10 years old

 

We united Grandma down for eating cupcakes and opening presents.  She brought Esme a nice card and present, too.  Esme opened up the traditional potato gift and her face was priceless - but I didn't catch it on the camera.  She also received a sketchbook and animal drawing book from Mom, and a forest knife from Daddy (because she's finally old enough and has practiced this summer to our satisfaction).

She loved her Minecraft toys and a little Zoomer giraffe I picked up.
I bought her a  copy of 'What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night' by the Dinovember crew.

We made pepperoni pizza with chicken nuggets on top (and extra cheese), which was her request.
Tomorrow we have another big day planned!  We've also played a lot of Minecraft and watched her birthday movie 'Tad the Lost Explorer', which was recc. by a friend and very good.

I can hardly believe she is ten - the time has flown by.  And she is so tall, now!

Grandma has a permanent lap puppy :)

Lucy was very interested in the new toy - it makes noise, is it alive?  Is it going to get to eat cake?  Dogs eat cake, not giraffes!

9th birthday

 The yearly presentation of the potato.

Daddy made me do it!

 Hazel and Grandma

 

 

Cake!

    

 Presents 

Fuzzy purple boots

She'd asked me for boots and these seemed to be just right for her.

 And toy mice!

We got her the cage and wheel and Grandma got her an extra mouse to play with.

She had asked for this outfit in August for school, but it wasn't really school appropriate.  Grandma bought it for her birthday so she can dress up fancy!

G stayed for Minecraft sleepover

They brought face paints and a game that the girls enjoyed playing against each other!

Nine years old!

Esme turns nine today!  She is off on a school field trip today, and we celebrate with a party tomorrow!

We have a nice pile of presents for her.  She gets to open one after school today, and then the rest tomorrow.  We will focus on baking her cake tonight!

The Kraft paper ones said '100% non Giant Potato.  She opened them tonight after school - and they were big new pillows for sleepover pillow fighting, with wild and crazy patterned pillowcases.

Niume writing:
Emphasiing with your characters  : It is emotionally involving, but it proves the author is doing a good job!
Astronomy Lesson at the Bus Stop : Esme and I on a cold morning waiting for the bus, looking at the stars!
Biscuit Hexagon Ring Algorithm : How to find out how many hexagons will be in a grid based on how many hexagons across.

And I have two flipboards, which are places to showcase your own writing and other author's writing that you have enjoyed.   These will be updated every few days as I write more Niumes and find other author's posts that are really helpful and interesting.

Read and Repeat
Living Well (and simply)

I rescued this today and hung it up in the hall.  The place it was stored in had gotten a little humid and the upper and lower edges were spotted.  I cut a drawing paper piece with a mat cutter and put it in a frame that something else had been stored in.  I'll enjoy it while it lasts!

"The Magic Fish", copyright Marie (Rhe Winger) Lamb, 2002

ink and watercolors on paper

Christmas morning

 Twilight sparkle princess pony, which she had asked for

Grandma's blanket I had been working on for several months.

The one I have this size doubles as a shawl while I am reading or making coffee in the morning

Blowing up the pink inflatable chair

 Thank you, Daddy!

 Reading books in style with a new chair and Christmas socks.

Esme was thoroughly spoiled by us, by Grandma Irene and also by Nana Josie from Minnesota.  She received a lot of things she wanted and things she needed, as well.  We hung her ringbar (trapeze and ring combination) up temporarily on a beam but it will go outside when it is warm enough.  She already has impressive strength and can pull herself up on it upside-down (no pictures of that).  Grandma spoiled us, too. and gave Esme  a dress-up magnetic paper doll book and kitchen sets, several stuffed things that also have uses, books, a video, lots of needed clothing and a pretty jacket.  My big gift for Esme was a Playmobil Indian village set (1980s vintage with horses and teepee and a full family of grandparents, parents, baby and child.  Then Mark had found the Twilight Sparkle pony, a stuffed Pinkie Pie and the chair seen above.  I got her more clothes and pipe cleaners in pink/purple colors and she immediately began to attach them to things as is her habit.  Nana Josie and Papa Kenney had sent her several Barbie dolls and a set of linking rings, as well as a stuffed teddy bear.  The teddy bear immediately got an arm sling built out of pipe cleaners.  She is really uncertain of what to do next with anything, just like usual for a Christmas morning hehe ;)  Currently, she is running around outside in her new jacket blasting off energy before lunch.

I'd like to get some time to sit down and cut out a dress out of brown or blue fabric and work on one a bit.  Mark has lots of plans for us tomorrow and I don't think I'll get to sew then.  He bought me more yarn, and I have to figure out what to knit next as now everyone has a blanket finally and I have to see what is needed, next. 

We played with the Indian village quite a bit - they picked 'raspberries', had a fight and then a reconciliation with a brown bear (the teddy bear), gave it honey and corn soup, went fishing in the canoe and fed all the horses.  

Sixth birthday

 Esme turned six yesterday, and we brought food into her class and had a pizza and presents with Grandma later in the evening.  She had been a little sick the day before, so I was worried she wouldn't get to enjoy her birthday - but she did :) 

 Purple cupcakes and cheetos, and the walrus, up above.

A classic 'Esme' look  She looks just like she did when she was two , here...

Grandma and Esme on her sixth birthday!

An owl hat and an owl shirt :)

A happy smile as she 'walruses' the cheetos with other kids.

She chose purple frosting for the cupcakes and multicolored sprinkles.  They had zebra, giraffe and tiger patterned papers and the kids loved seeing which 'animal' they wanted to be.  As I took the lid off a kid says 'Hey, they ARE purple!'... apparently she had been informing everyone ahead of time and was proud of i.

Coming to ask for something from me and her teacher at the party - her owl shirt I gave her the night before to wear to class before her other presents.  She was so happy about it :)

  

She is looking all knees and legs here - working on presents at Gramdna's house.

Working hard at wrapping paper

There were several My Little Pony things from Mom and Dad, books from all of us, Spin Balls she had wanted so badly (she took a try later but it was naturally dark), light up snowflakes and hairclips and clothing.  She was very happy about the pony toy when she got home and took it all out of the package when she got home.  This morning, it was all about the striped dress and the math puzzles.

Post-birthday dress and hairclips - thank you Grandma :)  And she is playing with the add and subtract math puzzles she couldn't wait to open this morning before school.  I really thought she would pick the pink dress but she said the stripes was so pretty.  I hope she has a good day at school - I am a bit more under the weather than I was able to let on yesterday... crashed when I got home... kudos to Mark for getting her to bed and helping out this morning, as well.  We measured her against the wall where we had last year -just before her fifth birthday - and she had gained at least two inches.  She asked 'What kind of human will I be - at the six?'  She really expected a bigger change to happen - something like on the Sims whirl around in flowers and be all grown up... she knows we've talked about it but she still wishes it could be true.

Christmas Day 2011

Daddy and Esme with the hex spider


how does that work?


Loula with the cats


Scooby Doo was a hit


from Nana in Minnesota


The animals are here!

She also got a cow like these animals in her 'sock I hung on car bed!' Christmas Stocking. The red and white and blue striped socks were her other stocking item and she was happy with those, too. Grandpa Harvey from Iowa called and she talked to him and Grandma Gale about what she got in her stocking and how she was going to the white house to see Grandma (Irene) and Grandpa (Henry) soon and bring them presents!


Grandma


Grandpa got a copy of the Constitution
and the Declaration of Independence

We are glad Grandpa is home and everyone could be together. I hope Grandma and him eat a lot of good food and rest up!


Esme really enjoyed these blocks, too.


Mama

Daddy spoiled me with coffee and yarn and candy, knitting needles and DaVinci model kits. He says he gets to help me with the kits, they are for both of us ;) He wrapped the yarn in old coffee cans which made it look like he bought me five cans of coffee - what a good joke he almost let me believe it! I bought him a shirt and socks and candy.


Construction toys!




Oh boy my cube!, thank you Santa!
and then she ran off... and we had to call her back
to open it and see what it really was (animals)


It was all a little much for Loula
so she crashed on a jacket

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa! It has been a great day and we are trying to get some rest here at home - hope Grandma and Grandpa do, too! Mark is downstairs preparing a long slow roasted porkchop for his dinner tonight. Esme is playing with her Silly Putty and Optimus Prime transformer... and still introducing all the new toys to each other. She has had a round of painting with her new watercolors and then begged to watch Transformers with her new toy.