A Butterfly-Munchin’ Princess Frog Party

Ever since her big sister’s birthday party back in January, Sloane has been busy planning her own. When asked what kind of birthday party she wanted, she always replied a Butterfly Party. Well, anyone who knows me knows that whenever I can, I try to override the kids’ theme choices with something more original and creative (read: something *I* feel like planning), but because Jeremy always gives me a hard time about that, I decided I would honor Sloane’s decision this year. So I began researching all things butterfly and set the plans in motion for a fluttering extravaganza.

I found some paisley stickers at the dollar store and loved their designs and colors, so I scanned them, arranged them, and they became the butterfly for my invitation.

Well, about 3 weeks before the party, Sloane suddenly started saying she wanted a frog party. You see, she’s had this thing for frogs ever since they started hopping onto our porch last summer, but by this time, it was too late in the game to change the plans. I mean, for once, I was actually ahead of schedule in my party plans! So I continued with butterflies. And where there’s butterflies, there’s usually flowers.

The flower garland was made from super easy templates found in Family Circle magazine (with tissue paper from dollar store). And this gigantic flower wall hanging proved to be just the right amount of busy work for Reid. The flower balls are whiffle balls covered with silk flowers and silk butterflies—all from, you guessed it, the dollar store! :)

Blair made this butterfly at school and let me use her little friend to greet everyone who fluttered in.

Her butterfly was the inspiration for a craft station where the kids could make their own coffee filter butterflies. In early test runs, we used markers to color designs on coffee filters, then sprayed the filters with water to make the colors run. After they dry, you cinch it in the middle with a clothes pin or pipe cleaner and voila, your butterfly is complete. However, setting out a spray bottle of water is just way too tempting for a house full of young kids, so we went with crayons and colored pencils instead. It still had the same effect.

So as I mentioned earlier, Sloane started saying she wanted a frog party… Not wanting to disappoint, Jeremy, our resident cake chef, decided he would incorporate a frog into a butterfly cake in any way he could. After much brainstorming, this is what he came up with: a cake with a butterfly…being eaten by a frog. 

This was his first time working with fondant icing, and we found that it’s very tricky to get it just right. But we were proud of this first effort and are excited to try to perfect it in all the many cakes to come.

(Yes, we have another child, but she was being grumpy and wouldn’t get in the family picture.)



At the end of the party, each guest left with a candy butterfly (snack bag filled with candy and cinched with a clothes pin).

Just the two of us...plus one more

Old post that I’m finally finishing—this is from October 2010.

Last weekend, Jeremy and I had the opportunity to celebrate our 10 year anniversary with a stay at a bed and breakfast. My parents so graciously agreed to watch the kids overnight for us; however, since Elise was not sleeping though the night, nor taking a bottle, she got to make the trip with us. She was a good girl, though—a very happy and unimposing guest.

I’ve been wanting to visit a B&B for a long time, so now that the occasion was upon us, Jeremy left no detail unplanned. Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries awaited us after dinner. Candles lined the rose-petal-sprinkled Jacuzzi tub. I was gifted with a basket of soaps, lotions, and scrubs to create my own mini-spa environment. And following a restful night’s sleep in the antique canopy bed, we were served a delicious breakfast in our room. Oh, and there was a pantry filled with all sorts of food, snacks and drinks, available for whatever hour a snack attack hit you. (I have to admit, my inner child suddenly appears when I see a pantry filled with free snacks. So I had chocolate pudding for breakfast, just because I could.) I am already looking forward to making this a new anniversary tradition. (hint hint, Jer)

Champagne and strawberries



Breakfast for two

and chocolate pudding!

Elise got to give the tub a whirl—she loved when the jets were on.


A crisp cool morning out on the wrap-around porch

Horse Barn Open House

A nearby Clydesdale Ranch is having an open house. There are bouncy houses to bounce, ponies to ride, and extreme animals waiting for extreme petting, so let’s get going! 

I’m not positive, but I think I overheard the handler say that this snake is a Boa. Still, imagine my shock when I heard the handler saying things like “tight” and “squeeze” while prying (with what appeared to be a bit of force) the snake from around my son’s neck. Um yeah. No, he wasn’t in immediate danger (to my knowledge anyway—he actually said it felt good, which made me think that maybe I should start massaging his neck more often so he knows he can turn to a human for a neck rub and not a boa constrictor), but she said she had to let the snake calm down before any kids could hold it again. Lovely.


Yes, this is same said snake whispering sweet nothings a mere three inches from my two-year-old’s face. This was before he started preparing Reid for dinner.


Petting a Bearded Dragon. I believe she said this one shoots poison when it feels threatened. Why doesn’t she just bring a 15-foot alligator next time?? It can’t be any more dangerous than these 2 creatures!


This is more our style.


What? You’ve never seen a horse barn with a pet zebra?


I got to peek in on some quiet moments between the kids and a clydesdale.

Reid's petting.


Sloane's crawling through the fence, practically rubbing cheeks with him.


Blair feeding it some leftover hay found in the adjacent pen.

Mother’s Day 2011—a day of many holidays

When it comes to Mother's Day, Jeremy is king. He really is quite good at pampering me and flying solo with all the parenting duties. So much so that I'm thinking I should let him do it everyday. This year, Mother's Day actually started the night before with Jeremy taking over kid-bathing duties for the night. We both hate bathtime, so when you're not the one that has to do it, it's like receiving a free vacation.

The next morning, as I was being served in bed with a beautiful plate of eggs surrounded by a fortress of bacon, I was wished not only a Happy Mother’s Day, but also Happy Valentine’s Day, and serenaded with Happy Birthday. I had no idea it was such a special day! (The one appropriate greeting that WAS expected, however, was Happy Anniversary, as it marked 15 years of Jeremy and me being together!)   


However, because the kids couldn’t let even this morning go by without fighting, shoving and grabbing, our breakfast in bed was short lived and we we ended up at the dining room table before heading off to church.


Since it was a beautiful day, my only Mother's Day request (after not bathing the kids, getting to sleep in, having time to myself, taking a nap, and relinquishing all parental duties for the day, of course) was to spend the day outdoors. So, later in the afternoon, we ate dinner lakeside and then spent time walking around the lake. Due to the massive drought, the lake level is really low, so we were actually able to climb down into the lake and walk out on the lake bed quite a ways out.



See all that dirt—that should be covered up by water. (You can see the lines of the normal lake level on the rocks by the lighthouse.)




The kids (unsuccessfully) tried their hand at skipping rocks but (successfully) caked their feet--and shoes--in mud.


Look how far into the lake we were! We found really cool shells and a couple not-so-cool dead fish.


It was a perfect day.





PS While rummaging around old posts, I found this picture of the "normal" lake level. What a difference!
 

The Day the Wind Beat Us

Reid’s school participated in a track meet at a neighboring school a couple weeks ago. We called them Play Day when I was in school, and it was the best day of the whole school year. I loved the Old Clothes Race, where you had to run to the mark, put on a bunch of oversized clothes and then run back. I also remember one about a cup of water…but I don’t remember what you had to do with it though…run with it and fill up a bucket, maybe?…pass it back and forth?…I just remember getting soaked which was just what we needed for those hot sunny days. Oh and the Sack Race! Who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashioned sack race? I also remember my parents going to watch and cheer me on (random memory: one year, I remember seeing my dad, with his long telephoto lens resting against his shoulder, walking across the field to find a spot to take pictures. A classmate of mine said, “Look! He’s carrying a gun!” …I told you it was random.) Anyway, Jer and I now find ourselves as the ones going to hoot and holler.
At last year’s track meet, it started out as a chilly, breezy day so I underestimated the power of the sun and its rays. I ended up with the worst sunburn I’ve ever had. It hurt so bad, I pushed away the kids when they tried to hug me, and I couldn’t even raise my shoulders to hold the phone against my ear. So I was prepared for the sun this year, and vowed it would not take me down again. However, what I was NOT prepared for was the extreme wind. If you were standing still and didn’t have a wide foot base, you would get blown over. Seriously. It was blowing about 40mph all day, with wind gusts in the 50s. If I didn’t put the brakes on the stroller, it would start rolling away. But despite the hurricane, the kids had fun, and I guess that’s what it’s all about.
Reid placed 1st in the Sack Race. (I think it’s adorable how his classmate is jumping up and down cheering him on!)

2nd in the Spoon Race. (gray shirt)

And 3rd in the Standing Long Jump. (I didn’t get a picture because Elise was crying too much due to the pounding wind.)

He also participated in the 3-Legged Race, the Hoop Shot, Golf Putting, and several dashes and relays.




The following week, he had a track meet at his school. I wasn’t able to make it because Blair was home sick that day, but he came home with 3rd place ribbons in the 200 and 300 meter relays, a 5th in the sack race, and mystery 3rd and 4th place ribbons. We don’t know what they’re for and he doesn’t remember. Since no one in our family possesses any gifts of speed, we’re pretty sure he didn’t get them in any of the dashes. So it must be the long jump or the one of the softball throws.

All for a green turtle

This—this green turtle—would become the bane of our evening.

It all started when we visited our local fun-and-games pizza place a few nights ago. It’s a pizza buffet with all kinds of arcade games, bumper cars, mini golf, etc. Each kid received $5 and 20 minutes to play games, and then it would be time to go home. Blair spotted a green turtle in a crane game and decided THIS was what she wanted to spend her money on.

I guess she assumed everyone walked away a winner. Boy was she wrong. Jeremy, who is quite the accomplished crane game grabber (back in our pre-kid days, one could often find us at the entrance of any grocery store, feeding our hard-earned coins into the slot of a crane game, and usually walking away a winner. But by “winner” I mean grabbing a Harley Davidson eagle or a red, white, and blue dog, so it’s all relative) decided to give it a go for her.

One play. Two plays. Maybe three plays a charm? Not even close. $20 and lots of tears later…

we finally had to cut our losses and walk away, much to Blair’s dismay. (Yes, I’m sure it’s mean taking a picture of my bawling, distraught daughter in her time of need but it was such a ridiculous thing to cry over that I couldn’t resist.) We were ready to head for the exit until we caught a glimpse of this gigantic life-size crane game. (You can see Jeremy playing it through the window.) Its huge-ness drew us in like a moth to a flame, and we were hooked for another 10 bucks. We had some promising grabs, but no luck in snagging a big one. (It’s pathetic how big of suckers we are. Think of how many real toys we could have bought with that $30!)

More tears ensued. So when we got home, Jeremy being the hero dad that he is, dug around the garage and found an old stuffed animal that we won in a crane game years ago, and gave it to her. Blair and “Black Cookie” (she named it, not me) now live happily ever after. 

 

Oh, and while we were wasting all our money on the elusive stuffed turtle, Sloane was trying to earn it back for us in, um, other ways. Hey, she has to work her way through med school somehow.