Calvin's turns 6 years old!

I have to switch from Christmas mode to birthday mode pretty quick after Christmas with Calvin's birthday on December 28.  He turned 6 this year!  He's grown three inches since he turned 5.  The night before I put blue streamers by his door so he could "bust through them" like he wanted to do. 

I asked him what he wanted for his birthday meals and he said "Lucky Charms for breakfast, a peanut butter and jelly for lunch, and oatmeal with chocolate chips for supper!" 

The weather that day turned out pretty much perfect for an outside play day.  My dad came down for the day to help us celebrate.  The first plan of the day was to go sledding.  The sun was shining, there was almost no wind, and the temps were hanging around 30-35.  Couldn't have been nicer for sledding!  We went to Fletcher Ave (Hope Martin Park) in Waterloo.  Dave stayed in the van with Eli (he took a little nap I think) while all of us went sledding.  I smashed a number 6 into a tree with the wet packable snow and Rachel took a pic with her phone of Calvin standing next to it.  I love this pic!

Calvin was the first to be done sledding.  He was more interested in smashing down a bunch of little tiny snowmen that someone had put up earlier.  They seemed to have been vacated otherwise I wouldn't have let him smash someone else's work but they seemed to have been abandoned.  Vanessa enjoyed sledding too.  She saw Rachel walk up to us to join us sledding and she ran to her with arms wide open for a big hug!  Violet and Rachel conspired against all of us on their last run down the snow hill with snowballs flying! :)

We picked up pizza on the way home (and stopped at Dollar Tree so I could get a bouquet of balloons and some angry birds gummies for a weight) and Calvin quickly changed his mind when he saw the box open up.  He said, "I want pizza instead!!!"
I finished putting chocolate frosting on the chocolate cake I made before we went sledding.  We got dried off from sledding, and kids played around for awhile.  Grandpa Jon took a nap.  I assembled a lasagna and Dave set the oven to start at 4:30 so it would be hot by 5:30.

We went to the bowling alley (Maple Lanes) at 3 pm.  Rachel hosted Calvin's party and we all played 2 rounds.  Fun was had by all!  Dave played the first game but not the second.  He wasn't doing so well at bowling with his bum foot.

Lucky Charms for breakfast

bowling to celebrate Calvin's birthday! Hosted  by Aunt Rachel

fruit stripe gum!  great flavor...for about 20 seconds

even Eli got in on the bowling action. He pushed the ball down the ramp and laughed

sibling love

more sibling love....and son and nephew love

"The party" was planned for after bowling.  I finished decorating Calvin's cake when we got home.  The food was hot and ready - we assembled the salads, toasted the garlic bread, and set out the food.  Then I made Calvin's oatmeal.  He put his own chocolate chips in it.  Seriously, I really expected him to say he wanted to have lasagna instead...but he stuck to his guns and insisted on having oatmeal.  Sure, dude.  So that's what he had.  And the rest of us had salads, garlic bread and lasagna. :)

We sang him happy birthday, served up a chocolately cake with chocolately ice cream (his request!), and opened some presents.  We got him another pack of hot wheels tracks, a transformer, and Rachel got him a huuuge bag of M&Ms.  Martha sent him a pack of miniature exploding bombs, a pack of markers, and a notebook.  I suggested that gift because he wanted his own "clear" notebook.  He seemed to have an excellent time and loved turning 6. 

Calvin's chocolately oatmeal instead of lasagna for supper

Christmas 2013

Christmas Eve Rachel came over to spend time with our family and give some presents to us.  She was so thoughtful and creative with her gift giving.  The kids loved opening up their packages and were excited to see what ornaments she chose for everyone.  Everyone got mints!  For Calvin, a "candy" ornament because the boy loves candy.  For Violet, a snowflake.  For Vanessa, a pink sparkley ornament, and for Eli, a truck.  Each ornament was decorated with pictures.  She got Dave a espresso machine ornament and me, a candy crush ornament to commemorate the level I reached as of that day.  So funny!  We enjoyed pecan caramel turtle treats.  The redeemable coupons (play dates and bowling party for Calvin's upcoming birthday) were a hit with the kids too.  She had dinner with us and we all went to the Christmas Eve service at BBC.  There was special music and a message focusing on the upcoming birth of baby Jesus with the theme of Him being a shepherd.  I played a flute song "Gentle Shepherd Lead Us" to wrap up the time before we lit candles.

Christmas morning was beautiful.  The snow began to fall in thick snowflakes as the morning got started.  Our plan was to leave Cedar Falls to go to Mason City around 11 am, so we had our family's Christmas that morning after breakfast.  The kids opened their stockings first after we were all ready, and it was a flurry of excitement.  They were filled with musical instruments, flashlights, reeses peanut butter cups, M&M filled candy canes, bubble tape gum, tic tacs, hot wheels cars, fun pens, rubber band balls, etc.  They loved them!  We had a few "all the kids" presents which they started with.  The first one they opened was a big canister of cheese balls.  :)  They all dug in and ate some.  Eli, who was sitting in his high chair, ate some too.  After a pack of fruit snacks.  It wasn't the healthiest morning, but it was sure fun!

Another family gift was an ankle jump rope, a 1000 piece candy wrapper puzzle, and a real marching drum.

Violet really impressed us this year with her generosity and thoughtfulness.  She had spent all her bucks she earned at AWANA and chose a Christmas present for everyone.  She even wrapped them up and labeled them herself.  She got Vanessa a princess crown/earring/bracelet thing, she gave me a bottle of green nail polish, she gave Dave a pack of Very Berry Skittles, for Calvin she gave him a 10 wheel yellow car toy.  She enjoyed every minute of GIVING!! 

Everyone enjoyed their presents very much this year.  For Violet, a spirograph set, a new dress, anda 4-set of winnie the pooh books.  For Calvin, a hot wheels tracks set, parachute guy, and an airplane glider.  For Vanessa, a new purple dress (she squealed and put it on immediately and danced around!), and a new ariel tag book.  Eli unwrapped a new little electronic toy that counts.  It looks like a little toy smart phone.  I got Dave a new bathrobe because he was really in need of a new cushy warm one.

Dave helped the kids shop for me, and they picked a pretty purple casserole dish, some new kitchen spatulas, and A GUITAR!  I had been wanting to learn to play and it didn't work earlier in the year so he was so thoughtful and got me one.  I was shocked.  I have already learned to play a few chords and my left fingers are numb and sore. :D  Its so fun though.  I'm loving learning.  It is easier in some ways than I thought, and much harder than I thought too in other ways.

 

So after the present opening, we got ready to head to MC, but were an hour late in leaving.  Rachel met us at noon and we took off after I rearranged some car seats so all 7 of us could fit in our van.

Mom and dad hosted us for a delicious meal of turkey casserole, brussel sprouts, dinner rolls, and lemon dessert. 

We had a time to exchange gifts.  Mom and dad had something for everyone and we passed out or gift bags of homemade fruit and nut granola.  

Jay, Molly, Stella and Theodore came too and it was so nice to see them too.  My mom arranged with Doug, the gym owner, for us to come play at the gym.  We jumped and ran and bounced for a couple hours.  Eli and Stella ran around like crazy and so did the rest of the kids.  We all took turns holding little Theo and all having a nice time together.

I got to hold baby Theo while he napped.  It was wonderful. :)

Jay and Molly with Stella and Theodore

Theodore

Theo awake!

Dave trying out "back jumping" with a bum foot.

my crazy boys

me and my brother Jay

together with Molly!

Stella with daddy Jay and Uncle Dave

Stella and I had fun!