Successes Continue...

Mackenzie has pooped in the portable potty for the first time today. Big, big event! It happened while we were at a restaurant, sitting in the outdoor section (thankfully, by a wall, so not many viewers). She's being a real trooper. We have gone full force out of diapers. She is not 100% yet, but she seems to do better when we're away from home. How ironic. So, the portable potty is busy! That's today's big news. More later...

She Did It!

Mackenzie just peed in the little potty for the very first time today! Hip hip hurray!!!! We've been trying for days, and having minor accidents in her underwear. This is big news. We thought it was blogworthy. :-) Have a great day!

Mackenzie and Jenna

Can't post blogs all about Mason and neglect her two little sisters! The most exciting thing for both of them is that they have learned to ride bikes. Mackenzie can now ride the little two-wheeler without pedals (Laufrad) AND she has finally learned to pedal the tricycle. Yay! Jenna is now able to climb on and off all the toy cars herself. She can move forward instead of always backward. She is also able to ride the little four-wheel bicycle without pedals (another Laufrad), moving forward. It's exciting!

Besides that, Mackenzie is not only amazing us with her parroting skills, but she continually improves her speaking and vocabulary on a daily basis. We're attempting to begin potty training her. The thought of only one in diapers is what keeps the effort going! Jenna, on the other hand, can be very loud with her few sounds. She now can say "Mama," "Dada," and a few other "ah" sounding words. She is a true climber. She uses whatever she can to leverage herself up onto furniture. She's making us very nervous! Did we mention, the kids fall a lot? All kids do. And so, the epic journey continues...

First Graduation and First Ballet Recital

Would you believe that Mason "graduated" from preschool this year? It is crazy to think about her going off to full-day kindergarten in September, but that is where she's headed. Believe us when we say, she's ready! Mason is our bright little protege. Her potential to succeed is amazing. Nothing like a little parental pride to plaster all over our blog, right? Actually, in her progress report, her teacher labeled her "one-of-a-kind." For anyone who knows Mason, no doubt! :-) Here's a pic of Mason receiving her "diploma" and a special German traditional cone filled with goodies.




Mason's first ballet recital was great fun, and most amusing! It was a Lion King dance, and Mason's class were meant to be birds. Two other classes made up the lions. It was a one-dance recital. The kids were about as coordinated as, well, how about if we just say they were not well-coordinated, but very entertaining to watch.

This picture shows Mason in a rare dance move during the recital. Mostly she was shepherded around by one of her friends who seemed a bit more coordinated.

Mason Turned Five!

On June 28, Mason turned five. Crazy how fast the time goes. Because her birthday fell on a Saturday, we had her party the same day - very convenient. She wanted the party at home, but being that we live in a tiny 1100 square foot house at the moment, and we're constantly stepping over toys to get anywhere, we did not want to crowd 10-15 little kids AND their parents in our home. So, we went to Chuck E. Cheese's. What a scene of chaos! Never again! Some of the kids were scared of the Animatronics. Others were scared of Chuck E. Cheese himself, walking around. Mason was so angry at cake time, that she refused to blow out her candles and mom had to hold her next to the cake, just to make all attempts. The kids did have fun running around playing games, though. There's something to be said for that.

Each year, we try to make a special cake for the girls' parties. This year, Mason asked for a Care Bear with a rainbow on its tummy. On her third birthday, she also asked for a Care Bear. As much as we hate to do repeats, we opted to improve upon our previous design. Not bad for amateurs, eh? We even had some extra help from Aunt Tammi on this one (especially the face). Daddy made the rainbow. Go, big daddy!