Stow Aways: April 2015

Grace passes her green belt test.
Full moon bike ride in White Sands.
Harriet turns 9.
Harriet talks mom into first sleepover.

Grace set a goal back in the winter that she would test for her green belt on her birthday. Unfortunately, she was not quite ready by her birthday because of several things that happened. So, she set out to test ASAP and was finally ready on April 2nd, not quite a month later. I love how this kid sets goals and then pushes to accomplish them. I know that even when she doesn't quite make her deadlines, the goal still drives her to get something done. This was her first test using a weapon, so she had to do a form with her stick in addition to everything else. She earned her staff with her green belt.

The morning we left for the full moon bike ride, we were up extremely early, between 4 and 5 am. The full moon that day, also happened to be a lunar eclipse, so the kids begged us to wake them up and see it.

After getting up that early, we got ready and started driving to southern NM. We made a detour and stopped at the Trinity Site. (Where the first atomic bomb was detonated.) They open it twice a year to the public. It was an insane waiting process to get into the facility and park and get in. Finally got there and walked out to the windy field where the monument marks the spot they dropped it. Definitely eery to be at a place like that.

We finally made our way to Alamogordo and got some dinner and got our bikes ready. Bret has outfitted the girls in some seriously cool lights. He sends them something new every year. This year, he sent the ones that make a lit bike lane as you ride. All the other riders made comments as they passed. Harriet was also excited to get to ride her new bike.

I have to admit. Even though cycling is not my thing, I do like this ride and this trip. It has become a welcome family tradition that we all look forward to.

Easter Sunday: Technically, we didn't miss church since it was also General Conference Sunday. We decided to bend the rules a bit and take the kids back to White Sands on Easter Morning to commune with nature and enjoy God's creations. Since the Easter Bunny had (thankfully) already visited, (s)he just left a small treat in the hotel room along with a book of Carl Bloch Christian art, loaded onto the kids' kindles that they could take to church. I liked our simple morning a lot.

Well, you do have to wax up.

And hike a bit.

And get your balance on.

For kids who miss sledding on snow as much as these do, the white sand comes in a close second. I'm always amazed that no matter how hot it is outside (and it was pretty hot,) the sand just beneath the surface is always cold, just not quite as cold as snow.

Tired. Biker/Sledders.

So, anyway, now that Harriet has friends at school, going to school activities has become important. Like the school dance.

Joanie, Emmah, Alexis, Gillian, Harriet

Harriet, Erin, Cadence, Alexis, Joanie

But, we only stayed for a bit because we had been invited to watch our friend, Dave, play with his band that night too. He invited both girls up to play some shakers with the band. Little did we know that he would invite Grace on stage to play a solo during a band break. She rocked The Blue Grasshopper with her cover of Crazy Train. The bartender even threw her a t-shirt.

So. Cool.

After Easter, April belongs to Harriet. She is the only one in either side of the family with an April birthday. Having her party near her birth-date is always important to her. But, so is cheer. When cheer planned a competition smack on her birthday weekend, we had to move her party. She was so MAD! But, she got over it. Then, we had 2 parties because her BFF Gilli couldn't be there, so we had a separate tea party for the two of them.

This year, Harriet planned an American Girl tea party for her birthday. Gillian is ALWAYS game for a tea party, so this was fun to do a little one with just the two of them.

Then, of course, I slaved over another cake. This might be one of my favorites so far.

Other party prep included separate place settings for dolls. Did you know you can order party wear in doll size? Neither did I.

We did an American Girl craft and made little trinket boxes.

We had pizza and pink "tea" for lunch. (Gilli got the real tea party with tiny sandwiches and such.)

You were not required to bring a DOLL to the party, but you had to bring some kind of toy companion. Most girls brought dolls or stuffed animals. Grace brought her snake? Whatever.

Presents were a big deal this year. Harriet's friends know her well and gave her the most adorable things, from doll accessories to outfits from Justice (yes, that's a thing too.)

Erin, Joanie, Ellie, Gracie, Savannah, Alexis, Paige, Mylee, Harriet, Grace

Finally, we get to eat that cake!

Then, we played American Girl bingo until the parents came for the guests.

Harriet - trying on things she got from her friends. Hello Kitty smarty pants glasses from Erin and the pink and black Justice outfit from Ellie.

Not that the kids needed ONE MORE OUTING of any kind, but David had called me on Friday and said "don't you think the kids would like to go to this horse show of famous royal horses?" I said, of course they would, but I wouldn't dream of bring up something like that in a month when they have already been so spoiled and we've done so much. Such a cool dad - wanted to take them anyway. It was kind of a once-in-a-lifetime deal. So, I got online and bought tickets and we agreed we'd surprise them. Little stinkers nearly ruined it. They were SO whiny and rude all weekend, we could barely believe we were going to "reward" them with this surprise. We decided to do it anyway since we had the tickets and all... but, seriously kind of regretted it. We didn't regret seeing the show though. It was incredible. Even though they totally didn't deserve it, I was so happy to have a husband who thought of doing something like this for the girls and for me. He knew I would love it too. You're not welcome, you little stinkers!

Take your kid to work day: this day always comes up when David is traveling. Even if he were here, he wouldn't be able to take the kids with him to work. Since I don't work, they never get to participate. One year, I kept them home and let them do "housewife stuff" with me all day. That was not a hit. This year, I was actually working that day! I had a 3rd grade sub job. Grace couldn't really justify missing school to come and hang out in 3rd grade, but Harriet came down the hall with me and brought her books and went to "work" with me all day. I love spending time with the kids at school.

(Harriet, wearing another Justice outfit - Paige gave her this one. They are such fashionistas!)

Jog-a-thon: The elementary school always does this fundraiser for things the school needs. The kids run laps around the soccer field and I always volunteer to help count laps. It was super cold and a bit rainy that morning, so they didn't run as many as usual. I think Harriet got 6 laps in 15 minutes. Then, her cheer squad performed at the end.

And, since they always do jog-a-thon during Harriet's birthday week, I usually do her birthday treats that day too. She chose Rebel Donuts again. She always gets the "Over the Rainbow" donut. Funny girl.

But, her birthday is not quite over yet. Yes, we've been celebrating for weeks. She has also been bugging me, begging me, pleading with me to have a SLEEPOVER. I have always had a hard rule- NO SLEEPOVERS, EVER. It was never an issue. Grace always played with boys, so that took care of that, and Harriet could barely part with me long enough to sleep at Grandma's and sometimes wouldn't even let me leave her at a birthday party. But, she has done a lot of growing up this past year, and after the last party where I picked her up before the rest of the girls went to bed, she sat down with me and gave me a list of reasons why she should be able to have sleepovers.

*She has good and nice friends who don't do naughty things.

*I know her friends' parents very well and I know they have good families.

*Her friends' parents work at the school and are trusted by the teachers and other families.

*OUR family is nice and doesn't do naughty things.

*Harriet is good and I can trust her.

I have to admit - I didn't have a leg to stand on in the face of her list. She was right about all of it. I still don't let her go to birthday party sleepovers where I am unsure of the guest list and I don't know the family well, but there is seriously no reason not to let her invite 2 BFF's over on a Friday night. This was birthday weekend. Harriet, Ellie, and Paige took the maiden sleepover voyage. Have I mentioned that Paige's birthday is the same as Harriet's? Harriet has been talking about it since the first day of 3rd grade when they all wrote their birthdays on the birthday board. PAIGE HAS MY EXACT SAME BIRTHDAY!! Double awesome. So, really, this turned into a mini bonus birthday party for both of them with their BFF Ellie, who would sadly, move to Oregon this summer!

All of my misgivings about Harriet having a sleepover melted away when I came out of my bedroom to tell them good-night and saw the 3 of them kneeling on their sleeping bags, saying bed-time prayers? They all go to different churches. Ellie is Catholic. Paige goes to the big Sagebrush congregational church here in ABQ. Harriet is Mormon. Their prayers were all very different, but so sweet. They prayed with each other and for each other and for their teacher?! It was unreal. Here, I was so worried about them staying up and doing the naughty things we used to do at sleepovers... and there they were, praying and going to bed. (although, Harriet is now known as the one who stays up way too late! but only to talk. and watch cute shows on her kindle.)

Made complete with pillow fight.

The next day they got up and got ready for Paige's birthday party. As luck would have it, the cheer competition was moved and Paige had time for her party on THE birthday weekend. They went to a salon and got their nails and hair done. I'm telling you - these kids are the girliest girly girls.

Harriet kept her hair in overnight so she could wear it to church on her birthday. FINALLY she got to open her Daddy's present. He gave her a salon chair for her doll.