8th Birthday Interview: Elizabeth Grace

Little Ellie!

 Elizabeth Grace

Ellie is all heart and passion when it comes to life. She loves people but also loves the quiet, and can often be found retreating into a book if she needs some mental space from her siblings. She has a tight network of friends at school, and has learned the importance of choosing them wisely while also being inclusive of others. Just last week, her class voted her "most trustworthy" which made this Mama heart sing! Ellie is so sweet, but also has a strong sense of right and wrong and what needs to happen next to move a project, game, or assignment forward. Truly, if we weren't sure that she was our "runt", we'd be absolutely convinced that our little leader was actually the first born. As it is, she's finally come to accept and be proud of being the youngest....that only took about six years. haha!

How old are you? "8"
What makes you happy? "Playing my tablet and play with Abby"
What is your favorite animal? "Cats" 
What is your favorite color? "Blue and purple"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "You know those brownies Cita (Grandma) makes and she puts ice cream on top? Those are good!"
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts" 
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play my tablet or watch TV"
What is your favorite TV show? "Sonic Boom"
What is your favorite movie? "Mary Poppins Returns"
What are you really good at? "Reading"
What is your favorite song? "This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things by Taylor Swift"
What do you and your mom do together? "Go out for ice cream - we do a lot of stuff together - we do almost everything together, I think." 
What do you and your dad do together? "Go on adventures"
What is your favorite book? "The Kittycorn Book. McKinley and me are writing and illustrating it together at school." (McKinley is her friend at school)
What is your favorite toy? "Grey" (her stuffed cat)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A vet" (veterinarian) 

Little Ellie!

 Elizabeth Grace

Ellie is all heart and passion when it comes to life. She loves people but also loves the quiet, and can often be found retreating into a book if she needs some mental space from her siblings. She has a tight network of friends at school, and has learned the importance of choosing them wisely while also being inclusive of others. Just last week, her class voted her "most trustworthy" which made this Mama heart sing! Ellie is so sweet, but also has a strong sense of right and wrong and what needs to happen next to move a project, game, or assignment forward. Truly, if we weren't sure that she was our "runt", we'd be absolutely convinced that our little leader was actually the first born. As it is, she's finally come to accept and be proud of being the youngest....that only took about six years. haha!

How old are you? "8"
What makes you happy? "Playing my tablet and play with Abby"
What is your favorite animal? "Cats" 
What is your favorite color? "Blue and purple"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "You know those brownies Cita (Grandma) makes and she puts ice cream on top? Those are good!"
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts" 
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play my tablet or watch TV"
What is your favorite TV show? "Sonic Boom"
What is your favorite movie? "Mary Poppins Returns"
What are you really good at? "Reading"
What is your favorite song? "This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things by Taylor Swift"
What do you and your mom do together? "Go out for ice cream - we do a lot of stuff together - we do almost everything together, I think." 
What do you and your dad do together? "Go on adventures"
What is your favorite book? "The Kittycorn Book. McKinley and me are writing and illustrating it together at school." (McKinley is her friend at school)
What is your favorite toy? "Grey" (her stuffed cat)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A vet" (veterinarian) 

8th Birthday Interview: Elijah James

Elijah's turn!

 Elijah James

One thing I love about Elijah is that he knows exactly what he's interested in. This boy loves science so much! He's not picky either. If it can be related back to any scientific field, he is 100% on board. Like any good scientist, he loves asking questions....looooots and loooots of questions which keeps us on our toes, but he's a sharp kid, with a kind heart, so we try to remember that while he's talking non-stop.

How old are you? "8 on my birthday"
What makes you happy? "Playing my tablet and watching TV"
What is your favorite animal? "Husky Puppies" (stuffed animals)
What is your favorite color? "Green"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Tacos...crunchy tacos!"
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Brussels sprouts. Put an exclamation point after that." 
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play my tablet and watch TV"
What is your favorite TV show? "Arthur" 
What is your favorite movie? "Mary Poppins Returns" 
What are you really good at? "Science, the school subject"
What is your favorite song? "I like all the classical music, but my most favorite would be the Nutcracker one."
What do you and your mom do together? "Cook sometimes, Kiwi Crate sometimes"
What do you and your dad do together? "Kiwi Crate most of the time" 
What is your favorite book? "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the National Geographic Junior Almanacs"
What is your favorite toy? "My tablet" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A scientist...I have no idea which kind"

Elijah's turn!

 Elijah James

One thing I love about Elijah is that he knows exactly what he's interested in. This boy loves science so much! He's not picky either. If it can be related back to any scientific field, he is 100% on board. Like any good scientist, he loves asking questions....looooots and loooots of questions which keeps us on our toes, but he's a sharp kid, with a kind heart, so we try to remember that while he's talking non-stop.

How old are you? "8 on my birthday"
What makes you happy? "Playing my tablet and watching TV"
What is your favorite animal? "Husky Puppies" (stuffed animals)
What is your favorite color? "Green"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Tacos...crunchy tacos!"
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Brussels sprouts. Put an exclamation point after that." 
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play my tablet and watch TV"
What is your favorite TV show? "Arthur" 
What is your favorite movie? "Mary Poppins Returns" 
What are you really good at? "Science, the school subject"
What is your favorite song? "I like all the classical music, but my most favorite would be the Nutcracker one."
What do you and your mom do together? "Cook sometimes, Kiwi Crate sometimes"
What do you and your dad do together? "Kiwi Crate most of the time" 
What is your favorite book? "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the National Geographic Junior Almanacs"
What is your favorite toy? "My tablet" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A scientist...I have no idea which kind"

8th Birthday Interview: Abigail Rose

Up 2nd....Our Abby! 

 Abigail Rose

Abby has always lived in a land of unicorns and rainbows, and nothing much has changed there. If you've never met Abby in real life, she is every bit Amy Adam's character from Enchanted. In fact, I'm pretty sure Abby will do this exact song and dance number when she finds true love in about 20 years. She will probably be wearing that dress too. Until then, everyone she meets her new best friend, and she can turn any situation into "the best day of her life!" She is most definitely our ray of sunshine!

How old are you turning? "7.....wait a minute....I'm turning 8!"
What makes you happy? "Butterflies, princesses, mermaids, puppies and kittens, jokes, Mary Poppins, and unicorns" 
What is your favorite animal? "Unicorns!" 
What is your favorite color? "Pink"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Ice Cream - Strawberry!"
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Potatoes"
What is your favorite thing to do? "Dance and sing"
What is your favorite TV show? "Vampirina"
What is your favorite movie? "Mary Poppins Returns"
What are you really good at? "Pretending to be a unicorn"
What is your favorite song? "How Far I'll Go" from Moana
What do you and your mom do together? "We go out for ice cream"
What do you and your dad do together? "Wrestle the boys. They are knuckleheads."
What is your favorite book? "The Candy Fairies: Marshmallow Mystery" 
What is your favorite toy? "The Puppy Purses"
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A mermaid princess!"

Up 2nd....Our Abby! 

 Abigail Rose

Abby has always lived in a land of unicorns and rainbows, and nothing much has changed there. If you've never met Abby in real life, she is every bit Amy Adam's character from Enchanted. In fact, I'm pretty sure Abby will do this exact song and dance number when she finds true love in about 20 years. She will probably be wearing that dress too. Until then, everyone she meets her new best friend, and she can turn any situation into "the best day of her life!" She is most definitely our ray of sunshine!

How old are you turning? "7.....wait a minute....I'm turning 8!"
What makes you happy? "Butterflies, princesses, mermaids, puppies and kittens, jokes, Mary Poppins, and unicorns" 
What is your favorite animal? "Unicorns!" 
What is your favorite color? "Pink"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Ice Cream - Strawberry!"
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Potatoes"
What is your favorite thing to do? "Dance and sing"
What is your favorite TV show? "Vampirina"
What is your favorite movie? "Mary Poppins Returns"
What are you really good at? "Pretending to be a unicorn"
What is your favorite song? "How Far I'll Go" from Moana
What do you and your mom do together? "We go out for ice cream"
What do you and your dad do together? "Wrestle the boys. They are knuckleheads."
What is your favorite book? "The Candy Fairies: Marshmallow Mystery" 
What is your favorite toy? "The Puppy Purses"
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A mermaid princess!"

8th Birthday Interview: Caleb Sean

Yay, birthday interviews! Our kids look forward to these as much as I do!

 Caleb Sean

Caleb has been doing so well in school lately! He's learning how to be more flexible, and I think he finally realizes that school is a non-negotiable. haha! He takes great pride in being able to help when teachers or staff give him a way to be involved in his school community, and....our biggest news....he has stopped wearing his headphones all the time! He rarely ever wears them at home, church, or when he is out in public with our family now. He does still wear them at school somewhat, but he will leave the house with them in his backpack to start the day. He is adapting to life so well. We couldn't be more proud of the strides he's made in the past year!

How old are you turning? "8"
What makes you happy? "Whenever I watch Phineas and Ferb, be with my mom and dad, go to World's of Fun, when I see Blue (his stuffed doggy), data days with my resource teachers, I like speech (therapy) because it's during math time and that's not my favorite, but don't tell my teacher."
What is your favorite animal? "Lions"
What is your favorite color? "All the colors"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "BBQ Bacon Burgers" 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Orange Chicken"
What is your favorite thing to do? "Build with Legos, build Fort Magic structures, hang out with Blue (his stuffed doggy), play Polly Pockets with the sisters, and hang out with all my Ishum Friends which is also known as Elijah, Abby, Ellie and Mom and Dad"
What is your favorite TV show? "Phineas & Ferb and Sonic Boom"
What is your favorite movie? "The Greatest Showman"
What are you really good at? "Making stuff for my Mom and Dad and all my Ishum Friends, building stuff with Fort Magic and Lego bricks"
What is your favorite song? "Under Pressure and anything with jazz"
What do you and your mom do together? "We hang out a bit. We eat, we cook, sometimes we bake a bit and play."
What do you and your dad do together? "We hang out with each other. We talk about stuff, drink pineapple peach kumbucha, and other things but I can't say them all on this thing." 
What is your favorite book? "Kung Pow Chicken and Super Rabbit Boy books"
What is your favorite toy? "Legos and Fort Magic stuff"
What do you want to be when you grow up? "I can't decide if I should be a builder or a preschool teacher. This year, I think a builder...or an ice cream truck driver.

Yay, birthday interviews! Our kids look forward to these as much as I do!

 Caleb Sean

Caleb has been doing so well in school lately! He's learning how to be more flexible, and I think he finally realizes that school is a non-negotiable. haha! He takes great pride in being able to help when teachers or staff give him a way to be involved in his school community, and....our biggest news....he has stopped wearing his headphones all the time! He rarely ever wears them at home, church, or when he is out in public with our family now. He does still wear them at school somewhat, but he will leave the house with them in his backpack to start the day. He is adapting to life so well. We couldn't be more proud of the strides he's made in the past year!

How old are you turning? "8"
What makes you happy? "Whenever I watch Phineas and Ferb, be with my mom and dad, go to World's of Fun, when I see Blue (his stuffed doggy), data days with my resource teachers, I like speech (therapy) because it's during math time and that's not my favorite, but don't tell my teacher."
What is your favorite animal? "Lions"
What is your favorite color? "All the colors"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "BBQ Bacon Burgers" 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Orange Chicken"
What is your favorite thing to do? "Build with Legos, build Fort Magic structures, hang out with Blue (his stuffed doggy), play Polly Pockets with the sisters, and hang out with all my Ishum Friends which is also known as Elijah, Abby, Ellie and Mom and Dad"
What is your favorite TV show? "Phineas & Ferb and Sonic Boom"
What is your favorite movie? "The Greatest Showman"
What are you really good at? "Making stuff for my Mom and Dad and all my Ishum Friends, building stuff with Fort Magic and Lego bricks"
What is your favorite song? "Under Pressure and anything with jazz"
What do you and your mom do together? "We hang out a bit. We eat, we cook, sometimes we bake a bit and play."
What do you and your dad do together? "We hang out with each other. We talk about stuff, drink pineapple peach kumbucha, and other things but I can't say them all on this thing." 
What is your favorite book? "Kung Pow Chicken and Super Rabbit Boy books"
What is your favorite toy? "Legos and Fort Magic stuff"
What do you want to be when you grow up? "I can't decide if I should be a builder or a preschool teacher. This year, I think a builder...or an ice cream truck driver.

Two Weeks Later: Happy 7th Birthday!

Two weeks to the day later....Happy birthday to our 7-year-olds!

One of my favorite things to do is to click back year-by-year and see how much the kids have grown and changed. For anyone who wants to see their age progression (and so that I can easily look back in later years), here they are at age 6, age 5, age 4, age 3, age 2, and age 1. The thing that strikes me so much in looking at their photo this year is how little "baby" they have left in their faces. Even last year, there was still some left. But this year? Ack! I think we are definitely in the kid-phase no matter how much I wish I could freeze some of those early baby days.

It just goes too fast, you know?

Their 7th birthday didn't come without drama though. Abby has been dealing with a lot of anxiety lately, and it just became too overwhelming for her on their birthday weekend. I think it was the intangible change of turning 7 and not knowing what to do with it or how to handle it that put her over the edge. It was a rough couple of days with many tears to the point where she made herself throw up, she was so nervous. Next year, I'm going to try not to play up the birthday thing so much. Maybe it will go better for her. Thankfully, once the weekend ended, she adapted to her new age (I guess?) and life is better.

For the record, Caleb was also nervous about turning 7....but only because he was afraid of doing more "chores". Keep in mind that their chores have mainly consisted of putting their dirty underwear in the laundry basket, taking their dishes to the sink after meals, and picking up their toys. He is currently one of my "responsible humans in training."

Elijah and Ellie rolled with it and thought it was grand! :)

Two weeks to the day later....Happy birthday to our 7-year-olds!

One of my favorite things to do is to click back year-by-year and see how much the kids have grown and changed. For anyone who wants to see their age progression (and so that I can easily look back in later years), here they are at age 6, age 5, age 4, age 3, age 2, and age 1. The thing that strikes me so much in looking at their photo this year is how little "baby" they have left in their faces. Even last year, there was still some left. But this year? Ack! I think we are definitely in the kid-phase no matter how much I wish I could freeze some of those early baby days.

It just goes too fast, you know?

Their 7th birthday didn't come without drama though. Abby has been dealing with a lot of anxiety lately, and it just became too overwhelming for her on their birthday weekend. I think it was the intangible change of turning 7 and not knowing what to do with it or how to handle it that put her over the edge. It was a rough couple of days with many tears to the point where she made herself throw up, she was so nervous. Next year, I'm going to try not to play up the birthday thing so much. Maybe it will go better for her. Thankfully, once the weekend ended, she adapted to her new age (I guess?) and life is better.

For the record, Caleb was also nervous about turning 7....but only because he was afraid of doing more "chores". Keep in mind that their chores have mainly consisted of putting their dirty underwear in the laundry basket, taking their dishes to the sink after meals, and picking up their toys. He is currently one of my "responsible humans in training."

Elijah and Ellie rolled with it and thought it was grand! :)

7th Birthday Interview: Elizabeth Grace

Little Ellie!

 Elizabeth Grace

So much personality packed into such a tiny little girl....tonight at dinner, she turned to us and announced that she was "born serious." Lol!! Serious, yes, but also an absolute riot! She has a strong sense of justice, a determination to be the best at what she tackles, and a love of reading chapter books, along with a hilarious personality that fills the room when she speaks up. Ellie's focus on always improving herself will be so helpful in her future. We know there are big things in front of her!

How old are you? "Six, and I'm going to turn seven!"
What makes you happy? "Unicorns"
What is your favorite animal? "Tigers" 
What is your favorite color? "Red"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Pizza...Pepperoni Pizza" 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Spinach" 
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play on my tablet"
What is your favorite TV show? "Calico Critters" (this lady plays with toys on YouTube...and my kids love it. I don't get it...)
What is your favorite movie? "Frozen"
What are you really good at? "Playing Data Stream on my tablet" (it's a game on ABC Mouse)
What is your favorite song? "Cups" by Anna Kendrick from the Pitch Perfect soundtrack
What do you and your mom do together? "Go grocery shopping" 
What do you and your dad do together? "Trivia Crack"
What is your favorite book? "Actually....I don't have a favorite book?"
What is your favorite toy? "My stuffed animals" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "There are a lot of things that I want to be. I haven't decided yet. I'm probably going to be a vet. If not, then probably an artist with [my friend] McKinley."

Little Ellie!

 Elizabeth Grace

So much personality packed into such a tiny little girl....tonight at dinner, she turned to us and announced that she was "born serious." Lol!! Serious, yes, but also an absolute riot! She has a strong sense of justice, a determination to be the best at what she tackles, and a love of reading chapter books, along with a hilarious personality that fills the room when she speaks up. Ellie's focus on always improving herself will be so helpful in her future. We know there are big things in front of her!

How old are you? "Six, and I'm going to turn seven!"
What makes you happy? "Unicorns"
What is your favorite animal? "Tigers" 
What is your favorite color? "Red"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Pizza...Pepperoni Pizza" 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Spinach" 
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play on my tablet"
What is your favorite TV show? "Calico Critters" (this lady plays with toys on YouTube...and my kids love it. I don't get it...)
What is your favorite movie? "Frozen"
What are you really good at? "Playing Data Stream on my tablet" (it's a game on ABC Mouse)
What is your favorite song? "Cups" by Anna Kendrick from the Pitch Perfect soundtrack
What do you and your mom do together? "Go grocery shopping" 
What do you and your dad do together? "Trivia Crack"
What is your favorite book? "Actually....I don't have a favorite book?"
What is your favorite toy? "My stuffed animals" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "There are a lot of things that I want to be. I haven't decided yet. I'm probably going to be a vet. If not, then probably an artist with [my friend] McKinley."

7th Birthday Interview: Elijah James

Elijah is our Baby C! He *loves* being asked his birthday questions!

 Elijah James

Just looking at the difference between Elijah's birthday photo last year and his birthday photo this year...I realize how much he has changed and grown up on me. So many of his baby features have given way to this big boy look. I'm sure his new glasses (as of 6 months ago) are contributing to that! Elijah is a very tenderhearted kiddo who cares about what others think and if he is hitting the benchmark for everything. He worries often about his school work and making his teacher happy, so we are working hard on helping him be okay with where he is at....since he actually does quite well in school! His biggest struggle is just sitting still and knowing when to listen. He talks nonstop. Literally. Nonstop. So many questions and constant movement. It is exhausting. Our sweet boy doesn't realize it though, so Sean and I are refining our patience right now. haha! Elijah is all about science, all the time, and we love seeing his interests starting to bloom in a direction that makes him happy!

How old are you? "Six" (only for a few more days!)
What makes you happy? "Playing with Dad"
What is your favorite animal? "Monkeys, dogs, and science animals" 
What is your favorite color? "Green and orange"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Italian pasta and Mexican food, which you should know already." 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Zucchini" 
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play Trivia Crack or Words with Friends with Daddy"
What is your favorite TV show? "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Jimmy Neutron" 
What is your favorite movie? "Winnie the Pooh and The Musical Too, and Cars 1, 2, and 3" 
What are you really good at? "Somersaults"
What is your favorite song? "Jack Johnson songs"
What do you and your mom do together? "Cook"
What do you and your dad do together? "Play Trivia Crack and Words with Friends" 
What is your favorite book? "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
What is your favorite toy? "Baby Jingle, my stuffed animal, and my microscope" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "Paleontologist"

Elijah is our Baby C! He *loves* being asked his birthday questions!

 Elijah James

Just looking at the difference between Elijah's birthday photo last year and his birthday photo this year...I realize how much he has changed and grown up on me. So many of his baby features have given way to this big boy look. I'm sure his new glasses (as of 6 months ago) are contributing to that! Elijah is a very tenderhearted kiddo who cares about what others think and if he is hitting the benchmark for everything. He worries often about his school work and making his teacher happy, so we are working hard on helping him be okay with where he is at....since he actually does quite well in school! His biggest struggle is just sitting still and knowing when to listen. He talks nonstop. Literally. Nonstop. So many questions and constant movement. It is exhausting. Our sweet boy doesn't realize it though, so Sean and I are refining our patience right now. haha! Elijah is all about science, all the time, and we love seeing his interests starting to bloom in a direction that makes him happy!

How old are you? "Six" (only for a few more days!)
What makes you happy? "Playing with Dad"
What is your favorite animal? "Monkeys, dogs, and science animals" 
What is your favorite color? "Green and orange"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Italian pasta and Mexican food, which you should know already." 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Zucchini" 
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play Trivia Crack or Words with Friends with Daddy"
What is your favorite TV show? "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Jimmy Neutron" 
What is your favorite movie? "Winnie the Pooh and The Musical Too, and Cars 1, 2, and 3" 
What are you really good at? "Somersaults"
What is your favorite song? "Jack Johnson songs"
What do you and your mom do together? "Cook"
What do you and your dad do together? "Play Trivia Crack and Words with Friends" 
What is your favorite book? "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
What is your favorite toy? "Baby Jingle, my stuffed animal, and my microscope" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "Paleontologist"

7th Birthday Interview: Abigail Rose

Up 2nd....Our Abby! 

 Abigail Rose

Abby is consistently our most grateful child. It doesn't matter what the situation is or how much she wants something, she will always say "thank you" and express her genuine appreciation for what she is given even if it's not quite what she wants. It's really encouraging to talk to her on days when it feels like none of the other kids care about what we are doing for them. Parents, you know what I'm talking about here. :)  Abby works super hard in school to please her teacher and absolutely loves her friends. She feels the highs and lows of life deeply, and that comes through in dancing and in tears depending on the day and the situation. Abby is one of the most precious, loving souls and always ready to give a hug to anyone who might need one.

How old are you? "Six turning seven"
What makes you happy? "Unicorns!" 
What is your favorite animal? "Unicorns!" 
What is your favorite color? "Pink!"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Waffles, even pancakes"
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Spinach" (she is super picky)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Skip. Play Dragon Master. Jump Rope." (Dragon Master is a book she is reading at school)
What is your favorite TV show? "Calico Critters" (this lady plays with toys on YouTube...and my kids love it. I don't get it...)
What is your favorite movie? "Moana"
What are you really good at? "Hula Hooping!" Do you know how to hula hoop?? "Um...no. I just want to say that!"
What is your favorite song? "How Far I'll Go" from Moana
What do you and your mom do together? "Eat cake together"
What do you and your dad do together? "Drink kombucha!"
What is your favorite book? "Fancy Nancy: Apples Galore" 
What is your favorite toy? "Moana barbie"
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A princess!"

Up 2nd....Our Abby! 

 Abigail Rose

Abby is consistently our most grateful child. It doesn't matter what the situation is or how much she wants something, she will always say "thank you" and express her genuine appreciation for what she is given even if it's not quite what she wants. It's really encouraging to talk to her on days when it feels like none of the other kids care about what we are doing for them. Parents, you know what I'm talking about here. :)  Abby works super hard in school to please her teacher and absolutely loves her friends. She feels the highs and lows of life deeply, and that comes through in dancing and in tears depending on the day and the situation. Abby is one of the most precious, loving souls and always ready to give a hug to anyone who might need one.

How old are you? "Six turning seven"
What makes you happy? "Unicorns!" 
What is your favorite animal? "Unicorns!" 
What is your favorite color? "Pink!"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Waffles, even pancakes"
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Spinach" (she is super picky)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Skip. Play Dragon Master. Jump Rope." (Dragon Master is a book she is reading at school)
What is your favorite TV show? "Calico Critters" (this lady plays with toys on YouTube...and my kids love it. I don't get it...)
What is your favorite movie? "Moana"
What are you really good at? "Hula Hooping!" Do you know how to hula hoop?? "Um...no. I just want to say that!"
What is your favorite song? "How Far I'll Go" from Moana
What do you and your mom do together? "Eat cake together"
What do you and your dad do together? "Drink kombucha!"
What is your favorite book? "Fancy Nancy: Apples Galore" 
What is your favorite toy? "Moana barbie"
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A princess!"

7th Birthday Interview: Caleb Sean

Time for our birthday interviews! I'm a bit late getting started this year, so I'm going to have to post one every few days to get through all four kids by the time their birthday rolls around!

 Caleb Sean

Caleb is doing so well these days! While he still gets several therapies at school, he has settled into a rhythm and is transitioning from activity to activity much better than at the beginning of the school year. He reads incredibly well, although any written assignments can cause some stress and frustration as it's definitely at the bottom of his preferred activities list. One of his best talents is having a super sharp memory which means that he can recall details, sections of historical speeches, and songs weeks after he hears them. At the same time, he doesn't talk nearly as much as his brother, but when he does, it's usually pretty well thought out and direct. Thankfully he has become good at letting us know what he needs, so there isn't nearly as much guessing now when he starts to struggle (he thrives on schedules, structure, and predictable days!) As a sibling, he most certainly has an ornery streak, and has clearly spent the last few years figuring out exactly which buttons to push when it comes to his brother and sisters. He can be both the most concerned kid for another sibling's welfare and push them to the edge all in the same 5 minutes. Sometimes it's hard to keep a straight face because his sense of humor is hilarious!

How old are you? "Six" (for two more weeks!)
What makes you happy? "My BB8 headphones" (He wears headphones to block extra noise.)
What is your favorite animal? "Lions, foxes, and cats."
What is your favorite color? "All of them."
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Pancakes, waffles, mashed potatoes, tacos, burritos, hash browns, fries, chicken nuggets, and chicken tenders." 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Sweet potatoes and hash browns that are not in a fry shape."
What is your favorite thing to do? "Learn some good tricks and get fit."
What is your favorite TV show? "Miles from Tomorrowland and Sonic Boom."
What is your favorite movie? "Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Big Hero 6, Planes: Fire and Rescue, Cars."
What are you really good at? "Fitness tricks like stretch out."
What is your favorite song? "The Trolls Soundtrack....Hair Up."
What do you and your mom do together? "Have some fun and get a goodnight's rest"
What do you and your dad do together? "Rest and wrestle" 
What is your favorite book? "A Fancy Day in Room 1-A. It's Fancy Nancy."
What do you want to be when you grow up? "I don't know what I want to be...I just want to be a hero."
What is your favorite toy? "My puppy named 'Blue' and all my other stuffed animals."


For fun, here is Caleb dancing to the "Hair Up!" song!

Time for our birthday interviews! I'm a bit late getting started this year, so I'm going to have to post one every few days to get through all four kids by the time their birthday rolls around!

 Caleb Sean

Caleb is doing so well these days! While he still gets several therapies at school, he has settled into a rhythm and is transitioning from activity to activity much better than at the beginning of the school year. He reads incredibly well, although any written assignments can cause some stress and frustration as it's definitely at the bottom of his preferred activities list. One of his best talents is having a super sharp memory which means that he can recall details, sections of historical speeches, and songs weeks after he hears them. At the same time, he doesn't talk nearly as much as his brother, but when he does, it's usually pretty well thought out and direct. Thankfully he has become good at letting us know what he needs, so there isn't nearly as much guessing now when he starts to struggle (he thrives on schedules, structure, and predictable days!) As a sibling, he most certainly has an ornery streak, and has clearly spent the last few years figuring out exactly which buttons to push when it comes to his brother and sisters. He can be both the most concerned kid for another sibling's welfare and push them to the edge all in the same 5 minutes. Sometimes it's hard to keep a straight face because his sense of humor is hilarious!

How old are you? "Six" (for two more weeks!)
What makes you happy? "My BB8 headphones" (He wears headphones to block extra noise.)
What is your favorite animal? "Lions, foxes, and cats."
What is your favorite color? "All of them."
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Pancakes, waffles, mashed potatoes, tacos, burritos, hash browns, fries, chicken nuggets, and chicken tenders." 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Sweet potatoes and hash browns that are not in a fry shape."
What is your favorite thing to do? "Learn some good tricks and get fit."
What is your favorite TV show? "Miles from Tomorrowland and Sonic Boom."
What is your favorite movie? "Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Big Hero 6, Planes: Fire and Rescue, Cars."
What are you really good at? "Fitness tricks like stretch out."
What is your favorite song? "The Trolls Soundtrack....Hair Up."
What do you and your mom do together? "Have some fun and get a goodnight's rest"
What do you and your dad do together? "Rest and wrestle" 
What is your favorite book? "A Fancy Day in Room 1-A. It's Fancy Nancy."
What do you want to be when you grow up? "I don't know what I want to be...I just want to be a hero."
What is your favorite toy? "My puppy named 'Blue' and all my other stuffed animals."


For fun, here is Caleb dancing to the "Hair Up!" song!

Better Late Than Never!

Guess what I forgot to post? Yep. As I was clicking around on photos on my computer today, I decided...better late than never!

Happy birthday to our kiddos who celebrated their 6th birthdays with 4 dozen cupcakes at school and 4 individual cakes with family and friends! We try to make it as individual as we can even though they all shared the same womb space. 

And even though Ellie looks significantly shorter in this photo, she's actually pretty close to the same height as the others. She's slouching. lol!

It's hard to believe that time has gone by so fast. I remember being a new quad mom and looking at photos of the other quad moms with their 6-year-olds. I used to think, "Wow. They really have it all together. If I can just make it that far." Come to find out that I know no more today than I did about 6-years-ago. It doesn't necessarily get easier. Just different. A different kind of exhaustion. A different kind of stress. However the prayers stay roughly the same, and the love grows only deeper. :)

We are blessed in every way with our "babies" who often remind us that they are now "big kids."

Guess what I forgot to post? Yep. As I was clicking around on photos on my computer today, I decided...better late than never!

Happy birthday to our kiddos who celebrated their 6th birthdays with 4 dozen cupcakes at school and 4 individual cakes with family and friends! We try to make it as individual as we can even though they all shared the same womb space. 

And even though Ellie looks significantly shorter in this photo, she's actually pretty close to the same height as the others. She's slouching. lol!

It's hard to believe that time has gone by so fast. I remember being a new quad mom and looking at photos of the other quad moms with their 6-year-olds. I used to think, "Wow. They really have it all together. If I can just make it that far." Come to find out that I know no more today than I did about 6-years-ago. It doesn't necessarily get easier. Just different. A different kind of exhaustion. A different kind of stress. However the prayers stay roughly the same, and the love grows only deeper. :)

We are blessed in every way with our "babies" who often remind us that they are now "big kids."

6th Birthday Interview: Elizabeth Grace

Our wee one is last up!

 Elizabeth Grace

Our Ellie girl is all spunk and feistiness. She makes up for being the last born by always trying to do things first and the best. While we are still working to help her find a balance between her competitive spirit and taking turns with others, we know that her approach to life has and will continue to serve her well in the future. She knows what she wants and has the determination to see it happen. She might have been born last and born the smallest, but nothing is stopping her from taking on the world!

How old are you? "Five" (We are now counting down the hours until their birthday. 26 hours in case anyone was wondering.)
What makes you happy? "Being bored!" That doesn't make any sense, honey. "It makes me happy!"
What is your favorite animal? "Cats and elephants" (Ellie has 2 bunnies she sleeps with, but refers to them both as cats. She also loves Hello Kitty....I'm pretty sure she just loves cats in general)
What is your favorite color? "All the colors except for grey."
What is your favorite thing to eat? "All the treats! Ice cream, cookies, pizza..." 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "I don't like to eat the pizza that has green stuff on it. I also don't like potatoes except for smashed potatoes." 
What is your favorite thing to do? "My favorite thing is to be bored." Ellie...*groan*...you don't like to play your tablet or something? "Okay. My favorite thing is to play my tablet....and be bored."
What is your favorite TV show? "Doc McStuffins and Hello Kitty" 
What is your favorite movie? "TV shows and movies are the same thing!" (We have Netflix, and they watch tv shows and movies on it, so they don't really see a difference.)
What are you really good at? "Doing my schoolwork! Good at eating!"
What is your favorite song? "I don't know." 
What do you and your mom do together? "We ask questions and glue things to a board." 
What do you and your dad do together? "We turn on music."
What is your favorite book? "Curios George and kitty books"
What is your favorite toy? "My tablet" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A Cowgirl!!!" (This hasn't changed in the last year. She is really attached to the idea, and may very well still be when she grows up. The girl knows what she wants!)

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

Our wee one is last up!

 Elizabeth Grace

Our Ellie girl is all spunk and feistiness. She makes up for being the last born by always trying to do things first and the best. While we are still working to help her find a balance between her competitive spirit and taking turns with others, we know that her approach to life has and will continue to serve her well in the future. She knows what she wants and has the determination to see it happen. She might have been born last and born the smallest, but nothing is stopping her from taking on the world!

How old are you? "Five" (We are now counting down the hours until their birthday. 26 hours in case anyone was wondering.)
What makes you happy? "Being bored!" That doesn't make any sense, honey. "It makes me happy!"
What is your favorite animal? "Cats and elephants" (Ellie has 2 bunnies she sleeps with, but refers to them both as cats. She also loves Hello Kitty....I'm pretty sure she just loves cats in general)
What is your favorite color? "All the colors except for grey."
What is your favorite thing to eat? "All the treats! Ice cream, cookies, pizza..." 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "I don't like to eat the pizza that has green stuff on it. I also don't like potatoes except for smashed potatoes." 
What is your favorite thing to do? "My favorite thing is to be bored." Ellie...*groan*...you don't like to play your tablet or something? "Okay. My favorite thing is to play my tablet....and be bored."
What is your favorite TV show? "Doc McStuffins and Hello Kitty" 
What is your favorite movie? "TV shows and movies are the same thing!" (We have Netflix, and they watch tv shows and movies on it, so they don't really see a difference.)
What are you really good at? "Doing my schoolwork! Good at eating!"
What is your favorite song? "I don't know." 
What do you and your mom do together? "We ask questions and glue things to a board." 
What do you and your dad do together? "We turn on music."
What is your favorite book? "Curios George and kitty books"
What is your favorite toy? "My tablet" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A Cowgirl!!!" (This hasn't changed in the last year. She is really attached to the idea, and may very well still be when she grows up. The girl knows what she wants!)

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

6th Birthday Interview: Elijah James

Our little Eli is our third kid up for his interview! Considering how many questions he asks me every single day, he thought it was great fun to have the tables turned!

 Elijah James

Elijah has a heart of gold. He is definitely our kid who cares deeply about others and how they are feeling. He most loves to spend time with people and snuggle up on the couch with us at the end of the day. He is all about drawing pictures and thrives on helping and being praised for being part of our family team. Elijah is 100% boy in every definition of the word, and inquisitive as all get out. The award for most number of questions asked every hour at house always goes to him. lol! In school, he is only getting therapy for a speech delay at this point, but making rapid progress with it. Even though we were a bit nervous about how kindergarten would work out for our active boy, he has adapted well to it and is learning a ton.

How old are you? "Five" (there more days!)
What makes you happy? "Drawing a picture."
What is your favorite animal? "Monkey" 
What is your favorite color? "Green"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "All the foods that you cook for me!" 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Turkey and Cheese (sandwiches)" 
What is your favorite thing to do? "Make music and do art!"
What is your favorite TV show? "Spiderman" 
What is your favorite movie? "Jingle" (A movie about a dog that he got from his Pre-K teacher)
What are you really good at? "Somersaults. I'm good at music and art too!"
What is your favorite song? "Songs that I make up!" (He LOVES to sing!)
What do you and your mom do together? "Have a tea party, and you can always help me at my farm if you want too!" (There is an imaginary farm in his bedroom. You are all invited to visit it.)
What do you and your dad do together? "Daddy helps me work at my farm." 
What is your favorite book? "My dinosaur sticker book"
What is your favorite toy? "Paper and crayons!" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "I'm going to be like YOU when I grow up! A Young Living person!" (He has informed us that he is never moving out and will live with us forever! haha!)

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

Our little Eli is our third kid up for his interview! Considering how many questions he asks me every single day, he thought it was great fun to have the tables turned!

 Elijah James

Elijah has a heart of gold. He is definitely our kid who cares deeply about others and how they are feeling. He most loves to spend time with people and snuggle up on the couch with us at the end of the day. He is all about drawing pictures and thrives on helping and being praised for being part of our family team. Elijah is 100% boy in every definition of the word, and inquisitive as all get out. The award for most number of questions asked every hour at house always goes to him. lol! In school, he is only getting therapy for a speech delay at this point, but making rapid progress with it. Even though we were a bit nervous about how kindergarten would work out for our active boy, he has adapted well to it and is learning a ton.

How old are you? "Five" (there more days!)
What makes you happy? "Drawing a picture."
What is your favorite animal? "Monkey" 
What is your favorite color? "Green"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "All the foods that you cook for me!" 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Turkey and Cheese (sandwiches)" 
What is your favorite thing to do? "Make music and do art!"
What is your favorite TV show? "Spiderman" 
What is your favorite movie? "Jingle" (A movie about a dog that he got from his Pre-K teacher)
What are you really good at? "Somersaults. I'm good at music and art too!"
What is your favorite song? "Songs that I make up!" (He LOVES to sing!)
What do you and your mom do together? "Have a tea party, and you can always help me at my farm if you want too!" (There is an imaginary farm in his bedroom. You are all invited to visit it.)
What do you and your dad do together? "Daddy helps me work at my farm." 
What is your favorite book? "My dinosaur sticker book"
What is your favorite toy? "Paper and crayons!" 
What do you want to be when you grow up? "I'm going to be like YOU when I grow up! A Young Living person!" (He has informed us that he is never moving out and will live with us forever! haha!)

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

6th Birthday Interview: Abigail Rose

Up 2nd....Our Abby! 

 Abigail Rose

Abby has the most precious spirit about her! She is the one that we can count on to bring a ray of sunshine into any room. We love her sweet personality and willingness to obey and be helpful. She can be a little flighty at times, but she cares a lot about doing her schoolwork well. She is imaginative, creative, loves all things princess and frilly, and loves to love others and be loved in return. Abby is also our most emotional kid, and can bounce back and forth from having "the best day ever!" to being worried about having friends at school (she has several!). We are still working on helping her find a way to deal with her anxiousness about life, and be willing to take risks in the process. Her fun approach to life tends to be the over-riding factor for her though, and she can't wait to dress up and dance around the house once her day in kindergarten is over.

How old are you? "Five" (only 5 days left until her birthday!)
What makes you happy? "Playing dress-up" 
What is your favorite animal? "Unicorns are my favorite animal. They have horns that are long and are even a color like pink, yellow, or purple." 
What is your favorite color? "Pink!"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Pizza"
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Mashed potatoes" (Let's be honest. We find a new one at each meal. ha!)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play with my mom and ballet" 
What is your favorite TV show? "Bo on the Go" 
What is your favorite movie? "Tinkerbell"
What are you really good at? "I'm really good at twirling" (and then she took a break to show me her twirls)
What is your favorite song? "Welcome to New York" by Taylor Swift
What do you and your mom do together? "Go get pizza at a restaurant"
What do you and your dad do together? "I go to the store to buy Valentine's Day cards with Dad because I love Valentine's Day!"
What is your favorite book? "Shopkins" 
What is your favorite toy? "Unicorn purse....I want to get that on my birthday." (the elusive favorite toy that she doesn't own. lol!)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A princess!"

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

Up 2nd....Our Abby! 

 Abigail Rose

Abby has the most precious spirit about her! She is the one that we can count on to bring a ray of sunshine into any room. We love her sweet personality and willingness to obey and be helpful. She can be a little flighty at times, but she cares a lot about doing her schoolwork well. She is imaginative, creative, loves all things princess and frilly, and loves to love others and be loved in return. Abby is also our most emotional kid, and can bounce back and forth from having "the best day ever!" to being worried about having friends at school (she has several!). We are still working on helping her find a way to deal with her anxiousness about life, and be willing to take risks in the process. Her fun approach to life tends to be the over-riding factor for her though, and she can't wait to dress up and dance around the house once her day in kindergarten is over.

How old are you? "Five" (only 5 days left until her birthday!)
What makes you happy? "Playing dress-up" 
What is your favorite animal? "Unicorns are my favorite animal. They have horns that are long and are even a color like pink, yellow, or purple." 
What is your favorite color? "Pink!"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Pizza"
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Mashed potatoes" (Let's be honest. We find a new one at each meal. ha!)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play with my mom and ballet" 
What is your favorite TV show? "Bo on the Go" 
What is your favorite movie? "Tinkerbell"
What are you really good at? "I'm really good at twirling" (and then she took a break to show me her twirls)
What is your favorite song? "Welcome to New York" by Taylor Swift
What do you and your mom do together? "Go get pizza at a restaurant"
What do you and your dad do together? "I go to the store to buy Valentine's Day cards with Dad because I love Valentine's Day!"
What is your favorite book? "Shopkins" 
What is your favorite toy? "Unicorn purse....I want to get that on my birthday." (the elusive favorite toy that she doesn't own. lol!)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A princess!"

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

6th Birthday Interview: Caleb Sean

It's that time of year again! Time for Birthday Interviews!! Our kids think answering birthday questions is the best game ever, so it wasn't hard to get them to sit still for a few minutes while I wrote down their answers. 

The answers change every year (which makes sense!) but the process of asking them questions always reminds me of how far we have come. Just two years ago, I had to make up all of Caleb's answers for him because he was still non-verbal. This year, he was the first to jump on the couch for his turn. He even went so far as to take off the headphones he wears to reduce sensory input for his annual snapshot. I'm so proud of where he is and how far he has come!

 Caleb Sean

 

Caleb has an ornery little streak, and we often times catch him impishly looking for ways to push his siblings buttons. He is a super funny kid, and incredibly smart! In spite of his autism, he picks up on things fast, and reads very well for being in kindergarten. We struggle to complete written work, but his special needs teacher has put a really good incentive program in place to encourage him to focus and get his work done. We are grateful for both his special needs teacher and his main classroom teacher and how hard they work to help him be successful! Caleb has made huge progress even in the last year! We can't wait to see what age 6 brings!

How old are you? "Five!" (for two more weeks!)
What makes you happy? "When I play toys and costumes or Ipads." (He can earn Ipad time at school for meeting focusing goals each day.)
What is your favorite animal? "All of them! I love all of them!"
What is your favorite color? "Red and brown and all the colors!" Really? Red? "Red!!" (I really expected him to say blue!)
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Cake, ice cream, and cookies!" 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Yucky stuff like sweet potatoes." (Guess what we had for dinner tonight? Lol!)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play toys, costumes, and Ipads!"
What is your favorite TV show? "Star Wars, Avengers, Justice League, and Young Justice."
What is your favorite movie? "I don't like any movies." (He actually doesn't know the difference between TV and movies because we don't have cable. Just Netflix, Amazon Prime, and a DVD player)
What are you really good at? "Flips! But how do I do a flip on the floor?" (haha!! No idea why he went with that answer!)
What is your favorite song? "When I sing Star Wars!" (The theme song. Lol!)
What do you and your mom do together? "Play"
What do you and your dad do together? "Play" 
What is your favorite book? "Star Wars Droid books."
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A tea party guy! A tea party guy is when they make lots of tea parties for everyone!" (He loves to set up all of the play cooking equipment and have us over for tea and snacks)
What is your favorite toy? "Tea Parties!" (a.k.a. the cooking toys and play kitchen)

It's that time of year again! Time for Birthday Interviews!! Our kids think answering birthday questions is the best game ever, so it wasn't hard to get them to sit still for a few minutes while I wrote down their answers. 

The answers change every year (which makes sense!) but the process of asking them questions always reminds me of how far we have come. Just two years ago, I had to make up all of Caleb's answers for him because he was still non-verbal. This year, he was the first to jump on the couch for his turn. He even went so far as to take off the headphones he wears to reduce sensory input for his annual snapshot. I'm so proud of where he is and how far he has come!

 Caleb Sean

 

Caleb has an ornery little streak, and we often times catch him impishly looking for ways to push his siblings buttons. He is a super funny kid, and incredibly smart! In spite of his autism, he picks up on things fast, and reads very well for being in kindergarten. We struggle to complete written work, but his special needs teacher has put a really good incentive program in place to encourage him to focus and get his work done. We are grateful for both his special needs teacher and his main classroom teacher and how hard they work to help him be successful! Caleb has made huge progress even in the last year! We can't wait to see what age 6 brings!

How old are you? "Five!" (for two more weeks!)
What makes you happy? "When I play toys and costumes or Ipads." (He can earn Ipad time at school for meeting focusing goals each day.)
What is your favorite animal? "All of them! I love all of them!"
What is your favorite color? "Red and brown and all the colors!" Really? Red? "Red!!" (I really expected him to say blue!)
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Cake, ice cream, and cookies!" 
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Yucky stuff like sweet potatoes." (Guess what we had for dinner tonight? Lol!)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play toys, costumes, and Ipads!"
What is your favorite TV show? "Star Wars, Avengers, Justice League, and Young Justice."
What is your favorite movie? "I don't like any movies." (He actually doesn't know the difference between TV and movies because we don't have cable. Just Netflix, Amazon Prime, and a DVD player)
What are you really good at? "Flips! But how do I do a flip on the floor?" (haha!! No idea why he went with that answer!)
What is your favorite song? "When I sing Star Wars!" (The theme song. Lol!)
What do you and your mom do together? "Play"
What do you and your dad do together? "Play" 
What is your favorite book? "Star Wars Droid books."
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A tea party guy! A tea party guy is when they make lots of tea parties for everyone!" (He loves to set up all of the play cooking equipment and have us over for tea and snacks)
What is your favorite toy? "Tea Parties!" (a.k.a. the cooking toys and play kitchen)

5th Birthday Interview: Elizabeth Grace

Our last little one was ready for her interview when it was her turn. Ellie perched on the end of her chair, and delivered each answer as if it was a test. Haha! I love how seriously she took the assignment, because this interview is officially being published for all to see. :)

 Elizabeth Grace

Ellie is our little spitfire. She has a fiesty, tenacious spirit which has served her well over the last 5 years. She was our tiniest quad, born at 1 pound, 14 oz, and also our baby with brain bleeds. We weren't sure if she would ever walk. She definitely walks and RUNS all the time, while simultaneously instructing all of her older siblings how to live their lives. We are hoping her bossiness turns into leadership as she continues to grow. Ha! She is going to do big things with the personality God gave her. We are excited to see where she goes in life!

How old are you? "Four" (Today is the day before their birthday. She walked into school this morning and informed everyone she saw that this is her last day being 4.)
What makes you happy? "Playing with you. Please with Daddy." 
What is your favorite animal? "Kitty Cat" (Ellie has 2 bunnies she sleeps with, but refers to them both as cats. She also loves Hello Kitty....I'm pretty sure she just loves cats in general)
What is your favorite color? "Red and Pink and all the colors"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Macaroni & Cheese and Grilled Cheese" (She loves cheese, but is very particular about how it is prepared. Thankfully, she loves Mommy's rendition of both of these meals!)
What is your least favorite thing to eat? Peanut Butter & Jelly (She is her mother's daughter. I'm not a fan of it either, but Elijah happily helps her out since it is one of his favorites.)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play outside, play with my friends at school, and paint" (she is quite the artist! We go through an unbelievable amount of construction paper)
What is your favorite TV show? "Lego Friends" (It's a show on Netflix based on the Lego line for girls)
What is your favorite movie? "Hello Kitty" (I found an old cartoon version of Hello Kitty on DVD at a consignment sale. I think it's pretty weird, but she likes it.)
What are you really good at? "Painting and calming down Caleb from yelling." (Ellie is in charge!)
What is your favorite song? "Lego Friends and Taylor" (That would be the Lego Friends theme song.....and Taylor would be Taylor Swift. Yep, they are on a first name basis. LOL!)
What do you and your mom do together? "Work together" 
What do you and your dad do together? "Play Legos"
What is your favorite book? "Sophia" (one of our Princess Sophia books)
What is your favorite toy? "My Hello Kitty doll" (Cats are a reoccurring theme.)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A Cowgirl!!!" (She likes to wear her boots and fuzzy pink gloves and tell everyone she is going to be a cowgirl when she grows up. We introduced the idea of the poncho to her yesterday, and that pretty much took her aspirations to the next level. We may have horseback riding lessons in our future at the rate this is going!)

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

Our last little one was ready for her interview when it was her turn. Ellie perched on the end of her chair, and delivered each answer as if it was a test. Haha! I love how seriously she took the assignment, because this interview is officially being published for all to see. :)

 Elizabeth Grace

Ellie is our little spitfire. She has a fiesty, tenacious spirit which has served her well over the last 5 years. She was our tiniest quad, born at 1 pound, 14 oz, and also our baby with brain bleeds. We weren't sure if she would ever walk. She definitely walks and RUNS all the time, while simultaneously instructing all of her older siblings how to live their lives. We are hoping her bossiness turns into leadership as she continues to grow. Ha! She is going to do big things with the personality God gave her. We are excited to see where she goes in life!

How old are you? "Four" (Today is the day before their birthday. She walked into school this morning and informed everyone she saw that this is her last day being 4.)
What makes you happy? "Playing with you. Please with Daddy." 
What is your favorite animal? "Kitty Cat" (Ellie has 2 bunnies she sleeps with, but refers to them both as cats. She also loves Hello Kitty....I'm pretty sure she just loves cats in general)
What is your favorite color? "Red and Pink and all the colors"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Macaroni & Cheese and Grilled Cheese" (She loves cheese, but is very particular about how it is prepared. Thankfully, she loves Mommy's rendition of both of these meals!)
What is your least favorite thing to eat? Peanut Butter & Jelly (She is her mother's daughter. I'm not a fan of it either, but Elijah happily helps her out since it is one of his favorites.)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play outside, play with my friends at school, and paint" (she is quite the artist! We go through an unbelievable amount of construction paper)
What is your favorite TV show? "Lego Friends" (It's a show on Netflix based on the Lego line for girls)
What is your favorite movie? "Hello Kitty" (I found an old cartoon version of Hello Kitty on DVD at a consignment sale. I think it's pretty weird, but she likes it.)
What are you really good at? "Painting and calming down Caleb from yelling." (Ellie is in charge!)
What is your favorite song? "Lego Friends and Taylor" (That would be the Lego Friends theme song.....and Taylor would be Taylor Swift. Yep, they are on a first name basis. LOL!)
What do you and your mom do together? "Work together" 
What do you and your dad do together? "Play Legos"
What is your favorite book? "Sophia" (one of our Princess Sophia books)
What is your favorite toy? "My Hello Kitty doll" (Cats are a reoccurring theme.)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A Cowgirl!!!" (She likes to wear her boots and fuzzy pink gloves and tell everyone she is going to be a cowgirl when she grows up. We introduced the idea of the poncho to her yesterday, and that pretty much took her aspirations to the next level. We may have horseback riding lessons in our future at the rate this is going!)

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5th Birthday Interview: Elijah James

Elijah is MORE than ready to share his birthday interview with you! When I asked him if he wanted to answer some questions for me, he pulled up his chair, popped right down, and answered the questions as if he was interviewing for his dream job (see the last question on the list for what that is!)

 Elijah James

Elijah has one of the sweetest little spirits I've come across. He can be all rough and tumble with his brother one moment, and just want to snuggle up with me the next. He is so sensitive to other's feelings and worries if someone seems distressed at all. I love the true caring that comes through despite his tendency to get a little loud and rough at times! Elijah is making wonderful progress in school. He sill has a few therapies he needs to help him catch up, but he is on course to reach that goal in the next couple of years. We are excited (and nervous!) to see where kindergarten takes our slightly hyperactive boy.

How old are you? "Four" (One more week until we reach five!)
What makes you happy? "Singing songs, watching movies, playing, and having a good day at school and church." (like I said, he took the questions really seriously this year!)
What is your favorite animal? "Dogs and cats and lions and giraffes, and rhinos, and zebras, and elephants" (This answer will totally make sense at the end of the interview. Lol!)
What is your favorite color? "Green"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Pzanya, macaroni & cheese, and pasta" (pzanya = lasagna. One of his therapies at school is speech. :) )
What is your least favorite thing to eat? Chicken (so. not. true. This kid can put away chicken nuggets like no ones business)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Watch a show and sing"
What is your favorite TV show? "PBSkids.org......Between the Lions" (At first, all he gave me was the "pbskids.org" answer. Points to PBS for great marketing!)
What is your favorite movie? "Baby Einstein with the caterpillar and all of the animals!" (He hasn't seen this one in forever, but I guess the animals in it made an impression!)
What are you really good at? "Singing!"
What is your favorite song? "Yankee Doodle Went to Town and The Tubby Little Snowman at school!" (He LOVES to sing! All. the. time.)
What do you and your mom do together? "Work together on keeping the house clean." (Good to see he is picking up on picking up!)
What do you and your dad do together? "Watch shows and movies" (We have a rule at our house that superhero and Transformer cartoons on Netflix can only be watched with Daddy. Not because they aren't acceptable, but because Daddy wants to watch them as much as the kids do. Hehe! It gives the kids something to look forward to...especially when their name is Elijah and he can't get enough Spiderman!)
What is your favorite book? "The Yankee Doodle Went to Town book"
What is your favorite toy? "Jingle" (He has this little stuffed dog that goes everywhere with him, including bed. Jingle "barks" a LOT. It's really amazing how much noise one little boy can project onto everything around him.)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A zookeeper!!!" (and it all makes sense now!)

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

Elijah is MORE than ready to share his birthday interview with you! When I asked him if he wanted to answer some questions for me, he pulled up his chair, popped right down, and answered the questions as if he was interviewing for his dream job (see the last question on the list for what that is!)

 Elijah James

Elijah has one of the sweetest little spirits I've come across. He can be all rough and tumble with his brother one moment, and just want to snuggle up with me the next. He is so sensitive to other's feelings and worries if someone seems distressed at all. I love the true caring that comes through despite his tendency to get a little loud and rough at times! Elijah is making wonderful progress in school. He sill has a few therapies he needs to help him catch up, but he is on course to reach that goal in the next couple of years. We are excited (and nervous!) to see where kindergarten takes our slightly hyperactive boy.

How old are you? "Four" (One more week until we reach five!)
What makes you happy? "Singing songs, watching movies, playing, and having a good day at school and church." (like I said, he took the questions really seriously this year!)
What is your favorite animal? "Dogs and cats and lions and giraffes, and rhinos, and zebras, and elephants" (This answer will totally make sense at the end of the interview. Lol!)
What is your favorite color? "Green"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Pzanya, macaroni & cheese, and pasta" (pzanya = lasagna. One of his therapies at school is speech. :) )
What is your least favorite thing to eat? Chicken (so. not. true. This kid can put away chicken nuggets like no ones business)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Watch a show and sing"
What is your favorite TV show? "PBSkids.org......Between the Lions" (At first, all he gave me was the "pbskids.org" answer. Points to PBS for great marketing!)
What is your favorite movie? "Baby Einstein with the caterpillar and all of the animals!" (He hasn't seen this one in forever, but I guess the animals in it made an impression!)
What are you really good at? "Singing!"
What is your favorite song? "Yankee Doodle Went to Town and The Tubby Little Snowman at school!" (He LOVES to sing! All. the. time.)
What do you and your mom do together? "Work together on keeping the house clean." (Good to see he is picking up on picking up!)
What do you and your dad do together? "Watch shows and movies" (We have a rule at our house that superhero and Transformer cartoons on Netflix can only be watched with Daddy. Not because they aren't acceptable, but because Daddy wants to watch them as much as the kids do. Hehe! It gives the kids something to look forward to...especially when their name is Elijah and he can't get enough Spiderman!)
What is your favorite book? "The Yankee Doodle Went to Town book"
What is your favorite toy? "Jingle" (He has this little stuffed dog that goes everywhere with him, including bed. Jingle "barks" a LOT. It's really amazing how much noise one little boy can project onto everything around him.)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A zookeeper!!!" (and it all makes sense now!)

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

5th Birthday Interview: Abigail Rose

Abby was born second, so she is next up for her birthday interview. Unlike last year, where she got bored halfway though, she thought answering questions this year was the greatest game, and she was so pleased to finish the list!

 Abigail Rose

Abby is our little social butterfly who has a flair for the dramatic. She's always dressing up in costumes and pretending she is a princess, a fairy, or some other imaginative being. She's always been our quirky kid, and we absolutely love that her quirkiness gives her a zest for life that passes all of the others. It also means that her moods like to swing high and low and give us a run for our money at times. ha! She definitely wins in the manners department and puts her siblings to shame with her usage of "thank you, please, yes sir" etc. Abby is pure delight for us, and we hope she never loses the sparkle that follows her around!

How old are you? "Four" (We have been counting down to Five since last summer. Lol!)
What makes you happy? "Eating Food" (Not sure where this is coming from! This child is so picky, it's ridiculous. A more accurate answer would be, "eating one of three items that I enjoy." Sheesh! She is all about the carbs: bread, crackers, and cupcakes.)
What is your favorite animal? "Lamby" (Her lamb stuffed animal from the Doc McStuffins show, aptly named, 'Lamby.')
What is your favorite color? "Pink!....Yellow!...Purple!"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Doughnuts" (Last year, her answer was cupcakes. So we went from cake....to fried cake. I see a common theme here.)
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Macaroni and Cheese" (Abby has a lot of sensory eating issues, so she has a lot of least favorite things. We find a new one at each meal. Lol!)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play at the kitchen" (The play kitchen is a favorite toy with all of our kids!)
What is your favorite TV show? "Princess Shows" (mostly Sophia the First, but anything involving a princess is fair game)
What is your favorite movie? "Anna and Elsa" (I don't even have to provide commentary on this one)
What are you really good at? "I'm really good at toys!.....playing!"
What is your favorite song? "Little Bo Peep" (the nursery rhyme set to song)
What do you and your mom do together? "Get some food and then we can eat it back at home. Get some groceries and then take the back home."
What do you and your dad do together? "Get married. Play the puzzle game." (We are having a hard time convincing her that she can't marry her daddy)
What is your favorite book? "Little Star Sheeps" (I'm still not sure which book this is even after asking her to go get it....)
What is your favorite toy? "Ballerina" (she has a ballerina doll and likes to dress up like a ballerina so it could be either or both of those)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A doctor wearing a purple dress who has a rainbow house and a sister baby!" (She is absolutely set on accomplishing ALL of this and talks about it constantly!)

I have to add this photo as an extra note to the bottom of her interview. I pulled this envelope with the card in it out of her backpack on Monday afternoon when she got home from school. It's the first Valentine's Day card she has made for me and the first time she has ever written my name. Yes, I cried a little bit. This has been the highlight of my week, and I'm cherishing such a wonderful gift from my sparkly fairy princess!

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

Abby was born second, so she is next up for her birthday interview. Unlike last year, where she got bored halfway though, she thought answering questions this year was the greatest game, and she was so pleased to finish the list!

 Abigail Rose

Abby is our little social butterfly who has a flair for the dramatic. She's always dressing up in costumes and pretending she is a princess, a fairy, or some other imaginative being. She's always been our quirky kid, and we absolutely love that her quirkiness gives her a zest for life that passes all of the others. It also means that her moods like to swing high and low and give us a run for our money at times. ha! She definitely wins in the manners department and puts her siblings to shame with her usage of "thank you, please, yes sir" etc. Abby is pure delight for us, and we hope she never loses the sparkle that follows her around!

How old are you? "Four" (We have been counting down to Five since last summer. Lol!)
What makes you happy? "Eating Food" (Not sure where this is coming from! This child is so picky, it's ridiculous. A more accurate answer would be, "eating one of three items that I enjoy." Sheesh! She is all about the carbs: bread, crackers, and cupcakes.)
What is your favorite animal? "Lamby" (Her lamb stuffed animal from the Doc McStuffins show, aptly named, 'Lamby.')
What is your favorite color? "Pink!....Yellow!...Purple!"
What is your favorite thing to eat? "Doughnuts" (Last year, her answer was cupcakes. So we went from cake....to fried cake. I see a common theme here.)
What is your least favorite thing to eat? "Macaroni and Cheese" (Abby has a lot of sensory eating issues, so she has a lot of least favorite things. We find a new one at each meal. Lol!)
What is your favorite thing to do? "Play at the kitchen" (The play kitchen is a favorite toy with all of our kids!)
What is your favorite TV show? "Princess Shows" (mostly Sophia the First, but anything involving a princess is fair game)
What is your favorite movie? "Anna and Elsa" (I don't even have to provide commentary on this one)
What are you really good at? "I'm really good at toys!.....playing!"
What is your favorite song? "Little Bo Peep" (the nursery rhyme set to song)
What do you and your mom do together? "Get some food and then we can eat it back at home. Get some groceries and then take the back home."
What do you and your dad do together? "Get married. Play the puzzle game." (We are having a hard time convincing her that she can't marry her daddy)
What is your favorite book? "Little Star Sheeps" (I'm still not sure which book this is even after asking her to go get it....)
What is your favorite toy? "Ballerina" (she has a ballerina doll and likes to dress up like a ballerina so it could be either or both of those)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "A doctor wearing a purple dress who has a rainbow house and a sister baby!" (She is absolutely set on accomplishing ALL of this and talks about it constantly!)

I have to add this photo as an extra note to the bottom of her interview. I pulled this envelope with the card in it out of her backpack on Monday afternoon when she got home from school. It's the first Valentine's Day card she has made for me and the first time she has ever written my name. Yes, I cried a little bit. This has been the highlight of my week, and I'm cherishing such a wonderful gift from my sparkly fairy princess!

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.