Mackenzie's 6th birthday video

Well. Here it is. Another year passes. Mack is beyond excited to be six. She's one of the youngest kids in her class and when she's finally six, she'll be " as big as them".  While she's busy growing and chasing - wishing to be older, I meet this time of year with the same bitter sweet sentiments that I have every year before this.   And so it goes- a beautiful baby morphs into a sunshiney sweet girl in, what seems like,no time at all. I'm sure I'll feel this way next year and the year after. And yet, while I miss baby Mackenzie and toddler Mack and sassy preschooler Mack, I really am enjoying school age Mack. I  love hearing her thoughts and listening to her brain make sense of the world. I love having conversations with her and making plans with her. There are times , as always, when she struggles. Or when we struggle. But those times sift through and what's left are wonderful memories, more laughs than I could begin to count and a little girl with a heart of gold who makes Mike and me so proud . Here is a compilation of Mack's 6th year. in video form. Don't forget to turn on your volume !

Tooting his own horn

Being in music class at school has really sparked Mack's interest in learning more about music. After she chose to use her gift card from the dentist  to buy a ukelele , she asked Mike if he would bring out his saxophone, guitars and other miscellaneous instruments so she could try them.

Mack was so excited to see Mike's mini guitar used to take on back packing trips. She swiped that right up. Mason was interested in Mike's saxophone. That is, until he actually played it. Once Mike started playing the Michigan Fan Fare, both kids became shy and wouldn't look at him and Gunner began to bark incessantly until the noise stopped. I don't know what their issues were; I liked watching the cute Michigan marching band alum in his element.

More cellphone photography

Little Love Bug

Remember when Mack was a baby and she'd take every last book off her shelf, "reading " each one before tossing it to the side for another?  That's also Mason's favorite thing to do, too. In this photo, he's just getting started. After fifteen minutes, the place is covered in books. 

Gram's made this sweet little owl for Macky. Mack keeps it up and away from Mason with all her other treasures. The next visit, Grams had crafted another. Anticipating that this would continue, Mack has cleared a whole section for the owls she's awaiting.

A few days before Valentine's the kid and I went to Gram's and made chocolate covered strawberries. Yum!

Our neighbors have a new puppy and it's gathered the attention of these two.

Another pea dissector....This one doesn't eat the peas when he's done, although Ellie is happy to help.

Pondering.....

Mason can start, peel and separate his own clementines, now! That's a good thing because he loves them so much that he usually eats them faster than I can peel them. This way, I get a head start while he's working on the one in his hands.

This little lizard is Mack's new buddy. She takes him everywhere, even to her dreams.

No Cavity Club drawing

We got a call from the kids' favorite dental hygienist that Mackenzie had won the drawing for the No Cavity Club! ( Each time the kids visit the dentist and have no cavities, they get to write their name ( or their big sister does, as in Mason's case). Quarterly, they draw a name, this time it was Mack's!  She won a $25 dollar gift card to Toys R Us . She didn't make it past the plastic sea animal section , where she loaded up her little basket with whales and frogs, effectively spending her gift card. I urged her to look around a little more to make sure there wasn't something she'd like more ( she had most of the animals she'd picked out) When she happened upon this , she forgot about the sea animals and never looked back! 

A very cute Eukele . We watched YouTube videos so Mack could see how one was played and the types of sound it makes. She's had a log of fun plucking away on it!

Sweet Valentines

Last years crayon hearts were such a big hit, we repeated with the kindergartners. Mack was the only child who filled her valentines out all on her own with each childs' name.

Mack had Valentine's day off. They kids woke up to a sweet treat.

One of Mason's treats was this Tonka ambulance, like the one daddy works on. He was so excited, he hugged it, kissed it and fed it part of his breakfast.

Funny Valentine

Bring on the rainboots!

We've been feeding a little squirel all winter long, tucking unsalted , shelled peanuts into the nook of our tree. The kids like to munch on them, too.

Mr. Busy

The shirt says it all

Stomp it up!

Spring can't be far!

Mack's turn for a snack

KWH - February post

This post will look awfully familiar to you since I posted it here first. This months' theme for my Kids Were Here blog circle is " Love" so I revamped and edited the post about the kids and their blankets to fit within the parameters of the prompt. I'd appreciate your taking the time to read it again and take a trip around the blog circle.