August Birthday Season and the end of summer

I somehow inadvertently started the tradition this year of getting the kids balloons on their birthdays. Here is Daisy's birthday donut.

This is a puzzle Goldie made Daisy for her birthday. So cute! It did have those other pieces at some point.

It was weird this year; the boys had a cross-country race before school even started! It was on Sebastian's birthday, so it was extra sad when I woke up at 5 a.m. to Seb in my room saying hoarsely "I'm too sick to go to the race." Such a sad start to his birthday! We left him home in bed and went to watch Malachi run.

Malachi is the only person I have ever known who smiles while running! He told me, "People act like it takes more energy to smile. But it doesn't." I think it's a bit of a point of pride for him now—the Speedy Smiler. (That should be his nickname. But it isn't. In fact, his nickname on the team is "The Magician." I didn't believe that was real until we talked to Ky's coach after the race and he said, "Great race for The Magician today!" haha.) It was a big race and Malachi looked really good! He said he also says "good job" to people as he passes them. "It's really demoralizing," he explained. 

We were doing some errands at Target later that day when we ran into a few people from the cross-country team there. Then when we got home, it turned out they had been buying presents and treats for Seb and had showed up at our house to celebrate his birthday! It was really sweet. I was so happy to see Seb sitting outside with his friends, not forgotten after all.  

And he felt good enough to eat his cake and birthday dinner that night, so that was good! He watched a mountain bike race on the computer with his siblings while we went to the evening session of Stake Conference. I think it turned out to be a pretty good birthday for him, considering!

Our neighbors invited the girls and Teddy to hike to Timpanogos Cave with them.

It was cool because it was a special "lantern tour" and they each got to hold their own lantern! (I heard a report that Teddy tripped and dropped his lantern, and it broke! But then the guide told him they were trying to phase the glass lanterns out and replace them with plastic, so Teddy had actually done them a favor. That was a nice way to react, wasn't it?)

The children are begging me to have a school unit on Caves now!

The cave-hikers are the same neighbors that have aerial silks in their yard. They taught my girls how to climb them and they had so much fun being acrobats! 

Junie got her first pair of pointe shoes for ballet. She was so excited! And then to top it off the lady at the shoe store said she had "nice feet." :)

"I'm a skirt lady."

One day Sam and I found ourselves home with only the little boys and Clementine! Everyone else was at some camp or other. So we went to a playground with them. Just like old times! Really old. Last time we were parents of three was…fifteen years ago?

Clementine on the swing at home

Daisy got this pink dress and new Sunday shoes for her birthday. She looks so pretty and grown-up! She and Junie matched the roses so well, I had to take some pictures.

Here Daisy is on another day, along with Junie in her birthday dress.

Clementine looks so cute in all her little dresses now that she's toddling around! Her hair is growing a bit too. Soon maybe we'll be able to eke out a little pigtail!

My counselor in Primary went to Guatemala this summer and brought back this little yellow dress for Clementine. I love it so much.

Yelling "Hi" at me

Very mad to be walking to Daisy (why??)

Is this how legs should go?

Oven mitts

Matching rosies

Too many babies! If that's possible.

Our little back-to-school dinner

Each and every member of the family was happy to be there

The best chicken souvlaki and grilled vegetables with tzatziki and whipped feta dip for dinner!