Willa's 5th Birthday

I can't believe Willa is 5! In the fall she will be starting kindergarten. She loves to play on the computer and with her stuffed animals (which are her favorite things in the whole world), is learning to read, and tries her hardest to do everything Andrew can do. She loves her little sister, always seems to be stealing toys from her little brother, competes with her older brother for everything, and instantly makes friends with everyone she meets. She is confident, gregarious, and can be tons of fun...and sometimes not, but that's all we'll say about that.

On Willa's birthday she opened her family presents. It was the first week of summer vacation for her, so we got to hang out all day.




It was also really hot, so we broke out the sprinklers.







And because the Ariel cake was all gone, we had to have a new one on the day. So much cake...

Burke Lake Park

The last thing Willa wanted to do for her birthday is ride the train and carousel at Burke Lake Park, but it was waaaay too hot that day so we waited a few days and let things cool off a bit. Last year she was too scared to ride it, but this year she conquered her fear and forged ahead.





Next was the carousel. Andrew, who is now 7, felt like he was too old to do such a little kid activity and wasn't too happy to have his picture taken while he was doing it.



Willa was of course more than happy to do anything remotely related to horses.



Christian, who you can see eyeing his horse suspiciously, was too nervous so Brenda had to hold him for the entire ride.

Preschool Graduation

Willa graduated from preschool this year! I can't believe it. I've been going to that preschool for 4 years now, and I won't have another baby big enough to go for 2 more years! They have been fantastic, we love our teachers, and I'm sad we won't be a part of the school. But in 2013 we'll be back!

Non-Stop Fun

This was one afternoon in late April... This boy is non-stop activity, but he is so cute!

Easter

This was our first Easter with a yard, so the Easter Bunny actually left eggs outside! Much more fun than doing the egg hunt in the living room. Christian was able to gather eggs for the first time this year, although he was much more interested in climbing up and down the deck stairs, and Mary was 3 weeks old.

Cherry Trees

We love our yard. The entire back of our property is lined with cherry trees, which is beautiful in April. Willa especially loves all the pink blossoms.

Mother's Day

Every year the preschool hosts a Mother's Day Tea. It's a highlight for the kids, who make gifts and sing special songs. This was Willa's last year and boy was she excited.

The kids come out to the hall to escort their mothers into the classroom.



Then they show off the table they set and the food they prepared.




Then comes the entertainment (yes I'm filming and trying to keep the baby from crying at the same time).



And then the presentation of gifts.






Even Mary had a good time.



But I think my favorite Mother's Day Tea had to be Andrew's last year in preschool. This is pretty hard to top, you have to admit.