HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLA (a.k.a Toddles)

Wow, our baby is 3... With Kayla I felt like I never really had a tiny little baby for more than a just few months. Born at 8lbs 5oz 21 1/2 inches long, she started off plump! At her Dr. appointment I was told if she continues to grow at this rate she will be 5' 9"... Seriously her daddy is only 5' 10".

Kayla has so many strong quality's that will last her a lifetime! She is extremely out spoken and tells is how it is, she will just blurt out whatever is on her mind. Ex: just the other night I was putting her down to bed, in the middle of summer mind you, and as I was leaving she said: "mommy, I really need to go out in the snow and build me a snowman". I will always now what is on her mind, this will come in handy when she is a teenager!


Kayla is very independent, she will play with herself and her imaginary fiend's for hours. Go ahead and ask her what their names are... Cajun, Shirley, Pho Pho, Sal, Cal,

I try and jot things down that my kids say... Back in February, I bought Kayla a hot chocolate, she drank it down so fast and at the end when it was all gone, you could hear the slurping sound. She handed me the cup and looked at me with her big brown eye and said; "mama, that is a sad sound"!

Her sister Ella is pretty special in the world of Kayla! She really looks up to her and loves to play with her all the time, sometimes she is kind of a bully and puts Ella into tears, but for the most part they are the best of friends!

Kayla has a very tender spot, especially for her mama, if she does something she is not suppose to do, you can't raise your voice at her or she will fall apart,on the other hand she is a little !@#$ and is always doing something she is not suppose to do.... I am really worried for her poor teacher when she starts school!

Besides Kayla loving to be naked ALL the time and getting in trouble ALL the time, she is quit talented. She is our entertainer, she is very theatrical and plays the part of almost anything on demand! She loves to sing, act, dance you name it. If she gets caught putting on her own little show, she will step it up a notch just for you! Unlike most kids who would shy down, not Kayla!

She is obsessed with getting a dog or a kitty, she used to be scared to death of animals now she loves them! Her and her sister play puppy all the time, leashes and all. Her imagination is endless, you will always find her coming up with different playful games and ideas for make believe!

Kayla loves to give her daddy a hard time all for a good tickle! Uncle Joel, Papa, phoo phoo are names she will call him to get a reaction and he gives her one, usually it constists of a really long tickle followed by hugs and kisses!

On her birthday she recieved her very first hair cut! She was such a big girl, she did everyhting she was told, sat still and felt like a princess!

For her 3rd birthday she wanted to have the My Little Pony theme, so of course we did and she loved it! She asked for the American Girl Itty Bitty Twins set and rollerskates! She is a girl who knows what she wants!

For her friends birthday party we got a large bouncy house that weighed over 200lbs... She LOVED it! It was defiantly a hit with all the kiddos!

What a kick she is, we couldn't imagine life without her and even through the unbearable times we are gratful for her every single day! Love you toddles!

Kayla
You're my little love bug,

my cuddly kangaroo

My Funny Bunny, sweet as honey

You're my wiggly worm My busy little bee My silly goose, moosey-moose My monkey up a tree

You're my ice cream sandwich, my watermelon gum My soda pop, my lollipop My yummy yummy yum!

You're my Lovey Dovey My stinker winker bear My silly willy piccadilly alligator stare!

You're my bowl of cherries, my toast with berry jam

My snicker doodle, chicken noodle WHAT A LITTLE HAM!

You're my tootsie wootsie

My squishy wishy cheeks My tickle toes,

button nose, giggles. squeals and squeaks!

But most of all what you are is God's sweetest gift of LOVE!

We Love you Kayla Marie!!!

HAPPY PRESCHOOL GRADUATION ELLA

Today was such a special day for Ella, she graduated from Preschool and is on her way to Kindergarten! The weather was nothing but perfect and she was able to share this day with friends and family! Thank you Mrs. Suzanne for making this year amazing! Ella learned so much and has grown in so many ways! Way to go Ella, you make us so proud!

The Innocence of a Child

Kayla fell the other day, as I picked her up to go bandage it I tried to comfort her by telling her that she just got a little raspberry on her knee. Little did I realize, she took that into her brain processed it and now believes that if she eats a raspberry it will cause another sore on her knee. My 2 1/2 year old WILL NOT eat raspberry's any more, her once favorite fruit no longer... OOPS, way to go mom!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLA

Ella Marie Barrett, our baby is now 5. Words can't express how much Ella has blessed our lives. She has given a new meaning to the word perfect for our family! She has moved from never talking and saying mama and dada every once in awhile, to calling us dude and dudette over night!

Ella is such a great example to everyone she comes in contact with. She reminds us to stay calm and look at the big picture, she teaches her sister something new everyday and she stands strong with her friends if she knows they are doing wrong. She uses her please and thank yous and is always making sure we all tell each other how much we love one another!

Ella's favorite thing is school and swimming. She is in Super Eel and swimming all by herself with no life jacket, she is our little fish. She is so eager to learn, she comes home from school and wants to immediately work out of her kindergarten preparedness book. She can read the first five B.O.B books and is such a talented little artist. Ballet is right up there with her favorites, every Friday we go to twirl and tap with Miss Amber. She is going to be in her first recital this June!

My favorite phrase of hers is "are you serious"! She looks at me with her big blue eyes and I swear she's 30...

She has started a little diary and there is a combination of things, but mostly you will find random words that she thinks of and writes out, I spell more words in one day then I have in months!

Eye spy has got to be her most favorite game in the car, we play it every morning on the way to school, she makes sure Kayla has turn even though she has no idea what she is doing!

I have got to say that our family dance parties are the best, we shake our booty and groove forever! Daddy uses some of his super moves with the girls and Ella is always the leader.

Ella is such a great helper around the house, she takes the garbage out, makes her own bed, cleans up hers and Kayla's messes. When she spills something, half the time I don't even know until I step in a bit of a sticky spot. She heads over to get a towel and fixes without thinking twice. She folds laundry and sets the table for dinner. Joe land I decided that she is ready for an allowance, she has made enough to by a little bath tub for her baby!

For her 5Th Birthday Ella wanted a Little Mermaid themed party. We had her Friends birthday party on Saturday and it was all decked out in Little Mermaid, she even wore her Little Mermaid costume from Halloween. She actually went as far as naming her new American Girl doll "Ariel".

For her family party at home on her Birthday, she made sure everything was just right, the presents were all lined up, the balloons were just perfect, the cake had to have a "swipe of the finger test" to check the quality. As every night, we were all assigned seats at the dinner table!

For her school party she was a bit nervous; we made her a poster of pictures that she decorated beautifully. She was able to bring 5 things for sharing time and was the Special Person for the day! When it was time for her to get up and talk about her picture board and all her sharing she was right on her game! She broke out of that shell and illuminated as a 5 year old would!

There is nothing like watching your children grow and change each day! Milestones like this make you stop and think about all the changes that have taken place. Ella heads of to Kindergarten this fall and is determined to ride the bus! I am so excited for her to open up that new chapter in her life and can not wait to share that with her! She is our shining star!!!

Ell’s

You're my little love bug, my cuddly kangaroo
My Funny Bunny, sweet as honey
All of this is true!

You're my Punkin Wumkin, my peaches and my pie

My bread-and-butter peanut butter

Apple of my eye!

You're my wiggly worm
My busy little bee
My silly goose, moosey-moose

My monkey up a tree

You're my ice cream sandwich, my watermelon gum

My soda pop, my lollipop

My yummy yummy yum!

You're my Lovey Dovey

My stinker winker bear

My silly willy piccadilly alligator stare!

You're my bowl of cherries, my toast with berry jam

My snicker doodle, chicken noodle

What a little ham!
You're my tootsie wootsie

My squishy wishy cheeks
My tickle toes, button nose, giggles. squeals and squeaks!
You're everything that's wonderful

You're all of the above!

But most of all what you are is God's sweetest gift of LOVE!
We Love you Ella Marie!!!

BRRRR...

Yes, it is true. We got snow on March 15th. I know, those of you in No Dak are laughing... However, for us tree huggers out here in Washington it is so not normal! I dressed the girls in their spring dresses for church with snow outside, but they got over it and made the best of it!
I did put jackets on them....:)

I'M BACK...

WOW, It has been a long time since I have blogged. So much has happened in our little world. I have posted just a few of the fun times.

Fire Station Field Trip & Brandon's Birthday Party

It has been a month of fun filled activities for the girls.
Ella's school took a field trip to the local fire station, those are always so much fun! I took Kayla on this one since she is fascinated by fire trucks. Where is she in all the pictures you ask??? Well, for some reason miss social turned into miss anti-social and hid under my jacket the entire time... Oh well there is always next year for little miss sunshine!!! Of course Birthday parties are always the best, one of Ella's friends from school has a dress-up costume party. You would think my 4 year old would want to dress up as a princess, no she chose to be a flapper girl???... But, my little flapper girl rocked at tug-of-war and was the first one to knock the candy out of the Pinata'!!