Miriam at 5 1/2

Oh, I love my little buddy Miriam. I feel like since she is in half-day Kindergarten it really gives us an opportunity to bond, like we wouldn't if she were in full day. Holland will nap after lunch until just about the time that Eliza comes home from school. During that time we do preschool--or homeschool she would say. Basically, like Eliza, Miriam's kindergarten class isn't exactly challenging for her, so I try to make sure she has some low-key, but structured time doing academics in the afternoon. She is actually really good about it and totally on board, way more than Eliza was. Maybe it is because it is just she and I so I can give her more attention? Maybe it is because I have chilled out or am more patient, or something?

Miriam recently lost her first tooth. She eagerly anticipated this for a good long while. She was so adamant that the tooth fairy wasn't real, and it was just her parents, but that didn't mean that she wasn't fully planning on getting some money for that tooth.

Miriam is here helping me write this post for a minute. So, lets do a little interview with her.

Favorites:

food: mac and cheese

dessert: chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips in it

story: A to Z Mysteries, The Golden Goose

movie/show: Sofia the First

activity at school: writer's workshop

activity at home: play Uno, do a craft, listen to audiobooks, jump on trampoline

friend: my family

place to go: the park that has rides

color: pink and purple, I can't choose which

What is one thing that you are really good at?

cartwheels, eating, reading, being a good student

What are you looking forward to this year?

Jumping on the trampoline, learning my times-tables (even though I am a Kindergartener)

What is your favorite scripture story?

Remembering when Joseph Smith saw the Lord at the First Vision

What do you want to do better this year?

Learn the rest of the times tables, I know my ones, twos, and my doubles. Also, 3x6 and 6x3. I also know 7x3 and 3x7.

Thanks, Miriam for that great interview. This weekend we have a multiplication machine borrowed from Eliza's teacher, so multiplication is on the brain. :)

One funny thing about Miriam is that she doesn't really like oranges, but she loves grapefruit. She always yells in excitement if I suggest that she can have some.

Miriam has so much personality. She loves, LOVES listening to the A to Z mysteries on audiobook. So much so that the other day she said to me "Mommy, if you hear about robberies on the news, tell me about it. I want to be like the A to Z mystery/calendar mystery kids. They help solve problems, and sometimes it's a joke." What a cutie.

Another time we were talking about sharing the gospel and Miriam contributed, "If there is a boy with guns pointed at you, then you should not ask him if he wants to learn about the gospel."

Sometimes, she still gets frustrated about reading, especially trying to read words that she isn't familiar with. One day she exclaimed, "It would be easier, if I just forgot the words I know!" That's the logic of a 5 and a half year old.

One day Miriam shared with me, "I don't want to have kids because I don't want to work hard. I am going to have zero kids, or maybe 100." Haha!!

Some of my other favorites is when she comforted me when I burned a tortilla on the stove. She hugged me and really tried to make me feel better. For the record I wasn't really upset, but I love it when she shows some sweet empathy. Another day she could tell I was stressed, "Mommy come sit on the couch with me, and I'll read books to you." Sweet girl.

A while ago, Miriam composed a song on the piano, "Come now, my sis." I love it.

When Ellie started her Spanish class, any word that Miriam didn't know became a Spanish word. On the dishwasher she discovered the word 'autosense.' She told us that it was Spanish for 'normal wash."'

I would still say that one of Miriam's defining characteristics is how big her emotions are. She is really happy or really sad. She is really compassionate or doesn't care at all. She is loving or trying to push your buttons. We are concerned about what this will bring us in a few years, considering we are already having to employ strategies for us and her to help with these emotions.

We love her to death though! Miriam is so fun! I feel so lucky to be her mom!

Holland's "Reading"

Holland went through a funny phase in December. She didn't want me to read to her--she wanted to look at the books and read (babble) to herself. I remember a couple of times I tried to read to her and she yelled at me, pulled the book out of my hand, and then babbled to herself about it. It was so funny. She has since gotten over this, but it was sure cute while it lasted.

Her favorite place was the little space between the kid bookshelf and the wall. We called it her corner. She would manipulate her body and the book so she could be tucked up in it. So cute!

I love this video of her babbling. I think this is either right before/after one of the times I tried to read to her. Too funny.

I know this is a super long video but I had to include it anyway. It shows her reading to herself (one of the girl's notebooks). It also shows how she said "Whoa" about the Christmas tree, every single time. It also showed the few words she was saying at the time. Love her.

And there is my crazy baby. She was getting tired, and it showed. :)

It's the Most {Busy} Time of the Year...

I love December. I really do. I love the Christmas season. I love anticipating the time off work and school and seeing our families. I love the cool weather and all the festivities. We really try hard to not get too burned out on the various activities. The problem is that everything tries to happen at the same time.

It was fun to go to Eliza's art masterpiece class, go to birthday brunch with the ladies, attend Miriam's Winter party. Cafe Rio opened another location and gave out free food. Getting presents for friends and family was fun and way less stressful than in years past.

The one part that came down to crunch time was that I decided at the last minute to make a photo book for John for our upcoming anniversary, which was great, but took a lot, lot of time. It seems like no matter how much we try to anticipate and plan to make our holiday season un-busy, it creeps in anyway. This is one reason I am always trying to play catch up on my blog in January and February.

Family Photos 2016

 AND Holland is done...

The good news about taking your own family photos is that you can do it when it is convenient to you. Also, it is free (except the cost of the camera and supplies of course). So when John had a few extra days off before Christmas, we took advantage of the forecasted cloudy days to take a few family photos. Unfortunately, the remote to the camera wasn't working. I don't know why. So we did a lot of running back and forth with the timer. We even got a couple of Holly looking in the general vicinity of the camera.

Miriam was so funny that day. She was feeling contradictory. She fought about what clothes she was going to wear, how her hair was to be done, where to stand, how to have her hands. It was a great exercise in patience to get through that trying to keep everyone in happy enough spirits to get a decent picture--it just takes a certain degree of cooperation.

So sad this photo wasn't in focus.

The funniest/most ridiculous was when we were getting out of the car, and Miriam said, "Mommy, I don't want you to take pictures of me because I feel like someone is spying on me, if we print out a picture of me to give to them." Seriously kid?!

I love them though. It was pretty hard to get a genuine smile from that Miri girl though.

I love him.

SMs

I love that my girls are such good friends...most of the time. In December, my older girls came up with a secret club and called it "SM," code for "sister meeting." They had code clapping and numbers, where they would meet in their rooms and ask each other about their days, and read the scriptures together. It was about the sweetest thing ever. It lasted about two weeks, which is pretty long for one of their clubs. What sweethearts!