Now We Are Six

DiNovember is underway! The kids are still believers, so we continue to deliver. We already have a plan for when one of the kids inevitably catches us setting up the Dino display: we're going to make that kid help us set them up. Because it gets really tiring at the end of the day trying to come up with another fresh idea! We've done some recycling but there have been some new adventures too. One of my favorites was the night the Dinosaurs went camping.


For the full adventures, see my  Facebook or Instagram account.

November also means I have to deal with my daughter getting another year older, which I can't do without mixed emotions. Because on the one hand, every year I'm further and further from this:

I can't handle it.

On the other hand, she does get more delightful every year.


Adele at 6 is a little woman. She is handy around the house and loves to help. She's incredibly articulate and is always whipping out sassy phrases we didn't know she knew. She loves to dance and read and listen to the Moana soundtrack (over and over and over). She is killing it in kindergarten; her teacher says she has a positive attitude and is a big helper in the classroom. They're letting her  participate in the Accelerated Reader program, which most kids start in first grade, and for which I'm grateful as it keeps her challenged and engaged while the rest of the class is learning letter sounds and such. And she loves PE and Art and Music and all the friends she's made, several of whom made it to her party.



We decorated for our first birthday party at home! This is the first home I've had that I felt I could invite anyone to visit. Of course, it has to be 1600 miles away from most people I know... but still, we enjoyed freely inviting everyone Adele fancied to come to her party.

Mr. Magic is the local kid-charming genius. We've run into him performing at our favorite restaurant, Tres Margaritas and at other kids' birthday parties. Every time we see him he makes our whole family laugh. The kids beam when they see Mr. Magic, so I was thrilled when he was available for Adele's party. The show did not disappoint!

He had each of Adele's friends up to assist a different trick, and it was constant laughter and awe. And I was grateful that their moms felt comfortable leaving them at the party, so that it could be a party for like 12 people and not for 20+ people, which would have been a strain on our space and chairs.

The magic show was a trip. Mr. Magic had a gimmick for every trick to engage the kids. I'd recommend him to you, but he'd be a bit of a commute for most of my readers.
The finale had Adele help to mix a birthday cake, which, when he removed the lid, contained a bunny! We were cracking up because Koopa didn't figure out there was a rabbit in the house until Mr. Magic was all packed up to leave. Koopa just sat there calmly while a rabbit won the adoration of all the children; meanwhile, the kitten was crawling all over the bunny carrier when the show was over. This is one possible argument against Koopa's having hound ancestry.

 
Adele is all about everything pony this year. Especially does she love the Equestria girls, which, if you don't know what that is... just enjoy that. I don't need to intrude upon your ignorant bliss.
But great was her delight in her cake and in her gifts.
 

Look at the gorgeous hand-made cross-stitch piece she got from her old babysitter! I think she felt the love.

 We're on Thanksgiving break, and I'm trying to re-learn how to relax. Breaks can be oddly hard when you're teaching, because not only is there usually grading to take home, but I at least have like half a dozen small projects I've been putting off because my day-to-day life doesn't allow any extra projects. Miles needs to learn his times tables and do his science project for the fair, and so on. But my immune system had another little min-collapse this week, which shows me I'm running on adrenaline a lot of the time. I'm trying to see what I can do to go more lightly while I'm teaching, so I'm not collapsing at every opportunity.

Some of this will have to involve more laughing and being more present. I'm glad I was paying attention to see how gorgeous they looked in the evening light the other night.
 
Adele's official birthday was Monday and she wanted to spend it skating. She's improving! Look at her taking her hands off her balance walker.

This was her birthday dress.
And this is her birthday hoodie! Thanks Grandpa Jim! 
 In the evening, we visited a playground at sunset and then gathered around the warm candles for Adele's requested meal of waffles and sausage, and for another cake. She is celebrated and she is admired and she is so so loved.



But can she please stop growing so fast?