My Daughter Threw A TANTRUM. . .

while I was visiting teaching today.

Not a little tantrum.

A full blown

roll on the floor,

flail the arms,

and uncontrolable screaming

TANTRUM!

Luckily I am good friends with all the moms there and hopefully they didn't judge me too bad, but when one of the moms asked me

"Is she like this all the time?"

I had to think for a minute.

YES and NO was my answer.

This picture sums up my relationship with Kara right now.

Me - always trying to get her to be HAPPY!

Why is she so stubborn?

Why is she so determined?

Why does she think that crying is going to get her what she wants?

I'm sorry to everyone that only sees her "tantrum" side,

because. . .

this girl can be the sweetest, kindest, gentlest girl,

when she wants to be!

She gives the best hugs.

I mean she doesn't just put her arms around you - she full on squeezes you - and your heart hasn't melted until you've had one of her hugs!

And her kisses  - don't even get me started about her puckered kisses!

And when she says,

"I'm sorry mommy"

I melt.

And when she says,

"Moooom,  I Loooove Yoooou"

I melt faster.

But my favorite thing that Kara does. . .

Every night after her bath no matter how much of a hurry we are in or not,

when I wrap her in a towel - we sit on the edge of the tub - and she lays her head down on my chest and looks up at me and then closes her eyes and we snuggle for a few minutes.

Every night!

Those few minutes are my favorite part of the day because it makes me forget about all the tantrums thrown, and frustrating moments of the day.

And it makes me remember moments like this. . .

When we're both HAPPY!

TEN

It was no surprise where Kale chose to take us all to dinner for his birthday. . .

CARMALITAS!

Who couldn't use a little fried ice cream on their birthday?

When we got home, Grandma and Grandpa and Nana and Papa met up with us for presents and cake.

Kristopher and I had a little trick we played on Kale.

See this nicely wrapped present from Kristopher. . .

well it's a joke. . .

and when Kale realized what it was . . .

the fun began!

Kris gave him a BARBIE!

Not really!

He really gave him this!

But it was a fun trick!

He's checking out the new BIONICLE that his sister gave him.

And he fell over and said he was going to die when he realized his grandma and grandpa got him a SKATEBOARD!

But. . .

he really didn't know what to do with himself when his mom and dad presented him with TEN TEN DOLLAR BILLS!

I mean he's TEN!

Kyle and I talked it over and thought now would be a great time to open up a bank account for him and let him start managing some money.

We didn't throw him a party this year, so we used the money we would have spent on a party and gave it to him.

Today we are going to the bank after school to deposit it (minus tithing and a little spending money for him)!

This year I found the perfect cake for Kale.

He doesn't like frosting and what kind of cake doesn't have frosting.

I'll tell you what kind!

A Snickers Ice Cream Cake!

It was perfect!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KALE!

I thought. . .

When this BOY turned 5 that 5 years couldn't possibly go by any faster. . .

I was wrong.

The next 5 years went by even faster!

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY KALE!

On your mark. . .

Get set. . .

GO!

I almost forgot about this with all that we have going on right now, but here is our second go at a Pinewood Derby.

Kale did much better this year.

We learned a few tricks from last year.

Here's Kale and his friend Jackson racing against each other!

It was the closest race of the night!

3rd Place

Way to go BUDDY!

How can he be 6?

I told him it wasn't allowed. . .

and I really, really, meant it!

But he did it.

He turned 6!

We switch off every year between friends and family.

Last year was friends.

Who can forget the MAGIC party?

This year was family.

And on the family year the birthday kid gets to choose wherever they want to eat!

Kris chose Islands!

(which he chose because he had a coupon from school for a free meal there - BONUS!)

We talk about what we have done the past year,

what our favorite moments are,

and are reminded how much fun we can have with our very own family!

Then Grandma and Grandpa met us at home for cake and presents!

Tech Deck!

Markers that write on windows!

(He's writing "I love you Kale" - because Kale wrote on the other window - "I love you Kris" so it was so cute to see him look over at Kale's message to see how to write it back to him!)

I love this next picture.

I don't know why.

It's not a very good picture.

But for some reason I am reminded why I keep this blog up and why I write my kids letters each year on their birthday, and why I insist on taking so many pictures (much to my husbands disliking) because life goes by so fast and maybe I want it to slow down and stop being such a blur.

Six years with this little boy already!

Moments I will never forget and some that I wish I could forget.

But 6 years.

He is an amazing little boy with a heart of gold.

He has no fear.

He loves people.

He is strong willed.

And determined.

And so funny.

So here he is!

Six Years Old without a care in the world

lovin' his brand new "IPOD" (MP3 player but he doesn't know the difference!)

We have a Birthday Boy!

Kris woke up to find balloons all over his floor!

And it's just the beginning of his birthday!

Can't wait for the rest!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!

First Day of THE Vacation. . .

looked a little like this. . .

That's Kale - and he had one of the beds at the HOTEL entirely to himself.

I took this picture minutes before he woke up and said this,

"I feel like a KING and this is the LIFE!"

EASTER

Easter Morning. . .

and the LAST day of our vacation. . .

This picture says it all!

More to come later. . .