Happy Birthday to Isak and Kira!!!

The big event for November was Isak and Kira's 8th birthday!!!  

It was so fun to celebrate them!  

We decorated and wrapped presents for them...

They opened their gifts before school.  

Noah gave Isak a brain teaser puzzle and clay to Kira.  Sofie gave isak a maze book and Kira a puzzle.  

We gave Isak a Fitbit watch, rockets to launch, a new shirt and a mash up math book.  

Kira got ice cream food to play with, Hatchimals, painting, art stuff, a new shirt and a slime kit.  

They both got cards from grandparents and from me and Nels.

For breakfast, they got special yogurts - orange cream for Kira and oreo for Isak, Reese's cereal.

Then they were off to school.

Nels took the day off and got to walk them to the bus stop...

Here's their cards...

We write about the things they did that year and the things we love about them.  :) 

Here's Kira with her new shirt and her ice cream food.

After they came home from school, we played and played.  Then we went to Portillo's and McDonald's drive thru for their dinners.  Chili dog for Isak, a chicken nugget happy meal for Kira.  They loved it!

I made their cakes...I bought a six inch cake pan.  Kira wanted a sprinkle cake with vanilla ice cream.  Isak wanted chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.  Isak also has Reese's peanut butter cups on his.  I made a homemade whipped cream for frosting.  Both cakes were four layers.

They loved their big cakes!  And I was happy we could store them in the freezer.  

Aren't they the cutest 8 year olds?!

After cake, we had a glow stick party!  

Nels was the DJ and chose about six songs for our dance party.  We turned the lights out and danced and played.  It was awesome!!

We all enjoyed the party!

It's great to be 8!

A little about Isak - Age 8 - This past year he has learned and grown so much.  He read the Book of Mormon Stories by himself.  He read to Mosiah in the non-picture Book of Mormon by himself.  He learned to ride a 2 wheel bike, swim better and do headstands.  He's a fast runner and has started playing soccer at recess.  He loves reading and reads chapter books like a pro.  He comprehends concepts so well!   He loves math and continues to challenge himself to learn more and more.  He's been learning piano and gets better and better.  He loves to be physical - run, jump, play.  He's still sweet and helps me and helps with the kids too.  He's the best at picking up and cleaning.  He's sensitive and wants people to feel good  and tries to help others to be happy.  I just love our Isak boy!  Also, he prayed to know if he should get baptized.  He told us he feels good about it and wants to do it.  😀💙

A little about Kira - Age 8 - She's still my sweet angel.  She's learned a lot this past year too.  She rides a two wheel bike super well.  She can dunk her head under water.  She is an excellent writer, speller, drawer and creator.  I'm amazed at how well she does with all of that.  She is learning piano too and does great.  She loves pretend play, especially with the food.  She enjoys teaching and playing with Sofie and Noah.  She decorates her spaces.  She's been trying new foods better.  Although, peanut butter and honey sandwiches are her favorite and yogurt.  She's quiet, except when she is the first one up and has our complete attention...then she talks and talks.  I love that time with her.  I love her smile and her sweetness.  She's a great helper and loves to fill up the cups for me for dinner time.  I love reading with her and snuggling her.  She' very good at staying busy and playing on her own.  We love our Kira girl!  😀💖

Favorite words they say:  literally, obviously, ridiculous - I can't think of anymore...  but I love when they use big words.  It makes me smile.  

October Little Moments

Little Moments in October.  Here we go.

Isak and Kira drew and colored these pictures in school.  I love that they are learning to draw fun things in school.  Isak's drawings are on the top row and Kira's are on the bottom.

Here's music time at home.  Sofie and Noah wanted to do it with Isak and Kira.  :)

Sofie loved my cinnamon rolls so much that she painted one at school.  It made me feel so good.  

Kira asked for spider sandwich...

Sofie loves to put make up on.  While I'm putting my make up on she puts on some too.  

I played Chicken Foot with the kids.  They are pretty good at it.  Fun game to play with them.

Learning about static electricity with balloons.  haha.  Notice all the toys lined up...Noah likes to collect all of his toys and then line them up around the house.  

Pretty Sofie.  

Cute Noah.

Ha!  Sofie was not happy about this picture.

Cute kids.

Just sitting on the counter with birthday balloons.  I watched a thing about editing pictures...Here's a before with the lighting.

Then I did some editing...to lighten it up.

I tried it in black and white too.

I edited this photo too...

Then I decided I'm not very good at it...I got frustrated.  Maybe I'll learn more photography next year.  For now, we'll just have to enjoy my amateur skills.

A toy catalog came...Kids loved circling all of the toys they wanted.  

Our neighbor Jaelyn invited us over for breakfast.  Look at Kira's cute dimple.  

Sofie in a witch costume...I tried editing this one...

Jaelyn gave us this dog toy.  Noah loved it and walked it around our house the whole day.  

They also gave us this marble gear set.  Isak spent all day building it.  

From October 17 - October 23 I went to 10 dr. appointments!  I was exhausted.  First up, four wellness visits with flu shots for all 6 of us.  It was a three hour appointment.  We survived.  

Then I had my dental appointment...teeth cleaning.  Isak and Kira had dentist appointments for their teeth cleaning.  Nels and I had wellness visits.  And the last appointment was for Noah...an eye appointment.  I'll blog later about that appointment. 

We made caramel popcorn balls.  It reminded me of my grandma Swensen.  When we would go trick or treating to her house she gave all the grandkids caramel popcorn balls.  We always looked forward to it.  

I totally burnt the first batch of caramel.  The second batch was better.  :)

Our neighbor Jaelyn gave us donut eyeballs for halloween.  How fun!  

Noah wanted me to take a picture of him eating his ice cream cone.  

I voted by mail.

In September and October, I wrote a simple children's story.  It's called the Ice Cream Shop.  I submitted it to Deseret Book for publication on Oct. 22.  I just heard back...November 24 that they rejected my submission and will not be publishing it.  Sniff, sniff.  I don't know if I'll try to submit it to another publisher or not...

Sofie and Noah were invited to join a sticker club.  We mailed stickers to our friend's, friend.  Then mailed a letter to six of our friends.  Within a few weeks, we started getting stickers.  One person set us a whole box of stickers from Amazon!  They have had a blast with all of these stickers!

When we were at Noah's wellness visit, the doctor noticed that his left eye was turning in and not centered.  So we went to a children's eye doctor to get it checked out.  2 hours for the whole event...lots of waiting.

He was so brave and did great.

Sofie was pretty patient while we waited.  

The doctor confirmed that his eye was turned in.  He dilated Noah's eyes...the only time Noah cried because of the drops.  The doctor gave him a prescription for glasses.  He has astigmatism and is far sighted.  We'll follow up in two months and then six months.  We're hoping the glasses will help correct his turning eye so we won't have to do surgery.  

Checking out the toy catalog again.

I read Emma by Jane Austen.  A nice relaxing read.  And I loved the pretty book.  

Isak has been fascinated with Chess.  He taught Kira how to play.  

Our other neighbor gave us a whole bunch of dress up clothes.  Oh, my.  Sofie has been in heaven dressing up.   Noah joined her.  He wore the crown and they played prince and princess. I love watching them.  

I love my view from these windows.  Watching the leaves change color.  

I'm a terrible decorator.  So I just don't do it.  But I love autumn...So I bought a few things...I like it.  :)

Isak was having a hard time.  Nels took him to run errands and bought him his own ice cream at Costco.  

That's all for October.  

We had a great month celebrating Nels and Halloween.  I loved when the weather was nice and we got to go outside.  I loved all of the fall colors and fall treats that we made.  I'm glad all of the doctor appointments are done for a while too.  I've enjoyed the kids learning in school.  It's been a tough schedule sometimes, but we're slowly getting the hang of it.