William turned 5, even though I told him not to

William had a hard time narrowing a guest-list for his fifth-birthday party, but I finally talked him down to 20 kids or so:


You can imagine how many he wanted. I was feeling awfully tired and harried at the time, and I wouldn't have done a party at all, but, honestly, this kid deserved a party. This funny, stubborn, compulsive, crazy, thoughtful, willful, difficult, lovely boy deserved a BIG party.

This is the face William makes when people are looking at him:



He wanted a chocolate cake with balloons on it. (Okay, actually he wanted a chocolate cake in the shape of a pirate ship, but HELL no.) ( Listen, I am willing to throw a party for twenty kids, but I draw the line at spending weeks of my life in the kitchen cursing and crying and trying to figure out how to bake a cake in the shape of a boat, I HAVE THINGS TO DO.) (also, does all that work make the cake more delicious? No, it does not.) (He loved his balloon cake.)

He blew out the candles:



I mean, he tried to blow out the candles:



and Christofer responded really inappropriately; there was just no need to flip off the children.


Finally he got it.



and there was much cheering and rejoicing and cake eating. Seriously, there was a ton of cake eating. I gave those kids huge pieces. Their parents all love me, I'm sure.

William opening his presents, surrounded by friends:


I'm always telling William I'm going to shrink him back to four, because I can't stand for him to get any older. That's not really true. As much as I'll miss the sweet and wild William he's been, I love the grown-up, independent, smart William he's becoming.

So. Don't grow up too fast, William, but truthfully I can't wait to see what comes next.

baseball wrap-up

Michael did Coach Pitch this summer (which, for those who may not be familiar with little-league-talk (like myself earlier this year), means the coaches pitch to their respective teams).
These pictures have been sitting in my camera for months.
Because I am tired.
And also lazy.
And also I broke my toe last month. Did I mention that? It has seriously impaired my ability to do things, like upload pictures and not eat chocolate.
But anyway. Baseball. It was great.









































I didn't realize until the first practice that I had placed him up a year, but it was fine. He's a pretty good little player.













































Batting was definitely his favorite. Of course, since most kids didn't really have the coordination to consistantly catch with their mitts, batting was everyone's favorite.









































I love how nonchalant he looks in that last picture.
Just hanging out on first. What up.




He's already talking about next year.

six

Last week this guy turned 6 years old :

and we decided (last minute) to throw a big birthday party.



It was so fun. Or, as Ivy is fond of saying, it was so so so so so so so so SO fun.

Michael loved it.

We all loved it.

I finally dragged them off the slide about 6:30 pm. We were exhausted and sunburned, but so so SO happy.

Happy birthday, Michael! Every year with you is a gift. I have a feeling this one will be amazing.

crushing my writer's block with an iron fist, OH YES

I've been trying to think of something to post about for two days, and have come to the AMAZING and TOTALLY ORIGINAL conclusion that it is easier to write when life is stupid than when life is super awesome. and the last two weeks of November were really super awesome, so what did that leave me to write about? NOTHING.

lucky for you, Ivy spiked a temperature yesterday, I woke up this morning feeling decidedly less-awesome-than-before, and my kids have already heard me swear twice today. so. yay! we can now return to our previously scheduled complaining posting.

my camera and I are in a fight. We have been in a fight for about a month now, and everytime I mention it to someone they ask me who's winning, only it's not that kind of fight. It's the kind of preteen-girl-hissy-fight that has no winners, only an endless supply of pain and evil. This is why I took no pictures of our Thanksgiving. I did, however, take pictures of some of my relatives who were around, and while only half of them turned out the way they should (YOU ARE STUPID, CAMERA) look how pretty some of them are:

friend time

This is our friend Tanner.


I love this kid, in spite of the fact that he is not fully convinced of my competency.
or maybe I love him because he's not fully convinced of my competency.
it's hard to say.
"I'm not going to look at your camera," he told me.
And he didn't.
Michael, on the other hand, gave me full on Magnum:

Tanner is good at jumping on the tramp and knows lots of stuff about Star Wars. Michael thinks having Tanner over is the Bee's Knees.

Neighborhood friends are the greatest.

Ivy and her future husband

because I am relentless in my devotion to the cause:

newborn

I went over to see my friend Sandii's new baby last week, and was shocked by her smallness. I had the sudden realization that Ivy really isn't baby anymore--in comparison she's a veritable monster.

so when I came home, I said to Christofer, "Ivy's not a baby anymore. I miss her teeny tiny size."

...and that's the story of how I got myself banished to the extra bed indefinitely.

open letter to some of my friends and family

If I'm working on a project for you
I swear
before all the people reading this blog
that I didn't forget.
I also swear it's almost done.
This has been a week full of craziness
and everything will be finished by Sunday
I swear

(incidentally, this could be my kids in about three years.)

(Incidentally, everytime I use the word incidentally I am reminded of my highschool choir teacher.)

( becaue I did go to school sometimes.)

sisters

I've decided to marry one of these girls to one of my boys, because they are adorable, but really to help prevent red-head extinction.


just trying to do my part, people.



(these pictures make me miss my sisters.)

friends, vol. II

Michael has been showing-off ever since Mara got here.















she and I are both totally charmed.
William, however, remains unimpressed.




we're having a fun morning.

the tulip festival

Yesterday we went with some friends to the tulip festival.



Tanner takes tulips very seriously. I asked him if I could take his picture, and he was all, "I am looking at the tulips. DO YOU MIND."

Although he didn't actually say that last part.
but he was thinking it.
I could tell.






























William likes flowers okay. but mostly he likes rolling down the hills and splashing in the water.





























and feeding the fish.

I just like that Spring is here.