Kinley's Birthday week, stats & questionnaire

Birthday week is not necessarily a tradition I am wanting to start.

 I mean, I feel like a whole day and a huge party to celebrate is PLENTY.

 But, we kind of made a "thing" of birthday week this year.

 Really, we just did all we normally would do during a week and just said yay! it's birthday week!

  We had frozen yogurt one night after dinner and Kinley picked all her favorite flavors and toppings.

Eden was in town the whole week and we spend days playing together.

One day we went to Jumpstreet and also ran into Alison and Jessica and their kids and that was so, so fun.

 How cute are all these kids!?

 And yes, Kinley and Ty voluntarily hugged it out like that during the picture.

 Melt my heart!

After jumpstreet we ran over to Chickfila and Leslie and AG and SR happened to be there too!

 How fun!

She got to be Star Student the week of her birthday and each day she got to take snack for the class and a special show and tell. The first day she took her American Girl Doll, Lyla, in her Jasmine that she got for her birthday to match Kinley's Jasmine dress. The second day she took her stuffed puppy, Buttercup, that she sleeps with and the third day she brought her Olaf toy that talks that she got from Kristen for her birthday.

 She said she let every kid in class push it once to hear Olaf talk.

Saturday (on AG's real birthday) Kinley and I met up with Leslie and AG at the nail salon to get our nails painted Frozen-theme and exchange matching birthday bubble snowflake necklaces.

 

On her birthday morning I had set up a birthday banner and streamers and lanterns and we had fun-shaped birthday pancakes and sang Happy Birthday and opened presents.

 This is when we let Kinley open our box of Magic Bands told the kids that we were going to Disney World!

 They were ready to leave right then but, we would have to wait a few weeks.

 It has been so much fun anticipating our trip since then.

Sunday after church Kinley got to pick the restaurant and we went to and picked McAlister's.

I think she definitely felt celebrated!! It was such a fun week.

 

  One of my favorite traditions that I do every year with Kinley, since she turned three, is her birthday questionnaire. It is so fun to see how her world and answers are changing each year.

1. What is your favorite color? PINK

2. What is your favorite toy? MY ELSA DRESS

3. What is your favorite fruit? STRAWBERRIES

4. What is your favorite tv show? PEPPA PIG

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? STRAWBERRIES, GOLDFISH, GRAPES, CRACKERS & A SANDWICH

6. What is your favorite outfit? MY LONG SKIRT AND A SHIRT

7. What is your favorite game? CHUTES & LADDERS

8. What is your favorite snack? CANDY... "that's not a snack"... GOLDFISH

9. What is your favorite animal? AN ELEPHANT

10. What is your favorite song? LET IT GO

11. What is your favorite book? MY FROZEN BOOK

12. Who is your best friend? ANNABELLE GRACE

13. What is your favorite cereal? REGULAR CHEERIOS

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? PLAY IN MY BACKYARD

15. What is your favorite drink? LEMONADE

16. What is your favorite holiday? SUMMER (me too sweetie)

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? BUTTERCUP (my stuffed dog)

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? CINNAMON ROLLS

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? BREAKFAST FOR DINNER

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A FASHION DESIGNER

 

When we went in for Kinley's 5 year old well check, Dr. Scott said she was healthy as a horse and that she could get a booster seat. She has been talking about it non-stop since then. She is 41 pounds and is 45% in weight and 85% in height for her age. As always, she is tall and skinny.

 

  Kinley, I truly cannot wrap my mind around the fact that you are FIVE years old. It is on the forefront of my mind lately that there is a chance that I could possibly live to be 80 or 90 years old and that I only get 18 of them with you.

And five of them have gone by already.

 

  You are about to enter into a whole new world going to Kindergarten in the fall and it will be full of new friends, and challenges, physically and emotionally. You are so strong. Your school teachers say you are ready academically and emotionally and even though I wish you could stay home with me, I am excited for you to go.

 

 You have such a strong will and although sometimes, that can be quite a parenting challenge, I pray that God uses that to keep your feet firmly steady in his will.

 

  You are so much fun! You make friends so easily because you are just tons of fun. Whenever someone wants to play pretend or dress up or do a craft or a game, you are ready for any of it. You just jump on board with bells on and go with it. It is one of my most favorite things about you. Sometimes it is hard to keep up with you because you are always looking for fun and you ALWAYS want to be with your friends. But, it is fun to jump on board with you and try to show you how fun your mom and dad and our home can be too.

 

Probably on that same note, you HATE being by yourself! You don't like to go to your room to play or pick out clothes or even go to the bathroom by yourself. Ty is super sweet and as soon as you say..but, I want someone to go with me...he usually says 'I go wit you Kinwee' and that works for you.

 

You still need either dad or I to lay down with you every night to sleep. And you want a story and a prayer every night.

 

You are the sweetest big sister. You love Ty so much and you already rub my belly and pray with me for the new baby. Sometimes you don't want to crawl on me and hug me too tight because you don't want to hurt the baby.

 

 You are so sweet and caring to kids younger than you. You usually physically get down on their level to talk to them and hug them and talk so sweetly. You laugh at Ty so much when he tries to make you laugh. It brings so much joy to your momma.

 

You definitely still have your own fashion sense. I cannot help you with your clothes without a battle. You still do not like wearing shorts or pants or tights without a skirt over them. You prefer dresses to everything and when you wear a skirt, you insist on having your shirt tucked in. You have pretty much mastered the front-tuck, which is a hard thing to master.   I think the hardest thing about our clothes battle is that you want me with you every single time you pick out clothes because you don't want to be by yourself but, you do not listen to one thing that I say.

 

You are still a picky eater but, you have really begun trying most anything at least once. You say "Try a bite to be polite." Some of your new favorites are edamame, greek yogurt, jello, oranges, and ham & cheese sandwiches. You still love the staple chicken nuggets, pizza, mac & cheese and yogurt but, at least you are trying some new things!

 

 You are also so much help in the kitchen. You LOVE to pretend like you are Tiana and set the table and carry multiple plates like she does in the movie. This usually involves an outfit change and insisting I call you Tiana and say things like "order up!" But, I love the help.

 

You are growing bigger and acting older and are so easy to do almost anything with. I love running errands with you and doing crafts together and cooking together and just talking with you.

 

 I love to pick your brain about friends and school and what makes you excited and scared.

 

 But, it is still my very favorite thing when you wake up in the morning and come see me in my room or bathroom and just let me hold you and hug you and cuddle with you like you are a baby. I know one day that will end and I am holding on to it with every fiber of my being.

 

  You are stubborn and have a very short fuse and sometimes yell and say some mean things to me. I get glimpses of what teenage years could be like and I admit I am a little apprehensive and drop to my knees and pray Jesus lets us get through it together on each others side.

 

 But, then you come back to me, the sweet, precious, angel girl that you are and I am so thankful for every part of you. Every moment and tear and apology...from both of us. I would not trade any of it for anything in the world.

  I love you, my angel girl.

 Happy 5th Birthday!

-Mom