Harriet turns 6 today

Dear Harriet,
Wow, you are 6 years old today!  This has been quite a year for you, especially since starting kindergarten.  Every year has lots of things from beginning to end, but you have made some amazing milestones and progress this year my Hattie.

I debated about how many blog posts I should do for you this week.  There are so many things that need to be mentioned.  So much has happened even just in the last couple of weeks that show the big girl you are becoming.  But, I think I will put them all here in your birthday letter and it will just be a little longer.

I think about you going to your first day of kindergarten.  It was only 8 months ago.  You couldn't read any words (nor did you want to, nor did you want help learning.)  You couldn't count to 20 without making mistakes.  You could write your first name in capital letters, but didn't know any lowercase.  You couldn't ride your bike without training wheels (nor did you want to.)  You were scared of being anywhere without someone with you from our family.  If Grace was sick and had to stay home from school, I have to admit, I let you stay home too. (I think it happened once or twice.)  You absolutely did NOT want to sign up for an after-school club, nor did you want to take any lessons of any kind.  You had so much anxiety about getting ready for school and having everything just right so that you didn't have any worries, it was pure torture for both of us every single morning.

Now, only several months later, you have

*learned to tie your shoes, better than your sister!
*learned to read and are one of the best readers in your class.  You can read whole books to me without making mistakes.
*learned to count to 200 at least with no mistakes and are now doing it by 2's, 3's, 5's, 10's too.
*started to do addition and subtraction
*become a pro at writing your first and last name and date on every paper with appropriate capitals
*learned to write sentences and spell
*learned your phone number and address
*become ok to get on the bus with or without sister - you are totally fine
*served as a member of your school's student council all year
*joined the photography club at school
*started karate classes and happily go twice a week
*learned to RIDE YOUR BIKE without training wheels.  Now I can't keep you inside as you will ride for hours on end and beg to ride more.
*learned to ski
*finally FINALLY gotten over much of your anxiety about having things perfect and worry-free.  Sometimes it creeps back in on you, but it is no longer torture for either of us to get you ready to go out the door in the morning.
*signed up to audition for the school talent show and perform your karate form next month!
*LOST YOUR FIRST TOOTH!!!  This was probably the most excited I have seen you over just about anything.  You have been waiting for that for so long.  It was pure delight to see the look on your face when it came out and when you discovered yesterday morning, that the tooth fairy had come to your pillow!

April 24, 2012

You truly are a little creature who has come out of her shell.  I can't tell you how proud I am of all the things you are doing and the little person you have grown into this year.  You are so very smart and talented and kind.  I love that you always worry about how other people feel and try to be a good friend.  You are very generous and are nearly always willing to give up what you have for someone else to have it or to share it.  You are so beautiful too and I really appreciate that you let yourself be the princess that you are sometimes.  Other times, you can be spotted with a messy ponytail, mis-matched clothes, and covered in dirt, bruises, and scrapes.  Daddy appreciates that too.

Even though I am so sad you are getting so grown up, I am so excited for you that you are finally feeling confident in all that you do and that you are ready to take on the things that come next.  It is so fun to have you in our family.  You have so much energy and are so thoughtful too.  I can't believe, sometimes, the incredible things you think about and the connections you make.  You are a really amazing person and I'm super lucky to be your mom.  Thanks for all you do to help me in so many different ways.  I love you Harriet Marie.  I wish you a very Happy Birthday and I hope your next year is even better than your last.  I can't wait to bring your birthday treats to school later - ice cream cones with sprinkles... your favorite!

Happy 6th Birthday my cutie patootie,
Love,
Mommy

March 31, 2012

Harriet's 6th Birthday Party

 

(A neighbor offered to let us borrow the horse for the party... 

David had a heart-attack and thought Aunt Jess had sent it.  

She IS responsible for several of our LARGE toys.  But, this one was just a party guest.)

So, we held Harriet's birthday party last weekend.  She thought it would be a good idea to have the party BEFORE her birthday, and not after.  She's not really into much in the way of big themes or certain characters or toys, but she does love the horses.  So, we decided that since she had never had a horsey party, this would be her year to do it.  After all, my kids were born in a barn.  Thankfully the cake was much simpler than the "Alice cake of 2011."   Instead of spending 5 days making it, I spent about 3 hours total.  She designed it and picked the colors.  I think it turned out pretty adorable.

We invited a few of her little friends from school over.  She has known Estevan since preschool, but has met most of the others in kindergarten this year and has had a fun time seeing Lucian at karate too.  They were all darling, sweet kids and brought adorable horsey presents with them.

Harriet requested that she and I dress up in fancy riding clothes.  Sure, ok.  Little did I know those boots would be so hard to get on after 2.5 years in the garage...  we also pulled all my old horse tack out of the garage for decorations.

Everyone kept asking me if we were having real horses at the party.  But, my instant reaction to that idea is that I have been around horses and horse people long enough to know that I don't want either at my birthday party.  Most professional horse people are rude and late (in 30 years, I've met 2 exceptions to the lateness, and 4 exceptions to the rudeness.)  Anyone renting their ponies out for birthday parties is going to be bringing horses they don't care a lot about, in turn - the horses are not going to be the nicest or best animals to ride, and the stack of release forms required for a kid to ride a horse these days is more than I'm willing to mess with at a 90 minute birthday party.  Too bad for the kiddos - no real pony rides.

BUT we had a grand time on the hobby horses doing some relay races with them,

minus a little sibling rivalry - let's just say big sis thought that beating a bunch of 6 year olds would be cool and rubbed it in a little too much.  check out poor birthday girl's face :(

last ditch effort to save Hattie's pride... Grace did not let up... 2 fiercer girls were never raised.

playing pin-the-tail-on-the-pony,

and making some horsey shrinky dinks.

David stands by the shrinky dink project as his new favorite thing for kids to do at our house.  The kids are occupied, quiet, and it takes a while.

Harriet requested to eat Chinese food for lunch.  Hmm... not sure how that fits the equestrian theme, but it's your day Hattie.  Go for it!   I think she's giving a thumbs up that she likes it?  face?  not sure.

Blow the candles out on that horsey cake:

 thumbs up... it's good

open some presents... I love how casual she was about it. 

This pony is the cutest toy.  I would have loved a toy like this when I was little.  It has a camera in the nose and neighs when it sees you and when you pet its back.

Finish up with a piñata and send 'em home!

All in all - it was a really nice, easy, and fun party.  Harriet had a great time and so did her friends, which is all that matters anyway.

Hannah, Grace, Mikayla, Maren, Gracie Harriet, Estevan, Lucian (nice boots dude!)

Easter 2012

Wow, I'm way behind on the blogging this month.  Time to catch up.  Here's a little photo tour of Easter week:

first, it snowed

 then, Jeremiah came to visit

 then, it got warm and we went on an Easter Egg hunt with our friends at the park in our neighborhood.

then, we played lots of games at Grandma's house

Then, we woke up on Easter Morning to see what the Easter Bunny had brought.  Cool new whirligigs for the yard!  They only last for one summer here in the wind and sun before they are utterly destroyed, so we love getting new ones.  The girls decided it was unfair that we leave cookies for Santa and nothing for EB.  So, they left out a plate of carrots.  EB ate them all!

Then, we went egg hunting all over the house.  Oh, and yes, Harriet slept ALL night in her sponge curlers!  Yay for cute Easter hair!

oh, and some time we had a quick chance to decorate the beautiful eggs we got from the chickens at Galloping Grace.  We ate most of them but saved a few for Easter.  The chickens graciously provided them pre-colored in greens and tans.  We just had to add a few decorative strokes of paint.

Then, we paid Grace to put a piece of lace in her hair and went to church all dolled up.

Then, we came home and took some more pictures.  Can't ever have enough pictures of ALL of us dressed up nicely.  It rarely happens.