5th Birthday Fun! - Part Three!

Also on Thursday, February 9th, we had a family birthday dinner.

Rebecca wanted a white cake with chocolate icing. By the way, in the span of Rebecca's birthday week, I made 100 cupcakes and a 3-layer cake.  My kitchen was coated in a a fine mist of powdered sugar that was affixed by an even application of butter.  So Rebecca helped.  The best part of helping to make a caking and vats of delicious buttercream icing, however, is to eat the leftover icing!

We had originally planned to have the family dinner at JoJos Pizza, which is a favorite of both Rebecca and Hannah.  However, since we'd had pizza on Saturday, at the school lunch on Thursday, and would be having pizza again at Hannah's birthday party on the upcoming Saturday, we decided to have the family gathering at Red Robin.  The girls were very excited, but mostly they enjoyed posing with each other.

Because it was a birthday shared with her "cousin twin," Hannah, Rebecca consented to the Happy Birthday song.  She really didn't look overjoyed with it as we sang it to her, but at least she didn't burst into tears or hide her eyes.  She really is growing up!

We were so glad to have our niece and nephew there.  Talk about growing up!  Ramy tried to hang with them to get some semblance of cool.

We were happy to celebrate our two five year olds!

5th Birthday Fun! - Part Two!

On Rebecca's actual 5th birthday (Thursday, February 9th), Mommy and Daddy both took off from work so that we could celebrate all day.  Grammy took Rebecca to school and then we came over with lunch and treats for her class.

Rebecca got to wear a birthday crown and necklace all day long!

She also said the prayer before our lunch.

She got to choose special friends to sit with her at her table.

These kids can EAT!  They put away five large pizzas, carrots and dip, and several containers of pineapple, strawberries, blackberries, and apples. They plenty of room left for cupcakes too!

During cleanup time, they all danced.

Rebecca and Mrs. Gallegos.

After the lunch, we headed home to open more of Rebecca's birthday gifts.

No birthday is comlete, in Rebecca's mind, without some giant balloons.

Of course, the dogs were a major part of the birthday celebration.  Only Sydney is game for wearing the birthday hat though. And Rebecca's birthday necklace.  Sydney would only do these things for Rebecca.  She won't even come in from the outside for me.

Sydney also gave Rebecca birthday kisses and hugs.

Some of Rebecca's favorite things were her Princess Tiana dress-up dress...

Squinkies and a new game for her Leappad from Aunt Margaret...

A cute new apron from Uncle Lynn and Aunt Kathryn (which she soon put to good use)...

And her Hungry Hungry Hippo game from Grammy, which they immediately played.

5th Birthday fun! - Part One

The celebration of Rebecca's fifth birthday was a week-long affair!  We had so much fun!

First, we celebrated her birthday on Saturday, February 4, with a birthday party for all her friends at Pump It Up.

Here's the birthday girl in a Grammy original!

As her guests began to arrive...

With her "cousin twin" Hannah.

Rebecca was very happy to have so many of her girlfriends with her at her party. 

Once we'd viewed the safety video, it was time to let the sliding and bouncing begin!  Rebecca wanted to do nothing but go down the slides over and over and over again.

It is very difficult to get a whole room full of kids to all look at a camera at the same time!

Once in the eating room, Rebecca got to sit on the big throne.  She even got to eat on the throne!

Meanwhile, it was a free-for-all with pizza, fruit, veggies, chips, and cupcakes.

Queen Rebecca on her throne, waiting for her cupcake to blow out.  She would not agree to the birthday song, however.

After licking the icing off her cupcake, then she bopped her friends on the head with her inflatable scepter.

After we'd pumped it up, we headed home.  However, the Lohs and Gees had not yet seen our (now not so new) house.  So they all headed over to our house.  The kids ended up playing and playing for hours.  Eventually, we decided to order in from Lucilles so they could continue playing!  Rebecca thought having her birthday party go on all day and all night was the best ever!

5 Years Old!

Today, Rebecca Lee Cisneros is a five-year old!

So hard to believe that it has been five years since she came screeching into the world, full of determination, curiousity, and loving cuddlieness.  There's no doubt that she is growing up - far too quickly for this mama.  But I also wouldn't have it any other way.  It's such an amazing thing to see her growing, learning, exploring, and experiencing all the world and life have to offer. 

At five years old, Rebecca is still quite small for her age.  We'll get her exact stats next week, but she is somewhere in the neighborhood of 32 pounds.  Not sure on the height.  She wears a size 3 in most brands, though jeans in a 4 Slim fit her perfectly....as long as the waist is adjustable.  Dresses remain the only acceptable article of clothing in Rebecca's mind.  Though she occasionally consents to wear pants or jeans, she really doesn't like to do so.

She is learning to read and loves her stage 1 reader books, as well as crafts, puzzles, dolls, all kinds of little playthings (e.g., Zoobles, Polly Pockets, Squinkies), and her beloved stuffed animals. She enjoys riding her "car" to the park nearby and taking the dogs on walks, which she is now able to do independently (we're with her, of course, but she can hold them on their leash). Her Leappad and iPads belonging to Mama and Grammy are some of the things she likes best, though we limit how much "screen time" she is allowed to have on them.

Rebecca continues to adore our dogs, Paddington and Sydney, though she is quite partial to Sydney (and vice versa!). Doing crafts with Grammy is her favorite pastime. Her favorite store is Michaels, because that's where she likes to buy craft supplies. Rebecca is very creative and is always making things. This week, she used scraps of fabric to make decorations. She also loves to help mama cook and bake and garden. With daddy, she loves running around playing with their nerf guns, Spiderman web sprayer, and general running, hiding, and shrieking.

In school, she is known to be quite articulate (one of her teachers describes a conversation with Rebecca as being "just like talking to an adult!" and sits patiently and quietly.  Rebecca is very sensitive; she is concerned for others' feelings and cries easily if she gets in trouble or thinks she has hurt someone else's feelings.  However, she also has a definitive stubborn streak!  Rebecca looks forward to share day at school and is always trying to win the award for the best (some superlative) of the day. She is still a snuggler and cuddler. If she had it her way, she'd still sleep with us every night and rub our earlobes until they fell off!  On Friday mornings, when Mama doesn't have to go to work, we have Mama-Rebecca Snuggle Time in the big bed and watch television and read books and cuddle.  When Grammy is here, Rebecca sleeps with her.  She is kind and loving, always gives many hugs and kisses.

We love our sweet, five-year old Rebecca so very much.  We are excited to see all the new, fun, and exciting things that being five will bring her!

Ten on Tuesday

1.  In a new level of ridiculousness, last week I actually cried a bit watching Pandora's wedding on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  I know, I know, I know. 

2.  The only thing that got me out of bed to go to work yesterday morning was thinking that the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion show began last night.  And if there's anything that can make the drama I face in my work life pale in comparison, it is a Real Housewives reunion show.  Don't judge. We all have to make it the best way we can.

3.  This essay on mothering really struck a chord with me today.  My daughter certainly has her own spirit and personality, which does not easily bend to the whims of anyone!  I know that there is a purpose for her temperament! 

4. Choosing a kindergarten for Rebecca proves to be a daunting task.  The amount of time that I spent researching college majors, graduate schools (or all of the three I attended combined!), or the purchase of our house in the way that I have approached this.  Too many choices!  And too much fear that if I choose the wrong one, I may have doomed my child to a lifetime of mediocrity and unfulfilled destiny. The one that had been the frontrunner has now left me and Ramy with a lack of confidence that it is the right choice.

5.  Rebecca's catch phrase of the week is, "Okay, whatever you say." She says it in a very respectful, nonchalant manner without sarcasm or defiance.  "Can I have ice cream before dinner?"  "No." "Okay, whatever you say."  No idea where she got that.

6.  Last night, I woke up at 2:36 a.m., thinking of the perfect snappy comeback that I would have liked to have given to someone yesterday.  If only I had thought of it at the time.

7.  At 5:24 a.m. yesterday, Rebecca was in our bed.  Stealing my covers. 

8.  It is inappropriate for me as a neuropsychologist to evaluate a client who doesn't speak the language, particularly since I don't have normed measures that are appropriate for that client.  We certainly have a number of Spanish-speaking clients who we refer out to a group that specializes in Spanish-language evals.  So we got in a new guy the other day who is monolingual-Mandarin speaking.  Same principle. We ask for authorization to send him to a Mandarin-speaking neuropsychologist who can test him in his language and has the tests that are appropriate.  The worker's comp adjuster wouldn't approve that, but they did approve for us to send him to the Spanish-speaking neuropsychologist.  Oy vey.

9. Yesterday, I had to go back to Loma Linda for the alumni meeting with the APA accreditation committee.  Wow, things have changed!  It was so nice to be back there and see familiar people but also nice to know that I'm "on the other side" now. 

10. We are on the birthday countdown!  Five years old next week!  I can't believe it.