Saturday, July 28, 2018

March 2018 Smith Family







March starts off just right with my birthday! This year I turned 30 years old. I'm not thrilled about not being in my twenties anymore, but I do say I get less crazy looks when someone asks my age as my 7 and 4 year old stand beside me :)

My friends spoiled me on my special day by taking me bowling and making me a special cake. It was a fun filled day with lots of emails, texts, calls and cards. Birthdays are the best!

My favorite part of this birthday had to have been Tyson's process of making my birthday breakfast cake. He filmed it on his instastories and I died with laughter. He wouldn't let me help, so I sat at the ktichen table working on the computer the night before my birthday, watching him try to make the boxed mix of a Coffee Cake. 
He is hilarious. And the best. 
He tried cracking an egg one handed. It ended up going everywhere and being the biggest mess :)
When trying to set the timer, he forgot to push "Timer" so nothing happened. 
I was laughing so hard. 

Love him so much. And the cake was fantastic. Baked with love for sure. 








These girls were happy to come along for the birthday celebrations. 
Besties for life.







I'm so lucky to have the best family and friends!




As we were out and about, I made sure to stop by my favorite bakery to grab a treat on my birthday. Always a good idea. 
Haddie picked out this birthday cake macroon. Everything from the Bakeshop is delicious. 


In January, this cookie cake took the internet by storm. 
I knew I had to try my hand at it for my 30th birthday. 
I made it with chocolate chip cookie dough and decorated it with my favorite treats. 
I made sure to bring it to playgroup to share and it was a hit!




Mackenzie sent me this picture from Chicago. A birthday wish from far away. So sweet!







As part of my birthday, I wanted to go into downtown D.C to see a few of my favorite museums. The National Portrait Gallery and the American Museum of National History. They just added President Obama's official Presidental Photo and the Batmobile to these museums. It was a fun outing.





We experienced some crazy wind storms and they caused lots of damage in the area. Some was evident on the National Mall with the large downed trees. 








This is what we do when school is cancelled, the power is out and we are at home!





The girls and I made this fort and had a picnic for lunch. 



We rove to Target to wander the toy aisle because they still had power.





Tickle wars.





And fun with flashlights. We're thankful that I followed a prompting I had a few months earlier to prepare for a power outage. I had lots of food stocked up in the basement, we had plenty of batteries for our flashlights and activities for the duration of time without power. We stayed warm, had enough to eat and we're happy as can be. Luckily we had the opportunity to go around the city and visit places with power because not everyone was effected with the power outage. 







The first colors of spring! Such a welcomed sight. 




Chores. 
Our girls are getting into a great rhythm with their chores and they loves earning (and spending) their money. 



A new museum opened up in D.C. called The Bible Museum. I felt like I was back in Jesus' time. The museum was so well done and fun for kids too. 











Taryn took basketball skill classes over winter and loved them. I just wish we could figure out why her back is hurting her so much. It really inhibits her ability to bend for long periods. Not even the doctors/x-rays can tell us what is going on . 





We enjoyed watching Taryn's 1st grade performance at her elementary school. She loves to perform and was happy to spot me in the crowd. 


She's ben taking an extra afterschool art class and was excited to show us her "dream room" she designed with clay, markers and cardboard. 



On the left is her self portrait. She wrote "It is hot" coming out of her mouth and it made me laugh. That's Taryn! Running as fast and hard as she can and always saying it's hot because she's so sweaty. 



She takes such pride in showing us her work. I love it!




Haddie and her bestie Gwen love each other so much! They play dress up, dance to music, play pretend and more. We're so sad Gwen will be going to Kindergarten next year. 


Because I've been watching two extra kids in the mornings and afternoons (to help a friend out with a special military training course for spouses she had to take), Haddie has been exhausted. She's back to taking almost daily naps. She is sooooo much happier with a nap under her belt. 




We met our friends the Williams at the amazing park behind the National Cathedral. Olivia and Haddie are just a few days apart in age and have grown up together. They don't know what life is like without each other. 




I have to remember to capture more Sunday moments when they girls are dressed up in their adorable dresses. 



This picture of Haddie is from back in September on the Day to Serve at the Arlington Hume School. A friend just sent this to me and I loved it. Even her bruise on the side of her cheek that took months to fully heal. 



It's hard to fit 4 kids in a little 4 door sedan but we got it done! Thankfully as long as your kid is sitting in a booster, they can legally sit in the front seat (we only do this on RARE occasions.) And this is reserved for driving to and from school. Which is done entirely through the neighborhood. 

Picture above is missing one child who wasn't there that day. 






Pie Day was a yummy day in the Smith home. 
I made a giant Chicken Pot pie and little nutella empanada "pies."
The girls and I ate quickly before basketball, taking just a small portion in a bowl. I thought I would have more when I got home. But Tyson got home before us and saw that there was a portion taken out. He assumed we had already eaten (yes- he was correct) so he ate THE. REST. OF. THE. PIE.
I was so very sad and I also thought it was hilarious that he was able to finish the rest. I knew it was good, but I had no idea it was THAT good :)




 Playing on a warmer spring night and showing Daddy Taryn's basketball skills. 



Teaching preschool is great with these kids. 
I've really enjoyed how they play so well together and just say the cutest things. They love their hands on activities and have the brightest imaginations. 


"Hey mom. Do I look like a giant purple cupcake?"
I love your imagination Haddie!







We walked to school one morning and it started to snow on us! 
Taryn LOVED it! 


Then there was a lot of snow!



Taryn LIVES for snow and can't wait for it to show up so we can play in it. 



She can play until her hands are red and frozen. 





The girls ate their breakfast that morning while staring out the window. It was so peaceful and calming. 




Then we took to sledding!!!!!!!




Haddie and Taryn were loving it and being so brave. They wanted to go by themselves and have as little help from me as possible.








The only problem.....we walked to go sledding. And it was 30 minutes of walking in the cold. Then 1.5 hours of sledding. Then the walk back home. I had no idea so wet the girls would be from sledding. They were frozen solid when we got home. I dumped about 1 cup of ice cold water (melted snow) from Taryn's boot when we finally reach our door. I made both of them jump in a hot bath to help. Then wrapped them in blankets, socks and more. I felt so bad! All those fun memories were replaced by bitter cold ones. 


I probably have a dozen more "Haddie sleeping in the car" pictures. 







More gymnastics with friends! I want to say we do it for the kids, but man.... it's a close call. I really enjoy my friend time too. 





Baby Sadie (Brittany & Seth's 3rd child) came to surprise us! Brittany flew in for a quick weekend so Seth could meet Sadie (he was in training across the county when she was born) and Brittany stopped by our house before driving an hour away to see Seth. We love living so close to the airport. 







Taryn wanted to hold baby Sadie as much as she could. Haddie was a little afraid at first. I think Haddie believes if Sadie cries while she is holding her that she has done something wrong. We're trying hard to teach her that it's ok for babies to cry. 


We enjoyed another Family Skate night but this time we had friends join. I have to say our girls were dead tired and complained more than ever before, my Good will skates broke and somehow my shoes ended up being with my friends.....I don't know- it was so weird! But we did have a good time with everyone. And the girls are getting better and braver each time. 




Just too old to keep up!





Her poses!!!



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A good hair day!














Here are some of the cakes I created in the month of March. 













Haddie went with her friends to the American Indian museum. I stayed back and finished cakes and errands. The old me would have joined in a heart beat, but I've learned that it's ok to let others take my kids and put my priorities in getting things done around the home so I'm not up until midnight or later finished stuff. 




The best of friends. 




When your practically twinning with your friend from church.....








Dying eggs was such a huge tradition for me growing up that it almost feels wrong not to do it with my kids. Because we were going out of town over Easter, we did ours a few days early and kept them simple. The girls loved it and I realized I worry so much about making a mess in my home because we are renting. We took the egg dying outside on the cement so I wouldn't have to stress and the girls could actually do it all. 

That was a brilliant idea of mine. Everyone had more fun because of it.