To my Scarlett, on her 4th Birthday

Oh, Scarlett, my Scarlett, how I love you so.  You are truly pure sunshine all bottled up into a tiny little body. I've heard you described as a happy soul and I couldn't have said it better myself.  You are the happiest, most joyful little person I've ever known.  Sure, you have your down and weepy moments and days, as we all do, but, overall, you are pure, bright, sparkly sunshine.

My little beach babe

Scarli Girl, you make me sooo happy and bring me oh-so-much joy.  It's no secret that you were a surprise and I've often thought back to that stressful year and know that you were a gift given to bring us happiness.  You've never stopped giving it to us since.

One of your eternal poses

(no picture can be taken without one)

No sunshine is complete without a few clouds...you, Miss Scarlett, are one stubborn little duck.  In one word, you are persistent.  You latch onto things like a dog to a bone and there just isn't any shaking you.  When you whine, you just don't give it up, no matter how many distractions or threats are given.  When you cry it's to the point of hysterics.  On the other hand, when you play, you play to the death.  I pity any adult to decides to play with you because you simply don't let them go.  They become your bestest, funnest, dearest friend instantly and you simply cannot allow them a break...poor unsuspecting victims that they are.

Somehow you conned one of the bridesmaids into loaning you her flowers...

You are such a funny little imp, Scarli Girl.  You, quite literally, dance through life.  All are giggles and curls where you are concerned.  You couldn't sit still if your life depended upon it (heaven knows, anyone who watched you during today's Sacrament Meeting Primary Program would agree :P).  Getting you to sit longer than 3 seconds is a daily challenge that I've yet to meet. *cough*ADD*cough*  In fact, it's extremely difficult to get you to consume any non-candy calories at all since you won't stay at the table long enough to eat much (candy, on the other hand, you have zero difficulty consuming in great quantities while prancing around the house).  Even when we sing bedtime songs you wiggle and dance while laying in bed.  I guess I should've known that there would've been a price to pay for your sunny disposition...if your wiggles are the price, I'll gladly pay them.

Impulse control has never exactly been a strength...

You still adore the colors red and yellow, although you have a soft spot for pink too, which seems to be written in the Girly Girl Code of Life.  You love sparkles and twirly skirts with a passion.  Your pearls are an absolute must with every outfit you wear.  Pjs, dresses, jeans...you always have your $1 pearls on (so much so, in fact, that I finally just gave you an old strand of mine for your birthday today since the elastic in yours was long past its sell-by date).  You flirt with all the boys shamelessly.  You adore your siblings, cousins, Aunties, and well...people in general.  People, in turn, can't help but adore you too.  Like I said last year and the year before, Miss Scarlett, to know you is to love you.  I can't think of a single person who doesn't.  You love to dance and sing all day long, whether it's to your primary song cd or Fun.'s We Are Young (a particular favorite).  You live to please and you get crushed so easily.  I send you to your room for a time-out, your heart breaks, and hysterics ensue.  The crazy thing is they're genuine hysterics.  You really do think the world is ending.  That doesn't keep you from naughtiness, heaven knows (as the great hair shearing of 2012 proves), but it might keep me from sending you to your room as often as I probably should.  Again...I'll always take the not-so-good with the good for you, Scarli Girl.  You are absolutely 100% worth it.

You naughty little imp

The Girls

Ella Grace, Scarlett Caroline, and Georgia Marie

Oh Scarlett, my baby girl, I'm so happy you're mine.  You put most adults to shame with the sheer amount of personality you carry around in your tiny 29lb frame.  You think life is a feast to be enjoyed, my dear, which, in turn, helps us all to feast a little more too.  I love you, my Scarlett Caroline.  Your huge grins, endless giggles, and to-die-for cuddles bring me up on my darkest days.  You really are my sunshine and you really do make me happy when skies are gray.  I simply don't know what I'd do without you, my love.  My heart aches just thinking about how much I love you.  You are the reason parents have babies.  They do it in the hopes of having one like you.

Mommy loves you, Scarli Girl!

Happy 4th Birthday

Miss Scarlett Caroline!

ps-I know it looks like all those white shirt, blue tulle skirt pictures were taken from the same day, but actually they weren't.  She just wore the same outfit to two different weddings because it happened to match both color sets.  Just, ya know, in case you were wondering... ;)

To my Ezra, on his 7th Birthday

Oh Ezra, my Ezra...very first baby of my heart.  How I love you so.  A big 7 years old.  I swear you're growing before my very eyes.  You've grown up so much in the last year, Ezzie Boy.  Heaven knows, I barely recognize you.  Happy Birthday Little Big Man.

 
To say that our relationship has grown this year, Ez, is the understatement of the year.  I feel like I've been given you all over again.  We've always had a rough-ish relationship, full of ups and downs and tears from both sides.  But...you've mellowed...and...I suppose, so have I.

I think the turning point was when we started the ASD diagnosis process last Spring.  I was receiving all sorts of insights into your personality and, most importantly, it was a great reminder of all the good traits you have.  And, Ezra, you have SO very many of them.

First off, you are the single most reliable, dependable little boy I know.  How many 1st grade boys can be sent to school with 3 different tupperwares and a spoon and be depended upon to bring them all home? 'cause you can.  You're a rule follower.  Once the rule has been established, you do it. End of discussion.  That doesn't mean you don't fight me sometimes.  You infamously once insisted that I couldn't set a new rule cause I "can only make new rules on a First Day or a holiday!" (meaning a First Day like the first day of school).  You don't hesitate to complain fully while doing the task, but at least, at the end of the day, you still do it.  Heaven knows you keep me following the rules.  If I try to stray outside the line and do something crazy like, I don't know, do your hair on a Saturday (the rule states that hair must be done only for school or church) or buy you whitie-tidies instead of boxer briefs, you make sure to pull me back in line and let me know that deviating from the rules is simply not acceptable.  Oh, silly boy, how you make me smile.

Silly is right!  That funny, often obnoxious Silliness Stage is in full swing with you, Ezzie Boy.  You'll often answer our questions with a chicken cluck and spend more time rolling around on the ground instead of upright.  I'll admit, I have a hard time with silliness, but I guess I'd rather you be crazy and annoying than mean and tantruming (which you are occasionally too).  I'll try to value this stage more.  Heaven knows I'll probably be missing it when the teenage angst hits.

You're a pretty passionate little boy and have lots of loves.  Obsessiveness is a quality of ASD and you definitely have it!  You're particular obsession right now is with Legos in general and Heroica Lego games in particular.  You've been talking for months about all the cool Lego things you're going to get for your birthday and what you're going to do with the windfall of birthday money you insist that you're getting (thank heavens Auntie Steph is sending $10...which is pretty much a windfall in your book).  You love the color orange (thanks to your cousin, Greyson) and The Chinese Rest-ur-naunt more than anything in this world.  You love to sing and dance in your funny, I-can't-help-myself way to all sorts of different music.  You love Tonight Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae and Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger. You're also big fan of Fun. right now, in particular (which, of course, I'm not complaining about ;).  You're in first grade and you enjoy it so much, although you are a bit disgruntled with the length of the day...a whole 7 hours, you like to point out.  You are so smart, it's ridiculous.  You memorize things like a crazy-pants and do math weeellll above your grade level.  It's nice to not have to worry about math with you, especially since it's definitely a skill I lack.  You love hiking and camping and beg to do both regularly.  Your biggest ambition in life right now is to hike The Subway in Zion's National Park with your Daddy one day.

You love your siblings and, heaven knows, they love you.  Oakie, in particular, thinks you're the best thing since sliced bread.  Their free-spirited ways don't always mesh well with your need for structure and rules, but I think y'all probably bring out the best (and sometimes worst ;) of each other.  Don't take their love for granted, Ezra Emil.  Remember that they're people too and deserve your kindness and respect.

Oh, Ezra, my Sunshine...I love you so.  You make me so happy.  Remember that always.  Even when I'm angry and frustrated with you...you always bring me joy.  Remember to be patient with the people around you, Ezra.  Not everyone feels and thinks the way you do.  Be tolerant of them.  Also, Ezzie Boy, remember that while you are oh-so-smart, you are not the smartest and you have a lot to learn from a lot of different people.  I love you with all of my soul, my first son. I love you so very, very, very much.

Happy 7th Birthday, Ezra Emil!

miscarrying friggin' bites.

for serious.

How Tall This Fall?

It's that time again, faithful followers...time for our annual trip to Schaake's Pumpkin Patch! This was our fourth year going and it was just as much fun this year as always.  I know, I know, I expound on the virtues of Schakke's every year...but you just can't beat a free pumpkin patch with a free hay bale maze, free play area, and free hay rides.  I do so love that place.  It was freeeezing this year, but we came prepared and all bundled up and it wasn't too bad at all.  Anyway, onto the picture overload!

We started off the event with our must-have How Tall This Fall pictures.  Unfortunately, I cropped off the top of the sign that says How Tall This Fall...but trust me, that's what it's called.  promise.

(to see how the kids measure up to previous years, go here (2011) and here (2010 and 2009))

Georgia Marie, almost 5.5

It's so nice to see a smiling, happy Gee.  She's had a rough couple of months.

Scarlett Caroline, 4 in a couple of weeks

 Scarlett was just a baby the first time we took her here and had to be held up to have her picture taken.  Now she's posing like a pro. craziness.

Oh look, there's the sign.  proof.

Ezra Emil, 7 next week

Gah! He's looking so old!  It's especially crazy to see him standing in the same spot year after year...he's just so much older now.

Oak Gideon, 16 mo

Poor little man was tired and grumpy.  He was not pleased at all.  Luckily he had cheered up by the time we hit the actual pumpkin patch.

Ezra and Georgia celebrating at the top of the slide in the middle of the hay maze

Scarlett's attempt at smiling with wet panties.  Poor girl had an accident when she got stuck in the middle of the maze.  Luckily Daddy had a hand warmer that we put it down her tights.  (I know, I know, it sounds all sorts of odd, but it kept the cold away)

(ps-if that hat looks familiar...it's because it is.  It's a 6-12 mo hat that she's worn pretty much her entire life.  true story.)

Dad and Oak on on the hay ride down to the pumpkin patch

cheesin' it

Oakie was so proud that he managed to pick up this teeny-tiny pumpkin

 

Ezra with his choice.  He picked it because it's "so dark that it's almost black...like a bat."

 Scarlett couldn't resist the temptation to pick out a bright yellow pumpkin, her very favorite color

Georgie showing off her perfect, round, wart-less orange pumpkin.  She was adamant that she wanted to go classic.  None of those new-fangled, fashionably colored gourds for this girl.

Posing with the loot

Cherish it, folks, 'cause it's the only smiley picture of Oak we got all day

After picking our pumpkins we hit up the playground for one last hurrah.

Oh look, two homeless children we found on the tire swing.

 

Ezra took Oak on his first big kid slide.  I was worried it'd scare him to death but the boy, in true Lifferth fashion, loved every exhilarating second of it.

Well, that's a wrap, folks! I do so love the pumpkin patch yearly post.  It makes me happy.

:)

Formspring: Ezra's Toothless Costume

A little bit ago I got this question on Formspring:

Hi Whitney! I was wondering how you and your engineer made the Toothless Costume?! I'm trying to do one before Halloween.  Thanks so much!

For those of y'all that need a refresher, they're asking about Ezra's Halloween costume from last year, Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon.

Spencer based the wings off of this version:
http://www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com/coolest-homemade-toothless-the-dragon-halloween-costume-idea-4.html
He scaled the wings down so they would fit Ezra. You can scale it up or down, however you'd like, the only thing that matters is the distance to the pivot points, just make sure you scale them all the same. We just attached the wooden wing frame to a thrift store backpack and kind of draped the cheapest black knit fabric I could find over the frame to make it look like wings. If you'd like more specific details on anything, including the tail and cap, feel free to ask again!

I'm diggin' the jeans.

Let it be known, far and wide, that Georgia is actually wearing a pair of jeans by her own will and choice. This is the first time this has happened (other than the rare cool-weather camping trip where she isn't given a choice) since 2009, folks.

fo' real, yo.

(the fact that they're hot pink and have hearts on the bum certainly didn't hurt much ;)

Thanks, Mimi, for the oh-so-fabulous jeans!

ps-I know, I know, you've already seen this on facebook, but it's a big enough deal that I put it on both.

so deal with it.