Last night I had the great idea to take the girls bowling. Every morning and night they do "Miracle Music" which is a program that is kind of cheesy but works. I turn on this music in the morning and it plays wake up music. Then a few minutes later it says "wake up, it's time to make your bed" and then it plays fun energetic music to make their bed to. The idea is that they have to make their bed before the music is over and they earn a point. We proceed to do an act of kindness (clean one room in the house), get dressed, comb hair, eat, brush teeth, and so on until it is time for school. Then we add up their points and when then reach 100 points they get a fun date with mom or dad that we have already set as their goal. So back to the bowling. The past few weeks we decided that having the family go bowling would be a fun reward for all their hard work. Micah is out of school this week for Spring break, so I had the idea to go bowling. I really didn't want to fight the crowds on a Friday or Saturday, so I loaded up the girls to head to the bowling alley (which is about 30-40 minutes away). When we got there we got us a lane, and snacks and waited for dad. We waited, and waited, and waited until I couldn't hold them back anymore. So there I am with three little kids and a packed bowling alley trying to help each of them bowl. As the time passed I was trying so hard to have a good attitude as it took everything in me to keep Aliza from running down the lane herself thinking she could be the bowling ball. We had people on all sides of us that were probably thinking that I was crazy. They were all pretty nice considering my girls were all over the place. Soon a man next to us started thinking we were best friends, and I was getting really uncomfortable. He kept telling me "I would never bring three kids bowling by myself, I don't think I could even handle two." Little did he know that I wouldn't bring three little kids bowling either. Maybe when they are a lot older. Now Micah was over an hour late and we were on our last few turns bowling. He finally came in--and just what I thought had happened--he forgot and drove all the way home in rush hour traffic just to turn around and come back. I can laugh now, but it was a crazy night. I really need a cell phone.
After shopping at many stores and trying on several dresses this is the one she fell in love with. 
You can't really see the candles because they are white like the whipped topping, but we did sing and blow out the candles in her alien pancake breakfast.
Afterwards we met at our house to open some presents. Penny gave her a cabbage patch doll that she loves, and grandma and grandpa gave her enough sand toys to last a long time. They also included lots of sand to fill up our sand box for the year. Thanks everyone for making Aliza's birthday celebrations great!
Aliza was acting kind of shy when we sang happy birthday to her. I don't think she quite understood it was HER birthday. The past few days she has been singing happy birthday to herself and then pretending to blow out the candles at the end. She will be all practiced up for her real birthday this Saturday.
Presents, presents, who doesn't like to open presents? Of course she had some help from her sisters and cousins.
All of the spring babies are so adorable. It is so fun to see how much they have grown at each visit to the farm.
We ended our visit with all of us on the wagon ride. These are some of Aliza's adorable cousins.
This is Shad the newest member of the Phillips family with his mom Mikaela. We were so glad to see him, and hear that newborn baby cry. So sweet!
You know you have had a great time when everyone goes home exhausted. I was laughing at this picture because all I wanted was a picture of our family but everyone was hungry and tired. Abbie was the only one willing to smile for the camera. Next time I will remember to take pictures at the beginning of the party. We had a great time, and we can't wait to celebrate more in a couple of days.
