"This was just the best night of my life"- Scarlett

Scarlett, age 8

Dear Scarlett- I haven't posted on our blog much lately, because we are always so busy.  Shuttling you to and from swim team practice, or Spanish class, or school or playdates.  Playing board games.  Your favorite things are swimming, spending time with your cousins (some things don't change) and reading.  For your birthday, friends gave you art supplies and lots of Powell's gift cards.  We gave you ukulele picks, a Willy Wonky lunch box and another gem from Lemony Snicket.  You love wearing zany pants.  You still love Arnie the most.  You walk around with a book in front of your face, ignoring us, or you sit at the breakfast table reading and not touching your food.  You are cuddly and loving and full of hugs, but you also like to spend time alone in your room, listening to audio books and doing art projects. 

Tonight we had your usual birthday dinner- take-out sushi.  We had an ice cream cake.  I made chocolate pretzel wands to bring into your classroom- although you and your classmates had already had plenty of Valentine's Day sugar by that point.  You are currently asleep in our bed, because you ask to fall asleep there regularly.  Then daddy carries you into your room and lifts you up onto your loft.  This is hard, because you have gotten bigger, but it's also very sweet.

You dazzle me.  I am constantly impressed with the person you have become.  Your observations and kindness, how easily you pick up humor, your confidence. Watching you become this bold 8-year old has been the biggest adventure of my life.  I love you the most.

Love, Mama

Questions Scarlett asked us today

1. What's that? (points at nativity scene)
Us: It's the story of Christmas, Jesus in a manger etc etc.

2. What's the story of Christmas?
Us: Explain (she's like yes, maybe I've heard this before). I say, I think Jesus was a hippy, all about peace and love and helping other people.

3. What's cannabis? (she reads the sign as we walk by the pot shop)

4. What's a hippy?

Also, we went on vacation

This post is over 2 months old.  But, vacation is THE BEST.  It's been a while since I disconnected fully from work for so long.  We were away from home almost two weeks.

We hit up Walla Walla for my family vacation for the weekend, then Yellowstone which we loved, then Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands, Devil's Tower, then so much of South Dakota and Nebraska until we finally arrived in Illinois at our final destination, 6 days later.

There were some hotel pools and days of driving in between all that too, and a visit with my brother in his new home in Lincoln.  

We have a million pictures, here are some of them.

We rented a sweet SUV, Scarlett named her Cherry.

Yellowstone IS AMAZING.  We only had one day and really wished for more.  We need to go back.  This is the Grand Prysmatic Spring, and one tired girl.  After this, we had ice cream.

 Buffalo traffic jam

 Devil's Tower

The Badlands, which also deserve more time than we gave them.

Rushmore

 

My sweetheart nephew...

 More family- this is Aunt Nettie in Macomb IL

 And GRANDMA!

 We hit up the Lincoln Park zoo in Chicago and ate some deep dish pizza

Bubbles

This morning, Scarlett and I did a bubble-filled 5K with her buddy Jude.  It was messy and really fun.  At the end, our shoes were soaked through, and Scarlett insisted she would never ever wash the shirt, ever. 

Summertime

Harry Potter Camp

Today for camp, Scarlett had to take a broom, because they're going on a field trip to play Quidditch. 

Last night we finally started reading HP Book 7.  We took a LONG break after book 6 because of the sad events that took place within.