I know I've been trying to get away from doing the monthly recaps, but I can justify this one because I think it'll be pretty short and easy.
(Sidenote: If you missed it, I already covered a lot of the activity of last month in these in-depth posts: Triathlon #3 - June 3, 2017 in Greenville, Trip to Boston, and Triathlon #4 - June 17, 2017 in Callaway Gardens.)
So between all of that, what else did we possibly have time for?!
Well the biggest thing of course was that Audrey turned 8! That morning before David left for work we gave her her birthday present from us: a new desk and chair for her bedroom, complete with stationary supplies. She adored it and immediately began organizing her rubber bands and new pink accessories, just as I knew she would.
She got to plan out the day from start to finish, so after I tore her away from her new desk, we began at Kids Up (where I think she and Luke quickly realized they are now too old for Kids Up. Sad.) Afterward we stopped by Jilly's Cupcakery to pick out her birthday cupcake and then came home for lunch and rest. That afternoon we went back out to Queen of Hearts (a big antique store that she loves to roam around in) and the mall, where David met us for some shopping and dinner. She chose a dress from Gymboree and hairbands and stick-on earrings from Claire's. Per her request, we searched fruitlessly for a tankini bathing suit that looked appropriate and finally gave up and rode the merry-go-round. She chose Tin Lizzy's restaurant for dinner, but obviously refused to let us tell them it was her special day, so there was no embarrassing singing. David drove the kids home in the van while I went by the Dollar Tree to grab the last few favors for her birthday party. I walked in the door around 7:25 and by 7:29 (the time of her birth), we were singing to her and enjoying our cupcakes. It was a simple but really fun day that was full of both "she's getting so old" moments (choosing shopping at the mall as your birthday activity?!) but also a feeling of "she's still firmly planted in kid world, thank the Lord" (you want to ride the merry-go-round? Of course!)
We celebrated with family and friends at her "Cartwheels and Cupcakes"-themed birthday party that Saturday held at her gymnastics gym. She had about 14 friends (mostly friends plus their little brothers!) and they spent an hour on the floor doing an obstacle course, bar work, and rope swinging. Afterward we went into the party room where they got to decorate their own cupcakes and pose for pictures with photo booth props. Audrey decided to open her presents there and it was a flurry of wrapping paper and ribbon. Before we knew it, it was time to pack up and head home. The only consolation was that my mom came back and stayed the night with us so she could start her "shift" for mine and David's trip to Boston the next morning. We had pizza and then watched Little Big Shots before turning in.
Other highlights of the month included a week of gymnastics camp for the kids, a few playdates, some trips to the pool, a splash pad gathering with our small group buddies, visits to the library, a couple of dentist appointments, a trip to the dollar movies to see Trolls, Father's day celebration meals, and a girls' night in for our small group. Our church also broke ground on their new campus, which means our days of meeting in a nearby high school are numbered. We're excited, but since we're not the ones getting up at 4:30am every Sunday to get there for set-up, it's not quite as big of a deal to us!
So I guess we did find time to squeeze in a few other things in June after all! It was a really good month with a bunch of summertime adventures, but I do hope we get a little more taste of the lazy side of the season next month. Pictures will be up on Facebook soon, so check them out there.
Showing posts with label Birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Birthday. Show all posts
Luke's 5th Birthday & Party
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Welp, I have a five year old. My youngest is now FIVE.
He is no longer counted as a toddler by any stretch and is barely hanging on to his title of "preschooler." He is now too big for Paw Patrol or Miles from Tomorrowland. He has officially outgrown naps. His infatuation with Superheroes is beginning to wane. He uses phrases "I'd like your opinion on this" and "I am not impressed with that behavior."
Basically he's five going on forty and there's not a thing in the world I can do to stop it.
But the good news is that he is still my Lukey, only bigger. He still loves holding my hand and cuddling with me. The other night we bumped heads and he said "Are you okay, Mommy? I'm okay, but I want to make sure you are because that's the menship thing to do." The girls in his class love him because he is such a little gentleman. He is always eager to hold open a door, lend a helping hand, offer an encouraging word, or share his food with you. But don't let those things fool you...he is still very much a boy. He loves to wrestle, make a mess, and talk about all things poopy all the time. And I couldn't possibly love him more.
On his actual birthday, we woke him up with a rousing round of "Happy Birthday" in our "Alabama-style" singing (basically as loud, obnoxious, and off-key as you can get.) I made him pancakes with chocolate chips in the shape of a "5". After we got ready and dropped off Audrey, I reluctantly took him to school. (A first for me since Audrey's birthday is in the summer and Luke has always been out for it!) He was so pumped about taking donuts in for his classmates that I couldn't turn him down. Besides that, it was early release day so I got to pick him up at 11:45am instead of 1pm.
After I picked him up, we went home and I gave him a special lunch of a pizza Lunchable. One of the kids in his class has one "all the time" and he "really, really wanted to try one." He was so surprised and appreciative that you would have thought I gave him with a once-in-a-lifetime gourmet meal. He carefully prepared each little circle of nasty chemical-laden "crust" and then savored every bite. Audrey had early release too so after lunch we got her off the bus and caught up on each other's days for a few minutes before I sent them upstairs to have quiet rest time. When they got up, they helped me make some chocolate lollipops for Luke's party favors.
David came home early that afternoon and we gave Luke his birthday present - a new scooter. He was super excited and told us he "just couldn't stop saying thank you!" We tested it out on the driveway and then went over to Suwanee Town Center to have a little more room. We let them ride around there for awhile, ate dinner at his choice of Brown Bag Deli, chose cupcakes at Jilly's (they always have yummy GF options for AJ), and went home. We sang to our sweet boy, gobbled up the cupcakes, and then did some water color painting - his choice activity before bed. It was a really sweet, simple day of celebrating him and he loved it.
The big celebration was that Saturday when we had a "Wild Kratts" (PBS Kids show) themed party. All of his cousins were able to make it plus a few friends from small group and/or school. Here are some of the details:
Colors: Jungle green and animal prints.
Decor: I drew chalk paw prints on the sidewalk leading to the front porch and had a welcome sign and the birthday balloon wreath on the front door. Inside I had the favors on display and a welcome sign hanging above paper vines wrapped with leaves attached to the entryway. In the kitchen there was a crepe paper palm tree over the island and I made Wild Kratts food signs and placed little wild animal figures around the food. The chandelier over the table was wrapped with jungle leaves. On the fireplace mantle there was a birthday interview on display along with an "L" and a copy of the invitation, surrounded by wild animal figures. A "Happy 5th Birthday" banner hung under the mantle. Audrey used her artistic skills to decorate the chalkboard in the playroom with a big "Happy Birthday Luke" message and a jungle scene. I kept it pretty simple in the basement and just covered the tables with brown tablecloths and animal print handkerchiefs. I put a jar of "Monkey Food" and "Palm Tree Seeds" on the entertainment center down there and scattered a few animal figures around. Animal print balloon bunches served as the centerpieces and another "Happy 5th Birthday" banner hung on the wall. I put together a slideshow of this past year and had it playing on the upstairs television.
Food: "Snake Sandwiches" (sub sandwiches cut into sections with olives for eyes and a pimento for the tongue at the head), "Alligator Eggs" (a pineapple cut to look like an alligator head with grape eyes and green grapes surrounding it), "Shredded Jungle Grass" (cole slaw), "Cheetah toes" (bags of cheetos), "Monkey Food" (dried banana chips), and "Palm Tree Seeds" (chocolate covered raisins.) The cake was a vanilla Publix cake with a Wild Kratts edible image I'd ordered and we also had cupcakes with "paw prints" (small York peppermint patties and Junior Mints) and vanilla ice cream.
Crafts/Games: The little guests got to color their own animal mask and make a snake bookmark out of a popsicle stick. For the games, we played "Large Mouth Bass" where they had to use their creature power of a big mouth to grab a gummy worm off the hook (hung down from the upstairs catwalk), "Butterfly Break-Out" where they were wrapped in toilet paper and had to use their creature power of strong wings to bust free, and "Fly Trap Game" where they used frog creature power of catching paper flies with sticky "tongues" (stretch sticky hand strings). The had an awesome time with the Large Mouth Bass game and looked hilarious. The toilet paper kept breaking on the Butterfly Break Out but the Fly Trap Game was a hit...literally. :) I also created and laminated 5 creature power discs - one for each station - and got each kid a lanyard to attach them to when they completed that station. Those were definitely their favorites.
Favors: A Wild Kratts book with homemade chocolate paw print lollipops and their lanyards.
The party went really well and everyone seemed to have a great time. One of the funniest parts was when several of us were standing outside saying goodbye to our families and a small baby snake slithered out of the grass! Most of the kids had already left, but Luke, Audrey, and Annelise got a kick out of it. I jokingly told Luke I had planned it just for his party! I mean, what perfect timing!
Luke's one complaint about the day was that it was too short. Well so is your childhood, kid.
I love you so very much and, though I'm sometimes sad about losing my baby, I'm excited about seeing you enter into boyhood with all of its adventures and fun. You have a heart of gold with just enough of a streak of mischief to keep us on our toes. I pray the Lord grows you into a man of conviction and courage who follows after Him and loves others well. Your name means "light giving" and you most certainly are, Bubba. We love you and wish you all of God's best for all of your life. Happy Birthday!
He is no longer counted as a toddler by any stretch and is barely hanging on to his title of "preschooler." He is now too big for Paw Patrol or Miles from Tomorrowland. He has officially outgrown naps. His infatuation with Superheroes is beginning to wane. He uses phrases "I'd like your opinion on this" and "I am not impressed with that behavior."
Basically he's five going on forty and there's not a thing in the world I can do to stop it.
But the good news is that he is still my Lukey, only bigger. He still loves holding my hand and cuddling with me. The other night we bumped heads and he said "Are you okay, Mommy? I'm okay, but I want to make sure you are because that's the menship thing to do." The girls in his class love him because he is such a little gentleman. He is always eager to hold open a door, lend a helping hand, offer an encouraging word, or share his food with you. But don't let those things fool you...he is still very much a boy. He loves to wrestle, make a mess, and talk about all things poopy all the time. And I couldn't possibly love him more.
On his actual birthday, we woke him up with a rousing round of "Happy Birthday" in our "Alabama-style" singing (basically as loud, obnoxious, and off-key as you can get.) I made him pancakes with chocolate chips in the shape of a "5". After we got ready and dropped off Audrey, I reluctantly took him to school. (A first for me since Audrey's birthday is in the summer and Luke has always been out for it!) He was so pumped about taking donuts in for his classmates that I couldn't turn him down. Besides that, it was early release day so I got to pick him up at 11:45am instead of 1pm.
After I picked him up, we went home and I gave him a special lunch of a pizza Lunchable. One of the kids in his class has one "all the time" and he "really, really wanted to try one." He was so surprised and appreciative that you would have thought I gave him with a once-in-a-lifetime gourmet meal. He carefully prepared each little circle of nasty chemical-laden "crust" and then savored every bite. Audrey had early release too so after lunch we got her off the bus and caught up on each other's days for a few minutes before I sent them upstairs to have quiet rest time. When they got up, they helped me make some chocolate lollipops for Luke's party favors.
David came home early that afternoon and we gave Luke his birthday present - a new scooter. He was super excited and told us he "just couldn't stop saying thank you!" We tested it out on the driveway and then went over to Suwanee Town Center to have a little more room. We let them ride around there for awhile, ate dinner at his choice of Brown Bag Deli, chose cupcakes at Jilly's (they always have yummy GF options for AJ), and went home. We sang to our sweet boy, gobbled up the cupcakes, and then did some water color painting - his choice activity before bed. It was a really sweet, simple day of celebrating him and he loved it.
The big celebration was that Saturday when we had a "Wild Kratts" (PBS Kids show) themed party. All of his cousins were able to make it plus a few friends from small group and/or school. Here are some of the details:
Colors: Jungle green and animal prints.
Decor: I drew chalk paw prints on the sidewalk leading to the front porch and had a welcome sign and the birthday balloon wreath on the front door. Inside I had the favors on display and a welcome sign hanging above paper vines wrapped with leaves attached to the entryway. In the kitchen there was a crepe paper palm tree over the island and I made Wild Kratts food signs and placed little wild animal figures around the food. The chandelier over the table was wrapped with jungle leaves. On the fireplace mantle there was a birthday interview on display along with an "L" and a copy of the invitation, surrounded by wild animal figures. A "Happy 5th Birthday" banner hung under the mantle. Audrey used her artistic skills to decorate the chalkboard in the playroom with a big "Happy Birthday Luke" message and a jungle scene. I kept it pretty simple in the basement and just covered the tables with brown tablecloths and animal print handkerchiefs. I put a jar of "Monkey Food" and "Palm Tree Seeds" on the entertainment center down there and scattered a few animal figures around. Animal print balloon bunches served as the centerpieces and another "Happy 5th Birthday" banner hung on the wall. I put together a slideshow of this past year and had it playing on the upstairs television.
Favors: A Wild Kratts book with homemade chocolate paw print lollipops and their lanyards.
The party went really well and everyone seemed to have a great time. One of the funniest parts was when several of us were standing outside saying goodbye to our families and a small baby snake slithered out of the grass! Most of the kids had already left, but Luke, Audrey, and Annelise got a kick out of it. I jokingly told Luke I had planned it just for his party! I mean, what perfect timing!
Luke's one complaint about the day was that it was too short. Well so is your childhood, kid.
I love you so very much and, though I'm sometimes sad about losing my baby, I'm excited about seeing you enter into boyhood with all of its adventures and fun. You have a heart of gold with just enough of a streak of mischief to keep us on our toes. I pray the Lord grows you into a man of conviction and courage who follows after Him and loves others well. Your name means "light giving" and you most certainly are, Bubba. We love you and wish you all of God's best for all of your life. Happy Birthday!
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June Recap/Trip to New Smyrna Beach/Audrey's 7th Birthday
Friday, July 15, 2016
So sorry I've been MIA for almost a month. It's been a whirlwind of a summer thus far. We went straight from school letting out to the beach, from the beach to Audrey's birthday and party, from the party to prepping for carpet installation, from the carpet installation to 4th of July festivities. I'm ready for those proverbial "lazy summer days!"
In order to not spend hours writing this update, I'm going to bullet point the month's highlights:
In order to not spend hours writing this update, I'm going to bullet point the month's highlights:
- Luke took swim lessons and did pretty well. I feel like sometimes he pushed back on what the coach was asking him to do and the coach let him off the hook too easily. Still, he got more comfortable in the water and learned some good basics and survival skills, which is great.
- Audrey started soccer through a local program called i9 Sports. I love their template of one game a week with practice right before the game. They also have a short season of only six weeks. It's a great way to introduce kids to organized sports and the subsequent lessons without overcommitting your entire family for months on end. I'll do a lengthier update on how she did in next month's recap.
- Our church campus hosted a small group leader cookout for us. It was great to catch up and meet others as well as hear the support and excitement from our campus's leadership. As one of them said, "Take a minute and look around you. In a few years, we'll look back on these humble beginnings as the 'good ol' days.'"
- We took our annual trip to New Smyrna Beach with David's mom's side of the family the third week of the month. We did it all: David played golf, he and I had a date, we had a date with each kid separately, we attempted a crab hunt (it was way too buggy to stay out long!), I read and blogged, we ate flitters galore (and just food in general galore, too), the kids got to reel in some fish that David's cousin and uncle caught, we played cards, and we did Go Karts with the kids for the first time. Of course, we also swam swam swam and the kids even "rode waves" a couple of times (it was super calm.) I managed to get in all my tri workouts thanks to a local gym and a great YMCA I found, which let me chill the heck out about my fear of losing ground. We also celebrated Audrey turning seven a little early with a pizza party, craft time that she led for the girls, and a walk on the beach. Unfortunately, as is par for the course for our trips down there, someone ended up sick. AJ got terrible heat rash towards the end of the week and we kept her indoors for a full day to let it recede a little. It looked awful, but we kept hydrocortisone on it and Benadryl in her as needed and it slowly went away. Other than that, it was a fantastic week that went by too fast...more so than any previous trip down there that I can remember!
- David had a good, quiet Father's Day. We had just gotten in from NSB the night before, so they all slept in while I did my brick workout and then we went on a hike by the Chattahoochee River. We gave him some golf accessories and took him out to dinner that night. He sort of gets robbed with AJ's birthday falling right around the same time, but he's a good sport about it.
- AJ's 7th birthday was great. She wanted to eat from her favorite deli for lunch, so we got a picnic to go and went down to our neighborhood pool to swim and play. That afternoon David came home early and we sent her on a scavenger hunt to find her present from us: a Barbie Dream House! In a "she's getting too old too fast and the window is closing" panic, we decided to splurge this year. She was ecstatic! When I took her to Toys R Us a few weeks early to get some ideas for presents, she walked past the dream house in a box, looked at me, and said "Well. I know there's NO WAY." I kept catching her sneaking back and checking it out. It was a total full circle moment for me when she saw it, as that was by far one of my favorite childhood toys. I even cleaned up a few of my old Barbies to give her with it, though I made sure she knew there was no pressure to keep any of them. We played with it for the rest of the afternoon, setting up everything just so. We ate her dinner choice of nachos and then had cupcakes from Jilly's on the back deck and sang to her right at 7:29 (the time she was born.) It was a great day celebrating our amazing girl!
- AJ's "Mermaid Splash Birthday Bash" was the following Sunday evening at Bogan Aquatic Center. That's right...her very first not at home. (Well, her first birthday was at her grandparents' house, but this was the first that I didn't put on from scratch at a home.) She had SO much fun swimming and playing with her friends and cousins. She went around and around the lazy river and played on the little water playground they have. They giggled and squealed for an hour and a half before we pulled them out to do cake and ice cream. She told me on the way home that it "exceeded all of her dreams." Score! Plus, it was a breeze to put on since I did very minimal decorations (foam mermaid centerpieces she put together, balloons, pics of her at the beach/pool through the years, a GF mermaid cake from Sally's Bakery, and a paper banner) and didn't have to plan a meal, craft, or game. I also didn't spend days cleaning and setting up before and after. I could get used to that!
- As I mentioned, we finally got the carpet replaced. I say finally because I originally got some quotes at the end of spring 2015. After realizing how much it would cost to do it, we waited until the spring of this year. But March/April was all about the deck and May is no time to deal with anything extra...hence June 2016. It was a TON of work to get everything cleared off the furniture and packed away. China cabinet, bookcases, dresser tops, underneath the beds...everything had to be put away. And of course I couldn't miss the opportunity to do a little purging and organizing as I was doing it, which just took longer. Since we had the entire upstairs and main level carpet replaced, that pretty much left the sunroom, basement, and bathrooms to pile stuff in. The crew arrived early on the 30th and worked like crazy. As they would finish a room, I would go in a vacuum so they could put the furniture back. The new carpet was so much thicker that I actually hurt my shoulder pushing the vacuum on it! (I think David doubted me until I made him try it out in the hall. We ordered a new vacuum on Amazon the very next day.) It was a long, exhausting day, but the new stuff looks great and I'm very pleased with the color and how soft it is. I completely underestimated the dust and post-installation clean-up required over the next week. It took forever to get it out of every nook, cranny, and blind. So to sum it up: Lot of work. Love the result. But basically we're moving before we need carpet replaced again.
I realize I did not give a resolution update in May, so here's a doubled-up version: I'm staying on top of social stuff with at least two dates with David and a dinner with a girlfriend a month. We also had two small group gatherings this month - one with our co-leaders at the cookout and one with the ladies for a girls' night. I got to see my brother and niece twice this month when they stayed with us. We also visited with David's grandmother and aunt while she was in town. And obviously there was a full week with David's extended family in New Smyrna. So, outside of blogging, I'm doing pretty well on the social goals. BUT, I have completely dropped the ball on the service projects as we did not do birthday boxes or the neighborhood clean-up. Ugg. Realizing that as I write this will hopefully help to get my rear in gear. For organization goals, I've done pretty well. I did the dining room, garage, and most of the craft room and kitchen this quarter. I still need to tackle the office, but in my defense, I also did both kids' rooms again this past month in preparation for the carpet. (It is a CONSTANT battle to not drown in toys and art projects around here.) As usual, doing well in some areas, need improvement in others.
To close, some good quotes from the kids:
- AJ, after David told her that "they say" most everyone dreams every night but that they don't always remember it: "Daddy. You should trust the person that experienced it and not what you read on the internet." TRUTH, girl.
- Luke: "Did that fire truck turn his 'whee-ers' off?" (He meant sirens!)
- AJ, after telling her she probably wouldn't get any wisdom teeth: "Oh no! Does that mean I won't have any wisdom in my mouth?!
I know I squeezed a lot into this one update and I'm sorry it wasn't more detailed (or maybe "you're welcome" is more apt!) I just knew I needed to get it done or I'd lapse into a procrastinating absence for several months. Hope your summer is going well and here's to a few lazy days in the latter half!
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May 2016 Recap
Sunday, June 19, 2016
While this May was a lot less stressful than last May, there's a reason this month is still considered the "New December." David was gone the entire first week, which of course makes things tough. Not only do I pull double-parent duty, but it always takes creativity to keep up with my workouts when he travels since he's not home for me to go early in the mornings. Still, I managed to squeeze them all in, which probably helped with my mental health and stability a good bit. ;) Later that week, the kids and I met my Dad and stepmom for dinner one night and his parents came over another night to help break up the witching hours of 4-6pm a little bit.
Luke's preschool's Mother's Day Tea was that week as well, which is just the most darling thing. He was so excited to have me there and to show me all of his crafts he made for me. The teachers had filled in one of those little questionnaires with the kids' answers and the results are always so comical. He'd confidently responded to the age question by saying that I was 40 years old ("If I'm four, that means she's four-TY!") but he redeemed himself when they asked when Mommy was the prettiest and he answered "now."
David came home that Friday just in time for me to have my annual day off on the Saturday before Mother's Day. I did my brick workout early and then went up to the outlets and moseyed around my favorite stores. I left there and went by Target to buy a new book and then found a quiet scenic spot at a little park that overlooked Lake Lanier. I read and catnapped for about an hour and a half before packing up and hitting a new eclectic local store that had everything from jewelry to kitchen tables. I went through the entire place twice (I think that's my favorite part of days like that...just being able to take my sweet time) and then headed home a little early. On the drive home, I realized that since Luke started preschool this year and therefore I have weekly quiet time to myself, my need for an entire day like that isn't quite as strong as it has been in years past. That evening, David and the kids took me out to Ippolito's for dinner and it was delicious. The next day on Mother's Day, we went to church and then had a picnic and short hike near the Buford Dam. David grilled out for us that night and we enjoyed our newly finished/painted deck. I kept recalling how I'd spent last year's Mother's Day weekend in bed with a stomach bug and was especially grateful that this year's festivities went as planned!
By week two of the month, all of the end of school year preparations were in full swing. I was busy drafting letters about teachers' gifts and parties and attempting to field questions from parents that I was only scarcely less scatter-brained than. (If I can take the time to organize this, please take the time to read it, people!)
Unfortunately, the first grade teachers also thought that May was a perfect time to have the students do their largest project of the year: Making 25 homemade items and creating a step-by-step how-to guide to orally present to the class. They would earn fake dollars for good behavior and then spend them at the market day on the last day of school. After giving Audrey multiple project choices, she picked homemade soap and bookmarks. We made the bug/butterfly-shaped soap in one afternoon and then bagged it and added personalized stickers later. For the bookmarks, she did 3-4 each day over the course of several days and then I laminated them for her. She knocked out the guide in two sittings, complete with illustrations. Even though the teachers treated this as their homework and didn't assign anything else for the month, I calculated that we still spent at least three hours not including shopping time on everything compared to the 20-30 minutes of homework she has per week. (So 180 min. vs the usual 90 min. In the midst of May madness. No thank you!) Regardless, she did a great job and everything turned out well. She sold out in the first few minutes of their Beach Blanket Bizarre!
I got to go up to Kara's for a visit the third week. I was just stunned at how well she was doing and probably drove her nuts telling her so. To my great relief, her youngest was very happy to see me. I was worried he would associate me with being away from his mommy since I saw him a few times while he was staying down here with Kara's sister. Turns out that I'd apparently moved up a few notches in his book and he couldn't wait to show me and tell me everything, which made me so happy. We ran a few errands (not only was she walking, she was driving!) with her youngest and then picked up her middle child and ate lunch out. We caught up during their rest time and then walked down to the bus stop later that afternoon to get her oldest. We played and caught up all afternoon and then I headed out around dinner time. Though I always hate when we have to end our visits, it was the best feeling to get to wave goodbye to her on her driveway surrounded by her family instead of in a hospital bed.
Later that week, Audrey had her Field Day rescheduled due to rain. Unfortunately, the new date coincided with Luke's last day of school. Though he wasn't having a party, I still had to deliver the teachers' gifts plus the 16 bags I'd stuffed (each students sends in 16 items such as sidewalk chalk or bubbles and then they're dispersed in beach buckets or bags and sent home as "school's out" treats.) I prayed that morning that God would just help me enjoy the day and soak up their separate milestones as best I could despite the franticness of attempting to be in two places at once.
In Luke's class, we gave the teachers' the presents, took some pictures, and I handed them notes I'd written expressing my deep appreciation for them. I couldn't believe our "Mrs. Alyson" days were over! I was extremely grateful that we still had one more year of him there in the safer bubble of a church preschool program. I hugged the teachers tightly and dashed over to Audrey's Field Day. She was having a pretty good time and tried just about everything in the gym portion of the centers rotation. The weather was very nice and cool compared to last year's event. We made our way over to the field for tug-of-war and I laughed as several boys from the class huddled up to "talk strategy." Her class won one out of three matches and then we walked inside to hand out popsicles. While her teacher got them started on a writing assignment, I quickly decorated the door with a camping theme in preparation for her end-of-year party. I finished just in time to go pick up Luke from his last day of three year preschool. Just like when they had their Christmas parties on the same day, it was a bit crazy and frazzled, but I knew that without a doubt I would be longing for those hectic days in the not-so-distant future
The next day I took Luke in to Audrey's class with me to finish having the kids sign a photo mat and so I could put up a few party decorations. He ate a picnic lunch in Audrey's seat while the kids were at their lunchtime and I hurried to tie large camping signs and a banner to the ceiling. We finished just in time and headed home, where I began to load and double-check all my gear for the next day's triathlon. I wrote in great detail about all of that here, so I'll skip the recap on it except to say that it was really, really awesome.
The following Monday was Audrey's class party and it went well. We had five centers set up: painting sun catchers, campfire bingo, Let's Go Fishing game, sticker scene/worksheets, and paracord compass bracelet assembly (David and I prepped them for the party by completing about half of each bracelet and it was still very difficult for most of the kids. I do not recommend them, but since the teacher bought them for us to use I felt obligated!) After the students cycled through all five stations, we fed them a hotdog lunch in the classroom. We presented the teacher with her gift (a monogrammed beach tote bag full of goodies and gift cards) and a framed picture of the class with their signatures on the photo mat. We cleaned up party decor while the kids finished lunch. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I loaded up the van and drove home. My first year as double room mom was finished! I'd survived! It may not have always (read: ever) looked like a Pinterest-quality job, but hopefully the teachers felt supported and appreciated and the kids made some good memories.
Audrey had her last day of school that Wednesday and when she let out, we met up with neighbors and had treats from the Kona Ice truck that the neighborhood reserved. Summer had officially begun! Many of the kids had squirt guns (mostly from their parents who squirted them as they got off the bus!) and were spraying each other mercilessly. After avoiding it for awhile, Audrey asked me if she could get wet in her regular clothes. I told her to go for it and she had a ball running around with the kids and getting soaked. I still get surprised at things like that when I realize just how much she's come out of her shell. A year ago there would've been no way she'd have wanted to participate at all! We walked home, dried off, and had a special mid-week pajama pizza picnic party and watched a movie to celebrate the end of the school year.
That Friday was David's birthday. I feel badly for the guy because he's always robbed on Father's Day since it falls right around Audrey's birthday and now, since the kids have started school and May means crazy end of year stuff, his birthday gets moved to the back burner as well. He's a trooper about it though. We took him out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and gave him a pretty pitiful gift of a shirt, a hamburger press, and some grill seasoning made locally since he's really into grilling these days. (Some years are easier than others to come up with a great idea...this year was not a good one.) Thankfully he'd taken the day off to play golf, so at least he enjoyed that. The kids and I had gone strawberry picking that day, so I made a gluten-free strawberry cake for them, his mom had made a regular strawberry cake for him, and we celebrated with those. It was a low-key celebration, but hopefully made him feel as loved as he is.
The next day I did a brick workout and then we sent the kids off to his parents' house for an overnight. We loaded down his dad's truck with bags of cedar chips and came home to do a few hours of yard work. After showers and naps, we continued his birthday celebration with the restaurant and movie of his choice. We ended up at a local BBQ spot that was delicious and then saw the new Captain America film. The whole thing was nearly ruined for me as I couldn't take my eyes off the little four or five year old girl in front of us. I'm really working on becoming a less judgmental person, but SERIOUSLY?! There is no excuse for that. Anyway, the movie was okay, but I was disappointed that the Avengers turned on each other. I told David that I didn't like that part and that they should've named it something that made that clear. I actually suggested "civil war." He just looked at me and blinked, then gestured toward the enormous movie sign that read "Captain America: Civil War." We died laughing. I had to have known that somewhere in my subconscious. We came home and binged our new favorite show "Longmire" on Netflix.
The next morning we drove out to pick up the kids at his parents' house and enjoyed a nice boat ride and picnic with them. The kids are getting more and more used to the boat and I think this will be the summer we attempt some tubing with them. The water was still a little too cold for any playtime in it that day, but there is still plenty of summer and subsequent heat left. We went home for some rest time and spent the rest of the long weekend in some pattern of hikes, picnics, and vegging out.
We ended the month with Luke beginning swim lessons. He did a great job and was a lot less fearful than last year. He had a male coach this year, which probably pushed him to be a little braver than he would've otherwise been. He did feel the need to attempt to negotiate everything ("Well, how about you stand at that black line and I'll swim to you there?") but that got better as the week (and my warnings to stop it) went on.
We also had our first family photo session in over two years at the end of the month. My, how much easier that has gotten since the kids have gotten older! No one griped, even though it was pretty warm out. Audrey was practically modeling! They turned out great and I'll be posting them on FB pretty soon.
So that was May. Other highlights include the completion of the deck makeover (we'd had to let the wood dry out on the newly-built extension for six weeks before having it stained) and getting the concrete patio underneath painted. I was thankful to have both of those wrapped up. There were also a few friends' birthday parties, a PTA Board meeting, and an All Pro Dads thrown in there. It was busy as always, but it just makes the relaxed pace of summertime all the sweeter when it finally arrives.
I'll close with two of my favorite quotes from Luke this month:
- "Mommy, is today my twoth swim lesson?" (Meaning "second".)
- "Mommy! You are NOT going to believe how much hair is growing on my legs now!" (He is seriously so proud of that. It's hilarious!)
Happy Summer, Y'all!
Luke's preschool's Mother's Day Tea was that week as well, which is just the most darling thing. He was so excited to have me there and to show me all of his crafts he made for me. The teachers had filled in one of those little questionnaires with the kids' answers and the results are always so comical. He'd confidently responded to the age question by saying that I was 40 years old ("If I'm four, that means she's four-TY!") but he redeemed himself when they asked when Mommy was the prettiest and he answered "now."
David came home that Friday just in time for me to have my annual day off on the Saturday before Mother's Day. I did my brick workout early and then went up to the outlets and moseyed around my favorite stores. I left there and went by Target to buy a new book and then found a quiet scenic spot at a little park that overlooked Lake Lanier. I read and catnapped for about an hour and a half before packing up and hitting a new eclectic local store that had everything from jewelry to kitchen tables. I went through the entire place twice (I think that's my favorite part of days like that...just being able to take my sweet time) and then headed home a little early. On the drive home, I realized that since Luke started preschool this year and therefore I have weekly quiet time to myself, my need for an entire day like that isn't quite as strong as it has been in years past. That evening, David and the kids took me out to Ippolito's for dinner and it was delicious. The next day on Mother's Day, we went to church and then had a picnic and short hike near the Buford Dam. David grilled out for us that night and we enjoyed our newly finished/painted deck. I kept recalling how I'd spent last year's Mother's Day weekend in bed with a stomach bug and was especially grateful that this year's festivities went as planned!
By week two of the month, all of the end of school year preparations were in full swing. I was busy drafting letters about teachers' gifts and parties and attempting to field questions from parents that I was only scarcely less scatter-brained than. (If I can take the time to organize this, please take the time to read it, people!)
Unfortunately, the first grade teachers also thought that May was a perfect time to have the students do their largest project of the year: Making 25 homemade items and creating a step-by-step how-to guide to orally present to the class. They would earn fake dollars for good behavior and then spend them at the market day on the last day of school. After giving Audrey multiple project choices, she picked homemade soap and bookmarks. We made the bug/butterfly-shaped soap in one afternoon and then bagged it and added personalized stickers later. For the bookmarks, she did 3-4 each day over the course of several days and then I laminated them for her. She knocked out the guide in two sittings, complete with illustrations. Even though the teachers treated this as their homework and didn't assign anything else for the month, I calculated that we still spent at least three hours not including shopping time on everything compared to the 20-30 minutes of homework she has per week. (So 180 min. vs the usual 90 min. In the midst of May madness. No thank you!) Regardless, she did a great job and everything turned out well. She sold out in the first few minutes of their Beach Blanket Bizarre!
I got to go up to Kara's for a visit the third week. I was just stunned at how well she was doing and probably drove her nuts telling her so. To my great relief, her youngest was very happy to see me. I was worried he would associate me with being away from his mommy since I saw him a few times while he was staying down here with Kara's sister. Turns out that I'd apparently moved up a few notches in his book and he couldn't wait to show me and tell me everything, which made me so happy. We ran a few errands (not only was she walking, she was driving!) with her youngest and then picked up her middle child and ate lunch out. We caught up during their rest time and then walked down to the bus stop later that afternoon to get her oldest. We played and caught up all afternoon and then I headed out around dinner time. Though I always hate when we have to end our visits, it was the best feeling to get to wave goodbye to her on her driveway surrounded by her family instead of in a hospital bed.
Later that week, Audrey had her Field Day rescheduled due to rain. Unfortunately, the new date coincided with Luke's last day of school. Though he wasn't having a party, I still had to deliver the teachers' gifts plus the 16 bags I'd stuffed (each students sends in 16 items such as sidewalk chalk or bubbles and then they're dispersed in beach buckets or bags and sent home as "school's out" treats.) I prayed that morning that God would just help me enjoy the day and soak up their separate milestones as best I could despite the franticness of attempting to be in two places at once.
In Luke's class, we gave the teachers' the presents, took some pictures, and I handed them notes I'd written expressing my deep appreciation for them. I couldn't believe our "Mrs. Alyson" days were over! I was extremely grateful that we still had one more year of him there in the safer bubble of a church preschool program. I hugged the teachers tightly and dashed over to Audrey's Field Day. She was having a pretty good time and tried just about everything in the gym portion of the centers rotation. The weather was very nice and cool compared to last year's event. We made our way over to the field for tug-of-war and I laughed as several boys from the class huddled up to "talk strategy." Her class won one out of three matches and then we walked inside to hand out popsicles. While her teacher got them started on a writing assignment, I quickly decorated the door with a camping theme in preparation for her end-of-year party. I finished just in time to go pick up Luke from his last day of three year preschool. Just like when they had their Christmas parties on the same day, it was a bit crazy and frazzled, but I knew that without a doubt I would be longing for those hectic days in the not-so-distant future
The next day I took Luke in to Audrey's class with me to finish having the kids sign a photo mat and so I could put up a few party decorations. He ate a picnic lunch in Audrey's seat while the kids were at their lunchtime and I hurried to tie large camping signs and a banner to the ceiling. We finished just in time and headed home, where I began to load and double-check all my gear for the next day's triathlon. I wrote in great detail about all of that here, so I'll skip the recap on it except to say that it was really, really awesome.
The following Monday was Audrey's class party and it went well. We had five centers set up: painting sun catchers, campfire bingo, Let's Go Fishing game, sticker scene/worksheets, and paracord compass bracelet assembly (David and I prepped them for the party by completing about half of each bracelet and it was still very difficult for most of the kids. I do not recommend them, but since the teacher bought them for us to use I felt obligated!) After the students cycled through all five stations, we fed them a hotdog lunch in the classroom. We presented the teacher with her gift (a monogrammed beach tote bag full of goodies and gift cards) and a framed picture of the class with their signatures on the photo mat. We cleaned up party decor while the kids finished lunch. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I loaded up the van and drove home. My first year as double room mom was finished! I'd survived! It may not have always (read: ever) looked like a Pinterest-quality job, but hopefully the teachers felt supported and appreciated and the kids made some good memories.
Audrey had her last day of school that Wednesday and when she let out, we met up with neighbors and had treats from the Kona Ice truck that the neighborhood reserved. Summer had officially begun! Many of the kids had squirt guns (mostly from their parents who squirted them as they got off the bus!) and were spraying each other mercilessly. After avoiding it for awhile, Audrey asked me if she could get wet in her regular clothes. I told her to go for it and she had a ball running around with the kids and getting soaked. I still get surprised at things like that when I realize just how much she's come out of her shell. A year ago there would've been no way she'd have wanted to participate at all! We walked home, dried off, and had a special mid-week pajama pizza picnic party and watched a movie to celebrate the end of the school year.
That Friday was David's birthday. I feel badly for the guy because he's always robbed on Father's Day since it falls right around Audrey's birthday and now, since the kids have started school and May means crazy end of year stuff, his birthday gets moved to the back burner as well. He's a trooper about it though. We took him out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and gave him a pretty pitiful gift of a shirt, a hamburger press, and some grill seasoning made locally since he's really into grilling these days. (Some years are easier than others to come up with a great idea...this year was not a good one.) Thankfully he'd taken the day off to play golf, so at least he enjoyed that. The kids and I had gone strawberry picking that day, so I made a gluten-free strawberry cake for them, his mom had made a regular strawberry cake for him, and we celebrated with those. It was a low-key celebration, but hopefully made him feel as loved as he is.
The next day I did a brick workout and then we sent the kids off to his parents' house for an overnight. We loaded down his dad's truck with bags of cedar chips and came home to do a few hours of yard work. After showers and naps, we continued his birthday celebration with the restaurant and movie of his choice. We ended up at a local BBQ spot that was delicious and then saw the new Captain America film. The whole thing was nearly ruined for me as I couldn't take my eyes off the little four or five year old girl in front of us. I'm really working on becoming a less judgmental person, but SERIOUSLY?! There is no excuse for that. Anyway, the movie was okay, but I was disappointed that the Avengers turned on each other. I told David that I didn't like that part and that they should've named it something that made that clear. I actually suggested "civil war." He just looked at me and blinked, then gestured toward the enormous movie sign that read "Captain America: Civil War." We died laughing. I had to have known that somewhere in my subconscious. We came home and binged our new favorite show "Longmire" on Netflix.
The next morning we drove out to pick up the kids at his parents' house and enjoyed a nice boat ride and picnic with them. The kids are getting more and more used to the boat and I think this will be the summer we attempt some tubing with them. The water was still a little too cold for any playtime in it that day, but there is still plenty of summer and subsequent heat left. We went home for some rest time and spent the rest of the long weekend in some pattern of hikes, picnics, and vegging out.
We ended the month with Luke beginning swim lessons. He did a great job and was a lot less fearful than last year. He had a male coach this year, which probably pushed him to be a little braver than he would've otherwise been. He did feel the need to attempt to negotiate everything ("Well, how about you stand at that black line and I'll swim to you there?") but that got better as the week (and my warnings to stop it) went on.
We also had our first family photo session in over two years at the end of the month. My, how much easier that has gotten since the kids have gotten older! No one griped, even though it was pretty warm out. Audrey was practically modeling! They turned out great and I'll be posting them on FB pretty soon.
So that was May. Other highlights include the completion of the deck makeover (we'd had to let the wood dry out on the newly-built extension for six weeks before having it stained) and getting the concrete patio underneath painted. I was thankful to have both of those wrapped up. There were also a few friends' birthday parties, a PTA Board meeting, and an All Pro Dads thrown in there. It was busy as always, but it just makes the relaxed pace of summertime all the sweeter when it finally arrives.
I'll close with two of my favorite quotes from Luke this month:
- "Mommy, is today my twoth swim lesson?" (Meaning "second".)
- "Mommy! You are NOT going to believe how much hair is growing on my legs now!" (He is seriously so proud of that. It's hilarious!)
Happy Summer, Y'all!
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Luke's Fourth Birthday & Party
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
This past weekend was Luke's much-anticipated Superhero Birthday Party. And I do not exaggerate when I describe it that way. He has been looking forward to it since the moment I began planning, which y'all know was round about early fall. :) I wanted him to weigh in on a few details of this one now that he's getting old enough to express an opinion. Not only did I want him to be happy with how it turned out, but since quick decision-making is not his strong suit, I figure the more practice the better. I carefully narrowed down some invitations for him to choose from and we talked about which costume he wanted to wear. I also discussed the cake with him and went to great lengths to try and find one that represented all of his favorite heroes while simultaneously didn't cost a year of his future college tuition. Both kids helped me make one of the games and the centerpieces and, slowly but surely, it came together and the much-anticipated day arrived.
The guests showed up around 11am and the kids (all the cousins plus three little friends and their siblings) were decked out in their adorable costumes. They played together in the playroom until I called them into the sunroom to do the games. I let Luke take lead. He explained each game to the crowd and then went first to demonstrate how it was done. All the little superheroes had so much fun playing everything, but the "Hulk Smash" game where they punched through tissue paper-covered bowls for a prize was definitely the hit (haha) of the party.
When they were finished with the games, a few worked on the crafts while David finished grilling the hot dogs. We called everyone in for lunch, David blessed the food and prayed for Luke, and then we dug in. Afterward we had cake and ice cream (he was SO serious while everyone was singing to him!) and then cleaned up hands and faces and let him dive into his presents. He got a lot of Paw Patrol, Miles from Tomorrowland, and superhero gifts and was thrilled with everything.
When the wrapping paper cleared, everyone hung out and visited while the kids played a little longer and then the crowd started heading out. Luke got to skip nap and stay up and play, which was one of his favorite parts of the whole day. After everyone left, we cleaned up a good bit, made nachos for dinner, and watched Peter Pan. It was a fantastic day celebrating our big boy and I hope it's one "super" party that he remembers for a long time!
More party details...
Colors: Red, blue, and yellow
Centerpieces/Decor: Centerpieces made out of red boxes with a yellow star on them and stuffed with "Pow" "Zap" -type cut out signs, balloons, more comic cut out pop words hanging from the fan in the sunroom and above the kitchen island. I placed blue tulle and some superhero printed material on the tables. AJ drew a "Welcome Superheroes" message on the white board easel and we sat that on the front porch. On the fireplace mantel, I hung a "Happy 4th Birthday Luke" banner and set out two pictures of him dressed up at Batman, some of his action figures, and a few DC Superfriends books. I put a bunch of small-sized photos in my Southern Living frame on the basement door as well as taped some in the shape of a "4" onto the basement wall.
Food: "Wonderdogs" (Hot dogs), a Captain America fruit tray, "Thor's Hammers" (pretzel sticks stuck into small cheese rectangles), "Mighty Munchies" (bagged chips), and "Hulk Juice" (green Hawaiian punch). The cake was a chocolate Publix cake with fondant symbols I'd ordered from an Etsy shop of Spiderman's wrist and web, Batman's symbol, Thor's hammer, Hulk's fist, and a comic sign that said "Luke".
Activities/Games: Hulk Smash (bowls each filled with a small prize glued onto a piece of foam board and covered with green tissue paper for them to punch through), Spiderman Web Target practice (shooting silly string at a target), and Pin the Bat Symbol on Batman's chest. I also had superhero sticker scenes for them to create and small cardstock finger puppets for them to color.
Favors: A little golden book about the DC Superfriends plus a superhero pez dispenser.
In closing, a letter to the birthday boy:
Dear Luke,
Sometimes at night when I'm putting you to bed, we have a little routine that we do. I'll tell you how much I love you and then say "There's nothing you can do to make me love you more and there's nothing you can do to make me love you less" and explain how I love you simply because you are my son. You usually brush all that off and say, "Okay, but what do you LIKE about me?" and after I go over the unconditional love thing again, I launch into a list of some of my favorite things about you. On this, your all-important fourth birthday, I thought I would take a moment to write some of them out:
The guests showed up around 11am and the kids (all the cousins plus three little friends and their siblings) were decked out in their adorable costumes. They played together in the playroom until I called them into the sunroom to do the games. I let Luke take lead. He explained each game to the crowd and then went first to demonstrate how it was done. All the little superheroes had so much fun playing everything, but the "Hulk Smash" game where they punched through tissue paper-covered bowls for a prize was definitely the hit (haha) of the party.
When they were finished with the games, a few worked on the crafts while David finished grilling the hot dogs. We called everyone in for lunch, David blessed the food and prayed for Luke, and then we dug in. Afterward we had cake and ice cream (he was SO serious while everyone was singing to him!) and then cleaned up hands and faces and let him dive into his presents. He got a lot of Paw Patrol, Miles from Tomorrowland, and superhero gifts and was thrilled with everything.
When the wrapping paper cleared, everyone hung out and visited while the kids played a little longer and then the crowd started heading out. Luke got to skip nap and stay up and play, which was one of his favorite parts of the whole day. After everyone left, we cleaned up a good bit, made nachos for dinner, and watched Peter Pan. It was a fantastic day celebrating our big boy and I hope it's one "super" party that he remembers for a long time!
More party details...
Colors: Red, blue, and yellow
Centerpieces/Decor: Centerpieces made out of red boxes with a yellow star on them and stuffed with "Pow" "Zap" -type cut out signs, balloons, more comic cut out pop words hanging from the fan in the sunroom and above the kitchen island. I placed blue tulle and some superhero printed material on the tables. AJ drew a "Welcome Superheroes" message on the white board easel and we sat that on the front porch. On the fireplace mantel, I hung a "Happy 4th Birthday Luke" banner and set out two pictures of him dressed up at Batman, some of his action figures, and a few DC Superfriends books. I put a bunch of small-sized photos in my Southern Living frame on the basement door as well as taped some in the shape of a "4" onto the basement wall.
Food: "Wonderdogs" (Hot dogs), a Captain America fruit tray, "Thor's Hammers" (pretzel sticks stuck into small cheese rectangles), "Mighty Munchies" (bagged chips), and "Hulk Juice" (green Hawaiian punch). The cake was a chocolate Publix cake with fondant symbols I'd ordered from an Etsy shop of Spiderman's wrist and web, Batman's symbol, Thor's hammer, Hulk's fist, and a comic sign that said "Luke".
Activities/Games: Hulk Smash (bowls each filled with a small prize glued onto a piece of foam board and covered with green tissue paper for them to punch through), Spiderman Web Target practice (shooting silly string at a target), and Pin the Bat Symbol on Batman's chest. I also had superhero sticker scenes for them to create and small cardstock finger puppets for them to color.
Favors: A little golden book about the DC Superfriends plus a superhero pez dispenser.
In closing, a letter to the birthday boy:
Dear Luke,
Sometimes at night when I'm putting you to bed, we have a little routine that we do. I'll tell you how much I love you and then say "There's nothing you can do to make me love you more and there's nothing you can do to make me love you less" and explain how I love you simply because you are my son. You usually brush all that off and say, "Okay, but what do you LIKE about me?" and after I go over the unconditional love thing again, I launch into a list of some of my favorite things about you. On this, your all-important fourth birthday, I thought I would take a moment to write some of them out:
- You are generous and thoughtful. You share with others, often without having to be prompted. You have always been so good at that. What's truly been an amazing example to me, however, is that you choose the best thing to share. If it's something edible, you'll dig through until you find the flavor or kind that you know the person likes, even if it's your favorite as well. It melts my heart every time.
- You have a great sense of humor. You're still working out making up a joke from scratch, but you usually understand when someone else tells one and love to laugh. Your comedic timing is also very impressive for someone of such a young age.
- You know how to have FUN. Like the rest of us in this family, you are an old soul at heart. But your old soul has a lot of energy in it. You love to giggle, act silly, dance, and cut up. Though your knack for doing it right before bedtime can get frustrating, I love that you don't take yourself or things too seriously.
- You are a ladies' man. Your preschool teacher told me that no other little boys exist in your class as far as all the girls are concerned. If she doesn't assign seats on the floor, she'll often turn around to find you surrounded by a group of girls squeezing in on you. What's more important is that you are learning to be a respectful gentleman, and that will serve you well all of your life.
- You are a brave protector. You often talk about fighting bad guys, but sometimes you put your words into action and stick up for Mommy or Audrey if Daddy is tickling or wrestling with us. You stand in a bug's path to block them from Audrey and offer to do things that she may be too shy or fearful to do on her own.
- You are adorably cute. If I am scolding you and you start to crack a smile, your dimples do me in and I can't help but grin too.
- You are a helper. You like to jump in and help me sweep, pick up, make lunch and dinner, carry things, or open doors for me.
- You love God and often talk about and ask questions about Him. You remind me often that God knows everything and that God can do anything. I hope you always know that with every fiber of your being.
These are just a few of the many, MANY things I like about you. You are so amazing, Lukey, and we are so proud of the little boy you are turning into. We are incredibly blessed to have you and wish you the happiest of birthdays!
We love you,
Daddy and Mommy
xoxoxo
We love you,
Daddy and Mommy
xoxoxo
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Luke's Third Birthday & Party
Friday, February 27, 2015
This past weekend we celebrated Luke turning three years old. The weather threatened to become an issue, but we ended up only having to delay an hour to allow for warmer temps and more travel time. Since it was just family and two little friends and their siblings, everyone was able to make it.
For months beforehand, I had this idea of getting some sort of construction equipment to show up for the party. (It would probably be helpful to stop here and explain that his party theme was construction.) I shopped around some different personal rental options, but soon realized that was going to be way more pricey and difficult than we were willing to take on for a three year old's birthday party. I decided to shift gears (get it? Ha!) and stopped by a local construction equipment company we pass on the way to church all the time. The lone lady working in the office definitely didn't have an answer when I asked what it would cost to have a dump truck swing by a birthday party for a little while. She told me to get back to her in a few days if I hadn't heard anything. I left the office hedging my bets that she threw away the paper with my name on it before I'd started the van.
We left for a Disney a few days after that, so I put it out of my mind until we got back. I shot her an email then and the next day she left me a voicemail. When I called her back, she said that one of their workers was willing to come back with a dump truck pulling a track hoe. I asked how much that would cost and held my breath. "Not a thing," she said. "He's willing to do it since the equipment won't be in use. We just ask you to consider giving him a tip for his time." Uh, YEAH.
So that's how we ended up having a dump truck pulling a track hoe honking outside of our house on the day of Luke's party. Unfortunately, we'd delayed the start time but he had to come according to the original schedule. That meant Luke and Audrey got a ton of time with it, but other guests didn't get as long. It also left my family pulling together final lunch stuff for me inside while I was outside, but it all worked out in the end. The kids really enjoyed climbing all over it, writing their names with chalk on the bucket and trailer, and sitting in the seat of the track hoe. The guy drove it off the trailer and David and his dad even worked the levers and moved the bucket a bit. I don't know who had the most fun - Luke, Ed, or the guy who brought the thing. We sent him away with a big thank you tip and a cupcake and hurried inside to the warmth and lunch.
As we were finishing up eating (again, big thanks to my family for helping pull it together!), the kids played a couple of the games and ran around with their hard hats on. (I might should've looked into the real thing as those plastic things give such a false sense of security.) We rounded up everyone to sing Happy Birthday and admired yet another masterpiece cake by my sister-in-law Jenny. She'd created a construction site scene with a giant dirt (crushed Teddy Grahams) "3" on a huge sheet cake. She placed some construction vehicles, tiny cones, and a little barrel on top. It was darling...er, I mean manly...and Luke loved it. He'd been talking about Aunt Jenny and that cake for weeks. I watched him as he watched everyone singing to him and silently said a prayer of thanks for this amazing little boy who melts my heart...tries my patience, but melts my heart.
We ate cake and ice cream and then moved to the family room to open gifts. He got some great new toys and gave everyone a giant "thank you!" before tearing into a couple of them. Everyone hung around, played, and visited a little while before heading out. Audrey had a birthday party to go to that afternoon (an older sister of one of Luke's guests, actually), so she and David scooted out. My mom, brother, and niece stayed while Luke rested a little bit. I began to tear everything down and clean up. Pretty soon, it was dinnertime. We ordered pizza and stuck Audrey, Luke, and my niece Annelise in front of a movie with a picnic blanket and food while we vegged out. We let them play a little more afterward and then put them to bed, exhausted. We stayed up and talked to my brother a little longer before we grabbed some leftover cake and all headed to bed ourselves. It had been a wonderful day celebrating the most precious boy with many of our loved ones. Parties are a lot of work, but man are they so worth it to me for that very reason.
The next day was his actual birthday and David, Audrey, and I serenaded him awake with song. He had a lovely breakfast of Pop-tarts (his choice) and got dressed in his "Here Comes the Birthday Boy" t-shirt. We drove to church and checked the kids in, being sure to tell everyone we saw it was his special day. After the service, we headed to brunch at a local diner. My brother and niece hit the rode from there and we went home to put our feet up for a few and rest. Later we gave him his gift from us (a Hot Wheels track that attaches to the wall) and played with it for a few minutes before small group. Afterward, we ate leftover tacos, put three candles in leftover cake, and sang round three of Happy Birthday. I realized later that a party before the actual birthday is weird and a little foreign to us. We weren't quite sure what to do about gifts and cake on the day of when they're still this little and don't know dates, but I think we hit a good middle ground with it. I know he felt special and celebrated all weekend long, which is what matters.
Here are some other party details:
Colors: Orange, Yellow, and Black
Centerpieces/Decor: Hardhats, caution tape streamers in the doorway, balloons, a banner, road table runners, safety cones, toy construction vehicles, tools, "safety cones" in jars (candy corn), and construction cut-out signs. Outside I set up construction cones along the walkway and a real construction barrel on the porch.
Food: Build-your-own-taco bar, beans, queso, and tortilla chips for lunch and another cake masterpiece by my SIL Jenny.
Activities/Games: Besides the giant dump truck and track hoe, which provided a lot of entertainment, I had a small tabletop play sand box (filled with the no-mess sand) with construction toys and a hammering practice area stocked with styrofoam cubes and golf tees.
Favors: "Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site" hardback book plus a chocolate tool for the little ones and a small Lego kit with a chocolate tool for the older ones.
Luke, you are such a blessing to this family and we love you so very much. You make every problem seem much less significant when you wrap your arms around my neck and tell me you love me. Your cuteness is almost too much to bear; your laughter and sheer excitement about life is medicine to my sometimes cynical soul. Thank you for the joy you bring to us every day. I can't wait to see what God has in store for you. I know you'll approach it with the tenacity with which you dive into everything. Happy Birthday, Bubba!
Pictures to come this weekend.
For months beforehand, I had this idea of getting some sort of construction equipment to show up for the party. (It would probably be helpful to stop here and explain that his party theme was construction.) I shopped around some different personal rental options, but soon realized that was going to be way more pricey and difficult than we were willing to take on for a three year old's birthday party. I decided to shift gears (get it? Ha!) and stopped by a local construction equipment company we pass on the way to church all the time. The lone lady working in the office definitely didn't have an answer when I asked what it would cost to have a dump truck swing by a birthday party for a little while. She told me to get back to her in a few days if I hadn't heard anything. I left the office hedging my bets that she threw away the paper with my name on it before I'd started the van.
We left for a Disney a few days after that, so I put it out of my mind until we got back. I shot her an email then and the next day she left me a voicemail. When I called her back, she said that one of their workers was willing to come back with a dump truck pulling a track hoe. I asked how much that would cost and held my breath. "Not a thing," she said. "He's willing to do it since the equipment won't be in use. We just ask you to consider giving him a tip for his time." Uh, YEAH.
So that's how we ended up having a dump truck pulling a track hoe honking outside of our house on the day of Luke's party. Unfortunately, we'd delayed the start time but he had to come according to the original schedule. That meant Luke and Audrey got a ton of time with it, but other guests didn't get as long. It also left my family pulling together final lunch stuff for me inside while I was outside, but it all worked out in the end. The kids really enjoyed climbing all over it, writing their names with chalk on the bucket and trailer, and sitting in the seat of the track hoe. The guy drove it off the trailer and David and his dad even worked the levers and moved the bucket a bit. I don't know who had the most fun - Luke, Ed, or the guy who brought the thing. We sent him away with a big thank you tip and a cupcake and hurried inside to the warmth and lunch.
As we were finishing up eating (again, big thanks to my family for helping pull it together!), the kids played a couple of the games and ran around with their hard hats on. (I might should've looked into the real thing as those plastic things give such a false sense of security.) We rounded up everyone to sing Happy Birthday and admired yet another masterpiece cake by my sister-in-law Jenny. She'd created a construction site scene with a giant dirt (crushed Teddy Grahams) "3" on a huge sheet cake. She placed some construction vehicles, tiny cones, and a little barrel on top. It was darling...er, I mean manly...and Luke loved it. He'd been talking about Aunt Jenny and that cake for weeks. I watched him as he watched everyone singing to him and silently said a prayer of thanks for this amazing little boy who melts my heart...tries my patience, but melts my heart.
We ate cake and ice cream and then moved to the family room to open gifts. He got some great new toys and gave everyone a giant "thank you!" before tearing into a couple of them. Everyone hung around, played, and visited a little while before heading out. Audrey had a birthday party to go to that afternoon (an older sister of one of Luke's guests, actually), so she and David scooted out. My mom, brother, and niece stayed while Luke rested a little bit. I began to tear everything down and clean up. Pretty soon, it was dinnertime. We ordered pizza and stuck Audrey, Luke, and my niece Annelise in front of a movie with a picnic blanket and food while we vegged out. We let them play a little more afterward and then put them to bed, exhausted. We stayed up and talked to my brother a little longer before we grabbed some leftover cake and all headed to bed ourselves. It had been a wonderful day celebrating the most precious boy with many of our loved ones. Parties are a lot of work, but man are they so worth it to me for that very reason.
The next day was his actual birthday and David, Audrey, and I serenaded him awake with song. He had a lovely breakfast of Pop-tarts (his choice) and got dressed in his "Here Comes the Birthday Boy" t-shirt. We drove to church and checked the kids in, being sure to tell everyone we saw it was his special day. After the service, we headed to brunch at a local diner. My brother and niece hit the rode from there and we went home to put our feet up for a few and rest. Later we gave him his gift from us (a Hot Wheels track that attaches to the wall) and played with it for a few minutes before small group. Afterward, we ate leftover tacos, put three candles in leftover cake, and sang round three of Happy Birthday. I realized later that a party before the actual birthday is weird and a little foreign to us. We weren't quite sure what to do about gifts and cake on the day of when they're still this little and don't know dates, but I think we hit a good middle ground with it. I know he felt special and celebrated all weekend long, which is what matters.
Here are some other party details:
Colors: Orange, Yellow, and Black
Centerpieces/Decor: Hardhats, caution tape streamers in the doorway, balloons, a banner, road table runners, safety cones, toy construction vehicles, tools, "safety cones" in jars (candy corn), and construction cut-out signs. Outside I set up construction cones along the walkway and a real construction barrel on the porch.
Food: Build-your-own-taco bar, beans, queso, and tortilla chips for lunch and another cake masterpiece by my SIL Jenny.
Activities/Games: Besides the giant dump truck and track hoe, which provided a lot of entertainment, I had a small tabletop play sand box (filled with the no-mess sand) with construction toys and a hammering practice area stocked with styrofoam cubes and golf tees.
Favors: "Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site" hardback book plus a chocolate tool for the little ones and a small Lego kit with a chocolate tool for the older ones.
Luke, you are such a blessing to this family and we love you so very much. You make every problem seem much less significant when you wrap your arms around my neck and tell me you love me. Your cuteness is almost too much to bear; your laughter and sheer excitement about life is medicine to my sometimes cynical soul. Thank you for the joy you bring to us every day. I can't wait to see what God has in store for you. I know you'll approach it with the tenacity with which you dive into everything. Happy Birthday, Bubba!
Pictures to come this weekend.
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Audrey's 5th Birthday & Party
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
A few weeks ago we celebrated our big girl turning five. On Friday morning, her actual birthday, we woke her up singing Happy Birthday and giving her five kisses. We all sat down together for a chocolate chip pancake breakfast and gushed over how big she was. After we ate, we surprised her with a new bike, complete with training wheels, streamers on the handlebars, and a baby seat in the back for her to take along her favorite doll. She was ecstatic...well, after my little rule-follower got over her meltdown about her old helmet no longer fitting ("but the bike SAYS I have to wear a helmet!") Luke was so happy for her, too, which was almost as cool to see as her reaction.
David went in to work for a few hours and Luke, Audrey, and I headed to a local park to let her practice on her new ride (by way of Walmart for a new helmet, of course.) She rode back and forth, not caring about the excruciating heat. She would stop from time to time to open her little zippered handlebar bag and take a sip of her water. I watched her maneuver and steer like a pro and teared up from the shade where Luke and I were hiding out. When did this happen? How could she be FIVE on a BIKE? I thought back to that day on 2009 in a hospital room at 7:29pm and how my life has changed since that moment. Her little hand waved at me and I remembered her tiny fingers curling around mine when she was a baby. It seemed like both a blink and a lifetime ago at the same time. The fear of the kids dehydrating interrupted my reflection and I moved all of us back to the van to change the kids into their bathing suits for the fountains.
Audrey splashed and played and Luke stood around and mostly whined for about 45 minutes before we packed it in and went home for lunch. I put Luke down for a nap and Audrey down for a rest and worked on party stuff until my brother and my niece arrived from out of town. The girls played while my brother and I visited until Luke woke up. David came home and cut the grass, I decorated some more, and then we all went out to Steak and Shake (the birthday girl's choice) for dinner. When we got home, we put a candle in a little miniature cupcake for Audrey and sang to her before piling all three kids on the couch for bedtime stories. It was a great day filled with a lot of fun. We tucked the kids in and headed to bed to rest up (okay, finish up a balloon wreath) for the big party the next day.
On Saturday morning, we rushed around getting everything ready for Audrey's party. Her theme this year was "Arts and Crafts" and I had several stations of activities to prepare for the kids on top of the usual decor. At least I wizened up this year and outsourced the food to our favorite local pizza spot. (I did, however, talk them into making three artist pallete-shaped pizzas for the kids. They turned out so well!)
Guests began to arrive a few minutes before 10am, and I ushered the littles downstairs to get started on their crafts. They grabbed their initial-monogrammed apron (iron-on because I do not sew) and dove right in. I think the girls could've stayed there forever, but at noon I made everyone break for lunch. We ate then did cake. Audrey giggled and grinned while everyone sang to her and then attempted to blow out her candles as I held her over the island. (I imagine next year I won't be picking up a six year old to do that.) The kids decorated their cupcakes and the adults enjoyed the delicious artist palette-shape cake masterpiece that my SIL made.
When everyone had finished dessert, we moved into the family room and Audrey opened her presents. I put her in a chair so as to fend off so many "helpers" and she graciously opened each card and read it then opened the gift. She got a bunch of little craft-themed items, a lot of books, a necklace, a sleeping bag, and some money/gift card. She oohed and aahed over all of it and did a pretty good job of audibly saying thank you to each guest.
After gifts, she and most of her friends went back down to the patio to make some jewelry. I remembered toward the end of the party that I hadn't taken many posed pictures, so that meant grabbing tired kids and attempting to force smiles as everyone was trying to leave. Oh well...I'll try to remember earlier next year.
The party was a huge success, but not because of the decorations and the activities. The kids, especially Audrey, had a blast and told me it was "awesome" and "rocking", which I count as my highest compliments of the day. I've done and enjoyed party planning long before Pinterest was even a thing, so I don't like people to think I do it for show or to outdo other moms. I do it because one day I want my kids to look back and remember, "Yeah, mom wasn't the best cook. She didn't sew our clothes or build us a treehouse or grow a garden, but man she threw us some kick-butt birthday parties!" Of course, I realize by having this dream that I'm probably setting myself up for the complete opposite to be true, but I can hope they'll remember and appreciate the work I put into their big day for them.
Here are the other event details of the party:
Colors: Hot pink and granny smith apple green (same as her first birthday) with chevron details
Centerpieces: Handmade crayon flowers in a plastic paint bucket with balloons tied to the handle
Other Decor: Two birthday banners, various ceramic paint cans, a homemade balloon wreath, an art easel with a handwritten welcome from the birthday girl, a beautiful gallery displaying Audrey's finest works of art, a colorful bouquet of flowers, green paper lanterns hanging from the deck, paint cans pouring paint (clear cans with colored tablecloths hanging out) hanging in the foyer, tiny paint-splattered canvas signs on tiny easels.
Audrey's outfit: A pink tutu and a custom-embroidered white tee with a "5", "Audrey", and a painter's palette on it.
Food: Artist palette pizza, chips, cupcakes, and a gorgeous homemade artist palette cake with a detailed paintbrush on top by my sister-in-law Jenny.
Activities: Painting taped-off initials on canvases, coloring t-shirts or aprons with fabric markers, making jewelry, and decorating cupcakes.
Favors: A painter's palette with paint and a Rice Krispie Treat "paintbrush" dipped in pink or green "paint" (colored chocolate) with their canvases and aprons, of course.
Happy 5th Birthday, Audrey! I cannot believe you are five and I cannot believe God saw fit to entrust you to us. You are so smart, funny, and beautiful. May you always trust Jesus as much as you do now, love your brother as fiercely as you do now, and have as big of a hunger to learn and create as you do now. You are amazing & we love you!
Click here for Birthday and Party Pictures
Click here for Birthday and Party Pictures
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May 2014 Recap
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Since it's almost time to do the June recap, I think I'm going to get over my perfectionism and do a quick, bullet-point recap of May so I can finally move on and quit having it hanging over my head. So here's May (in a long nutshell):
Notable parenting struggles/stories:
- We had a cookout to celebrate our final small group of the semester. I summarized my feelings about it on Facebook: "When you're house hunting, you imagine the future in every potential place you walk through. Tonight as we celebrated the end of a great semester of leading couples' small group, I looked around our patio full of strangers-turned-friends and our yard full of kids playing and realized I was experiencing a dream fulfilled. Back before the contract was even signed, we committed to using this house to serve God and our church and I am oh-so-grateful we had the opportunity to do so."
- Luke attended his first official friend's birthday party when his buddy Patrick turned two. He seemed to be a fan, especially of the cake.
- Mother's Day was great. I enjoyed some time off the day before, which was much needed and appreciated. The day of we went to church and then hiked around the Buford Dam down to the Chattahoochee River and back up. We had a picnic lunch near the lake side, then came home and did some yard work and had some of David's yummy hamburgers on the grill for dinner. Luke gave me a Willow Tree angel figurine and Audrey gave me hanging baskets for the porch and pink gardening gloves. So blessed to hold the title of "Mom" to those two.
- Audrey's Pre-K graduation was awesome. I nearly burst with pride at how well she did with her brave singing, especially since she was on the first row! I didn't cry at the event itself (saving all of that for August), but I definitely teared up at seeing how she overcame her struggle of stage fright. We'd been praying for weeks and then that night I took her aside before walking her to her room and prayed over her. After we got home when we were praying before bed she said, "Hey! God DID answer our prayers!" So cool.
- We picked strawberries at a local patch with friends. We ate most of them fresh, but turned some into yummy smoothies.
- One weekend we visited my dad and stepmom's new house and then went to David's parents' home to hang out. We were supposed to do a boat ride, but it was chilly and wet, so we just hung out at their dock then went out to eat.
- Audrey got her glasses towards the end of the month. She handled them like a champ and it didn't take me nearly as long as I thought it would to get used to seeing her in them.
- Of course, the highlight of our month was our Anniversary Trip that I wrote about here.
- My sweet husband turned 33 while we were in MX. We celebrated when we got home, too, with lots of homemade cards and a homemade peach cobbler.
Notable parenting struggles/stories:
- I jotted down some notes on my phone for this month's recap but it's been so long ago that I can't remember what some of them mean. For example, "Luke's sleeping troubles." So apparently, I need to record that the early part of May held some sleeping troubles for our youngest (and therefore, for us) but since I wrote that in a state of sleep-deprivation, I don't really recall what they were. Oh well. I'm sure it's for the best that way.
- Audrey has been struggling with comparing what she has/gets vs. what Luke has/gets since he was about 18 months old. I've lost count of how many times I've reviewed all of the things that she gets to do because she's older that he can't. One day I fixed them a snack and ran down to get something from the basement while they ate it. Suddenly, I hear a very accusatory little voice shout down, "Moooommy! YOU gave Luke four teddy grahams and you only gave me THREE!" (I'd thrown a couple in their regular snack to be NICE.) I took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and then walked upstairs. I took the three Teddy Grahams out of Audrey's bowl, had her follow me to the kitchen, and I promptly dumped them in the trash. We had a long talk about how comparison steals your joy and I explained that if she'd never noticed how many Luke had, she would've been perfectly content with her number. I promised I hadn't meant to give Luke more, but that I just hadn't been paying attention and, by the way, stuff like that was going to happen a lot in life because, newsflash: LIFE ISN'T FAIR. She didn't cry or pitch a fit, she just let that sink in. We're well past a month since it happened and while she still succumbs to comparing every now and then, it's gotten much better! Score one for Mommy.
- Just in case the story above didn't prove what a mean mother I am, we also started using spanking as an occasional punishment for Luke. We began earlier with Audrey, because a) she understood more at a younger age and b) I'm a bigger sucker the second go-round. I know this is a huge hot topic amongst parents so let me assure you it's not something we entered into lightly nor do at the drop of a hat. For perspective, Audrey probably had about 15-20 spankings total from the ages of 2-4 and now averages about one every 6-8 weeks. I expect Luke's number will be slightly higher because, ya know, BOY, but so far the couple he's had have worked wonders.
- Audrey is doing really well with reading, but I have to be careful that the material is still age appropriate. A lot of the early reader first chapter books will have some name calling among the characters or words like "stupid" and "dumb" that I really just don't want her exposed to. Case and point: One night while we were getting ready for bed, she said, "Luke, you're a jerk" and giggled. I gasped, she burst into tears and explained she'd read it in one of her books. We had a talk about what that meant and I assured her she wasn't in trouble because she hadn't known better. It may be prudish and I know public school is going to rock our world, but for now, I'll be previewing Nancy Drew's Clue Crew thoroughly thankyouverymuch.
Cute Quotes from the Kids:
- When leaving Cracker Barrel one night, Luke said happily, "I like to eat. But when I get bigger, I [will] eat salad." ?! Enjoy the carefree pre-salad days now, Buddy!
- I always cheer runners on when we pass them in the car and I guess it rubbed off. When cruising by a jogger, Luke's little fists pumped in the air and he yelled, "GO Runner GO!" :)
- David to Audrey: "Where did you get all of those bug bites?" AJ: "Uh, from bugs."
- Luke has started saying, "Mommy? You so cute!" I'll take it.
So that was May. Sorry if it felt a little disconnected and strung together. Turns out short bullet points aren't really my strong suite, but at least it saved me from having to come up with transitional sentences and paragraph breaks. Maybe June's recap will be better. Maybe.
Until the next time, check out May's pictures here and be sure to view our Anniversary Trip album too if you haven't already by clicking here.
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