Ev's Birthday!

Yesterday we celebrated Ev's birthday. His actual birthday was on Easter Sunday, but we decided to wait a week and give him his own day, especially since he had no idea anyway! We always have muffins for breakfast for birthdays and put a candle in the muffin and sing "Happy Birthday." We probably had to sing this 9 times for Everett. He loved it. He sang it loudest of all! When we got out the presents, he just thought he was so special. He loved to open the presents and hardly played with any of them in between openings! When I put him down for a nap, he sang himself to sleep with "Happy Birthday," which was adorable. We had a really fun party for him after dinner, where he served everyone up some cake and was delighted to be the center of attention! He is just the cutest thing ever. He thought everything about his birthday was just wonderful.

On Saturday, we all went hiking around Lake Sylvia, on a trail we had never been on before. We saw all kinds of wildflowers, Newts, and birds. We had a great time together. I love that my kids like to do that stuff. Grant and I found a whole bunch of new mountain biking trails on the logging roads behind the lake as well, that we can't wait to tackle!

On Friday, we had our first T-Ball practice. Sammi, Scotti, and Coop are all signed up for the team. Sammi told me from the beginning not to sign her up because she doesn't like sports. Then, we started playing t-ball in the yard, and Sammi is a really good hitter, so I signed her up anyway, just to keep the option open for her. At our first practice, Cooper and Scotti could not have been more excited. Everything was thrilling to them. Sammi, however, politely refused to be a part of the team. Finally, after standing on the sidelines watching her brothers have a great time, she told me that she wouldn't mind hitting, but that doesn't mean she is on the team. She's just hitting for fun, OK? Then, she wanted to practice catching balls too, swearing up and down that she isn't on the team, she's just helping out. She is so funny. Even now, she says she is not on the team. I'll keep you updated on how that turns out!

Saturday was also our big performance for preschool. Sammi, Scotti, and Coop were all monkeys in an adaptation of "Caps for Sale" at our preschool Taco Feed. They were the cutest little monkeys you've ever seen. All the kids were adorable. Scotti had the worst stage fright I have ever seen. He kept coming off the stage, saying he wasn't going to do it. I would take him back to the stage and give him a pep talk. Finally, just when I thought I had him set, the show started and Scotti ran off the stage to me. He felt sad that he didn't stay and finish the show, and directed his friends from the audience the whole time! He's so funny.

A couple of days ago, Sammi, Scotti, and Coop were all outside dressed up. They were being superfriends. Scotti was "Super B" with the power to see inside people's hearts and to sting them with his imaginary stinger. (The stinger was attached to his underpants, which "Super B" always wore over his pants.) Sammi was "Dragon Girl" with the power to fight and to talk to bees, butterflies, unicorns, and something else that I can't remember. Cooper was "Underdog" with the power of stink. (I decided it was better not to inquire further about that one!) They were running all over the yard saving imaginary victims from imaginary foes. They had a great time.

Later that day, Grant went outside to find Scotti on our chain ladder that goes up our playground holding on to the chains with his hands spread eagled and his tummy facing out. He was only in his underwear. When Grant asked him what he was doing, he said that he was Sammi's father and he was dying for her. That's right. He was playing crucifixion. In his underwear.

Everett finds water everywhere in this yard. If I keep him in clothes all day long, he needs an entire new outfit every couple of hours or so. I just let him run around in his diaper nowadays. He loves it. He loves the hose, and our little water pump, and our little wading pool. and our watering can He thinks it is all so great! Tonight, he was playing with the hose and I called him to come to Family Home Evening. He yelled back, "No thanks! Playing hose!"

In the middle of one of our garden beds, we have a pedestal that stands about 1 1/2 feet off the ground. It is for putting a big pot on. Since we have nothing on it, today I found Scotti sitting on it in a yoga resting/meditation position. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was the king of the garden and that if I wanted him to talk, I had to give him a gift of nature. When I gave him a rock, he looked at me with a sheepish grin and said, "I don't really know what to say!"

Last week, Cooper had a long string of not making it to the potty. We started a chart for him, where he gets a sticker every time he makes it to the potty. He has to get 30 stickers and then he can get a reward. He decided he wanted to go to McDonald's playground. Now, with this goal in mind, Cooper calls me every hour or so to look at his pee pee in the potty so he can get a sticker. I've never seen a kid go to the bathroom so much.

Everett tells me every night in a whisper, "Shhhhh! Hear that? I hear a frog!" Then sits still listening for a few minutes. It is adorable.