Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

I was going to change the date and pretend this was posted yesterday but I'll just confess my sins now. I didn't get to Kathryn's birthday post last night. I was way too tired. It sounds so bad to say it, how could I not have time to do it? Lucky for me she is one forgiving girl and when she reads this one day she'll be the type to say, 'It's OK mom, I don't mind.' I know that because she has said it for so many things when they aren't exactly in her favor. Thanks heavens she isn't a grudge holder. Actually she is the furthest thing from it, a very sweet girl!

Marion made her the best unicorn cake (once again she saved the day with this cake and so much more, THANKS!!!). She LOVED it! She is an all around animal lover, be it real or fantasy. Unicorns usually top the list, mostly because they have pink and purple hair and have ribbons and glitter. I still can't make up my mind on her. She is a good mix of girlie girl and rough and tumble tom boy. She loves dolls and sparkles and pretty things but she is always THE first one to grab a handful of rolly polly bugs out of the dirt and rip her pants on recess. A good mix, that's what she is.

I could copy the list from last year for Kat but I'll work to make this year's a little different. Just like last year though, she has stayed as helpful as ever, whenever she is asked and sometimes when she hasn't. She still loves mornings (crazy girl), smiles all the time, has a killer memory (unless it means telling on herself) and has such a strong spirit.

----She worked really hard to ride her bike without training wheels this summer. Nathan did it first and that was all the incentive she needed. She did have some crash and burn moments but only a couple involved blood.

----She loves to read and can sound out the words Milo and I spell to throw them off. It's so much harder to talk in code when they can spell! We have started reading The Book of Mormon as a family at night (never mind it will take 4 years to finish at the speed we are reading at but still) and she can read a whole verse by herself. Actually she would like to read 3 or 4 but some nights we don't get through much more than that.

----She loves writing stories and drawing on paper. And with this newest hobby she leaves paper all over the place! Stacks and stacks of it, and it all means something to her. (I love the spelling of a 1st grader, mostly phonetic and so cute)

----At conferences last week, her teacher told me she is the class cheerleader. When a class mate sounds out a word right or gets math correct, she is the first to praise and applaud them (how her teacher runs the class). Anyone that knows her, knows that is a perfect description of her. She loves to give people praise.

----She plans on being a great babysitter for the baby once he's born. The way she told me was hilarious, like she was getting ready to turn 12, not 7. I have no doubt of her ability to entertain the baby while I cook dinner or deal with the boys but for sure she will not be left alone. Even though she thinks she can, ha!

----Like I mentioned earlier, she is an animal lover and it runs deep. I've had to tell her numerous times to not touch the crazy stray cats that frequent the school (so gross) and she'll even let dogs lick her face and mouth (even grosser!). A total Dr Doolittle at heart (and I could NOT be further from that). And when we're at the fair seeing the animals, she would touch every one...goats, sheep, cows, pigs, horses. She doesn't care if they're dirty, she thinks they're all, in her words, 'cute'.

----She has started to belly laugh all the time, she thinks the boys are hilarious! And I don't need to tell you that they eat it up with a big spoon. They tell a knock knock joke or do a funny dance and she loses it. Usually Dane is the one that can get her going first and it's downhill from there. She loves to laugh!

Happy Birthday Kat!!
{sorry it's a day late}

This just had to go on Kat's birthday post even though it's about Mr. Daner. Dane would not leave her alone last night. He kept at her presents and her cake, bugging her (and me) like crazy. He looked like this a number of times last night, just sad it was her day and not his. We kept telling him that his birthday was just a couple months ago and he wasn't buying it. Over and over he would say, 'My birthday is taking forever!' (it was Sept 3rd) He ripped open a couple presents before she got to them, blew out a couple of her candles first and then wanted to play with her toys first. Oh man he was one tired handful last night. Thankfully today was better and we were able to get back on track!