Stella's first 4th birthday party.

The birthday princesses.  This is Stella with her good pal Kolby.  They share a birth day.  Kolby will be 3 on March 31st and Stella will turn 4. Kolby's mom and I wanted to celebrate their birthdays together this year.  Sarah volunteered to host the party at her house.  The party was Sunday and we had a great time. 

This castle cake was a labor of love.  It seemed a lot easier when I designed it in my head.  Aren't things always that way?  Sarah (Kolby's mom) made some excellent cake pops, her specialty.

My little princess! I made these fun hats for both girls.  They were a hit. 

Ruby wanted to join some kids in the backyard.  She couldn't get out of the screened in porch and I didn't want her too.  This is her upset face.  I have a feeling it will look almost exactly the same say in about 14 years.

So many great friends were there.

Super ready to open presents, but they were patient with the parent paparazzi who wanted some photos before paper and gifts were everywhere.

Kolby her Mom. 

Cute dress!  Stella would wear a dress everyday if she could!

A VERY captive audience.

Stella was thrilled to get this special Hello Kitty toothbrush.  Her friend Lexington has one and she just loved it.  Last night I brushed her teeth with it and she was giggling.  After we were done she came out of the bathroom saying, "That was so much fun."

Very sweet moment of two friends blowing out the candles together.

Question:  How do you get children to gather around, sit still, pay attention and stick around?

Answer: Sing Happy Birthday and cut the cake.

Ruby hadn't recieved her cake pop yet and would you look at that face!

updates.

Well, technically it IS a stool, just a very small step stool.  Ruby came into the living room last week with her new found step stool and thought she'd use it just the same as the other human sized one we have. 

You've got to hand it to the girl, she made it work.  The Kruse girls are nothing if not resourceful.

Stella and her new Hello Kitty player hat. We'll call it an early birthday present. Love it!

A super and impromptu visit to Indiana last weekend was great to get a quick fix on family.  The reason for the visit wasn't so pleasant, but it was very needed.  Stella and Ruby's Grandpa is not feeling well.  :(  And we needed to spend some time visiting with him in the hospital.  The girls and I spent almost exactly 24 hours in Fort Wayne, the rest of our time was spent in Anderson.  Stella sure was happy to see the Landrigan girls and sleep with them on the floor in the living room for the night.  Total 'Big Girl' stuff!  Ruby loved playing and running around outside with everyone. 

We got to visit with Randy's Aunt Marsha and Uncle Steve.  It had been a long time since we'd last seen them.  Uncle Steve was able to retrieve several quarters from behind Stella's ears.  It was amazing!  Stella was so impressed with his magic!  I'm still looking to find some hundred dollar bills behind my ears.  No luck so far.

The picture above captures Andrea's deepest love and personality perfectly...an armful and audience of babies.  The picture below captures Ruby's deepest love and personality perfectly (for now)  ALWAYS, always, always into something!

Also, Ruby now knows some animal sounds, what a doggie, kitty, cow, snake, and tiger says.  She says please, thank you, goose bumps, creepy, help me, uppie, play, cheese.  I'm sure I am missing some.  She knows how to work a zipper, Lord help us, and she can put on her shoes by herself...mostly.

It has been gorgeous here!  Today I packed a little picnic lunch and the girls and I headed to the park/playground.  Stella made lots of new friends and Ruby would have made Evil Knievel proud!  She pulled off some amazing stunts running in front of and through swingers on the swing set and came out unscathed.  I'm not sure Knievel could've pulled off the stunts she did today!  She is so incredibly fast!  I could not catch her in time, so luckily each death defying run by and run through the swings stunt always worked out in her favor.  Put this girl as anchor leg in a 4X100 race!! 

a little bit of this and that

We had a birthday party for our three little friends who just turned two.  This is our playgroup.  Well we started out as a playgroup and now we are all really great friends.  I remember the days when we were all celebrating the first birthday for each of our first children together. 

Back row (left to right):Connor, Brady, Davey, Stella, Ruby, Kolby, Abi, Chase. 

Front row (left to right): Maya, Tess, Elizabeth, Atticus, Isaac

Ruby has become quite the thrill seeker.  She climbs all the way to the top of the play place at McDonalds, she runs as fast as she can, she climbs on the ladders at the play place and goes down the slides all by herself, even the tunnel slides, and the other day she created a fun little game of jumping off the couch from a standing position and she LOVED it.  I put some extra padding down on the floor for her.  She was just having such a great time and she was so proud of her new game I didn't have the heart to put a stop to it.

and back for more...

This morning I was working at the kitchen table.  I turned around and saw that Ruby had gotten the washcloth down from the sink (the one I wipe her face and hands off with after meals) and she was wiping off her baby's face and hands!  How cute!!!!