School Bound Birthday Bash

Dear Maya and Emi,

Another blog post! I couldn't let too much time go by without talking about your birthday party, Emi! And some of the fun things you've been up to as well, Maya. And Grandpa's visit. And Grandma and Papa Stan's new puppy! So here are all the photos with a few brief explanations thrown in:

• Maya, your summer camp is so full of activities! Archery, hiking, crafting, swimming, field trips and more!

• This is Max! Isn't he cute?

• Emi, on your birthday when we dropped Maya off for camp, there was a school bus in the parking lot to take the campers to a field trip. The driver let you look inside! You were more excited than you look in this photo, I promise!

•   Birthday milkshake!

• Grandpa visited!

• And the birthday party! Emi, you wanted a school themed party because you're so excited to go to pre-k. It was a fun and easy party to plan and prepare for, which is a good thing because the 24 hours leading up to it were really rough. Mommy had barely finished making the cupcakes and decorations when suddenly you got sick. We're pretty sure you ate something bad and spent about 4 hours on Saturday throwing up a lot. Then on Saturday night you seemed to be having asthma attacks, probably due to all the throwing up you had been doing. Mommy and Baba didn't sleep much at all and we weren't sure whether the party would go on. Luckily you were fine the next morning! Tired, but fine. So the party went on without a hitch. Whew! We're so thankful to everyone who came out to celebrate with us!

 

 

 

Well, mommy needs to try to catch up on the sleep I missed during all of this! Love you both!

Miss Emi is four!

Dear Emi,

This blog post is for you, because the other day you turned FOUR!  Here's a roundup of photos of you from the last year. It's followed by the annual interview for which your answers were um, interesting, if not entirely accurate. Enjoy!

Favorite toy:   dollies (really???)
Favorite game:   penguin game (a mini card game from Uncle Matt that you never play?)
Favorite thing to do inside:   put stickers on paper (today it was My Little Pony stickers)
Favorite thing to do outside:   play on my scooter (you are dangerously fast!)
Favorite place to go:   to the supermarket (maybe because we rarely take you anymore! lol)
Favorite book:   Little Bunny Roo (the most recently read anyway)
Favorite TV show:   My Little Ponies
Favorite movie:   Top Cat
Favorite song:   Perfect by Ed Sheeran and We will Rock You by, as you say it, "The Queen"
Favorite animal:   doggie
Favorite breakfast:   bagels
Favorite lunch:   peanuts and raisins and one marshmallow (what you usually have for snack!)
Favorite dinner:   cereal with yogurt and milk and raspberries (what you requested for your birthday dinner!)
Favorite fruit:   bananas, apples
Favorite vegetable:   cabbage (lolololol, where did you come up with that?!?)
Favorite drink:   seltzer
Best friend:   Maya
Biggest fear:   the dark
When you grow up you want to be: I don't know
Things you take to bed:   a pillow that Grandma made, a Mickey Mouse blanket, and usually Lollipop the bunny and Princess Celestia the unicorn

Well, we're excited for your party this weekend and that grandpa is visiting. I hope you enjoy every minute of it! Love you!

Sam and Clare visit!!!

Dear Maya and Emi,

We have had the best month! Mommy's dear friend Sam visited from Australia for about 4 weeks--the first time we've seen her in 7 years! And then mommy's dear friend Clare joined us for the last weekend. What a wonderful time we've had!

Maya, you finished 1st grade! You had a stellar final report card and we will miss your teacher Mrs. Farrell so much. Then, after a week free, you started summer camp and are spending nearly every day swimming in the stream with your friends.

Here are some of the highlights of our time with Sam and Clare:

•  Hiking Bash Bish Falls
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Wandering around Hudson and Olana (while you were at school, Maya)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Wandering around Rhinebeck and having ice cream after the last day of school
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Walking/biking/scootering along the Rail Trail
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Visiting the world's largest kaleidoscope and hiking Poet's Walk with Aunt Kelsie and cousins
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Visiting the beautiful gardens at Wethersfield
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Having Japanese food and playing with sparklers (while you were at a sleepover, Maya)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Going to the library story hour (while you were at camp, Maya)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Hiking up to the cool cave at Dover Stone Church
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• A surprise tropical birthday party that Clare and Sam threw for mommy (with baba's gyoza!)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• A trip to the hot air balloon festival (you stayed home with Baba, Emi)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• A belated 4th of July/early birthday party for mommy at Grandma & Papa Stan's house
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• And a bunch of other random photos of fun times we had, in no particular order
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Well, that was a LOT of photos and a LOT of awesome memories. Now mommy needs to sign off and catch up on emails and other work. Love you both! (And you both, too, Sam & Clare!!)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ***lots of photos in this post were taken by Sam, Clare and Baba!***