Little Kid Birthday Parties

Reese using the skating equivalent of a walker (notice the curls that her sister, Michelle, did when she spent the night at her house).

Norah, Rachael's friend from school, Lexi, Rachael, Reese, and Raeghan (Rachael's sister)

Reese, with her first curls made of her own hair.

In January we've been to 2 little kid birthday parties: one was Rachael's 5th birthday party, and Reese's classmate, Hunter's birthday party (I'm suspecting he turned 5, too). Rachael's involved being all princessy, and Hunter's was skating and Scooby-Doo. Which is also the party I sprained my wrist at a grand total of 8 days ago. Still wearing the ace bandage. I tried to avoid a 4/5 year old kid, and landed hard. If I'd just landed on him, everything probably would've been okay, lol.

Rachael's party involved painting fingernails, curling hair (Reese's hair holds a curl surprisingly well), and wearing princess dresses. It was cute, and Reese had a ball. I never would've guessed Reese's hair would hold a curl like that, fine, Asian hair and all. But it is thick.

Hunter's was at a skating rink, which is pretty self-explanatory. Reese had fun, she loves to skate. She got her own pair of roller blades for Christmas from Santa, which she wore to the party. She wants to take "skating lessons" cause she wants to "go fast", like I can. When there isn't 4/5 year old road bumps. That throws a monkey wrench in all kinds of plans.

The week before Hunter's birthday party, our dad was in the hospital having a hernia repaired. He's home now, and all is well, though he is off for a few weeks. While Mom was at the hospital with Dad, I kept things under control on the home front. I took Reese to school Tuesday and Wednesday, and Mom kept her home Thursday after she stayed the night at the hospital. Thursday night, she stayed home with me, and Friday and and Saturday night, she stayed with our sister, Michelle. Which is a pretty big deal, since that's only the second time she's slept away from home by herself, without Mom, Dad, or me. Both times, it's been with Jie Jie Michelle. We have a nephew who is about 7 years old, and Reese really enjoys playing with him, and our 13 year old niece, Kaci. Michelle and Kaci even curled Reese's hair while she was there, and painted her nails. Needless to say, Reese had a great time at our sister's house. Dad came home Sunday, and, like I said, he's off for a few weeks. But the time while he was at the hospital wasn't nearly as bad as last year, when he had the hernia repaired (apparently, he's the one repair a year of this doctor's that fails...figures).

College started back for Mom and I January 11, and Reese started back to school the Wednesday before, so we're all still trying to settle into the craziness that is college with all that's been going on. Oh! And Reese has her first loose tooth. So right at about 5 years and 3 months, her first loose tooth is wiggling and the adult tooth is coming in behind it. She's getting so big!