Questions with Grace, age 6

1. What is your favorite color? Light colors (pink)
2. What is your favorite toy? Legos
3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon
4. What is your favorite tv show? Miles from Tomorrowland
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut butter sandwiches
6. What is your favorite outfit? Purple dress
7. What is your favorite game? Monopoly Junior
8. What is your favorite snack? Goldfish
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephant

 
10. What is your favorite song? Jingle Bells
11. What is your favorite book? science books
12. Who is your best friend?  Joe Binns
13. What is your favorite cereal? Honeycombs
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Jump rope
15. What is your favorite drink? lemonade
16. What is your favorite holiday? Trick or Treating
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  Sackie, Blue dog flashlight
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Poppi's oatmeal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza, corn (off the cob), watermelon, carrots with hummus, cake and strawberry ice cream
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Ballerina Teacher
21. What was your favorite thing about being 5? Playing with my friends at co-op

 
22. What are you looking forward to about being 6? Going to school  

Happy Birthday, Grace!

You have found your confidence and are ready to start Kindergarten next week. You love schedules and knowing what is next. Two teeth have fallen out already. You make friends easily and that is what you are looking forward to doing in school. Your sisters are some of your best playmates. You love daddy's made-up stories about "Fruityville." Board games are a favorite past-time. Numbers make sense to you and you are looking forward to learning how to read. 

We love you!

Questions with Elizabeth, age 4

Interview with Elizabeth:

1. What is your favorite color? purple
2. What is your favorite toy? Rock star guitar
3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon
4. What is your favorite tv show? Peppa Pig
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut Butter and Jelly
6. What is your favorite outfit? Purple dress
7. What is your favorite game? Uno
8. What is your favorite snack? Raisins
9. What is your favorite animal? Zebra
10. What is your favorite song? Jesus Loves Me

 
11. What is your favorite book? Sophia
12. Who is your best friend? Karis13. What is your favorite cereal? Blue kind
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play tag
15. What is your favorite drink? Chocolate milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas 
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? teddy bear, Elsa, sackie, Sophia, lots of anmalals

 
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Baked Oatmeal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? potato bar, donuts
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Fire hydrant... (fighter)
21. What was your favorite thing about being 3? playing with my sisters
22. What are you looking forward to about being 4? watch something, going to nursery school

Happy Birthday to... Baba, Lizzle, Liz Biz, Biz Boz, Lizzie, Betty, Musk Ox, Crazy Uncle, ...

Elizabeth Anne Olson

We love you!

Questions with Grace, age 5

1. What is your favorite color? light colors
2. What is your favorite toy? legos
3. What is your favorite fruit? watermelon
4. What is your favorite tv show? Wild Krats
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? meat sandwich with mayonaise, BBQ chips, apple
6. What is your favorite outfit? white skirt with heart shirt
7. What is your favorite game? Hoot Owl Hoot
8. What is your favorite snack? Popsicle
9. What is your favorite animal? Zebra
10. What is your favorite song? My Lighthouse
11. What is your favorite book? Magic Treehouse books
12. Who is your best friend? Mariana, Bethany, Hannah, Elizabeth
13. What is your favorite cereal? Organic Fruit Os
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Pick blueberries, pick beans
15. What is your favorite drink? Milk, juice, water
16. What is your favorite holiday? Easter
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blankie, Sackie
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? cereal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? pizza, BBQ chips, corn on the cob, push-up pops
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? ballerina
21. What was your favorite thing about being 4? Going to Storyland
22. What are you looking forward to about being 5? My party, go back to Storyland

Hannah: I like that Grace gives me lots and lots of hugs. I hope that Gracie gets to learn about butterflies this year.

Elizabeth: I like going to Target with Gracie. I hope Gracie loves her birthday.

Mommy: I like the way Grace figures things out, especially on the computer and with games. I hope that Gracie learns lots of neat things in Co-op as she gets ready for Kindergarten next year.

Grace is 5!

12:15 am marks the 5th celebration of Grace's arrival to the Olson family. She grown and changed so much over the last year... intellectually, socially, verbally. As the most introverted of our daughters, Grace has a sensitivity to other people that is such a joy to watch. She is a great little hostess and can make people feel very comfortable if she is on her home turf. She has also shown much leadership, especially as she has taken a step away from home into pre-school. She enjoyed school very much this past year. Although we will wait to send her to kindergarten until next year, there is a part of her that longs to get into big kid school now!

Here is Grace through the year!

August 2013 ~ At Grandma and Grandpa's farm

September 2013 ~ First Day of Pre-school

October 2013 ~ Snow White for Halloween

November 2013 ~ Daddy's Birthday party... snuggling with Auntie Leigh

December 2013 ~ Gracie as Mary with Baby Jesus

December 2013 ~ Cuddles with sister and cousin

January 2014 ~ Celebrating the New Year at Uncle Jon's and Aunt Mo's

February 2014 ~ Sleep over with Elizabeth

April 2014 ~ Mother/Daughter Tea at Pre-school

April 2014 ~ Playing at Patton Park

May 2014 ~ Signs of Spring with Dandelions

June 2014 ~ Graduation Day

June 2014 ~ Gordon-Conwell Pre-school Graduate

August 2014 ~ Sidewalk Days with Olaf

August 2014 ~ Dinner art at the Lakehouse

August 2014 ~ Cinderella in her coach at Storyland

August 2011 ~ Cinderella as a 2 year old!

Questions with Hannah, Age 7

Interview with Hannah:

1. What is your favorite color? light colors
2. What is your favorite thing to play? I like to play outside.
3. What is your favorite fruit? watermelon
4. What is your favorite tv show? Paw Patrol
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? crackers, carrots, yogurt stick, mac n cheese
6. What is your favorite outfit? my polka dot dress
7. What is your favorite game? taboo
8. What is your favorite snack? nuts and dried fruit
9. What is your favorite animal? horse
10. What is your favorite song? church songs
11. What is your favorite book? My World Atlas
12. Who is your best friend? Quinn and Jenny
13. What is your favorite cereal? Life and Oats & More
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play house with my sisters
15. What is your favorite drink? Pink Lemonade
16. What is your favorite holiday? Easter
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Lambie
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? fried eggs, toast with cinnamon and sugar, hot tea
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? hot dogs, corn, fruit salad, cannoli
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? artist, mom, orchestra player
21. What was your favorite thing about being 6? Visiting with Nana and Poppi when they came here
22. What are you looking forward to about being 7? Making new friends


Other topics from the past year:

• Baby sheep
• Mrs. Ganley and Mrs. Rogers
• Art Projects: Lizzle's birthday party decorations, headbands
• Moving to own room
• Visiting Idaho
• Reading more and more books, especially chapter books and history/geography books
• Visiting grandma and grandpa, and Levi

3rd Annual Interview on Mommy's Birthday

What does your mommy do while you are at school?

H: Stay home with Elizabeth
G: Work
E: Mommy say: "Look, Look, Look"

If your mom were an animal, what kind would she be?

H: Ostrich, because she is tall
G: Zebra, because she is big and fat
E: Cow, because you look funny

What is Mommy's favorite TV show?

H: Facebook
G: Nick, Jr.
E: Frozen

My mom says the most important rule is...

H: No yelling and fighting
G: No hitting or biting
E: No fighting

I love my mommy because...

H: She is nice, very nice.
G: Her play with me.
E: You are happy for me.

What food does Mom make best?

H: Fish
G: Noodles
E: Pizza

What makes your mommy laugh?

H: Aunt Leigh
G: Telling Jokes
E: Jokes

What makes your mommy sad?

H: When we fight

G: When we bite

E: When we scream at you

 

How tall is your mommy?

H: 5 feet
G: 11 feet
E: So up in the air

My favorite thing to do with my mommy is...

H: play.
G: eat lunch.
E: poke your belly button at lunch

Nobody is better than she is at...

H: helping me make my dress.
G: making stuff.
E: preschool.

Elizabeth' Birthday Party and Cake

Monday, a week ago, we had a little birthday supper for Elizabeth. We asked her who she wanted to come and she said "Karis and Elsa." As much as we would have loved to have her cousin, Elsa, an Idaho plane ticket didn't seem likely, but we did have Karis and her brother, Nico, as well as her mom and aunt. For a third friend, she invited Michael. He was not able to come, but his mom came to represent the family.

Hannah was our party planner and designer. She and Daddy made this penguin and polar bear for a table centerpiece. The theme became "North and South Pole" because as everyone knows penguins and polar bears do not live at the same pole.

Hannah and Daddy created two "poles." Here is Elizabeth and Hannah standing in front of one of them.

Here are our party guests enjoying Elizabeth's request of pizza, tootons (croutons) and poppyseed dressing.

Then, the Crème de la Crème daddy's birthday cake for his 3 year old!

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

Questions with Elizabeth, Age 3

Tonight at 12:24 am, this little girl will be 3. And yes, we can believe it! Although I do wonder where my little baby went.

Elizabeth Anne ~ 3 years old

Interview with Elizabeth:

1. What is your favorite color? purple
2. What is your favorite toy? Sophia toy
3. What is your favorite fruit? applesauce
4. What is your favorite tv show? Paw Patrol
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut Butter and Jelly
6. What is your favorite outfit? Bee dress
7. What is your favorite game? Pass the Pigs
8. What is your favorite snack? Lollypop
9. What is your favorite animal? I want an animal says "Hooo"
10. What is your favorite song? On the Ice Berg
11. What is your favorite book? Paw Patrol Book
12. Who is your best friend? Karis and Elsa

Elizabeth with one of her best friends... her cousin, Elsa

13. What is your favorite cereal? Toast
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play with the Shovel and throw on our heads
15. What is your favorite drink? Sophia drinks
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween

Elizabeth, the rock star!

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? sackie, stripe blanket to chew on
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Baked Oatmeal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza, Tootons, Poppyseed dressing, peanut and sugar
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Princess
21. What was your favorite thing about being 2? dancing in Cinderella and spinning around on my bumbum
22. What are you looking forward to about being 3? laughing at Karis and going to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and being all clean

 Wow, what a year we have had with you. It seems like overnight you went from our cuddly little girl to "crazy uncle" to little miss big personality. As of January 31, 2014, you have made this house completely diaper free! When I asked you about your birthday and turning three, you denied that and insisted that you are turning 13 with that impish little laugh you give when you are teasing us. I ask that you would allow us to "enjoy" 3 first.

Happy Birthday, Lizzle!

We love you very much! Thanks for the joy you bring to us every day.

Interview with Hannah, Grace and Elizabeth for Daddy's Birthday

What does your daddy do for work?

H: Do stuff on the computer
G: Study sometimes
E: He asks something

If your dad were an animal, what kind would he be?

H: Penguin
G: Lion
E: Turtle

What is Daddy's favorite TV show?

H: People talking
G: Funny videos
E: a cow

My dad says the most important rule is...

H: Don't fight
G: Don't bite
E: No fighting, no biting, and no people do what you want

I love my daddy because...

H: he is nice
G: he is special
E: he not like you

What does daddy do best?

H: work
G: make cakes
E: bite

What makes your daddy laugh?

H: things that are funny
G: when we watch funny videos
E: bite

What makes your daddy sad?

H: when we are not kind to each other

G: when we bite people

E: bite

How tall is your daddy?

H: 30 inches
G: 3 inches
E: big and big

My favorite thing to do with my daddy is...

H: watch videos
G: watch videos
E: bite

Nobody is better than he is at...

H: playing games
G: playing games
E: potty

Other things to say about daddy on his 36th birthday...
Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to daddy. Happy Birthday to you. Love Hannah, Grace and Elizabeth

(Pictures taken and selected by Daryl's daughters)

 

Questions with Grace, age 4

Happy 4th Birthday, Grace!

Interview with Grace:

1. What is your favorite color? red
2. What is your favorite toy? baby dolls
3. What is your favorite fruit? strawberries
4. What is your favorite tv show? DoDo (Dora the Explorer)
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? fruit
6. What is your favorite outfit? dress-up clothes
7. What is your favorite game? Yatzee
8. What is your favorite snack? Donuts
9. What is your favorite animal? Zebras
10. What is your favorite song? Jesus Loves Me
11. What is your favorite book? Max and Ruby
12. Who is your best friend? Another Grace (her 2nd cousin)
13. What is your favorite cereal? Kix
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? play
15. What is your favorite drink? punch
16. What is your favorite holiday? Easter
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? My sack
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Eggs
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Cookie and whatever you want for the rest
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? teacher
21. What was your favorite thing about being 3? my sackie
22. What are you looking forward to about being 4? playing grown-up and maybe read a couple books at pre-school

Anything else you want to say? Maybe just sign my name.
grace

Last week at Grandma's house, daddy decorated a special cake for the birthday girl. In honor of being at the farm, Grace had asked for a "cow" cake. Daddy does it again!

 

Hannah's birthday

This past Sunday we celebrated Hannah's birthday with some of our church family. She wanted fish, salad, and fruit salad, so we had baked haddock, burgers on the grill, fruit salad, veggie salad, and chips. It was a really nice afternoon.

The party would not be complete without daddy's 11th birthday cake. Hannah wanted a butterfly birthday, so she designed the decorations...

and daddy designed the cake to match. She was SO EXCITED that he had used her design.

(No the cake had not been eaten... the humidity had gotten to the frosting!)

Daddy and his 6 year old firstborn!

On Monday, Hannah had 3 of her kindergarten friends over for a birthday playdate. That was a lot of fun too!

Decorating vases...

and decorating cupcakes!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!