The Schmutz Family: Caroline turns 5!

weight: 37.4 pounds

height: 41.5 inches

FIVE! This bundle of sass and sweetness sure is fun to celebrate! She may have me putting parenting books in my amazon cart every other day, but she brings so much love and energy to our home. She loves music, dancing and babies. She's always covered in bruises. She's sensitive, compassionate, loves to be a helper and take care of others, and is a natural leader. She may be quick to anger and tears, but she's very generous with her hugs and kisses. She's learning so many things right now--reading, jumping rope, managing her emotions (thank you, new reward system!). I feel sure this girl is going to teach me so much in life.

A recent favorite story about Caroline: We prepped her well for her 5-year-old check up with lots of discussions about what would happen and how she could act "if" she had to get a shot (or two). She knew she might have a chance to be brave and brave she was! The girl who I had to hold down to get her flu shot 5 months prior didn't even cry! As a reward for getting shots, I said she could pick any treat--donuts, snocones, popsicles--you name it. My girl chose to get a sucker from the Home Depot check out lanes. Like I literally went to the store just to get her a 69 cent sucker. She was happy as a clam about it. :)

We celebrated her birthday with a full day of fun and rainbows and unicorns. She woke up to balloons and an amazing birthday banner made by Emmett. Then we hit up Krispy Kreme to get donuts to take to preschool for her special snack; and when she got home we decorated her cake. Dad got home from work early, so in the afternoon the family went to Pelican's Snoballs (she got to pick a big size!) then bowling, which was a great time. Next it was home for some Sweet Caroline serenading, cake, presents and a spaghetti & meatball dinner. She got a pony doll, a rainbow shirt, a unicorn nightgown and flip flops, some jumbo coloring pages, a rainbow jump rope, some learn-to-read books and a new bike. She was thrilled about her rainbow cake and had a pretty fabulous day.

Caroline's 5 year old birthday interview:
Question: What is your favorite color?
Caroline: The whole rainbow! 'Cause I have a rainbow cake.
Mom commentary: Also, pink.

Q: What is your favorite show to watch?
C: Maybe Power Puff Girls and Paw Patrol
MC: This girl loves her screen time (which is 20 minutes a day) in a fierce way. Taking away screen time is one of the only effective consequences we can use on this girl! And for the record, she actually rarely gets to watch either of those shows. When she chooses computer for her screen time, she spends a little time on Teach Your Monster to Read and then the rest of her time on pbskids.org.

Q: What is your favorite song?
C: Havana
MC: We listen to A LOT of kids bop music around here (it's painful at times). She loves pop music and has recently delved into lip synching. :) She also listens to Taylor Swift, The Greatest Showman, Frozen and Radiohead.

Q: What is something you're really good at?
C: Well, I am really good at drawing unicorns. And drawing rainbows.
MC: She's also really good at singing, and she learns lyrics quickly. She taught herself to ride a two-wheeler as a 4-year old without any trouble at all and she did a fabulous job learning how to ski last February. She's also really good at using the Marco Polo app. :)

Caroline's artwork

At ballet practice. She really does have some naturally dancing ability and lovely lines.

Q: What is something you really like to do?
C: I really like to eat cake on my birthday. I like to wrestle with daddy if he's home.
MC: She also really likes to eat candy and have screen time. She also really enjoys time she gets to spend with mom and dad. She loves being active too--dancing, jumping on furniture, hanging upside down off a chair, etc.

Q: What do you want to be when you're grown up?
C: Work at Pelicans (a snow cone joint). Be a mom and a doctor.
MC: The Pelicans answer is a bit out there, but she regularly talks about being a mommy and a doctor. It doesn't surprise me--she has a mother heart and an innate desire to care for and help others.

Q: What's your favorite thing to eat?
C: Hamburgers
MC: She frequently answers spaghetti and meatballs to this question (which was her bday dinner meal of choice as well). Also, berries. And pink lemonade. Recently she was in tears over a lemonade so good that she was in distress that she'd never be able to taste it again.

Q: What's your favorite movie?
C: I think Sleeping Beauty--I like the dragon part.
MC: She is definitely one to choose adventure over romance! She also loves Frozen, and more recently The Greatest Showman.

Q: What's your favorite toy?
C: My doll house.
MC: Very true. She loves to play with her Club Chelsea dolls, Elsa doll and Batgirl dolls.

Q: What's your favorite thing to do with your brothers and sister?
C: Well, I like to play with them. Emmett and I have a game where we fight the bad guys.
MC: Caroline and Emmett frequently play together--on the trampoline, on bikes and even with the dollhouse. Caroline and Norah often play family and school together. With Graham, she wants to hold and snuggle him (more than he wants to).

Q: What's your favorite thing to do with mom?
C: Bake a cake!
MC: She loves to be a helper in the kitchen.

Q: What's something you're looking forward to now that your five?
C: Kindergarten.
MC: She can't wait to ride the bus!

She had a great year at Aldersgate weekday school with Ms. Susan & Ms. Maria.

Q: Who are some of your best friends?
C: Lydia {sigh!}
MC: Lydia moved to Florida last summer, but they send Marco Polo videos to each other regularly. She loves to play with Addie Landry who moved in just a few houses down the street. She also loves to play with her buddy, Daniel Jacobs. Other playdate friends are Kenzie, Anna Jane and Mae. And, of course, her cousins are some of her dearest friends.

Daniel & Caroline

Addie & Caroline

Q: What is something you love about primary?
C: Singing time.
MC: She's her sweetest most thoughtful self at church. She also has a knack for asking me deep questions, like "Who created God?" and such.