Of course every birthday starts with breakfast in bed! Kali requested pancakes, peaches, sausage, hot cocoa and OJ. She was so excited the night before and in the morning was giggling under the covers awaiting the big moment.
Our friends took us to the Museum of Nature and Science downtown the day of her birthday - one of our favorite places to be. I always get a kick out of this display - your image is captured while walking across a walkway then played over and over. We got 7 of us in this shot (from R to L)- Christi, Trenton, Kali, James, Blake, me and Michael.
That evening Sandy and Art joined us for dinner and a birthday celebration. Kali chose tacos and fruit smoothies for dinner. I've wanted to try out making an ice cream cake & I thought Kali's b-day was the perfect time- it turned out yummy and was pretty simple. Very fun!
Her gift from us was a kitchen. This was truly a tender mercy. I had wanted to get Kali a kitchen for her birthday, but they are so darn expensive! Steve's CEO has been so generous to us and given us MANY hand-me-downs. The week before Christmas Steve came home with this - I was thrilled we could give it to Kali for her birthday! She loved it along with her brothers. We have been so blessed by people's generosity.
A couple weeks later we had Kali's Heart Party. She has wanted a ballerina party for months, but in December she announced she wanted a heart party. I asked her why and she replied, "Because I just love everyone! Like my family and Jesus and Heavenly Father! So I want a heart party!" Oh how I love that girl.
She invited 4 friends & her brothers and we painted, played games, had dinner and opened gifts. She got her first My Little Pet Shop and My Little Pony. Oh my! Is it that time already?
The Party:Blake, Trenton, Bailey (our neighbor and Kali's little buddy), Kali, Crew, Brooke & Mesia.
A few tidbits about this little 4 year old of ours:
* She will only wear dresses. The pant/dress fight started a year ago; I made her alternate every other day, etc. when I finally realized it doesn't matter. If she wants to wear dresses so be it! We have been blessed with many hand-me-down dresses. I am not extremely worried if something happens to them, so let her wear them. I fought to make her wear tights too, but lately she can't stand the feel of them on her legs. So if it's a blizzard, oh well. She's a little cold. The only bummer is those really cute jeans from Children's Place I actually bought (I rarely buy them clothes thanks to much generosity) are just sitting in her closet :)
*She loves, loves, loves to help. With anything. At anytime. Thank you Heavenly Father.
*She always has to be moving, talking, or playing. It kills her to be quiet in the car so Blake can fall asleep on the way home from dropping off Trenton at school. She squirms like she's going to burst. This has not changed since birth :).
*She has to sleep without a blanket at night so her legs can feel "fresh." She also has to have the hall light on and her door open.
*She can eat as much as her brothers - her nickname is "The Very Hungry Kali-pillar"
*Her favorite foods are macaroni and cheese, cantaloupe, smoothies and anything sweet!
*She is extremely bright in the common sense department and certainly the mastermind of mischievous. She is often heard whispering things to her brothers she knows will get them into trouble. We know the three of them have collaborated on something, because the boys have done the deed and Kali stands in the background grinning away. Thinking she's innocent. It is always her idea. It would not cross Trenton's mind to plot a bad behavior. (but I do like seeing her little complex thoughts)
*She has an incredible memory of events and especially books.
*She is so fast. I'll ask the kids to get ready for the day and Kali's done in about two minutes, dressed with socks and shoes on, room picked up, and helping Blake find clothes, while Trenton is standing in his jammies figuring out the circumference of the moon or something. Once again thank you Heavenly Father.
*She ADORES babies. And asked Steve and I tonight if we were pregnant. If you're wondering the answer is NO. The kids have been asking so much about another baby lately I finally told them we can have another one, but mommy will be very sick for a long time. They will have to help clean & cook and I won't be able to play as much. They have stopped asking :)
* She has a heart of gold and a sensitive little spirit. When she gets in trouble she states, "Mom you don't like me anymore," with great big tears running down her cheeks. Which of course breaks my heart. If only she knew how much I adored her.
*She loves to play games with her brothers and is very patient with her older brother's...shall we say controlling, perfectionist ways. She tries to talk things out with him and show him a more 'flexible' way of thinking.
*She loves to 'razzle' her daddy and get rides on his feet.
*She is very compassionate and in tune to when people need help.
I thank Heavenly Father every day for this ray of sunshine in our home. We had a Mommy-fun day last week and got our hair cut and went out for ice cream. She talks about it all the time. It was delightful spending time with my little girl.
Happy Birthday, sweetheart!
* She will only wear dresses. The pant/dress fight started a year ago; I made her alternate every other day, etc. when I finally realized it doesn't matter. If she wants to wear dresses so be it! We have been blessed with many hand-me-down dresses. I am not extremely worried if something happens to them, so let her wear them. I fought to make her wear tights too, but lately she can't stand the feel of them on her legs. So if it's a blizzard, oh well. She's a little cold. The only bummer is those really cute jeans from Children's Place I actually bought (I rarely buy them clothes thanks to much generosity) are just sitting in her closet :)
*She loves, loves, loves to help. With anything. At anytime. Thank you Heavenly Father.
*She always has to be moving, talking, or playing. It kills her to be quiet in the car so Blake can fall asleep on the way home from dropping off Trenton at school. She squirms like she's going to burst. This has not changed since birth :).
*She has to sleep without a blanket at night so her legs can feel "fresh." She also has to have the hall light on and her door open.
*She can eat as much as her brothers - her nickname is "The Very Hungry Kali-pillar"
*Her favorite foods are macaroni and cheese, cantaloupe, smoothies and anything sweet!
*She is extremely bright in the common sense department and certainly the mastermind of mischievous. She is often heard whispering things to her brothers she knows will get them into trouble. We know the three of them have collaborated on something, because the boys have done the deed and Kali stands in the background grinning away. Thinking she's innocent. It is always her idea. It would not cross Trenton's mind to plot a bad behavior. (but I do like seeing her little complex thoughts)
*She has an incredible memory of events and especially books.
*She is so fast. I'll ask the kids to get ready for the day and Kali's done in about two minutes, dressed with socks and shoes on, room picked up, and helping Blake find clothes, while Trenton is standing in his jammies figuring out the circumference of the moon or something. Once again thank you Heavenly Father.
*She ADORES babies. And asked Steve and I tonight if we were pregnant. If you're wondering the answer is NO. The kids have been asking so much about another baby lately I finally told them we can have another one, but mommy will be very sick for a long time. They will have to help clean & cook and I won't be able to play as much. They have stopped asking :)
* She has a heart of gold and a sensitive little spirit. When she gets in trouble she states, "Mom you don't like me anymore," with great big tears running down her cheeks. Which of course breaks my heart. If only she knew how much I adored her.
*She loves to play games with her brothers and is very patient with her older brother's...shall we say controlling, perfectionist ways. She tries to talk things out with him and show him a more 'flexible' way of thinking.
*She loves to 'razzle' her daddy and get rides on his feet.
*She is very compassionate and in tune to when people need help.
I thank Heavenly Father every day for this ray of sunshine in our home. We had a Mommy-fun day last week and got our hair cut and went out for ice cream. She talks about it all the time. It was delightful spending time with my little girl.
Happy Birthday, sweetheart!
4 comments:
She is such a doll!! And you know what's funny? Right after reading this post I was going through old e-mails that I hadn't delete and found the one announcing Kali's birth!!! A four-year-old e-mail. I need to clean out my inbox more often. Glad Kali had such a great birthday!
She is our most wonderful (and only) granddaughter . Wonderful write-up on such a little dolly. Hope you copy this and put it in her scrapbook. Precious!!! Love you
What a sweet, precious grandaughter. She has inherited and picked up many of the positive traits of her mom, aunt, and grandmother. We are deeply blessed.
I love you Kali girl ... Grandpa
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