Time To Party!

This year's big birthday bash for all my April babies is in the books, and despite unseasonably cold and rainy weather for May, it was a HUGE success.

We had planned an outdoor party at a neighborhood park that has both a playground and a grassy area for playing ball and the bounce house but alas, it was not to be.  We woke up Saturday morning to very cool temperatures and blue skies.  I had hope the rain would stay away but by noon it was raining and by 1:30pm we made the decision to move the party to our house.  Needless to say I was not thrilled with having to move the party to our house, not because I don't love entertaining or mind having a house full of children because I do and I don't.  It is just that our house was in party prep mode rather than have people over mode and it was a frantic rush to get everything cleaned up and ready for guests.

A big thank you to my parents and in-laws who helped get things ready.  I will admit I wasn't a very nice person to be around during that frantic hour and a half so my apologies go along with my thanks.

This year our "theme" was supposed to be Outdoor Fun at the Park.  A pretty generic theme I know which means almost anything  goes for invitations, decorations, etc.  I found some cute, polka dot invitations and used those as the inspiration for colors, decorations etc.

As I did for Ava, I made a big "Happy Birthday"  banner.  It was supposed to hang in the tent at the park so it was bigger than the one I made for Ava.  Since we didn't end up at the park it was swagged over the window in the front room.  It was a little long but still fun.  Sorry it isn't the best picture.

I also tried to have "polka dot" food so we had cheese balls, whoppers, mini chewy sweet tarts, fruit skewers and fruit dip (not polka dot but still yummy).  Instead of a big cake I made polka dot cupcakes. I got the idea from pinterest for a polka dot cake and adjusted it to make cupcakes instead.  Here is the original pin I found.

The cupcakes weren't hard, just a little time consuming.  First I made a batch of vanilla cake batter, divided it into six mini bread pans and dyed each one a separate color.  We had blue, green, yellow, pink, orange, and purple.  I baked the dyed mini cakes just like normal.  After they were cooled, I made mini cake balls using white butter cream icing and the colored mini cakes.

Here is a quick shot of the mini cake balls in process.  Two colors down, four more to go.

After making hundreds of mini colored cake balls I made another double batch of vanilla cupcake batter.  I put a couple of the mini cake balls into each cupcake tin and then added the vanilla cake batter.  The result I hoped would be polka dot cupcakes.  Here is the end result.

Yeah....it worked.

I topped each cupcake with chocolate buttercream icing and then added multi colored sixlet candies as polka dot decorations.

Besides the weather, everything went smoothly.  We had a great turn-out.  Thankfully children don't seem to mind cold weather like adults so once the rain stopped husband put up the bounce house in the front yard and let the kids go wild.  They had a blast and the added benefit, all that jumping wore everyone out.

Now for a little cupcake and ice cream.

Time to blow out the candles.

Yummy!

After all their friends left, the kids had some fun with Uncle John Robert in the bounce house.

A great time was had by all.  Thanks to everyone who helped me pull things together at the last minute when the weather forced us to change our plans.  Thanks to my brother and to Jessica for making the long trip from Ohio in time for the birthday party.  It meant the world to my three that you were here.

You would think things might slow down now that the party and all that it entails is over but that just isn't the case.  Things around here never slow down.  And as tired as I am, I don't think I would want them too.

Happy Birthday my April babies. 

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers, stepmothers, mothers in law, Godmothers, and future mothers out there, I wish you a very happy Mother's Day.

To my Mommy...Happy Mother's Day.  I wouldn't be who I am without you.

I am blessed to have a wonderful Mother and Grandmothers who have inspired me and guided me in my life as Mommy.

I didn't know or understand how much my mother loved me until I became a mother myself.

And every time I became a mother

my heart grew

and grew!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all you Mothers out there.  

Call your Mom.  She loves you!

More Than One Hand

I am horribly late (bad mommy) but HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my baby boy.
You are 6!  That's more than a whole hand old.

In honor of his sixth birthday I sent cupcakes to school with him on Friday.

Homemade, red velvet cupcakes with a filling of white chocolate whip cream and cream cheese frosting.  YUMMY!

Photo op before school with the birthday hat!

He is so grown up.

Now one of the whole gang

And one with his fabulous teacher Ms. Beth.

Lastly, one from Saturday morning right after he woke up and was "officially" 6.

These have honestly been the fastest 6 years of my life.  I can't believe how much he has grown and changed over the years.  I wish I could freeze time and keep him my sweet little boy forever, but I also look forward to seeing him grow into a wonderful young man.

The big birthday bash for all my April babies is this weekend.

I'm frantically trying to get everything ready.  The party is outdoors at a local park.  Please pray for beautiful weather.

A Clown?

Harrison has always been my "helpless" child.  He is super smart and can do things for himself, he just chooses not to.  I can ask him to go get his shoes and socks on and he will instantly say "I can't find them anywhere."  Of course, he hasn't bothered to move from where he was and look for them either.  If I have him try to zip up his jacket or turn off the light in his room he will grunt and say "I can't do it.  It's too hard."  In the mornings when I ask him to go get dressed for school his response is usually, "I can't move.  My legs are straighted."  I know I shouldn't, but depending on how tired I am, I just give in and do whatever it is for him.  I know, I know.  Definitely a bad habit to get into.  I don't want him to be completely helpless his whole life.  I do want him to move out on his own...eventually.

With that in mind, husband and I have been pushing him to do more things by himself, or at least give things an honest try before giving up and asking for help.  And he has made major improvement.  He can buckle his own car seat belts, get himself a snack or a drink, turn the lights off sometimes but given how short he is this one isn't complete laziness on his part, go to the bathroom on his own, and various other tasks, including get himself dressed.

The getting himself dressed thing is a double edged sword however,

Because sometimes he comes down dressed like this

and tells me "Look mom.  I'm not a clown anymore."

My favorite part of the outfit....

the gray dress socks pulled up to his knees.  They go so well with the blue striped t-shirt and plaid shorts.  He is definitely a fashionista in the making....but at least he's not a clown.

Another One Bites The Dust

This week I have been waging a war.
A war against a vicious fever/stomach virus that has been going around.

I've been waging the war....and losing horribly.

It started with John David who came down with this mess on Sunday.  The first time he threw up I was hoping it was just extreme exhaustion due to a super packed weekend of ball games, ball practices, grandparents visiting, birthday parties, and church.  I was wrong.  He soon spiked a fever over 102 and felt horrible.  He lay curled up on an extra crib mattress in my bedroom crying and whimpering because he felt so horrible.

I went into disinfectant, hope to keep anyone else from catching this mess, mode.  I have done countless loads of laundry, scrubbed bathrooms, walls, cabinets, floors, everything, in hopes of killing this virus and sparing the other three, and husband and I, from the sickness.  All to no avail.  On Wednesday, Ava woke up from her nap with a fever of 102.  On Thursday, Ella's temp went up to 102.  Both girls have been vomiting.  Oh the joys of motherhood, and the joys of motherhood with a houseful of small children who love to share their germs.

Last night as I was dosing both girls with fever medication and setting out the "puke pots" just in case either got sick during the night, the lyrics of Queen's 80's hit "Another One Bites the Dust" popped into my head.

Another one bites the dust

Another one bites the dust

And another one gone, and another one gone

Another one bites the dust

Hey, gonna get you too

Another one bites the dust

Husband found the song on the internet and played it for me while I laughed and danced the stress off.  I mean, when three of your four children are sick as dogs, you haven't left the house in a week other than to run carpool for the ones that haven't yet gotten sick, you haven't had a full nights sleep in 5 days, what else can you do but laugh and dance to 80's rock music.

Harrison is the lone hold-out among the children and has yet fallen victim to this nasty virus.

Husband and I are fighting hard as well.  

I pray no one else catches it.

I pray I don't catch it.  If mommy gets sick, who will be left to take care of me.

On a positive note, my house is really clean, the laundry is caught up, and I have gotten a decent amount of sewing done this week.  

A Whole Lotta Birthdays!

Happy Birthday Ella and Harrison

You are 4 today.

I can't believe you went from this

to this

so darn fast!

I made cupcakes for the twins to take to school as a treat.  Ella requested pink cupcakes with purple frosting while Harrison requested green cupcakes with blue frosting.  Here's the result.

I put a miniature rolo candy on the top of each one.  Those were a big hit and they were both really excited about their cupcakes for their school friends.

Here they are with their fabulous teacher Ms. Tish.   

To make today more exciting, it is Ms. Tish's birthday too.  We made Ms. Tish her own tray of birthday cupcakes to share with the other teachers. (Or to eat all for herself if she wants.  It is her birthday after all.)

Not only is today the twins birthday, and Ms. Tish's birthday, but it is Jessica's birthday as well.  (She was obviously meant to be part of our family.) 

So we wish her a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY too.

Too bad she can't be here for her own pink/purple or green/blue cupcake.  I guess we will just have to make her her own birthday dessert when she and John Robert next come for a visit.

We will be celebrating more birthdays later this month and will have a big birthday bash in a few weeks.  

So for now

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY TWINS!

I love you!

TAX DAY!

From one non-practicing CPA who didn't do tax work when I was a practicing CPA and who was up way too late finishing her own taxes to all of you

Don't Forget...

Today is Filing Day

If you haven't filed your tax return yet you better get it in the mail today.  You have until midnight.

On a happier note...in honor of tax day Sonic has half price drinks and slushes ALL DAY!

I've already stopped for my afternoon caffeine fix.

Now....off to make cupcakes for school for my barely not tax day baby twins who will turn four tomorrow.

Around here, the fun never stops.

HAPPY TAX DAY EVERYONE!