She's Growing Up

Hayley seems to be growing up more and more beyond her years. She is such a big help with her little brother, and can do so many more thing so much more independently than she used to just a few months ago. Here's just a few of the things that I don't want to forget that our little five year old is capable of:

• She gets herself up and ready for the day. Often her clothes don't match, and she had about five different hairbows in her hair, but I will take that if it comes along with her new found independence.
• She will get herself a snack and turn on a show for herself downstairs.
• She ties her own shoes. And we didn't even really work on it that much. She just decided she wanted to know how, had us show her a few times, and she had it down in about a week.
• She had Jeremy's cell phone number memorized, and will call him on her own whim throughout the day. Often Jeremy will come home from work and tell me that Hayley called him and I will have no idea she even called. Or he'll call my cell asking what I called about, saying that he missed a call from me, and then we'll both realize that it wasn't me, it was Hayley.
• Recently she helped to clean the playroom, and brought this to me. She had already gotten out a marker and labeled it.

Here's a close up:



Can you see it? Broken: "BROQN"

The best part was, later I found the other part of the doll bed.
Of course it was labeled:



"BROQN TOO"

Then a few days later, I came home to this list:

FRUIT
TO dRI
CAUTEl-
oPe
BANUANA
STRAWB-
eRRy
PIUN
EAPPlE
APPlE

Apparently, she had been talking to Jeremy about wanting to have some dried fruit, and Jeremy told her to remind me to buy the fruit, so she made a list. I'm pretty sure she had some help from him on some of the spellings, but still it was cute to have my five year old making my shopping lists.



This family sure loves our little girl!

Daddy Daughter Date

Last week, Hayley came to lunch at Chick-Fil-A with my friends and me. One of my friends got a flyer for a Daddy Daughter Date Night that Chick-Fil-A was holding this week, and handed it off to Hayley. Hayley showed it to Jeremy that night and asked him on a date. Of course, he said yes. Who could say no to this cute girl?



Hayley was excited to wear her lip gloss, and jewelry, and the new dress that Grandma Bachman had gotten her, and felt pretty special when she saw Daddy all dressed up too. I told her that Daddy doesn't even usually get dressed up to take me out on a date, and I think that made her night.



Both Jeremy and Hayley said it was a very fun night. They were served their dinner, on fancy plates, at tables with tablecloths. And there were crafts and activities for the dads and daughters...



Including and limo ride!



And princesses! I was surprised when Jeremy told me that Hayley was shocked that they came to Chick-Fil-A all the way from Disneyland. I can't believe that she's oblivious to the fact that the princesses look quite a bit different than they did in California.



These two had such a fun bonding time, and I was more than happy to stay home with the little man. I think we may have to have Daddy-Daughter Mommy-Son Date night more often.

Mexican Cruise

The week after going off track, I got to go on a Mexican Riviera Cruise. It was to celebrate my stepdad's triplets graduation from high school, but they needed an even number of people to fill the rooms, and I was more than happy to fill in.

The first port was at Catalina Island. I hadn't been to Catalina in about 15 years, and I had forgotten how cute and fun and quaint it is. Lots of shopping, and fishing boats, and entertainers in the street, and tender boats that we rode over to the island from our cruise ship. (That's our cruise ship in the background of the first two pictures.)



It was really fun to spend some quality time with my mom too. It's not often I get her all to myself without my two kids or her other two kids. :)



These cool plants were growing all over the island. The flower part was actually the leaves of the plant, spaced to look like a flower blooming. They were so pretty!



The next port was in Ensenada, Mexico. Along with some cheap shopping that was quite the experience for our haggling skills, this about summed up Mexico:



It was a relaxing, fun vacation, that got me all geared up and ready for five weeks off with my kids before school starts again! Thanks Mom and Robert for inviting me. I'll be the "Sixth Wheel" anytime!

Batter Up!

With preschool and dance finished for the year, and soccer soon coming to a close, we signed Hayley up for T-ball.



Did she like it? Honestly, I'm not sure. It seems with her age group, there is a lot of waiting around for their turn to bat, a lot of confusion on what to do if they actually hit the ball, including remembering to drop the bat and keep the helmet on. Hayley may have gotten the two mixed up a few times. Actually, it may have been on purpose, because when I asked her why she wouldn't keep the helmet on she said, "Because it doesn't go with my fashion, Mom." Right, Hales. My mistake.

There was plenty of dirt to play in though, which meant a guaranteed bath every Thursday night. And Mom, Dad, Jackson, Grandpa Dame, and Grandma Heidi supporting her at most of her games. And snacks and a shirt and pictures, so I'd say we got our money's worth. We'll see if we do it again in the fall.

Or if it cramps Hayley's sense of fashion too much.

TGIF Fo' Shizzle

This week has been totally stressful.

Last week of school, report cards, two hour concert dress rehearsal Monday, two hour concerts starting at 8:00 Tuesday and Wednesday (see below), T-ball game Thursday, no sitter Friday so I took the kids with me to work, two trips to the DMV in Draper to get my already expired driver license renewed, along with all the normal life stressors, has made me feel a little like this:

Which is why currently, I'm sitting on the couch, surrounded by kid toy mess, eating Oreos, while watching TV and playing on the computer.

Because I can, and I needed to.

And maybe if I leave them long enough the four baskets of laundry will fold themselves.

Spring Dance Concert

Hayley danced in Miss Margene's Spring Dance Concert this past week. It was called Deja Vu, and included favorite dances from some of Miss Margene's past concerts. Which didn't mean much to us since this was her first concert with this studio, but her Rainbow Dance that was part of the Nature Suite in the concert was pretty cute.



The concert was at Murray Park Amphitheater outside. The performed the same concert two night in a row. The first night's weather was great, so of course I forgot a charged camera battery, and only had a disposable point and click camera to document the first night.

The second night of the concert happened to be my birthday, and I suppose a birthday miracle was in the cards, because the nasty rain and most of the wind held off until the concert was over. Good thing, since that was the night that most of Hayley's audience came, and the night that I was prepared to video her dancing.



What a cute little Rainbow Girl!

I was amazed that Hayley made it to the finale both nights, since the concert didn't start until 8:00 and didn't finish until about 10:30 both nights. She even went all out and danced the finale dance the second night.



Don't worry, I was too far back for that little boy to actually hear me.

It's been a great year, full of dance, fun, and friends!

Now if I could just convince Hayley that her bedtime is in fact three hours earlier than she has been going to bed the past few nights. Yikes!