Happy 10th Birthday!

Bleary-eyed before school with her cinnamon rolls.  School day birthdays are no fun!

 The girls had a "spa" party, but the masks and rolling massagers became props in a game of cops and robbers the next morning.  Feel like I definitely got my moneys worth out of those dollar store items!

 NiNi and Katerina's birthdays are only 2 weeks apart so they had a combined party.  Instead of presents, they asked their friends to bring donations to the animal shelter.

Singing to eachother

star wars, bad guys and froggie pillows

Ethan is cranking in kindergarten.  They just celebrated the 100th day of school so we are more than half way through-yay!  He is beginning to sound out short words and we work on this a lot at home.  He is getting a green for behavior on most days now, with the occasional orange or yellow.  It's unfortunate that for the most part schools are not structured around boys' need to move and play.  Last week the teacher sent a note that she wondered if he was reinacting Star Wars in the hallway.  You think?  There is probably not a day that goes by when that boy does NOT think about Star Wars!  He and dad are slowly working through all 6 of the older movies in order before he takes him to the theater to see The Force Awakens.  He likes to put black masking tape over his Power Ranger faces turning them into Darth Vader.  He also uses his guys to act out elaborate escape plans.  The picture below shows some guys he had tied up and duck taped to the table legs.  Boys are such interesting creatures.    

Funnies

I have not been writing down the kids' funny saying as faithfully. And sadly as they get older and "more sophisticated" there are fewer to report.  But here are a couple

NiNi was calling the place where you buy snacks at basketball games a "confession stand"

The other day we were talking about things people do at weddings and NiNi said clinked her fork on her glass and said "I'd like some toast please."  She thought when people toasted, they were literally asking for some.  Makes total sense to me!

As NiNi was getting dressed for school one morning I noticed the scar on her hip from her bone graft 4 years ago.  I asked her if she remembered the surgery and she said "no".  I had been feeling sad because Ethan has a surgery coming up and I hate seeing the kids scared and in pain. I said to NiNi, "Sometimes I think maybe you guys have been traumatized by your surgeries."  She replied, "Mom, I have a happy life" in a tone that said, "get over it mom."  So I did.