June

June was the beginning of what turned into a VERY busy summer.  We started the month out right celebrating Miss A's 5th bday.  Per her selection, we had a fine birthday dining experience at Chuck E Cheese.

Her requested party theme was Hello Kitty fashion.  

At some point in the planning process as I was surrounded by uber girlie pink decor and party favors, I realized the irony as I had completely rejected those things in the early life of my little girl.  I made the girls pink "skirt" purses and the boys Kerropi and Tuxedo Sam inspired bow ties.

 

I also tried my hand at making felt plushies of my favorite San Rio characters.

 

At the party, we decorated Hello Kitty and Kerropi cookies.  A few of them almost resembled some characters rather than a cookie piled with as much frosting and candy as possible.

We played some games, made bracelets, took apart a pinata, and in honor of the most fashionable kitty around, the ladies strutted their stuff in a fantastic fashion show

 

and then ate Hello Kitty-themed treats--a huge sandwich, bow rolls, fruit, cupcakes, and a few things I found when I raided the treat section at the Asian market.    

For some reason, I must have decided that June wasn't going to be busy enough getting ready for girls camp and planning a 10th anniversary trip with the hubby (more about that later), look back through my calendar I apparently thought it would be a good idea to throw a second party. 

This time it was a baby shower for a girl at church. 

May

I'm not sure what I'd do without social media and cell phones to help me remember what went on in my life 5 months ago.  

Apparently, on May 1st I had an epic moment

"I think I set a new world record. I had less than 20 minutes before I needed to pick Miss A from school and managed to drive to IKEA, park, get a flatbed cart, pick up the things I needed, check out, load my car in the loading area and then get to the school with time to spare."

At some point, before Mother's Day, I made a bunch of fake cookies to put up in the store I was working at one shift a week.

Then on the 18th Mr. E had a moment of his own.

"After 7 and a half years my son FINALLY lost his first tooth. And what was the first thing he did? Get a cup of milk and straw so that he could drink through the new hole in this mouth."  He actually tied a string to his tooth and slammed the door. Or maybe that was his second tooth that he lost shortly thereafter-- I really should have kept up with the record-keeping better. 

Brad's international travels took him to Malaysia towards the end of the month.

While Br was abroad, the kids had the pleasure of watching me make 150ish s' more cupcakes and the following video for camp kick-off and then that weekend got to go hiking with me and the young women from the church at the nature center.  

 Like many American's May was marked the end of the school year and end of extracurricular activities. There was a preschool performance:

  
Miss A showed off what she'd learned in gymnastics in a little mini Olympics.

(This little movie drags a bit, is composed of extremely grainy cell phone footage, and is far from being award-winning.  You've been warned.)

Of course, what she loved most about the Olympics was "winning" a trophy.  

Her brother was even proud of her.

But not as proud as she was of herself.

Miss A's biggest moment of the month was either learning to ride her bike on her own (She wanted a new bike and Brad said she could only get one if she learned to ride her little bike with no training wheels. She had that accomplished within the day)

 or her preschool graduation.  

In her words, it was a "very important" day.  The kids sang us some songs (well Miss A belted it out while dancing a little while her classmates sort of backed her up).

 

  All the kids were awarded a diploma and a bible.  

 

 I guess there is some preschool diploma maker out there that has had a successful business for the last 30 years because Miss A's and my diploma look almost identical. (picture to come someday when the two of them resurfaces while I'm opening boxes).

After taking some pictures

 

  and hugging loved ones, 
 

the kids went out to the parking lot and released balloons.

  
 Although there was no official graduation, E completed a life-changing 1st-grade year at Briarwood (a school with a teaching approach geared towards kids with learning differences).  He felt so confident after this school year that he decided to pass some of what he learned on to his sis.

Shortly after school let out, E performed in his first-ever dance performance.  Interestingly enough he danced to the same song that I danced to in my one and only dance performance as a kid-- New York, New York.   He was beaming on stage.  I smiled bigger watching him than I had in a long time.

(video to come as soon as it arrives from his teacher in Houston). 

I believe his performance was on the 31st which makes it the last big event for the month as well as the perfect place to end this post.