Friday, December 30, 2016

Maya sixth year recap

 

Good morning, birthday girl! Maya you are six years old today so this post is all about you. Mommy asked what you would like to do today and you said you wanted a surprise. Since you won't be reading this post beforehand, I can report that I plan to take you out to lunch, to a movie, and to see your buddies Wyatt and Natalie. Then we'll come home and have your requested waffle dinner and open some presents!



beautiful Belle dress from Grandma and Papa Stan

Maya, you're growing up so quickly. You're very much into Beauty and the Beast and the Nutcracker right now. You can read tons of words that are 3 to 4 letters long and even figured out 'family' and 'polar' in the car on Christmas Day. Your artistic skills always amaze us. You have been very snuggly lately. Last night you told us that your mouth hurt a little and we discovered a 6-year molar peeking out. Mommy and daddy didn't even know about 6-year molars. Whoa.

Here are your answers to our annual interview. Previous years are here, here, and here.

Favorite toy: animals
Favorite game: the apple game (“Apple Pop”)
Favorite thing to do inside: play with Mama and Baba and Emi
Favorite thing to do outside: play in the snow
Favorite place to go: to the fair or to the airport (!)
Favorite book: Splat the Cat
Favorite TV show: Octonauts
Favorite movie: Castle in the Sky
Favorite song: Apples and Bananas
Favorite animal: cat
Favorite breakfast: pancakes
Favorite lunch: tortillas with cheese and spinach and corn
Favorite dinner: curry and rice
Favorite fruit: grapefruit (Hmm, not sure about that one) and orange
Favorite vegetable: cucumber (with salt)
Favorite drink: lemonade
Best friend: Emi (awwwwww)
Biggest fear: when I’m in the dark and something looks like a monster at night
When you grow up you want to be: a photography (I explained the ‘er’ ending and you said, “yeah, just like you”)
Things you take to bed: my Beanie Boos—a jaguar, a leopard, another leopard, a unicorn, and a dragon—and a big blanket that used to be mama’s

And here are some of mommy's favorite photos of you from this year. 

January (your birthday party)

February (in Japan)

March (Easter)

April

May (meeting Eric Carle!)


June (last day of Pre-K)

July



August (at the county fair)

September (first day of Kindergarten)

October


November (cell phone pic at the Nutcracker)

December



Well, mommy needs to go get ready for our fun day. Love you so so so much!

Monday, December 26, 2016

Merry day after Christmas!


Dear Maya and Emi,

We had such a great, fun, relaxing, funny, and love-filled week!

Maya, you were so excited to pass out gifts to all your classmates and teachers at school. On the last day before vacation you hugged your bus driver on the way home and told me that you initiated a group hug with your whole class at the end of the day because you're going to miss them. Aww!!






On Thursday night Grandma and Papa Stan arrived with Tessa. Then on Friday your Great (especially in the awesome sense of the word) Aunt Sue-Sue came to visit. She brought Santa hats, a bunch of yummy Christmas cookies, and we got in lots of laughs and snuggles while she was here. Aunt Bobbie also got to our house on Friday and stayed overnight. We loved spending time with her, not to mention getting some of her amazing hugs, just in time for Christmas!






Papa Stan got this awesome gift from Matt and Rhi--a whiskey wreath!




selfie by Grandma

Christmas morning you two slept until 7am! I think the darkness tricked you into thinking it was still nighttime and you were worried about not staying in bed while Santa was here. He didn't miss you though--Emi, he brought you tons of different dress up items and Maya, he brought you a bunch of Beanie Boo-related toys and accessories. We opened the gifts upstairs so everyone else could sleep a little later downstairs!








Once everyone was up and dressed we followed tradition with a trip to Nanny and Poppy's house for the Best Breakfast of the Year! Kelsie, Shawn, Grace and Will joined us there and we had quite a fun commotion with all the eating, gift giving, gift opening, and running around.











After all the multitude of gifts were opened at Nanny and Poppy's we managed to get some photos out on the deck. It wasn't quite as warm as last Christmas, but it wasn't as cold as all their snow made it look, either. Once the pictures were done, we all headed back to our house for Christmas part 3 (or 4 or 5? I kind of lost count) and had a ball trying out the new toys and games (both the kids and adults!) until everyone got sleepy. What a great day!




 








Well, mommy is going to go get some more post-holiday snuggles in with you two. Love you both!