Mimi – The Nearest Future

Halloween 2016

Happy Halloween! It feels like things stretched out for almost a week this year. I helped with Mimi’s first Girl Scout Halloween party, we went to the party at N’s office, and I ran the snack station at E’s class party today. And of course we went trick-or-treating tonight 😉

E was a little ambivalent about picking his costume and went with Mimi’s suggestion of Robin from Teen Titans. The kids watch cartoons on Saturdays after their chores are done and Teen Titans is usually on in an endless loop so the choice was apropos.

Mimi loves all things rainbow and unicorns and was excited about this winged unicorn costume we found at H&M. I liked that it was cozy and easy-t0-wear.

Happy Halloween!

Fall Colors

A month into school and we’re starting to settle into a groove. Granted, it’s kind of a hectic groove but usually a happy one…at least that’s what I tell myself as we’re hurtling from one thing to another after school 😉

On Wednesday afternoon Mimi and I decided on the spur of the moment to drive up the canyon and check out the fall leaves…and we took her Korean hanbok with us! It’s already a little too short on her and I wanted to get some pics before she completely outgrows it.

I’m glad we made the effort to go up in the canyon because the first big storm of fall blew in and most of those leaves are probably gone now. Just one more instance of the universe bonking me on the head with the message that time is fleeting.

I love this girl and these mountains ♥

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First Day of Kindergarten!

Today was Mimi’s first day of kindergarten! She’s been a little nervous and has had lots of questions, mostly about if she’ll make friends and whether the kids will like her.

The day we got her new backpack she spent 15 minutes trying it on and practicing her “nice smile” in the mirror. She wanted to make sure the kids at Kindergarten “won’t be scared” and would know she’s friendly.

(That sound you hear is my heart breaking a little-oof.)

But this morning as I snapped a few pictures of her before we headed to school she struck this pose and declared, “I’m a super hero!”

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The extra-wide stance cracks me up but I couldn’t agree with her more. All the heart-eyes.

Normally our carpool will drop the kids off in the morning but today I walked her into school. She didn’t cry at all and neither did I. We were both troopers 😉

She came home happy and looking forward to going back. I’m so proud of her.

Princess Party

For the past few years Mimi has attended an annual princess party at our local rec center. I’m not in love with the mania that is princess culture, but she loves it and we try to balance things out by talking about how being strong, kind, smart, funny, etc… is more important that having fancy clothes.

But I still realize that it’s nice to dress up in fancy clothes once in a while.

Mimi’s little best friend ES went to the party with her. I had found these Cinderella dresses online at the Disney store on super-duper clearance so the girls could be twins.

20160618_0188 — Delicate flowers, through and through 😉

20160618_0182 — They have beauty school students come do hair and makeup for the attendees. Mimi loved it.

The party was very well-run. They had stations set up around the gym with different Disney trademark-offending characters at each station handing out different prices (balloons, tiaras, stickers, etc…) and posing for pictures. Each attendee also got a little autograph book and Mimi was driven about getting every characters’ autograph. When she finally got every page signed she left out this huge sigh and smiled.

20160618_0214 — With Lilo from “Lilo and Stitch”

She had a great time but by the time we got home we were both done. And then as we got out of the car her balloon escaped and flew away, tragedy!

But then Mimi rallied liked the trooper she was.

Mimi’s Gymnastics Show

After E’s final soccer game of the season on Saturday we booked it from the field over to our town’s rec center for Mimi’s gymnastics exhibition. Her exhibition was scheduled for the same time as E’s soccer game but I was able to have her attend at a different time so we could make it to both. Last year we had a similar soccer/gymnastics scheduling conflict and I bungled the dates and we missed her exhibition and she was so disappointed and I felt like the worst mother. She has since forgotten about it but I don’t know if I will :/

Anyway, this year’s exhibition was ADORABLE. The kids were between 3 and 5 and they were so darn cute. N’s parents came with us and we all cheered for Mimi together.

Mimi was so excited to get her shiny participation medal and have everyone cheer for her. She was grinning from ear to ear and in the car on the way home she kept exclaiming, “I’m so happy! I’m so happy!”

My heart swelled with contentment. It was a lovely moment. The kids started bickering and it passed but it was nice while it lasted 😉

Mimi Turns Five

Last week Mimi turned 5. FIVE!!! Why does five seem so much older than four? Maybe it’s the specter of Kindergarten just around the corner, maybe it’s that the years fill up all the fingers on her hand now. But whatever it is, five seems to shut the door firmly on babyhood and it’s turning out to be a little hard for me.

But so far being five is working out marvelously for Mimi 🙂

Mimi and E clowning around for her 5th birthday — Mimi and E clowning around

Mimi Playing with her new Calico Critters — Mimi playing with birthday presents

We like to stretch birthdays out around here. For a special treat my friend Amy and I took Amy’s daughter E.S. (who is Mimi’s best friend) and Mimi to Build-A-Bear. We had scored some gift cards at a discount around Christmas and saved them to celebrate the girls’ winter birthdays together. They had a blast, but wow. If she plays her cards right maybe Mimi can get another one…instead of a car after she turns 16.

Mimi and her bestie E. at Build-A-Bear — Mimi and her bestie E.S. at Build-A-Bear

Later that evening I made Mimi’s requested dinner of Korean food (bulgogi with lettuce to wrap it in and kimchi) and baked a vegan chocolate cake and she opened gifts from N., E., me, and my parents.

And then on Sunday we went up to N.’s parents’ house for dinner and ice cream brownie sundaes and a few more gifts including the sweetest sweater from N.’s mom.

Ice cream sundaes at Grandma and Grandpa's — Ice cream sundaes at Grandma and Grandpa’s

Recently Mimi has attended a few birthday parties for cousins and friends so she was very keen on having a friend birthday party this year–with a piñata. Since our house is decidedly not piñata-friendly I reserved the gym at our church and we’re going to do it up this Friday 🙂

So for the rest of the week I’ll be alternating between running all over getting ready for the party and tearfully sniffling into my sleeve that my baby is growing up too fast.

Halloween 2015: The Agony and the Ecstasy

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After a crazy Friday (getting the kids ready for each of their class parties, going to E’s school to run the snack station and having half of the other moms helping with the party not show up until the party was halfway through (!), watching E’s school costume parade then rushing home to pick up Mimi so my friend who was watching her after preschool could attend HER kids’ costume parade, and then taking taking the kids around N’s office Halloween party) I was beat. It didn’t really seem right that there was STILL MORE HALLOWEEN stuff to do on Saturday.

But we got the kids in their costumes again (E was General Grievous from Star Wars and Mimi was Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony) and trick-or-treated with some of our neighborhood friends.

Mimi was thrilled that she and her friend from down the street were twins.

E with neighbor friends.

E as General Grievous

Mimi as a sassy Rainbow Dash

I hope you had a happy Halloween. Ours was fun but I’m glad its over. Good thing there’s nothing going on for the next few months, right? 😉

This Girl

20150820_0014-2_zpseldtfa3k-1 I love having Mimi around. Part of me wishes I could freeze her at this age. 4-year-olds are such riots. I’m trying to soak in all the funny things she says.

On Monday morning, Mimi came out of her room crying and said she had had a bad dream (this has been happening often lately). I asked her what happened in her dream and she wailed that “Daddy got too old!” And then she sniffed and added, “And he had a mustache!”

Ha!

Blackberries at Meemaw’s House

I loved growing up in western Washington. My parents still live there and since we don’t get to see them very often I tried to take the kids up every summer to visit. This year my siblings also came so we had a family reunion which was really great.

My parents live on a couple of acres which they’ve planted with fruit trees, berries, grapes, and a big garden. The first morning after we got there the kids ran outside in their pjs to pick some blackberries for breakfast.When they’re older I hope they remember small moments like these.

First Day of School

E and Mimi started school last week. E came home happy from the first day of second grade and excitedly told us how his teacher, Mr. Mac, told the kids that they don’t have to raise their hand to go get a drink of water OR to go to the bathroom. The heady privileges of being a second-grader! 🙂

Sweet Mimi is attending the same wonderful preschool that she went to last year but now she is going 3 days a week instead of 2. This year we are carpooling with her best friend Eva and listening to their conversations in the car is turning out to be a real highlight for me. So adorable!

(Last year’s pictures here.)

I’m looking forward to nailing down my schedule and getting into a routine. We came home from spending a few weeks up in WA with family right before school started so I feel a little bit discombobulated (and behind on laundry, as ever). But I took a lot of photos while we were out of town and will try to post them soon!