Pre-party fun

Emma turned 3 this past Sunday, but the fun to get things ready for the party actually began last weekend.  Last Saturday, Amy and I worked on a trial run of the cake and also made some recycled alphabet crayons.  Since neither of us had ever melted crayons before, we decided to keep a close watch on them as they melted.  Our goal was to not over-melt(?) them, but of course this adventure ended with a little smoke bellowing out of the oven and rushing to open doors before the smoke detectors went off.  So needless to say, it was a fun, but typical for us, experience!

The cake turned out pretty good too, but didn't rise as much as expected.  We learned yet another lesson.  Even though there are conversions for substituting cake flour for regular flour and vice versa, you are better off keeping the recipe as is and using whichever flour the recipe calls for.  Apparently, cake flour isn't supposed to rise like all-purpose flour.

This past Friday, the kids and I went over to Wilson to get things ready for the party play.  All Emma wanted for her birthday was a calculator (yep! a regular 'ole calculator) and a jumpy house.  Since the weather forecast for Saturday was cold and rainy, Amy wanted to get the jumpy house set up Friday afternoon.  We picked up Ryley from school, then the kids and I played outside while Amy went to pick it up.  I thought Amy and I would be able to unload it and get it set up with no problem.  Ha!  It was HUGE and heavy and took up the entire back of her Odyssey with all the seats down!  Luckily, Stevie's little bro and a friend came to our rescue and helped us get it set up.  The kids were soooo excited to jump and had a blast all afternoon!

And of course, the adults had a little jumpy fun, too!  Ashely came over and the kids wasted no time getting her in with them.  The birthday girl especially loved jumping w/ Ashely!

And...after the little ones were in bed...there may or may not have been a late night grown-up jump, too.  ;-)

Eighteen.

Dear Kate,
I can hardly believe that you are already 18 months old. I've always thought of 18 (as in years) as the age of independence, but you've take that even further to include 18 months as your age of independence. Just this morning you walked around with one sock on b/c after I put on the first one, you threw a fit to put on the second one. You refused to allow me to help you even get it started and you eventually gave up when something more interesting captured your attention. You threw another fit as we were getting in the car to take Jackson to preschool b/c you wanted to buckle yourself.

I am watching you grow up too fast and it's all b/c you want to be just like your big brother. You follow him everywhere and want to do everything he's doing. When you think you are playing along with his cars or blocks, most of time he thinks you are just messing things up. He can be so mean to you and it hurts your little feelings so bad. Sometimes he can just look at you with a mean face or say NO to you and you just burst into tears. It's so sweet, but so pitiful -- you are just a sensitive little thing. Although Jackson can be mean to you all he wants, I do see him stand up for you and protect you quite often. The other day at the park you were trying to walk on a bouncy bridge and Jackson told the bigger kids to stop jumping so you could make it across. Seeing that just warmed my heart. I know you two are going to continue to throw down for many years, but I also know that he's going to look out for you.

You have concentrated so much on your mobility lately and are not at all interested in expanding your vocabulary. Your favorite words are eat, no and juice (which really means something to drink - not necessarily 'juice'). You've also recently discovered 'Hi' and realized that people will respond when you say that. The other day in Target you said Hi to every person that walked by and they all loved it. You even repeat Hi back to them and kept saying it over and over. You're just a friendly little thing, I suppose. Watching you wave good-bye with your big grin is so cute -- I love seeing that when I leave for work in the mornings. And your kisses and hugs are the best ever. You are still very cuddly and I love it. Getting hugs from you or feeling you laying on my shoulder has to be the best feeling in the world. I treasure each and every one of those sweet moments b/c I know how quickly these days are passing by.

You are a handful, little girl, and are quite the dramatic one, but what can I say? You are your mother's daughter. I hope that you hang on to your independence, resilience, and feistiness -- even if it means that most of your battles are with me. As you get older those traits will give you strength and confidence, something that us girls need to survive in this crazy world we live in.

I love you,
Ah-ni (Mommy)

Happy Spring!

Yesterday marked the first day of spring and I couldn't be happier.  Not only does the calendar say it's springtime, but the weather the past few days has been quite springy, too!  We've spent as much time as possible outdoors and I know two little kids who wouldn't rather be anywhere else.  Today was cloudy (but warm) so it was the perfect day to take a few pictures of my little sunshines!  I ended up with so many good ones!!

This little girl is quite the brave one!  She's been making her way up the swingset steps for a few weeks now!

But once she gets ready to slide, she needs a little reassurance that she can make it.   

Looking at this little sneaky smile, maybe she's not so nervous after all.  ;-)

Maggie has been loving all this playing outside, too!

One word.  Studmuffin!

Perfect example of monkey see-monkey do... 

All smiles!

A Laughing Baby

You know you can never get enough of a big belly laugh from a cute baby!  But this one isn't just laughing...  This one is sure to be viral!

My little birdie's nest

(Disclaimer: I'm about to toot my own horn quite a bit, so bear with me.  I may be just a little proud of the things I created for my little love! :-) )


It may have taken me two years to complete, but I'm very happy with how Kate's room turned out.  It's also the only room in this house that I consider 'complete'.  This frame gallery around the tree was the final project and I'm proud to say that I created each piece!  Sean helped with the birdhouse -- it had to be cut down in order to fit in the frame -- and of course he helped with the hanging.

I knew I wanted to showcase some song lyrics in her room, but I had to find the right song.  I mean, R Kelly's I Believe I Can Fly, goes great with the bird theme and has a nice meaning and all, but R Kelly is not exactly an artist I want featured in my child's room.  So after much thought and discussion, Sean suggested Blue Sky by The Allman Brothers.  This song is actually played on our rehearsal dinner video, so it already had a special place around here.  And I think it fit perfectly in Kate's bluebird room!

For the silhouette, I took Kate's picture from the side, then edited it Photoshop.  I love that the image captures her pouty little lips. :-)  

The alphabet print was another Photoshop creation after seeing something similar on Etsy.

Sweet Kate, you certainly are my blue sky and my sunny day!  

The cube towers and storage bins were lovingly built for Kate by her Papa.  While the bins may not be packed to the brim right now, I'm sure as she gets older she'll find lots of 'things' to fill them with.  And the adorable bird houses scattered around her room -- those were lovingly painted by Mamma and Aunt Amy for the shower they hosted for me (& Kate)!  They are perfect!

The fun lampshade was also special project of mine.  I couldn't find a lampshade that I was in love with and since I knew exactly what I had in mind, I just created it w/ a little fabric and ribbon.  Lampshades have to be the easiest DIY project around.  Super easy and super cute!

The painting is an original piece done by a SAHM mom I found online.  She already had some of the design, but I was able to choose all the details.  It fits perfectly in Kate's room.  

Of course the changing table isn't used for 'changing' anymore.  Nowadays, it's just a catchall for whatever needs...well, catching.  It does look nice though, so I have no urgent plans to move it anytime soon.  I should look into different ideas for repurposing changing tables.  Any suggestions?  It's a very sturdy, solid wood piece from PBK, so I would like to hang on to it.  I actually found it on Craigslist and got it for a STEAL!  

The hairbow holder was another one of my crafty projects.  I found those little flowers at a party store when I was pregnant and was constantly trying to figure out how I could use them.  When Kate's hairbow collection began to expand and I came across the paisley ribbon I had bought months before, the flowers finally found a home!  And so did the hairbows!  

I couldn't share Kate's little nest without sharing her most beloved belongings.  Her Violet, Buzz, Fluffy (Jackson named that one), and Blankie.  Violet was a gift from Ashely, Kate's godmother, when she was baptized.  Kate connected with Violet immediately and the two have snuggled together ever since.  When she gets sleepy, she'll cuddle Violet around her neck and suck on the same middle-two fingers she's sucked on since birth.  So sweet.  My favorite is when I go in to check on her at night and I see her with her head on Violet or her arm wrapped around her.  And yes, the pressure is on to keep up with Violet.  Buzz is a close second, but he is by no means her Violet.  :-)

Sneak Peek

I have FINALLY taken the time to work on a project I've had in progress since...oh, last summer. A wall gallery in Kate's room. I'm picking up the last prints tomorrow at the printer, so I can't share the finished project just yet, but here's a sneak peek...