Fabulous Five Year Old

This beautiful girl turned five years old today.

Yesterday we had a Tinker Bell party with all of her girl friends from preschool. They watched the new Tinker Bell movie and decorated party hats.

Kiley and Hannah made and decorated a beautiful (and delicious) cake.

Cute girls!

This morning she woke up to family gifts waiting on the kitchen counter. She opened one after breakfast and patiently waited until after dinner to open the rest. She chose sausages, eggs and rice for breakfast. Grandma and Grandpa Dildine and Uncle Junyo (Jimmy) came over this afternoon for Costa Vida burritos and Chocolate Eclair Cake.

Happy Birthday Susanna!

Just a Week Late

This what our front porch looked like on Halloween. Brad and the girls carved their jack-o-lanterns in the afternoon.

We had our friends, the Wilhites, over for dinner.

Julie and I put together a ghoulish meal.

The gang ready for trick or treating.

Lizzie went as a diva.

An extra shot for you Melissa.

Paige was a hippie.

Susanna was a cuddly lady bug.

Kerrie was a cozy little dog.

Hannah hammed it up as a naughty baby.

Kiley went out with out with her friends. She was an 80's aerobic instructor.

The younger crowd practiced at our door before heading out into the neighborhood.

A fun time was had by all.

Pumpkin Patch

A week ago Saturday we took the girls out to a pumpkin patch. We sat on hay bales on a wagon and rode out to the field.

It was kind of chilly, so we had to huddle up for warmth.

Perfect pumpkin, Hannah.

Lizzie made a great choice.

Kerrie putting her huge muscles to use.

I love a great group picture in a pumpkin patch.

Kerrie gives the experience "two thumbs up".

(I make her do this for me all the time. It cracks me up.)

Attack of the Zombie

Thursday night was our school carnival. Hannah was a zombie in the spook alley. Before we left home, we thought she should practice her scare skills.

Brad walked in the front door in the middle of this. I asked him last night if he thought it was a weird scene. He said, "Nothing really surprises me around here anymore."

They are a pretty dramatic bunch.

Santo no more!

This is what Kerrie looked like the first time we saw her in May. She was adorable and santo (bald). Every time we have done something with Susanna's hair she always asks me to "do my head mommy". Not much you can do with no hair. Well, she has been working hard to grow her hair. Last week, after I washed her hair, I decided to comb it out to see how big we could get her tiny 'fro. It was longer than I thought, and we spent the next hour putting little pigtails all over her head. She was thrilled with herself!

We have to fix them every morning. A lot of the elastics break during the night. Susanna was used to getting her hair done at Eban House. She is patient and never complains when someone works on her hair. Kerrie moves her head all over the place and complains that I am hurting her. Yesterday she said I was making her head cry. She does love the results though. We all think it makes her look older and more feminine.

Kerrie before preschool last week. Is she a cute kid or what?

Too cute to walk. Riding in Grandma and Grandpa Dildine's wagon on a walk through the park with all the Dildine side of the family.

Ready for church last Sunday.

Sunday Chow Down

Sunday dinner with all these girls is one of my favorite times of the week. It is noisy and messy. Last week Brad smoked ribs and the girls devoured them. Messy but delicious!

Kiley was not this proper when the camera was not out.

Preschool

We made it through our first full week of preschool. Yay! The picture above is of Susanna and Kerrie on the first day last week. The pictures below are of my preschool. This room used to be our playroom. Last year we converted it into Holly Mountain Preschool.

I teach a class T/Th morning, T/Th afternoon and M/W morning.

I love teaching preschoolers! I have darling students.

Susanna and Kerrie are doing great in school. They love the kids and the structure in their day.

I feel lucky to spend my days in this room. It is a happy place.