Five on Friday

I hope to get back to my normal blog posting next week, but figured I'd do a quick:

1.  Thank you to everyone who wished Littlest Miss a happy birthday yesterday.  The real celebration is tomorrow (aka her party) but we did celebrate as a family last night -- a few small presents and cupcakes.  I forgot how much fun 2 is...its the first time they start to "get it" -- Littlest Miss definitely understood opening presents and blowing out the candles...even if she didn't wait until the Happy Birthday song was over.

2. I was super proud of Little Miss. 


Normally, we don't do birthday gifts for our kids.  Why, because we'd rather throw them parties AND they have plenty of toys as it is. 


However, yesterday morning I did realize that it was probably important to start teaching Little Miss about gift giving.  Especially how its the thought that counts and not necessarily the dollar amount spent. 


And after our recent escapades to the toy store to buy her friends gifts, I was not looking forward to it --until I came up with the idea that we should start a book tradition with the girls.  But even then, given the sheer number of choices at Barnes and Noble, I was a bit weary that this would be a very long process. 


But low and behold, Little Miss surprised me.  After wandering for a few minutes picking out books for herself, she saw a Mickey Mouse book.  And almost instantaneously, she said, "Mommy, Sissy really loves Mouse right now.  I want to get her a Mouse book." 


And this is so true as sissy wakes up and goes to sleep asking for Mouse most days.  So needless to say, here is sissy's gift.

Little Miss understood the concept of getting a gift for someone else (not for herself).  Littlest Miss loved it.  And both girls have played with it pretty much every waking hour since we opened it.  So needless to say, happy Momma.


3. Speaking of Little Miss, she officially moved up to Pawesomes 2 yesterday.  And more important than anything, you could tell just how much she loved it.  Super smiley and silly the whole time.  The fact that she had this much fun made my heart smile.


And it continued to smile when we got home and she played "coach" and put me in all sorts of gymnastics "positions"

4.  It's hard to tell in the picture, but the house is almost done.  As in, we will be able to use it for the party tomorrow.  Thank goodness!

It's been a very long process but definitely worth it in the end.  I'll do a full update next week, but I think all four of us agree that the new media room may become the most used room in the house (other than the outdoor patio) especially if this video is an indication:

5.  Lastly, although its been downloaded on my phone for awhile, yesterday was the first time I actually used flipagram.  I may be a little bit obsessed.  And so may the girls.  So much so that Little Miss requested that I make a video of her.  So of course I obliged.  Here is her Year 4 video.

Expect many more to come. 


And with that, happy Friday!  Hope its a good one!