Patience

I am 12 weeks along today and am FINALLY starting to feel better and like I can function during the day. Me not feeling so well has really taken a toll on my very patient family the past two months. Mom is just supposed to be invincible and full of energy all the time. My family has been champs about the whole thing. No one has complained that we have eaten out or had pizza a lot or that dad has been the one doing most of the cooking for dinner. No one asked questions when I told them to wear the same jeans as yesterday because I was way behind on laundry.

A few mornings were so rough that after Emily and Palmer got dropped off at school Logan and I crawled back into bed and he read mommy some books.

Out of the whole family no one has been more patient than this guy.

Palmer has been my little trooper. Most afternoons when Logan is taking a nap and Emily is at school we spend the afternoon together. We play board games, work on puzzles, practice the piano, do workbooks, and play outside when the weather is nice. Unfortunately during the past two months mommy has desperately needed most of this time for a nap. This meant Palmer was going solo trying to keep himself busy. He has not complained once and bless his little heart he has really shown me how much he loves me. He spends his afternoons playing in the back yard with the dog, playing the piano on his own, inventing his own games that can be played by himself, and sometimes just watching TV. He watches the clock to be sure that I don't over sleep by one minute (even though I set an alarm on my phone). Sometimes he just doesn't want to be alone so he quietly brings his workbooks and books to read into bed with me just to be near me.

I am so glad that we can start to spend our special time together once again now that I am feeling so much better. Bret has taken him on some special one on one trips to try and give a little extra attention. Palmer is just taking it all in stride and continues to show us how much he loves us everyday. We are so lucky to have him.

Bird is the Word

This year Palmer surprised me with fun birthday theme...Angry Birds. All of our kids (and Bret & I) love to play Angry Birds. Palmer is really good at the game and plays it all the time. It has also gotten very popular recently. I was very lucky that there were a lot of great ideas on Pinterest already so most of what I did was using their ideas and making them work for us.

The cake was one of the harder ones I have made. We don't really like the taste of fondant so I decided to make AB cake pops to use on the cake. I made and frosted green a large rectangle cake. We used nutterbutters to make the "wood" structures. Bret helped me cut and place them to try and make them as sturdy as possible.

PIGS!

I realized when I started putting the cake pops on the cake that I made them too big. I also forgot to put crisco into the chocolate to make the coating thinner. They still tasted pretty good. The sling shot was made from fondant and left out overnight to harden. I just used a rubber band to look like the sling.


The first activity for the kids was to make these masks. Since the kids were all 4,5, or 6 I went ahead and cut out all of the shapes so all they had to do was glue them on. I used craft foam from Walmart and stapled elastic to the sides. The kids loved them and wore them a ton.
Logan still wears his all the time.

The second activity was stick the beak on the AB. This activity was a bust. I ran out of time and didn't get the eyes/eyebrows on the birds so the kids didn't really know where the beak was supposed to go. Palmer didn't even want to play. Note to self...pin the whatever on the whatever is a great game until they are four. Afterwards...boring.

The last activity, however, made up for it. I saved boxes from Christmas and found a couple AB/PIG pillows at Walmart. We also added a couple balloons for more targets.

Palmer got a cool paper airplane from a friend of ours that came with a rubber band sling shot. Momma bird used felt and sewed a sling pouch onto it and behold an AB sling shot ready to go. We played this game over and over again. They band eventually broke so the kids just threw the bird. They still loved it.

After the games we had pizza and snacks.
Logan liked the Cheetos.

Then it was time for cake.
Palmer blew out the candles. Everyone got a bird or pig and some cake.

Palmer wanted to open his presents while his friends were still there. He started out of on the floor but was close to being trampled so I moved him to a chair. The kids were so excited it was hard to get them to back up a little or kneel or sit down.

These were the favor bags that I made for each of the kids to take home. I bought the bags at the dollar store (4/$1) and printed out the same template that was on everything. Cutting the faces out was the hardest part of the whole party. In each bag was a small Angry Birds notebook, crayons, some AB stickers, and some AB bandaides.

The most important part of the party was that the kids had fun...and they did. I was in Palmer's classroom working with the kids this week and several told me "Palmer's party was SOO much fun". That is such a good feeling. I have had several parents comment that it was a lot of fun too. I have no idea how I am going to top this.

Palmer James

Dear Palmer,
Today is your 5th birthday!! Happy Birthday!

I can totally believe that you are five. This morning when I asked you if you felt any different you told me that you feel even older than five. I believe you.

Since you were born your dad and I have said that you are a little old man in a little boys body. Bret sometimes thinks that there is a lot of his grandpa Leonard in you. You would have gotten along great with all of your great grandfather's.

You make my heart melt when out of no where you tell me that you love me. Or when you say "mom, you are my favorite mom in the whole wide world". To which I reply "you are my favorite Palmer in the whole wide world".

In some ways you are my easiest kid to raise. You like routine, you have the same thing for breakfast every morning (Rice Krispies with milk and white sugar..aka a packet of Splenda), you would rather eat at home, you double check every morning whether or not you need clean underwear (only on the mornings after a bath do you not), and you follow the rules.

On the other hand you are also my most challenging kid to raise. You can be so ornery. You are definitely also my stubborn child. You once chewed the same piece of meat for over an hour until both Bret and I gave up and let you spit it out. I never thought a kid would be more stubborn than both of us together but you are. You throw fits like a champ with things aren't fair.

I know that every parent thinks that their child is brilliant. I am sure that I am no different. However, you assessment reports at school confirm what your dad and I already know. You are so smart. You got perfects on all of your preschool assessments for things you shouldn't really be ready for until April. You have tons of sight words already memorized and are so very close to reading. Math comes easy for you as well as puzzles, video games, and board games. You love to play outside and scored a ton of goals for your soccer team. Piano has been an amazing outlet of your talent. We are so very proud of you.

We have so much fun together. Your dad and I joke that we wish we could tell when you are excited. Your voice goes at least an octave higher, you start dancing around, using your hands to gesture a lot, you talk a million words a minute, and you use words like awesome for every other word. It is a great thing to experience and one I hope to see over and over again.

As close as you and I are and I hope to always be...you are still a boy. You worship your dad and adore your grandfather. You would play football in any fashion (touch, video games, watching it on TV, or just having your dad or grandfather toss you the football) every breathing moment. You long for the days you get to go to the cabin and just be.

You are an AWESOME brother, son, cousin, friend, and all round great kid. We love you to the moon and back. I hope your birthday is awesome.

Love, Mom

Palmer James Heskett

Dear Palmer,

Today you are two years old. Where did the time go? You are the best little boy any mom could ever ask for. I love the quirkiness of your ways and how you have always acted like a little old man in a little boy's body. When you do accomplish something you clasp your hands behind your back and roll back on your heals just like your great grandfather did. I love your squishy cheeks and how your eyes light up when something occurs to you, or you figure something out, or when you just think something is funny.

It makes me smile when I see how much you adore your father and follow him around EVERYWHERE. I don't mind answering you 1209854p987 times a day when you ask where he is even though it is always the same....at work. You were an answer to his prayers and the perfect choice to carry on the Heskett legacy. Leonard would be proud.

Even though your sister acts like you drive her crazy she relishes the fact that you worship her. I am comforted to know that she feels safe in your bed with you when she has had a bad dream and that you both think I don't know. I know that she gets you involved in crazy activities that she assures you is OK with mom and dad and otherwise safe. Don't worry someday I am sure that this role will be reserved.

I am always fascinated at how you eat a banana a day and never get bored or tired of it and NEVER want anything else for a snack. I love that 5 out of your first 10 words were some how communicating that you were hungry (snack, hungry, cracker, bite, and food) and that the rest were your family (mommy, daddy, Emily, Palmer) and Please.

Even though your kisses are usually kind of gross (open mouth and snot) I love that you give them out freely. It warms my heart when I am holding you and you wrap your arms around my neck to plant one on me. Your adorable little songs and goofy little dances make us all laugh daily. People think I am crazy for wanting a bunch more kids but I have to say that if I could be sure that they were going to be as good of babies and toddlers as you have been I would have 5 more.

Happy Birthday Palmer,

Love, Mom