Maya Turns 9

 

Today is Maya's 9th birthday!  It is also the 6th "birthday" of the annual birthday interview!  I don't know whats harder to beleived, the fact that Sarah and I are now parents to a fun loving, hard working 9 year old, or the fact that I have been doing these birthday interviews for 6 years...crazy!

This past year was another great one for our family and for Maya.  She is continuing to succeed in school, socially with her friends, and in sports.  It's been a lot of fun watching her grow up from a little girl into a mature little woman.  Happy Birthday Maya!  Mom and dad love you to the moon and back!

Below are the past interviews:

• Maya Turns 4
• Maya Turns 5
• Maya Turns 6
• Maya Turns 7
• Maya Turns 8

1. FAVORITE COLOR?  Purple
2. FAVORITE TOY?  My easel
3. FAVORITE CHARACTER?  Elephant and Piggie from the Mo Willems books
4. FAVORITE SUPERHERO?  Cat Woman
5. FAVORITE FRUIT?  Cantaloupe
6. FAVORITE VEGETABLE?  Carrot
7. FAVORITE BREAKFAST? Cereal
8. FAVORITE CEREAL?  Lucky Charms
9. FAVORITE LUNCH? Pizza
10. FAVORITE DINNER?  Pork, bacon, and apples (a skillet type dinner we make)  
11. FAVORITE DRINK?  Soda
12. FAVORITE SNACK?  Whales (Goldfish knock-offs)
13. FAVORITE DESSERT? Ice Cream
14. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?  Melting Pot
15. FAVORITE TV SHOW?  Nailed It 
16. FAVORITE MOVIE?  Greatest Showman 
17. FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS?  Zac Efron 
18. FAVORITE SONG? Boat Song
19.  FAVORITE SINGER/BAND?  Taylor Swift
20.  FAVORITE BOOK?  The Book With No Pictures By: B.J. Novak
21. FAVORITE BOOK SERIES?  Pete The Cat
22. FAVORITE OUTFIT?  Probably a dress 
23. FAVORITE GAME?  The Game of Life
24. FAVORITE SPORT?  Soccer or basketball, or volleyball, I don't really know
25. FAVORITE ANIMAL?  Dog
26. FAVORITE PLACE TO GO? Camping
27. FAVORITE THINGS TO DO? Go on trips
28. FAVORITE SUBJECT?  Math
29. FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMAL?  Hip and Hop
30. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK? Fridays
31. FAVORITE MONTH?  October
32. FAVORITE SEASON? Fall
33. FAVORITE HOLIDAY? Halloween
34. FAVORITE THING MOMMY DOES?  Takes us fun places
35. FAVORITE THING DADDY DOES?  Coaches me for basketball
36. FAVORITE VACATION?  Tennessee
37. FAVORITE MEMORY?  When we go on trips
38. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND?  Graecyn
39. WHO DO YOU LIKE TO PLAY WITH?  My sisters
    
40. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?  Hanging out with my whole family...or something like that
41. WHAT SCARES YOU?  Death, or like killers that are in Goosebumps
42. WHAT MAKES YOU SAD?  When I can't play outside
43. WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR? A horse
44. WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO GO? Florida   
45. WHAT WOULD YOU BUY IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?  A mansion 
46. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT?  Sports
47. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?  A teacher
48. DISLIKES?  When I have to do chores
49. WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOU DO THIS YEAR?  Go to Florida 
50. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?  Nice and funny

 

 

 

Maya Turns 8

 

 

This year Maya turns 8!  The best part of it all is now Maya no longer needs to sit in a booster seat in the car.  She can now sit anywhere in a vehicle.  Its the little things like that, that once you're a parent become big accomplishments.  Maya continues to grow and be a caring, loving, and hardworking girl.  She loves reading, riding her bike, and playing with her best friends.  I seriously look forward to doing these interviews with each of the girls every year.  And now next year, Harper gets to start doing them!  You can click the links below for the past 3 interviews with Maya.

Maya Turns 4 (Not an actual interview)

Maya Turns 5

Maya Turns 6

Maya Turns 7

 

1. FAVORITE COLOR?  Purple
2. FAVORITE TOY?  Legos, especially my rock star with a stage 
3. FAVORITE CHARACTER?  Belle from Beauty and The Beast
4. FAVORITE SUPERHERO?  Catwoman
5. FAVORITE FRUIT?  Cantaloupe 
6. FAVORITE VEGETABLE?  Carrots
7. FAVORITE BREAKFAST? Bagels with cream cheese
8. FAVORITE CEREAL?  Lucky Charms
9. FAVORITE LUNCH?  Pizza
10. FAVORITE DINNER?  Brats or Hotdogs  
11. FAVORITE DRINK?  Coke
12. FAVORITE SNACK?  Apple
13. FAVORITE DESSERT?  Chocolate Cake
14. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?  El Jaripeo
15. FAVORITE TV SHOW?  Jessie
16. FAVORITE MOVIE?  Captain Underpants 
17. FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS?  Emma Watson
18. FAVORITE SONG? Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift
19.  FAVORITE SINGER/BAND?  Taylor Swift
20.  FAVORITE BOOK?  'Captain Underpants and The Attack of The Talking Toilets'
21. FAVORITE BOOK SERIES?  The "If You Give a Mouse a...." books
22. FAVORITE OUTFIT?  My new outfit from Graecyn, leggings and a t-shirt
23. FAVORITE GAME?  Googly Eyes
24. FAVORITE SPORT?  Soccer
25. FAVORITE ANIMAL?  Dolphin
26. FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  South Dakota
27. FAVORITE THINGS TO DO? Playing with my toys or playing with my friends
28. FAVORITE SUBJECT?  Science
29. FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMAL?  Dakota (stuffed Buffalo from Custer State Park) 
30. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK? Friday
31. FAVORITE MONTH?  October
32. FAVORITE SEASON? Fall
33. FAVORITE HOLIDAY? Halloween
34. FAVORITE THING MOMMY DOES?  She lets me have sleepovers with my friends and she helps clean up every day. 
35. FAVORITE THING DADDY DOES?  Do the birthday interviews with me and help me get better at sports
36. FAVORITE VACATION?  Going to South Dakota, the only thing I didn't like about it was the drive. 
37. FAVORITE MEMORY?  Going to South Dakota
38. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND?  Graecyn
39. WHO DO YOU LIKE TO PLAY WITH?  Graecyn, Kortni, Sophie, Riley
40. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?  When mom and dad do stuff with me
41. WHAT SCARES YOU?  When the power goes out in the house
42. WHAT MAKES YOU SAD?  When my friends don't want to play with me
43. WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR?  A horse
44. WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  Family trips   
45. WHAT WOULD YOU BUY IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?  A horse 
46. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT?  Soccer
47. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?  Teacher
48. DISLIKES?  Math tests
49. WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOU DO THIS YEAR?  Learn how to write in cursive 
50. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?  Nice, helpful, and loving

Maya Turns 7

 

Maya's birthday is today, October 13th, she's turning 7 this year.  She continues to amaze Sarah and I every single day with how she continues to mature and grow.  Over the last year, she has continued to become a "little mother."  Especially with Harper's recent health issue.  Maya acts as though she is about 3-5 years older.  She is loving, caring, and always looking to help, no matter how small.  This year, ever since Delaney's birthday (June), Maya has been asking to do her birthday interview.  This has become a neat tradition for our family and a fun way to watch how our kids grow and change over the years.

You can read Maya's 6th Birthday Interview Here.

 

 

1. FAVORITE COLOR?  Purple
2. FAVORITE TOY?  My Baby Alive 
3. FAVORITE CHARACTER?  Elena (of Avalor)
4. FAVORITE SUPERHERO?  Cat Woman
5. FAVORITE FRUIT?  Cantaloupe
6. FAVORITE VEGETABLE?  "Tomato's a fruit, so I can't do that.....Carrot" 
7. FAVORITE BREAKFAST?  Eggs
8. FAVORITE CEREAL?  Lucky Charms
9. FAVORITE LUNCH?  Ravioli 
10. FAVORITE DINNER?  Tacos
11. FAVORITE DRINK?  Soda
12. FAVORITE SNACK?  Granola Bar
13. FAVORITE DESSERT?  Mint chocolate chip ice cream
14. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?  El Jaripeo
15. FAVORITE TV SHOW?  My Little Pony
16. FAVORITE MOVIE?  Old Yeller
17. FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS?  Elena (of Avalor)
18. FAVORITE SONG?  Shake it Off - Taylor Swift
19. FAVORITE SINGER/BAND?  Taylor Swift
20. FAVORITE BOOKS? The Book With No Pictures (See Here)
21. FAVORITE BOOK SERIES?  Pete the Cat
22. FAVORITE OUTFIT?  White sparkly sweater with leggings and a necklace
23. FAVORITE GAME?  Hedbanz (See Here)
24. FAVORITE SPORT?  Soccer
25. FAVORITE ANIMAL?  Dolphins and owls are tied
26. FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  Chuck E Cheese
27. FAVORITE THINGS TO DO?  Play school in my bedroom
28. FAVORITE SUBJECT?  Science
29. FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMAL?  Hip and Hop
30. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK?  Wednesday
31. FAVORITE MONTH?  October
32. FAVORITE SEASON?  Summer
33. FAVORITE HOLIDAY?  Halloween
34. FAVORITE THING MOMMY DOES?  I like that she takes me places
35. FAVORITE THING DADDY DOES?  I like that you run races
36. FAVORITE VACATION?  Going to Florida
37. FAVORITE MEMORY?  When we went to Florida
38. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND?  Graecyn and Kortni
39. WHO DO YOU LIKE TO PLAY WITH?  Graecyn, Kortni, and Addison P.
40. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?  That I have a lot of friends
41. WHAT SCARES YOU?  When I have a bad dream
42. WHAT MAKES YOU SAD?  When my friends don't play with me
43. WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR?  I wish for a horse
44. WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT?  Milton, WI
45. WHAT WOULD YOU BUY IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?  A horse
46. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT?  Crafts, 'cause I'm really good at art
47. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?  I want to be a teacher
48. DISLIKES?  When my friends are not playing with me
49. WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOU DO THIS YEAR?  I hope I go trick-or-treating a lot
50. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?  A good friend

Maya Turns 6

 

This post has easily become one of my new favorite traditions to do with my girls.  This will be Maya's second birthday interview.  You can read last years interview HERE.  Sarah and I find ourselves taken back nearly every day just amazed at what our lives have become.  It an amazing feeling, watching a child grow up before your very own eyes.  Maya is no exception to that.  She has been turning into such a responsible girl who truly cares about others.  She is always trying to do her best and aims to please.  We can't wait to see what this next year of her life brings us!

1. FAVORITE COLOR?  Purple
2. FAVORITE TOY?  New guitar & microphone 
3. FAVORITE CHARACTER?  Elsa
4. FAVORITE SUPERHERO?  Cat Woman
5. FAVORITE FRUIT?  Apples 
6. FAVORITE VEGETABLE?  Corn 
7. FAVORITE BREAKFAST?  Cereal
8. FAVORITE CEREAL?  Lucky Charms
9. FAVORITE LUNCH?  Pizza 
10. FAVORITE DINNER?  Noodles
11. FAVORITE DRINK?  Apple Juice
12. FAVORITE SNACK?  Oranges
13. FAVORITE DESSERT?  Ice Cream
14. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?  Chuck E Cheese
15. FAVORITE TV SHOW?  My Little Ponies
16. FAVORITE MOVIE?  Aladdin 
17. FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS?  Princess Celestia
18. FAVORITE SONG?  Bad Blood - Taylor Swift
19. FAVORITE SINGER/BAND?  Taylor Swift
20. FAVORITE BOOKS?  My Hello Kitty chapter book
21. FAVORITE BOOK SERIES?  Little Reader books
22. FAVORITE OUTFIT?  Purple polka-dot dress
23. FAVORITE GAME?  Monopoly Jr.
24. FAVORITE SPORT?  Soccer
25. FAVORITE ANIMAL?  Horses
26. FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  The Fire Art Studio
27. FAVORITE THINGS TO DO?  Read
28. FAVORITE SUBJECT?  Animals
29. FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMAL?  Hip and Hop (blanket rabbits)
30. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK?  Friday
31. FAVORITE MONTH?  October
32. FAVORITE SEASON?  Summer
33. FAVORITE HOLIDAY?  Christmas
34. FAVORITE THING MOMMY DOES?  Gives me nice birthday parties
35. FAVORITE THING DADDY DOES?  Comes home every night to say good night us
36. FAVORITE VACATION?  Going to the cottage
37. FAVORITE MEMORY? My birthday party at the water park with my cousin Bradyn
38. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND?  I don't have one, so I can't answer
39. WHO DO YOU LIKE TO PLAY WITH?  Kortni and Gracyn
40. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?  You (daddy) :)
41. WHAT SCARES YOU?  Haunted hay rides
42. WHAT MAKES YOU SAD?  When Kortni and Gracyn didn't want to play with me
43. WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR?  For Santa to get me what I want
44. WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  Up North (Cayuga)
45. WHAT WOULD YOU BUY IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?  A new toy
46. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT?  Sports
47. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?  Veterinarian
48. DISLIKES?  When mommy throws something away that I want to keep and I just got it
49. WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOU DO THIS YEAR?  Have play dates with Kortni and Gracyn
50. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?  I'm smart

 

Maya at 5

Maya's birthday is today, which means Sarah and I have a 5 year old.  Hmmm.... that still seems surreal to me.  To think that I not only am a father of 3 beautiful girls, but my oldest is now 5.  This past year was a big one for her.  For starters, she completed pre-school at the YMCA with ease and then started 5-day a week 4k at an elementary school in Kimberly.  She has become very proficient with letters, spelling basic words, and absolutely loves reading books with her mamma.  She continues to become more and more creative each and everyday and has quite the imagination.  This late summer she officially learned to ride her bike without training wheels!  One of her best attributes is her desire to please others.  She is always more than willing to help her mom and dad with her baby sister or even with small household chores.

This year, I will be starting a new tradition of doing a simple 50 question interview with each of our kids on their birthdays.  I figure this will be a fun project to do with each of the girls on their birthday and a neat way to look back on how they change from year to year as they grow even older.

1. FAVORITE COLOR?  Purple 
2. FAVORITE TOY?  Cheerleader pompoms  
3. FAVORITE CHARACTER?  Elsa 
4. FAVORITE SUPERHERO?  Batgirl 
5. FAVORITE FRUIT?  Cantaloupe  
6. FAVORITE VEGETABLE?  Corn  
7. FAVORITE BREAKFAST?  Mush (Oatmeal)  
8. FAVORITE CEREAL?  The one with marshmallows (Lucky Charms)
9. FAVORITE LUNCH?  Spaghetti  
10. FAVORITE DINNER?  Pumpkin soup
11. FAVORITE DRINK?  Chocolate Milk  
12. FAVORITE SNACK?  Fruit snacks
13. FAVORITE DESSERT?  Ice cream
14. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?  Mexican 
15. FAVORITE TV SHOW?  Sofia the First
16. FAVORITE MOVIE?  Frozen 
17. FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS?  Elsa
18. FAVORITE SONG?  Let it Go
19. FAVORITE SINGER/BAND?  Strawberry Shortcake, 'cuz in one episode, they're a band
20. FAVORITE BOOKS?  The Princess Book with all kinds of princess stories 
21. FAVORITE BOOK SERIES?  Pinkalicious Books 
22. FAVORITE OUTFIT?  My long dress 
23. FAVORITE GAME?  The Princess Cupcake Game 
24. FAVORITE SPORT?  Running (I couldn't be more proud right now)
25. FAVORITE ANIMAL?  Baby kittens
26. FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  Chuck-E-Chesse
27. FAVORITE THINGS TO DO?  Play
28. FAVORITE SUBJECT?  School  
29. FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMAL?  Hip and Hop (blanket rabbit animals) 
30. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK?  Friday
31. FAVORITE MONTH?  When it's Halloween (I suppose October)
32. FAVORITE SEASON?  Summer
33. FAVORITE HOLIDAY?  Christmas
34. FAVORITE THING MOMMY DOES?  Clean the house for us
35. FAVORITE THING DADDY DOES?  Cook us dinner
36. FAVORITE VACATION?  Mexico
37. FAVORITE MEMORY?  Going to Chicago
38. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND?  Grayson ("A girl at my school")
39. WHO DO YOU LIKE TO PLAY WITH?  Bradyn (Cousin) 
40. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?  When people say nice words to me 
41. WHAT SCARES YOU?  Monsters
42. WHAT MAKES YOU SAD?  When I can't go outside and play if I wanted to, like when it's raining
43. WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR?  A Barbie that can sing by itself
44. WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  Bradyn's house  
45. WHAT WOULD YOU BUY IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?  A pony  
46. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT?  Writing my name
47. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?  Police Officer
48. DISLIKES?  When it's cold outside
49. WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOU DO THIS YEAR?  Go swimming
50. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?  Happy

Maya's Big Accomplishment

I realize that many of you may have seen Sarah's post on Facebook last week, but personally this is too big for me not to follow up with.

At the beginning of spring I told Sarah that my ambitious goal for Maya was to have her riding her bike without training wheels before her 5th birthday in October.  This was actually pretty ambitious and I honestly didn't think it would happen.  She started riding her bike last summer and we started on square 1....literally.  It started out with me rotating the pedals with my hands as I walked/jogged along side her.  This past spring we bought her a new bigger bike since she has been growing faster than a weed.  This spring she was right back at square 1.  She some how found a way to regularly fall off her bike WITH the training wheels on...yea, don't ask me about that one.

Both Sarah and I made it a point to go on walks as often as possible this summer and have Maya bike along to practice riding her bike.  She progressed quickly and loved it.  About a week ago, I had to work all weekend while Sarah was on call throughout the weekend.  On weekends like this, we send the girls over to Sarah's parents due to our difficult work schedules.  On Saturday evening, Sarah called me with the good news... Maya had officially learned to ride her bike without her training wheels!  Sarah's mom worked with her a lot on Saturday and by the end of the weekend she was riding confidently on her own!

Now, I just need to start training her so her legs can get used to running off the bike, because I know next summer she will be doing her first ever triathlon!