Mini-Golf : Take 2

A few weeks ago we had a nice, warm long weekend so we met another family for a round of mini-golf in the Bürgerpark. It was plenty of fun, though with 6 young kids and 4 adults we were only able to finish half the course before declaring it a successful game.

The kids were great sports! 

Milayla adored being outside and cheering.

And Atticus, despite having only been mini-golfing once before, is already turning into a little seasoned professional (with a little assistance ;).

He even wanted to try his hand at score keeping. Though, I wouldn't rely too heavily on the accuracy just yet. He needs a bit more practice on the number front.

It was a nice afternoon with some lovely friends (now, if only we had remembered to snap a photo of everyone!) and Atticus is already anticipating the next time he gets to go golfing!

Science Fun

We love science, especially when it is combined with being outside :). Thankfully I have been a little better organized lately and Mommy School has been full of field trips and science experiments much to the delight of two very curious kiddos.

This particular day we went on a walk to hunt down some "treasures". When we had collected everything we hunkered down on the balcony for a quick lesson on the difference between sinking and floating followed by the experiment. Which of our collected items would sink? And which would float?

I adore seeing the concentrated looks on their faces as they watch to see what will happen.

Milayla was pretty focused on our little experiment tank

holding up the spoon that was used to demonstrate "sink"

And the excitement as they learn the results is so much fun.

Atticus laughing because he is so excited about what happened

All smiles as he charts his results

I'm glad the kids enjoy these kind of things so much because I have fun doing it with them. And I feel extremely fortunate that we have the time for us to have these experiences together. I know they likely won't remember the exact logistics of our Mommy School at this young age(what we learned, where we went, etc.) as most of this information will get stored away as things they think they've always known, however, I do feel that the building blocks that these experiences provide for our relationships with one another are so vital to our family. So I will do my best to make the most of it!

First Birthday

We were all pretty excited to celebrate the big FIRST birthday for Milayla. After Milayla went to bed on the night before we all decorated and finished off the preparations. So when Milayla woke up the following morning Mommy was quick to rush in and start getting photos of our little one year old and begin the celebrations. And thanks in part to some training from her big brother, Milayla is very good at showing she is one year old.

Once the Birthday Girl was dressed, it was off to the living room where plenty of decorations and gifts awaited her. If we had of realized just how fun all those balloons would be we probably could have eased off on some of those gifts ;)

After scouting out the birthday banner, it was back to the balloons....

Atticus couldn't wait any longer to give Milayla the gift he picked out for her and hurried to give it to her and help her open it. We were pretty impressed with how thoughtful Atticus was about giving a gift to Milayla and making her a card (wish I remembered to take a picture of the awesome card!). He picked out a toy truck, with the idea that it was a bit bigger and easier for Milayla to play with than some of the cars we have (and this girl loves playing with the toy vehicles). 

And with that it was on to a few more cars, books, clothes and a couple small toys. 

A special delivery from Great Grandma and Grandpa Hochstein; she LOVES her new birthday book! Thank you!

Milayla certainly got the hang of how to open of those gifts and delighted in being allowed to tear the paper off.

Then it was time to sit down for a birthday breakfast; whole wheat pancakes with apple sauce and pears. Milayla waited very patiently.

Then dived into her pancakes!

After breakfast it was time for Milayla's very quick morning nap (guess she was far too excited about the fun in store for her) while the rest of us prepared for our morning adventure. 

The Birthday Girl got into her Birthday dress and kept herself entertained while waiting for the rest of us to get ready.

Our birthday adventure took us to the park where we took Milayla's One Year Photos before sitting down for a picnic lunch and games. Since Milayla still isn't too keen on solid foods, we kept the lunch simple so that the Birthday Girl could munch on whatever she wanted (veggies, fruits, whole wheat bread etc.). 

We kicked around a ball, played tag, chased ducks and pretty much whatever the Birthday Girl seemed interested in pursuing. Atticus even volunteered his services as a goal post.

Before heading home for some birthday cake, we snapped a family photo which, for being on auto-timer, turned out well enough. We're all present and smiling. Now, if only we were all in focus :).

Walking home

We decided to go a little non-traditional for our cake selection since Milayla does not yet get sugary treats, it seemed a shame to make a cake that she couldn't eat. So it was a creative alternative and some whole wheat banana muffins. Any guesses on what the cake is?

The Birthday Girl was pretty ecstatic about it....

ready to pounce...

it's.....Watermelon!

Certainly no guilt about having a second piece of that delicious cake 

After cake and another brief nap we were off on a bike ride to a nearby organic farm to visit the animals, play at the park, and eat some fresh ice cream. It was a great way to round out the day. 

(In an effort to be more present, Mommy left her big camera at home for that outing :). Though, we did get a quick photo on our phone.)

What a lovely celebration we had. It was so much fun spoiling our Little Lady and doing our best to make sure she knew it was her special day. We love her so much. We are grateful for the light and joy that emanates from those big blue eyes of hers and the warmth in her smile. We are truly blessed to have her in our family.

Happy Birthday, Milayla!

1 Year - Milayla

Our Little Lady turned ONE! 

That's a #1 she's making with her right hand ;)

We can hardly believe it. There was no shortage of excitement around here as we prepared for and celebrated her BIG day. More about the celebrations in another post, for now, we are going to focus on our incredible Little Lady.

It has been an absolute joy to have Milayla in our family. She continuously fills our home with laughter and amazes us with her determination to learn and grow. 

She is incredibly attentive to the people and things around her and loves the task of making others smile. We love all the cuddles and kisses that she gifts us with frequently.

This last month has brought more growth and change as her personality shines through brighter each day. Books are beginning to take an even higher priority in her play time and she will climb into our laps, book in hand, in anticipation of cuddles and reading. Some of her favorites are her Turn and Learn books, Hungry Caterpillar and If Jesus Walked Beside Me.

She adores cars and climbing. The day she figured out how to make car sounds for prolonged periods of time as she rolled the car across the floor she was so happy that she applauded. Playing with cars and  trains is one of her favorite activities to do with her big brother. As for climbing...it's a miracle she isn't covered in scrapes and bruises. She is determined to explore via climbing.

We have definitely noticed a huge increase in her love for music. She completely lights up when she dances, sings or plays whatever instruments she can find. Favorite song to sing? Any of the primary songs, but lately, Bei meiner Taufe (which is the German version of When I am Baptized) seems to be the favorite. Favorite song to dance to? Everything, though classical and big band are always well received. And lately, she has been trying her hand at conducting music in church. She is absolutely captivated by the organ at church and will sit back and wave her hand through the air with a smile on her face.

There is no doubt that Milayla has very richly blessed us each individually and as a family. She is an absolute joy and we feel very honored and privileged to be her parents.

 It has been one incredible year. Here's to many, many more.

Happy Birthday, Milayla.

We love you!