4 in a Minion

7th Birthday Science Style

Ethan is a party planner.  He starts planning his birthday parties about 364 days in advance.  This year after exploring many themes he finally decided on a science party.  He wanted explosions, bubbles, slime and experiments.  He was very specific about his request for a 3D science flask for his birthday cake.  I had a fun time making all of his science dreams come true.

Stella and Ethan

 When the party started the guests entered Ethan's lab and decorated a lab coat (made from white T-shirts), they received protective glasses, they scanned their finger to make sure they were allowed in the lab, and drew a new science name from a jar.

When all of the guests arrived we started the experiments.  We made elephant toothpaste, and the kids loved it!

We launched film canister rockets and blew up balloons using Alka-seltzer tablets.  Then we came back in the house and made GAK.

 Then we went outside and exploded sandwich bags and watched a few Mentos/Diet Coke geysers.

The birthday boy had quite a crowd of scientists watching him unwrap his presents.

After blowing out the candles Ethan led the group around the table in a conga line singing, "cha, cha, cha, cha, cha."

 Such a fun party!  He invited 9 girls and 3 boys to his party.  The girls all gave him plenty of attention fighting over who got to sit by Ethan and be his lab partners for each experiment.  I think he felt loved.  I did hear him inform a few of his friends that he was the "main character" for the day.  When I asked him later if his science party was all he dreamed it would be, he replied, "No, it was even better!"  It was a fun day for little E...and the best part was that it wasn't even his birthday yet, he would get the whole next day to celebrate too.  

This morning he was excited to take donuts to school.  When he got home Clark was able to be there for an hour so he got to open presents from his family.  For the last several days he's been trying to trick Caden into telling him what he got him for his birthday.  It frustrates Caden because he doesn't want to ruin the surprise.  So I told Caden to just start telling Ethan that he got him a Sofia toy every time Ethan asked.  I started telling him I got him Barbies when he pestered me about it.  Well, luck would have it that one of our neighbors gave us a big box of toys last week that included some Barbie dolls...so I wrapped up a few to put with Ethan's presents.  I think these pictures say it all.

He was not amused.

 His last present was a clue for the first part of a treasure hunt that eventually led him to the neighbor's house where we had stashed his new bike.  Ethan has been a little reluctant to ride a bike without training wheels....until this last week when his friends were over.  Katelyn and Kylie informed Ethan that they had been able to ride a bike since they were 5!  Well that was all the pressure he needed.  He pretty much jumped on his bike and rode it around the block right on the spot.  So we got him a new bike for his birthday that is more his size.  He was pretty excited.

Special 7th birthday for my special 7 year old.  Last night I was telling him about his first birthday so we looked back at pictures I posted here on the blog...and it really does seem like yesterday.  How does this all go so fast?

7 Things about Ethan at age 7:
He is smart.  His reading has clicked, he has a mathematical mind, and thinks about how things work a lot.
He is fun.  Always the life of the party!
He is a good friend.
He is sensitive and sweet.
He is playful and loves to tease.
He wants to be good.  He wants to choose the right, and usually does.
He is energetic, he wakes up happy and skipping.

He is special and we love him!

Here is his birthday interview at age 7:
What is your favorite food:  Pizza and water
What is your favorite color:  blue and red    
What is your favorite toy:  Brown Dog
What is your favorite TV show:  Miles From Tomorrowland
What is your favorite movie:  Ice Age
What do you want to be when you grow up:  A doctor, a foot doctor
Who is your favorite person:  Dad
What are you good at:  Playing with Dad and riding my bike.
Who is your best friend:  Kylie, Katelyn, Tanna, Liayni, and Mason
What do you like best about Mom:  She hugs me.  
What do you like best about Dad:  He plays with me. 
What do you like best about Caden:  He's funny.  
What do you like best about Quinn:  He's funnier than Dad and Caden.  
What do you like best about yourself:  I can ride my bike really good.  

Quinn's Songs

Oh my cute little Quinn.  I love to hear him sing his favorite songs, he usually stops singing as soon as I pull out the camera to record it...but on Sunday night he was having a major adrenaline rush after a scary allergic reaction to milk that was in Brazillian lemonade that he drank for dinner.  Apparently the near death experience took away his camera shyness.  I'm glad I was able to catch his cute little voice and face at age 2.

Jesus Want Me for a Sunbeam, Families Can Be Together Forever, Rock-a-bye Baby


I Love To See The Temple

Popcorn Popping, and chatter about horses

What Does The Fox Say?

Johnson Family Music Videos

(Don't mind Elsa...she got a little carried away on this video...when I put on the Elsa makeup, Caden told me I looked more like a monster than a princess...I'm thinking I'm not going blonde anytime soon).

Every Tuesday we have a prize drawing at our house for the fitness competition that I am moderating.  Somehow we have evolved into making a music video to go with each drawing.  The boys and I have a lot of fun planning it out with costumes and props.  I'm actually really glad I have these videos because I think it captures the boys' personalities at these ages, as well as the constant parade of costumes that are always on over here.  These boys love to play and imagine, there's always a super hero, pirate, or animal running around this house.

The Day of Love

It was festive around these parts on Valentine's Day!  We made a Valentine themed video for the fitness blog prize winner:

Here were the boys Valentine cards this year:

The boys (and Grandma) woke up Valentine's morning to our traditional Valentine's Mystery Matrix!  They had fun following the string to find their Valentine gifts.

Clark had his Valentine delivered by a dancing telegram (on my way home from Zumba).  Timber blasting from the front porch and some good dance moves...what a lucky guy!

That afternoon our nephew, Derek, got to Greeley for a quick weekend visit from Utah State to hear our other nephew, Jacob, report his mission.  We went to LOVEland, where they celebrate the day of love right!  There were ice sculptures and a light show.  We came home to a fun dinner of heart shaped pizza.

 

 The day before Valentine's Day the boys both celebrated at first grade and preschool.  Ethan's classmates were so excited to see his face on his Valentine cards.

February Fun!

February had some fun events to record.  

Ethan's best friends Kylie and Katelyn were baptized!

 We had a quick weekend trip to Durango to explore a job possibility.  We always love being able to see our Durango family.  Quinn loves being able to see Jackson, the cows and horses.

 Clark and I enjoyed a romantic double date with Carrie and Troy to Chick-Fil-A.  It was actually really fun.  It was a reservation, adult only event.  They had decorated with nice linens, they had servers wearing tuxes, a live band, roses for the women, and free dessert...and best of all Cowsanova!

 Grandma Karen got to visit for a week!  We love every minute when she gets to come.

Found some Iowa memories in Greeley, Colorado!

 Just Princess Anna and Elsa hanging out!  Caden did tell me I looked like a monster when I came out in this wig!

Day of Dance with Cat in the Hat, a horse, and a tiger.

 The many faces of Quinn on the way home from church one Sunday, this kid's moods can change quickly!

 My boys were so excited when the Fowler kids got to stay at our house for a few days while their parents were out of town.  These kids love to play and always have so much fun together.