trip though.

Family mini-golf! So much fun! And the kids were actually fairly competent. Only a little fussing about the score… I had a really good mini-golf day. Probably the best since Eric’s score the day he proposed to me =) The dragons defeated him again this trip though.

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swimming to Far Far

swimming to Far Far

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For our summer activity the kids enrolled in gymnastics.  Serenity was just old enough for the Star-lites class, where they do more advanced things.  She would spider walk, walking in a backbend, and jump on the springboard into rolls and headstands.  She did cartwheels, and then did one handed cartwheels!  She did not like the bar work though.  She cried a lot about that.  The first day of class she walked out to me in tears, and her teacher Ms. Paige just looked at me in bewilderment.  She didn’t understand why she would cry, as she was the smallest girl in the class and she’d done everything.  I understood though.  She felt overwhelmed, and she doesn’t like it when she doesn’t feel instantly adept at something.  She kept at it though, and by the end she was trying the bar exercises.  Still crying occasionally but trying!

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Eric wrote out a long list of possible activities for the kids to try, and had each of them list in order the things they were interested in learning.  The first time through Serenity said she wanted to learn Swedish!  This led to lots of fun in Cali, because Ann is fluent in Swedish.  They read lots of Swedish books together, especially Lisen Kant Inta Sova(sp?)  Lisen cannot go to sleep.  It’s a great story.  Lisen can’t sleep without her doll, who can’t sleep without the lion, who can’t sleep without the lamb, and on and on until Lisen can’t sleep because her bed is too full! =)  Serenity picked up the Swedish words and pronunciation easily.  Serenity loved Lisen and even named the baby doll there Lisen.  Ann, Serenity and I sewed some new clothes for Lisen while we were there out of felt =)

The second time through the list, Serenity listed ice skating as #1, so she’ll take lessons in that this fall.

 

Serenity is so good with Maia.  Sometimes when Maia is sitting down on the floor, Serenity will entertain her for such a long time.  She’ll read books and sing silly songs and make silly faces.  She has even gotten pretty good about picking her up.  At first she’d just hug her while she was sitting down, or pull her into her lap.  Now Serenity even stands up holding her sometimes, and carries her a few feet to me on occasion.  She’s very careful!

 

Sisters!

Sisters!

I had a wonderful birthday thanks to my sweet kids!  Serenity chose flowers for me, and Eric made a great dinner with recipes from my pinterest boards, and Donovan bought me a new bed I’d been eyeing on Joss and Main =)  And they got me tons of art supplies and Mom is going to take a class with me!  So nice!!!

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The Richards came to town for their annual before-school visit.  We went to the aquarium!  I hadn’t taken the kids in years so I was really excited.  They had added so many things!  Everyone loved it.  It was especially fun to see Serenity and Maggie leading us around the museum, such good friends!  Donovan and Brendan especially wanted to see the sharks so we headed to the back of the museum first and worked our way back to the front.  Abbey and I managed all six kids just fine, although it helps that Maia couldn’t run off.  After the aquarium we came home and the kids played while Abbey and I visited.  So fabulous!  Serenity and Maggie played dress-up.  Maggie gave Serenity a new Elsa dress!  Serenity adores it.

 

We went to the aquarium with the Richards!  =)  Maia at least looked at some fish =)

We went to the aquarium with the Richards! =) Maia at least looked at some fish =)

Serenity learned to play Pandemic!  It’s such fun playing with her and seeing that she understands the strategy behind the moves.

 

Serenity has been dressing up even more since we put up the dress-up cabinet.  She wore her mermaid tail to registration, and she’s worn all sorts of other costumes.  She wears the new super-long Elsa cape I made, and to this we added the Elsa dress from Maggie and a long yellow braid that I pillaged from an earlier fleece baby basket project.  It’s super cute together!  I especially love when the kids get really creative with their costume combinations.  =)

 

Happy 6th Birthday =)  Magical Unicorn Party

Happy 6th Birthday =) Magical Unicorn Party

She loved all her presents =)  She got lots of wonderful craft kits that she started working her way through the next day =)

She loved all her presents =) She got lots of wonderful craft kits that she started working her way through the next day =)

Free-style Legos, I love it!

Free-style Legos, I love it!

This waterslide is still a big hit!

This waterslide is still a big hit!

Maia can eat her toes?  So can I! =)  Still flexible

Maia can eat her toes? So can I! =) Still flexible

She made me a birthday cake with candle... I blew out the candle by pulling off the leaf =)

She made me a birthday cake with candle… I blew out the candle by pulling off the leaf =)

We love Aunt Tina!  One of my favorite moments ever =)

We love Aunt Tina! One of my favorite moments ever =)

Reading in Swedish =)

Reading in Swedish =)

We got to see Alan, Mary and Landon Mello! =)  So fun!

We got to see Alan, Mary and Landon Mello! =) So fun!

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Learning to make rainbow loom bracelets

Learning to make rainbow loom bracelets

They love to do computer games together

They love to do computer games together

Hanging out with Maggie

Hanging out with Maggie

 

 

At Aunt Jennifer's 40th Birthday =)  Playing Mexican Train =)

At Aunt Jennifer’s 40th Birthday =) Playing Mexican Train =)


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